"5 am!" Lara said as she rolled on her bed. She had been sleepless all night. She pulled her Bible, read some Psalms before saying some prayers of appreciation to her creator.
She washed her face, and walked slowly out of her room. She decided to make breakfast early, so that by the time 'the devil' will wake-up, she would be safe away in her room.
She walked past the guest room, Soft moans escaped the door. She stoped momentarily and listened some more.
Where's Tony? She tip-toed into his room. It was empty, no sign like someone slept there last night.
She felt like mad as she rushed back to the guest room..
She heard Sophia giggling.. David's grunts were audible now..
Yikes! He was making love to her, right inside their matrimonial home?
She tapped the door sharply, the whole place fell silent. She knocked some more before Tony opened the door.
Their eyes met, she held his gaze for a while before looking him all over. He was unclad except for the towel tied loosedly round his waist.
"Tony?" she gasped.
He didn't look at her.
He looked like he was making up his mind to do something.
"Tony you!" her voice shook.
"What do you want?" he cleared his throat.
"Honey, I'm waiting..." Sophia called from the room.
"What do I want? Tony are you supposed to be doing this?" Lara asked in fierce whisper.
"It's none of your business!" he snapped.
"True! " she swallowed hard.
"Mind you, don't ever come knocking this door again!" he warned sternly.
"Okay..." she shook her head turning to leave.
"But Tony? Have it in mind that my God will judge you...if not today...it'll be tomorrow!" she told him before running back to her room with tears running down her cheeks.
Haaaa! Are you kidding me?" Deji screamed at her sobbing friend.
"Dear friend that's my story.." Lara wiped a tear
"oh Lara you are too soft...she's been in this house for weeks now, and you can't throw her out?" Deji squealed.
"I think she has come to stay..." Lara began to say.
"Come to stay for where? Lara don't just provoke me o! I wonder why I wasn't in town all this while..." Deji bit her finger.
Just then Sophia walked lazily into the sitting room, she catwalked towards the fridge.
"Errm...Lara?" Sophia called out sipping from a bottle of yoghurt.
"Ma?" Lara said rising to her feet, to the suprise of Deji.
"Isn't it high time you prepare lunch? I'm starving." Sophia added authoratively.
"Okay ma, Let me..." Lara began to say.
"Shut up!" Deji cut her short.
"Who is your 'ma' ? This ingrate? This monster with a face of a donkey?" Deji chided her.
"Who are you referring to?" Sophia dropped her bottle.
"You!" Deji replied rising up.
" you are the donkey! Oshi! Witch! I wonder what's wrong with this Igbo woman! Husband snatcher!" Deji added with her hands akimbo.
"Deji please don't!" Lara tried to stop her.
"Leave me jor! Abi she jazz you ni? Imagine this vegetable eating Igbo claiming oyinbo! Olori buru ku!" Deji's body shook as she spoke.
"You don't dare insult me!" Sophia glared at her.
"Insult ke! I'll beat you ni! Rubbish!" Deji pushed Sophia roughly.
Wham! Sophia slapped Deji.
"Deji..." Lara was alarmed.
"Haaaa! Yeeee! You slapped me? You dey form Igbo geh abi? I go show you say I no be yoruba geh for nothing!" Deji screamed before grabbing sophia from her feet.
They engaged in a scuffle, Deji sitting atop Sophia feeding her with punches and slaps.
"Deji please..." Lara was very frightened.
"Deji to ri Olohun, please stop!" she finally pulled Deji off Sophia.
"Allow me jor! Lemme show this Donkey!" Deji charged at Sopia again.
"No No No! Deji don't!" Lara pushed her friend into a sofa, giving Sophia the opportunity to run into the guest room.
"You have to go now!" Lara led the fuming Deji towards the exit.
"Are driving me away?"
"No...I don't want Tony to meet you here...please, I can handle it.." Lara pushed her forward.
"Ehen the Tony sef! Let him come na, lemme teach him his own lesson!" Deji ranted.
"Noooo, just go please! For my sake!" Lara pleaded with her.
"Okay! If anything should happen, call me! You hear?" Deji ordered.
"Yes, bye!" Lara rushed to her room.
She sat down at her bed's edge. She knew she was in hot soup. Tony won't spare her.
::::::*****:::::
Lara supported her aching head with her hands, she was far far away in the land of thought's and imaginations.
"Lara!"
Yikes! Tony is back! When did he come back, she must have thinked deep!
"Lara!" Tony called out again.
"Sir?" she walked out of her room, her legs were weak, her heart pounding furiously.
"Welcome!" she flexed her knee
"What did you do to her?" Tony gestured towards Sophia who was weeping profusely.
Lara's heart missed uncountable beats, her eyes widened in terror
"I...I...I....d...did...not..did..." she began to stammer.
A resounding slap landed on her right cheek, making her mouth to twist, She saw stars
"You are really proving to be stubborn! This illiterate girl!" Tony ranted as he pulled a cable off the TV set.
Lara backed away on sighting the wire he was holding.
"Come back here!" Tony ordered
She didn't obey, instead she stood by the wall staring him wide eyed.
"Okay then, let me come to you!"
Tony walked towards her, his eyes were bloodshot.
Lara shut her eyes tightly, as the cable landed on her arm. She didn't wince or let out a cry, she just stood there absorbing all the pains.
She walked quitely into her room after Tony had let her go.
She poured some cold water on her head, she thought it was on fire.
She looked up at her reflection in the mirror.
Her right eye was swollen and red, tiny lines of blood streaked throught the corner of her lips.
She let her tears flow freely, she wished her mother would be here to watch what she's going through.
To be continued.........