By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu
That same day Jessica visited Patricia at the Njemanze Villa, dressed in black jeans with a red wrap top, a matching pairs of heels.
‘What do you want to eat? I’ll cook,’Jessica said to Patricia with her most winning smile.
‘I didn’t invite you here for you to cook. I know that you would soon be my daughter-in-law. But there is something we must do first before the table turns against you.’
‘What are we going to do?’Jessica asked with a smile.
‘To Chioma’s former yard.’
‘Why would we do that?’Jessica felt uncomfortable at the mention of going to Chioma’s former yard.
‘You messed things up with your father. Forcibly threatening to demolish Chioma’s house had been the reason why she left Abuja with her family. Plus, her neighbour’s are beginning to question why she suddenly decided to leave. If they connect the dots properly, you would be sent to hell by Michael.’
Jessica was angry at the thought of Patricia’s suggestion. ‘Going there means I have accepted defeat.’
‘To get Michael you should accept defeat.’
‘Those people will chop me into pieces knowing that it was my father that ordered for the demolition.’
‘But he didn’t still go ahead with it, right? That was because he had a kind heart…even though that I know that the main reason was to push Chioma to a corner which he succeeded in doing and might still backfire if you don’t do this. I hate to go to the slums but because I want you for my son, I think I should do this for you.’
Then, ignoring Jessica’s objections, Patricia pulled on her jacket and led Jessica to the door.
The two of them got into the back seat of the black Range Rover from the Njemanze garage. Jessica’s car was parked at the entrance, she would return here after which she would drive it back home.
‘Hey, drive slowly. I don’t want to get chest pain from the bumpy roads of the slums,’ Jessica told the chauffeur angrily.
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Then, the chauffeur stepped onto the gas pedal, and the car shot out of the villa.
Reaching Mpape, Jessica cursed Chioma under her breath as she wondered if Patricia’s suggestion was a good one.
The car stopped and without turning off the engines, the chauffeur said to Patricia, ‘Ma’am, we’ve arrived.’
‘Okay,’ replied Patricia.
The chauffeur got out of the car and went to open the door for them to get out. When he got to Patricia's door and opened it for her, Patricia asked him to bring her the boxes of fruits and vegetables she had bought. Jessica could see that Patricia was well prepared in this journey.
Sola was the first person to see them, and her expression changed when Patricia asked her to come over? She was reluctant to go, but later went with the thought that she might have come for something very important.
As Sola walked towards them, Jessica wrinkled her nose at the thought of how impossible it would be to get rid of the smell of sweat and urine and stale cooking that had soaked deep into the slums.
‘How do they manage the mouse-holes in this disgusting place?’ Jessica murmured, but Patrica asked her to do her best to endure everything, for the sake of wining Michael’s heart. ‘This place smells like the infirmary,’ Jessica complained, fanning the air before her.
When Sola approached them, Patricia told her why they had come.
‘Why not come to my house.’ Sola issued the invitation as she pointed towards her house. ‘There we will discuss the details.’
Patricia glanced at Jessica. ‘Let’s go, don’t worry.’ Patricia held onto Jessica with one hand, and her heart warmed.
As they went to Sola’s apartment, they saw a man scratching furiously, his fingers buried in his thick hair.
‘I can imgine tiny lice scurrying over his scalp, weaving through his hair like natives bustling through a jungle…’Jessica muttered, wrinkling her nose.
‘What’s the matter?’Sola turned to Jessica and asked.
‘N-nothing,’ Jessica said, forcing a smile. She sniffed the air when she saw children coming towards them, happily greeting them.
‘No need to worry, all the kids here are nice children. They are not thieves.’ Sola’s words carried deeper meaning.
Patricia smiled and said, ‘No one has called them thieves.’
‘I know but rich folks like you are good at accusing people,’ Sola smiled as she recalled Louisa being accused of stealing a wallet in the market.
Sola walked into her house with a smile on her face. The chauffeur walked in after her and placed the presents by the door.
