“Solo! Oh my God! I thought something had happened to you.
Baba Michael called me and told me that something bad happened… I rushed down
from school. Why didn’t you tell me anything?” Screamed Anna.
We were in the house, Solo lay on the sofa staring at the
ceiling, I lay on the floor of the small sitting room still dumbfounded over
everything that had happened. I couldn’t imagine how Johnny and Benson
disappeared in one day.
“Hello dear…” Solo whispered as he turned to look at his
girlfriend who had just entered the house.
“I need an explanation…” Anna demanded.
“Please sit down and stop screaming, I’m having a headache
and haven’t slept since yesterday.”
“What happened?” Anna asked, dropping her bag.
“It was right after I dropped you off. Suddenly, my phone
rang, it was Baba Michael who was calling to tell me that he found the door to
my house open and when he knocked, no one answered.”
“Okay…so what happened?” Anna asked impatiently.
“When I came back, I looked for Senorita but to no avail. I
went back for some rounds with the taxi and came back at nine pm to still meet
an empty house. I initially thought that she went to get something’s to prepare
dinner but I was surprised to still see an empty pot so I sat in the sitting
room, waiting for her. Somehow, I slept and woke up this morning to a heavy
knock at my door. It was Ismail’s son who had gone to empty their dustbin and
who told me that he saw Senorita in the garbage heap.”
“What??? What was she doing there?” Anita asked puzzled.
“I don’t know…some people said she was duped of large sums
of money but come to think of it, how much does she have?” Solo said.
“Money? She has no money…where would she get huge sums of
money from?” Anna asked.
“It baffles me…Senorita started work a few days ago and she
hasn’t even been paid…”
“Where is the money that I gave to you?” Anna asked.
“It’s in my bag over there at the corner.” Solo answered.
My ears pricked, I was finally in trouble! All these while,
Solo didn’t know the full story of my encounter with Johnny and Benson and now,
his girlfriend was about to solve the mystery. I had to act fast;
“My head! I don die ooo…” I scream.
Solo rushes to my side and quietly shakes me, in a terrified
voice, he says;
“Senorita…sorry… I could only afford the Nazareth clinic but
you refused that the doctor examines you…all the other hospitals are
expensive.”
Anna ran to us and dragged Solo’s hands from my body.
“Stop touching her… she’s not dying haba!”
“She is very sick and it’s all my fault, I should have taken
good care of her.”
“When did you become her guardian? Anna asked.
“The day we found her at the side of the road.” Solo
snapped.
“Oh please! I can’t take this anymore…how do you expect me
to believe that there’s nothing going on between you two?”
“Believe whatever you please. I am not ready to deal with
your jealousy today.”
“Me? Jealous? Of this piece of thrash? She’s not half the
woman I am!” Boasted Anna.
That insult was too much, I shed off my pretense and
struggled to my feet, Solo was surprised.
“Wetin you talk?” I asked Anna.
“Oh! So you have been pretending all these while.” Anna
spat.
“Talk that thing wey you talk before…talk am again!” I say.
“You’re not half the woman I am!” Anna said.
I jump and throwing my hands in the air, I slap the breeze
and touch my tongue.
“I swear for my mama head say, you no fit hold man like me.
Who you be sef?” I ask in anger.
“Senorita! Stop this! You are still recuperating… don’t tell
me that jibes like this can get you all worked up.” Solo started.
“Are you taking her sides over mine?” Anna queried Solo.
Solo was lost for words and shaking his head, he walked to
the sofa and sat down, trying to ignore the two of us.
“I go beat craze comot for ya head…” I warn.
“I don’t have time for illiterates like yourself…” Anna says
to me.
I push her hard and she falls to the ground in a helpless
heap. Solo stares at me, his expression, unreadable. Anna gets up again and
lunges towards me, I push her again and she falls a second time. She tries to
stand again and I jump on her, determined to beat her blue black.
“Stop it! I will not have two wild cats in my house. Get up
both of you and get out!” Solo says as he struggles to drag me off Anna’s body.
He separates us and proceed to throw us out.
“Solo! I am your girlfriend and I won’t leave this house.
She’s the one that’s supposed to leave.”
“Go home Anna! We’ll see some other time and as for you
Senorita, get out of the house and stay outside.”
“Ahhh… no be me cause am…na she ooo” I wail.
“If I leave this house, Solo, if I leave this house, it’s
the end of you and me.” Warned Anna.
Solo ignores her warnings and pushes us out of the house.
“Give me back the money that I gave to you now!” Screamed
Anna in anger.
Solo walks towards the bag in order to retrieve the money. I
look around for an escape route, there’s no other way out of this mess. Solo
would find out soon enough that the money is missing and I haven’t had the
chance to go looking for Johnny and Benson in order to ask for the money.
“I kept it here, I am sure of it…” Solo started.
“Don’t give me trash…where is my money?” Anna shouted.
Solo scattered his bag and searched for it frantically but
it wasn’t there.
“Senorita…” Solo called out to me.
It was too late, I had long reached the floor in a mock dead
faint. Deep down I muttered to myself,
"Make una dey find money de go...Senorita don faint!"
