Episode 5
Listen to my story’, she began. “As early as eleven o’clock in the morning, we were attending to some customers when the telephone began to buzz. I picked it up and answered. The voice was too faint for me to articulate what exactly he or she was saying, I gave the phone to the manager and quickly he rushed at the burglary system at the entrance of the store and locked it up. He whispered to everybody in the store. “Please there is robbery operation at the Mid-Land Bank. Please be careful and lets pray that they don’t come here”. I quickly ran into one of the show glasses used for the sale of cloths. I saw a woman and the husband struggling to enter inside a Deep-Freezer that was not in use again. They squeezed themselves inside the freezer and covered it. I was hearing
gunshots in quick succession that turned my blood cold. The Director could not hide because of his size. He managed to rush into his office and locked the door of his office. I know that if he decides to lie down in his office, either downward or upward he will be as high as a trip of sand”. Okorie laughed for a long time and said I think the police station is close by.
Why didn’t they save the situation? They radioed the D.P.O. and he said his men had already gone for work. Which types of work did they do in the daytime? Okorie asked. You should know that.
They mount illegal roadblocks to collect money from the drivers. I was hearing the shattering of glasses and I thought they were approaching our store. The manager who was sitting down at a corner quickly jumped into a big carton and used some packet of indomie and spaghetti to cover all over his head. For two hours there was sporadic shooting as if we were in a battlefront. I was sweating profusely before somebody spoke from outside. Please open, they have gone. By now the manager came out of the big carton with some packet of spaghetti in his hand. I could not
laugh because it was like he was attending to a customer. He collected the key from the drawer and opened the burglary proof and the sliding door at the entrance. The couples inside the deep freezer were almost dead. They were
drenched with sweat all over their body. The manager opened the freezer and ordered them to come out. The manager could not hold his laughter. He started to laugh as the Direetor got no response. He knocked again before a deep voice came up. Who are you by the way? Is me the Manager. Are you sure? Yes is me. They have gone. He peeped through the door and discovered the director was lying down facing the rug on the floor. He managed to stand up, opened the door and ordered us to close for the day. The accountant submitted his account for that day and everybody left. That is why you did not meet me at the store. I thank God they did not kill anybody. Okorie remarked. Yes they did not.
I also thank God The director did not want the workers to notice much about his terrified state. He had even urinated into his trousers because of the frequent gunshots that he was hearing. He took one of the trousers in the store and went into his office to change before leaving for his house.
Six years now, since Mercy married Okorie. They had their first baby boy called Wema and the second baby called Chukwuma and the third a girl. The mother named her Nneka because of the way the mother had treated her before her death two years ago.
One early morning a small boy of
about fourteen years brought a white envelope that was addressed to the husband – Okorie. He handed over the letter back to Okorie and boarded the “bike’ that brought him. He opened the letter and began to read it. He sank into the cushion at the sitting room Alice had come back and had advised him to prepare for a fresh wedding. He was
confused. How can he wed two women in a lifetime. How will he tell Mercy to leave their house. which they have struggled to build? What will be the fate of his children? Mercy came in and asked Okorie if he was not going for work. I will g-o-o” he muttered”. “What is wrong? Mercy asked. Nothing, only that I am weak today. What is the content of the letter they brought to you? Oh! Okay. They have invited us for a wedding ceremony, he lied. “He rushed into the room. prepared and left for Alice’s house. When he got there people were gathered discussing the arrival of Alice. He drove close to the people, killed the engine and got out of the car. Immediately Alice saw Okorie coming, she ran to him and hugged him for about five minutes without saying anything Okorie was looking vacantly like a rat caught by a snake. She released Okorie and said. “My husband Good morning and how is everything” “I am fine”. The people outside were wondering what will happen to Mercy and her children or what will be the fate of Alice now that Okorie was already married. They went into the family house; Okorie greeted everybody and went into the room with Alice.
Look at the big bag I brought for
you. Thank you Alice, but I want to tell you something.” What is that? Alice demanded, “I waited for you for a long time and I have to get married to one Mercy who has three kids for me.
Alice did not say anything. All she knew was that Okorie was her husband. Okorie, she called”. I have been told-everything about you and what you are telling me now is no news have reserved myself for you. Throughout my stay overseas, I have never set my eyes on any man black or white. They approached me but i told them I was already married before coming to America”. She brought out the bag. The clothes for our wedding are there. Who has the car you are driving? It is for Olemeku. You will return it to him this morning. I have bought a Benz V-Bout X-class for our wedding. I will take you along when I will be going. I have bought a Duplex at G.R.A. so that we can stay clear from the village after our wedding”. Okorie was looking as if he was in a dream You are nol happy? Alice asked. I don’t know where to begin; you have to prepare your mind
quickly. I have informed the Reverend father about the issue and I have given him detail so don’t worry about money. I have enough money that can keep us going for twenty years, so go first and drop the vehicle and take this bag There are other things inside”. Okorie could not
resist the flamboyant life style that Alice had planned for him.
She brought out one hundred Dollars squeezed it into Okorie’s palm. Go to the Bank, convert the money and get ready for the wedding. “Okorie stood up and thanked her for her gesture. She kissed Okorie seriously and allowed him to go. She assisted him to carry the bag to where the vehicle was packed. He entered and waved Alice several times. He drove to the junction of the road. He hit his hand on the steering time without number. He held his lips with his teeth. “Why did I marry? He
asked. Look at all the good things that God planned for me and how will 1 tell mercy that cannot continue with the marriage? How will the society look at me? They will say because of money, I abandoned my family. How will the
father agree to wed again”? He dropped the bag inside the room and locked it up. The children had gone to school except Nneka who was only a year and six months. He collected the Dollar
and looked at it for a very long time. He waved his head several times and said. “We are suffering in this country. We are blessed by God. We have all the natural resources yet millions are leaving below poverty level”. He
left his house and drove to Olemeku’s house. He dropped the vehicle at the corner of the compound, collected the key and walked straight to him. Good morning sir, Good morning to you. I hope your children are fine? Yes of course. “Why didn’t you go for work”? Oga l have come to give you the key. I have gotten
something in life to do. Okey, no problem, I wish you success in your new place of work Thank you sir, he stopped the oncoming Bike Take me to Land Trust Bank. You mean the one behind the church? Exactly, “he got there, paid the bike man and went to the enquiry Desk.
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