‘Madam Patricia bought these.’
Sola
nodded and turned towards Patricia and Jessica with a smile of appreciation. Then,
she disappeared into her kitchen, which was spotless, like the rest of the
rooms. The kitchen was actually small,
but it was large enough for the gas cooker, sink, cupboard, counter and fridge.
The kettle boiling on the gas was ready. She poured the tea into the teapot, and placed it on the tray, which had already been set with cups nd saucers and sugar bowl. Then, she took out some biscuits from the fridge, laying them neatly on the blue plate already on the tray. Back in the living room she put the tray down on the centre table and poured tea, first putting the correct amount of milk and sugar.
‘I might not be rich but at least my son has often told me that rich people loves tea and coffee, ‘Sola smiled, sipping at the achara tea, which she found delicious.
Jessica rolled her
eyes without Sola noticing. She was focused on Patricia who smiled at what she
said. Patricia sipped at the tea, and tried not to wrinkle her nose. The tea
was delicious, but Patricia couldn’t help but think that the tea tasted like
grease, as though the mug had been washed with dirty water. If not because she
wanted Jessica for her son, Patricia would never have stepped foot in this
slummy place.
‘Tell me why you’re here,’ said Sola with a smile.
Patricia glanced at Jessica to speak. Jessica nodded and turned to Sola.
‘Um…am…Jessica…’
‘I don’t get it.’ Hearing her mumbling, Sola looked puzzled.
‘I’m here to apologise for the shock most of you might have received after my father ordered for this place to be demolished. Actually, he wanted to use this place for his business expansion, but having a good heart he decided to abort the plan,’ Jessica smiled as she spoke.
‘I wonder why your father would prefer a place like this for his business expansion instead of the five major districts of Abuja.’ Sola looked quizzically at Jessica. ‘Because he wants to be a part of its development,’ Jessica said quickly.
Sola smiled. ‘But such development wasn’t heard in the news. Anyways, I take it that he wanted to surprise us.’ Sola glanced at Jessica and knew that she was spouting out lies. She could feel that there was something that moved Emmanuel to do this, but she can’t quite put her finger at what it was.
‘Everything shouldn’t be made public.’
‘Oh, that might be true.’ With a frown Sola searched her mind but came up with nothing.
‘That’s the truth,’ Patricia said.
‘I don’t doubt you, ‘Sola chuckled. Patricia didn’t speak.
‘Now that everything has been explained, I guess it will cure the hatred that everyone here has for your father,’Sola glanced at Jessica and said.
‘That
is why I have come with my soon-to-be daughter in-law to apologise.’Patricia
wrote a cheque immediately. ‘Here. It’s for everyone in this neighbourhood.
Consider it our support.’
Sola saw that Patricia looked graceful as she wrote the cheque. Taking the cheque from her, Sola said with a huge grin. ‘Thank you, Madam. I will make sure that everyone receives the money.’ Seeing the figure on it, she froze. ‘It’s too…much. I don’t think that they will accept such money without questioning the reason behind it. They might think you two want to curry favour with us.’ Holding the ten million naira cheque Patricia gave to her, Sola was stunned. Even she wondered why such amount was given to them.
‘I know that you are giving the money on behalf of Jessica.’Sola chuckled. Jessica cursed Sola under her breath.
‘We will take our
leave,’ Patricia said, standing up gracefully. Jessica picked up her Chanel handbag, smiled at Sola, and left
with Patricia. Inside
the Range Rover, Jessica asked with a frown, ‘Mum, did you really feel
comfortable with the smelly place?’ Jessica
had called Patricia mum believing
that she was already her daughter-in-law. She doesn’t need Patricia to give her
permission to do that. Patricia was glad Jessica called her mum.
‘Are you not happy that I gave ten million on you behalf?’
‘No,
I am, but you have to visit the hospital to check yourself…someone can easily
get sick by going there.’
No comments:
Post a Comment