Thorn between episode 16 – 17

TITLE: TORN BETWEEN

WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI

FAMILY LIFE 11…….

Njideka came to Lagos with her daughter to see Prisca and her son. They were so happy to see her. She arrived by air in Lagos and she would not stop talking about it. Eucharia and Prisca listened to her with enthusiasm so she would not feel bad. The cousins bonded instantly. Njideka looked at Prisca’s son and said, “He looks like his father. Are you sure he did not deny this pregnancy that the baby came looking like him with a vengeance?” They all laughed. “I will stay here for a night, and then I will move to my parents’ house. This place will be too tight for all of us.”

“That’s fine. I hope you will come to visit and not forget us because we have missed you,” Eucharia replied.

“If you had a phone in your house we would have been speaking every day. Uk, you look amazing. You have trimmed down so much that no one would believe you have three children. Is your husband okay with the weight loss?”

“He loves it as long as my hips do not reduce he has no complaints, and trust me these hips are here to stay. You do not look bad yourself. You are glowing, you need to give us your skincare routine. Look at me, I am getting dark.”

“You expose yourself to the sun, and it damages the skin. Use an umbrella and sunglasses when in the sun. Wear clothes that cover the body.”

Prisca added, “And drink a lot of water. What you eat is as important as what you rub on your skin. Stop using pomade, use a lotion instead. We will talk about this later; we have not offered Nda Njideka any refreshments.”

Eucharia could not get over how amazing Njideka looked. Even though she had lost weight, she was still insecure about herself. She had been drawn into a world of self-consciousness. There was silent competition among her peers, and she felt left out. She was not someone who made demands from her husband to buy luxuries, but she could see what others flaunted and wished her accountant husband could buy some of those things for her. An example was gold. The Yoruba ladies bought so much gold that she was green with envy. She found it difficult to ask Adim for money to buy. She saw a set of earrings, a necklace and a pendant that she liked but she could not afford. It would take her whole salary, and she had responsibilities.

Njideka displayed her gold jewellery for them to see. What she had was nice, but the set she wanted to buy was nicer than every piece Njideka showed them. She wanted that piece. She could wear it during the Christmas holiday. She had to shop for herself, the children and family members in the village. Adim bought foodstuffs ahead of time and sent them to the village. The rest, he gave her money to sort out. This year, she planned to shop very early to save some money and buy some nice things for herself. She had a list.

Njideka asked as she tapped her, “Uk, where did your mind travel to? I was asking you a question?”

“Sorry. What did you ask?”

“Prisca has beaten us to have a son. Peter is coming out of his shell and soon I will get pregnant for a son. What is your plan?”

“Plan? Adim has finished having children. After my last ordeal, he decided it would not happen again. I have tried to convince him but he has refused to budge. He loves his girls and that is it.”

“Do not believe that. Every man wants a male child. Who will carry his name when he is gone? He is just grandstanding for you. My advice is for you to devise a way to have a son. I am using a method a friend used and had a son. It is a Chinese Gender chart. When she travelled to America an Asian woman gave her the chart. She used it and had a son. She gave it to me. I am ripe and will conceive soon. I will give it to you when I am through with it.”

“I will not need it. Adim has made it clear it won’t happen. I do not want to go against his wishes. You know how he is. I can never offend him.”

“What of you, Prisca?”

“Paul and I want to have only two children. We are not particular about the sexes of the children.” Prisca replied.

“You have a son, that is why. I want a son, if possible two sons. Adaure will be the only girl. I will have three boys after her so she will remain a princess.”

“That’s nice. May God grant your heart’s desire,” Eucharia replied.

Helen served them pepper soup and soft drinks. The three women drank and continued to chat. Njideka opened her box and showed her fellow wives some shoes she brought for sale. Eucharia liked one of them. She tried it on and it fitted perfectly. She asked the price it was a bit on the high side, but it was worth it because of the quality. She could differentiate because she worked with her uncle. She asked Njideka to keep it aside for her while she buttered Adim up to buy it for her. They all laughed. Prisca did not want to buy anything.

Later that evening, Njideka went to deliver some items to her cousin who lived close to Eucharia. She left Adaure behind. Prisca called her aside and said, “Why don’t you take some of those shoes and sell them in your office? You can use the difference to pay for your pair. I liked the shoes on you. The handbags she has are gorgeous. She sells quality stuff although they are expensive. You do not need to drag Nda Adim into this. The poor man has too many responsibilities. Trust me, sell them and buy yours. You deserve it.”

