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EPISODE 5
Aisha
paced around Craig’s living room. “Give a mansion to a pig and he’ll still make
it a sty. Why is this place a mess?” She asked. Craig rolled his eyes as he
flung his shorts from a corner on the sofa to another corner in the living room
in a bid to make space for Aisha and Moira to take their seats.
“It’s a big deal with the guys
here.” He replied lazily as he slumped into a seat.
Aisha
clenched her teeth in anger as she took a gaze at the living room. One would
find it hard to believe that Craig emanated from such an environment once he
stepped out of the house. He had dashing looks and well-ironed clothes like
every other smart-looking man, but, his house??? Shirts lying around the
parlour as though they owned it. Underwears and stockings graced the small alley that led
to the room. Alcohol bottles and cans stashed in corners of the house. This
made Aisha sick. She could not believe what Craig had made out of one of her
best properties.
“This is just disgusting.” Aisha
said.
Craig
nodded. “I know. But you really should call next time you want to visit. I got
a cleaner for the house, she only comes during the weekends.”
“Do you need a nanny too?! It’s been
barely a week since you moved in here.” Aisha protested as she hurled a
dangling shirt at him. “What are you trying to do, Craig?”
He
took a deep breath. “Look, I am not the only one who lives here. I have friends
here too, together we can take the credit for the mess, but you’ll just have to
wait for them to arrive before you continue lashing me. Trust me, they are a
bunch, about six or seven?”
“I am not marrying all your dumb
friends, you are the one I have a business with. This is unacceptable.” She
said, standing up.
Moira
cleared her throat. “Aisha-”
“Don’t
Aisha me! Have you seen what this guy has turned this place into? Suppose you
are caught unawares by the press and they decide to see what your crib looks
like, is this what you are going to show them?” Aisha asked.
Craig shrugged. “Yes, mom.”
“What?!” Aisha gasped.
Moira couldn’t hold it. She burst into an awkward laugh.
It however took a cold eye from Aisha to curb her laugh.
“This is one big joke to you, right?” Aisha
asked staring at Craig.
He
nodded. “I mean what do you call being forced to marry a woman? It has to be a
joke. Look Aisha, you can’t come here telling me how to lead my life, okay? I
am going to marry you, you are going to accept me however I am.” He said
smiling. “I mean, it’s all fun and games, right?”
Aisha
took her seat slowly. “Wow. It’s all fun and games, right? Craig, I
am getting you a P.A, you will have an agenda. You will follow the agenda. You
will stick to my rules. Number one is, kick those friends out.”
“No, mom. I can’t do that.” He
replied. “I mean, it is sick enough that I have to get married soon. Can’t I at
least have friends while I wait for you to set the date?”
Aisha
took a deep breath. “Rule number two: The next time you call me mom, you are going to regret it.”
“What’s the worst that can happen?
Look Aisha, I get the drill. I know what you want. I am going to help you
achieve it. I have my methods and I always win, so stop getting in my way.” He
said as he grabbed the controller to the television. “If you don’t mind, I’d
like to watch TV, or would you decide when I watch that too? Oh…you might as
well set parental locks on the decoder.”
Aisha
felt sweat trickle down her back. She was nervous. She had never been this
nervous. She had never had it this tough with anyone. To take on Craig, she had
to be well-fortified. She really needed plans. This might have looked like a
simple agreement, but Craig appeared to going overboard, at least to her.
Aisha
picked her bag, standing up and Moira immediately rose to her feet. “Take care
of this mess, Craig. I mean it.”
“I will, mom.” He replied grinning.
++++****++++
Aisha
kicked her car tyre hard as soon as they left Craig’s house. “I swear I could
break that guy’s balls.”
“Good! I heard it right this time.” Moira
said with a smile.
Aisha
swallowed. “He has so much gut. Who is he to talk to me anyhow?”
“He is the man who is going to marry
you so you can claim your inheritance before your father decides to will it to
an orphanage.”
Aisha
scoffed. “He dare not mess with me.”
“You know he can do it and that’s
why you are so desperate.”
Aisha
shook her head in disagreement. “I am desperate because I don’t want Hakeem to
keep bothering me. If I can convince father of Craig and I, and we quickly pull
that marriage stunt, dad would understand my decision to stay single. I mean, I
would be a divorcee by then. He’ll feel sorry for me.”
“Don’t be too certain. Alhaji is
well-respected, he won’t let you have a divorce that easily.” Moira said as she
opened the door of the car. “We should get going.”
Aisha
nodded. “Yeah, I need to plan that guy’s life; I won’t let him mess me up. For
starters, this weekend, he is going with me to the Tennis club.”
“What if he can’t play tennis?”
Moira asked.
