the sound of Frank rummaging through
his box and files in the room.
“Guy ow far, wetin you dey fine wey you
scatter place?” I asked
“Guy I just got an invite for XYZ
recruitment test scheduled for Saturday
in their Ph test center” he said as he
flipped through some documents in the
file he was holding.
“Na wa o, why you just get you own
invite 1 day to the test? Some guys I
knew got theirs last week and even up to
Monday. I didn’t even know you applied?”
I asked him surprised
“As a matter of fact, I was sent the invite
since Monday in a mail. Don’t know why I
didn’t get mine as text message but
when I was discussing with Jude, he
asked me to check my email which I did
and saw the invite the spam folder” he
said moving around the room.
“so what’s the plan now?” I asked
“Leaving first thing tomorrow morning.
Mumsy the ask of you sef” he said
closing the box, perhaps haven found
what he was looking for.
“Dem don return” I asked as I sat up
picking up my phone.
“Just she and Favour, popsy dem get
governing council meeting with some
visitors from Abuja” he said as he began
arranging some clothes in his shuttle bag
On my phone screen, I saw a message
from Ella
**hey, sori 4 makin u tk d test wit me.
Just wanted 2 put u @ ease. Bt I guess I
went abt it d wrong way n only
succeeded in gettin u pissed.. Couldn’t
face u aft dat, but had wanted to say
tnks 4 givin life 2 my fantasy**
Shaking my head I hissed “this girl is
sure possessed” I said under my breath
“Who be that?” Frank asked
“Na Ella o.. How far you and Juliet sef?”
I replied and asked him at the same time.
“Omo that girl get winch, I swear. But na
later gist” he said.
**Dad was not home for dinner, mum
asked us to eat because she would wait
for him
Fay: how are you going? (directing the
question to Frank)
Frank: through abakaliki to return
Monday through calabar. I’ll leave Ph on
Sunday
“Make sure you carry some yam tubers
and that plantain bunch I brought from
work today for my sister (his aunt he
was going to stay with), don’t go there
empty handed” Frank’s mum called out
from the living room.
Frank murmured “mumsy I been no plan
carry load travel o”
“To carry food for your aunty is now
punishment abi? Who’s paying for the
load?” mum shot back from the living
room
Favour: se na inside booth the motor go
carry am and not your leg?
Frank: na women dey carry foodstuffs
dey waka
Favour: I no blame you, na because I
carry your foodstuffs for you when you
dey school na why you get mouth.
Frank: Obudu-Calabar na straight journey
and na one Motor till you reach Etagbor
(the street where they live(d) back in
Calabar)
Me: Fay how was work today (I asked
when I got tired of their arguments)
Fay: fine o. Tomorrow is half day, lemme
come back and rest def
Me: half day because of?
Frank: the New yam celebration on
Saturday.
Me: would the café be open? I need to do
some work.
Frank: yes. But you have data on your
phone abi?
Me: yea, but I need to update my system
and check all those clients site I run to
update their themes and plugins (I design
WordPress sites also). Na plenty data be
that.
***After Dinner, we’re all in the living
room
Mum: Fury how’s the holiday going?
Me: fine. Making good use of your WiFi
in the school since Monday
Mum: is that thing free? Thought It was
secured?
Frank: I paid for a password.
Fay: how many people can use the same
password at once? ( she asked in a bid
to say she knew Frank had so many free
passwords)
Frank: that I’m in the café doesn’t mean
I’m online.
**We heard Dad honk outside
**Dad and Mum having dinner
I chatted with Dolly, Laura, and a few
other contacts during which Favour sent
me a message
Fay: missed you
Me: same here
Fay: you don’t act it
Me: how else do you want me to? You’ve
been busy all week.
Fay: not even a kiss. Thought you would
have checked me in my office when you
came around. Perhaps I’m not that
important
Me: it’s not like that. Just that it never
occurred to me that I could come over
Fay: we’re saying the same thing. If I
were important you would have at least
asked if you could stop by.
Me: I’m sorry. Guess I’ll come over next
week
Fay: still guessing
Me: ok. I’ll come over
Fay: you’ll drop Frank tomorrow morning
at the park
Me: not a problem.
**** The next morning
It was around 4:30 am Frank woke up
and began to prepare for his trip. By
5:15 I was driving him out of the
compound with Favour closing the gate.
Just when I was about to zoom off, she
came out through the smaller gate and
entered behind.
Frank: where you dey go?
Fay: anything wrong in following my
younger brother to the park? Besides if
Fury didn’t come around, who would have
gone to drop you?
Frank: hahaha.. Thanks big sis
Five minutes later we were at Ogoja road,
where he was to board a car to Abakaliki.
Getting there, we saw a car that was left
with just one passenger and ten minutes
later we they had left the park and I and
Favour were on our way back home.
Getting to the gate, I stopped for her to
alight and open the gate, but unknown to
me, she had her own plans..
To Be Continue
