Jangolova (Part II)

October 2, 2013

She grabbed a fistful of his shirtsleeves while pulling at his hand. “Please Martin, you don’t have to do this. I don’t know what came over me. I promise, I’d get help.” Using his right hand, he unfolded her fingers from his shirt, brought them to his lips and kissed them in deference. “There is nothing wrong with going for a little holiday sweetie, the doctor said it will be good for you.” She shook her head and wriggled free from of his hold. “Martin it is Benin! That is over an hour from here without the regular flight delays. Who will look after Izu? Who will look after you?” she wrung her fingers in distress and looked imploringly at him “I swear, it wouldn’t happen again. Martin, take me home.” When she started crying, he leaned forward and tapped on the drivers shoulder. The driver turned to him in response. “Sir?” Martin pointed to the point in front. “Park the car and leave us alone for a bit.” The driver nodded in obedience, parked on the shoulder of the road and stepped out of the vehicle. When he was out of earshot, he turned to Isioma worry lining his cherubic face and spoke heavily. “Babe you scared the hell out of me. I still wake up in the middle of the night from the nightmare of that day. I am happy Izu was not the one that found you on the brink of death in the bathtub." He pushed his fingers through his fairly bushy hair and continued. " Do you know I promised him ice cream from the mall after school? What if he hadn’t agreed to come home first to change out of his uniform? What if I wasn’t back in time to take you to the hospital?” he looked at her, wanted to touch her but refrained from doing so until he was done. He continued. “Doctor Kasim said you failed his psychic evaluation and declared you depressed. Although I do not agree with him I agree that you do need a change of environment.” He gave into the urge to touch her, reached for her face and stroked her hair. “Please darling you are my wife and I love you.” He placed both his hands on her shoulder and gave her a searching look. “I can’t stand the thought of life without you, I need you to relax. It is just for three days, aside from asking you to be my wife, I haven’t ever asked you for anything else. Please do this for me. Will you?” She looked out of the window, was silent for a while peered at him then asked. “Three days?” He nodded. “Yes my love.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, call the driver, I'd do it.”
They rode in silence to the airport.
When she joined the check-in queue, Martin stepped aside to make a phone call.
She was waiting for him. “I’ve arranged with a driver to pick you from the airport and take you to the location. Although no one seems to know much about the place, they haven’t heard anything bad and then you got the invitation! The driver would be available for you all through the period of your stay. I transferred about a million Naira to your personal account, whatever you need, get it.”
The boarding announcement for her flight was called. He pulled her to himself and squeezed her in a warm embrace. “Be safe honey, have fun and come back to me. I love you so much.” She tried to nod while still in his embrace but could not manage it. In a muffled voice she retorted. “I know Martin.”
An attendant tapped his shoulder, “sir, we are boarding.” He let go of her and waited, watching till she was through security and inside the airplane. He stood in the lobby looking on and waiting until it began to taxi.
When the flight eventually took off, he said a silent prayer to God to bring her back happy and alive.

**********

“Hello? Is anybody here?” Ivie dropped her carryall bag on the floor beside her and looked around. Checking the pamphlet, she looked around for a name to confirm she was in the right place. That done, she took in the beauty and charm around her.
The place looked exotic and serene.
She spotted something that looked like a koi tank in the corner, padding to the direction, she discovered she was right. She folded her hands across her chest and leaned forward to inspect it. “Welcome Ivie.” Startled, she jumped back and spun around to seek the owner of the voice.
It was a little lady who appeared to have manifested from thin air. She smiled at her and gave a slight nod.
Ivie placed the tips of her left fingers across her chest in a bid to settle her racing heart. “You startled me!” The lady gave another bow and spoke with a thick accent. “I am sorry, do not be offended.” Ivie let off a shrug and wove her hand flippantly. “Its okay, no big deal.” She bowed her head again and smiled. “Thank you. Please pick your bag and follow me. Your place is through this door.” Ivie did as she was told, picked up her carryall and followed the little lady as she led the way.
They went through a side door, past a flower garden in bloom to a building that looked like a cottage from a fairy tale. The little lady took out a key ring from her pocket, searched for the right key and opened the door.
Ivie got in and waited for the little lady to pull the key from the lock and enter.
“Am I the first to arrive? Where is everybody else?” dropping the key ring in her pocket, the lady nodded. “Yes you are the first, the rest will arrive shortly.”
They were in the living room.
She motioned for her to follow and led her towards a short hallway on the right that ended in front of a door. There were two other doors on either side.
She stopped in front of the first door and opened it. “This room, you will choose. I go now. You will welcome the others” she thought for a second and added. “The last will be late.” Ivie shrugged. “Its okay, I can do that.” She begun to push open the door to her room open when it occurred to her that the lady knew her name.
She looked up to ask her how she knew but the lady was gone. Letting off another shrug she opened the door completely. She stepped in, let her carryall bag slip to the floor beside her, sashayed to the center of the room and twirled around.
She felt free.
She took out her phone to call Jason and tell him about the place but changed her mind. Dropping the phone, she transferred her bag to the bed and began to unpack.
When she was done, she laid out a change of clothes, went to have a shower and got dressed.
Slipping her cell phone into the pocket of her shorts, she walked out of her room with the intention of exploring.
The two doors in the hallway opened to rooms similar to hers; glamorous marble finished baths and toilets, huge 4-poster beds with fancy dressers and wardrobes. Up the hall to her left was a door leading out of the living room. She opened it and came to a kitchen-cum-dining area. Through the huge windows looking out from above the kitchen sink, she could see a back porch with two double swings hanging from the ceiling. The place was breathtakingly beautiful.
She heard a faint knock coming from the living room. closing the door behind, she hastened out and went back to the living room.
She waited behind the door till she heard the knock again then swung the door open.
The sight of the woman standing at the other side of the door left her breathless; she was beautiful. “Hi” the woman said. “The lady in the building in front directed me here.” When Ivie did not move, she added. “I’m Mrs. Chukwuma.” Ivie realized she was staring at the woman, snapped out of the trance and stepped away from the door. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful; add a halo and wings and she could pass for what angels are supposed to look like.
Ushering her in, she cleared her throat and spoke. “Yeah, I guess you are the second guest. Welcome to what I named the fairytale cottage!” She held her unsteady gaze for a moment.
The woman looked like she had been crying.
Wanting to make her feel comfortable, she added. “Please call me Ivy.” She led her to the rooms and pointed as she spoke. “That one’s mine, the other two are unoccupied.” The lady picked the room opposite her own pushed open the door and looked in. “This one will do.” Her phone began to ring; she flipped open her purse searched for it within. opening the door wider, she tumbled in. Still looking for her phone, she used her hips to shut the door closed.
Ivie shrugged and turned to resume her exploration but there was another knock on the door. She rolled her eyes, let out an exasperated sigh and went to the door. Swinging it open, she came face to face with a handsome, tall and tired looking man. “Hi, you were supposed to be late!” He gave her a weary one sided smile. “Tell me about it.” She took his bag from him and wove him in with her free hand. “Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in!” When he stepped into the house, she handed his bag back to him and closed the door. “I think there are drinks in the fridge, you look like you need one.” She led the way past the living area to the rooms. “Those two are taken, you get to stay in the middle.” She winked at him and pointed to the direction of the kitchen. “ The fridge is that way, welcome to fairytale cottage.”


