CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

It was a cool evening. People were returning from their various businesses and works. Some elderly men and women were lured out of their homes by the coolness of the evening and its accompanied light breeze. However, Amadi did not notice the beauty of the weather as he stood praying in front of the statue of Saint Anthony in his compound. All his prayers for some days now were centred on seeing Olaedo again. He was already known at Crystal Garden Restaurant because of his frequent visits. This very evening, all Amadi prayed for was for an opportunity to meet and speak with Olaedo again. Finally, his prayer was answered.

One fateful Wednesday afternoon, Amadi went for his usual lunch at the restaurant. On his way out, he ran into Olaedo as she was about to enter the restaurant. He was both surprised and pleased. He knew that he wanted to meet Olaedo again but he couldn’t believe his luck.

“Wow! Is this really you?” Amadi asked excitedly. “I can’t believe my eyes.”

Olaedo stopped and rewarded with him with a faint smile that vanished almost immediately. “Were you looking for me?” she asked, amused.

“You need not ask. Truly, this is a good day,” Amadi said, grinning from ear to ear.

He followed her back into the restaurant and quickly launched out his manifesto. She was easy to talk to but Amadi could not ascertain where her heart belonged. Amadi paid her bills while she was still eating. He collected a piece of paper from the waiter and penned down his phone number and the address of a bar that sells bush-meat. He then passed the paper to her but she wouldn’t collect it.

“What is it for?” she asked.

“I will like you to be there this Sunday by 5 pm,” Amadi said, looking into her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I can’t,” she said.

“Whether you come or not, I will wait for you,” Amadi said and left the note on the table. He then stood up and walked out of the restaurant.

Olaedo stared at his back while he was leaving. She dropped her spoon because she was unable to eat again. After a while, she picked the note and left.

Amadi became restless. He couldn’t wait for Sunday to come. The days were dragging. Everything was moving in slow motion for him. At last Sunday arrived, but time seemed to slow down the more. By 3:30 pm, he was already at the bar waiting for Olaedo. He dived at every phone call, thinking it was Olaedo. When it was exactly 5 pm, he stood up and moved around the bar thinking that she came but couldn’t see him. After searching for her, he returned to his table to continue with his wait. He could not order for anything because he had no appetite. By 6 pm he stood up once again and walked round the bar looking for Olaedo. He continued with this habit until 9:30 pm. By 10 pm, Amadi stood up and left the bar, feeling dejected.

He threw himself on the bed but he could not sleep. He kept turning and tossing on his bed until morning. Around 8:45 am his phone rang. He reached for his phone without bothering to see who the caller was. He was secretly hoping that Olaedo was the person on the other side.

But instead of the sweet melodious voice of Olaedo, Amadi heard, “Brother, I need money,” Ikem croaked into the phone.

“Thunder fire you there!” Amadi fired into the phone. “Is that your good morning? Eh? By the way, what do you need money for? I sent you fifty thousand naira last week! Which other money are you asking for?” Amadi was too angry with everybody, including Ikem.

“It has finished naa. There were so many expenses for me to make. I owed lots of people and I have to eat also,“ Ikem replied. Amadi sighed and held his tongue. “Hello brother, are you there?” Ikem asked.

“I will send you money later today,” Amadi said and dropped the call.

He got up from the bed and walked down the stairs to the general sitting room. He sat down for a while, then stood up again and walked outside.

“Oga, good morning,” Akpan greeted. He was sitting at the front of the security house beside the gate.

“Are you not doing anything this morning?” Amadi asked.

“I ron finish washing the car,” Akpan answered.

Amadi ignored him and went to the statue of Saint Anthony and sat in front of it. He fixed his gaze on the magnificent statue without uttering any word.

_______———Ω——————

Later in the afternoon, Ikem went to spend the money his brother sent to him in a beer parlour. He sat behind a table littered with bottles of beer and plates of pepper soup and nkwobi. By his left sat Okonta, and by his right was a lady dressed like a prostitute. Ikem was already drowsy so that he couldn’t tell how much he has spent already.

‘Madam One Touch’, the owner of the beer palour, came out and loudly hailed him in front of everyone present. She truly knew how to milk a man with her lofty words. Ikem feeling honoured, ordered for another round of beer and fried meat for everyone in the bar. By the end of the day, he finished all the money his brother sent that day.

