As I got to Bazil’s house that evening, I knocked on his door, I can hear murmur, he has a visitor, I tried to listen but they were talking in low voices, I can hear a female voice or was it my ear that is deceiving me, my heart skipped as I imagined him and another woman together, that will really hurt me de-eply and I silently pray that such will never happen, I knocked again at the door and after sometime I heard someb©dy unlocking the door, and when the door was open I saw Bazil, in his short and shi-tless, he doesn’t look happy as he saw me, he close the door and c@m£ to stand with me outside,
“have I not told you before to call me first before coming to my place, how many times do you want me to keep telling you that…are you daft…why don’t you take instruction Ruka..
“I’m sorry, I know I was suppose to call, but I was worried about you and you haven’t called me all day, so I… decided to come…plea-se can I go in…why are we standing outside…you make me feel like a total stranger around…
“Because that’s what you are when you come to someb©dy’s house unannounced, educated people don’t do that…well I know you are not even a graduate like me…you are not educated…we are not on the same level, you are some trader or let me say market lady…or whatever…you are not in my clas-s yet I accepted you but you always make me angry…coming to my place uninvited….who do you even think you are…
I look at him as he went on insulting me, I know he was still angry with me so I couldn’t utter any word, I felt like crying that moment but I blink back tears because that will embarras-s him, but he doesn’t have any right to treat me like trash, I pay his bills, I give him money anytime he ask just because this period I couldn’t get him what he want he is alre-ady foaming and insulting me, I hate it when he says I’m nothing yet I have being able to meet all his nee-ds, he is educated but jobless and my market money has clear many off his debt, I got angry as he kept raining insults on me and I decided to talk back at him
“So I am a stranger to you now, an uneducated market lady who is not in your clas-s, but I have being able to pay your bills with same money I got from the same market that you condemn, I don’t blame you Bazil, you are such an ingrate…I wil…
And before I can say another word Bazil landed me a heavy sl@p, twice on my both cheek, this wasn’t the first time he was raising his hand on me and every time he will promise not to do it again. I held my cheek angrily as tears run down from my eyes uncontrollable, I turn and started going, he pu-ll-ed me from behind
“Ruka, st©p…you caused it, I thought you are helping me because you love me, i said all that because you got annoyed me, and you don’t nee-d to paint it to my face that you are helping or giving me money, you know I don’t have a job or anything doing that can fetch me cash at the moment…you know all that so why will you spre-ad my weakness to my face and make me feel like I’m not man enough…you always do or say things that will get you being sl@pped or beaten…you have to st©p doing that or I will not hesitate to do it again if you say things you are not suppose to say to me…do you have any money for me now…or anything at all… I told you not to come over to my place empty handed…
I looked at the man I fell in love and all I see is an ungrateful and self centred man, who cares only about himself, he did not even say sorry for the sl@p he just felt like is normal thing to strike me because he always do it and get away with it, he doesn’t care if I live or die yet I can’t st©p loving him, I don’t know if I will be able to live without him. I still love Bazil that’s the sad p@rt, I was alre-ady afraid to say any other thing that will annoy him, I also wanted to ask him which visitor he has inside but it was better I shut up and not provoke him any further which may aim me another sl@p or worst, I brou-ght out the money from my bag, I have alre-ady separated the money I will give Julio for her form and also my transport back home, seems it look like Bazil will not want me around so it was better I go home until he is calm enough, I gave him the money, he quic-kly collected the money and counted it.
“is this all the money…this will not be enough for what I plan to do…I’m pursuing one business and I nee-d all the money I can get my hands on and right now you are my only source Ruka…you can do better than this, this one is too small Ruka…you are becoming too stingy for the man you claim to love or is there another man aside me…if there’s’ none then prove it to me by adding more to this little cash you gave me…
In other to prove to him that he is the only one I have I put my hand into my bag again and gave him all the money including my transport.
“Good girl…my one and only love, this money is still not enough but I will manage it, I will just manage it like that, when you have more you can bring and I am very busy inside the house now, I don’t really want distraction, is concerning that business I told you off so I have to concentrate…go, I will call you and let you know when you should come around…but today is not a good day…just go home okay…and get more money for me because I nee-d every penny to add to that business…
He walk back inside and lock the door and I started hearing some murmurs followed by a loud laughter, and I was very sure it was a female laughter, the second person sound like a lady, he was laughing with the person, I wanted to ban-g ha-rd at the door to know who he has inside but I quietly walk out, I trekked to my house that night, despite Bazil’s place was far from my side and I nee-ded to take transport but because I have no money again with me I walked the long distance to my house, I cried half of the way because I was beginning to feel used, I felt like Bazil was using me to make money, he was milking me dry now I don’t have money to stock up my shop that was almost running dry, I don’t even have money to give Julio who has being so helpful. I felt sad and rejected but I my only consolation was that Bazil was no more angry with me, he was happy when I gave him all the money and also hearing him laugh with whoever he has inside with was a big consolation to me.
