Rainbow Days
743 Words
As Joe sluggishly rolled over on his bed to turn the alarm clock off,he knew he was going to have a cranky day at work.
He had spent the whole night at Isaac & Rose,a night club in the suberb if Onitsha known for it's funky night shows,and captivating clubbing techniques.Not to forget the flashy girls from the nearby College of Education,who come there expectant of male patronage.
Joe had been with Nina,a petite 23 year old he had met there a couple of months ago.
He had thought it would be a one-night-stand,but Nina stuck to him.
From that first night,Nina's exceptionally amiably character,and her show of naivity held him captive,and he went craving for her armes every Sunday night,leaving him sapped Monday mornings.
He stretched,and ducked his head under a pillow for a few seconds of self questioning.
"Can I really keep up with this kind of lifestyle?",he asked himself silently and soberly.
"I'm at the peak of my life,with a great job,and what I need now is a foundation."
"My mother has been on my neck. She says she wants me to marry,so she can see her grandchildren,and my affair with Nina isn't going to help things as she is what she is,a hooker,but her presence alone runs a temperature on me. I have to get out of this before it gets too late".
Just then the alarm went off for the second time,signaling a five minutes elapse of time since the first alarm. He reluctantly flings the blanket over,and goes to the bathroom to get ready for work.
As an Assistant Bank Manager at DTB,he is rolling into a great future. He labored through the ranks of field collector, to cashier,customer care,executive officer,and now bank assistant manager all in nine years.
Many of his close friends call him 'stealth' because of his quick, cautious and calculative rise.Life has virtually offered him everything.
As he comes out of the bathroom,drying himself out with a towel from the towel stand,he has an inclination to call his mother after neglecting her numerous calls over the week.
As he sits on his bed,drying up the water trickling from his thigh,he remembered the last time he visited the village. His mother had told him of how she had sought out a wife for him,and how she wishes for him to see her.He had told her that he wasn't ready to marry a timid village girl,but his mother told him that the lady wasn't timid,and also lives in Onitsha together with her family.
"Do you know any of our villagers living in Onitsha?",she had asked.
I told her I knew some,that it doesn't garauntee my knowledge of,or familiarity to the lady whom she speaks about.
"Her name is Maria Duso and her family is super rich and influential. They own a shipping company in Onitsha." she declared,and when there was no utterance from Joe she went on.
"Seek the family out when you get back to Onitsha. Perhaps Maria would appease your fancy,since you insist on not marrying from the village", she said with finality as she saw Joe off to the door.
He buttons up his shirt,knotts his tie and gets ready to leave the house for work.
As he drives to work,he begins to mentally throw his mother's advice around.
"Maybe she's right. Custom has it that I have to marry a native of my community. I also have to marry a socialite to enable me follow up on urban and executive banking life. So in order to live up to the two billings, I have to marry someone like Maria Duso, but the problem is I don't know her,how she looks or behaves".
"Find and know her!", his mother's voice echoed in his brain.
At that juncture,Joe was determined to seek out the Duso family in Onitsha ,and find out why his mother is so worked up on Maria Duso.
Now he is late for work and have to concentrate and maneuver traffic so as to be in office before his superior,Mr Okeje.
Just as he swerves into Williams Street where his bank is situated,his cell phone,laying on the car's arm rest began to ring. He glances at the LCD ,as he makes a screeching halt in front of his office.
It is Nina.
"No Nina", he mentally resists,"I have a busy day ahead".
He bars the call,puts his phone on silent mode,and walks into his office for a busy Monday morning.
- Writer
