Unfulfilled promises 55

Unfulfilled Promises

Written by Audrey Timms

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Episode 55

Meanwhile, Mrs. Akpan went to her room, sat on her bed, shook her head as she tried to contain her anger. She was physically shaking. She was so furious. Wale who was already dressed sat beside her on the bed.

“Linda, please let me explain.” he said softly.

She shot up from the bed and pointed to the door.“Get out! Get out of my life and stay out!”

“Linda please.” he pleaded going on his knees.

She gave him a sound slap. “I said get out! Do you want me to call Segun to throw you out? Get out! Go and look for a young person to play with. Isn’t that what you want? Young flesh?”

“It’s not like that, Linda. She came on strong. You know I’m a man. I couldn’t resist her. Please.”

“Didn’t you for once think? Didn’t you realize you wanted to sleep with my own daughter?”

“Please. It was just a moment of weakness.”

“If you could have a moment of weakness with my own daughter then I wonder what you’ll do with young girls I don’t even know.”

“Please don’t talk like that. I promise you it will never happen again. Please.”

“Of course it will never happen again. I won’t allow it.”

“Please.”

“For the last time, get out of my house!” she yelled.

“Okay but I’ll be back.” he said standing up.

“Don’t ever come back.” she firmly told him.

“Please Linda don’t do this to us. Please I love you. I truly love you.” he pleaded passionately.

“O please! Spare me!” she waved her hands in exasperation “For your information, it was just an experiment. I wanted to get my daughter’s reaction at having a man in my life and being a caring mother. Haven’t you been asking me out for almost a year now? I decided to say yes to you the week I knew she would be coming here. I wanted to see how having a man in my life and showing her emotion would affect her. I read it in an article in a foreign magazine.

Now I know what would have happened all those years ago had it been I decided to date men. I thank God I didn’t because you fickle creatures wouldn’t have been able to resist her youth and beauty and she would have slept with them just to spite me. I’ve disowned the ingrate. Let me see how she’ll live without my financial assistance. I’ll stay back and enjoy watching another phase of her life unfold. And of course, I’ll have the last laugh as usual.

As for you, you’re of no use to me anymore. You’ve overstayed your welcome in this house. Get the few belongings you have here and leave. Don’t come here again if you don’t want to be embarrassed by my gateman.”

That said, she laid down on the bed and opened a magazine even though she was still shaking with anger. She placed a hand on her left breast as she felt palpitations. She hoped she wasn’t about to have a heart attack over these useless people.

Wale gathered his things and walked out of the room dejected. He walked to his car shaking his head. He knew he should have confessed to being the one who had tried to force Oleng to have sex with him but he wanted to continue coming back here to beg her. He needed her financially. He was bankrupt and she was filthy rich! He hit the hood of his car. He had made a mess of things. Poor Oleng, he thought.

Poor Oleng indeed.For she was walking down the lonely streets, weeping. It was already dark. She wondered where she would go. Going down to Zinny and Marvy’s side of the estate was quite dangerous. It was quite a distance from there and totally at the other end of the estate which wasn’t quite safe. The closest place was Dave’s but she thought of how it would be going to stay with him because he was alone at home. Since she didn’t have many choices, she decided to go down there. She didn’t care if people talked because she didn’t have a boyfriend or parents to upbraid her.

To confound things, it started raining. She wept anew when she passed Eric’s house. It would have been the best place for her to go had things been different. She was soaking wet by the time she got to Dave’s house. She knocked briskly at the gate. The gateman was surprised to see her in such a state. Unfortunately, Dave was not at home. He had seen some friends off to Abuloma in his dad’s car some minutes before she came. She had to wait in the gateman’s small gate house an hour before he came. She was shivering from the cold and wet dress because she didn’t have a change of clothing since all her clothes were wet in her wet box. Dave jumped out of the car when he saw her from the car’s headlights.

“Jesus Christ! What are you doing here, Oleng?” He knelt beside her when she sat on the steps of the gate house, still shivering.

“My…Mrs. Akpan chased me out of her house.” she shivered.

“What?” he shouted. “Like this? In the dark?In the pouring rain? How could she have been so wicked?” he raged.

Oleng burst into tears for an answer.

“What was I thinking asking you all these questions outside? Please come in.” He helped her up and they walked to the house. He led her to the sitting room and made her sit.

“You need a hot bath and a change of clothes. Hold on. I’ll be right back.” He left her and went upstairs to put on the water heater. He came back and led her to his sister’s room where she had a hot shower. She changed into his sister’s clothes that he had given her.

When she went downstairs, she discovered that he had gone to a fast food joint to get them food and drinks since he couldn’t cook. She was touched but she didn’t feel like eating even though she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. He had to beg her profusely before she decided to eat not to hurt his feelings. After a few spoonsful of fried rice, she couldn’t take it anymore. She burst into tears. How could her own mother have said such things to her?

To be continued