TAMISHO - My Story. My Life (22)

The Attack, Protea And Cancer

I look at my phone in annoyance as the red LED light begins to blink again. My reflection picks up the phone on her countertop and stares at it thoughtfully.

“Why is he calling?”

I shrug and turn the cap of the cup of cream before me, “I wish I knew.”

Using my index finger of my right hand, I scoop up some cream, place it in the center of my left hand and rub my palms together while my reflection reads from the phone in her hand.

“I have material that will help you. Come over to my place this evening.”

“I already told him no,” I mutter quietly, rubbing body cream into my neck as I watch my reflection return the phone back to the countertop. “Why is he still sending them?”

“He sounds persistent.”

I nod wordlessly and reach for more cream.

“Have you asked Shadda to help you reveal his plans?”

I am just about to respond, one hand on the countertop for support as I attend to the ball of my right foot when Shadda walks into the bathroom from the window.

“Somebody just called my name.”

I offer Shadda a smile but my reflection squeals in delight and claps her hands. “You came.”

“Where have you been?”

Shadda turns her attention back to me. “I have been around.”

“You were not here.”

Shadda snorts. “Blind mortal. Of course I was.”

Picking up a tube of Veet from the countertop, Shadda studies it for some minutes. “Shaving cream.”

“Shadda,” my reflection begins at the other side of the mirror. “Do you think meeting Jude is a good idea?”

Shadda’s sigh is long and when it ends, she looks at me. “He is carrying a burden on his soul.”

“I don’t trust him.”

“You should not.”

“But do you think she should meet him?” My reflection asks, impatience in her voice and on her face.

Shadda turns to give her a kind smile. “I cannot think for you Tamisho.”

My reflection blinks at Shadda in disappointment. “Not again.”

“My purpose is not to interfere but to help.”

I shrug and and reach for the towel hanging from the towel bar on the door.

“I don’t think it will be a good idea to meet with him anyway.”

“You can meet him at the restaurant.”

I sigh at my reflection. “Give it up.”

The tiny squeak of the door handle catches us off guard and for a split second, I stare at it in trepidation, frozen with the thought that Richard is about to catch me in strange company. It is only when Richard walks into the bathroom that I remember that Shadda can make herself invisible and manage to relax a little.

“Hi there,” Richard says, strolling towards me with a curious smile. “You have been here for quite some time.”

“I got carried away.”

Richard looks at the phone sitting next to the toothbrush holder and back at me.

“I thought you were on the phone.”

I turn to cast a discrete glance at the spot where Shadda was standing before Richard’s entry. Gone. My relief disappears when I turn back to Richard. He heard me talking to Shadda and my reflection?

“I was on…on the phone.”

Richard stops before me and leans in for a kiss. “You look tense,” he observes when he leans back.

I attempt surprise. “I do?”

One brow lifted in question, Richard looks around the bathroom, his eyes finally settling on the mirror. My reflection is clutching her towel against her chest and looking every bit as unsettled as I look. I am starting to give thanks when I notice with horror that there is nothing similar about the way we are holding our towels. I am wrapped up in my towel, but my reflection is holding hers up like a shield against her body. Richard must have seen the difference because he stares at my reflection for some time, his head angled to the left. I know he will be turning to me any second so I prepare to return my reflection back to the state of submission.

“Weird,” is all Richard says when he turns to me.

“What?”

“Your reflection…”

I can hear the thoughts moving around in his head, but they are too fast for me to keep up with them. The second his eyes move away from me, I take away my reflection’s will and return her to her normal state.

“Weird,” Richard says again, but this time he shrugs. “I guess that was my mind playing tricks on me.”

“How so?”

Richard pulls me into his arms. “Don’t worry about it.”

I am happy not to worry about him finding me in a difficult position and concentrate on savouring his scent. I reach down to pull out the tails of his white shirt from his black pants for a feel of his skin.

“You got back pretty early.”

Richard nods and cups my left breast through my towel. “I was supposed to be home even earlier but I had to make a quick stop somewhere.”

I lean into his touch as he kisses my neck. “Hmmm, work?”

“Nope.”

“Oh.”

“Well it was a work related meeting,” Richard says, prying my fingers loose from my towel. I release my grip on the towel and it slips down my waist. His eyes boring into mine and a half smile on his face, Richard reaches down to pull the towel from between us. Taking away his eyes to look down at my exposed breasts, Richard’s smile turns predatory and sexy at the same time, but I am courting common sense at that moment.

“Tell me about the meeting.”

Richard says nothing, simply backing me against the countertop and placing a kiss on my lips. I know he is trying to shut me up.

“Was the meeting with Tokunbo?” I ask, refusing to relent.

I am treated to a minute’s silence as Richard’s hands travel past my navel to settle at the band of my white lace panties.

“Yes.”

“The outcome?”

A long sigh and the cloud of desire begins to lift from Richard’s eyes and he steps back.

“She is still protesting her innocence.”

I make a face, “so no confession?”

