CHAPTER 8 – THE DAY AFTER
Castro yells out his name.
He takes a step and is relieved to see that he can still move. He veers towards Ima, peeks into her phone, and sees that she is on WhatsApp. He proceeds past Castro and into the kitchen where the orders he placed were sitting on the counter waiting for him.
“Guy, you see ghost?” Castro says
He arranges the plates of cow tail peppersoup with serviettes and cutleries on a large tray and heads out to complete his task, still mum.
Catro watches him and shrugs.
Oscar is saying “It is important at all times to do a proper soul search and be sure about why you want someone, why you want to be with someone. From what I observe, it is hardly because we need sex, companionship, or even what we believe to be love. There is usually a deep neediness we must identify and address before we get entangled with another human being. Sex is good. But how often do you finish and feel flustered and empty even after bedding the hottest girl available? It is even worse for a woman because you invariably go in with many emotions and in the end, find out that you have just given up yourself to be abused.”
“Not in all cases bro. I know a girl who just got roundly screwed and her feet have not touched the ground since,” Femi says and makes a pointed look in the direction of Ima, directing everyone’s gaze to the still radiant restaurateur.
“Even those do not last,” Oscar offers. “Whatever gives you pleasure is also going to give you pain. Many people with deep-seated trauma who need healing rather than recognising this, seek pleasure to gain relief. It will be temporary because nothing outside of you can give you happiness. True happiness comes from within. Heal first. Then you will naturally attract souls with whom you can share your life from a healthy place. There are internally crippled people all over the place seeking completeness from without when what they should be doing is looking within.”
Castro comes over and grabs Irikefe by the shoulders and shakes him hard.
“Guy leave me joor.”
“Wetin dey do you sef?”
Irikefe tells him what Femi told him. “Now I go really kill that bastard,” he finishes.
“Na Femi you go kill abi na Chief? And if you try that we go pack your body piece by piece from every bus stop for this Ikeja.”
“Chai bros. I was so close. I see the promise land like Moses and I no fit enter. The toto just dey drip dey call my name. I do all the hard work finish na so the ogbanje wey dey worry the babe just wake up. She pursue me comot for house like say I thief meat for pot.”
“Guy, chill out. Shey you don become her bestie. You better kill this stupid entitlement mentality wey dey worry you because true-true the babe no be your size. Just lay low. Get close. Do like say you even dey happy for am. The day wey chief go break him heart na you she go call for comfort. Make sure say you carry condom every time you dey go meet am. Your day go come.”
Irikefe considers Castro’s words. Just then, Ima calls him over.
“Hey, my gee. Come let’s discuss that health food idea of yours,” she says, still beaming.
“Mummy has approved. We don’t have time to waste.”
Irikefe forces a smile. He knows Ima is attractive but this evening she oozes an otherworldly glow that makes everything else dim around her. Irikefe swallows.
“Sure boss” he says, the plastic smile still in place, eyes alert for any signs of a crack he can use.
She slaps him playfully on the arm. It stings.
“So I think tomorrow we start with the basic stuff – salads, cold and grilled sandwiches with organic whole wheat bread, smoothies. In the tradition of FOOD IS READY, we will gradually imbue our uniqueness such that whatever they get from anywhere else will seem like a counterfeit. I have already ordered the vegetables and bread. In no time, we will bake our bread in-house.
What do you think?”
“It is very well thought out and executable madam. We will feed them the equivalent of manna from heaven so that they will never hunger again.”
“What’s with you today?” Ima says and looks him squarely in the eyes.
Irikefe swallows and forces a smile. This is hard.
“This was your idea. A brilliant one at that and I am asking you for input and you are doing like somebody that they stole his wife.”
If only she knows she has just spoken the truth, Irikefe thinks and rolls his eyes.
“Last night…”
“Don’t go there,” Ima snaps.
“I mean at your place.”
“I know. And I say you erase that from your mind. It never happened.”
“But it happened after I left.”
The warmth drains from Ima’s face, replaced by a mask of ice. “Now wait. You stalk me now?”
Oh shit! Castro’s words come flooding back. Lay low. Do like say you happy for am. Your day will come.
“No na. I mean that after I left you managed to go to bed happy. It’s all over you today and I am happy.”
Ima is not fooled. It’s one thing to desire someone, as inappropriate as it may be, but another thing altogether to be ubiquitous in the person’s life. It’s creepy. And she is not having it.
She makes to speak but Irikefe silences her. “Come on bestie. Don’t overthink it. I was there to comfort you following the actions of that treacherous motherfucker and in the end, you did not need me. E pain me small. And yes, nothing happened between us. What could possibly happen? We talked na, and mummy wanted me back here and I left and you fell asleep and today you are back to work full of sunshine. I dey happy na. Yes tomorrow make we start the health food thingy. You haven’t mentioned the bike for delivery yet. I need one so I can display my other skills on these boring Ikeja roads. And yes the sandwiches and salads and smoothies are fine for a start. Then as they crave hot meals, we can introduce fresh spring rolls with vegetable filling, plantain pancakes, scrambled eggs in spinach and tomatoes in olive oil. I sabi the thing. I’ll print a sample menu for you to see.”
He flies into the kitchen and leaves Ima standing with her mouth hanging open like a goldfish gasping for air.
Just then, the Mercedes from the previous night appears in Ima’s view and the Chief steps out from the back seat, the car door seeming to glide open at his silent command. He straightens the lapels of his impeccably tailored suit and strides purposefully towards her. Every movement exudes a quiet confidence, an effortless grace that turns his entrance into a silent performance. The regulars are on their feet cheering. He stops and shakes hands with Oscar, Femi, Uche and Charles. Then approaches Ima.
A slow smile blooms across Ima’s face, a secret sunrise reserved only for him. Her eyes, the colour of twilight just before dusk, widen for a fleeting moment before fluttering close, savouring the memory of the night before.
Irikefe nearly drops his tray of orders watching Ima’s transformation at the sight of this man.
He reaches her, takes her by the shoulders, and plants a kiss on her brow. Ima has turned translucent in Irikefe’s eyes. All that is left now is for her to ascend to heaven like Jesus Christ after the same bodily transformation in the presence of his disciples after the resurrection.
The Chief does not break stride. He slides into the restaurant and meets Ama by the cash register.
Ama is like a runaway train, forgetting all decorum in her excitement at the sight of the handsome Chief. Ima watches as her mother jumps into his arms and shrieks of delight escape her lips. He holds her by the waist. They converse like old mates. He cannot let go of her hand after he reluctantly releases her waist.
What the fuck is going on?
TO BE CONTINUED.
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