Three generations episode 42

TITLE: THREE GENERATIONS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 42

Nwanneka had given up on men when she met this guy at a supermarket about a month later after failed at attempts at dating. He followed her everywhere she went in the supermarket. He paid for her items even when she insisted he shouldn’t. He entered the taxi she stopped with her leaving his car back at the car park.

‘Please talk to me. Tell me your name. Just that and I am fine”

“You are embarrassing me. You won’t be interested in me and I can’t give you what you want. I will not sleep with you and I have a child outside wedlock, are you still interested?”

“What is your name please. All you have said isn’t relevant. Give me your name first”

Nwanneka calmed down. “My name is Nwanneka”

“What a beautiful name. My name is Daniel but my friends call me Danny. I want to marry you. How many children do you have? Two or three? Hope their fathers are not in their lives because I am their father from now onwards”

“I am not falling for your gimmick. I am not interested.”

“How many children do we have now?” he asked her with so much seriousness that Nwanneka had to laugh.

“I have a daughter. You made me laugh, thank you”

“I will make you laugh every day. Give me your address, I want to see you tomorrow if that is ok”

“Sunday? Where do you want to see me?”

“My friends and I are hanging out at a sports club. You can meet me there and then we can go on our date”

“Will I have to meet your friends?”

“They will be your brothers-in-law soon. You will meet them. Don’t be afraid, I will treat you to a nice lunch and then we can go to some fun places. I am always the life of the party so you are good with me”

Nwanneka knew in her heart this guy was a smooth talker but she was still drawn to him. “I will have to keep up my guard. Hope he doesn’t play a fast one on me”

She met with him at the sports club. Three of his friends were there with three ladies. She was introduced and she emphasized the fact they just met and were friends when the guy was calling her his baby. They asked her to place an order for refreshments but she declined. Danny told them he was leaving with her for a date and couldn’t wait for ‘Chucky’ anymore.

As they were leaving, Chike was walking up to the group. He was alone. He was shocked to see Nwanneka but said nothing to her as she was with Danny. Nwanneka was also surprised to see him but she didn’t acknowledge him at all. Danny excused himself to go back to the group. He was there for another ten minutes before he came back for them to go. He didn’t say anything.

Chike gathered all the information he could about Danny and Nwanneka. He was surprised they met but then he was hurt it was Danny. Danny was the guy he confided in concerning Nwanneka having a child and he blew it off. Danny wasn’t going to be serious with Nwanneka and he talked too much, damn too much. If he scores, he would definitely tell them in the group. He was heartbroken.

Nwanneka discreetly asked Danny if he knew Chike. She claimed he looked familiar. He said they were good friends and that Chucky (Chike) was his boy. He took her to eat Chinese in Apapa and then to the departmental store to shop for her. “Take anything you want, I will pay.” When she insisted she didn’t want anything, he selected the items himself. He was loud and proud.

She asked him to drop her at Iponri. When he there, he insisted on taking her home which she refused.

“Are you ashamed of your house? Girls live in Ajegunle and I go to their houses. I change their lives and the lives of their families. Baby girl, I will change your life. I will transform you…..”

“I’m not ashamed of my house. My father doesn’t allow me to have male visitors unless you want to marry me now. I should stop here and find my way home. He is a military man, if he sees you with me, you can imagine what will happen”

“Army? You are an army man’s daughter? Na wa o. We have to tread softly. Ok, when will I see you again?”

“I work from Monday to Friday. It will be next weekend”

“Ok, I will pick you here at 11am on Saturday. You will spend the day with me”

“As much as I can”

She went home and released a sigh of relieve. She didn’t like Danny and didn’t want to hang out with him again. She decided to disappear; not be available for the date and also avoid him until he gets tired and leaves her alone.

She was able to dodge on Saturday. She didn’t show face and nothing happened. She was happy. She had a week before dodging him again. There was a public holiday for two days within that week and then the weekend so auntie Uloma was around with the children.

Nwanneka didn’t share with auntie Uloma what had happened with Chike; she counted it as one of life’s experiences and moved on. She still had most of the things Danny bought on their first date in the bags in her room as she didn’t have any need for them. And also, she knew he might be petty and come for them one day. She didn’t want to be disgraced.

On the first day of the public holiday which was a Thursday, Uloma came out to make her hair. She walked towards the gate and a car followed her as she walked. She was alarmed. The estate was very secure so why was anyone following her. She walked faster until she met the security men. Then she turned to look at the car and the people in it. The car parked and Danny came down from it.

“What? Danny? You scared me”

“I know. Sorry about that”

“What are you doing here? How did you know my house?”

