The camera found her in bed, nestled under a fuzzy blanket. Her crazy Rihanna hairdo had never looked crazier. Lips that were still puckered because of the million kisses that met her the night before lay slightly parted. There was a silent purr from her with every heave of her chest and the camera stayed on her that way. It adored her for a very long time until the crow of a cockerel outside a window beside the bed brought her into a stir. Her eyelids fluttered, lips closed and parted again. She went back to sleep. But the cockerel announced the morning once more and this time her eyes opened.
βWake up, doll-face.β
She blinked and looked at the camera. A sleepy expression still written in her eyes slowly turned to a smile.
βHey you,β the voice behind the camera came on again.
βTurn it off,β she said.
The camera retreated to a dressing table facing the bed but it remained on.
Jimi walked back to the bed and got under the blanket with Marie. His lips brushed against hers and left a taste of mint and freshness. She responded with a moan.
βWeβve been here ten days, Jimiβ¦β she whispered.
βAnd you still wonβt let me show you how beautiful Jos is.β
βYou will but after Iβm tired of you.β She left feathery kisses on his neck and bare chest and her hand began to travel down his abs but he stopped her.
βToday, weβll talk, get to know each other better.β
βI hate talking,β she grumbled and laid her head on his chest.
βOkay, letβs make a deal. For everything you tell me about yourself, Iβll leave a kiss on you.β
Marie nodded enthusiastically. βBut first,β she said, βtake off those glasses, Jimi. Weβve been at each other like rabbits since we got here. You canβt still be shy around me na.β
Jimi removed the sunglasses he had on and rested his eyes on her lips instead of her eyes.
βDo you like me?β
βIf I donβt, I wouldnβt have followed you all the way to Jos with just the clothes on my back. Youβre impulsive, you know?β
Jimi chuckled.
βJust after that first kiss and platonic sleepover, you shoved me in your car and drove me all the way here.β
βAnd yet you sat beside me without complaining or asking, like we were just going to Munchies to get ice cream.β
Marie laughed. βYouβre crazy, Olujimi. Who would have thought that under your phobia youβre this wild? But Iβm really not complaining. My dad was kindβa impulsive too. He was a drifter, never staying in one place for a long time. We were always on the road.β
βPoor baby.β Jimi kissed her nose, then her lips and her chin. βSo I think we should go out today before we catch cabin fever. I want to take you round J-town and let you see the sights.β
βLike tourists?β
βMore or less. Another question. Is your brother going to let me marry you?β
Marie who had been drawing circles round Jimiβs Adamβs apple stopped at the question.
βWhat?β
βMarieβ¦I really like you and youβre cool and maybe itβs because of the way I am with women thatβs making me this impulsive but I want you to be my wife. I wouldnβt have touched you if I didnβt have marriage on my mind.β
Marie pushed the blanket aside and sat up. βBut weβve known each other for just ten days, Jimi. Apart from the sex, you donβt know me.β
Jimi also sat up. βIt comes with time, Marie. Me, I have nothing to hide. Youβve met my family already. I have a degree in cinematography and thatβs because I want to be movie director but my parents think I should go into the family business. Ermβ¦ I have few friends and just one ex-girlfriend who left me because I didnβt sleep with her. That got me depressed and drove me into letting a prostitute be my first. I regretted it but I kept going back, just for companionship. What else? Let me seeβ¦ Yeah, Iβm impulsive, as you already know. I donβt think much; I just do.β
He dug his hand into one of the many pockets of the combat shorts he was wearing and pulled out a diamond ring.
βAnd thatβs why Iβm asking you to be my wife.β
Jimi paused the recording at that point. He didnβt want to watch Marieβs reply to his proposal. She had broken into an award winning smile and accepted the ring. It was all an act; watching it the eighth time couldnβt make it genuine. He shut his laptop and looked around his bedroom lethargically. It was a mess. He had attempted to do away with all things Marie but had ended up surrounding himself with everything that reminded him of her. He couldnβt quite bring himself to fully exorcise her.