“Nope,” Richard says with another sigh, pushing his hands into his pants.

I step towards Richard and place my hands on his chest. “You already have evidence against her.”

His hands still in his pocket, Richard shakes his head no. “I want conclusive evidence.”

I press myself flat against him. “Define conclusive evidence.”

Rising to the bait, Richard abandons playing cool and takes me up on my offer. I gasp in surprise as his mouth makes contact with my left breast.

I retreat from his sensual assault with a backward step. “Wait.”

“Okay,” Richard says, still stalking me.

I stop when I feel the unwelcome push of the countertop’s edge. “I don’t think we need any more evidence.”

“We don’t?”

“I think you should just let her go.”

Richard shrugs. “Eventually, but I need more evidence.”

I realize that I am not winning the argument and give up when his hands settle back on me again. Tilting my head towards him, Richard kiss is deep and arousing. I forget all about Tokunbo and get lost in time and space. It is the jolt of something vibrating that pulls me back to earth. Richard breaks contact, a look of apology in his eyes as he pulls out his blackberry from his pocket. Pressing down the answer button, he listens with rapt attention.

“Okay. I just got home now. I will log into my system in about five minutes.”

Richard ends the call with a contrite look, “work.”

I am vaguely disappointed but I nod at him with a smile. “We have to keep a roof over our heads.”

A quick kiss and he moves with grace towards the door. “I will be with you in no time.”

“Err…Richard?”

Richard stops from pulling the door open. “Yes?”

“I am going to hang out with my friends in a few minutes.”

Richard flicks his wrist to stare at his wristwatch. “It is almost seven.”

“I should be back home by eight.”

Richard strolls back to meet me. “I want you home on time,” he says, a suggestive note in his voice. I watch mesmerized as he lowers his head once again but this time there is no kiss, only a light brushing of lips that is no less stimulating than the other kisses. When he leaves, I am breathless with desire and wondering if it will be a good idea to call Chika and tell her I won’t be able to make it to the restaurant. I shake my head, remembering my dilemma with Jude and Tokunbo. I am not calling to cancel.



                             *****************************************



“I don’t see why you should not meet him,” Ajumai says with a frown. “What if he has something important to say?”

“You can’t advice a woman to go against her husband’s wish,” Sarah says, shaking her head at Ajumai.

“It is okay to go against your husband’s wish when everything he has is at stake,” Ajumai counters stubbornly.

“You know men,” Bidemi says with a sigh. “They can be so headstrong.”

“Headstrong,” Patricia repeats, nodding in agreement and reaching for her drink.

“Maybe you can meet him in public place.”

I look at Patricia, “he wants me to come to his place.”

“What?”

I nod at Chika. “Yes.”

“Red flag,” Sarah says, making a face, “more reason why you should not trust him.”

Another beep and my friends look at my phone expectantly. I exhale and pick it up, knowing who it is.

Tokunbo and I share a history. A very interesting history. Your husband is involved. I think we should talk tonight.

“Not again.”

Chika asks to read the text message, when she is done, she passes the phone round.

“Tammy I think you should go and see him,” Ajumai says, ignoring Sarah’s disapproving look. “He might have the missing piece to the Tokunbo puzzle.”

Chika looks torn, her lower lip caught up in her teeth as she rubs her belly. Her actions remind me that she is at the advanced stage of her pregnancy and I forget about Jude for a moment.

“Are you okay?”

Chika stops her rubbing and gives me a small smile. “Apart from worrying about this Jude guy, I think I am fine.”

“When are we due?”

Patricia bites her lip once again as she thinks about Bidemi’s question. “In about three weeks.”

There is excited chatter and everyone struggles to be crowned godmother. I enjoy the distraction for as long as I can before Ajumai remembers me again.

“So are you going to find out what he has to say?”

I start to shake my head and then I remember the conversation between me and Richard less than an hour ago.

I need more evidence.

“Maybe I should see him.”

It is now Chika’s turn to give me a disapproving look. “You have been saying all the right things until this moment.”

“My husband says he needs more evidence.”

“That message reads like he is trying to implicate your husband, not provide further evidence against Tokunbo.”

I know Chika is right, but the more I continue to flirt with the idea in my mind, the more I am convinced that seeing Jude is not such a bad idea. I send a text to Jude asking for his address as my friends watch me. I get a reply almost immediately.

I push my chair back and stand up. “I will be back in a few minutes.”

Still frowning, Chika borrows a blank piece of paper and a pen from Sarah and writes down Jude’s address.

“If I don’t see you in twenty minutes, I am going to your house with this,” she says, brandishing the paper around.

I laugh and promise not to stay a second more than twenty minutes and I leave Terry’s hut, my feet quickened with the promise of more evidence. Anything to get Tokunbo out of Richard’s life.



                                                     ************************************



Jude opens the door with a nervous smile. “Hi.”

“Hello.”

I hold his eyes for a few seconds and see that very little has changed about him. Even though he looks slightly on edge, he still manages to strike a casual pose against the door frame.

