The Blue House S04 E10

“Morning love.” George put his arms around Banke and nuzzled her neck.
“Morning…” Banke murmured, stifling a yawn to keep George from smelling her breath.
“You slept like a baby…?”
“Yeah… I wish I could stay in bed all day!”
George laughed. “Not with your daughter and maid here.” Banke moaned. “Tell you what, why don’t I bring you breakfast in bed? That way you get to at least sleep in.”
“You can’t cook George.”
“I’ll have help. Your maid is there. What’s her name again?”
Joy…”
“That’s right, she can help me. I’ll just tell her what I want, probably have to go to the supermarket to get a few things but we will get you breakfast in bed.”
Banke moaned again. “I really love you George!”
“Yeah I know you do.” He laughed and got out of bed, glad that his plan had worked. He had to do some damage control and quick. “Do you think she’d be awake by now?”
Banke rolled over and faced him. “She’s an early riser. I’m sure she’s awake now. Please tell her to give Teni a bath and give her breakfast.”
“Okay.”
“What happened to your lip?”

“Where?” George dashed to the mirror and saw the bruise on his lips from where Joy had bitten him the night before. He swore. “That allergy again!”
“What allergy?”
“I had some nuts yesterday and I’m allergic to it.”
“Really? I had no idea you were allergic to nuts. But the bruise on your lips looks more like a cut…”
“That’s how it usually looks… I should have just controlled myself!” he muttered.
“So what do you do when you get it?”
“I leave it, it’ll heal in a short while.”
“Okay. You still look very handsome though...” she drawled.
George laughed. “You’re full of my praises this morning.” He said as he walked out of the room.
**********
George put on his sternest look and knocked on Joy’s door. “Joy!” he barked.
Behind the door the girl shivered. What did he want this early and why was her boss allowing him to knock on her door? “Yes sir.” She replied timidly.
“Open this door.” He said quietly but firmly.
The girl open the door a few inches wide. “Yes sir, good morning sir.” She greeted with her head lowered.
“Come to the kitchen.”
“Sir?”
“I said come to the kitchen!”
“Yes sir.” Joy was terrified, did he want to continue from where he left off last night? “God please, please help me!” she prayed again then thought of something. “I’m coming sir.”