He stared at his phone. There were plans to call Marieβs friends, Udoka and Bunmi. He felt they would know why she did what she did. But he was too afraid to ask them. What if the secrets they revealed were worse than seeing her alive on television?
He put off the calls till later and took a steaming shower, skipped breakfast and dialed Nnenna. She answered immediately; it seemed she had been expecting his call.
βJimi?β
βHey, mom.β
βHow are you?β The question annoyed him. He knew she was asking how he was coping with Marieβs loss.
βIβm good. Ehmβ¦mom, please could you text me Terdooβs number?β
βSe ko si iyonu?β
βNo, no problem, mom.β
βOkay, Iβll send it.β
βHowβs Kiki?β
Nnenna sighed. βFine.β
βAlright momβ¦.β
βCan you come over, oko mi? We need to talk. Something came up.β
βOkay. Iβll be there.β
He aborted the call and thought about his plans for the day. He had business to handle before he went to Nnennaβs. As he was about putting a call to one of his partners, the doorbell rang. Jimi stiffened and his hand automatically went for the pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses on the bed. He wore them and made unexcited steps to the front door.
The peephole revealed two strange male characters that looked like Jehovahβs Witnesses, thanks to the crossbody bag one of them was carrying. Jimiβs head danced around the idea of letting them in before he unlatched the door and poked his head out.
βYeah?β
The first of the characters, a man in his fifties, spoke first. βGood morning Mr. Olujimi Bahaushe.β
Jimi was unsettled by the fact that they knew him.
βI am Inspector Okupe from the EFCC and this is my friend, Roy Marks of the ICPOβ¦β
βInterpol,β Roy Marks put in with a small smile. He was younger, had an agreeable face and a tainted accent. He was the one with the bag.
βPlease, we would like to ask you a few questions, if you donβt mind,β Okupe said.
βWhat about?β Jimi inquired.
βPlease, can we go in first? Itβs of a sensitive nature.β
Jimi shifted away from the door and let them in. He offered them a sofa to sit and took another opposite them.
βEhmβ¦β Okupe kicked off. βWe heard you lost your wife?β
βYeah.β
βSorry for your loss.β
Jimi said nothing.
βBut ehmβ¦the news we bring to you today is also not a good one.”
Jimi crossed his legs and fiddled with a zip on his shorts.
βMr. Bahaushe, we have reason to believe that your wife, otherwise known as Chimarya Bahaushe is in fact, alive.β
Jimi gave no expression on his face. He was glad his glasses hid the truth his eyes held. Okupe continued when he saw that Jimi had no reaction to his breaking news.
βShe did not dieβ¦β
βWhat are you talking about?β Jimi cut him off. βI buried my wife. I saw her corpse.β
βYou must have buried someone else. Your wife never died. Olujimiβ¦can I call you that?β
Jimi did not answer.
βWhat did you know about your wife?β
βWhat sort of question is that? She was my wife.β
βIβm sorry for all thisβ¦ but your wife, Chimarya, staged her death. And the only reason for that is because sheβs a criminal.β
βThatβs quite disrespectful, Mr. Okupe,β Jimi spurted. βI said my wife is dead and she was no criminal.β
βShe was,β Roy affirmed and brought out a file from his crossbody bag.
βChimarya Dauda was her name but we traced her birth records to a general Hospital in Yola and saw that she was named Rachel Ishaya at birth. Ishaya was her motherβs family name. Her father, Sani Dauda, whose real names we are yet to ascertain was a professional scammer in those daysβ¦β
Jimi leaned forward and stopped Roy. βI donβt know what this is all about butβ¦β he faded off as his eyes caught the array of photos and documents Roy spread out on the center table. They had everything on Marieβbirth certificates with different names, photocopies of several national IDs with diverse aliases, transaction documents of different types of businesses and finally a photocopy of her international passport ID under the name Ariya Imorle and a marriage certificate typed out in Portuguese that had her name changed to Ariya Benicio.
Jimi shut his eyes behind his glasses and inhaled deeply but he couldnβt still himself. He stood up and ambled around a little, letting the news about Marieβs real person sink in. Sadly Okupe gave him no peace as he went into more details. The more he exposed, the more Jimi felt like breaking into a run. It was one thing knowing oneβs wife planned her own death to be with another man but it was a different matter entirely realizing his marriage had been a lie. All the memories of their moments together fizzled into nothing before his eyes.
