Dawn 3

Emenike slowly reached for the phone, trepidation on his face and in his heart. ‘God if you can just get me out of this mess, I’ll pay, do anything!’

He pressed the green button.

‘Emenike'

‘Sir…si..sir' ‘Emenike stuttered

‘ Are you ready now?’

Tears coursed down Emenike's eyes, he did not know when he started sobbing over the phone.

The caller disconnected the call abruptly

Emenike had to compose himself eventually when he heard footsteps approaching the door. He stood up and hastily made his way to the convenience. 

Natasha came in bearing a tray of food which she set down in the bedside table. She heard the tap running and she called out to Emenike that his breakfast was waiting and then she left the room humming under her breath.

Natasha was a very grateful and a self satisfied woman. She was thankful that her prayers and hope had not been dashed over her marriage. She had married Emenike when he was living in a one room apartment in Mushin. She shudderd to think of their living conditions back then. The toilets that were always overflowing with waste, the heat, the gutters spilling over with algae coated stinking water and, the cell like stuffy room they inhabited. Yes, she had every cause to be thankful

Looking around the opulent sitting room downstairs with some complacence and a whole lot of satisfaction(one of the three they had in their palatial duplex), she thanked her stars she had refused to listen to her parents advice of ditching Emenike. She had not the support of even her friends, but she soldiered on and married him. Even to pay her dowry, she had had to borrow money from her office to give him.

She made the sign of the cross and smiling to herself, started to plump up the  satiny cushions. When she was done, she moved to the east side windows, with the heavy satiny draperies which faced the car lot. All manner of exotic cars adorned their compound, a hummer jeep, a range rover, a Lexus Jeep, Lincoln navigator,  Porsche, etc. Many at times she had to do mini mini mani mo to decide on the car to take out. She thanked her chi(personal god) for her decision to stick with Emenike.

With a far way look in her eyes she thought back to the day she met Emenike.

She was a cashier in a bank as an OND holder. Her parents were retired and she was the last child of the family who was still inhabiting her parents house. She was in her early thirties, quiet, focussed and diligent. She remembered Emenike coming to do a transaction. Apparently one of his friends abroad had sent him some money and he needed to cash it out. It had not been love at first sight for her as it had been for him, as he had told her later. She saw a guy who looked like a hustler. He was untidily dressed which was a turn off for her. But he kept coming and wore off her resistance. They became friends and  eventually he would come wait for her at closing to escort her home

She discovered her Romeo was jobless. He lost his job a few years before and took to doing odd jobs. She pitied him and because of his persistence agreed to date and eventually married him.

Shortly after the wedding she became pregnant. She was overjoyed even in the one room in Mushin, she kept staring at her baby bump every opportunity she could get in the lone mirror in the room. But, her joy was short lived when she was given a sack letter during an across the board retrenchment exercise at the bank. As they had been surviving on her salary, it was as if the world had turned against them. Well, until her hubby met with Chucks, better yet, when Chucks entered into their lives.

To be continued…