When I got home I was really tired, Julio has cooked and cleaned up the place, she helped me put out water to bath, and after taking my bath, I took food and ate, I wanted to eat little but when I started eating I found out I was really hungry and ask Julio to bring some more food to me and she laugh before bringing the food.
I told her not to worry I will get money tomorrow and give her for the form
“you say that all the time and you will end up not giving me the money, whichever way I will be fine, if you don’t give me the money I will find a way and get it, because going to a nursing school is all I have in mind. I know you have being trying, s£nding money to mother and Mia, and taking care of other nee-d, but I know you to be very good with business but right now is not looking too good on you because of Bazil, I can see a f!nger print on your face which is a clear sign that he sl@pped you again…Ruka…I know I maybe too young to talk to you but I really do love you too much to allow some foolish and useless man be messing with you, you use to be tough why is Bazil ma-king you look soft…
“that’s enough Julio, mind your use of word, you are still very young what do you even know about love, do you even un-derstand what true love means, I told you I will get you the money tomorrow, Bazil is my man and he is not a subject to be discussed or ridiculed. I’m going to be-d now…
The following day, Dave called me and ask me where my shop is located, he wanted to visit, I was thinking of how to get money to restock and the money for Julio who i promised to give money that day before Dave call c@m£ in, I s£nt him the address and he drove down within few hours, he asked me questions, like the challenges I am facing on my business as we sat by my shop and I told him I was running out of stock, the money I was suppose to use to buy goods I used it to solve some family problem and Dave told me that is not a good way to run a business, he promised to loan me some money and after three days he did, he gave me enough money to restock my shop with the promise I will pay him back within a certain period of time and I totally agreed because I nee-ded all the help I can get. I was so grateful, after he left I called Julio and gave her the money for her nursing form, she was happy, I also called my supplier to bring goods for me, and after calling my supplier Bazil call c@m£ in again, he said I should come over that he is in urgent nee-d of money for the said business he told me off, but Dave has alre-ady told me not to use my business money to solve any hvge family problem and I was suppose to pay him back, if I give Bazil the amount he was asking for again it may affect me, and if I don’t give him he will be angry and may think I’m stingy or I don’t love him enough. But giving him the hvge amount he asked off may run me down.
Dave gave me some business guild line which was helpful and I intend to do exactly what he said after all he saved me from running dry.
I told Bazil I don’t have money and he mand@t£d me to find it or he will leave me, I decided to divide the money I have, I will use the larger p@rt to pay off the suppliers and I will give Bazil the remaining one. And that was exactly what I did, my shop wasn’t so filled up like I have wanted it to be due to the money I gave Bazil but it was better than before.
Dave called me one day and asked me how my business was going and he asked if he can take me out for lunch that day or even dinner, depending when I will be free, he also have other things he plan to discuss with me, how I can expand my business, I know Bazil will be mad if he ever hears that another man took me out, and for some days now I have not heard from him and he has not call, and I really do not want to go over to his place unannounced, so I agreed to go out with Dave, Dave picked me and drove me to a fine restaurant.
While we sit and after our food was served, I picked at it, I was alre-ady feeling guilty for hanging out with Dave, I noticed Bazil was calling, he probably want something and I can’t pick the call or he may find out that I wasn’t inmy shop and may want to know where exactly I am, so I ignored the call even though my mind was not at rest throu-gh out.
Dave noticed my discomfort and decided to go and drop me at home even though I did not t©uçh my food or paid much attention to whatever he was saying, he drove to my place as I showed him direction, he was quiet and I was also quiet because my mind was on Bazil, immediately I got home I saw Bazil standing outside my house, it was alre-ady de-ep evening and Julio was home and refuse him into the house, so he stood outside, angrily waiting for me, my heart began to beat as I saw him,
Dave looked at me and knew that I was really troubled, he saw Bazil, who can’t wait to unleash terror on me, and Julio stood at a corner with a stick in hand maybe she was waiting for Bazil to try and raise a hand at me again and she will unleash her own terror on him since she never likes him.
Dave also looked re-ady to protect me but all that matters is how I will explain myself to Bazil, I don’t want anyone to hurt him, I was worried sick as I stepped down from Dave’s car.
To be continued….