βOlujimi,β Roy said gently, βbased on all you heard, you must now know that your wife is on Interpolβs Wanted list. This would have been an EFCC issue alone but since she crossed the borders six months ago, sheβs become a person of international interest, especially given that ten million dollars of drug moneyβs involved.β
Jimi turned sharply. βTen million dollars?β
βHer second husband, Luiz Benicio, was part of a drug cartel in Rio. I donβt think she even knows that. There was to be an exchange of drugs and money and Luiz was spearheading it but he organized thugs to throw a monkey wrench in the works of the operation, making away with both the dollars and the drugs. No one knew he was behind it. His boss still suspects a rival cartel and people have been murdered on that account. Luiz is a criminal himself but he met his match with Ariya or Marie, as you call her. Yet she was blinded by greed. The moment she crossed the borders, we had her.β
Roy pointed at pictures of Marie in different locations in Europe, her face well hidden behind sunglasses and headscarves. Jimi recognized her only by the mole on her nose.
βLook, Iβm really appreciative of you coming here and telling me all this but like I told you, Marieβs dead.β
Okupe looked at Roy in slight surprise.
βYou mean weβve wasted our time with everything we told you?β
βSomeone is stealing her identity or something else fishier is going on, sir. But this person in these pictures is not Marie. And please, Iβd love you to leave.β
Okupe breathed out. βVery well.β
Roy began to pack up the documents into his bag as Jimi strolled to the door and opened it. Both men walked to him and shook hands, leaving their complimentary cards.
βWe have a feeling, she might contact you. If she does, call us.β
βThank you.β
Jimi shut the door after them, shoved the cards into his pocket and disappeared into his bedroom for almost an hour. When he emerged, he was fully dressed. He was heading to the kitchen for a much desired breakfast but a sound somewhere in the house caught his attention. He followed it to the guest wing which had two bedrooms and a bathroom between them. He stopped when he saw a little boy of mixed race hopping in the corridor. The boy spotted him and ran into one of the bedrooms. Shortly after, Terdoo emerged.
βGood morning Uncle Jimi.β She curtsied. βI just came to get the rest of my things.β
βCan I speak to you in the kitchen? Is that your son?β
Terdoo nodded. Jimi turned around and she followed. In the kitchen, he turned on the water kettle, filled it halfway and turned it on. He kept his face away from hers as he spoke.
βIβm sorry about the other day. I was rude and disrespectful. Please, forgive me.β
βItβs okay, Uncle Jimi. I understand.β Terdoo smiled a little.
βSo, Iβd like you to stay.β
βIβd like to but I just finished my exams and Iβm done with school, so I have no reason being around here anymore.β
βOh?β Jimi dared to raise his head to stare at her. His eyes found the same introverted face he saw the other night and he averted his eyes immediately. βYouβve been schooling?β
She nodded. βAt LASU.β
βOh. Good for you. Congrats.β
βThank you.β
βYou need a job? I have connections. I can help.β
βThank you but not yet, at least.β
βBut how will you take care of your son?β Jimiβs eyes traveled to the kettle and back to her. Something in her intrigued him. He felt she had more layers than what he saw on the surface.
βI saved up some money. Besides, he stays with my mom. Heβs going to Abeokuta tomorrow.β
βOh, okay. But Iβd really like you to stayβ¦for Kikiβs sake. I donβt know how to handle her. And this houseβ¦itβs big and needs occupants. You have a room already. I owe you that much.β
βIβll think about it.β
βOkay, thanks.β
Terdoo turned around and Jimiβs eyes found her once more. He scolded himself for the momentary distraction her backside offered him.
βUncle Jimi?β she swiveled round and he faced the kettle. βRemember I told you I could help you find Marie?β
Jimi scowled. Terdoo walked closer.
βI thinkβ¦she calls me every morning when Iβm with Kiki. It started the day after sheβ¦died. A call will come in at exactly nine oβclock through a private number and no one will say anything.β
Jimi turned.
