SOMEWHERE IN AFRICA

Chapter 4

Months after the source of his predicament became known, he kept on with the struggle of life despite subjected himself to the fasting and prayers as directed by Akibu, the man of God he had consulted.

He didn't rest on this doing nothing, he had been practicing a subsistence farming all along at a remote area in the city with the hope of meeting up with his family needs. One blessed Monday morning, he left his house for his farmland, hoping he would be able to reap the needed farm produce for his family consumption.

On reaching his farm, all he met was destruction, there was barely anything standing among the crops he had planted, to his surprise, everything was gone.

The destruction came after some animals found their ways into his farmland and fed on everything they met.

He couldn't believe his sight, It was least expected and he instantly became sad.

In tears, he involuntary found himself sitting on the ground, bowed his head in thoughts and started talking to himself...

why had the world decided to go into war with me?

at this point, won't death be a preferred option?

how would all debts on me be settled having promised them all while relying on this farm?

The tears on his face became uncontrollable as he bitterly sobbed while leaving the farmland.

Some minutes later, he had got back to his apartment and there was a knock on the wooden door to his rented house, Folakemi, his wife, heard and she immediately went to the door having realized his husband was back.

The door was opened and he entered, headed straight to the room without a word to her.

As strange as it was, she walked straight into the bedroom and met him sitting on the edge of the bed with tears on his face. She went on her kneels and said to him...

"The owner of my heart, why are you like this? You have never for once been found this way since our fifteen years together as couples.

Why? You left in the morning, smiling at us with full energy all over you, how come it was tears, weakness and sadness on your return?"

He looked at her while on her kneels, he had a deep breath as she was being pulled up and said,

"Sit by my side," she did as he had requested and became eager to hear what he had to say.

"I'm really short of ideal at this juncture..." she cuts in and said,

"Short of ideal... how?"

"Nothing for us to reap on our farmland as we had been expecting and relying on in other to cater for some of our needs," this news took her her by surprise, she suddenly stood up, placing her hands on her head and then, on her chest saying,

"Our farm is gone or what?"

"Yes!" He strongly affirmed and continued.

"Our reliability on it has been defeated as I met everything destroyed by animals and nothing left for us to take as reward for all our efforts for the past two years on the farm."

As he was narrating, tears on his face became unstoppable likewise his wife and none of them could console the other.

Few minutes after, Folakemi said, do you remember how much we've collected from the prospective buyer of some of the produce on the farmland, how do we go about that?"

"That was the main reason I became sad while leaving the farmland and still, on getting back home. I see us without any option but, to remain in debt to all our creditors for eternity..." He found it difficult to continued and busted into cry as his wife sat back on the bed looking tired, then, she lay flat in it, placing her hands on her head, shaking it right and left and with tears on her face, she narrated to her husband, the reason she returned back early from a menial jobs she kept herself busy with and from where she gets little pay she supported her husband with in running their home.

"We're do we go from here?" she began while still lying in the bed. "By the weekend, our creditors will be here as promised with the hope of receiving the money we're owing them;

our landlord won't take it easy with us this time around, and for our child to become happy again, his school due has to be settled..." Oluwafemi interrupted and said,

"Some of these could be settled from what you're expecting from your work place this weekend..."

She suddenly sit up and then, on her feet, saying.

"I was going to narrate to you, what brought me back home earlier than I should when you interrupted me. I had call it quit with them..."

"Call it quit with who?" He demanded as he interrupted her.

"With him of cause."

"Your boss?"

"Yes. He had finally proved to me, he won't ever back off from his intention towards me."

"He persistently disturbed you?"

"He went beyond his boundary today, he had stubbornly summoned the courage to go beyond beating about the bush as usual."

"He boldly harassed you sexually?

"Yes, it all looked like planned incident today. I arrived at the bakery before every other staffs could which was very unusual and the boss, who barely visit at such hour of the working hours arrived unnoticed just moments after I did.

