SHADOWS (3)

“Ehhhn ehhhnnn…he did
all that?” Hannah exclaimed on the phone. She had just given birth to her
second child and was on maternity leave. She knew a little about the issue
happening between Seun and her husband.

“All that and more. I
was so dazed,” Seun replied as she entered her office and settled behind her
desk. “I wished the holiday wouldn’t end. But here we are in the office again.”
She sighed.

“Lover woman, I go love
ooo,” Hannah teased.

“Na you sabi. At least,
you get to be at home and not think about work. I miss you here,” Seun said.
She flipped open her laptop and turned it on.

“I miss you more. I
can’t wait to get back to work. I’m tired of staying home. These children want
to kill me. If it’s not Chidera crying
for breasts, it is Chijioke telling
me about what happened in school, he wants to eat this or that. Motherhood is
not easy, my sister.”

Seun smiled faintly.
“Is your mother-in-law still around?”

“Before nko? Do you
think I would have been able to handle all these? I’ll just run away. She’s the
best, Seun, the very best. I don’t know what I’d have done without her. I’m
already telling IK, we are so getting a maid. I can’t handle all these when
mama is gone.”

“Still putting his foot
down on that one?”

“Yes. I can’t do it
alone ooo.”

A knock on the door
stopped their conversation. “Come in.”

The door opened and a
petit young lady, Rita Ene, in her
early twenties walked in. she was the company’s receptionist. The bags under
her eyes told Seun she had not slept well for a while. I wonder why.

“Sorry to disturb you,
ma.”

“It’s fine, Rita.”

“One of our clients is
around and insists on seeing the Manager. I told him he was not in yet and we
were yet to resume. I asked if he could wait or if I knew what it was all about. He
refused, would not agree to sit and wait and has been yelling since.

Ohh…..that
explains the noise.

“As the next in
command, I decided to come see you because I don’t know what else to do or say
to him.”

“Have you tried Mr Lambe’s number?”

“Severally,” Rita
replied. “It’s not connecting.”

“Okay. Take him to the
conference room and tell him I’ll be with him shortly. If he continues
yelling, give him the phone so I can speak with him.”

“Alright, ma. Thank God
you’re around. I don’t know what I’d have done.”

Rita was about to step out when Seun called behind her, “Who is this again?”

“Mr Fashina,” Rita replied. Seun nodded and Rita stepped out.

“Is that not the man
you were handling before you went on leave?” Seun asked.

“Ahhh…it’s him ooo.
That man frustrated me ehnnn. I almost felt like slapping or maybe choking
him,” Hannah said.

Seun laughed. “What
stopped you?”

“My salary. Plus, I
didn’t want anything to harm myself or my unborn baby. Imagine stressing a
pregnant woman! I can almost guess the reason why he’s here. But he should be
okay in your capable hands. I’m so glad I’m not around right now.”

Seun heard a baby
crying. “Here we go. Young man needs to eat, God help me. We’ll talk later,
baby girl. Take care.”

“Yeah, you too,” Seun
said and dropped the call.

She used her hands to
rub her temples, feeling tired suddenly. Why
do I always feel like this after talking to Hannah?

She knew why anyway.
Hannah had gotten married a year after she did and had given birth to a son
nine months after. Now, she had two boys.

And
all I’ve been asking is for a child. Just one! I don’t mind the sex…..just give
me a child. Is that too much to ask? Hannah does not even serve you like I do.
Is there a criteria you use or what?

She and George had done a series of tests and doctors kept telling them were fit to have children. Where are the children, God?

The phone on her desk
rang, bringing her back from one of her frequent outbursts to God.

“Hello, Rita. I’m on my
way,” she said and got up. This man had
better be calm when I get there. If not….

 

************

“Guy, will you just
concentrate for once? Since we got here, your eyes have been roaming the whole
place,” George said to his friend, Evans.

Evans and George were
childhood friends and did almost everything together. Evans had the looks and
money and had most ladies falling for him. He loved it and used it to his
advantage. He was a ladies’ man. It was the only issue George had with him.

“Lots of hot chicks
here, you know,” Evans said, smacking his lips.

“If I knew you’d be
like this, I would have made sure we finished the discussion at the office
before we came here. Why don’t you just get a woman and settle down?”

Evans laughed. “Guy,
you say it like it’s so easy. Not all of us get it easy like you. Who would
have thought that George, who was always shying away from girls, would get an amazing
woman like Seun?”

“I was not shying away
from girls,” George defended.

“Really?” Evans asked,
raising a brow.

“Whatever. Just get
married.”

“It’s not that simple,
dude there are so many babes out there ready to mingle with me. You want me to
get hooked down and start wishing for another? Women are like wine, you know.
And there are so many of them, you just have to sip and taste.”

George looked at him
disgustingly. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Calm down joor. I know
you’ve never approved of how I enjoy my women, but that’s me being real, okay?
Give me a woman like Seun and maybe, just maybe, I’ll consider settling down.
Until then, allow me to enjoy my women. So, when are we going to those people’s
company to see them?”

Aside from being
friends, they were also business partners.

George shook his head.
“Well, it will most likely be next week. I’ll….. are you listening to me? What
are you looking at?” He turned behind and hit Evans.

“Owww….what was that
for?”

“You are just
incorrigible. We’re talking business and you’re looking at a woman.”

“A beautiful one at
that,” Evans said, winking at her. “She’s been flirting with her eyes and she’s
got me turned on in the right places, I’m going over.”

“Whatever. When you
need the details, you know where to find me. I have a date with my wife.”

“You see? You and Seun
just make marriage so interesting and fun. But I’m not ready for all that work.
My regards to her, see you later. I’ve got a wine to sip,” Evans said, got up
and walked towards the lady.

George watched him
shake the lady’s hand and kiss the back of her hand. He rolled his eyes, took
his car keys from the table and left the restaurant.

Why
do women fall for that kiss at the back of the hand anyway? I’ll try it with
Seun.

(To Be Continued)