When Njideka came back Eucharia talked to her about helping her sell in her office. Njideka was happy to leave the items with her as long as she got her money or the items back. It was a deal.

Adim came back to meet Njideka at home. He was happy to meet the ‘wives of the family’ together, talking, laughing and having fun. He took pictures of them with his camera. Eucharia went to serve his food while he went to check on the girls before he bathed and ate. Njideka watched the affection between Adim and Eucharia. He maintained eye contact with her and made her smile. He touched her at every opportunity he had. She wished this was how Peter was. She was the affectionate one. Peter was a provider and a good lover but was not one to let a third party know he even touched Njideka. She did not understand why he was so rigid outside but in the bedroom, he was someone else. She still envied Eucharia.

Eucharia carried the items for sale to work with her the following day. She went with a few items, and to her greatest surprise, her colleagues and superiors bought everything she had for sale. She had marked up the price. Some paid cash while others agreed to pay on salary day. She was excited. She told them she had some more and they were willing to buy them off her. She increased the price and brought the box of shoes and bags to the office after removing the ones she wanted. They sold off. She went back home with an empty box and some people felt offended that she did not show them what she had for sale. She had to call Njideka and ask her if she could send some more items from Port-Harcourt.

“You mean you have sold everything?” she asked.

“Yes, I have. I have more demands. Some people paid cash, but I still have the money. Others will pay at the end of the month when they receive their salaries. Some more people want to buy more items but they have finished.“

“I will ask my sales girls to send more cartons to Lagos. Lagos is lucrative for this business.”

“It is because it is original and not common in the market. If you stick to that niche, you will have constant customers. People like quality products. They asked me if I had lace and gold for sale.”

“You will make a good businesswoman. Do you know how many items you have sold in two days? I will bring more than enough for sale.”

Njideka brought the boxes three days later. She poured the content on the rug in the sitting room. As they were being sorted out, Prisca raised an important issue, “What will you compensate Nda Uk with? She has sold for you, what does she get in return?”

“What does she want?”

“She will not ask for anything, but I think she should make a profit from it and also get some items for herself for free. These goods would have stayed for months in your shop before you sold them off, but now she is selling them off at your boutique price in the shortest possible time. Reduce the price for her to make a profit and allow her to select some items for free.”

Eucharia did not utter a word. She was surprised at how Prisca stood up for her. Njideka was not impressed with Prisca’s suggestion. She wondered why she would dabble in their transaction but she was stuck. She had to be honest, it was fair. She swiftly agreed and allowed Eucharia to select four shoes and three handbags. She added three dresses to the lot. Eucharia selected three pairs of shoes for herself and one for Prisca. Prisca did not want it, but she insisted. They were still sorting out items and prices when Adim returned from work. Eucharia left Njideka to serve his meal.

Adim saw the items Njideka gave Eucharia for the sales. After eating, he waited for her to finish with her co-wives and come to bed where they were alone to discuss. Eucharia explained to him about the sales she had made in her office and the demand she had from the other members of staff. Adim was not too enthusiastic about her doing business while working. He asked her if she would not get in trouble for selling while on duty.

“No o. I sell after my shift. I cannot afford to sell while I work.”

“Good. I do not want anything to tamper with your career. You should also look out for men’s shoes. Men buy at any price for the uniqueness and quality. If she has some …..”

“No, I know who to get them from. My uncle imports male shoes and he clears his goods in Lagos here. I will talk with him tomorrow about quality shoes. That is what he is known for.”

“Brilliant. I will patronise you and also give you customers. But, I hope they will not steal you away from me?”

“Who can steal me away from you? I cannot leave you for another man. Tufiakwa!” Adim’s grinned from ear to ear as his heart swelled with fondness. He drew her close to him. It was easy for him to love her.

Read – The Billionaire crazy wife episode 53 – 54

TITLE: TORN BETWEEN

WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI

FAMILY LIFE 12……

Njideka went to visit Flora at her home. She chose a time when Chief was not at home. They sat for hours and gossiped about everyone. Flora attacked Njideka for not having the first grandson of the family. “You allowed that local champion to beat you to it. I was so upset. Now she will be carrying her shoulder up for having the first grandson. How does Eucharia feel about it?”

