Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Auntie Maimah was sitting on my bed and explaining for the umpteenth time why I should not travel yet.

"Nnem, your uncle wants to see you. When I told him you were around, he said he wants to see you when he returns. "

She was looking at me Imploringly, waiting for my reply. Her pleas and look almost made me want to reconsider.

"I'll come from Umuahia one of the weekends to see him," I said.

Her eyes went from me to the open box on the bed then she reached out and began to feel the materials at the top.

"This is something nice," she said.

"Ike got it for me. "

"He has good taste right? " she asked , her eyes twinkling.

I laughed.She had won in changing the topic like other times.

"Gwanu'm."

"Yes, Auntie. The materials are fine."

She smiled and sighed. "Your uncle will come on the weekend. After that you can be on your way, no more stopping you. "

I silently gazed at the yellow wall in front of me, considering the pros and cons of staying back.

"Inugo? " she asked.

"Okay, ma."

Tunde chose that moment to start calling. I looked at Auntie Maimah and she gave me a go ahead.

"Lady, how are you doing? "

I noticed he did not personalize it like he used to.

"Nene, are you there?"

"Yes, yes," I said

These were my names, yet they broke my heart hearing them from him in that manner. Did he get divine messages and visions,  had he seen what I was doing?

I cleared my throat, in an attempt to pull my shards together.

"...It took me almost three hours defending my excuse so he invited me for the church service on Sunday. "

I shook my head wondering how to recollect the part of the discussion I had missed.

"So you will be worshipping there on Sunday?" I asked, totally clueless.

"Definitely. I could come pick you to join me if that's okay with you. "

He paused, waiting for my reply.

"So umm, where's the church? "

"Owerri. You have not been paying attention. Our branch in Owerri. "

I tilted my head in thoughts then I agreed he would pick me up. When I told Auntie, she dimmed her eyes at me.

"Okwa Mathew?"

"No, his name is Tunde and he is my neighbor at work, " I said the latter to answer her coming question and stop her interrogation.

"Onye Yoruba? "

"Mba, Igbo."

"Are other neighbors coming also? " she asked, not with amusement but seriousness.

"No, just him."

" Ngwanu, bring him home for lunch."

"I don't know if he would want that, " I said, raising my left shoulder to my mouth, looking away from her.

"You would cook before going. You know your food is irresistible."

I was about to respond when she began to hum tunelessly as she left the room.

Sunday came like Christmas- a long awaited special day and I was looking forward to it.

I got up early to start cooking. Auntie sat on a low stool supervising and inventing new dishes to make. Michelle was yawning endlessly, sometimes sleeping off, leaning on the cupboard.

When Auntie went out to do her morning devotion, Michelle folded herself up in the corner of the corridor- Waking up at intervals to glare or look at me with bloodshot eyes in the kitchen only illuminated by a rechargeable lantern on the fridge.

Daylight came, first peeping in through the side slider tilt window then crawling in through the open back door. The chirping of crickets could no longer be heard as loud as they were when we started cooking. Soon, daylight walked in boldly.

Michelle helped me clean the warmers for the food and when Tunde called, I sent her off to bring him from the junction.

I dished the rice and stew I cooked into the warmer then Auntie Maimah took over with frying the meat.

I heard Tunde's voice as I was hurrying to go and bathe.

'Good morning, ma," I heard him greet .

Auntie Maimah's voice was low. I quit eavesdropping and went to get ready.

Coming out from the bathroom, Michelle was on my bed. Before I could ask what she was doing, she pointed to the clothes I laid out on the bed. "Is this what you are wearing? "

"Yes," I said, wiping my body thoroughly.

"I think you should wear something that brings you out as a prospective wife. You know, a lace or wrapper with a blouse to go with Gele. Auntie has beautiful wrappers. "

I sat on the seat close to the window, ignoring her and began to apply a little makeup; I lined my brows, applied foundation then put on a peach lipstick that was almost the same as my natural lips.

Michelle brought a brush and began to brush my, 'Bob' while saying, luringly, "I know you can tie Gele, it will fit you."

I nearly laughed at the tone but composed myself and told her to get out. She did not. She went back to the bed and continued looking at me.

I wore a brown and yellow high waist ankara skirt with the same pattern of jacket then a white camisole inside.

"So you were never considering my proposal," she said, pulling up the small zip at the back of my skirt.

After rummaging through the shoes I brought, Michelle decided to clean the black, saying it was the best. Auntie came in as I was wearing my shoe.

"Hope you know there's a very gentle man waiting for you outside," she scolded.

