" Mr. Usman, how are you? You're welcome. Heard you travelled." Tonia runs to greet Usman as he comes out of the car.
Mrs. Danladi wasn't home that cool evening. It was one of the few
occasions she didn't allow Tonia to escort her while going out.
Usman had not been around for about three days, And when Tonia asked his
mum, she simply informed her that he travelled. She also told her to
mind her business more if she took her job seriously.
"Oh, hi, I went to Jo'burg on business. How're you? And my mum?"
"Madam is not home. She left home since morning and told me to stay behind."
"Alright. No problem. Please get my bags, I need to clean up right away and rest."
Tonia thought this was her chance to get cozy with Usman. Days like
this were far between, She might not get another chance like this in
weeks.
She kept on thinking of how she could make it count.
"Ko ko." Tonia knocked the door of Usman's room softly. Being careful not to draw attention.
"Who is that?" Usman responds sharply, irritated. He wanted to rest and had told them so. Who could be disturbing him?
"It's me, Tonia, I brought you some fresh juice. I know you must be
tired like you said, but I thought you could just drink some of this to
refresh yourself." She answered him, still outside the door.
"No,
thank you. All I need is to hit my bed. Please make sure no one
disturbs me. Not even my mum." He answered, still refusing to open the
door.
Tonia was disappointed, embarrassed to say the least. "Why
is he so stiff? Couldn't he have at least opened the door?" She thought.
If he did, he would have at least taken a good look at her ample
blossom and cleavage. She had pulled off her blouse in the kitchen, and
told Mama Sidi she was feeling unusually hot upon the older woman's
enquiry as to why she had to remove her blouse.
All she had under the blouse was a spaghetti strap top which hugged her every curve and flattered her figure.
But, all was a waste now. She might even have to wear her blouse back
since she won't be able to cope with the air conditioner's cool
temperature.
Tonia did her best to seduce Usman. She would laugh
extra hard when he cracked a joke, complement him more than necessary
when he was dressed up, carry food to his bedroom like he couldn't go to
the dining room to eat by himself.
It was getting obvious to other domestic staff who warned her to back off, but she wasn't having any of that.
"Will you wipe that silly smile of your face? You look like a sheep, a
silly one at that." Mrs. Danladi said one morning as Tonia started her
antics with Usman for the umpteenth time.
She had noticed what was going on and actually thought it was a joke. Except Tonia was getting more daring by the day.
"I'm sorry ma, I'm just greeting Mr. Usman."
"Stop the stupid greeting and get me my blue hemmes hand bag. We are running late."
Mrs. Danladi knew Tonia's intentions and thought it was a pipe dream to
say the least. Being a woman of few words, she kept quiet initially,
but she had had enough now. This silliness has to stop!
Come to
think of it, what's the connection between them? Other than master
servant relationship, there's no way on earth anything of the sort was
thinkable.
"Usman." She called her son.
"Yes, mum." He answered.
"How is Fatima? I haven't seen nor heard from her in a while. I thought
you both were supposed to travel to the Bahamas this coming weekend.
Hope everything is on track."
"I'm not sure mum. She's been a bit distant lately."
Mrs. Danladi, couldn't believe Usman just spilled all that in the living room where anyone could hear him.
She eyed him and signalled for him to follow her. There's no way she's having this kind of sensitive conversation anywhere near the domestic staff.
She eyed him and signalled for him to follow her. There's no way she's having this kind of sensitive conversation anywhere near the domestic staff.
"Get out Augustus." She snapped at the driver, who was already in the car, waiting for her to arrive.
She and her son got into the car.
"How many times have I warned you not to discuss sensitive and private issues near listening ears?" She asked her son.
"But Mum, you asked me right there."
"And so? Once you knew the answer wouldn't be straightforward, you
shouldn't have spilled it all.
Remember I've always warned you about
your simplicity. Just like your father, and that's what got him killed."
"Mum, please don't start this morning. It's too early for all this. I've heard you."
"Dan Allah, you are not my only child, your two younger sisters are
married with kids, your younger brother who got married less than a year
ago, is expecting a baby with his wife. You know I am worried. We need
to fix this. You are forty two years old."
Usman wasn't ready for
her "Get married or I die" blackmail this morning, so he just tells his
mum he is working on getting married to silence her.
"I will and soon Mum."
"That's what you said two years ago, and the year before that, and five
years ago. I've had enough. Should I get you a wife myself?"
Usman thought she wasn't going to get this far. Threatening to get him a wife? That was it. He has had enough for one morning.
"Mum, I have to go to work, so do you, we'll talk about this later." He said as he opens the car door to step out.
"Tonight. We discuss this tonight after dinner. I need to know the situation of things. Is that problem still persistent?"
"Bye Mum, enjoy your day." He says as he steps out of the car, unwilling to answer his mother's question.
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Mrs. Danladi waited for her son all evening. She had to eat when it was
almost an hour after the table had been set. She was quite angry at
Usman.
How dare he refuse to come home for dinner?
She waited for hours after having dinner, it was past 11pm and Usman was still not home.
Why? Why has he refused to come home in time for dinner as she had requested?
She retired to her suite for the night when it was almost midnight and Usman still hadn't arrived.
She was genuinely worried to say the least. She called his phone line several times but there was no response from him.
Could he be angry with her?
She woke up the next morning and the first thing she did was to check her son's room, but he was not there.
For sure, there's a problem.
But what's the problem?
Was it the other problem she knew of?
Was there something else?
#fiction
#girlchild
All rights reserved
Written By Tolulope Fakayode-Faniran
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