“Oh well, that’s his luck! That will
make the headline.” Aisha said starting the car.
Moira
stared at her. “Aisha, I really think there is still time for you to fire this
guy and open your heart to real love.”
“Moira, what have you been
drinking?” Aisha asked. “It is too early to be drunk.”
Moira
rolled her eyes. “You are always evasive of the truth, I just think that this
guy might be too much to handle.”
Aisha
smiled. “Good. I am not going easy either.” She said as she drove off.
++++****++++
Aisha
picked up the TV controller and tuned away from Fashion TV. “Don’t you have
anything to do with your life, Moira?” she asked.
“I was just doing something before
you decided to ruin the moment for me.” Moira replied. “Ah, and you consider
tuning to a Sport channel as something better?”
Aisha
nodded as she stopped at a football game. “My brain is so tired of work that I
need to unwind.”
“If you want to unwind, you should
be sleeping, or go to a club, the night is still young, just seven pm.” Moira
replied.
“I’ll pass on your offer.” She
replied.
Moira
hissed. “Do you have to subject me to this torture of watching grown men
kicking balls into the net?”
“Look on the bright side, you can
admire the players while I admire the sport.” Aisha replied.
Moira
grinned. “Why do I get the feeling that you are actually doing that when you
say you are watching football? I mean, some of these guys are actually cute,
maybe that’s what you come here to view, not actually the game.”
“I don’t care what you think.” Aisha
replied.
The
doorbell chimed. “You have been saved by the bell, I am coming back for you.”
Moira said as she walked over to the door. She returned to the living room with
Craig. “Look who we have here, it is your dear future husband.”
Aisha
turned off the TV. “What do you want? I don’t remember sending for you.” She
said and paused to take a look at his dressing. “No one can guess the type of
filth you’ve come out from when you are dressed like this.”
“Get dressed. We are going to see
your father.” Craig said as he took his seat.
Aisha
stared at Moira and then back at Craig. “Look here man-”
“-Get dressed woman. I have my
methods, it is time we try my style.”
Moira
grinned. “Of course, this is going to be fun.” She said as she dragged Aisha
upstairs.
++++****++++
“I am begging you not to go
overboard.” Aisha said as they drove into Alhaji’s compound. “He is very
intelligent and he can spot a fake when he sees one, so you had better be
careful.”
Craig
turned off the engine and stared at her. “As long as you play the dutiful
woman, we have no problem impressing him.”
“Try not to mention too many exotic
places. I know you have goggled up places and towns, don’t go acting like you
know them.” She added.
Craig
nodded and stepped out of the car. He walked over to her side and opened the
door for her. “Shall we?”
“I am going to kill you if this is
messed up.” Aisha said as they walked into the house.
“Whoa!” Craig said as they walked
through the hallway. “Is your father a king or something?”
Aisha
shook her head. “You’ve started failing already. I know you’ve never seen
anything as beautiful as this, please pretend as if you have.”
Alhaji
Ibrahim met them in the hallway. “Aisha dear.” He said as he pecked her.
“Craig, right?”
Craig
nodded as he stretched out his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
“So, where did she fish you from?”
Alhaji asked as they walked into the house.
Craig
stared at Aisha with a surprised look and then back at Alhaji. “Fish me?”
Alhaji
nodded as he ushered them to their seats. “Aisha has never brought a man home
and for reasons best known to Aisha and myself, it is a beauty to have you
here.”
“I…I was the one who wanted to
come.” Craig said.
Alhaji
Ibrahim relaxed in his seat. “Really? And why is that?”
Craig
smiled. “For obvious reasons. She’s always bragged about your home.”
Aisha
gasped.
“Aisha? Brag? My Home? Does it sound
like my girl?” Alhaji Ibrahim replied.
Aisha
immediately grabbed a glass of champagne from the maid and started to drink.
The maid set the remaining drinks and walked away.
“A lot of things about Aisha that
you probably don’t know, sir. No offence.” Craig replied.
Alhaji
Ibrahim nodded. “You may be right, son. So, did you guys attend university
together?”
Craig
nodded in agreement. “Yes sir, although we were not very good friends back
then, but I said hi a lot. I did humiliate myself around her.”
“Finally! A good lie!” Aisha said
almost inaudibly through her clenched teeth.
Alhaji
nodded. “I won’t be surprised.”
“Nonetheless, she is really special
and her love for you has made me really interested in knowing my competition.”
Aisha
rolled her eyes. “Dad, Craig is a really troublesome man. He’s all about going
out with me and he is troubled that I won’t go out with him, and that is the
truth. He insisted that I bring him to see the man that has my heart and that’s
why we are here.”
