The Godmother

Episode 16

He was glad at the news. It was a step up the ladder and he
so much welcomed it.

‘It will also mean you’ll relocate from your present official
residence to a bigger one. We’re going to miss you, Tope.’
They did a mini send-forth for him, with the First Lady
herself gracing the occasion. They all extolled his quality.
Gifts were given to him and he
was wished the best in his future endeavors. He called Iye
to let her know the new development.
‘I must really thank you, my dear Iye. I’ve been moving up
the ladder, from one prosperity to the other.’
‘I told you,’ she said.

What bothered him about her was that she rarely accepted
very valuable things from him. He had given her different
cars, and she would ask
him to be using them on her behalf. The only things she
readily accepted from him were clothes. Just clothes! How
he wished he could do much more than that for Iye.

Later that evening, Zay was in his apartment.
‘I’ve come for another send-forth,’ she said. ‘But really, I
wish we’ll still be seeing each other.’
‘We can, if we want to. We can make the arrangement.’
She smiled at him. ‘Well, before any arrangement, come and
show me how to make love to a woman.’
‘With all pleasure.’
He first undressed her before he undressed himself. Then,
he pounded her and she screamed his name. There were
sweats all over their bodies
by the time it was over.
‘I’m sure now, that this relationship cannot just end like
this. We’ve got to be seeing each.’
‘We’ll be making arrangement,’ he reassured her.
She also told Rita too about the Special Assistant job, and
she was very glad about it.
The following day, he went to the office of the Honorable
Minister to resume his new work.
‘I’ve heard a lot about your sterling performances,’ she
said. ‘I want you to live up to the expectation working for
me. I trust in your diligence.’

‘Thank you, madam,’ he replied. ‘I promise to do my best
and not to disappoint, ma’am.’
He had a bigger office now, a bigger role and a much bigger
pay. He also had some staff working directly under him.
That weekend, when Rita
came around, she came to know their new residence, a
posh five-bedroom bungalow in a posh part of the city.
‘Oh, my darling,’ she told him, hugging him the umpteenth
time. Rita too had good news for him.
‘I’m pregnant,’ she announced, touching her tummy which
was yet to show sign that she was pregnant. ‘Nine weeks.’
He lifted her in euphoria. ‘Gently, gently,’ she said. ‘We
must not hurt the baby.’
‘Of course, nothing must happen to the baby. It’s just that
I’m happy.’
A domestic servant had been seconded to work in his
residence, in addition to the security details, plus a driver
and a gardener. All these would
make Rita’s task to be easy. He had two official cars and a
retinue of staff at the office. He was on the move. There
was a guest house
belonging to the Ministry. That was where he and Zay
usually met on Wednesdays. Sometimes, they would be
holed up there from early evening till late night.
‘I’ve become addicted to you,’ Zay said as she snuggled up
to him on the large bed.
‘Is that so?’ he asked.

‘Yes, it is so,’ she answered simply.
He rubbed her back. ‘My fatty baby.’
‘My handsome bobo,’ she answered.
His hand went to her bum and he rubbed the place. It
tickled her.

‘I’ll be travelling next week,’ she said. ‘The first lady will be
traveling to South Africa and I’ll likely be on her
entourage.’
‘I may likely travel in two weeks’ time too,’ he said. ‘It’s like
we are in season of travels.’
As her pregnancy progressed, Tope asked Rita to defer her
university education so that she could truly prepare for
motherhood.
‘Besides, I think this your trips of Lokoja to Abuja and back
must be curtailed for now. I don’t want anything to stress
you or the baby.’

Rita had to do as he said. She was about to enter her final
year, but as it was, things had to be on the hold for now.

When it was time for her to deliver, she delivered a bouncing baby girl they named Oyin. It did not matter the
sex, he thought. The important thing was he had another
baby. Meanwhile the mother of his baby in Lagos had been
making subtle move to come back to his life.
‘You abandoned me and your daughter in Lagos,’ Sade said
accusingly.
‘That’s not true, and you know it,’ he countered. ‘I’ve
tripled the amount I used to send for her upkeep.’
‘Is everything about money?’ she replied. ‘You didn’t even
come around here to see her one on one.’
Truly, he had regularly been sending money, enough money;
but he had become so busy that he didn’t have time to visit
the girl again. Even
for those weekends that he was in Lagos, his schedules
were so tight. ‘Alright, next time I come to Lagos, I’ll try to
see her.’
‘It’s not about trying, you need to see her.’
‘Alright.’
He was in Lagos on Saturday morning. After inspecting his
building site which was now at its completion stage, he
drove to Sade’s house. She
shared a two-bedroom apartment with Edith, another
single lady. Tope would have preferred that Annabel, his
five-year old daughter, be
staying with him but Sade insisted otherwise.
‘Daddy!’ the girl ran to him as soon as he stepped inside the
flat.
‘Eh, my baby girl!’ He lifted the girl and placed her on his
lap.

‘Finally, you have come,’ Sade said.
‘I told you I would.’
‘How’s Abuja? I can see you’re looking really good. See
your cheeks.’
He smiled. ‘Abuja is fine.’
‘Oh, I can see that. It’s very obvious.’
Later, she asked him what she could offer him but he
declined. When he was leaving, he generously gave her
money for the upkeep of Annabel.
‘Thanks for your generosity. At least, we’re spending Abuja
money now.’
He smiled and nodded. Annabel cried when he was leaving,
but he had to go. He went to his old house to take some
money. According to Iye,
even if he had no need to spend money, he must continually
spend from the money. He left the house and went back to
the hotel he was
lodging at Ikeja. His phone rang. It was from Sade.
‘Hello, Tope dear,’ she said. ‘I was wondering if I could come
and say hello to you in your hotel’
He grinned to himself. ‘Well, that will be alright.’