The Blue House S03 E13

"Brother Tunji?" Ayodele's head started to spin, the barber had been his greatest confidant and had helped him on his "journey to manhood” as he had called it. He was married with two children and had a booming business. What could he possibly want with Peace? Ayodele concluded that she must be lying.

"You're lying!"

"I'm not! And you're the one who got me into the mess!"

"Me, how? And why are you just saying this now? When they asked you if you'd been sleeping with someone else why didn't you say something?"

"Who would have believed me? Even you don't believe me!"

Passersby began to give them curious looks, wondering why Peace was crying.

"Let's go somewhere else."

“Where? Look I don’t have time let’s say what we have to say here.”

“People are looking at us!” Ayodele whispered harshly. Peace looked around. “There is an uncompleted building two streets away, let’s go and talk there.”

They walked hastily and climbed into the building through the window space.

“Talk quickly.” Ayodele commanded anxious that they may have been followed.

“It happened one Saturday when everybody went out. I went to grind pepper and Brother Tunji called me. He asked if you were home and I said that all of you had gone out. He said I should come into his house and have a drink, I said no but he got angry and said I was being rude so I went in. Honestly I thought his wife was home but after I started drinking the malt he gave me he said his wife had gone out.” Peace cried, heaving with every remembrance of the awful incident. “I fell asleep and when I woke up he had raped me, my clothes were on the floor. He chased me out as soon as I was awake, that man will rot in hell!”

Ayodele was stunned, how could Brother Tunji have done this? “Are you sure it was Brother Tunji?” he had to ask again.

Peace stopped crying and stood up ready to leave. “He said something to me when I was leaving. He said I was as sweet as you said I was.” Ayodele raised his hand to his mouth, it was indeed Brother Tunji because he had told him that about Peace. “I will never forgive you Ayo, you got me into this trouble.”

“But I wasn’t the one who took you into his house, he never said anything to me…”

“I will let everyone think you are the one who impregnated me until I give birth so that you can also share in my disgrace!”

“Peace!”

“Goodbye.” She climbed out of the building hastily and headed home.

**********

“How did this happen?” Banke thought lying on her side of the bed naked under the duvet In George’s bed. It had all began when her mother called her telling her of her meeting with Kunle and how Teniola was doing so well. From then on she had begun to crave for her daughter’s smile and touch, she desperately needed to see her. She knew Kunle wouldn’t take her calls so she went to her daughter’s crèche planning on seeing her there at the end of the day. Sitting outside the building in her car she had watched Joy go to pick her up with another woman. Joy was chatting excitedly with her and the lady seemed to genuinely enjoy the conversation. They were giggling like two teenage girls. After they had picked up Teniola the excitement was even greater, Banke watched with despair and shock as her daughter put her arms around the strange woman’s neck and kissed her cheek. The woman kissed her back. They had come in a car and drove off in what looked like Helen’s car. Banke became furious and had quickly dialed Helen’s number.

“Hello?”

“Helen…”

“Banke? How are you doing …?”

“Please don’t pretend to be my friend! So you’ve been planning to disrupt my home?”

“Disrupt your home? Calm down and make some sense, what are you talking about?”

“I saw someone bring Joy to pick up my daughter now in your car…”

“Oh! That’s my sister-in-law, she’s been helping out with Teni when I can’t…”

“Did I ask for your help?”

Helen had been silent for a few seconds. “I’m going to hang up now, you can call me later when you’ve calmed down.”

Banke was angry, frightened and confused because for the first time she realized how well Kunle and her daughter had gone on without her. She wondered if her daughter would even remember her anymore.

She then called her mother and the situation turned worse.

“What did you expect Banke? This is what I was trying to tell you.”

“But Mummy Kunle has no right to…”

“You’re the one that has no right to say anything, you abandoned them!”

“But he threw me out!”

“You could have gone back.”

“After what he did?”

“You pushed him to that extent Banke, the man loved you but you allowed your father to test his authority as a man. That’s what you get.”

“This isn’t about Kunle, it’s about my daughter.”

“Oh my dear there’s so much you don’t understand. If things go on this way, in no time your daughter will forget you. It will be as if you never existed to her.  You can still fix this Banke.”

“By going back to Kunle? Never!”

“Alright, I have to go now.”

With tears streaming down her face she had then called George who persuaded her to have dinner with him, she needed some company he said.  They had had a wonderful dinner and by the time they were done she was too drunk to drive home. George drove her home- his home.

Now she lay on the bed with a headache, feeling terribly hungry, sad and guilty. She got down from the bed and tiptoed to gather her things then quietly slipped out of the room.

George rolled over after she was gone and laughed contentedly, he had her exactly where he needed her to be. She may have left but he knew she’d be back, her guilt would bring her back.

**********

Olayinka and Effiong had been avoiding each other. Effiong wasn’t unkind but he was barely speaking to her because he didn’t know how to begin to apologize for what had happened several nights ago. Olayinka was hurt and sad, even though she had caused the rift between them he had promised to be more cooperative in reuniting with her. The children noticed the coldness between them again.

“Mummy are you and Daddy fighting again?”

“No dear, why did you ask?”

“Because you both look sad.”

“Well we’re just busy…”

“Even if Daddy offended you, say sorry to him.” Max, the more introverted twin said. “You taught us that sometimes even when other people offend us we should say sorry. Do the mature thing Mummy.”

Olayinka laughed. “Who taught you that?”

“You did” The boy said rubbing his eyes.

“I did?”

“Yes.” And Olayinka remembered that she had indeed taught them that three weeks ago when they had been fighting over a toy.

Olayinka put the kids to bed and decided to take Max’s suggestion. Effiong came in from work an hour later.

“Can we talk?” she asked after he had eaten.

“Yeah…” Effiong said eagerly.

“I wanted to apologize for the other night, it’s my fault that it happened in the first place and I just want you to know that it’s okay. I’ll give you as much time as you need.”

Effiong stared at her. “I’m terribly sorry, I don’t know what got into me. Just give me time okay?” Olayinka nodded and smiled.

Thirty minutes later she decided to tell Effiong what Max had said.

“He said that?”

“Yes o, he said I should do the mature thing!” They laughed again and bade each other good night.

Later that night, Effiong reached for his wife and made love to her for the first time in months. It was satisfying, refreshing and definitely the mature thing to do.