The Godmother

Episode 24

‘And what are you going to do about that?’ She pointed at
his erect manhood straining in his trousers.
‘Nothing,’ he quickly said. ‘It will go down by itself.’

Rita was a bit satisfied for now. But he remained worried.

How would he be able to avoid sex for the next ninety days
or so? It was not going to be easy. On Sunday afternoon,
they returned to Abuja. He knew his challenge with the
abstinence was just starting.

‘For how many days were you asked to stay off sex?’ Rita
asked.

‘For three months.’

She looked sharply at him. ‘You mean three days?’

‘No, three months. Ninety days.’
‘You’re joking!’

‘No, I’m not. That’s what I was told.’
‘What is the name of this prophet and what church does he
shepherd?’

He scratched his head and quickly gave her a name and a
church.

‘Where’s the address of his church in Lagos?’

He became alarmed again. ‘Why are you asking all these
questions, baby?’

‘Because I want to pay him a visit.’
His eyes opened wide. ‘A visit for what?’
‘I want to ask him if God was the one that told him a man
must not fulfill his spousal obligation to his wife for three
months. Three full months!’

‘There’s no need for that. See, the three months will soon
fizzle away.’

She smiled. ‘It’s funny but I keep on having the feeling that
you’re lying.’

He tried to feign anger. ‘How could you say that?’

‘Because I’ve known you for some time, dear. I know when
you’re saying the truth and when you’re not.’

He turned away from her and stared through the window in
the sitting-room.

‘Why don’t you tell me what exactly is the problem, dear?

I’m your wife.’

He sighed but said nothing. He had never discussed Iye’s
matter with her and had never taken her to meet ‘the great
one’. Everything between
him and Iye had been utmost secret. How could he now tell
her that what he was doing was an instruction from her?

‘If you don’t believe what I’ve said, then there’s nothing
else to say,’ he said.

She shrugged, if he wanted to believe an unknown
‘prophet’, he could go ahead, but he must not deprive her
of her ‘right.’

‘I’ll be sleeping in the guest room for now,’ he said. Despite
her protests, he slept alone in the guestroom.

The following morning, he tried to do his work and to forget
any worry. His P.A, Helen, was someone he often flirted with. He had done that to the extent of handling her boobs,
smacking her bum and having sex with her right there in
the office on two occasions. Henceforth, he would desist
from all that.

Helen was quick to know how officious he was.
‘What d’you say about my hair?’ she prompted him.

He looked up from his file briefly. ‘It’s good,’ he mumbled
and went back to work. Later that afternoon, Tina, one of
his regular gals in Abuja called him.

‘Hello, dear,’ she said. ‘I’ve been expecting your call.’

‘I’ve been very busy,’ he replied.

‘Are we meeting in the guest house this evening at our
usual time?’

‘No. I’ll be very busy for the next couple of weeks.’

‘Jeez! What could make you so busy you’ll leave your Tina
in the cold for weeks?’

‘That’s the way it is.’ He almost snapped. ‘I’ll call you when
I need you.’

Just towards closing hour, his P.A was back in his office
looking very sober.

‘Anything the matter? Have I done anything wrong?’ she
asked him.

‘Of course, no.’ He looked surprised. ‘I didn’t say you did
anything wrong.’

‘You’ve been unfriendly to me since morning.’

He tried what looked like reassuring smile. ‘There’s no
problem, Helen. Just that I’m busy.’

She still looked demure. If it were before, he would ask her
to come over to his side, and then picked the favorite part
of her body to touch.

But, there was no point doing that now.
For the next six days, Tope was able to maintain his abstinence, though with great difficulty. He had cut off his
links with his regular gals, including Lagos-based Linda. His
greatest challenger was his wife.