As Ikem was about to leave the beer parlour with Okonta and his newly found girlfriend Urunma, another set of people entered and began to hail him. Out of pride, he told Madam One Touch to serve them and place their bills on him. Ikem told her to put his name on her debtors’ register with the promise that he will pay her the next time he visits.

______———Ω——————__

Amadi could not give up on Olaedo. He searched for her in every nook and cranny of Lagos. His search was so serious that he believed he could see her in every place he goes to.

One evening, he went into a shopping mall to pick a few things. When he finished shopping, he went to pay at the cashiers’ stand but he met a long queue. As he was waiting for his turn, he saw Olaedo on the queue. He was thrilled to meet her finally and decided not to let the opportunity slip him by.

He carried his shopping cart and walked over to where Olaedo stood. She saw him and greeted him as if she wasn’t the one that ignored his invitation a few weeks ago. Amadi, in turn, answered her maturely and also asked after her day. When it was her turn to pay, he once again offered to pay for her. For the first time, Olaedo looked into Amadi’s eyes and saw his heart. She, therefore, decided to wait for him finish with his shopping.

As they were leaving the shopping mall, Olaedo saw a male shirt displayed in one of the stalls at the mall. She stopped to admire the shirt and then ordered for it. Amadi wanted to pay for it, but she insisted and did that by herself. She collected the shirt and gave it to Amadi.

“I just liked it and I hope it will look good on you,” she said as she handed the shirt to Amadi.

“Thank you. I will wear it always,” Amadi said, feeling loved.

Amadi followed Olaedo to her car and helped her to load the things she bought into the boot. She walked over to the driver’s door and then turned back to him.

“Thank you,” she said.

Amadi was unable to utter a word. Olaedo smiled and held his left hand.

“Call me,” she said.

Her touch woke Amadi. He was about to ask for her number when his phone rang. He glanced at it: it was an unsaved number calling. Just then, Olaedo raised her phone and cut the call. Amadi smiled and quickly saved the number.

He stood on the spot she left him and watched as she drove away. He then learned on a car near him and sighed in relief.

_____———Ω——————

Amadi was in his office at one of the factories when his phone rang. He looked at it and frowned.

“This boy again,” he grumbled. “Hello, Ikem what is it?” he said into the phone.

“Brother, I want you to go and do thanksgiving on my behalf,” Ikem replied.

“Why? What happened?” Amadi asked, alarmed.

“Armed robbers attacked me and collected all the money you sent to me. Thank God they didn’t kill me o,” he said breathlessly.

“Ok, thank God, I will do that,” Amadi said and was about to cut the call when Ikem’s voice came back.

“Brother, do you know I have not eaten since then. They collected all the money I have. Chai! Brother, if you see me now you will not believe it is me, Ikem. Hunger is killing me here in the village.”

“Ikem! Ikem! Ikem?” Amadi was already losing his temper.

“Brother,” Ikem answered innocently.

“How many times did I call you?” Amadi asked.

“Three times, brother,” Ikem answered.

“Last two weeks you told me that you fell from a palm tree and that you needed money for treatment. Last week you told me that snake bit you and that you needed another money, which I sent. And now it is that you were attacked by armed robbers. What is it that you have done that calamity is befalling you like this?”

“Brother I don’t know o! People are saying that it is the sins of our forefathers that I’m paying for,” said Ikem sheepishly.

“I am tired of your stories, Ikem. Please, go and look for what to do. If you want to start up a business, you tell me, I will set it up for you,” Amadi said, exasperated.

“Ehee! Now you are talking. That is exactly what I want,” Ikem said over the phone.

“Now tell me, what kind of business do you want to go into?” Amadi asked.

“I want to have a shop where I will be cutting human head, ehm sorry, human hair,” said Ikem.

“A barbing salon?” Amadi asked.

“Ehee, bambing salon,” Ikem said.

“It’s ok, if you are sure that is what you want. How much do you need for it?” Amadi asked.

“Well brother, I will manage five,” Ikem said.

“Five what?”

“Five million,” Ikem said.

“What? What kind of barbing saloon is that? In the village for that matter. My friend, be serious,” Amadi couldn’t just understand his brother.

“No, brother, it is the sleeping of the tongue. I meant five hundred thousand.”

“That is even too much. Don’t you have any other business to put that amount into?” Amadi asked.

“No brother, it is only that one,” Ikem said.

“It’s ok. I will pay in the money into your account tomorrow. And I don’t want you to mention anything about money to me again. If you can manage that business well, I have other bigger plans for you.”

“Thank you brother,” Ikem said.