©️Opeyemi Akintunde
AS INSPIRED BY THE LIVING WORD
I was at work when I saw Promise’s call. It had been years since I saw her call. After the fall out between myself and F.D, I avoided picking her calls. She had called me till about a month after their wedding, of which I never picked up. I wondered why she was calling.
“Is F.D okay?” The thought of that made me rush at the phone.
“Hello …. Promise” I said
“Wow…. this is a miracle…”
“Hi… Promise, what can I do for you” I said curtly.
“Leni, good afternoon, at least I deserve a greeting no matter how small, we are family after all”
“Yes Promise, we are family? My brother’s wife what can I do for you? Is F.D okay?” I said….
F.D was what was more important.
“F.D is not fine” Promise said
My heart did a flip flop. I stood up from where I was seated and rushed for the toilet. I was suddenly all sweaty….
“What’s wrong with him?”
“It’s not something I can discuss on the phone”
“Ok?”
“Can we meet somewhere? I mean where do you work? Do you still clean houses?”
I felt insulted because Promise didn’t expect things to have gotten better for me…. Pride came over me. I wanted her to know how good God had been to me.
“Depending on which place is closer to you…. My house is on the mainland, while I work in Foye Oil and Gas on the Island….” I said proudly
“Your house will be better” Promise replied
“Well, I work Monday to Friday and I get home really late” I wanted her to know I had a good job.
“Ok… guess I will wait till Saturday…”
I didn’t want her to come to the house, she would see that I was living in a mini flat, unless…
That was exactly what I did, I moved the kids and I to the main building on Saturday morning. The kids had questioned me tirelessly and I had told them we were expecting visitors. I wanted Promise to have the impression I was living large and I had succeeded without them.
I had never waited anxiously for a day like I waited for Saturday. It was either he was ready to protect Leni with his life or he was been truthful about not knowing Leni’s whereabouts.
I decided to play along, so I told him I wanted him to go with me to visit a friend who just got back from USA
As we drove towards the address Leni had sent to me, I noticed F.D was not looking as tensed as I expected.
“Is it true he doesn’t know her whereabouts?” I kept asking myself.
“But how come he sends her money every month”
“Promise calm down… the situation will reveal itself on its own “
I saw the house, it was magnificent. F.D still looked calm.
“Your friend must be very rich” F.D said
I was going crazy but I still maintained my cool.
I pressed the horn, but there was no response. I took my phone and dialed Leni’s number.
“Hi Sis, we are at the gate”
The house had an automated gate, we watched as the gate opened up for us.
I saw F.D freeze on seeing Leni and her sons standing at the entrance of the magnificent building.
“L..e…ni” F.D said stuttering
“Promise, what is happening?
“We are at Leni’s place, are you saying you have never been here before,?”
“What are you saying? I have not seen Leni in two years, Promise, what’s happening?”
To be continued…
