Pressure

After elapse of half a minute, Oluk and the team were in the room again. Immediately, they resumed their activity. Since they had already confirmed that the money brought was four million five hundred shillings, adequate to pay off both the standing rent balance and the remaining unpaid company debt, they had to organize themselves to make the rent payment.

"Brother, it is high time you told your landlord money is available. Please, go out and inform him to come in," Odwil proposed to the elder brother.

"Hmm..." Oluk lost his words and so, he did not make any further reply.

"What is it again?" Odwil inquired. Undisputed disappointment, which his countenance signaled, startled Oluk shaken.

"Nothing," he replied. And trembling, his response was so fast.

"But, why tremble? What of the sweat which is seeping out of your face?"

"Everything is fine. Hmm… I just feel an increase in the warmth of the room," said Oluk while rising to his feet, "Let me first go and call Joan."

"But…, I don't think we need her help here, do we?" Odwil proposed.

"No, but we would still need some," said Oluk.

"Some… some… what are you talking of?" Odwil asked again.

"Some help," Oluk answered. He was already at the doorway heading outside the house. He found Joan sitting on the verandah and singing a sorrowful song. She sang like a housewife that had been abandoned by her husband, who lost hope and was trying to console herself. Soft and nice was her voice, she sang with a low voice though. It was the only way to make her moment of extraordinary poignancy not perceived by their landlord.

"Hey honey, how are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm not okay," she answered, "I shall only become fine when I hear good news." She bent her neck to the right, leaning her head on her right shoulder like a hungry child who needed a meal to become active once again. That was enough to arouse bitterness in her husband. And that could be noticed from his unpleasant visage.

"Which good news? Why do you behave like a lady who is still new in marriage? And you, if my brother had not come, would you still anticipate good news or you would commit suicide? Remember, during times of distress time goes on very slowly and during times of happiness time moves very fast. Then, couldn't you find anything better that you could do other than getting stuck in this unproductive thinking?"

Oluk expressed his resentment with his face continuously twitching.

"It is fine. I …," she paused.

"Hold on then if you have no more words to speak. Good news, which you needed, is now here at my lips. I'm here to find out how we shall go about the payment," Oluk verbalized.

"What?"

"Go about…," she iterated.

"The payment," he completed the statement.

"Oh, glory be to God. Your brother came with enough money?" she inquired. Her voice was already rising steadily.

"But, why can't you reduce your voice? It seems like you are advancing to a new creature that approximates an insensible woman, not in her full senses but trying to be cognizant of herself," he warned her.

"Hmm… if you were a driver, that speed of yours seems too much! I am now informed that someone between us here must be crazy."

Joan uttered her opinion induced by her perception, the only could be a defense to thwart the dispute between them.

"Well, you could be right. Most people speak out of the experience, which is the best teacher," he too defended himself, "the money my brother came with is adequate but I'm shaken on how to start approaching our landlord."

Joan gazed at him for a while and said, "I like that. I like the wisdom which you have bestowed now. I couldn't imagine you could return to the main road after losing control while driving. It is subject to appreciation."

"Yes, you appreciate it! But beyond that, you will shut up. Is it okay?"

Oluk warned his wife with profound seriousness. She immediately humbled herself.

"Yes," she replied, "I'm ready to do so because you are my husband. I honor you."

"Then, should we call him in and make the payment from inside the sitting room or we do it from outside here?" he inquired.

"Just outside here, it could be better," She replied.

"I shall not hesitate to do so. I have perceived the message of wisdom which your proposal conveyed."

He finished uttering his statement when he was already on his way to the house.

At this time, the two men, Sebagala and Odwil were already fretful. Sebagala stood up four times, and for each time he rose to his feet, he stretched. The frequency of his rising to his feet became so high as a thief always does when intensely flogged on stealing by an angry mob. But he was not one, his deportment was only actuated by boredom. And looking like a restless child, he felt like moving out of the place. Thereafter, he resorted to the discussion of his feelings.

"What has happened? Has your brother traveled somewhere or he is around?" he asked.

Immediately after the question, Oluk backtracked to the house, he had spent almost half an hour outside and by coincidence, he chanced on Odwil saying "if this brother of mine was a woman, her husband would miss many opportunities for her poor time management."

On Oluk's entry into the house, he pretended not to have heard anything said and, Odwil seized confidence to continue his speech.

"The power of the tongue is such strong. If I had not started talking about your return, you wouldn't have turned back yet. So, welcome back."

"Thank you," replied Oluk as he advanced to his seat.

As soon as he sat down, Odwil asked, "What resolution have you attained?"

"We are moving outside to the tree shade," he answered.

They all rose to their feet on hearing the statement. Sebagala was the first to leave his seat.

"Hold on, please! Don't move outside yet," Odwil stopped them.

"What is it again?" asked Oluk. Meanwhile, Sebagala jerked forward like a goat tied on a peg located in an open ground, but which is surrounded by grass at a nearby distance. The goat struggles hard and if by chance the peg exterminates, it gets the chance to eat the distant grass peacefully. He moved back and forth many times and later, he stopped and stood still.

Odwil moved to the door near which Joan sat and informed her, "Joan, go and add three more seats outside there!"

"Eeeeh!!!… Only seats and nothing else?" Sebagala inquired.

"Yes," he replied.

"I shall wait for the seat from outside there." Sebagala then walked out of the room very fast.

Since Joan had heard his argument, she rushed and brought the seats straightaway and by the time Sebagala reached the tree shade, Joan was also arriving. He took up the seat which Joan initially occupied before her peace was interrupted by a lizard.

Oluk and his younger brother, Odwil, moved together to the tree shade at the same pace. In his hand, Oluk held a black polythene bag that contained the money.

"Good afternoon papa," Oluk greeted him in a low voice.

"Good afternoon my son," replied the landlord.

Oluk moved closer to him and gave him a handshake saying, "You are highly welcome".

"Thank you so much," he responded. His eyes were stuck on the polythene.