***
Ebuka walked quickly down the brightly lit corridor towards a room at the far end of the passage.
He opened the door without knocking and stepped inside. Ama who had just taken her bath and was applying cream to her body, turned round.
She smiled on seeing Ebuka.
"Honey, you're back! How was your day?"
He stared at her for a moment then stepped further into the bedroom.
"It was going well until I returned home."
"Oh," she intoned, a wary look in her eyes.
"Why Ama?" he queried. "Why do you like doing these things?"
"What have I done now?" she asked cautiously.
"You're asking me? Do you know Comfort has been crying since this afternoon?"
"So?" she shrugged. "What has that got to do with me?"
"Because you caused it! You and your sharp tongue! Why do you enjoy provoking her so much? Must you say such nasty things to her?"
."What exactly did I say that's wrong?" she countered.
"You know what you did!" he said, pausing. "And you need to stop all this or..."
Ama stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes shooting sparks.
"Or what? Why are you always taking sides with her anytime we have issues?" she demanded.
" I'm not taking sides with anyone. I don't just like the way you treat her afterall she's done fou you, for us. It's not right," Ebuka said firmly. "You need to change your attitude, so we can have peace in this house."
Her mouth twisted in a pout as she held his gaze defiantly.
"Alright, I've heard you."
He turned as if to leave the room and she held his hand to stop him.
"Are you just going to leave? I thought you were spending the night with me."
He gazed at her without speaking.
"It's been long since you visited me in my room. Is it that you no longer find me attractive?" she said. With her fingers, she slipped the straps of her nightie off her shoulders. It fell at her feet, leaving her naked except for her panties.
He stared transfixed at her body, at her rounded boobs that had grown fuller with nursing the baby.
He stretched his right hand and held her shoulder as if to draw her towards him.
Then he pushed her away.
"I'm not in the mood!" he said then turned and walked out of the room.
***
They sat at the rooftop section of the bar and placed their orders of beer and 'small chops'.
Fabian drank the contents of his glass one long gulp, wiped his mouth and relaxed back in his chair.
"It's been long I came over to your place. How's my little Nonso?".
"He's growing fast," said Ebuka to his friend. "He will be two years old next week. We are planning a little party for him. Hope you can make it as there will be a side party for the adults too."
"If I'm in town, why not?" Fabian said. "And how are our wives?" he added, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Ebuka shrugged. "They are there, with their usual wahala (trouble)."
Fabian laughed and said:
"You're a strong man o! Not many guys can cope with what you re doing. Two women under the same roof? Ha! A recipe for anarchy!"
"It's tough, I admit," said Ebuka wryly. "Especially coping with someone like Ama who's hot- tempered.
But she's not the problem now."
His friend looked at him enquiring.
"What is?"
"It's Ama's mother. She came over to spend some time with Ama who's pregnant again."
"Congrats man! Nonso is going to have a little brother or sister then," said Fabian, raising his glass in a toast.
"Thanks. It's a boy from the scan Ama did," Ebuka disclosed, smiling. "The woman wants to bring conflict into my home. She's making life difficult
for my wife, often making snide remarks about her condition."
"What's that?" Fabian asked.
"You know since she had the miscarriage sometime ago, she has not been able to conceive again. And the woman tries to remind her about it at every opportunity. Like what she said the other day that really got me pissed."
"What did she say?"
"Ama and I were talking about the baby, the names we would choose for him and stuff like that when the mother butted in and started talking about Comfort, asking me what was the point of keeping a barren, unproductive woman like her in the house? That I was wasting my money and effort tilling a barren land that can never produce fruit!" he said.
"Wow! That's mean!"
"I didn't take it lightly with her and really told her off."
"Good," said Fabian, nodding. "You shouldn’t give her room to cause problems in your home."
"The woman is troublesome," said Ebuka, gazing thoughtfully at his half full glass of cold beer. "I think her game plan is to have me kick Comfort out if the house so only her daughter will remain. That won't happen! I love my wife. If anyone should leave, it should be her."
Fabian raised his glass for another toast.
"Way to go, man! Way to go! No room for troublesome mothers- in-law!"
They both laughed then drained their glasses of the golden brown liquid.
"So, how long are you staying in South Africa?" Fabian asked sometime later as they got ready to leave the bar. Ebuka had told him earlier about his trip to Jo'burg on business.
"About a week. I have meetings with my business partners over that plastic manufacturing factory I'm planning to build. Comfort is coming with me. She wants to do some shopping," he disclosed.
He initially had wanted to travel with Ama. Maybe, it was guilt or pity, but he had changed his mind later and picked Comfort.
Ama had not been happy over his choice but there was nothing he could do about it.
"It's a good thing you're going with your wife. That way, you won't be tempted by all the beautiful 'flowers' over there. I hear their women are very beautiful, "said Fabian as they headed towards their cars in the wide car park.
"I've my hands full with the two at home. When will I have time with the beautiful 'flowers' or whatever in SA?" he quipped.
"Maybe I'll travel down one of these days and get one of these lovely 'flowers' for myself. What do you think?" said Fabian.
"Good for you. About time you settled down, anyway. You are not getting younger you know at 34."
"33," Fabian corrected him. "My birthday is still months away."
"Whatever," said Ebuka. "Anyway, I'll look around on my trip and help select a bride for you."
"No way! I'll choose my bride myself. I don't want to be like you whose bride was chosen by his mother and he ended up with two!"
Ebuka wagged a finger at him. "You and your bad mouth!"
Fabian laughed as he got into his car, waved at his friend then drove away.
***
"Baby," said Ama as she got into the wide bed besides Ebuka later that night. Though his eyes were closed, she knew he was not sleeping.
"Hmm?" he grunted, rolling on his back to look at her. "What's it?"
"It's about the trip to SA. I was thinking, why don't I come with you so I could shop for the baby?" she said.
"I thought we had settled this matter already. Comfort is coming with me and that's final, ok?"
"Why can't I come? Why must it be her? Every time, it's Comfort this, Comfort that! What about me?" she said in a petulant tone.
"Seems you're in one of your moods. I don't have time for this argument this night. I'm tired and need to rest. Put off the light let's get some sleep," Ebuka said, turning his back on her and laying on his stomach.
"You must talk about it o! I'll come with you whether you like it or not. In fact, all of us are going! You want to leave me here while you go and be enjoying with her. It won't happen!" she grumbled.
She got no response from him so she lay fully besides him on the bed, her arm stretched across his bare back in a possessive manner...
To be continued
Thanks for reading the story up to this point- it's a long series but we are almost reaching the end with a few episodes left. So, stay tuned to find out what happened to Ebuka and the two women in the end...
Happy holidays!
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