bent on dressing him up that morning.
"You're making me look like a helpless little boy." he chuckled.
"Well..." Barbra shrugged knotting his tie, bringing up the memories of their courting days.
"You don't look like you're going out today?" he observed.
"I told you, My sister is coming over to see me."
"Oh! My bad!" he scratched his head.
"Bye for now.." he kissed her picking his briefcase.
"Errrm..." Barbra hesitated.
"Yes?" Williams stoped moving.
"You want anything?" he teased.
Barbra stared at her fingers, she wasn't sure of what to say.
"talk to your husband.." Williams sat beside her.
"I want to ask you for a favour.." she began.
"favour? Anything for you! Just name it." he encouraged.
"I..want..errm...I want you to..to..to apologise to...errm....Joyce." she stammered.
"I beg you pardon?"
"Look..the way you talked to her the other night wasn't good at all...atleast not for a pregnant woman." she squeezed his hands.
"I can't..."
"Yes you can!" she cut in.
"please for the sake of the baby she's carrying, you can't continue treating her like a thrash can...please."
"For my sake please" she added quickly.
Williams exhaled sharply- what on earth was his wife asking him to do? Has she suddenly forgotten what Joyce' mission was? Women are so impossible- he thought.
"I didn't really mean to upset you, I was just trying to make things right." Barbra spoke sensing her husband's state of mind.
"Alright..let me go to work. I'll see what I can do about it." Williams rose to his feet.
"You're not talking to her now? As in apologise this morning?" Barbra asked looking disappointed.
"Iya Kemi!" Williams almost yelled. He always called her that name whenever she's becoming too difficult to control.
"I'm sorry.." Barbra shrugged.
"okay, is it not apology? Ehn? Why not if it'll make you happy."
"Really?" Barbra hugged him.
"Yea, bye." Williams kissed her goodbye.
+++++++++
"so you've come to throw my things out?" Joyce asked her hands akimbo as Williams shut the door behind him.
"No...not at all, just came to I'm sorry." Williams replied trying his best not to stare at her exposed thighs.
"for?"
"For the way I talked to you few nights ago." Williams replied.
"You just remembered to apologise now? Or you suddenly got tired of your wife?" she asked half-suprised.
"What I did was wrong, I'm sorry." williams replied looking at everything except her.
"Apology accepted, on one condition."
"What?"
"You're gonna make love to me here and now!" Joyce snapped her fingers.
"What? Even with the pregnancy?" Williams asked bewildered
"What with that? I still have feelings." she rolled her eyes seductively.
"I cheated on my wife once, and I'm not willing to do that again! Okay?" Williams glared at her.
"Okay...lets see how it goes." Joyce leaned on the door,
"Williams! Its either you do it now, or you'll have to scream for your wife to come open the door for you."
Williams swallowed, what kind of hot trouble did he fix himself into? His palms became sweaty as Joyce pulled off her dress exposing her cleavage. She walked towards him..
"Back off Joyce! Don't move an inch close to me! I'd be forced to push you!" He thundered.
"Lets see how you'd manage." Joyce laughed grabbing his jacket.
"Stop this! Devil!" Williams struggled as Joyce professionally covered him with her lips.
He was about giving in when a sharp tap on the door tore them apart.
The door creaked open and two pair of eyes stared at them in shock.
Williams quickly adjusted his tie, straightened his rumpled suit, rubbed his swollen lips, without a second glance at Joyce who was still struggling to cover her unclad self; he walked past the intruders like nothing happened.
Kenny led the trembling Sasha to her room, he was trembling too.
Kola who was drinking tea at the living room, had prompted them immediately he saw their father heading to Joyce's room.
They ran towards the room with the aim of eavesdropping while Kola hurried off the school.
Sasha had knocked and pushed the door open when she got tired of trying to make meanings, out of the meaningless words she heard.
They were both shocked to the marrow, that they could say or do nothing.
"You didn't see anything, did you?" Kenny asked Sasha who was quite.
She shook her head..
"Thank God." he sighed, he wouldn't want Sasha seeing provocating scenes.
