EPISODE 7 – THE BRIDEGLOOM
It is 5am in the morning, Chioma and
her husband are in be-d having a
conversation about everything and
anything. Chioma told him about some
of the funny questions the kids asked
while he was away, They discussed their
family’s business and Mr Ambrose told
him in details the high and lows of his
journey as well as his plans to take the
family abroad for Easter Holidays.
Mr Ambrose: something I forgot to ask
you. What does your friend do?
Chioma: you mean Deric?
Mr Ambrose: Yes. I forgot to ask
Chioma: he was my clas-smate and
actually went ahead to become a bank
manager. But he was recently made
redundant. He is currently out of
employment.
Mr Ambrose: You Know, I feel bad
whenever I learn that a man lost his job.
Chioma: and a woman?
Mr Ambrose: not as bad. Sweetheart,
there is an expectation on a man to look
after his home financially. Such
expectation is not so much on a
woman. The thought of telling Tatiana
that she cannot have her Coco Pods
today because there is no money,
scares me.
I pray he find a job really soon
Chioma: I think it is starting to have an
ugly impact on his marriage.
Mr Ambrose: It shakes every corner of
the individual’s life.
Why don’t you ask him to come and see
me during the weekend. We could fix
him somewhere in our real estate
dep@rtment. Of course we won’t pay him
as much as he earned when he was a
manager.
Chioma: awww! That will be really
helpful! I’ll let him know.
Mr Ambrose: Okay! Enough about other
people. Let’s talk about us. How much
did you miss me?
Chioma: oh! Don’t ask. At some point, I
started taking out the frustration on the
kids unknowingly. Every little thing made
me cry.
Mr Ambrose: (holds her close to his
che-st) I missed you even more. The
video calls were not enough. I couldn’t
wait to come back to my baby. I missed
watching you fall asleep in my arms and
when you did last night, it felt like rain in
the desert.
I don’t intend to be away from you this
long again
Chioma: promise?
Mr Ambrose: cross my heart.
Chioma: I love you
Mr Ambrose: I love you too, baby???????
Rossy: ? ️? ️? ️? ️? ️? ️
******************************
********************
(Charlotte woke up, looked at the clock
and jumped off the be-d into the shower
and hurriedly got re-ady for work. When
she c@m£ into the living room on her
way out, she saw Deric looking into
some files)
Charlotte: Deric, you didn’t even bother
to wake me up knowing I am working!
Deric: When your alarm rang and you
didn’t wake up, I as-sumed you were off
today.
Charlotte: puffffff! I am ha-rd ly off work
and you know it! Anyway, I am running
late. There is some stew in the fridge.
You may want to boil some rice and
have it for lunch.
I’ll go to the market and buy some food
items for tomorrow.
Deric: I tried using your iPhone earlier on
and discovered you had put a pas-sword
on it. Is there any explanation for that?
Charlotte: it’s just that I discovered that
people were getting into my phone when
I leave it on my desk at work. That’s all.
Deric: you are Such a bad liar, Charlotte!
You are! So why didn’t you pas-sword
your Samsung?
Charlotte: Deric I am running late for
work! I don’t have to go to work
miserable every day! I am tired of the
constant argument and….
Deric: (loudly) and I am more tired of
your infidelity!!!
Charlotte: what infidelity are you talking
about!
Deric: you will find out Soon!
Charlotte: plea-se! I’m off!
(Charlotte got to work in a rush and
Nina told her that Mr Adrian had wanted
her to write some proposals for him and
was not happy that she wasn’t here. So
she quic-kly went into his office)
Charlotte: Good morning, Mr Adrian.
Mr Adrian: you are one hour late for
work, Charlotte. That is very
unacceptable. May I know Why?
Charlotte: I am very sorry. I had a little
hitch. My husband acc…
Mr Adrian (interrupts) Charlotte, when it
has to do with family, you don’t have to
give details. That you had a hitch was
suffient.
I wanted you to write me a proposal. I
have just s£nt you an email. It contains
the details of what I want you to cover
in the proposal.
Charlotte: alright. Thank you. Auch!
Mr Adrian: are you Okay?