Alhaji
Ibrahim smiled. “Am I that special to you?” he asked with a smile.
Aisha
nodded. “Dad, can we keep our differences aside?” she asked with a smile. “This
guy is a stranger and he is trying to take your place in my life.”
Alhaji
Ibrahim nodded. “With all pleasure.”
Craig
smiled as he stared at Aisha. “So, I’ll keep pestering you.”
Alhaji
Ibrahim cleared his throat. “We should have dinner together. The three of us.
Let’s go to the table.”
++++****++++
“Still staying locked up?” Bolu
asked as he walked into Daniel’s room. “There’s space for you in Craig’s
house.”
Daniel
hissed. “I just don’t want to be around that guy anymore. Why does he always
get the good things?”
“Are we still on this Vicky issue?”
Bolu asked, taking a seat. “Guy, get over it. It is not Craig’s fault that the
babe doesn’t like you.”
Daniel
nodded. “I see. What about this Aisha’s case, it was my stand and she chose
him.”
“GUY! Wetin you dey talk nau? (What are you saying?) You are acting
crazy, man. It sucks to be Craig right now in case you don’t know.”
Daniel
hissed as he downed his drink. “Money, Car, House, Clothes, and Aisha? Why
won’t I want to be him?”
“Daniel, I can’t believe you are
talking like this. Is this because of Vicky? Craig is not responsible for
Vicky’s feelings. If you want to take it out on someone, talk to Vicky.”
Daniel
nodded. “Easy for you to say, you are eating from his rich girlfriend’s plate
now.”
Bolu
shook his head. “Man, you are pathetic.”
“Get out! I am done with you guys!”
“For real?”
Daniel
nodded. “For real.”
++++****++++
“You should come over to the tennis
club this weekend.” Alhaji Ibrahim said as he walked Craig and Aisha over to
the car.
Craig
shrugged. “I think I have a less hectic weekend, I might make it.”
“Do you play
tennis, Craig?” Aisha asked.
He
smiled. “I’ll bring my racket.” He said as he walked over to the driver’s side.
Alhaji
Ibrahim pulled Aisha aside gently. “I like him.” He said with a smile. “Very
confident lad. You guys might do well together.”
“I don’t like him, Dad.” Aisha
replied. “I brought him here so he’ll stop bugging me.” She added. The gate
opened and Hakeem’s car rode in. “Hakeem?”
Alhaji
Ibrahim nodded. “Yes. Good thing you haven’t left.”
Hakeem
approached them. “Good evening, Alhaji.” He said.
Alhaji
nodded with a smile. “How are you, Hakeem?”
“Very well, sir.” He replied and
turned in Aisha’s direction. “Aisha, how are you?”
She
smiled back. “Fine, thank you.”
Craig
joined them. “Shall we, Aisha?”
Hakeem
turned in his direction. “Hello?”
“Hakeem, meet my friend, Craig.
Craig, meet Hakeem.”
Craig
stretched out a hand to him. “Good evening.”
Hakeem
stared at him and took the hand firmly. “Good evening.”
Craig
turned in Alhaji Ibrahim’s direction. “Good night, sir. It’s been a real
pleasure.”
“For me too. Have a good evening.
Hakeem, you are here to see me, right?”
Hakeem
swallowed as he watched Craig usher Aisha into the car. “Yes sir.” He replied
and followed Alhaji Ibrahim.
++++****++++
“I don’t get it, Alhaji, how is he
Aisha’s boyfriend?” Hakeem asked perturbed.
Alhaji
took a deep breath. “I have not said that he is her boyfriend. All I am saying
is that, they seem very intimate as friends.”
“Intimate? That means something is
going on between them. Little wonder Aisha is softer these days.”
Alhaji
stared at him. “What do you mean?”
Hakeem
resisted the urge to tell Alhaji about the incident at his house. “It’s
nothing, Alhaji. Sir, I really need your help to win her heart. She listens to
you.”
Alhaji
shook his head sadly. “You don’t get it, son. We have no right over some
things, the only thing I can tell you is that Aisha told me that she doesn’t
like him. Perhaps, you can use that in your favour and see if you might be able
to win her over.”
Hakeem
nodded. “I’ll do everything in my power to make her mine.”
“I advise you to just take it easy.”
Alhaji replied. “So, what do I offer you?”
Hakeem
waved it off. “I am fine, sir.”
++++****++++
“Seems you would need more action
from me.” Craig said as he pulled up in Aisha’s garage.
Aisha
took off the seat belt. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“That guy back at your father’s. He
seemed ruffled by me. Who is he?” he asked.
She
rolled her eyes. “Hakeem means nothing.”
“I can guess he leads the line of
your suitors.” Craig replied as he turned in her direction. “We should make
this acting more intense.”
