Taking Chances – Episode 12

****EPISODE 12****

 

Daisy was feeling much better than she had been these past few days, for two days after the ‘mattress’ incidence, Daisy had hardly seen the exterior of her room, even when Okon came yesterday for his cleaning rounds, she

 

had totally ignored his knocks on her door. But today, after much thought and resolution, she was out & in the kitchen.

 

She had somehow consciously come to grasp with her situation, and told

 

herself that getting so down-beaten with any cold shoulder act that Jide sprang up would only give him pleasure if she kept showing that it

 

affected her badly. She resolved to try play along his ‘game of

 

shoulders’ and show him that if he was trying to pass across a message, she wasn’t decoding! She would show him also that she was the least

 

 

afraid of all his tantrums, his arrogance, his impulsiveness, his bad temperament, his ego and whatever package came with the man now her husband.

 

However, she was going to make sure she didn’t pay him back in his own coin, she would show him that two wrongs don’t make a right and that ‘evil’ can be bought with good, though she knew it was going to be an uphill task.

 

She would try her best to condone, comply and give him the much space he was trying to tell her he craved. Didn’t the Bible admonish wives to

 

respect and submit to their husbands with all the patience they could

 

muster? Even though she wasn’t really a ‘Bible person’ she remembered

 

that the Pastor had said something like that during their wedding service, also,

 

every book on marriage issues she had read or glanced

 

through revolved around the same virtues; But she wasn’t going to sacrifice her comfort and emotions on the altar, if it eventually came to that.

 

This was the reason why she was up early and busy in the kitchen trying

 

to fix breakfast for him again, even though there was little to work with today.

 

She made a mental note to ask him for money to buy food items for the kitchen, for it was his d–n responsibility, even if he was gonna go all smokes on her, she wont care. The jollof rice she had cooked on Monday

 

had served her hunger needs yesterday evening when she emerged from her room to eat, for she had practically been surviving on juice before then. Bless Okon for heating it on Wednesday morning else they wouldn’t have been any left to salvage. But now, she couldn’t keep mute and starve to

 

death, her Bank at the states told her it would take time for them to complete the money transfer to her new bank here in Nigeria, she didn’t even know how far they’ve gone with it, due to the recent activities that demanded her time.

 

After much deliberation, Daisy decided to boil water and fill the flask, then she arranged the tea items close to the down-turned tea cup.

 

She surveyed her work and shaking her shoulders in resignation, she went to seat in the parlour, they was plainly nothing in the house, maybe that would give him an idea of it she thought.

 

The time was 6:20 & since she didn’t feel sleepy, she decided to watch Television.

 

 

When Jide surfaced at about seven all dressed for work, Daisy who was engrossed in the musical video she was watching on Trace TV, didn’t notice the surprise that appeared on Jide’s face for a flint second.

 

He was surprised to see Daisy in the parlour and the dining, set. For the past two days, she had locked herself in and now she re-appeared and was acting as if nothing had ever happened.

 

He quietly picked his key from a side stool, a scowl played up on his face, then he thought he heard someone say ‘hi’ but when he cast a glance at Daisy, she looked deeply engrossed with the television.

 

Was she trying to show him how resilient she could be? Jide thought angrily as he marched out of the house banging the door after him.

 

The sound jolted Daisy, her gaze travelled to the door, then to the dining before it settled back on the television.

 

She had said ‘hi’ to him then and had wanted to say more but the scowl on his face stopped her, she just feigned to be engrossed in the television instead. So much for her brave resolution then, for she knew now that it wouldn’t

 

be as easy as she had thought. She was far too weak, emotionally to keep up the game. She slowly lay on the settee, her mind blank. ************

 

 

 

Daisy opened the door to see a man in front of her, he looked very

 

familiar but her brain was finding it hard to firmly piece him together. The man smiled now and extended a hand to her, she put out her hand to

 

receive the handshake, but she still wasn’t clear who he was or where she had seen him before.

 

‘Mrs. Olukoya right?’ the man asked as he cut the handshake. Daisy merely shook her head to his question, she wasn’t sure if she

 

should invite him in, he was also holding a large brown envelope that looked heavy.

 

‘Good’ the man said bringing out the content of the envelope ‘…I came here to deliver the wedding pictures, mama gave…’he was saying but Daisy had lost attention, the word picture had jolted her memories and

 

now she remembered who the man was, she felt so silly for how hard she tried to recollect who he was. Her wedding photographer!

 

‘The photographer!’ she nearly screamed. ‘Yes’ the man said an amused streak on his face ‘Do come in’ she said

 

‘Okay’ he replied and Daisy gave way for him to pass.

 

Towards the settee, he brought out the picture album and gave it to her. Daisy got busy immediately flipping through the pages, she was visibly excited and forgot about the man or the fact that they were still standing.

 

‘I will also collect the remaining payment for the picture’

 

‘Oh’ she replied, that had definitely gotten her attention.’how much is it’ she asked closing the album, her face didn’t hold the initial excitement.

 

‘5K’ the man said simply.

 

‘I… I am sorry but…I don’t have…I mean, the money is not ready, uhm…Jide…I mean my husband had no idea that…’

 

‘I understand quite alright’ the man interrupted. He thought the woman before him to be really amusing with the way she stammered with that American accent of hers, he honestly understood her plight. It would be best for him to come back and since the family was well off, his money should be ready then.

 

‘Am sorry’ Daisy calmly said.

 

‘Its okay, I will come back… lets say Saturday…’

 

‘It would be ready then i promise’ Daisy cut in, the color now returning to her face.

 

‘Let me be on my way then…’ he replied and started for the door.

 

‘Is there anything I can offer you?’ she called.

 

‘Thanks but am in a hurry’ he replied without looking back, soon he was out and walking down to the gate.

 

Daisy heaved a sign of relief, then reopened the picture album and went to seat down. She had taken her bath and had been watching television before she heard the knock. She was over the trauma of the morning incident with Jide, that was one good thing about her, she hardly sulk for long or allowed her emotions weigh her down completely, except offcourse, in some instances.

 

The picture before her now was the one where Jide had been dancing with the ‘lady on red’ during their couples dance, the picture brought back memories of the wedding celebration she had succeeded in blanking out, anger burned in her, just below that was the ‘cake-stuffing’ picture, she wondered if the photographer had intentionally arranged the ‘ugly’

 

 

pictures together because the previous pictures had been lovely, Jide seemed to be in his best behaviour then.

 

It didn’t get any better As she flipped through the next pictures, they showed how desperate Jide had been to create a scandal, just then, the movie scene of Julia Roberts in ‘Runaway Bride’ running away from her wedding on a horse flashed through her mind, she imagined herself in the same situation but this time in a Nigeria busy road as the horse galloped away through traffic, she smiled, that would be scandal enough for Jide and the nosy media she thought. Another thought struck her then: she hasn’t browsed the internet to see if there was anything about their wedding, the Olukoya’s might just be prominent enough to attract media attention.

 

Her phone rang then interrupting her flow of thought, it was crying helplessly on the dining table. She dropped the offensive picture album and started for the Dining.

 

The number that showed on her phone looked familiar, it bore the international code of Boston, Daisy had a feeling that she knew who it was.

 

‘Hello’ she said.

 

To be continued……..

 

By Oden Green

 

 

TAKING CHANCES