Charlotte: no. I’ve got w@!st pain and
headache
Mr Adrian: I have paracetamol. Would
you like some?
Charlotte: yes, plea-se.
Mr Adrian: (gives her two paracetamol
tablets) could you plea-se ask Jaykob to
come to my office. Thank you.
Charlotte: alright.
(Charlotte went into Jaykob’s office and
met him watching a movie on his work
PC)
Charlotte: you are working so ha-rd , ain’t
You?
Jaykob: well, at least I c@m£ to work
early. You look as S-xy as you looked in
my dreams last night. Come and sit on
my l@ps.
Don’t worry nob©dy is coming in
Charlotte: you are disgusting and your
attitude to work is nothing to write home
about!
Jaykob: the same attitude got me to the
position of an as-sistant manager. A
position you may never get to, until you
retire.
Charlotte: I do not have your time yet.
Anyway, Mr Adrian would like to see
you!? ️? ️? ️
Jaykob: alright, my lovely! (Gets up and
goes to Mr Adrian’s office)
Jaykob: you s£nt for me, sir?
Mr Adrian: I did. Take a seat.
Jaykob: thanks (sits down)
Mr Adrian: ermm, I am ma-king some
changes here and there. One of those
changes is going to affect you. I nee-d
you to relocate to our Lagos br@nch.
I don’t necessarily nee-d an as-sistant
here. Our Lagos br@nch is busier and
would greatly benefit from having you
there.
Jaykob: I am sorry sir, but I am not
okay with this. My children are in
school, my wife has a job here in Abuja
and you want me to move. I am not
happy to move!
Mr Adrian: this company has a
procedure for challenging any decision
you think is unfair. Use that procedure
but until then, this is your transfer letter.
Jaykob: (voice raised) there is no way
you can come in and decide to move me
for such a flimsy excuse! I will fight this
to the end. It is maliciously motivated. I
will go to court if I have to.
Mr Adrian: can I ask you to leave my
office now, plea-se. Thank you.
Jaykob: yes! I will leave but I will
certainly take this up!
Mr Adrian: sure.
EPISODE 8 – THE BRIDEGLOOM
Chioma: Good morning, Kate.
Kate: Good morning, madam.
Chioma: what are the kids doing today?
Kate: firstly, I will take them to their
hairdresser to have their hair done and
after that, I’ll take them to their Art
clas-s. Then if Tatiana would like to Go
for her dancing clas-s, I’ll take her there.
That’s all we have to do today.
Chioma: can they have their hair done
tomorrow instead? I and their dad would
like to take them to the zoo. It’s been
long since we went out together.
Kate: Yes, it can. I just nee-d to call their
hairdresser to change the appointment.
Chioma: plea-se do.
Kate: so what will I be doing at home?
Chioma: you did all the Lundry
yesterday, didn’t you? So have a rest. Go
out, may be to the cinema or whatever
tickles your fancy.
Come on! you deserve a break from
Tatiana’s endless demands.
Kate: thank You, madam. Yesterday,
she said she wanted a big elephant ??
Chioma: ??? I know! She has been
saying that to us. That’s why we
decided to take them to the zoo so she
can see the real ones. Apparently, she
wants to be an elephant when she
grows up????????
Kate: hahahaha!!!???
Chioma: erm, my husband has asked
me to tell you that we will be increasing
your salary beginning from the end of
the month.
Instead of fifty thousand naira, you will
be receiving sixty five.
Kate: oh madam! Thank you! Your
family has been so good to me. plea-se,
can I go and say thank you to Mr
Ambrose?
Chioma: he is still fast asleep. I would
leave it until he is awake.
Kate: thank you so much!
Chioma: you are welcome (gr-abs her
phone and started ringing Deric.???????)
Deric: ???? hello madam.
Chioma: how are You! Sorry I haven’t
been able to call since then to thank you
for honouring our invitation. It was really
nice having you around
Deric: no worries at all. It was a great
p@rty. The food was excellent. I enjoyed
myself. Thank You!
Chioma: awww glad to know. You don’t
sound p@rticularly happy. Everything
alright?
Deric: No, Chioma. My whole life is just
shutting down by the minute! I’m bloody
tired of being like this. I want to pu-ll
out!