October 3, 2013

She knocked; first on the door to Mrs. Chukwuma’s room then on the third one and waited for both of them to come out. They looked like they had showered as well and were dressed.
She clapped her hands in excitement in an attempt to liven the atmosphere. “Hi you guys, good morning! I slept off yesterday after eating so much junk from the fridge. The little lady came twenty minutes ago. She said there’s breakfast at the other side.” She indicted by making a fist and throwing her thumb over her right shoulder. “So, I’m to lead the way.” She laughed at the idea. Turning to the man, she spoke. “I didn’t get your name yesterday, my friends call me Ivy, you are?” He blinked, still groggy from sleep or maybe a restless night and murmured. “Sesan.” She nodded and turned to the second woman waiting expectantly. While looking like she walked off the centerfold for Thisday style, she rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand and stifled a yawn. She answered dully. “Isi. Chukwuma.” They looked at her in confusion, unsure of what to say. She shook her head and spoke again. “I am Chukwuma Martin Isioma, call me Isi.” Ivie clapped her hands, moved behind the duo and urged them forward gently. “Okay! Now that we are one big happy family, shall we go eat?” Sesan strutted to the front door and held open the door for the ladies to pass. Shutting the door behind, they made their way to the reception in search of the little lady.
She was waiting.
On seeing them together, the lady smiled, hugged each of them and gave and encouraging nod. “It is good that you are all here. Come with me.” Sesan smiled, rose an eyebrow and did not budge. “I am under the impression that this was to be a reunion of sorts, yet it is apparent that it is only three of us present. Although they are beautiful ladies, I don’t recognize them and therefore I am alarmed.” He folded his hands across his chest and continued. “ If my wife did not plan this charade, I would like to know what really is going on here missy.” The lady nodded, bowed her head and spoke. “Not missy, but Mami, it is what she called me. Promise was made, now I can fulfill.” She looked up and stared at them one after the other. “The three of you after breakfast, you will know and decide. But first, please follow me.” Ivie shrugged and followed her, she stopped midway across the room and turned to them. “Come on guys, what do you have to loose? You are here already.” Isioma spoke up. “Ivy is right, I’d come.” Sesan rolled his eyes, dropped his hands and followed. Mami opened the door Ivie initially assumed led to a restroom and led them through a long hallway that came to stop at an old wooden door.
She opened the door and the tumbled into an outdoor bar.
It was deserted and looked rundown.
Isioma stopped in front of a wooden railing and looked at Mami in bafflement. “Have I been here before?” Ivie shrugged and looked around. “Place feels familiar, like a repressed memory or something.” Sesan looked with chagrin from one woman to the other. “Are you shitting me?” Mami pulled Isioma towards an empty boot and pushed her gently till she sat. Ivie and Sesan followed and sat on either side. She disappeared for a couple of minutes and came back with pieces of bread and steaming bowls of pepper soup on a tray. After dropping a bowl of the soup and wedge of bread each in front of them, she walked from one person to the next and folded their fingers around a spoon. “Eat." She coaxed. "Eat up dear friends. It will come to you. No use recalling what was lost on an empty stomach” she patted Sesan’s shoulder in assurance. “This will help you remember.”


... To be continued