The Blue House S04 E03

As Ronke walked into the house with the baby she could feel her children staring at her and she was prepared for all their reactions- theirs and their father’s. She set her bag down and looked up at Joke who was still staring at her in surprise.
“Get me some water to drink please.”
“Mummy you braided your hair!” Joke said still stunned.
“What will Daddy say?” Ayodele asked equally stunned.
“I like it! You look beautiful.” Posi said as innocently as a child who didn’t know the gravity of what his mother had done. The family’s church had an unspoken rule against the use of hair extensions and relaxers and Ronke until now had faithfully adhered to this rule ever since she had become a member.
“Thank you my dear.” Ronke said warmly to Posi.
“But what will Daddy say?” Ayodele asked again.
“Adejoke where is my water?” Ronke asked wiping her face with a handkerchief.
“I’m coming ma.” Joke ran off hastily to get the water, her mother had done something audacious.
Ayodele stared at his mother again, in spite of the fact that she looked nice he couldn’t imagine what his father’s reaction would be. Joke returned shortly with a cold glass of water balanced on a tray.
“Thank you.” Ronke took it and gulped it down gratefully, her head ached with all the prodding and pulling in different directions. Joke stood still, staring at her.
“I like it sha. Can I make it?” she finally asked.
Ronke laughed. “Ask your father!”
Joke folded her arms defiantly across her chest. “If you can do it then I can do it.”
“What will Daddy say?” Ayodele asked again.
**********
His head told him that it was too soon, unwise and audacious but his heart couldn’t stop thinking about Ada, try as he did. She emitted a force that kept on pulling him towards her and the strange part was that she was totally unconscious of it. As far as Ada was concerned, she dearly loved Kunle’s little girl and that was all. Kunle could tell that he made her uncomfortable and he wondered how he could put an end to that, Ada was unlike any woman he had known. In all fairness, Banke was a good person who was fun to be with but there was something about Ada that had been lacking in Banke- she was mature and wise. He had first noticed it that first day when he had gone berserk grabbing Teniola from her.
He found it hard to concentrate on his work and he often found himself going to Helen’s house for the slightest reasons. Was it safe for Teniola to eat popcorn, could he buy another brand of diapers, he had heard her cry, was she alright? He bought snacks and chocolate, toys, movies, clothes, fruits, books, anything really just to have an excuse to knock on the door and see Ada.
Here he was again standing in front of the door with a pack of barbecued meat in his hands. He adjusted his shirt, smelt his breath and knocked on the door. Helen answered.
“Good evening.” She said with a smile.
“Good evening.” He smiled back.
“Come in,” she opened the door wider and waved him to a chair. “How’re you enjoying your weekend?” she asked when he was seated.
“I’m trying to relax as much as possible. This is for all of you.” He offered her the nylon bag containing the meat. “I assure you it’s the best in this area.”
“Hmmn…. It smells delicious and it’s hot too! I’m drinking garri tonight.”
They both laughed. “I’m glad you like it.” He looked around. “Where’s everyone?”
“Oh they’re in.  The boys are making something for their dad’s homecoming and Ada is watching a movie in her room.”
“Oh okay, please give my regards to them. I should get going.”
“Alright, thank you again.” Helen said warmly seeing him off to the door.
After she shut the door, she went straight to Ada’s room and knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Ada called from inside.
“Guess who just showed up?” she said beaming, setting the nylon on the bedside drawer.
“Hmmn… smells nice!” Ada smiled reaching for the bag.
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“I don’t know… The Okafors from down the road?” she said distractedly opening up the foil paper wrapping.
“Kunle.” Ada stopped moving.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“He brought this again?”
“Yes he did.” Helen said smiling.
“Wow he’s really nice…”
“Uhn uhn…” Helen stared straight at her.
“Why are you sounding suspicious? Wait… you think there’s something going on between him and I?”
Helen arched an eyebrow and smiled.
“Seriously?” Helen continued smiling. Ada shook her head. “There’s nothing going on. Why would you even think that? I don’t even like him, the guy creeps me out.”
“So why has he been buying us countless things?”
“I think he’s just being grateful because we help him take care of his daughter. That’s how Yoruba people are now!”
Helen had an amused look on her face.
“Helen stop looking at me like that! I do not like the guy okay?”
“Okay, I hear you. In that case you can’t eat out of this meat.” She made to grab the meat from Ada who held it away.
“What do you mean?”
“You said you don’t like the guy now?”
“Ehn ehn? That doesn’t mean I can’t eat the meat.”
“If you eat this meat you’re committing yourself to the guy!” Helen was enjoying this banter at Ada’s expense.
“Story for the gods! Please let’s eat this thing!” Ada headed for the kitchen.
**********
Helen was fast asleep in her bedroom when she felt a cool hand on her shoulder. She stirred and opened her eyes to see Obiora sitting beside her.
“Hi!” she got up hastily and glanced at the wall clock and gasped. It was ten thirty. “How… when did you get here?”
“Around seven thirty.”
Helen gasped again. “Why didn’t you wake me up? I dozed off, I was tired.”
“It’s okay.” Obiora said sadly and hugged her. “You still look tired” he said into her ears.
“I feel fine.”
Obiora pulled away and observed her. “You’ve lost some more weight… Helen we can’t continue like this.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“You know what we can do.”
“You mean what you want me to do! Obiora please you just got back, let’s not get into this conversation. Have you eaten?”
Obiora’s phone rang just as he was about to give her an answer. “Hi… yes I have… around seven thirty… I’m fine…” he laughed. “Yes now… they’re all fine, and how are you? ... How was your date? ... you can gist me about it when I get back, I need to concentrate on my wife now…” he laughed again. “Okay…bye…you too.”
“Who was that?” Helen asked as soon as he hung up.
“My assistant.”
“Your assistant?”
“Yeah.”
“Why was she calling?”
“She wanted to know if I’d gotten home.”
“Really? Is that part of her job description?”
“Helen? Seriously?”
“Yes, is there something wrong with my question? I just want to know why your assistant is calling to find out if you’ve gotten home, are you that close?”
“I can see that you’re not in a good mood. I’m going to watch TV, when you feel better you can join me.”
“Obi there’s nothing wrong with my question! You’ve never had a problem with me asking you about females calling you.”
“It’s your tone I have a problem with.”
“My tone? What’s wrong with my tone?”
“Helen if I had something to hide I wouldn’t have taken her call in your presence.”
Helen became quiet and thought about this for a while.
“Have you eaten?” she finally asked.
**********
Dapo walked into the house tired from being in traffic for the last three hours.
“Welcome Daddy.” Joke greeted.
“Yeah. Why are you still awake?” he asked surprised.
“I was helping Mummy with something.”
“What did your mother cook?”
“Jollof rice.”
Dapo hissed. “That’s what I ate at the meeting. Just serve it, I’m too hungry.”
“Yes sir”
Joke retreated to her room where she would listen for her father’s reaction to her mother’s hair. In the boys’ room, Ayodele and Posi were listening too.
Ronke opened the curtain that led to the sitting room. “Welcome.” She said as nonchalantly as possible walking past him towards the kitchen.
“What is this?!” he stared at her hair in utter shock.
“Braids.” She replied simply lifting her hands to her hair.
“What is this? He asked again rising then began coughing, his food was stuck in his throat.
Ronke poured some water and handed it to him. “Drink some water!”