REUBEN Episode 7 – Blessing-Enejo Abrahams Elleywrites
… She startled as soon as she saw me, then she turned to my friend, Melvin.
“Who is this one that is staring at me like this? Melvin, do you know him?” She quizzed with eyes now glued to me.
“He’s my friend ma, he arrived here in Enugu this morning” He said with a smile.
“Sparrow, this is my landlord’s wife. That’s her husband over there” Melvin said pointing at the man wearing a cap.
“Aah! From where?” She asked but I was so lost in thought that I couldn’t even open my mouth to utter a word. All I did was to just stand there staring at her. I didn’t even know what else she was asking Melvin, but I saw her head move back and forth, and opening her mouth. I didn’t hear her despite the fact that she was standing right in front of me. All the memories of my childhood kept playing in my head and then all of a sudden, tears welled up my eyes as I began to sob, with a hand of mine wiping my tears.
“Are you ok?” Asked Melvin, standing on his feet from the plastic chair he sat on, and stretching his neck towards me.
“See me see wahala o. Abi, is it because I asked you where you are from that’s making you to cry this much?” She queried with a hand on her waist.
I wiped my tears and then I looked up locking stares with her.
“I’m from the middle belt region ma. I’m sorry I reacted this way. Just that you look so much like my late Mom’s twin that got missing some few years ago ” I said feigning a smile.
“Eyaa, we are created in two’s by the Almighty. If she’s still alive, God will allow you people find her” She said and I nodded sporadically.
Melvin then placed a hand on my right shoulder.
“It’s well man. I never knew you still had such soft spot, that you could even cry over your Mom’s twin for that matter. I never would have imagined that you had tears in your eyes with all this strong man thing you always do” He said laughing hysterically.
“Get out abeg” I said hitting his chest playfully and we both started to laugh but deep down, my heart was burn!ng.
“Ehen, this is more like it. Cheer up please ” The woman said with a smile, and then the man on Papa’s cap who had been watching finally voiced out.
“What is happening there? Melvin, I hope you and your friend are not standing there wooing my wife?” He questioned looking at us and the men with him busted into laughter. But, all I did was let out a smile.
“If only you knew what’s coming to you, and what you’re about getting yourself into” I whispered to myself, locking stares with the man cos as soon as he spoke, I immediately confirmed the fact that he was that my Mother’s concub!ne she had eloped with.
“My dear, they are not trying to woo me o, the poor boy is just emotional” She said with a giggle, and then left.
“Let him keep his emotions in his pocket and sit his a$$ down. This one he’s standing like a h@wk looking for a chick to devour. ” He said and I let out a smile, and then shook my head.
He turned and looked at Melvin when I refused to sit like he instructed.
“Oga tell your friend to sit. His sight alone sc@res me. Did you have a one on one encounter with a be@st? Please sit down with all these six packs and height and stop sc@ring me.” He said looking away, and his friends busted into laughter again.
Well, I sat. And instead of the food I had ordered, I ordered for beer. As soon as the first bottle was brought? I uncorked it with my teeth, and then poured the content into my throat like one in a drinking competition and in just a few seconds, I was done with the first bottle. I was still holding the empty bottle in my right hand. I belched so heavily, like an overfed cow and then I flung the empty bottle aside.
I raised my hand in the air, and then signaled the girl that brought me the first bottle.
“Another one” I said.
“Beer” I added with a gesture, folding my fingers and touching my lips with it so she would know what I wanted even without her hearing me.
“Ok sir” She said with a whisper and on bent knees, and then appeared after a few seconds with another chilled bottle of beer. I uncorked it again, raised the bottle and then emptied the content down my throat, flinging the bottle aside just like I did with the first one.
“Hey, another one” I called.
“Aah!!!” I’ heard the man on Papa’s cap scream from afar. I turned and saw him staring at me.
“Guy, I have never seen you drink like this before. Are you sure you’re ok?” Asked Melvin and I turned back to him.
“Melvin!” The man on Papa’s cap called all of a sudden.
“This your friend, where exactly is he from? How can a normal human being empty a chilled bottle of beer within a few seconds? This one must really be swimming in beer. What am I seeing?” He exclaimed again.
“I am ok. Let me just drink away my s0rr0w” I said relaxing my back on the plastic chair.
“Where is that lady? Bring me another bottle please” I yelled.
“Or, is there anything else you’re not telling me?” Melvin queried again.
“For now, no” I said with a smile.
“Well, if he likes let him drink a truck load. As far as he’s paying for the drinks. So that’s good business for my wife and I ” I heard the man say to his friends but I ignored him. I ended up drinking almost seventeen bottles cos Melvin snatched the seventeenth one from me after drinking just half of it. He then pulled me up with one of my arms on his shoulders and with one of his hands round my waist. He supported me home as I staggered walking beside him. We arrived home past 11pm.
The following morning, I decided to walk round the house to strategise on how to launch my @ttack when I saw something that looked like a shrine at the back of the house, with bl00d stains and sprinkles of red oil everywhere. I rushed back into the room and told Melvin what I saw.
“That one? It’s the landlord’s. That’s where he says his good morning each day whenever he wakes up. Did you see those big three eggs there?”
I nodded.
“I learnt that if one carries just one of it, it’s tr0uble for him cos the man is very diab0lical and dre@ded by all and sundry here”
“Trouble for him, how?” I questioned with keen interest.
“I heard that he would become powerless if those eggs are taken or even broken. But who dares pick up such from such a place? God forbid” Melvin said snapping two fingers around his head.
“Really?” I quizzed with a hand on my waist and a finger on my cheek, as I stood there watching him speak…
To be continued!
