Olu
He refused to let Hope use any of the family cars but instead asked her to find a cab; she was disappointed but nonetheless shrugged her shoulders and instead asked Manneh to find her a cab.
Hope
She came out and asked Manneh to find a cab for them to go to the clinic. Dupe was surprised;
“I don’t understand sister how many cars are here? I have already counted 8 different ones then why the need to find a cab? I cannot get it.” Dupe questioned.
“Olu is playing games and pettiness and am not out for it.” Hope explained.
Dupe
She called Manneh aside and asked him to hold her bag;
“For what now Dupe? Please don’t cause a row it is not worth the salt.”
“Wait for me I am coming in a jiffy.” She went up got the key and came down;
“Manneh open the gate we are already late; Hope hop in!” She commanded. She went out Olu saw her through the upstairs balcony and shouted to Manneh not to open the gate but Dupe threatened him and rushed out before Olu came down roving and ranting in fury. Dupe pulled down the glass and mocked at him with protruding tongue and smiling. Olu was mad at Manneh who was behind him and scared he just turned around and knocked him down as he rushed upstairs again; Manneh got up and nursed his bruises.
Outing with Sabs
Olu left his car at Sabs residence and drove her in a new car when they returned from the outing he handed the key to her she was surprised;
“Why?”
“It’s yours don’t you like it again?”
“Of course I do but you never informed me.”
“Yes if I do you’ll not enjoy the fun of it.” They embraced and enjoyed a passionate lip kiss as Olu drove away and Sabs parked in.
Olu Comes Home
Hope was waiting for him she welcomed Olu and wanted to carry his briefcase;
“Thank you its okay I’ll carry it along.”
“I was waiting for you.”
He rebuffed and insulted her;
“Why did you wait for me? Stop waiting for me.”
Hope pointed out his dinner;
“Your dinner is on the table it is your favourite ‘findi soupa kanja’.”
“I don’t want your food and I don’t need it stop cooking for me I’ve already eaten with my special woman who does not need to cook but I treated her at a specialty restaurant of any desire being local, oriental or international standard.”
Dupe
Her month stay made her collect a lot of evidence to lay her case;
“This is a typical case of Gender Based Violence (GBA) it is not the physical but mental and emotional abuse which kills very quickly; who is this idiot who secondly, minutely, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly abuses his wife; what sort of heartless human being is he? God gave her an angel like you and he refuses to see it but when you are gone he’ll shed crocodile tears and would beat his hands on iron and say ‘had I known’ when it would have been past and gone! Give him to me Hope and I’ll teach him the lesson of his life let him ask me Modou I cut him to size and had taught him the lesson of his life which he would not forget in a second; what’s wrong with these men? The cow does not value its tail until it loses it. If I marry Olu’ type I’ll give them rat poison and kill him.”
Hope
As the typical abused wife she makes excuses for her spouse.
“Olu is a nice person it is just that sometimes he becomes moody and his heart overrides his brain. Also how would you have behaved if just at the last moment when you least expected your billionaire woman half your inheritance and gave it to your wife and with a clause that if there is a divorce everything goes to your wife is that not the ‘Sword of Demeceles’ hanging over one’ head?”
Dupe
She became infuriated;
“Here she goes again all the time making excuses for him; should that make him misbehaved? Why did his mother did that? In such situation there is always a reason; with the time I spent with both of you I’ve concluded that Olu is a spoilt brat difficult to live with, arrogant, conceited and above all very naughty. I’ll avoid his pathway before gossip say that I came into your house instead of going to a hotel just to come and stir trouble between you and your husband because of jealousy ‘congasa’ I know them.”
Hope
She smiled and made a fun of it;
“Dupe same, same you never change.”
Dupe
“I am an Activist and I hate men who take advantage of their good women; I am a devil when it comes to Activism and before any man kills me I’ll kill you first.”
Hope
“Well I am not you I want to be the ‘Virtuous Woman’ of the Bible and in prayers I’ll leave everything to God and the Lord’ willing Olu will become the man of my dreams Mama asked me in her dead bed to create a best man out of him that’s why she chose me to marry her only son and with that promise I’ll never forsake Oluwole.”
Dupe
“Well said it’s your opinion and I respect it sister and pray and hope that God will show Olu grace to discover his saint before it is too late.”
Hope
“Amen oh! Amen my darling sister.”
The Phone Rings
“Who is it? Oh Modou what is it again?”
Modou
“Affray some guy knocked me down at the pub I fought back and the cops came and arrest both of us for fighting in public when will you be back?”
Dupe
“Baby boy! What is your problem? How can you degrade yourself fighting at a pub? You stoop too low well I am home in Africa and enjoying myself I am staying with Hope my sister and from here would briefly go to my village to visit my mother and the relatives down there before I return back you know I am my own boss in my Saloon my girls and boys are just doing fine sort yourself boy and reorganize your life I’ll not be pulling you out from any mess am tire of you.” She off the phone in his ears and refused to pick it up again he rang incessantly until he is tire and rang off.
To be Cont.