“I followed you. That day, I followed you home. Now I understand why you were rejecting my gifts, your family has money”

“My father will bring down the sky if he catches us here. You can go please”

“I am not leaving without you. I am ready to frog jump all day just for you. Where are you going?”

“To the salon. I want to make my hair”

“I will take you to Bobbi’s on Bode Thomas to make your hair. Have you eaten? We will eat after you finish making your hair.”

“Danny, thank you but no thanks. I can manage on my own. We can talk another time”

“In that case, your father will meet us here. If you move, I move. I will follow you anywhere you go. You will not play me like you did last week”

Nwanneka had no choice but to join him. She had her hair done and when she wanted to pay, she was told he had already paid. She decided to leave before he came back only to see him with his friend downstairs by the car. She wondered what she did to deserve this. He picked her up and they went for lunch. Then he bought ice cream for her ‘younger ones’ and they left.

“Baby, my colleagues and I org-nised a beach party tomorrow. I will love you to join us. It is on a private beach. Everything has been arranged. I will pick you up by 10am and then we leave”

“I don’t have anything to wear. And also, I want to rest tomorrow. Maybe another time”

“I expected you to say that. Take” he handed her a nylon bag “I bought something you can wear. I will be here by 10 o’clock tomorrow, please don’t keep me waiting.”

Nwanneka was tired of all this. She didn’t want to attend. She wasn’t interested in Danny. She didn’t like him and wasn’t happy he knew her house. Why was he spying on her? She didn’t like any of these and she told him.

“Danny, thanks for the offer but I have to decline. I am not interested in a relationsh¡p with you now or in the future. I don’t want to deceive you. I just came out of a nasty relationsh¡p and I need time to heal and not rush into another. Also, I don’t like the fact that you trailed me home. I don’t have feelings for you; I still have feelings for the other guy. When I have fully recovered then I will consider you”

“I am not putting pressure on you. I like you but I am willing to wait until you are ready. Come with me tomorrow as a friend, I want you to have fun. You will enjoy yourself there. I need the company while you need to take your mind away from your previous lover. I get it. I won’ make demands of you or disrespect you. Please, come with me tomorrow”

Nwanneka still refused but with his persistent begging, she gave in and agreed to go with him.

“Come with your daughter,” Danny told her.

“She doesn’t live in Lagos, she lives with her grandmother in Port-Harcourt”

“O, I see. Ok. I will pick you up by 10am”

Danny was parked close to the house at that time. Nwanneka wore the shorts, bikini top and net top he bought for her. The h0les on the net were tiny so it wasn’t very see-through. The shorts were above the knee but not too short. She wore flat gel sandals and a face cap.

She told auntie Uloma she was going to a beach party with her friends. She permitted her to go. She liked the way she looked. “This friend must be special since you had to buy new clothes for this beach party”

‘He bought them for me”

‘Aren’t you lucky?”

Danny loved her look. She knew how to dress. He smiled all the way to the beach. They talked on the way with Danny trying to persuade Nwanneka his intentions towards her were genuine which she laughed over.

“We are just friends. I am still not ready for a relationsh¡p”

‘Who is the guy who has put me in this condition, let me scatter his brain”

They laughed about it.

Two of his colleagues were there with their friends and girlfriends. She didn’t know anyone in the group and felt a bit left out. Luckily, Chike wasn’t there and she was glad because it would have been awkward during the introductions. She agreed to come because Danny told her his colleagues not friends will be present.

Danny paid for a seat under a canopy for her. She was a bit secluded from the group. He brought drinks and different types of food including finger foods to her to enjoy. She sat there watching people walk past, go into the water and generally have fun.

Danny stayed with her for not more than twenty minutes and he was back with his crew. She didn’t allow it to bother her. Music was blasting and she was watching people dance and take horse rides. She stood up and walked to the shore. She joined others who were afraid of the water but enjoyed the waves splashing at their feet. It was fun running away from big waves.

Danny joined her and told her he was going into town to get more drinks and food as the ones available weren’t enough. Some friends had arrived and others were expected. He asked if she wanted to come with him but she declined. She continued at the shore for a while and decided to explore the beach from end to end. She walked along the shore watching people have fun. Families were there having the time of their lives. Lovers were everywhere. She walked and saw interesting things like a swing which she rushed to and sat on. She tried to use her body to push herself on the swing but it wasn’t working. Then she felt someone behind her push her. She went high, then higher. With each push, she was getting higher. She scre-med in excitement. When she got tired, she asked the pusher to slow down until it came to a final stop. She jumped down and turned to the pusher to say thank you. It was Chike.

“Hi, Nneka.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to the beach, saw a lady in distress and helped her”

“Please Chike, avoid me. Biko, I don’t want any issues with Danny”

“We need to talk”

“Talk about what? Go back to your girlfriend, I have received enough insult for a lifetime.”