I nodded then she directed her gaze to Michelle. "what are you doing here, won't you get ready for church ?"

"Auntie called me to help her zip her cloth."

With that she left the room quickly, almost running. If she had stayed a second more, I would have stoned her my shoe.

Tunde was wearing a white senator, sitting at the edge of the three seater sofa. The hair at the side of his face, round his mouth and down to his chin down had been neatly carved, evidence of a recent shaving. I clicked my heels on the floor to announce my presence.

"My Lady."

I can not say who moved first but within nanoseconds we were at the centre of the room in a bone crushing embrace. The familiar scent from him hit my nostrils that were buried in his chest. My hands wound up behind him as he wrapped me in his strong, massive arms.

"It's been so long," I said , stepping back and running a hand down my skirt. I had not even predicted that I would run that way into his arms.

His eyes were on my face while my eyes were on the brown signature I had left on the left pocket on his chest.

"Sorry for wasting your time," I said, holding my clutch purse in front of me.

"My time looks good on you." His eyes traveled down my body with a smile on his handsome face.

"I'm sorry again, more this time, " I said, pointing to the brown stain at the part of his cloth my face formerly was.

"You left a mark to be remembered," he laughed, looking down at the stain. "We should get going. I woke up very early to beat traffic."

"We can use something wet to try cleaning it off," I suggested. I was unable to stop feeling guilty for the stain on his well ironed outfit.

"No," he said, "It will do more harm. "

In the car, I could not stop looking at the brown patch I had left on his cloth.

"I'm sorry, " I said, "I really am."

"How many times do you want to say it? " he turned briefly to look at me. "I know that you are sorry."

His mood had changed. In my usual way of thinking too much, I felt he was angry about the stain or that I delayed.

I pressed my lips tightly together and looked out the window.

"Your aunty invited me for lunch. Hope that's ok with you? " he said after sometime.

"Of course . I was about to. "

The rest of the drive, he did not talk to me but hummed each song that played in the car.

"Do you listen to other songs apart from gospel?" I asked, looking at him waiting for a response but he did not so much as look at me.

I was grateful when we reached the church. This was a bigger place than the one at Umuahia. "SPRINGS OF GRACE" was written boldly at the peak of the

tall building.

"I'm not disturbed by this little stain," he said as we approached the building.

"But you ignored me."

"No. Maybe I was not listening. What did you say to me? "

The child in me pouted. "Nothing. "

The ushers led us to a pew. There were two people seated there already. I went in while Tunde sat at the edge.

They later brought a hymn book which I shared with Tunde. His voice was confident and loud, dominating mine that sounded weak and unsure if to sing or just shut up. I stopped singing when I could hear myself. My voice was nothing to be compared to his own that was simply good to the ears; No vocal problems and could rise and fall with ease at any pitch.

When we sat down, I handed him my handkerchief which he seemed very grateful for as he began wiping his face down to his neck.

I concentrated on the man that was standing in the pulpit. He wore a white cassock with a green sash hung across his shoulder. He didn't look quite old but the whole of his hair had turned grey and he kept it at a short Afro.

"When will you be coming back home? " Tunde asked.

I ignored him and continued to stare up ahead in an attempt to return an eye for an eye and secondly because I did not know the answer. I felt him looking at me and I felt more uncomfortable because people behind could see he was staring at a woman when a priest was on the pulpit.

I kept looking forward. "Tunde stop looking at me. We're in the church."

"Answer my question," he said. He sighed, relaxed in his seat and began pulling the beard under his chin while looking at the priest.

At the end of the service, he introduced me to the priest and some other enthusiast members who were so happy to see him.

"I want to buy chickens," Tunde said while he drove us back home.

I turned from the window, puzzled as to why he was suddenly telling me about poultry plans.

"I want to buy like thirteen," he continued.

"I'll be grooming them so before December they will be as big as goats."

I started laughing but he seemed serious; his eyes were set on the road and his mouth set in a grim line. I covered my mouth and listened more.

"I will not travel to see my mother till I finish it all. I might give you one, then the remaining twelve, I'll kill one each day from Christmas day to the new year."

"Not Easter? "

"No, not Easter. They won't be as big." he said, shaking his head with a pout.

When we got to the house, I carried the nylons of fruits he insisted on buying for the house.

"Start planning to come back. Madam Chinaka is oppressing me," he said at the door. His voice sounded tearful .

I turned to look at his face he had kept like a baby and I burst out laughing.

Stepping in, the room seemed empty till I saw Ike on his phone at the dining. His face lit up in a smile then his eyes began to dim in question still holding that smile as he saw the man behind me.