**********
Ronke put the baby in her cot, glad that she felt better. “We need to talk.”
Dapo who was reading his daily devotional raised his head. “What is it?”
“I want you to come outside and hear it.”
“Why do I have to come outside and hear what you have to say? What’s wrong with saying it here?”
“Well I’m not the one who has something to say and what you’re going to hear is going to make your head spin.” She walked out of the room and said over her shoulder. “It’s about Peace so I suggest that you take this seriously.”
Dapo stared at her wondering what could be so important and new that he hadn’t heard before. His curiosity caused him to set aside his reading materials.
**********
George was stirring the coffee in his mug when Joy walked in with Teniola strapped to her back and he understood. She was using the girl as a shield, he looked at her and realized she wasn’t as frail or gullible as he had thought.
“Why did you bring her here?”
“She would cry if she doesn’t see me sir.” She replied curtseying, head bowed.
George’s lips stretched into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he walked closer to her. “If you tell your boss what happened here last night she will never believe you. I’ve dealt with girls like you before and it never ends well when they decide to get smart with me. Do you understand what I’m saying to you? Hmmn? Joy?” he slid his finger down her face and enjoyed the look of terror on the girl’s face.
“Yes sir.”
“Good. Now we are going to make breakfast for your boss and you better make it good.” He said with huge smile and pinched her chin.
**********
“Tell your father what you told me last night.”
Ayodele shifted uneasily imploring his mother with his eyes.
“Don’t worry, you can tell him everything.”
Ayodele shrugged and told his father everything, when his confidence failed he looked at his mother who urged him on with a reassuring look. As his confession continued Dapo became limp with regret, looking away after a while he listened with rage, surprise and pain until Ayodele was through.
“No wonder you changed your barber.” He finally said.
“Ayodele please excuse us.” Ronke said. As soon as he was gone she looked straight at him. “We have made mistakes, I have made mistakes, and you have made mistakes. If we are going to get out of this situation we must admit our mistakes and work together. Our son was a prey to this man because you were unattentive to him and I was too weak to tell you that you were wrong or help the boy in the little way I could. That has to change, what if it was Joke who was raped by someone…?”
“God forbid!”
“It could have happened and then we’ll be asking the Lord why! Think about all that we’ve heard from our son and please for God’s sake be a real man and own up to your mistakes. That’s the only way we can move forward.”
**********
Kunle opened the door and saw Ada standing in the doorway with a plate covered with serviette. “Hi!”
“Hello. We’ve been doing some coking so I thought I’d bring a little of our little party to remind you that you’re not forgotten.”
Kunle smiled warmly. “I’m touched. Honestly.” He reached out and took the plate and as Ada turned to leave. “You’re leaving so soon?”
Ada’s heart skipped a beat she’d been hoping that he would ask her to stay if only for a little while. “I didn’t want to disturb you and you did say there was nothing I could do.”
Kunle looked at her intently and thought he saw a glimpse of something he’d been hoping to see but discarded the thought, she was just being nice. “Well now I’m asking you to stay, if it’s not a bother. I’m a little lonely.” That was a lie, he was very lonely. “I have the latest films and lots of kilishi…”
Ada gasped. “Why didn’t you say that initially?” she sauntered into the room as Kunle laughed.
“Wow!” she looked around the house, surprised that it was not as untidy as she had envisaged. “You’re a neat man!”
Kunle laughed. “My mother is the cleanest woman I know and she instilled that behaviour into all of us.”
“Does that mean you can cook too?” she asked as she sat down.
“Oh yeah, I had to learn that too.”
“Your mum must be a disciplinarian.”
“That she is. How are you?”
“I’m okay, how are you?”
“I’m fine, at least doing my best to be. I miss her so much.”
“I’m sure you do.”
“But I’m glad you’re here. I’m really glad you’re here.” Ada nodded, smiling at him. There it was again, that something he thought he’d seen before. Ada was warming up to him and that was good.
**********
Mrs Adepetu was in her daughter’s house, enjoying the company of her grandchildren and hoping the day wouldn’t end soon. In the kitchen Helen and Olayinka were frying sliced yams.
“So Effiong is not aware that she’s here? Isn’t he going to be angry about it?”
“There was nothing I could have done, she knew he wouldn’t be in town so she said she was coming to visit. Could I have told her not to come?”
Helen sighed, it was a dicey matte but Effiong would be furious if he knew his mother-in-law was here. “Anyway, she’ll be leaving soon.”
“Yeah she will.”
“What if the kids tell him?”
“I’ll tell them not say anything.”
“Let’s hope that works.” She replied over her shoulder carrying a tray filled with fried yams and meat sauce.
“Thank you my dear.” Mrs Adepetu said to her pouring herself a drink. “It smells nice.”’
“Yinka is only following in your footsteps!”
They both laughed. “How’s your husband? Is he home?”
“He’s fine ma. He’s now in Port Harcourt.”
“Oh he travelled.”
“No he has a new job that’s in Port Harcourt.”
“So what are you doing here?”
“It’s a long story ma.” Helen smiled self-consciously.
“What’s long about it? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of your job here?” she saw from the look on Helen’s face that she was. “My daughter please pack your things and go to Port Harcourt. You can start applying for jobs over there even before you leave. Will you be married to your job forever? One day you’ll retire or they’ll force you to resign, but you’re always going to be married to your husband and from what I’ve heard he’s one of the good ones.”
“You’re asking me to go and start all over again ma.”
“I know it won’t be easy but it’s the best thing for your family. How long do you want to be apart for?”
“But he didn’t have to take that job, there are other jobs here. Why do I have to resign? He’s putting his career before our family.”
“And what are you doing?”
“Ma?”
“I ask you, what are you doing?”
**********
Banke came out of the room when George was ready to leave. “How are you?” she said as she picked Teniola up and kissed her. “Has she eaten?” she asked still nuzzling Teniola who maintained a blank expression.
“Yes ma.”
“Okay.” She saw George off with her arms around his waist, whispering about seeing him later in the day.
She came in a few minutes later with Teniola and set her down. “Have you started… what happened to your lip?” she pointed at Peace’s slightly inflamed lips.
“I fought with someone at school yesterday.”
Banke looked at her unbelieving. “You fought with someone? Haven’t I told you to behave yourself when you’re in school?”
“I’m sorry ma.”
Banke hissed as she left the sitting room.
“Aunty is Uncle coming back tonight?”
Banke looked at Joy queerly, wondering why she was curious about George’s return. “Why are you asking?”
“Nothing, I just wanted to know whether I should cook for him or not.”
“Don’t worry about his food, I’ll take care of that.”
“Yes ma.”
Banke went inside her room with a strong feeling that something was wrong, but like most women in situations like this she ignored the nudge and chose to believe what she wanted to believe.