“I wanted to explain everything to you but you have refused to listen to me”

“Chike, I have moved on. I need no explanation. I don’t want Danny to see us together, please go away”

“You didn’t tell him about us?”

‘There was no us. Go your way let me go mine”

“He has to know about us. I swear to you Nneka, I messed up big time. I won’t deny I had s€× with her but you caused it. You turned me on and left. How was I to manage? It was driving me crazy. I had told her I was in love with you. I didn’t tell her we were not having s€×. So she deduced what she said.”

“And she also deduced my having a child out of wedlock?”

“I told her that during my confused stage. I wasn’t even sleeping with her then. It was wrong of me to have disrespected you like that by telling her and I sincerely apologise”

“Apology accepted. You can leave now before Danny comes”

“We haven’t finished talking”

“There is nothing else to discuss, I am with Danny now”

“Danny is not your type of guy. He is loud and lousy. He talks too much. He is spending on you, right? That’s how he gets his women. Once he gets what he wants, he will dump you and brag about it”

“It doesn’t matter to me”

“You are an army officer’s daughter that lives in a big house at Alaka estate. You have a daughter and two younger ones. He promised you would come with your daughter today but I don’t see you with her. You have said you don’t want s€× but he has promised to have s€× with you before the end of the month. How will he do it? By spoiling you. Expect flowers and chocolate in your office next week. He is taking you to Ikoyi hotels for dinner over the weekend. He will buy you jewellery to say “I love you”. All this just to get you to take off your p-nts”

Nwanneka was disgusted with what she heard. How could Danny be so lousy? She was angry and wanted to leave. She was angrier at Chike for telling her. “There is no difference between the two of you. At least he didn’t shame me about having a child or hop into bed with another woman immediately I turned my back”

“I didn’t deceive you just to get into your p-nts. By the way, he knows about us. Has he asked you anything? He won’t because he has no intention of continuing this relationsh¡p after he gets what he wants. I told him about you having a child at the time I told Mercy. He told me to introduce you to him. He just wants to use you. When I told him you were the one, he was talking about your body and mocked me for not having s€× with you. Has he taken you to his house yet? He won’t ever take you to his house or office so your father doesn’t come after him. Forget about me but please don’t disrespect yourself by having s€× with him. Please, I don’t want to hear the graphic details from him. I beg of you”

Nwanneka walked away. She was tired of dealing with boys. Danny was thirty but behaved like a thirteen-year-old if what Chike said was true. How would Chike have known she told him her father was a military officer? How did Chike know she told him about her child? It was glaring Danny had said too much and she couldn’t deal. She wanted him to come back and take her home.

He came back an hour later with drinks, food and girls. What did he bring the girls for? He said they were having a night party at the beach. She told him she wanted to leave but he insisted she stayed. She felt trapped. She didn’t come out with enough money to take her home and the distance between the beach and the express was a distance. She waited for another thirty minutes and approached Danny again. He asked her to stay for the party. By this time, it was past seven in the evening and was dark already. She decided to hitch a ride. She left and asked a group of girls where they were going. They agreed to stop her at Costain bus stop. She was grateful as she entered their vehicle.

They had driven for just ten minutes when a vehicle flagged them down. When she looked, it was Chike. The vehicle stopped and he asked her to join him. She didn’t want to but he begged her to. Eventually, she came down and entered his car.

They drove in silence to her house. Auntie Uloma was outside when they got to the house. She saw Chike for the first time. He greeted her and introduced himself as a friend. Uloma was all smiles when she saw him. She excused herself and went in,side.

He turned to Nwanneka and said, “I messed up. I am sorry. I miss you. My boys can’t stop talking about you. That day was the last day I saw Mercy. I still love you. I will come here to pick you up every morning when work resumes and drop you off. Let’s start over.”

“I’m with Danny now. I will give him the benefit of the doubt. You might have accused him out of malice. Let me try to see if Danny and I would work”

“I know it won’t but I will allow you to find out yourself.”

Danny came to the house on Saturday evening. He claimed he looked for her everywhere until someone said she left with some ladies. He said he was just coming to check on her because had a hangover. “You should have stayed; it was fun”

“No thanks. What are you doing tonight?” Nwanneka asked.

‘I’m going home. No plans for tonight”

“Let me come with you to know where you stay”

“It is late now and I am tired. We can do that another day”

“Let me put you to bed and come back home with a taxi. I want to know where you stay”

“Next week I will take you to my home”

The following week, as Chike had said, she received flowers, chocolate and cake. She never told Danny where she worked. Then he took her for dinner in a restaurant in Victoria Island on the weekend. She enjoyed that too. He asked if she would want to spend the night in a hotel in Victoria Island, she declined.

