LAST NIGHT IN EDEN [Episode 3]

Rita Diepreye was pacing the living room with her Tab in hand. She dialed Tekena's number for the thirty-seventh time but ,it rang and wasn't picked.

She bit slightly into her phone to keep from sobbing. It was Tekena's birthday. She had ordered a six figure worth cake and champagne to surprise him. Her friend Gloria who was an interior designer had come to fix d place up. She had sent the kids to her parents and bought the best of Victoria Secrets lingerie for the night；she was prepared to show Tekena some new moves tonight.Soon, his friends whom she invited would start to arrive.

”Where the hell was Tekena”？ Rita agonized as she pricked one of the balloons with her well manicured nails.

Tekena was in the nude and lying face down on the king size bed of d presidential suite with Doris sitting astride on his butt. She poured some more oil on her palm before working d hands together n massaging Tekena's back. The gold chain on his neck gleamed in the dim aqua blue light of the room.

“where did you learn to massage this good？” Tekena moaned.

“My mum was arthritic before she died, I had to massage her legs every night  ”

Tekena shot a bewildered look.

“your mum's dead？”

“Last year, turn so I don't dislocate your shoulder.” Doris replied,amused at Tekena's shock.

“Anayo,”

“Quit it. It's Doris to you. Only family calls me Anayo.” She smacked his butt before getting up.

“Allow me become family.”

“Family one or two？” Doris asked as she began putting on her earrings.

Tekena got out of bed and held her hips to face him.

“Haven't you noticed that I'm not ready to back down that easily？, you keep pushing, I keep coming closer. 'pause as he shifted a lock of Peruvian hair from her oval face' Let me in, please.”

“Go home to your wife and kids.” 

“Leave them out of this.” Tekena retorted before he walked away to the mahogany table where lay his briefcase.

“I can't and I won't.” Doris said as she zipped up the front of her little blue dress.

“here”  'Tekena said, his hand outstretched with a cheque in hand '

“You're over paying.”

“I'm not, I give tips too. ” Tekena replied sarcastically.

“whatever.”

Doris walked back to the bed side to retrieve her sandals but didn't make it back before Tekena seized her by the waist and flung her to the bed.

“Stop！' Doris shrieked as her dress became shreds by Tekena's hands '  Tekena please！”

Her pleas were more like echoes. Tekena was unrepentant. He took her as a man possessed ；unprotected.

“Okwaifugo, can you see it？your body has come down,your legs will now rest.” Adanna, the first daughter of the house scolded.

Doris was kneeling on the washed carpet in middle of the living room. Papa's old radio was screeching silently in the background. This was papa's old house. The voices if children playing aloud and being beaten filtered into the stuffy room.

“Papa I'm sorry.” she managed to say, her voice was hoarse. She had no idea if it was due to her crying all night or her throwing up all night.

She was pregnant and papa was silent.

Adanna was fidgeting. Ify was crying silently；even though she had been married to papa for almost a year now, she barely exercised her right as their mother.

“Aunty Ify this isn't the time for tears！, when I was talking nobody listened. Now look at it！'Adanna thundered. The woman had their mother's fiery temper and soft heart；she blew her nose into a brown handkerchief, she was also crying'  papa if you had allowed her to come live with me in Owerri you know this wouldn't have  happened, okwa ima？”

That was definitely true. Adanna had eight children. Four of them under six years. In that house, there was no time to have a life. You were either doing dishes, laundry or cooking something. Those children could eat a camel and still have six packs.

Papa finally spoke, his voice calm.  “onye mere ya？, who is responsible.

“A man.”

“Was it supposed to be a woman？” Adanna yelled as she reached out to smack Doris hard on her cheek.     e ti zini a！ , quit hitting her.” Aunty Ify yelled at Adanna.

“Is he ready to take up responsibility for his actions？”

Responsibility？, Tekena was elated when she told him，like he had been praying for it.

Doris nodded in answer to Papa's question.

“Let him come this weekend. Ndi umu nna will like to see him.”

“yes papa.”

“I will teach the small boy how to hold himself, nonsense.” Adanna yelled again as she walked to the kitchen.

Funny. Small boy indeed. Doris thought.

The umu nna were assembled in Papa's backyard. Each man deliberating on the punishment that was deserving of a boy who had the guts to impregnate their daughter without first marrying her according to custom and tradition.

Doris was seated on Mama's grave with the mango tree overhead, savouring the fresh breeze and watching the freak show the elders were putting up.

The voices of excited children running into the compound rose to a crescendo that the Umu nna had to go check what was up. A limousine and two other exotic cars had driven into the compound.     

 The rest was history.

“Is it too much to ask, that my husband stay at home just for a weekend，is it？” Rita complained as she sat on the edge of the bed watching Tekena get dressed.

“Why are u being so impossible？, this is work. You knew what you were getting into before you agreed to be my wife. You knew well enough that you'd have to share me with my political assignment. Why then are you complaining？Is there anything you ask that I don't...”

“Some things are priceless Tekena, you can't buy everything. ”

“well in this case, I'm sorry, I can only provide what money can buy. Call Patrick to come take my stuff to the car.  ” Tekena said dismissively.

Rita stood watching Tekena's car drive out of the compound before she made the call.

“He's headed for the airport now.” She said curtly into the phone.

Link to [previous episode]

To be continued [#TuesdaySpot and #Fridayspot]