Olumide knocked on the white door and stepped back, staring at the white ball abandoned under the chair on the pouch. He kicked the ball with his feet and watched it roll towards the paved road that led to the street. The door opened and his eyes rose to meet that of a young slim dark woman dressed in a sleeveless knee-length black dress.
“Goo’morin sir.”
He peered at the woman’s face, hoping to find some marking feature that would identify her. Her face evoked no memory in his mind.
“I want to see Joke?”
“Mar’am talk say make nobody enter.”
A new house maid. Olumide leaned closer to her and tried to peer into the house. The hallway from where he stood looked empty. “Tell her it’s her Olumide.”
The girl closed the door. He heard the sound of Joke yelling. He winced. He did not miss his sister’s anger. The girl returned to the door and opened it slightly, sticking outtt her head. “Oga go. She go call you.”
“Nonsense.” Olumide pushed the door.
The girl pushed back from the other side. He pushed further and marched into the house. The girl ran after him, touching his suit with her fingers. He cast her hand off then took a turn to the left, into the spacious living room where his sister sat, slouched against the yellow settee.
“Olumide.” She sat up, using her hands for support then wincing before tossing her left hand over the side of the settee. She turned to the woman at his side. “I thought I asked you to tell him I wasn’t around.”
“Stop this, Ajoke. I’m your brother for God’s sake.”
“Well. that is no excuse to impinge on my privacy.” She eyed him then turned to the flat screen TV that made up the other side of the wall.
“Why weren’t you in church on Sunday?”
“Who told you I wasn’t.”
Olumide walked till he was standing in front of his sister.
The young girl marched to his sister’s side, genuflecting. “Madam, I go take am go outside now, sorry.”
“Don’t worry. Just get him something to drink.”
“Oga, wetin you want?” The girl flitted to his side.
Olumide turned to the girl, “Something cold please”
The girl nodded, genuflected towards his sister and left.
Olumide’s eyes followed her until she disappered. “Is she always like that?”
“Like what?” His sister eyed him, twisting and bunching a part of her red dress to cover her legs.
“So… Submissive. Who is she?”
“Leo’s nanny and I don’t believe you came to my house to inquire about her.” His sister said. “I heard you’ve been looking for that prostitute again. Why won’t you settle down?”
“Whatever you heard, you heard wrong.” Ajayi_Matt_023 still had not told him about how much he ought to pay. He was beginning to suspect that the guy didn’t have any pictures at all.
“Why weren’t you at church?”
“I was.”
“You weren’t. I searched for you.”
His sister rolled her eyes. “What if I missed one day of church? What’s there?”
Olumide stared at the intricate pattern on the chandelier before turning to his sister. She used to be active in church before she got married. One could almost find her in any organized groups in church; and even if she wasn’t legally allowed to be in that group she found a way to weasel her way into their doings and actions. He arrived in Nigeria to find that she didn’t even stay back after service anymore.
“Don’t talk like this Joke. It’s family weekend.”
“Well, Tomiwa is my family member-”
“And he was at church but you weren’t.”
Joke rose from her seat, throwing her wrist into the air. “Just stop it, Olumide. Stop poking your nose where it doesn’t concern you.”
His eyes lit on the flash of white around her left wrist. He reached for it but she hid it behind her back.
“Don’t touch me, Mide.”
“I just want to see.”
“There is nothing to see. It was a little accident. I fell down the staircase.”
Olumide walked towards the wide window at the side. The white frame boasted of an arch at the top and overlooked the swimming pool outside the house.
“Was Tomiwa the staircase?”
“I said it was an accident.”
“Fine but that doesn’t stop you from coming to church. Joke, please.” Olumide turned to her. “I’m not a child anymore. I know Tomiwa hits you. Why won’t you do something about it? Why won’t you tell dad?”
“You want me to lie to dad so that what will happen?”
He turned back to find a lone tear sliding off the face of her cheeks. She cradled the injured wrist in her other arm, against her chest. She blinked, letting more tears follow the path of the first.
“Joke, just tell mom and dad. I bet they can do something.”
“What can they do? Do you want me to go around telling everyone that my husband hits me? Do you know how that sounds? Do you know how that makes me look?’
“But you can’t possible be enjoying the beating right. At least, let them talk to him about some other way of managing his anger. I would’ve done so myself but you said I should stay out of it.”
“Well. you are not doing a very good job staying out it.”
“I know.” Olumide slipped his hands into his pocket. A part of him felt like hurrying to give the woman a hug but he couldn’t move. He hadn’t hugged her in years. “Just- Can’t you try counselling or something?”
“We’ve tried. I’m tired.” She settled back into the chair and looked past him at the television. She pointed the remote at the television and reduced the sound of the news report playing in the background. “Seems like I’m always the one complaining and nothing gets done.”
“Just tell mom, at least. Please.”
She turned to him and put her lips together in a fish pout style, then she looked him from top to toe. “If you want me to tell mom, you have to make some effort towards getting married.”
“What are you saying?” Olumide found himself walking towards the seat adjacent to hers.
Leo’s nanny stepped into the room with a white tray and some orange juice in a glass. She set it on the stool beside Olumide’s chair, genuflecting. “Sir, shey you can took anything else?”
“What happened to all the English you are learning in school, Aduke?” His sister asked, reaching for her slippers “Come on, get out of here and go and read your books.”
The girl hurried out of the room and Olumide sent a pointed look towards his sister. Joke wasn’t a hitter. She could scream and threaten but hitting someone, anything beyond pinching was too much work for her.
“What?” She shrugged. “I wasn’t going to hit her.”
“So when will you go to see mom?”
Her reply was fast and sharp. “The day you bring your wife home.”
“Joke stop. I’m being serious.”
“So am I.” She leaned into the chair.
“Can’t you go to see mom this week? I can’t get married in a week.”
“Yetunde is available.”
He met his sister’s eyes. “I want to marry someone I love.”
His sister raised her wrist and used her fingers to brush the tiny braids away from her face. “I loved Tomiwa.”
Author's Note:
Thank you all so much for reading. Please, don't forge to share, vote and comment.
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Scars (Romola 2)
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