She plans to kill me

He has to go

Sani sat comfortably on the new sofa  in his new living room. He was still finding it to believe it was for real. The next day he met Danny, he went to the company and met Turunku. The arrangement was begun and it was obvious he was going to make a supply that month. They told him how it was done, gave him contacts and he realized that this was just to help him.

Then later that day, he met Mustapha who took him to the house along with his wife, Zarah. They could not believe their eyes. It was a portable two bedroom flat with two toilets, a store ,kitchenette, courtyard, and backyard. The ceiling was made with Plaster of Paris, the walls painted with Stucco and Satin. The floor was tiled and the kitchen cabinet was superb.

He was living in a rented house, just a living room and a bedroom, and they sheared toilets and kitchen.And all the numerous quarrels and the gossips of the house got him mad. They called it civilian barracks or face-me-I-face-you.

As the documents were being signed with three witnesses, he felt a tear drop in his eyes. Alhamdulillah!

They moved in two days later. Yes, there had always been this idea that that it took time to relocate because of arrangements and all that but what did they have to arrange. They sold most of their belongings to feed.

All they did was to go shopping the next day. They bought new sofa, furniture and electronic gadgets, and the next day they announced that they were parking and seek forgiveness for whatever wrong they may have done.

 The co-tenants were shocked. One of the women said but it was not time for the expiry date of their quit notice since they failed to pay their rent. She did not say it because she cared. It was mockery. So, Zarah, being a lady lied.

She told them her husband had bought a house at Kinkino. This was because of their retrospective condescending comments. She did not do it out of ingratitude. Then curiosity made the women begin to seek permission from their husbands to accompany their neighbours to their new house. They wanted to see if it was true and the kind of house it was.

They were shocked to see the house and the modern setting. Trust such women. They began to whisper, how did he get the money overnight? Zarah was quick-witted.

Sani asked one of the women, to ask her husband to meet him. The husband was a truck driver who was also out of job. Sani said he would give him one of the trucks allocated to him. That was not just to help the man but to let them know that he doing something legal.

They had a lot of food, and life was good now. They had started shopping for the unborn child. What more could he ask for.

Zarah dropped a plate of pepper soup on a stool in front of him but she noticed that he did not move.

“ What is wrong with you ?”she asked him.

“ Nothing.”

“ I know there is something on your mind but if you are not willing to share with me…”she shrugged.

“ I have not been able to identify the man who did all these for us.”

“ Why is that a problem? He does not want us to know who he is. And he made sure he sealed all the chances. His men are so loyal they won’t tell you. Why is that a problem?”

“ I saw something in his eyes, Sahiba. That man is troubled. I feel he is very unhappy. I have not seen him in that garden since then.”

“Please do not create trouble when there is none. Such a person can take care of all his problems. He just solved ours with just a flick of hand, in one single night.”

“Yes, but…..not all problems can be solved with money.”

“ Now you are ruining the joy.

“ Who said I am perturbed? Just  curious.”He smiled but deep inside, tuition, instinct told him the man needed help.

He was right. Danny needed help!

He was a hunk of a beef, standing almost seven feet tall, with rippling muscles, broad herculean shoulders, athletic sturdy body which he carried with puma-like grace. His hair was cut low, but cherished his goatee and swaggering mustache that set his facade into an appealing visage. He had eyes that pronounced authority and cajole, yet they sent shivers into many girls.

With slightly hooked nose sitting above firm ,aggressive lips, square masculine jaw that twitched when he was emotional or infuriated, he looked what he was: a s**t-hot basket baller. His swarthy skin was smooth and but soft hair sprouting on his legs and hands.

He wore a neat well cut denim pants, Calvin Klein cotton top and brown Timberland boots.

Alighting from his Mercedes Benz coupe, he took long strides, with his swagger, to a parked Range –Rover Sport, with tinted glasses and white colored.He walked to the passenger’s side door, opened the door and slid in, resting his heavy bulk on the sit. He puffed air, gave her a searching look then said, “ You said eleven o’clock. This is eight o’clock. Why make it so early?”

“ Can’t you say hello first, Bright?”

“ You sounded like there would not be time for pleasantries, besides, I am playing by the rule. You said nothing personal now, we just partners in progress.”

She chuckled.

“ It has been a while, Bright” She said, feeling the extra effort she was putting on to suppress the excitement of seeing him again after all these while.

“ Yeah. I can see you look cool and this car, yours?”

“  Yeah. I don’t know what he was trying to prove. Got me this, a Toyota Landcruiser and  Mercedes C-class.”

“ But you don’t sound like you are complaining. Are you trying to oppress me?”

She laughed.

“ I was not complaining. I just felt he was stupid to think this will make me his.”

“You are his.”

“ I am his wife but not his. He does not have my heart and that is his greatest pain. He would take nothing from me if I don’t give it along with my heart.”

“ He would take nothing from you if…….how did you know this? Did you offer it to him? And he refused because it did not come with your heart?”

Oh! She had forgotten that he never missed any detail and would scrutinize every sentence made.

“ Nothing happened.” She said.

“ I know but it almost happened ,huh?”

“ He- he tried to force me and I could not fight him, but when I was cursing and wriggling, he left me. He said he would not take it until I wanted to and I would never want it.”

“ Hmm….I don’t like the sound of this.” His jaw twitched. “ But from what you have said, I think my fruit is safe.”

She did not reply. She knew there was a line between them.

“ He told me that we would be going out today.”

“Interesting. A kind of couple date.’

“ Don’t be ridiculous. We are going together with his twin brother and his wife.”

“ Hmm….Denny.”

