The Wife ESCAPED!

Rebecca was ill at ease as she switched focus from the clock to the door and back again to the clock. She could not sit still and in one position. She crossed her legs, uncrossed them; folded her hands, unfolded them; put them under her chin, placed them on her lap… until Chief could no longer ignore her.

“Woman, calm down!”, he scolded.

“I’m calm na, Chief,” she grumbled, shifting to yet another position. He simply shook his head and leaned back on the sofa.

“When will they come na?”, Rebecca murmured, looking at the clock for the upteenth time.

“They said ten. Is it ten yet?”

“It’s almost ten na. W…”

“Look, Rebecca. If you cannot wait in silence, go and take sleeping medicine. Your pro…”

“Chief, Chief, shhh! I think they’re here.”

“Who’s where?”

But she was already on her feet and making for the door. He shook his head in pity as she went out of his sight. But just as he was about to lean back again, he heard a loud exclamation followed by the sounds of a joyous welcome. He jumped to his feet immediately and just then, Rebecca brought in a calm and orderly Timmy into the sitting room. They were followed by a uniformed police officer whom he knew from the State Police Headquarters.

He went over to thank and shake hands with the officer while Rebecca led her son to a sofa and continued to fuss over him.

“Are you sure you are not feeling any pain?”, she asked for the third time in two minutes.

“Yes, mom. I’m totally fine.”

“What’s this on your forehead?”, she questioned, lightly touching a small scar that he had obtained from running into a tree during his escape from the shrine.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“It’s nothing, mom. Just a speck,” Timmy sighed in exasperation.

“You look tired. Are you hungry? Have you eaten at all today?”

“Woman! Leave the boy in peace! Is he a baby?”, Chief scolded on his return from seeing off the officer with a not-so-flat envelope and a promise to visit his Commissioner soon.

“Yes o, Chief. He’s my baby. Please, leave me alone let me take care of my only son. If you want, we can go somewhere else and leave the parlour for you.”

But Chief simply grabbed his walking stick and walked away and his wife went back to petting and fussing over Timmy.

“Don’t hide any injury from me o. You can tell me anything. I’m your mother. Please, raise that hand for me let me see. Are you sure it’s not paining you?”

“No, mom. Like I’ve been saying for the past ten minutes, I’m fine. Perfectly fine.”

“Okay. So what would you like to eat? Do you want me to prepare your favorite? I’m sorry I forgot to prepare it before you came, but I could not think of anything else than seeing you. So let me go and prepare it. Don’t worry, I’ll be very fast. I’ll tell Nkechi to bring some snacks for you, eh.”

With a quick kiss on his brow, she hurried off, shouting the name of the housekeeper as she went.

***

Seated in the sitting room on a sofa adjacent to her husband’s, Rebecca was fully engrossed in the family album. She smiled deeper every time she encountered a picture of Timmy who was at the moment asleep upstairs in his room.

“Chief, do you remember when Timothy won that quiz competition in Lagos? This is the best picture of him when he was small.”

She said all this without taking her smile and attention from the album and her husband watched her with his hand supporting his chin like someone observing the behavior of a mad person. They were in this position when someone suddenly burst into the sitting room without notice.

“Tracy! What happened?”, her mother asked in alarm as her clearly unhappy daughter took her stand halfway between both parents.

“I need money,” she simply said, addressing her father.

Chief looked all around him, as if searching for someone. Then he turned to her.

“Are you talking to me? I thought you said you’ll never want anything from me?”

“I remember what I said in the past. But now, I need money. And I need it fast.”

“What do you want to use the money for?”, Rebecca questioned.

“Wait, Rebecca. Let me ask her this question. Did you keep any money with me?”

“Ehhh… if you don’t want to give me money, then divide everything you have and give me my share, so that I will go my own way.”

“You want to share my property while I’m still alive? Are you mad? Look, if I close my eye now and open it and you’re still here…”

“Papa, you can close your eyes till you’re blind, but all I know is that I’m not leaving here emptyhanded. I’m ready to die here with you today.”

Chief held his head in both hands and shook it mournfully for a while before turning to his astonished wife.

“Rebecca, are you sure I’m the father of this girl?”

“I’m even doubting if I’m her mother.”

“Eh, you people can doubt like Apostle Thomas. Just give me my share of the property and I’ll leave you to finish your doubting programme.”

“Will you get out of this house before I call the police!”, Chief roared, jumping to his feet.

“Call them! Call them, I’m waiting. Call your police and I’ll call my soldiers. We’ll see which one is more powerful.”

“Are you talking to your father like that?!”

“Eh ehn Mama, stay out of this o! This is not the time to play the part of the loyal wife. What did you do when he starved me of money for how many months now? If you people don’t want to take care of me, why did you give birth to me? Let us just share everything quietly and everybody will go his own way otherwise… hmmmmm! There will be war in this house.”

“What’s going on? Tracy?”, Timmy said as he came down the stairs. “What’s the problem, Trace? Why…”

“Hey Mummy’s pet, mind your business o. Nobody called you in this matter. When adults are talking, children should go and play outside.”

“Calm down, Trace. Whatever the problem is, we can sort it out as a family.”

“I’m not interested in any sorting out! Who’s your family? I’m not your family o! I’ve disfathered, disbrothered and dismothered all of you. Just tell this man to give me my share of the property or else… hmm mm! Hollywood willl happen in this house today.”

And she stood battle-ready, arms akimbo, legs apart and one of her feet tapping the floor impatiently.

“Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca,” Chief called, his voice rising with each call. “If you don’t evacuate this non-entity you call a daughter…”

“Please Chief, calm down,” she begged, standing between father and daughter. “Tracy, let’s go. We need to talk.”

“Mama, I’m not going anywhere till this man gives me what’s rightfully mine.”

“Ehhh, that’s what we will talk about. Come, let’s go.”

But the girl wouldn’t budge.

“Timmy,” she turned to her son. “Please come and help me hold her let’s…”

“Mummy’s pet, if you dare touch me, I will beat you till you forget your surname.”

Timmy stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move a single inch toward his sister who was fully focused on him with eyes full of fury. But Rebecca saw her chance and took it.

With sudden force, she pulled Tracy by the arm and turned her away from the men, dragging her toward where she wanted to take her.

“Mama, leave me o! I’m not interested in any talking,” she shouted as she stumbled and slid after her fat mother who opened the desired door, dragged her in and shut it behind them. But before Tracy could look around to identify what room she was in, Rebecca landed a stinging slap on her face.

“Ah! Mama! What’s this na?”

Another one followed on the other cheek and Tracy immediately grabbed the door knob. But before she could turn it, Rebecca tackled her from behind, dragged her to the bed and dumped her on it. Then she jumped on her and started pinching her face, neck, shoulders, arms and any other exposed body part she could find.

“Mama, leave me! What did I do to you na?”, Tracy wailed as she struggled beneath the weight and assault of the heavier woman.

“You want to fight na, abi? You want to act Hollywood abi Nollywood. You want to do Commando abi Rambo. Oya, let’s do it.”

“Mama, I’m not doing again. Just leave me, please. Mama, I’m begging you na!”

But Rebecca was deaf to her pleas. She continued her assault of pinches and occasional slaps until her victim stopped struggling and suddenly burst into tears. Then she rolled off her and stood beside the bed and watched her daughter cry out all the bitterness and anger in her.