βIβll be saying βhello, helloβ and the person wonβt speak. Initially, I thought it was a prank call but it kept going on untilβ¦β Terdoo breathed in and became embarrassed. βUntil I started believing it was Marieβs ghost. Iβm sorry. I didnβt know what else to believe.β
βThis has been going on since she died?β
βYes.β
βPrivate number?β
βYes. But four days ago, the number showed and when I answered the call, the person said βshitβ and switched off. Uncle Jimi, I knew it was Marie. I was very scared.β
βWhy didnβt you tell me?β
βHow can I tell you that type of story? Would you have believed me?β
βSo you have this number?β
Terdoo nodded.
βGood.β His face went stony. βKeep it. I donβt want to have anything to do with it. Marieβs dead.β
Jimi switched off the kettle and walked out of the kitchen angrier than he had got in. He picked his car key and sunglasses from his bedroom and left
the house.
****
βSesan will you stop playing that guitar let somebody hear something in this house?!β Nnenna shouted in the direction of Sesanβs bedroom where the loud noise of an electric guitar was coming from and filling the entire house. βTheyβll soon call off Asuu strike and we can all rest!β
She hissed and looked at Kiki in Jimiβs arms. The one year old was in her usual form, wailing out a tantrum.
βAnd you, I donβt know whatβs your own! You wonβt eat anything they give you! What do you want me to do? Will I take out my flat breasts that have no milk to start breastfeeding you, ehn? Kilode!β
Despite the mood in the room, Jimi found himself smiling.
βMom, relax. Everything will be fine. Nobodyβs taking Kiki.β
Nnenna slumped into a single couch and sat with her head in her hands.
βAh. Alhaja! E never bad like dat na.β
Sesan stepped into the sitting room. The guitar noise had died down. He sat on the armrest of Nnennaβs seat and began massaging her shoulders.
βRelax.β
βHelp me tell her o,β Jimi said, bouncing Kiki in his arms. βMarie ni, Marionette kor. Just forget those people jor. Marieβs gone. Those guys are 419, looking for money. And how did you allow them deceive you that this beautiful girl hereβs not mine?β
βJimi, I know what I heard on that phone.β Nnenna wriggled away from Sesanβs hands. βIt was Marie. Sexy,β she looked at Sesan, βyou heard it na, dear?β
βNo, ma. I just heard a hungry woman talking.β
Nnenna pushed her lips into an angry pout and shoved him off her seat.
βMom, bone those guys. No one will take Kiki.β Jimi intensified his placating as Kiki cried even more.
βKi lo se omo yi?β Nnenna went into tears.βHer crying is killing me here!β
βCan you stop this your stressing?β Sesan went back to his massage. He got a smack on his knee and a strong shove but he put his arms round Nnenna, holding her tight.
βBut oko mi,β she appealed to Jimi in a calmer tone. βAt least, letβs arrange to meet them just to be sure.β
βNo.β
βWe do not negotiate with terrorists,β Sexy said, mimicking Obamaβs voice.
βI wonder! Geez, mom! Let it go!β the tone in his voice heightened Kikiβs wailing and she gave it all her lungs could bear.
βOlujimi, please take that child to Terdoo. She alone knows how to calm her, abeg. Thank God her exams are over. These past days have been hell. Iβm tired.β
Jimi picked Kikiβs favorite stuffed animal and left the house. He strapped her in her carseat, hoping that the drive home would do the magic but up until the moment his car came to a jerking halt a few houses from his, Kiki was still in her foul mood.
Jimi tried to get the car to start again but he was unsuccessful. He lifted Kiki from her seat and walked all the way home. The moment Terdoo had her in her arms, her crying lowered and she nestled her head on her breasts. She was making sounds that had Terdoo laughing and Jimi staring at them both in amazement.
βSheβs reporting you to me,β Terdoo explained.
