HUNTED

HUNTED CHAPTER 9

™

HUNTED

An Mma Moses mindset

9

My world! I lost the taste and zeal for life. What am I living for? @53 to clock 54 the coming week, where do I begin?

I and Basey did not know what is called sleep. The disappearance of Ini spoilt many things, like the relationship between I and my husband went sour. Our affection for each other died. Or should I say Basey's own died and gradually drained mine. We lived like cat and rat, there was hardly peace between us and whenever we got along we spoke very little to each other.

Mr. Dele was very helpful during that period, he helped us lodge complaint in different stations even hired a private investigator. He carried our matter for head and that earned him our respect and trust.

I stopped going to the shop and even taking care of myself. What is it in life for me without my only child? You needed to see the once very classy and expensive queen, looking like a roadside begger. I was even trying compared to Basey who has been wearing one trouser for two weeks now.

Basey seems more broken than I am and I don't blame him.

One day as I was coming back from the church to pray for the safety of my daughter. I saw the woman I always buy tomatoes and pepper from, who I told you hated me for no reason, having problem with some omonile. She was just coming back from the market, I know because the vehicle that brought her from Oyingbo was still reversing to leave. From the look of things, the omoniles was insisting that she won't put her goods on display until she pays them some amount she owed. I passed and stood by a corner to watch the drama. Something in me was happy that she was being embarrassed because of the way she has treated me so far since she set eyes on me. The hatred from her side was obvious and glaring. I had secretly wanted her to suffer. As they were raining abuses on themselves. She insisted that she must display her goods when the omonile guys jerked her 2 baskets of fresh tomatoes and turned upside down, they began to match the tomatoes on the floor. The woman, iya Teni as they call her began to throw herself on the floor wailing and shouting "oja mi! Ojami oooo" (my market, my market ooo). I covered my mouth with my palm and laughed so hard at her, then left.

That night, for some reasons I could not understand, the scenario with iya Teni was replaying in my head. Her cry was so loud in my ears. I couldn't sleep and I wondered why.

It was funny to me, what is my business with that wicked witch? I kept asking myself. I couldn't talk to Basey about it because we hardly talked. He saw that I was disturbed all through the night but didn't ask, unlike him.

The next day, the whole thing continued to happen to me. I prayed to God to show me what was happening and why I couldn't move on from the misfortune of iya Teni.

In the late afternoon I fell asleep and had a dream. In that dream, iya Teni was calling out to me to help her, she stretched forth her hand, but I ignored her.

When I woke up, I began to wonder what God was trying to tell me. I took a stroll to that area so that I will see the woman in other to put one and two together. When I passed, she had only pepper on display, she used her hand to support her jaw. I decided to stylishly go and ask for tomatoes. I called her more that 5 times before she snapped back to reality. When she saw me she hissed. I asked her if she had tomatoes but she looked away.

I was angry while working home. That woman's attitude smells like rotten fish abeg.

For the next 5days I couldn't get the woman out of my head. There was this burden laid in my heart to help her. I battled with this feeling for more 3days before I decided to give in.

I got to her shade and as usual, she had her hand under her jaw. I called her several times before she screamed at me.

"what?"

"iya Teni... I want to know why you nolonger sell tomatoes and onions"

"kini tie mbee? Gbeborun, get out from my front joor"

I left. But it was as If something was slapping me back to her.

"I want to know because I want to help"

Her face lightened up, she apologized and sat me down. She told me that her entire business was worth #45,000. I asked for her account number. She didn't have so, she called Teni to send it. I transferred #65,000 to her. Come and see gratitude. She was praying for me both in Yoruba and English. I left that place happy. I felt the burden in my heart lifted.

I and Iya Teni became friends.

"Mama Teni, why did you hate me so much, what did I do to you?"

She smiled and shook her head

"I don't hate you Eneminyene, it's just... "

"wait mama Teni, who told you my name?"

She was quiet

"wait ooo. The only person that knows my full name is my husband and we are not even close to us plus my husband doesn't call me by my full name. So please tell me. Do you know me before?"

"I don't know you before. But I will tell you a short story. One day, a thief broke into mama Danny's house. The thief was on mask. When he finished robbing and left. Mama Danny raised alarm and her neighbors rushed in. While they were consoling her, she saw what the thief had stollen from her in Danny's pocket. She was amazed. But then, one thing was sure. Danny was either the thief or the one who hired the thief.