Chioma: where are you pu-lling out to?
Stand up to life until it gets tired of trying
to pu-ll you down
Deric: I’m down alre-ady. I have been
down for so long. I got a letter from the
bank where I took some loan for a bad
business I did last year, threatening to
sell my house if I did not pay up by the
end of March.
Chioma: what’s the pay back
arrangement?
Deric: I pay one hundred thousand every
month, but I haven’t been able to make
any payments since November last
year.
Chioma: that’s three hundred thousand
outstanding, yeah?
Deric: Yes.
Chioma: meet me in front of your house
in the next fifteen minutes; I’ll give it to
you.
Deric: You are joking right?
Chioma: see you in fifteen minutes,
Deric. Bye!
??????????????????
(Chioma went back Into the be-droom
and found the husband watching to the
news in be-d)
Chioma: Good morning, my dear.
Mr Ambrose: Good morning, love. When
did you get up?
Chioma: When my mummy instinct told
me to check up on the girls. And yes,
Tatiana looked as it she was practicing
some yoga pose???
Mr Ambrose: oh dear! We can’t really do
much about her rou-gh slee-ping position.
Can We?
Chioma: well, not at this stage. I tried to
use her big teddy to st©p her, but when
she swings in the mood, she kicks the
damn thing away??
Mr Ambrose: actually, my mother did
say I was like that when we were
growing up. I used to kick my brothers
out of the be-d to create more space for
my moves???
Chioma: there you Go! The Apple Apple
tree and the Apple fruit???? anyway, I
am going for my 30 minutes run.
Mr Ambrose: my dear, are you sure you
don’t want me to get you a personal
trainer instead of being out in the street
every morning.
People are evil you know? Not praying
for anything but you can be easily
traced.
Chioma: this estate is considerable safe.
But I’ll think about it today.
Mr Ambrose: plea-se do.
Chioma: I’m off now!
Mr Ambrose: careful!
(When Chioma got to Deric’s block, he
was alre-ady waiting at the gate.)
Deric: hey beautiful! That b©dy is
ban-ging!
Chioma: of course I have to stay fit and
healthy for my family.
Deric: great job!
Chioma: (hands him a cheque of three
hundred and fifty thousand naira) here!
Pay your debt and be happy. My
husband would also like to see you at
your convenience.
Deric: Chioma, you don’t know what this
means to me. You just saved my life!
Chioma: what are friends for?
Deric: plea-se permit me to give you a
hvg.
Chioma: awww! Of course! (hvgs him
briefly and ran off!)
(Deric went back to the house and saw
Charlotte in the living room with her
mobile phone in her hand)
Deric: are you not going to work?
Charlotte: (holds her phone up in front
of him) who is she?
Deric: you took a picture of us? That’s
Chioma, an old friend.
Charlotte: I see! I guess it wouldn’t be
bad to show her husband this image.
Deric: you will do no such thing! Come
on! this girl was only helping me! She
gave me a cheque to pay my debt.
There is nothing going on between us
and you must believe that!!
Charlotte: I see! She gives you her
husband’s money too!
Deric: don’t be ridiculous! St©p it,
Charlotte!!
Charlotte: I am not st©pping it, Deric!!!! It
is not enough that you sit at home all
day while I bleed sweat, water and blood
to pay the rents and put food on your
table, now you have added cheating to
the routine, right????
Deric: (raises his hands to hit her but
hangs it in the air) one more of that, And
I will s£nd you to your early grave!
( in a low but firm tone) one more!
Charlotte: I dare you to put those stupid
hands on me! Every single day of my life
you accuse me of infidelity. Not
knowing it’s your way to mask yours!
Ungrateful egocentric man! t©uçh me
and rot in jail!
Deric: (gr-abs the key and leaves)
Charlotte: don’t t©uçh my car! Deric!!
Deric!!! Deric do not go anywhere with
my car.
Deric: (st©ps but without turning
around) the car I bought you on the
12th day of December 2016. Get that
right! (Jumps into the car and zooms
off)
Charlotte: Deric!!! Deric!!!! Deric, I nee-d
that car to go to the hospital!! De
ric!!!!????
To be continued