Back To The Roots – Episode 2

Bola was inconsolable. There was no way she would forgive herself for the stupid words she spoke few minutes ago. She had used her hand, or more appropriately, her mouth, to destroy her marriage of 10 years and her relationship of 15 years. Looking back now, she should have just kept her mouth shut. She should have just allowed the matter to die down, as she had done several times before that. She should have played the fool again for the sake of her family. As those thoughts ran through her mind, something came up.

Suddenly, she realized that she had every right to say those words. She had helped this ingrate for so long. She had rejected several men before and after they got married. She brought his children to the world. Despite all this, he was blind and refused to acknowledge her role in his ascent. Good riddance then! He was free to do whatever he wanted and to go wherever he wanted. She was sure that he would never find someone like her. She was sure he would be back before she knew it. She would not bother herself. She would simply wait for him to come back to his senses.

Ade, on the other hand, was tired of going around in circles. He had travelled the length and breadth of the city, and by this time, it was obvious to even a blind man that he had nowhere to go. It was getting dark and the fuel in his tank was running low. So, he decided to look for the nearest Automated Teller Machine. He found one in two minutes and made withdrawals. He ensured that the amount he got was enough to fill his tank, pay for a night in a hotel and take care of other miscellaneous expenses. As he left there, he scouted for a hotel that look decent and he drove in.

© Iremide Akinsola

Call girls winked at him as he got down from his car. He smiled. On another day he would have gladly picked up one or two of them, but today was no ordinary day. The things weighing on his mind were enormous and he didn’t have time for pleasure. At least not for now. He paid for a night, ordered for a meal and then made his way to the elevator. As he lay on the bed, he began to consider his next line of action. He considered returning home and sending his wife back to her parents. He considered leaving her there and moving to the second house they built few kilometres from their home. He considered several things. As he pondered on his next line of action, he slept off.

The next morning, a knock at the door woke him up. It was room service. The young man asked if he cared for the complimentary breakfast. He nodded. As he stretched, the thought hit him. He would travel to Abuja for a week-long vacation. Yes! That was what he would do.

He called his MD, cooked up a story and got himself off work for the next 10 working days. Suddenly, it was not all gloom and doom. He was going to have fun, no-holds-barred fun!

Thirty minutes later, he left Lagos for Abuja. With the music player booming and the vehicle stocked with assorted treats, he was in for a fun ride. Or so he thought. 3 hours into the journey, he started to have a rethink. What was he going to do in Abuja? Why was he going to spend so much on momentary pleasure? Should he call his wife and apologize to her? He shook off those thoughts and continued on his journey. Less than twenty minutes later, his car had a flat tyre. He was in the middle of nowhere and he was scared. Fortunately, he had a spare. So, he parked and started to bring the spare tyre out. Suddenly, he felt a hard object hit him. As he lost consciousness, he saw that he was surrounded by masked men. He knew instantly that he was finished!

Oya oo.. The journey haff continu.

Was Bola right to get angry with her husband? Why do you think Ade decided against turning back? Was the flat tyre a natural occurrence or man-made? If man-made, do you think Bola had a hand in it?

I’m looking forward to reading your comments. 🙂