by Adaora O
When Chinny learnt that Kenneth had no intention of spending the night in Abotiti, she asked why he chose a lodge on the outskirts of town over the comfort of his father’s house, but Kenneth only smiled as he walked to his car. No way would he tell her about the volcano that erupted when he found out the details of how low his father had gone with the Onas. Neither would he mention that they had not spoken since the fight and that he intended to keep it that way. Kenneth zoomed off waving at Chinny, who had a chin-straining grin on her face. As she walked back to the front door, she spotted some cobwebs at the top right corner of the wall just above the door. She went to the side of the house and returned with a long broom. Satisfied that she just rendered a poor spider homeless, Chinny turned to return the broom but bumped right into Ejiofor. Almost throwing her arms around him in her usual welcoming hug, Chinny caught herself and instead, stepped back to serve him a cold stare before offering a clipped “Hi”, and Ejiofor’s face fell.
“Hi Chi. I… I am… err… having an early Easter. My folks are coming back in a couple of days,” he replied in an uncharacteristically small voice. After a few awkward moments, Chinny let him into the house. She tried for a simple chatter but Ejiofor, not being one to hop from one foot to the other, went straight to the point. “My mother told me Chinny and I am so sorry.” She was not sure of what he referred to. Could he be talking about Dubem or about his father’s betrayal? Ejiofor continued. “My father… Chinny, he is just who he is. He is a crude businessman with an unexplainable phobia of poverty, to the extent that the line between loyalty and self-preservation has become blurred if not non-existent. He has lost so many good friends in the process and acquired new ones who share his drive. I will never be able to fully express how sorry I am. If… if only I had known about your mother’s plans. I would have warned her.” Ejiofor seemed frustrated as he clawed for the words he needed. “Chinny… please apologise to your family on behalf of mine. What he did was callous. It was cruel. And yes, it is difficult no doubt, but please I beg you, try to find it in your hearts to forgive him… I mean… us.”
Ejiofor’s words put a crack in Chinny’s wall, for somewhere within, she knew Mr Clarke ran a one-man squad and that his family existed between a rock and a hard place. Assuring her friend that time healed most wounds, she told him about Dubem and Ejiofor went into overdrive. He wanted to head for the villa at once but felt kicked as soon as Chinny told him that she had other plans, which she thought best to keep him out of.
Chinny explained, her tone softer. “Please Ejiofor, we are still experiencing life in a tough place. With time, we will learn to live with how we presently perceive your family. But you must understand that ‘heartless’ does not come close to the description of what your father did. You know our story. I hid nothing from you. You know how much and how hard we scraped, and are still scraping through life. You know the odd jobs I engaged in just for us to get by, singing from one market stall to the other for cash appreciation from my audience, transporting children to school in trucks, frying and selling beef cuts, the list is endless. Have you forgotten the day you visited and saw me preparing what was to pass for dinner? You met me pounding dry maize in a mortar because we neither had beans to prepare moimoi nor the required 30 Naira to send the maize to the mill for proper grinding. You Eji… you gave me 50 Naira that day. Have you forgotten coming home during the Christmas period to find that along this whole stretch, our house was the only one not brightly lit with Christmas lights, thanks to a four-month old disconnection from the power grid, as a result of our pile of unpaid bills? A certain secret Santa known to you and I paid the bills. Your father cut in pieces the lifeline my mother handed to him in confidence. We are only human and must be allowed the luxury of licking our wounds, if only for a while. Maybe afterwards, we can pick up from where we left off as friends but for now Eji, I think we would rather be left alone.” For the first time since either of them could remember, Ejiofor had nothing intellectually stimulating or witty to say.
*
Ama lay in bed, brooding over Dubem’s disappearance when Chinny came in to ask her what she should prepare for dinner. “Let us have some fried plantains. Is Ejiofor gone? I heard his voice,” Mrs Ona said, her tone distant.