“Eucharia does not feel anyhow about it. She takes care of Prisca like her sister. Prisca’s mother is in the house. I wonder how they managed to live there, only three rooms with eight people, nine if we count the baby. I managed to spend the night and ran away.”

“My brother is not trying. He is not making progress. Paul has a son before him; he should hide his face in shame.”

“Which shame? If you mention it to him, he will warn you never to ask Eucharia about a son. He claims his three girls are enough for him. I like his style. With the way both of them are always inside the room, I expected she would get pregnant, but she is not. She claims they are using protection. She said he monitors her cycle so she does not conceive.”

“Eucharia has charmed him; there is no other explanation. How can he not want a son? Maybe her womb was damaged the last time she had a baby. It must be why he is saying all this. He is trying to protect her and nothing more.”

Njideka quickly changed the topic. “Eucharia is a good businesswoman. She sold the items I brought from Port Harcourt. I had to send for more. Prisca has a big mouth. You know Eucharia is scared of me. Prisca made me give her lower prices and items from the ones I was selling. It was fair, but she should have minded her business. I was upset until I received some of the money she had received from the items I had just given her. She can sell.”

“What can she sell? She is a local thing. No matter how much she dresses, it will not change who she is.”

“You need to see her now. She is very slim, I have never seen her this slim before. You won’t believe she has had a child to talk more of three. I love her stature, and her height is more pronounced. She is a fine woman; there is no denying it. If Peter were married to her, he would lock her up and never allow her out of his sight. He said Adim is toying with his wife in Lagos by allowing her to work when vultures are ready to scoop her up. I am not like her; she lacks sophistication and poise. Once she has those two, forget it.”

“Where will she get it from? Better stop supplying her goods so she will not be richer than you. When you arrive, people have to bow to you, remember. You do not have to make it obvious but it has to be done.”

“You are correct. I won’t sell to her anymore. Let her show off with her miserable salary.”

“Now you are talking.”

Njideka shook her head when she left Flora’s house. She had not changed one bit. She still could not understand why she hated Eucharia so much. Was it because she was loved by Adim and the family? She knew she had to compete with Eucharia, but she liked her. She knew how to maintain her lane and she was content and happy with her life. She made a good wife and mother. She is also her best middleman. She had made the most sales in the shortest possible time all thanks to her. Contrary to what she told Flora, she had decided to continue to supply goods to Eucharia, it was a win-win situation. The items she took to Flora to buy, she wanted to collect for free and still bought on credit. She did not pick more than four items. Is that how she was going to sell off her consignment? She was leaving for Port-Harcourt by the end of the week. Peter was coming home on his two-week break and she wanted to be there with him. She could not spare their time together for anyone. She had a baby boy to make too.

Eucharia spoke with her uncle about the shoes. He sent her a carton filled with fifty shoes he just brought in. They were new designs and had not flooded the market. They were also expensive. He was happy his niece considered business alongside her career. Eucharia showed the shoes to Prisca. The prices her uncle sold them to her were ridiculously low. She asked him and he told her it was the wholesale price. The shoes are sold in shops at three times the price he gave. He asked her to visit some shops before she sold any. She did and true to his words, some even sold at five times the price.

Eucharia took some pairs to the office to some members of staff who could afford them. One of the doctors she showed asked her if it was the original make or a copy. He told her how much a pair was going for. She was certain it was original and so she hyped the price close to what he said. She sold off ten pairs that day. Before the end of two weeks, she had sold forty-six pairs of shoes and reserved four pairs for her husband. She still made a huge profit. Men’s things moved faster than women’s. She enjoyed her business.

Adim succeeded in getting them a Nitel line in the house. Prisca was the happiest person for it. She spoke to Paul every morning and night and they could be on the phone for hours. She added her son to her passport and notified the embassy of the birth of her son and her intention to relocate with him. The process was moving smoothly. Paul promised to come back for Christmas. Prisca had to wait until his return to baptise their son, Paul Junior and they would leave together.

Christmas time, Eucharia had made enough money. She contributed money to help her husband send food items and provisions home ahead of time as they always did. She also sent items to her parents including clothes and shoes. She took the girls to a hairdresser to make their hair with curly pieces. Helen, Dumebi and Mmesoma looked lovely. Chinemerem had a tender scalp so they used a band for her hair. After making good money from her sales, she decided to use some of the money to bring the Christmas spirit to the village house. She bought Christmas decorations and even a Christmas tree.