"So he didn't repent afterall." He stated.
Sasha simply nodded.
"Do you think we should tell?"
Sasha shook her head in response.
"no right? Your mummy might hype the whole thing and threaten to leave again right?" He asked again.
Sasha simply nodded.
"Oh please reply with your mouth! Stop nodding and shaking your head like what I don't know!" Kenny snapped irritated.
"You're up already?" Barbra walked into the room without notice.
"Morn'in momma" Kenny greeted her
"How was your night?" she hugged Kenny, then Sasha.
"You don't look good...what wrong?" she asked Sasha who was just staring at her.
Kenny swallowed hard, he wished he could kick Sasha out of the zombie state she transformed into. That girl shouldn't let the cat out of the bag.
"Kenny, whats wrong with her?"
"She complained of a mild headache." Kenny lied.
"Sasha? Ki lo de?" Barbra shook her.
Sasha snapped back to the present, tears filled her eyes.
Kenny shuffled his feet. 'God please shut her mouth...atleast for now.' he prayed.
"Mum...you believe I love you right?" Sasha found her voice.
"No matter what, I really love you huh?"
"Yes my dear" Barbra hugged her, looking confused.
"Mum, I truly love you, I really do! Even...even...even if everybody won't..." Sasha whispered hugging her mother tightly.
"I love you too." Barbra patted her back giving Kenny a questioning look.
************
"Mum, Sasha said she aint hungry and Kenny said he won't eat without her." Kola announced taking his seat at the dinning.
"Whats wrong with these kids? They've been acting strange since morning." Barbra complained to her husband.
"The table is so empty, I wish Brother Dapo and Cassie were here." Kola pouted.
Williams glanced at Joyce who was busy working her mouth, then back at his wife who was dishing his food, he felt his heart melt.
"Don't worry, I'll go talk to them, after the meal." He assured his wife.
"Kola eat your food, " he instructed before turning to glare at Joyce who was chuckling silently.
He was going to deal with her separately-he mused.
Williams hardly finished his plate of wheatmeal before rushing off to Sasha's room. He met them sitting on the tiled floor, hands-supporting chins like some troubled souls.
He pulled a stool,sitting before them an accused awaiting judgement.
"Can we talk...about what happened in the morning."
"Hmmm" Kenny sighed
"What happened is not what you think..." Williams said knowing that was a foolish statement.
"I'm sorry." he added, scolding himself for acting as a slowpoke.
"That's good. Apology accepted. And we promise to tell no one." Kenny waved him off.
"Sasha?" he nudged her to speak.
"I might look like a fool, but I'm not one." Sasha said without caution.
"are you this wicked?" she looked her Father in the face.
"You want mum to die of heart attack?"
"I didn't go there to..."
"Save it!" Sasha snapped.
"what kind of life are you leading us into? You're acting like this, what do you expect Dapo, Kola or even Kenny to do in their own homes? Or if Kemi's husband decides to bring another woman home? Or Cassie decides to go sleeping around with married men or I too decide to get pregnant for a married man cos afterall 'dad does the same, he aint a saint too' ?" Sasha spoke like she was reading from a book.
"You could recall me telling you weeks ago, how much I hate you?" she took a deep breathe.
"I can't bear your mistress' presence anylonger, its sickening." she made a face.
"I want that slut out of this house before the end of this week." she ordered.
"And failure to do that leads to me telling mummy all I saw and me throwing Joyce out myself." she snapped her fingers in emphasis.
"Sasha?" Kenny shook her.
"You're talking to your father!" he warned
"you can get her an apartment then go there to sleep with her and do all manner of rubbish! Stop corrupting my innocent mind pulleease!" she concluded walking briskly to her bathroom.
Cassandra aligned her request' one after the other on her mind's slate. Her coming home to spend the weekend wasn't going to be fruitless. Her father's pocket must 'shake' after all he's rich.
She need a car- she's tired taking cabs all around town.
Her pocket money should be doubled- she's tired of managing foodstuffs.
