By Amie Sillah
Humiliation
The hovel they are renting is overdue but Tenneng is ashamed to ask Angi for help
especially after embarrassing her the other day.
As she sat at the veranda, Penda arrived with her friend Asombe and confronted Tenneng.
“My father sent me to collect his rent and arrears; what’s wrong with you people? How can you live in someone’s house and will not pay? How do you expect us to develop the home and make the repairs? Where do you see a free meal?”
Tenneng
“My mom has gone out to get some money when she comes back I’ll ring you to come for your money. We are sorry for the lateness, our sponsor is bereaved.”
Penda
“Stories! Stories! Stories! Don’t let me come here again without my money being ready, paupers!”
Tenneng
She is seething with anger but controlled her temper;
“We will try our best but remember no condition is permanent!”
Penda
“Whatever just be ready with my money.” She rudely left with her friend sulking all the way through.
Angi
Her friends attended her mom’s forty days charity and gave her support and solidarity; she then turned to Tenneng.
“Neng! Sengaan has gone back to the States and I am very lonely especially that our house help is on maternity leave, can you stay with me for a while until Daado returns back to work.”
The Girls
Kanku frowns while Singii is excited as she observes Neng’s reaction.
Tenneng
She hesitated then replied;
“Okay! I’ll come what are friends for? Let me go home and bring my luggage.”
Angi
She hugged and praised her;
“A friend in need is a friend indeed!”
Tenneng left for her home.
Kanku
“Are you sure of what you have just done?”
Angi
“What do you mean?”
Kanku
“Do you trust her to live with you?”
Angi
She laughed heartily:
“Oh Tenneng! I do, she is harmless, and Neng cannot harm me we grew up together.”
Kanku
“You are very naïve don’t say I did not warn you.”
Mam Beegay
She is disillusioned and felt dejected.
Penda
She came again with her friend to collect her rent.
Mam Beegay
She came and stood speechless.
Penda
“Where is my money?” She asked.
Mam Beegay
She stammered and this infuriated Penda all the more.
“I…I did not get the money the promise has failed.”
Penda
She scolded and hurled more insults at her.
“I’ll go and get some boys to come and throw your things outside; we will rent the house to someone who will pay rent.”
Mam Beegay
She stooped upon the floor and begged for mercy.
“Where will we go to if you throw my things out? Please give me time to find the money.”
Penda
“I have no time to give, leave my house and now!”
Tenneng
She came in time and asked her mother to get up.
“Mama! Get up! Don’t stoop for this fool! Here take and give her.” She ordered.
Mam Beegay
She took and gave the money to Penda.
“Take, here is your money.”
Penda
“Have you counted it?”
Tenneng
She pushed Penda and walked to their house followed by Mam.
Penda
She counted it note after note and after her satisfaction she left hissing.
“Count your stars lucky, I would have chucked you out of our house for good.”
At Angi’s House
Tenneng came with her luggage and Angi welcomed her wholeheartedly.
“This is your home feel free, you know the kitchen go in there and prepare us something to eat.”
Tenneng
“Thank you very much my dearest sister, your love for me is not fake and I do appreciate. I’ll go to the kitchen and prepare something special for us and dad.”
Angi
“Go and do just that I am famished!”
Tenneng
She went into the kitchen, cooked the delicacy and put in some love portion.
She brought in the food and served Angi and daddy.
At the Dining
As they ate she wangled her way through daddy, seducing him with sensuous movements unnoticeable to naïve Angi and daddy also responded eying her with loving eyes. Tenneng is crafty and a genius at the game, too smart for Angi to catch up and daddy became a readymade prey.
Soliloquy
“This is my time daddy; you’ll fall for me, marry me and take me out of poverty forever. The medicine is working and I’ll strike at the right time.
Angi! I am tired of pittance from you, I am now for the big catch! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
The right time
She waited until Angi left for work and she crept into daddy’s bedroom and seduced him; daddy was hypnotized by the sweet, young beauty and fell into Tenneng’s trap.
They had fun and daddy asked for more, Tenneng gave him enough doses before Angi came back from work.
Papa Gaa
“Thank you Neng! So long a time I did not enjoy myself since I lost my wife. You are very sweet and crafty and I’ll reward you handsomely, bring my cheque book for me,” he posited.
He drew a cheque for D200,000 dalasi for her girlie shopping.
“Please don’t let your friend know our little secret.”
She kissed him;
“She will not know until the right time ‘baby boy’!”
Angi
She came back from work and called Tenneng.
“Teng where are you I am famished.”
Tenneng
“I am coming didn’t you smell the aroma coming from the kitchen? I have cooked your favourite. I’ll be there in a jiffy just prepare the dining table for me while you go up and ask daddy to come down for his food.”
The family
As they dined Tenneng displayed her sensuous actions which made daddy yearned for her all the more, all unnoticed by the naïve friend.
Papa Gaa
“Who cooked the food? It is very nice.”
Tenneng
“It is me daddy, do you like it?”
Pa Gaa
“I love it, it is very delicious and has reminded me of my wife’s cooking, as she was a very good cook and has taught Angi, my baby girl very well.”
Tenneng
“My mother is also a very good cook and I’ve inherited her traits.”
She turned to Angi;
“You’ve not said anything; is the food not nice?”
Angi
“I don’t talk while I am eating delicious food; just look at my plate and judge for yourself.”
Tenneng
After the main course she brought out delicious fruit salad for dessert.
Angi
“You are a very good cook, why can’t you think about a restaurant business? I’ll sponsor it.”
Tenneng
She laughed heartily and winked at daddy who returned it back unnoticed by Angi and asked;
“Are you kidding me? Are you serious?”
Angi
“I am dead serious!”
To be cont.
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