“Why waste money? Let’s go to your place”

“This place is better. You will love it. We will even swim before we retire for the night”

“Is this what you do for all your girls?”

“Only the ones I love”

“Or the ones you perceive have money”

‘Not that. You are special to me. Let us stay in the hotel”

“I can’t swim; I am on my period”

“Then there is no use lodging here. Let’s go home. Another time”

Nwanneka smiled. He met the wrong girl. He took her home and asked for another outing the following weekend. She agreed to it.

She trailed him that night to his house. He lived off Bode Thomas. She had arranged with a taxi driver close to the gate to follow him home. The driver got the house address. She was armed with information.

On Friday evening, she told auntie Uloma she was hanging out with a friend and would come back home very late. The taxi driver took her to Danny’s house. She knocked on his door but no one responded. His car wasn’t outside. She decided to leave. The next thing was to visit his office in Apapa.

She didn’t see him on Saturday. She travelled to PoHarcourtout. Her mother had sent for her. Chioma who got married in her third year had given birth to a son. She was still in Nigeria while her husband was abroad. Nwanneka came to celebrate with her cousin. She used that opportunity to see her grandparents.

She returned on Tuesday the following week. She continued her plan. She went to Danny’s office. She waited for him to have time before telling the receptionist her name. He was dumbfounded she knew his office.

“How did you know here?” he asked her.

“I saw you drive in here some weeks back when I came around here looking for where to make photocopies. How are you? Are you free? Let me take you to lunch’

“I can’t do lunch now. We can talk later. Where were you on Saturday?”

“I had to travel to the village. I would have told you if I knew where you lived or worked. I was lucky I saw your car here today”

“Ok. I think you should leave now. I am still working. We will talk later”

“When will that be?”

“I don’t know. I will drop a message with your security at the estate gate”

Danny was finding it difficult to comprehend what Nwanneka was up to. How did she find his office? She was becoming too nosy. He hadn’t enjoyed anything from her. He decided he will have s€× with her the next weekend and then dump her.

That evening, someone knocked on his door. He went out to check. It was his security who told him a lady was outside looking for him. He came outside and she had left. He wondered who it was and why she left. The security didn’t help with giving an accurate description. Who he described didn’t look anything like Nwanneka. He was relieved and went back in,side. Nwanneka came out of her hiding and settled the security man.

Early Saturday morning, Nwanneka was at Danny’s house. He was in bed with a lady he brought home the night before. She knocked persistently on his door until he came to answer it. He opened the door and she quickly entered before he could recover from the shock.

“What are you doing here? How did you know my place?”

“I had a row with my father early this morning when he returned home. He was informed a man had been coming to see me and so he was angry. He asked me to move in with the man until he is ready to pay my bride price. I am here now. You told me you loved me and wanted to marry me. This is the time; I am tired of being in bondage”

“What the heck are you talking about? Are you dense? Do you have a mental problem? Avoid me, leave my house at once”

“Leave where? You caused this problem and you will solve it. I have had one child already without a husband and he doesn’t want another same way. I told you not to come to my house but you insisted, you have to suffer the repercussion”

“Are you obsessed with me? You came to my job and now to my house. For what? Is it the money? Is that why you want to force yourself on me? I am no longer interested, please leave my house”

“Why are you acting like this? This is strange. I was expecting you to be happy; unless there is another woman in the house. O, that is why you are talking to me in this manner. Let me check” she was so swift in her movement. She took one giant step and she was in the room with shoes at the entrance before he could stop her.

The young lady was still on the bed. She was awake now but still wasn’t dressed. Nwanneka smiled when she saw her.

“Danny because of her you spoke to me in that manner. Well, I am not leaving. My sister, please dress up let us cook what we will eat. He has taken most of your energy and you need to refuel. I will be waiting outside for you to dress up” she pushed Danny away and left the room.

Danny followed her to the parlour, she opened a nylon bag and took it into the kitchen. The kitchen was a mess. When the girl came out, she asked her to clean up while she cuts up what they would prepare. The girl cleaned up while she worked. Danny told her to leave his house or he would bundle her out but she ignored him. She came prepared for such eventuality. Danny wouldn’t try this shit with another lady again.

They made fried plantain and eggs. The aroma was all over the entire building. Nwanneka used satis beef sausages, fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and scotch bonnet peppers popularly known as atarodo. The eggs were rich that the girl was excited to eat the food. They ate together. Nwanneka made sure they finished the entire food leaving nothing for Danny. She asked the girl to take a bath so they could rest. The girl wanted to leave but Nwanneka promised to give her something if she stayed. She stayed.

tbc