21.
Collin’s anger within him boiled and he fumed as he paced in the tight corners of his stuffy apartment. There were so many thoughts on his head that he felt claustrophobic. His imagination was closing in on him. He had sent Esosa out of the house out of fury and talked audibly to himself as he burned. Johnny had told him that he had seen his wife, Ofure in P&B hotel. Collins had not waited for Johnny to describe the scene. Immediately he heard that a man was putting his arms around a woman, he stood up and ran home. Perhaps that was why she was able to afford the house rent and even pay the fees? And the Waec, how was she able to afford it? He had kept quiet through it all because he had been unable to pay. But no more. Today, he was going to reawaken his respect as the head of the home. He had paced for more than an hour and was almost sleepy when he heard the familiar exchange of laughter between his wife and Mary, her friend and neighbor. Collins anger refueled but they quickly filtered into smoke and ash when slowly, children started trooping into their home bringing in foodstuffs. Plantain, rice, beans, gallon of red oil and groundnut oil. Collin’s anger filtered into smile that he did not realize that he had left all the teeth in his mouth to the public view until Ofure came in herself.
After the neighbors had taken small pieces of plantain and left, Collins spoke almost in whispers.
‘Ofure. Where did you get money to buy all these?’
‘The principal where I work, called me to P&B hotel o. He said he had just come back from the village and had brought me some presents since he knew how hard we work and how little we get’.
In that manner, Collins anger disappeared through the torn windows until there was no more left except his respect and fear. He looked at the beautiful fair woman who had been his rock for far more years than he could account for. He saw the beads of sweat gather on her forehead and slide across her cheek and that slow movement burned the intensity within him. He was about to move his hands and grab her waist when Esosa barged in to the house.
‘Police’. She gasped for breath.
‘Police have taken Ehis. They say he is doing yahoo yahoo’.