Chinny said “Yes,” and made to leave but her mother called out to her, “Nne, never mind. The poor boy should not pay for his father’s sins. I forgive all of them. Moreover, not forgiving is not charging people for staying in your heart.”
Chinny smiled and rephrased the quote. “Unforgiveness is people living in our hearts – rent free.”
“Same difference!” chuckled Ama. Chinny continued to the kitchen to get on with dinner. She had not quite finished with slicing the plantains into flat, wide fingers and setting the pan on the stove when the bell chimed. She wiped her hands and rushed off to the door.
“Father! Welcome,” Chinny greeted in delight. Dede looked happy as he patted her lightly on the shoulder, asking how her day had been. He went into his bedroom. He had a spring in his steps.
The frying pan on the stove became hot at the same time as Chinny’s phone started to ring. What displayed on the screen as the caller identification drew goosebumps from her skin. Her breathing reverberated in her head. Ama came into the kitchen to check on dinner but became alarmed at her daughter’s ashen face.
“What is it? Who is calling you?”
Chinny’s voice was barely audible when she answered her mother. “It is… Chief Utah… Don Kay. I… do not err… How did he get my num… number? Nne’m, what do I tell him?”
“Pick it up! Pick up the call!” Ama cried, oblivious of the increasing warmth in the kitchen, thanks to the frying pan left forgotten on the stove.
11
“Good… Evening Mr… Sir… I mean Chief Utah sir.”
She shuddered when the voice on the other end of the line boomed, “Am I speaking to Chinny?”
“Yes, yes sir,” she stuttered.
“Okay, my security guard – Rufus – gave me your number. He told me about your visit and your effort to contact me over the past week, yes?” Ama was stock-still in uncertain anticipation as she tried to make sense of the one-sided dialogue. “I only just got back late this afternoon from a short trip outside the country. Can you come over at your earliest convenience? I am indoors throughout the weekend.” Still awestruck but grateful for his call, Chinny asked if it was okay to visit him the next day by noon and the chief confirmed he would be available.
The call had ended but as Chinny relayed the details of the call to her mother and her father who came rushing in as soon as he heard the high-pitched voices in the kitchen, she realised her trepidation was far from over. In truth, it had only just begun. The enormity of Dubem’s danger grew flesh and poked her in the face. What if this man was a heartless brute? What if he was above the law and Rufus totally misjudged his character? Was Dubem still alive? The questions would not stop popping and she broke out in large beads of sweat.
Turning off the stove, Ama spoke. “Breathe Chi. Try and breathe. Let us not be too agitated. You said you met this man at the park… You did something good for him… Surely, he must remember. It is also impossible that Rufus completely misread his boss’ personality. Deep in my heart, I believe there is more to Dubem’s disappearance. I am confident my son will come back to us unharmed. No, Dubem is fine.” Ama’s words did not help much, since discerning who they sought to comfort between herself, Dede and Chinny proved difficult. Chinny’s breathing refused to return to normal. She told her parents about her plan to visit the villa the following day and they both hoped the chief’s call had just cast a silver lining.
Sleep eluded Chinny. She tossed and turned in bed throughout the night, her mind a battlefield of troubled thoughts. Picking up her mobile phone, she checked the time. It was 1:30 am in the morning and two unread messages blinked. The first message came from her diced beef client, a response to the t
ext message Chinny had sent to her the day before informing her she may not be able to deliver again this week due to some serious family emergencies. The lady was sympathetic, wished her luck in resolving the family issues and asked her to inform her once she was able to make ready the order. The second message was from Ejiofor. It read:
Chinny, I apologise again for what my father did. I understand and accept that it will take a long time, if ever, for you and your entire family to accept us as family like you once did. But please, if your friend for any reason decides not to go with you, let me go with you tomorrow. I am not sure why, but I am uneasy about your trip to Item town. Please think about it. Be safe and good night.
Convinced of the bleeding pain her friend suffered as a fallout of the choices his father made, Chinny made up her mind to be deliberate about putting Mr Clarke’s betrayal behind her and vowed to convince her folks to do the same.