The problem with you rich people is that you all are impatient and doesn't pay attention to your environment. If you had paid attention and had taken every single information seriously, you would have solved your problem long time ago"

My jaw dropped. This woman knows so much about me. How come? Who told her I am a rich woman? The only person that knows these things about me is my husband. How do I explain this?

"you seem to know so much about me. How so?"

"it is a puzzle for you to solve. There's a rat that bites you and blows you breeze at the same time. Solve this puzzle and thank me later. Be patient and pay attention to details"

All efforts to make her say more proved abortive. She was just repeating on me paying attention and being patient to solve a puzzle that would solve my problems.

I left there confused and sad. Does this mean Basey is behind all these? Has he been cheating on me?

When I got in, Basey was preparing to go to bed.

"where the hell did you keep my daughter you this evil agent of darkness"

"who got you drunk woman?"

"you think I would never find out how you've been cheating on me with iya Teni"

"iya Te what? Who is she and where did you get that information from?"

"oh don't give me that. So you can afford to be promiscuous in the midst of all these. You're shameless and for the love of God I hope you don't have anything to do with what has been happening to us"

"you must be out of your mind. You that was a public toilet before I married you. Shameless woman that allowed herself be passed around like a football. Did I judge you? But I won't take it from you accusing me for something I know nothing about"

He left.

His words pieced my heart. I wept and began to yell on top of my voice as I wept. 5mins later someone knocked on the door.

It must be Basey, but on a second thought, Basey wouldn't knock the door. I glanced on the wall clock and it was 3mins pass 10pm. I called on whoever was at the door to come in. Mr. Dele walked in.

He held me and wiped my tears. But I wept the more because of the words Basey had told me. Mr. Dele made me sit on his laps as he consoled me. From tapping my shoulders his hands began to slide to my breast, he softly squeezed them. I quickly broke away from his arms. I would have spoken up, but I took it to be a mistake as he has never dared that before.

"Eneminyene Akpan, you're a very beautiful woman. You don't deserve to be treated any less. You're a queen and should be adored. Your husband is a good man, but sometimes beautiful women need rough men to tickle their fancy. I see you guys are having issues. Take it easy and find happiness"

What is really going on? Why did he call me by my full name even my maiden name. So this man is making advances at me. Kaiii... I wanted to explode like bazukka on him, but iya Teni's words, the part she admonished me to be patient and pay attention to details rang in my ear. I calmed down. I'm going to play along till I find out what's going on.

I smiled and asked him to leave.

I sat down and began to think back. I recalled that that wasn't Mr. Dele's first time of calling me by my full maiden name. But, I never paid attention until tonight. I need to talk to Basey, he alone has the answers to all my questions.

When Basey returned, I began with an apology. Because I needed answers, though I was still angry with Basey, showing it won't help me right now.

"Basey. Did you tell Mr. Dele anything about me?"

"anything about you like what?"

"like my full name, even my maiden name, and that I was rich or anything"

"why on earth would I do that. I am the one who worries that you don't go divulging information. And for the records, I dont even remember your maiden name. And you know very well that I don't call you by your full name. But then I'm sure Mr. Dele do not know your name"

"you're wrong. He called me by my full name, Eneminyene Akpan. Iya Teni that I told you about even addressed me as a rich woman. How did all these leek?"

"Jesus! Did he see your documents, passport or anything?"

"don't ask silly questions Basey. I came here in your clothes, with two wrappers a pack of Brazilian wool and two pair of slippers. Did we not run away from uyo from the hospital?"

I and Basey began to brainstorm on what went wrong and how these information about me git out. We wondered how much more they knew. told him to leave it to me.

It's been 7months now since Ini's disappearance. We haven't received any letter or any form of death threat. We looked forward to the letters but always disappointed. It was as if all they wanted was Ini.

The next day I told iya Teni that I fought my husband and she called me foolish and said I am not patient. She retold me that story and I took the puzzle thing very seriously. According to her that was the only way I could find my daughter.

I began to indirectly investigate my husband and Mr. Dele. At least they were the only people I relate very well with and they were my primary suspects.