While busy taking care of the flower container, I felt a touch on my chest from behind, before thinking of checking who it was, the feeling went beyond a touch to deep caressing on my breast, turning back immediately, he was found to be the trespassers and still trying to go on with an attempt to forcefully kiss me then, I gave him a slap he would never recovered from and left in anger"

"Did you just say he was trying to kissed you having already touched you at such a sensitive part of your body without your consent?"

"Yes" He his a shameful useless human being, he could go for anything under the skirt if the chance presented itself.

"He started like just a way of appreciating my beauty which I kept informing you about. On several occasions, he had mentioned before others, how beautifully created I was and how perfectly my beauty was being maintained.

"He would reward me higher than others despite not doing more than they did as we were always given the same task to do.

"I knew what he was up to and distanced myself as far as I could from being favoured above others."

Oluwafemi got so sad about this as she narrated the incident and she noticed he had gone so far in thoughts. She moved closer to him, placed his right hand on his shoulder and said...

"Mine, don't be so concerned about him, I had dealt with him the very best way," he raised up his head looking straight into her eyes as he said.

"You dealt with him the very best way, are you sure he didn't go beyond..."

"Go beyond what?" she angrily asked dropping her hand from his shoulder as she moved a bit away from him saying,

"If not for death, fish would never have been found in spherical shape;

except we want to be economical with the truth, we all knew, it was by mistake a foetus was found by the side of its mother's womb, that has never been a place for foetus.

If not for fate, why would I be a worker under such a delusional human being? Someone who is far younger than my brother, an opportunist, who thought money could buy everything... never. I can't allow a frog to spit on me, never and I will never destroyed my future for what I stand to gain today. Let me reaffirm my stand before you again, on my promise to you I remain and will forever remained. No other man will I ever allow to see my nakedness and have a taste of my beauty other than you..."

He stood up from his sitting position on the bed and moved closer to her, holding firmly onto her hands while saying,

"Folakemi, I knew you so well;

I knew your yes is always yes,

I knew how dedicatedly you are to our relationship,

I knew and I do not expect anyone to tell me about your movements when I wasn't by your side,

I knew how I met you the very first day of our long relationship and never for once found you cheated on me... you're such a trusted wife who stood by her husband during thick and thin. When we had enough to eat, I found you by my side and when there was little or nothing to eat, your word of encouragement are immeasurable... may I be forgiven by you," He tried to go on his kneels for her but instantly prevented and he continued.

"If not for the yam, how would my hands got stained with palm-oil?

My present incapability got you into this mess, you are not a woman to be treated and subjected to a situation like this..." at this juncture she placed her right index finger on his lips as she said,

"Mine," looking lovingly straight into his eyes as she continued,

"figure five does not stands alone leaving six in trouble, whatever affected one affects the other and also, problem facing the eyes extended to the nose.

"When the vulture was suffering, the eagle went ahead for its feathers' renewal,. You were always there for me when you were wealthy and you treated me like a queen despite never was. Having brought me up from rumbles you established me buoyantly which also extended to my family members... we will never be ungrateful to God over your generosity," she briefly pursued and gave him a snappy peck on the left side of his cheek and continued.

"Tides might have turned against us, our world might have gone empty and the loudest ovation might have suddenly become muted, I'm not going to blame you for all, I shall stood by you till all that we had lost together returned back to us and, for the love I have for you, we shall sick and die together in this, if that's what we were destined for.

" Darling," she said, holding him by the waist with her two hands and drew him more closer to herself.

"a pigeon, they said, after wined and dined with its owner does not stay away after the death of its owner. I will never leave you alone in this till our last day on earth."

Having concluded, she placed her head on his chest as he lovingly played with her beautifully plated hair, wearing a new look with a bit relief from all he had been laboured hard to set off his heart since his return back home. He while looked at her with obviously a renewed love and said, placing his head on her forehead after giving her a deep and lovely kiss.

"You're truly a rib from my ribs," hearing this from him, she slightly raised her head and then, looked directly into his eyes as does him as he continued.

"Your love shall remain in my heart for as long as I lived in this world. My stands remain- having been steadfast for the past years of our togetherness, never will I allow any strange woman to come between us till I bid this world a goodbye."

There was another round of kiss and this remained deep for minutes, after which they held closely onto themselves shedding tears.