GODMOTHER (18+)
Godmother-Episode 30
They sat at the table while Ceecee waited on them. They
ate like lovers who cherished the best of food and wine.
Indeed, he enjoyed the meal.
They took wine after that.
‘I’m glad you’re here,’ she said. ‘If I didn’t appreciate any
other thing, I appreciate your company. It makes me come
alive.’
He nodded. ‘I must say that I greatly enjoy your company
too.’
Today, she did not lead him upstairs to her bedroom. They
sat together in the sitting-room, holding hands like lovers
who were trying to catch
some moments of missed affection. He was with her till few
minutes to eight. She would want him to stay longer; to
have supper there, but he
insisted it was better he ate in his house, as Rita would not
like him missing her food.
Rita was in the kitchen when he got back home. Despite the
presence of the cook, Rita always preferred that she cook
for her family, while the cook would be there only to assist.
‘Daddy,’ Oyin exclaimed as she ran up to him. He lifted his
daughter up.
‘My baby, how are you?’
‘Fine, daddy.’
He sat her down by his side on the sofa while he flicked the
television from one channel to another.
‘You’re back, honey,’ Rita said as soon as she entered the
sitting-room.
‘Yes. How d’you do, dear.’
‘Fine.’ She pecked him. ‘Dinner will soon be ready,’ she
announced.
He nodded. There was no need comparing Zay’s food with
his wife’s own. Zay’s cook might be great, but Rita was a
great cook too; a d–n
great cook. And so, Tope continued to enjoy two worlds –
the warm world of Rita his wife, and the sultry world of
Zaynab Terver, his mistress.
Iye did not mention anything about his infidelity. He
assumed that since he had been careful not to arouse the
suspicion of his wife, and since
he had been spoiling her with so much gifts, it could not be
said that he had hurt her or that he had transgressed. He
therefore saw the silence from Iye as consent to his act.
One good thing about Tope Davies was he tried to do his
job to the best of his ability. Just as he pledged to his
country, he strove to be faithful, loyal and honest; and to
serve Nigeria with all his might. But his marital life was far
from being a model. His sizzling affairs with Zay continued
for another six months when Iye finally confronted him.
‘Why is it that you can’t keep to spousal faithfulness?’ she
asked him.
‘I don’t understand,’ he answered.
‘Of course, you do. Why do you keep desecrating the
sanctity of your marital bed?’
‘Iye, please stop speaking in riddles.’
‘Alright.’ Her voice became cold. ‘What are you doing with
Zaynab?’
He was hit by her factual assertion he did not know what to
say.
‘You’ll be punished severely for this, my dear. You’ll be
punished, but I won’t tell you the punishment yet.’
She cut the line. For some moments, his mind moved
frantically. But wait, a minute, he told himself, how could
this lady be threatening him like
that? It was as if she was his mother and he was just a
mere school boy. No, this had to stop. He was an adult and
he should be respected. He was even older than Iye, but
with the way she treated him, one would think she was his
mother. Godmother or not, he decided he had to put an end
to living under the whims of Iye. He must do something to
stop her totalitarian grip on his life.
Later that day, he and Zay met in their usual rendezvous –
her home. She was quick to note that he looked a bit down
and withdrawn.
‘Darling, what is the problem? You’re not looking bright
like your normal self.’
He tried to smile it off.
‘Let’s share it. We’ve been sharing good moments. Now
that things look quite bleak, your dear Zaynab is ready to
share in whatever is the
challenge.’
He felt encouraged by that, but how would he say it? He
must not reveal too much about Iye, just as he had done to
Rita. He told Zay about his
‘spiritual mother’ and how she had warned him to desist
from extra marital affairs.
‘I couldn’t resist you. With you, I’ve been having the extra
marital affairs, and now she’s threatening to deal seriously
with me,’ he concluded.
To his utmost surprise, Zaynab looked at him amusedly and
burst out laughing.
To be continued