She need' a brand new laptop-her present one is looking old and outdated.
Lastly, she needs special allowances for her hair, clothes, shoes, bags, jewelleries et'al.
"Thank you." she muttered as the cab which brought her sped away.
Glancing at her wristwatch, she grimaced. Its a saturday, her parents should still be home by 10am.
"Mallam, how far?" she hailed the gateman who didn't seem to notice her but was busy quarelling with a 'strange' man.
"Mallam open gate for me jor, You can't even reply my greetings." she hissed at him.
"Small madam! I dey welcome o!" the gateman welcomed her.
"Hmm, its too early to fight o, who's your fighting patner sef?" she asked.
"It's this inyamiri o! He come say I dey look for Joy!" the gate man explained.
"Joy? Does this place look like Joy's house? Who are you by the way?"
"My name is John! I want to see Joy!" the stranger replied.
"John? Joy told you she lives here?" Cassandra asked.
"I know she lives here! I want to see her now, else I won't leave here o!" he threatened.
"Are you high or something? I said nobody like Joy lives here" she snapped.
Cassandra made to walk into the house but stopped at impulse.
"Joy? You meant to say Joyce?" she asked.
"Yes now!" John replied.
"Wow...who's she to you?" she wanted to be sure.
"My girl! She's even pregnant for me sef!" John affirmed
Cassandra could only gape at him, was he serious at all?
"Mr man! The only Joyce we have here is my father's wife, okay? "
"I know what I'm saying! If you think I'm telling lies, ask the Joy herself" he replied looking agitated.
"can't you understand simple English? Ehn? I said we don't have any Joy here, we only have Joyce who isn't a 'girl' as you said." Cassandra was beginning to get irritated.
"Sister cool down first! Let the Joy see me first nah!"
"come with me." she waved him in.
"Small madam? I dey let am enter for house?" The gateman protested.
"Mallam shut up!" Cassandra hushed him as she led the stranger into the main building; Fear plus excitement creeping into her veins.
"Big boy, what's up with you?" she hugged Kola who answered the door.
"Hey guys!" she waved at Kenny and Sasha who were busy playing cards.
"Don't tell me you're on holiday already? And who's that hungry looking man beside you? Your boyfriend?" Sasha asked eyeing her.
"Sasha Williams, I came to my father's house okay?" Cassandra retorted.
"And that man is?" Kenny pointed at John who was standing by the door.
"He's here to see Joyce!" she replied.
"Where's dad?"
"Dad wen't to the golf club, and mum went with him." Kola replied taking her bag.
"Where's Joyce?"
"Went out."
"Mr John, you heard? The Joyce we have here isn't home, gerrit?" Cassandra explained.
"Okay then! I'll leave! But I'll surely come back o! I'll come back!" John sauntered out of the room banging the door behind him.
"Who's he?" Sasha asked.
"He said his name is John, that Joyce is his girl..bla bla bla.." Cassandra replied picking up the cards.
"He looks like an armed robber to me." Kola chirped.
"Armed robber ke? Did you see him with any weapon?" Kenny laughed.
"Sasha are you sure he's not the 'John' that omo Ibo is talking to everyday on phone?"
"Yesss oo! You have a point!It might be him o!" Sasha replied in gossip fashion.
"we made a mistake, we should have told him when she'd come back!" Kenny clapped.
"Never mind! He'd come back soon, I'm glad I'll be here to watch the drama! For now, everybody should just seal up!" Cassndra instructed.
"kilon kan mi? I always knew that pregnancy is a setup!" Sasha shrugged.
"Same here! I so wish the drama unfolds the way we want it" Kenny said excited.
"amen o" they chorused.
"Cassie welcome o" Sasha said to the amusement of the others.
"You're just seeing me now abi?" Cassandra threw a pillow at her.
"Hmn, cassie, you missed alot o! Plenty gist on ground." Sasha laughed catching the pillow.
"My ears are itching already." Cassndra scratched her ears.
"Amebo!" the duo chorused running in different directions as she chased them about.
TBC AT 3PM