βShe talks?β
Terdoo nodded. βBaby talk. You wouldnβt understand even if you tried.β
βOkay o.β
Jimi looked at Terdooβs son who was still doing his hopping act around the house. He had the urge to ask Terdoo who his father was but he held back. He took the backdoor to the garage to get a toolbox and found his way back to where his car was parked. There was a long contemplation on what was wrong with the vehicle before he opened the hood. But but Jimi was clueless in these things. After poking this and pulling that, he opted for calling his mechanic. He was unsuccessful, however, as a dead tone hit his ear three times. He sat in the car for a while, taking the time out for himself. The visit from the gentlemen of the law and Nnennaβs revelation had left him even more confounded than before. The Marie he knew couldnβt have done all those things they were claiming and yet, he knew she did them all. It was hard for him to accept the truth about her. He searched in his heart, for a part that hated her but there was none. Absent also was that part that held the warm feelings he once had for her.
He stepped out of the car, locked it and went back home. Terdooβs son was still in his hop and this time, it was accompanied by excited screams as he reenacted a scene from some movie. Jimi strolled to Kikiβs nursery to check on how she was doing, noticing her cries had gone down. He had come with her stuffed monkey as a peace offering. He stepped in quietly and found Terdooβs back to him; she was sitting on the chair Marie usually sat to nurse Kiki. For a while he thought he was staring at Marie, until Terdoo turned and exposed herself nursing Kiki. She gasped and sat frozen, humiliation scrawled on her face.
βWhat are you doing, Terdoo?β
She snapped back into thinking and covered her breast.
βIβm sorry.β The words rolled out fast as she stood with Kiki.
βFor how long has this been going on?β
Jimi didnβt hide his face from her. His eyes stabbed hers.
βIβm sorry, Uncle Jimi.β
βIs this why she wouldnβt take anything else? How long has this been going on?β
Terdooβs voice came out in a low quiver. βSince she turned four months.β
βWhat are you talking about? Marie was breastfeeding her.β
βShe did it only in the mornings and then sheβll tell me to give her formula. I tried it the first day but Kiki refused the formula and cried till she had a temperature, so I decided to breastfeed her myself from then. Iβm sorry, Uncle Jimi, I just couldnβt watch her cry like that.β
Jimi didnβt know what to tell her. He didnβt even know what to make of the whole situation as he took his eyes away from her just to ease the embarrassment that refuse to leave her face.
βBut your son is all grown. How isβ¦ this possible?β
βI donβt know but I can still breastfeed. Unlce Jimi, Iβmβ¦β
βItβs okay.β
He left the nursery and into the mess that was his bedroom. There was an instant plan in his head to get away. The day had been too weird and upsetting for him. Terdooβs latest act was the last straw. He put a call to his travel agent to find if there were any flights that afternoon to Jos and when he confirmed and booked, he packed a small bag and called Sesan to come take him to the airport. Done with that, he met Terdoo in the kitchen and left some money for her. He told her he would be away for a week and also asked if she knew any neighborhood mechanics that could fix his car.
She shook her head. βI donβt know. But whatβs wrong with it?β she asked.
βI have no idea.β He wondered why she asked. He suspected she was finding a way to ease the tension between them brought about by the breastfeeding incidence. βSesan will get a mechanic tomorrow.β
He left the kitchen and waited for Sesan in the sitting room.
****
The noonday sun burned Marieβs forehead with a passion. She felt a migraine coming up as she rubbed her temples and reluctantly accepted the hug Toshiba gave her from behind. His strong cologne choked her and sent a bad signal to her head. He left kisses on her neck and was going for her lips but she pushed him away. She ignored the disappointment in his eyes and stepped into the taxi that had just pulled up beside them. Down the street of their uninhabited estate, she saw Ato also giving Udoka a goodbye kiss that involved his tongue down her throat. Marie smiled sadly and waved at them, not knowing when they would see each other again. Udoka had gotten information that the Interpol were after them. They all had to slide, and to different locations but nowhere outside Nigeria or they could be caught easily. Domestic airports as well, were out of bounds, as were all mobile interactions.
βSo where are you going?β Toshiba asked as Marieβs cab fired up.
βYou know I canβt tell you.β
That was the rule. They were not to reveal their locations to each other.