*
The early morning rains sent out a waft of freshness and riding on its wings was a mild chill. Chinny woke up with a start and at once became pensive. Today is the day, she thought and scrambled out of bed to get prepared. She did not want Kenneth waiting for her when he arrived. By the time Chinny was ready, in a cream knee-length flared skirt and a black sleeveless fitted top with cream polka dots, the clock had almost struck eight in the morning. She hurried into the sitting room and stopped midstride at the sight of her parents, fully dressed and waiting.
“Father? Mother? What… Why are you dres… Where are you going so early?” she asked, looking from one to the other. They informed her calmly of their intense deliberations through the night, which led them to decide that there was no way they would let her go to Item town by herself. Chinny stared speechless. How would she go about convincing her parents of how terrible their idea was? And in one moment of bare-faced desperation, she fell on her knees and begged them to let her go alone. If Dubem still lived, their decision to go with her would cause the chief to panic and that could be the final nail in her brother’s coffin.
Ill-prepared for the depth of emotions their daughter displayed, Dede and Ama were helpless as they tried to make her understand the risk embedded in letting her go off all on her own. They reminded her that she was all they had for now and of how totally broken they would be if any harm came her way. They went back and forth for the next few minutes until the duo caved. “If you insist Chi, we cannot throw away your reasoning, but we want you to understand this. Not minding how it might appear, we not only love you and your brother from this lifetime into the next but will gladly give our lives for you. We will wait… Hmm… We will wait for your return,” Dede said.
“And Chinny, you better return. You have beef to fry for your clients. Did you hear me? Chinny. Your clients are waiting for your fried beef cuts,” Ama finished, almost in tears.
With eyes smarting from threatening tears, it dawned on Dede that had he two daughters rather than a son and a daughter, it scarcely would have mattered. His well of emotions almost choked him as he came to the realisation that he had custody of two children he did not deserve. Chinny, who had been squatting the entire time, got up and hugged her folks. Grateful for their change of heart, she bade them farewell as she made her way to the door to wait for Kenneth outside. On getting to the door, she cast a backward glance and saw her parents looking bereft, her mother’s eyes two pools of misery. Taking brisk steps, she walked back to hug them again but as she straightened up, the words escaped her lips before she could stop them, “Please, let us pray.”
Nobody expected this, not from Chinny at least, but they were more than happy to pray. As nominal Christians, the Onas prayed individually, especially with their mounting issues, but it had not always been so. Morning devotions used to be a primary feature of their daily routine, but this revered family tradition, finding it impossible to keep pace with the tempo of the family’s ‘dance of survival’, sought a dwelling elsewhere. As they made to kneel, the sound of a car pulling up outside announced Kenneth’s arrival. Rattled by his punctuality, Chinny started to say a brief and rushed prayer to avoid not only keeping Kenneth waiting but also their awkward moment from being shared with an outsider. But Ama stopped her daughter’s prayers in a stern voice.
“Let him in Chinny. Let him come in. We are not ashamed of who we are. Is he not training to become a priest?” Her tone could not be argued with. So, as soon as Kenneth reached the door, Chinny got up and let him in.
Kenneth wore a black cassock today, looking every inch as dashing as ever. He said his greetings to Chinny’s kneeling parents and without another word joined them on the floor and Dede prayed.
