What A Life

Episode 17

Samantha ran as fast as her legs could carry her, she was conscious of the fact that her mother may come searching for her the minute she discovers that she was missing and so she kept watching her back. In her anxiety, she almost ran into a bike man who was coming at top speed. ”Madam, dey look your front if you dey waka for road now. Na for this recession you want put me for trouble? E no go work for you o”. He said as he drove away.

She ignored him and continued to walk on. She tried to stop some cars that drove past her but none agreed to stop. She was still thinking of what to do when a man stopped beside her. Without saying a word to him, she jumped into his car and ordered him to drive.

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Mama Samantha came back from the bathroom to discover that her daughter was missing. She threw away the bucket she had in her hands and ran to the reception.

“Did you see my daughter walk out?” She asked anxiously.

Receptionist: “Calm down, madam. Who is your daughter?”

Mama Samantha: “Samantha, tall dark, slim. Just forget”, she ran out of the reception to the security post leaving the receptionist bewildered.

At the security post, the security men informed her that they had seen someone who matched her description walk out in a hurry but they didn’t suspect that she was a patient because she didn’t have drips on. “That was my daughter o, I guess she is reacting to the strong drugs and injections she has been receiving ever since she had that accident. Please, you have to help me search for her before she harms anybody “.

The chief security assigned two of his junior officers to follow her and search for Samantha.

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When Eno was sure that nobody was eavesdropping on her conversation, she gently closed the door behind her and continued to talk to her mother on phone.

Eno: “Ehen, mum. Its about this fake pregnancy thing o”.

Mama Eno: “What do you mean by that? Have you not been sleeping with your husband? You should be pregnant by now, that will take care of it”.

Eno: “That monster has never touched me ever since we got married!”

Mama Eno: “That is because you are not playing your cards well. Anyway, if he won’t get you pregnant, get someone else to do it”.

Eno: “What? Are you saying I should cheat on my husband?”

Mama Eno: “Which husband are you talking about again? I thought you said you are as good as a widow?”

Eno: “But mum. You know what? I will be with you in few hours time. We can’t discuss this on phone”.

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Samantha and the man who picked her drove in silence for some minutes before he broke the silence.

“So, what’s your name and which way are you going?”

She ignored him and continued to stare far away towards the side mirror.

“Hey pretty, talk to me. I don’t mind taking you to my crib if you are homeless, we could make do with some smooching and pounding tonight, you know”, he winked at her and let his hand run through her thighs but she threw his hands off her.

“Hey, I don’t bite okay. Just tell me your name and your price, I want a slice of you”. He said.

Samantha became angry and she lost her temper.

“Can you just face your front and mind your driving? Must you talk? You men are all the same; opportunistic flirts, that’s what you all are. All men flirt, the ones who claim they don’t say that because they haven’t gotten the perfect opportunity to do so. You want a slice because you gave me a ride, as if I am bread. Mtcheww”.

The man was flagger basted and lost his voice. “You don’t have to go all philosophical, you know. We could be intimate…”

Samantha: “Get your filthy hands off me”. She brought out the knife she had hidden beneath the veil. “Listen, I am going on a murder mission and if you ain’t careful, you will be my first victim”.

The trick worked or so it appeared and the man kept quiet and drove in silence. When he got close to an army check point, he stopped the car and ordered her out. “Get out of my car before I tell the military men there that you have a dangerous weapon on you?” He barked.

Samantha: “You can’t do this. I thought you are willing to drive me to wherever I want to go…”

“You think you are the only one who is full of surprises? Get out, you b—h!” He opened the door and pulled her out and sped away.
Samantha stood at the same point where the man dropped her for some minutes. She was lost and didn’t know what to do. She was in Bwari and her destination for the vengeance she was seeking was Garki, where Dozie and Eno lived. She couldn’t walk it and she had no money to pay a cab. She was still contemplating what to do when a soldier man sighted her and began to run towards her. “Hey, stop there. Na all these women wey dey cover body bomb places be that. Why you stand like that?”

Samantha took two steps backward and was about to run away when the soldiers’ voice froze her. “If you move I shoot”, he threatened as he drew near her.

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Eno dressed in a plain blue Jean trousers and t-shirt walked up to the sitting room where her husband was watching TV. “Hi, erm.. I wanna pay my mum a visit and I need you to drive me there or give me the keys to your car so I can drive myself there”.

She waited for some minutes and when he didn’t reply, she repeated the same question. Again he ignored.

“I am talking to you, Dozie. Just say something, this silence is choking me”.

He ignored her, got up, picked his phone and car keys and made for the door but she ran to the door and barricaded him.

Dozie: “And what is the meaning of this? “

Eno: “The meaning of this is that you are not being fair to me as your wife”.

Dozie: “Step out of the door, I am going out”.

Eno: “And where are you going to that we can’t go together?”

Dozie: “You really wanna know where I am going to? Fine, I’ll tell you. I am going to apologize to Samantha, the woman I truly love”. The woman that will be mother of my Children. Samantha, the lady I will love so much, the one that when she is pregnant for me, I will rub and kiss her belly and listen as my baby kicks and whispers my name in her womb. Don’t you think it’s cute and adorable doing that to Samantha?”

Eno: “You will do no such thing. Over my dead body will I watch you go to that husband snatcher and perform such functions”.

Dozie: “Now you are beginning to push me to the wall. You won’t like my reactions if you don’t stay out of my track. I promise you that I shall marry Samantha and bring her to live in this house. Her place is in my bedroom, beside me on the bed. Now move before I descend on you”.

Eno: “You are going nowhere, touch me and see if this will not be the end of your mother’s political career”. She remained rooted at the door with her hands akimbo.