Anna's Money!

“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!"