followed by constant calls from Freda
to my phone. She wanted to be my date
for the period we were at home. I liked
her, not like I did in the past but I
thought she'd be handy once in a
while. She loved me still and told me
all she needed was my attention and
nothing more. I was OK with the
arrangement only that she called me
each day like she needed more than my
attention and it wasn't cool with me.
"I thought you had this guy you were
always flaunting in my face back
then?" I asked her the day we talked on
the phone.
"I left him. He wasn't like you."
"And how am I?" I asked, dipping the
baby bottle into Chinaza's mouth. I left
her and the bottle and turned to my
phone.
"Spoilt," she said slowly and I bit my
lips. Chinaza gurgled and sucked at her
feeding bottle. I rubbed her belly.
"You want a spoilt guy?" I asked.
"Not exactly but the guy was too
churchy. I think he confesses to the
priest each time we make love."
"Hahaha, how do you know that?"
"Stop asking me that question joor, are
you coming over?" she asked.
"No, I am with my daughter here," I
replied.
"Where is that? I want to come over."
"I am at Naza's place. Talk to you
later," I said. We dropped the call and I
turned to my daughter on the bed. She
had spilled her bottled tea all over her
face and was giving me one of those
cute giggles that makes her look like
her mother.
"Don't you know how to feed a baby?"
Chinaza called from the door, strapping
Chinecherem to herself.
"I know how to feed a baby, we were
just playing," I replied and tickled the
baby on the bed. She cackled. "See?"
Naza smiled weakly and walked up to
us on the bed. She dropped the boy on
me and turned to the baby girl.
"All those Nollywood movies you watch
are so much wasted on you," I
muttered.
"How?" she asked turning to me with
the baby in her hand.
"In a proper Nigerian film, you should
give me a kiss when you walk into the
room," I replied. She stared at me for a
while like she was deciding what to do
with me. Then in a twist, she came
closer and latched a kiss on my lips.
The first in months. My eyes widened.
"Come again please, I wasn't prepared
for that one," I said. She came again,
this time longer and when we
separated, Freda stood at the door,
looking like she just got out of a beauty
pageant.
"What?" Chinaza asked, the quarrel all
over her face. I was overly dumbstruck.
Freda was crazy, that I knew but I
never knew she had nerves too. My
heart beat at the speed of light as I
thought of the crazy things she could
say at that moment.
"Hello Naza. I just came to see the
babies. Chinecherem told me about
them," she sang, still stuck to the
doorway like she was waiting for an
invitation to come in. I let out a fake
smile as I scolded her with my eyes.
"Come in," I said with a fake boldness.
She walked slowly towards us. She was
beautiful as she came and Naza hated
having someone like her around me,
especially when it was Freda.
"Meet them, Chinecherem and
Chinaza," I introduced, pointing from
the boy to the girl.
"Can I carry them?" she asked, her eyes
on Naza.
"Yes," she replied slowly, shifting
uncomfortably.
"They are beautiful and they look like a
combination of the both of you," She
said as she rocked Chinaza to herself.
"Yes. They will grow up to be like their
father," I said proudly.
"God forbid!" the two ladies snapped
and looked at each other with
a bold smile. The tension eased and a
conversation came up. Freda loved to
talk and soon roped Naza in. I was the
butt of every joke that ever came on
and I pondered why Freda would want
to be all chatty with Chinaza. Someone
she hated.
"I have to bathe this one," Naza said
after sometime, picking the baby girl
from the bed.
"Can't he do it?" Freda asked, referring
to me.
"This one, he will soak her in the bath
water and forget her there," Naza said.
"You know that is not true," I defended.
"Don't worry, I know what you can
do," Freda said. Naza laughed her way
out of the
of the room. We watched her go. Her
fine figure swinging to the tune of an
imaginary music. She was perfect,
Chinaza. I shouldn't be running after
any other girl but Freda was there and
she obviously didn't come to see the
babies.
"So why are you here?" I asked,
turning to her.
"I am missing you and I couldn't wait
for you to be through with the baby
sitting."
"And you had to come here?" She
nodded, opening her eyes wider at me.
They were sexy eyes but we were in
Chinaza's room and I shouldn't be
thinking about it.
"So do you want to put me in trouble?"
I asked.
"What trouble?"
"Chinaza and me. Do you want her to
catch us?"
"Yes. She will leave you and then I will
have you to myself. Besides the both of
you have really tried. You have been
together for years now and you even
have children. You guys should break
up jare so other people will have a
taste of you."
I stared at her for long. She stole
glances from me as she twisted the tip
of her braid. I shook my head and bit
my lips.
"If we were in my house right now, I
would have sent you away," I declared.
She giggled and I smiled. My baby boy
giggled too. She turned to him and
picked him up.
"Fine boy, cute like his father," She
said and threw a look at me. I smiled
and fell back on the bed.
"Look at me sweetheart. I am your
stepmother," she declared and my
laughter drowned the room.
Time ran and the sun traveled far to
the west. My phone rang and James's
number came up on the screen.
"Papa Ejima," he hailed as I picked.
"Mad man howfar?" I asked.
"Fine nigga. You just forget us naa."
"I no forget you guys. I am now a
family man and my family comes
first," I said and we laughed.
"No yawa naa. But I get one gist that
will make you run down to my lodge
now now, family man aside."
"Gist me naa."
"I dy my lodge with Chinemelum now
now and only us dy here like this," he
announced. My heart pounded.
"Your sister?" I asked.
"No, my mother," he hissed and the
line went dead.
To be continued
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