“ So, I told him that I had to get one or two things before we leave. That explains the change of time.”

“ I missed you, Meemee.” He said calmly. “ Life has not been the same since you left. I tried to move on but failed. You left me in shambles, the air I breath is like carbon monoxide, water taste like bitter leaf, and I am shattered.

I reminisce , all those time you would come wait for me on the court, and I finish and you pass me the towel and we cross over for a drink, and when I take you home, we wish home was where you and me live.

The talks about color choices, living-room decoration, and my joke about having just a mattress on the floor and no bed. Remember how we planned to spend our first night ? I said I was………..”

She covered her face with her palms and blushed, feeling uncomfortable.

“Please stop, Bright! I can’t take it anymore.”

“ What?”

“ You know we can’t talk about such things. Even if Danny was dead, I would have to finish the mourning period before we can talk about this.”

His jaw twitched.

“ Yeah. I could not help it myself.” His said ,his eyes frisking her waist as her veil clung on her body.

“ Then we should concentrate of a way out. I guess that is why you sent for me.”

“ Yes. I have been planning .” He said and as he saw her now, the urge to have her proliferated. He was glad she was still keeping herself for him.

“ Are you really sure you want to leave him?”

“ Why on Earth should you be asking me that? Why would I come here if I wanted to stay?”

“ I am sorry its just that there are some problems.”

“Problems?” she raised her eyebrows and he felt like grabbing her and kiss her. No! He got to do this. She had to leave that son-of-a-b***h!

“You know all those while it was Jonah boy running things.” He said softly, now looking at the dashboard. “ things were flowing, money everywhere and things clicked. Remember how I used to change cars like I was changing clothes? And all those trips. I could not take you abroad because we were not married but I never spent two months without travelling out.

Then this old man, came with his integrity stuff, and everything came to a stand still.”

“ Which old man?”

“ Your Baba Buhari mana! He is not my Baba! He came and everything went wrong. My mom used to be a director at Federal Education Intervention board. A lot was happening but this man  came and enforced TSA. In the past, payments were made to the board, and they generated like sixty billion a year then pay five billion to the Federal government and the rest went to those who worked hard.

Mom was in money. But now, every payment is made directly to the single account. Imagine! So, things are not that rosy. He did  not stop there, EFCC bounced on dad. I know you are aware of that. They seized our properties, freezed accounts and even arrested him. That man is wicked!What is wrong in making money from where you work? 

Does he want everybody to be like him? Buhari was a governor at the age of thirty-one, a minister of petroleum who built the refineries, a Head-of-State at the age of forty-two but all he has is cow and a few millions. Can you imagine that? No single oil well! Does he want everyone to end like him?

If he did not help himself, why must he disturb the smart ones who helped themselves? Damn!”

“ Calm down, Bright.” Jasmine said, “ What is the problem? We have limited time.”

He sighed, his jaw twitched and his hands rested on his knees.

“ We are bankrupt.” He dropped the nickel. “ We only live on past glory.”

“ So? Did I say you must be rich before I marry you?”

“It is not a movie, Meemee. This is reality. We need money. Love cannot bring money.Look at you, driving a Range-Rover, and living large. You should not step down but step up.”

“ I don’t care. Can’t you see that I am still not happy?”

“ What I am saying is that we cannot do this if we don’t have money. I want us to relocate to United States. I want to pursue my career. B-ball is my calling and that is where the prospect is. I cannot do this without some substantial amount.”

“ What do you suggest? You called me because you said you had a plan.”

“ I have a plan but not without your help and consent.”

“ Can you stop prevarication?”

“ I got all paraphernalia, but the desideratum is your consent.”

“Please talk. You know I will do whatever it takes to leave that beast and have my freedom.”

“ Okay. I worked on him. I mean I dug into his life and that includes his family’s. they lost their father at a very tender age. He was a wealthy man but after his death, things went sour. Danny and Denny are the eldest children which you know. In the global rating, Danny is not a billionaire but in Nigerian rating ,he is.”

“ I don’t understand you.”

“ To be recognized as a billionaire globally you must worth one billion dollars. Danny is no where close to that. Leave that to the Dangwates, Adenugas and  Brights-in-the-future,” he chuckled, “but he is worth about eighteen billion dollars..oops! I meant Bollars. That is cool though and he has just one major source of income but he has dived into real estates. He buys houses and rent them out and he has got quite a number of houses in this country.

And his major source of income is  Gawasa Entrprises. He is the major distributor of  Macdoe products and it is said that he the founder left a will that Danny should be the only licenced distributor covering West Africa. The bastard got that monopoly, so all he does is go to office, do little organization and he makes millions  and he buys houses, estates and  make money without sweating.

He has a lot of assets and with his assets put together, he could be getting close to fifty billion Bollars. Are you with me?

He set up his brother who made a lot of money and now owns Al-hisan Textile company. And also set up his mother, Hajiya who is one of the biggest importers of fabrics in Kaduna. I heard she got them Range-Rover each as wedding gifts .

From what you have been telling me about him, and the way you treat him, and his unusual perseverance, he will not let you go. The decision would not be his. I will be the catalyst. I will accelerate the reaction.

He has to let you go and we can get the money to live how we want.”

“How?”

“ I love Islam and I am proud to be a Muslim. In Islam, you do not need a will though there is space for wasiya. The beneficiaries are clearly stated and the proportion defined. Danny has only two beneficiaries…..his mother and you.”

“ I don’t get you.”

He turned and looked directly at her.

“ Danny will have to die, and you will inherit billions of Bollars. You would be free and we would be rich. I got the blueprint ready.”