Our dear merciful God, thank you for today. Thank you for your protection over us and our loved ones through the night and all through these years. We thank You for where we are coming from, where we are and where we are headed. Thank You for the help You sent to us in the form of friends like Kenneth. We are grateful for life and good health. Although we believe our circumstances could do with some improvement, we know of countless people who are dealing with a lot worse. We are sorry for taking for granted, the life and the mercies you daily adorn us with. We are sorry for hating our offenders. Please give us the heart to truly forgive our offenders and to cultivate the culture of gratitude to You oh God, so that when we come before You in supplication, we would be before a God who is pleased with us. Today, my family, our friend and I are asking You to please keep Dubem safe. Keep Chinny and Kenneth safe as they go to Item town. Please bring Dubem back to us unharmed. You own the entire world and all that is in it, including man. So please, when Chief Utah sees Chinny today, let him see in her, his own daughter, grant her audience and respond to her favourably. We will never forget to say thank you in the end. And Lord, please bless Kenneth more than he ever thought was possible. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ejiofor lingered outside his gate but soon began a slow walk towards the Onas’ residence. Although not sure of what to expect, he wanted to be of any kind of help. Besides, he missed his friend. The Onas and Kenneth had just come out of the house when Ejiofor reached their patio and was lost on what to make of the almost-warm smile and hug Chinny gave him. Dede greeted him and Ama gave him a measured pat and rub on the back by way of customary greeting. Kenneth gave Ejiofor a courteous nod. This outranked what he expected. After Chinny briefed Ejiofor on the chief’s call and her decision to go to Item alone, he sounded diffident when he asked if he could stay with the Onas while they waited for their daughter’s return, and sighed in relief when they assented.
The drive was done in comfortable silence and as soon as the villa gate loomed in front of them, Kenneth stopped at a safe distance and said, “Chinny, remember, twenty minutes. I have informed my friend of this visit. If in twenty minutes I call your number three times and get no response, I will ask him to move his boys in.” She nodded and stepped out of the car, flashing a small smile as she waved to Kenneth. But he neither smiled nor waved. Chinny turned to begin her walk towards the gate and Kenneth called out after her, “Twenty minutes.” He did not stop looking at her as she walked away, interpreting the strange feeling he had in the pit of his stomach as a sense of foreboding.
Unsteady fingers dialled the chief’s mobile number when Chinny reached the gate. She thought to inform him of her presence before subjecting herself to the scrutiny of his fierce-looking guards. She knew Rufus was off duty since he mentioned that except on rare occasions, he always got time off work on Saturdays. In the voice of someone under water, she informed the chief of her presence, apologising for coming a few minutes earlier than was arranged. Chief Utah assured her it did not matter. “I’ll just ask security to let you in. You will wait for me at the guest chalet and within a couple of minutes, I will join you.”
“Thank you, sir,” Chinny exhaled as she hung up. Why does his breathing sound so laboured? But Chinny did not have the luxury of pondering on the many possibilities of what the chief could be up to beca
use, before she could think any further or gather her terribly racked nerves, a guard she did not recognise opened the gate and let her in.
Once within the four walls of the villa, the folly of her decision to face the chief alone became clear to her. For starters, the villa sat on an endless expanse of land and ominous silence enveloped the entire grounds. She figured that screaming at the top of her lungs for hours with all her might would only attract the attention of more tranquillity. Three uniformed guards walking around noiselessly, did not go unnoticed. There were four buildings within the compound as far as Chinny could see. The entire ground was paved with beautiful stones designed to interlock. The best of houses she had ever seen had gravel-covered grounds. There were trees with large leaves in the compound and this created a coolness that masked the morning sun’s intensity. The main house was a large building that appeared to have two floors. It sat far into the grounds and away from three smaller bungalows. All four buildings were painted in rich cream. Capped with mud-grey roofs, they all had white-trimmed and vertical rectangular windows. Besides the deafening quietness, Chinny thought the villa looked breathtakingly beautiful.
A middle-aged lady in uniform took her to one of the smaller buildings. She had large, kind eyes. Nothing Chinny had ever seen or read about prepared her for the chill and stark splendour that greeted her on stepping into the guest chalet. It was picture perfect. The expensive marble floor reflected light and images. A black glass table sat in the middle of the room, which was well lit with a single white-lighted chandelier hanging in the middle of the ceiling. Chinny thought the plaster of Paris ceiling seemed higher than usual. The uniformed lady pointed her in the direction of one of the four single leather chairs and, to Chinny’s relief, left, closing the brown steel security door behind her without as much as a word.