She
stared at him. “What do you mean? My father already likes you, which wins it
for me.”
“He might like me, but I am sure
that he would not be very comfortable yet. Hakeem as you call him is Muslim and
I am Christian.”
Aisha
stared at him with shock all over her face. “Are you suggesting that my father
is going to be judgemental?”
He
shook his head in disagreement. “I am not saying that, but, it is a
possibility.”
“I think you should keep it out of
the picture for now.” She replied as she placed her hand on the lock trying to
open the door. “What is wrong with the door?” she asked as she turned in his
direction.
He
stared at her. “You are beautiful. I should have said that earlier.”
She
scoffed. “Is that part of the deal?”
“No. I…I just thought I should say
it.” He replied.
She
nodded. “Henceforth, I suggest that you keep such impulses to yourself, are we
clear?”
He
nodded. “Have a good night.”
++++****++++
“You don’t give up, do you?” Vicky
asked as Daniel approached her.
He
shook his head. “Vicky, I care a lot about you, Craig doesn’t.”
“If you cared so much, you won’t be
telling me that Craig doesn’t care about me.”
He
took a deep breath. “I am trying to be realistic here. Look, Vicky, when a man
loves a woman, he’ll do anything to make her happy.”
“How’s it going for you? I am obviously
not happy and you want to worsen it for me.”
“Are you ever going to love me?”
She
shrugged. “I don’t think so, but, you can do me a favour by telling me where to
find Craig, I have been searching for him? I’ll appreciate you for that.”
He
swallowed. “I…I don’t know.”
She
smiled. “Typical you! I didn’t expect you to be of help. Good luck loving me.”
He
took a deep breath. “I am being honest. He’s moved out of the house.”
“Why?”
Daniel
rubbed his palms against his pocket. “I…I don’t know why.”
“You are lying, Daniel. I have been
to the mall, I haven’t seen him. He’s not been to the cafeteria or bar in days,
no one has seen him around this hood. Where is he? Where is Bolu?”
Daniel
stared at her. “I hate to tell you but Craig is getting married.”
Vicky
stared at him confusingly. “Married?”
“Yes. Craig is getting married and
pretty soon.”
Vicky
took a seat and Daniel took his beside her. “Is this how desperate you are?
Daniel, you are loser. You were a loser. You are a loser and you will always be
a loser.” She replied.
++++****++++
“So, you think Alhaji is convinced?” Moira asked.
Aisha
nodded. “He looked it, but Craig brought up an issue that has me slightly
concerned.”
“What might that be? Religion?”
Moira asked as she sipped her drink.
Aisha
nodded. “Exactly. Do you think Alhaji will give us problems with that? I mean,
I can’t even start looking for a Muslim right now.”
“Hakeem is not far away.” Moira
replied. Aisha ignored her. “Look Aisha, I think we should look for a quick
alternative.”
Aisha
shot at her. “I am not investing in another man.”
“I totally understand you, but you
have to do something about this, else, Alhaji might actually spring up the
religion thing soon.”
Aisha
smiled. “Or I could convert to a Christian, right? It’s not like I don’t attend
more church services than I go to the mosque.”
“The right question is when last did
you go to the mosque?” Moira retorted. Aisha shrugged in response. “I really
don’t think that’s the solution. Alhaji won’t be buoyed. I think you should
step this drama up.”
Aisha
stared at her. “Like make it intense?”
“Exactly! That’s the word. Give it
some intensity. Add some life to it.”
Aisha
nodded. “Craig was saying the same thing too. But how?” Moira shrugged and
continued drinking. “Hey!” Aisha shouted at her. “Think! You are the genius in
things like this.”
“Really? For once, you actually
concede that I am actually better than you at something.” Moira said with a
smile.
Aisha
rolled her eyes. “In this case, I’d love being second to you.”
“That’s subtle for saying I don’t
think of smart things, right?”
Aisha
smiled. “I never said so, but since you have implied it, I might as well agree
with you.”
“Well, let’s see where being cocky
gets you. I am not helping out anymore.” Moira replied as she turned her nose
up.
Aisha
smiled. “I am sorry, love. Please help me.”
“On one condition.”
Aisha
nodded. “Ask.”
“You won’t make fun of my boyfriend
again?”
Aisha
smiled. “The one on the internet?”
“I have met him once.”
Aisha
nodded. “Yes, via Skype of course.”
Moira
ignored her.
“Okay, fine. I promise never to talk
about him in such tone again. Would you now come up with an idea?”
Moira
smiled. “Well, I have always had the idea and it just became clearer.”
“Spill!”
Moira nodded. “Your next line of
action is to move in with Craig.”
