She press a button and the light comes-on again: fifty messages and ten missed calls? The phone has a password.
A phone flickers with a beep, close-by. Her phone --she thinks, rings by the right hand side of the bed.
A Wake up Call
The light comes back, and gives a swift-second bright illumination to their room, and then throws the room back to its former dark shadow.
Nneka gently feels for her husband on the left hand side of the bed, but her fingers gather nothing but cold empty space. Her phone –she thinks, comes again, glows the second time, a third and a fourth then the once bright light is overthrown by a darkness that hovers once again in the room. Chinedu must be in his study; he has a very important deal to close at Port tomorrow; he leaves at first light.
Port Harcourt reminds her of many things: minty oil-coated monies, low life and high lives, the clubs and yes, the strippers. Nneka once rocked the cold metal pole sultrily with a bare stringed ass. That was many years gone-by. They met at Port and may move back if Chinedu gets the deal done. The oil company wants him as bad as his family needs him.
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Suspicion
The phone comes again and again, it begins to ring in a low faint tone; like someone who wants to conceal something. Nneka frowns; her phone is switched off; that is not her ringing tone, and night runs is certainly over, for now. Chinedu usually takes his calls in the study, at night --his business is his best friend, so also, his right-hand-connect, his phone.
A beep comes, another and her hands makes suspiciously for the phone. Nneka’s fingers are itching for a press. Two O’clock in the morning? Nneka notices the burning sensation the phone gives off. This is not her phone and neither Chinedu’s. She press a button and the light comes-on again: fifty messages and ten missed calls? The phone has a password. She turns it over in her hand and notices that it is a old brand of Blackberry Passport and Chinedu’s picture is on the screen. Nneka tries his date of birth, 12 June, 1979 and the home menu flashes before her sleepy eyes.
A Devastating Discovery
The first thing that clicks open is the list of missed calls. Jerry has been the one. He is Chinedu best pal from Port.Nneka lifts her weight onto one elbow then slips-on her footwear to take the estranged phone to her husband. She gropes for the light switch, but she feels lazy to hit it. Nneka presses the return button to trace the way to Chinedu’s study, the phone almost slips off her palm and she grabs at it. The WhatsApp messages automatically comes-up on the wide screen.
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She reads Jerry and her husband’s chats; Baby! There? Yes! Good. Coming? Yes! Tomorrow!I love you…. Nneka closes her eyes, and opens it at once, rubs her eyes with her fingers, just in case there are still specks of sleep left in them; she can’t believe that it is Jerry, but Jerry is in Port? Jerry has a wife? She recalls how Chinedu tells her tales of growing up with Jerry as neighbours, how they played hide and seek then chased after girls. As though sleep clouds her sense of sight and she sees only shadows. Nneka holds-on to her swollen tummy, out of pain, and feels their twins kick. Jerry?
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Nneka draws closer to his study and she notices that their lights were dim. She presses the drop button on the phone, and images of Jerry holding his large joint in his hands stares her in the face. Her hands starts to shake; she makes hot liquid that drips on her pant. Nneka uses her last strength to push the door open and before Chinedu hit the escape button, Nneka’s eyes stumbles on a disgusting video of Chinedu and Jerry in a sex bout. Chinedu jumps to his feet. He has been caught. Nneka looks at him with merited bitterness, and in between teary-eyes, she looks down, and says;
“I think my water just broke.”
Written by Udemezue, Oluoma.
Udemezue, Oluoma loves to read and write; she also enjoys movies and meeting new people. Oluoma believes that life is nothing without a little touch of romance, thriller and reality. Catch her on:udemezueoluoma@yahoo.com, Udemezue, Oluoma Judith on Facebook, Instag- oluomaudemezue, and Twit- @Udemezueoluoma.