Two days later, Mr. Dele professed love to me. I told him I feel the same way and even hugged him.

I asked him what happened to his leg then and he said he was in an accident. I smiled because he told us in the village that he fell into a big gutter. Something is fishy. I knew.

The next day I visited him, wearing a transparent loosed gown. When I got in, I pecked him on his shinny hairless head. He began to laugh like mumu. Not knowing that I came to interrogate him. I sat on his laps.

"D baby. Why has your wife not come back yet. It's almost a year now since you said she was gonna come the following week?"

"well, she... She... Well, she... Said its been a while she went home and that... That.. She would want to spend some more time with her people" he stuttered

"so what's the name of your in-law nah? "

"why all these questions, are you interrogating me? What's it to you?"

"you know that Basey is a foolish man. He has been denying me the pleasure of being with him as a woman since Ini disappeared, and I'm hungry for that touch that makes me c*m. I want to have it with you, that ecstatic moment. But before we begin, I would love us to get to know each other. So tell me baby" I said rubbing my breast on his neck

He thought for a while, cleared his throat for more that 3 times. His tune wanted to change. But, I rubbed his head and kissed it again"

"my in law's name is Akpan yes... Yes... Akpan"

I kept quiet, trying to recall if that man's name was Akpan, but no, it didn't seem so.

"now that I've told you, let's start already. Me I don't have anything to ask you, I think I know you enough. What matters is that you love big machines and I have one. C'mon baby. I know you love it biiig" he said demonstrating and smiling shipishly.

I was shocked. Very shocked. Yes! I love big gbolas but this was a personal information that even Basey my husband didn't know about because when I started with Basey, his was big enough for me, so there was no need mentioning it. I only mention it when am dating a man who his isn't big enough. How did this Mr. Dele come in hand with such very private preference of mine? Or was it just a coincidental guess? Hmmmm... I exhaled

I asked him some couple of questions and even the blind could tell he was lying.

I acted as if I was feeling pains in my abdomen as a guise to leave when I was done.

I thought hard on what to do. I picked my phone and scrolled through the contacts I have from Ikot Abasi. Anty Eno was still angry with us and hasn't spoken to us since then. I came across, Udeme's number. Udeme was one of the friends Ini made in the village and I took her number to reach Ini whenever I couldn't reach her because of the network then.

I called Udeme and asked her to give her mom the phone. After exchanging pleasantries and getting updates about anty Eno.

I asked her about Mr. Dele and his wife and Mr. Akpan

"I should be asking you about Mr. Dele and his wife"

She said

"and why is that?"

"they came with you guys and left with you too nah"

"noooo, infact we met them in that village"

"well we all thought they came with you guys, because they came the same day you people came. I personally saw them drop from the cab few minutes after you guys dropped. They rented a small room 3 compounds away from anty Eno's. So, we thought maybe because all of you can't live with anty Eno. And you guys were always sitting together under that tree nah and all of you left same day too"

"so you mean to tell me that his wife left too"

"yes. Both of them left less than 15mins after you guys took anty Eno to the hospital. Why are you asking all these, any problem?"

"no! No dear. I will call you back"

What? I almost dropped dead. Why did he lie about these whole thing.

I want to find out why he lied and was this whole thing a trap?

I went to Iya Teni and told her my finding because she and Mr. Dele were close.

When I told her what I found about Mr. Dele, she smiled and didn't seem surprised. She told me that that was her own way of thanking me for what I did for her. I was surprised.

I began to notice that Mr. Dele no longer sits out at Iya Teni's place. When I asked, she said that everything has an expiry date including their friendship. I thought hard on what to do with the information I have at hand and settled for telling Basey first.

I got home that night and sat to talk with my husband. I told him everything, from my dealings with Iya Teni to how Mr. Dele asked me out and how I flirted with him to get these informations.

I was expecting Basey to flair up like a furnace, but he was calm. Only his face was tight. When I was done talking, Basey stood up and left.

My confusion doubled. Maybe the riddles of iya Teni was for Basey. Maybe Basey was the puzzle I needed to solve, if not, why will he walk out despite knowing that Mr. Dele wasn't who he made us believe he was.

Why?

For all I know, we may have with our legs walked right into the trap of our HUNTER.

******************************************