βI love you,β Toshiba said and Marie delivered him a bland stare. She tapped the driver and the cab drove away. She turned back and looked past Toshibaβs hunched frame to Ato who was now standing alone. Her eyes misted over and she rubbed them before settling back into her seat.
βBros,β she called the driver. βYou know which park go still dey load motor to Jos?β
The driver nodded.
βCarry me there.β
A sort of peace filled her. The Bahaushesβ home hidden in Rayfield, Jos was a perfect place to lay low. But she wasnβt so sure she would enjoy her time there. The ghosts of the seven months spent with Jimi were sure to haunt her.
Β©Sally @moskedapages
Translations:
Se ko si iyonu? (Yoruba)- Hope there is no problem?
Ki lo se omo yi? (Yoruba) β What is wrong with this child?
Terdoo’s backside huhn? Issokay! Jimi is getting over his phobia small small. Sally o, shebi marie and jimi will meet at jos, i need him to get over d yeye girl. I love the way u shape stories and bring characters to life. Thank you and well done, sally.
Thank you, Temi. You’re an angel around here π
Yesssssss!!!!! Dats more like it!!!!
π
Breastfeeding anoda womans child??!!! Pls can. Dat happen in reallife? Nice one by d way.
Lol! It happens sweetie, more than you know. Even women who have never been mothers can breastfeed. God’s wonders but omo, lemme catch the woman that will put her breasts in my baby’s mouth
Thanks for reading dear
I just luv u, Sal.
I luv you too, hon
This is taking a critical twisting! Sally why now!
Need more
And more shall come, Isaac
Just trying to see the surprise on Marie’s face wen she sees Jimi,if na mi ehn I go too kill her.Sally this suspense carry over load ooo
Serious overload my dear
Sally! I just love the way you write. Looking forward to the next thing in Jos
Me too o! Nice to have you here, the menace!
hmmmm… God bless Sally.. u go teach me hw 2 bcom a writer
π I jus dey learn myself o!
i forsee jimi&marie meeting in j town…..aunty sally,u no dey tire 4 suspence? as in u just have a way of getting me hook on ur story
ameen o
Counting down till next week saturday…it so interesting
We meet in Jos next episode…
Hayy. This is unfair. This is just unfair. The story has not ended, love is not restored and I will die from the suspense. What have I done to deserve this treatment? :'(
Lol!
Mscteeeew. She chose Jos of all places in Naija to hide, such guts.
My grandma breastfed my aunt’s child and raised her as her own and today, I know the ‘child’ as my mum’s immediate younger sister so yes, its possible to breastfeed sommeone’s else’s child if the situation demands it. After a while, ur bobbie sends signal to ur brain that milk is needed in that area. Hehehehe
Sally Sally, nice shaping of this story.
Sally can’t wait for the next episode..
So intriguing..
This Sally will kill me before my time with all this suspense and tension…. WHY?!?!!?
Okay! I had to marathon read this series and like the others i have read on this blog, it is a masterpiece!
Marie is a CONniving B!Β£$β¬, she has her sweet spots though, Jimi? I am waiting to see him expose his other nature… Ermm although it is said that a woman can breastfeed another’s child and knowing Sally i am beginning to suspect that Terdoo is more than just a wet nurse to Kiki…
Thank you for your beautiful mind Sally!
Intresting, cnt wait 4 d next episode and thanks Sally.
Lool,,,it’s nice ASUU strike was also involved! I just knew dis Marie or wtsova she’s cald had sum skeletons in her cupboard,,,won’t blame her doh,,it’s how she was brut up,,,I just feel so sory 4 olujimi….nice piece Sally! I rily hope dey meet in jos doh!
Reblogged this on mariomouse's Blog.
Pls when is d nxt episode coming out?
[…] No Heart Feelings #5 (moskeda.wordpress.com) […]
Sally… I cant stop luvin dis. Hw can i kip abreast wf ur stories???
u don start oooo Sally why u come mention us for ur tori(Jehovah’s witnesses) and u dont know us well cos we always go in twos and we all carry bags so if one person carry bag n d other doesnt, definitely they are not witnesses. Nice write up though
thanks sally keep it up