“Come in,” he says, holding the door open and stepping aside.

I push my unease aside and step across the threshold. The apartment is an enclave of dark brown leather furnishing, glass coffee tables and side stools, and state of the art electronic gadgets. The place screams bachelor in every possible way.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“No thanks.”

Jude stops halfway through is journey to the open door opposite the living room door and walks to meet me where I am standing beside one of his sofas.

“Please sit down.”

I nod and perch on the sofa. “Thanks.”

Jude picks the sofa nearest to me and begins to make small talk, but I am too fixated on my mission and distracted by the distance between his knees and my own to respond appropriately.

“Let’s talk about you and Tokunbo,” I say at last, tired of the polite back and forth we have been doing for the past few minutes.

“Okay…”

The first revelation does not come as a shock to me but I keep my face neutral so he does not suspect just how little his admission of having a relationship with Tokunbo has surprised me.

“I see.”

“You don’t sound surprised,” Jude says, regarding me shrewdly.

“I am actually,” I tell him, feigning a hurt look. “I just don’t know what to say right now.”

Jude shifts to the edge of his chair and his knees bump against my own. I stiffen from the contact and push back into my seat. I regret the action immediately as Jude decides to invade my space by taking the available space beside me.

“Anything else?”

Jude says he has more. I am surprised by this one. He talks about a plan with Tokunbo to withdraw ten million from the company’s account.

“What?”

“Yes.”

“She talked about asking Richard for a favour and getting turned down….so it was her way of getting back at him.”

“Was this her first time of emm….trying to…get back at him?”

Jude knows I am talking about financial impropriety and he shakes his head. I kick myself for not bringing my note pad along.

Yeah, like he is going to talk with you jotting away beside him.

I agree with my inner voice and go back to prodding Jude. His story is long but the information rather intriguing.

“So the first auditor worked with Tokunbo to under report the company’s financial affairs?”

“Yes,” Jude says with a nod, his eyes drifting to my chest. “They made good money together.”

I scurry further away from him and narrow my eyes at him.

“Are we still having a conversation?”

Jude looks at me coolly. “Your husband…”

I go back to being curious. “What about him?”

“They are still seeing each other.”

I don’t miss the curling of Jude’s upper lip. The look of a jilted lover.

“I am not sure I know what you are talking about.”

“Richard is still sleeping with Tokunbo.”

I recoil as if struck by a blow and then glare at Jude. “No he is not.”

A sneer on his face, Jude reaches for his iPhone on the coffee table and begins to work on the screen.

“Here,” he says, thrusting the phone at me seconds later. “Read that message.”

I collect the phone reluctantly and read the short message from Tokunbo.

On my way to see Richard at Protea. I will be there for some time. I promise to call you back as soon as I am through. You know I am trying to distract him, right? See you soon. Xx

I look for the date and find only the time. 5.30 p.m.

“They met today,” Jude tells me unnecessarily.

I give a careless shrug. “That message doesn't prove anything.”

A shadow crosses Jude’s face. “He is lying to you Tammy.”

“So were you.”

Jude’s eyebrow goes up. “I lied to you?”

I open my mouth, ready to challenge him about his marital status but the words never make it past my mouth. I swallow them back as I think of Richard.

“Never mind,” I tell Jude, placing my hands flat beside me as I prepare to draw to my feet. Jude stops me with a hand on my thigh.

“Please don’t go.”

I ignore his plea and stand up to my feet but I am surprised to see him standing before me almost immediately. He is dangerously close and the desperate look in his eyes is beginning to scare me.

“I have to be home now Jude.”

I see Jude’s next action even as he considers it. My palm meets the soft flesh of his face just in time to stop it from coming down on mine. Jude turns to granite at my attack.

“Sor – sorry about that,” I apologize, my voice barely audible to my own ears. “But you don’t have that right.”

“Is this how you pay me back after everything I told you?”

“I am married for God’s sake, what were you expecting?”

“Married to a man that cheats on you with his ex.”

“It is not your place to worry about Richard’s cheating.”

“It is all about the money, isn't it?”

“What?!” 

"You will stay with him because of his money."

Jude pounces on me before I can recover from his accusation. I dodge his wet mouth, feeling my stomach turn at the prospect of being kissed by another man apart from Richard. I push hard against Jude’s chest, and open my mouth to scream but he clamps his hand over my mouth quickly. I shudder in revulsion as his hands crawl over my body. Just when I think I am about to die a quick death, my phone starts to ring.

Jude stops his groping to look back at my phone in annoyance. I take advantage of the distraction, summon all the energy in my body and shove him back with all my strength. I catch his look of surprise as he tumbles backwards on the three sitter behind him, before landing with an undignified thump on the floor. I dash to the table to pick up my phone and rush the door. The complicated lock overwhelms me for a few minutes before I manage to command it open. The flight downstairs is short and the security guard looks at me in surprise as I dash past him.

I almost scream when I run into a barrier of hard flesh, but I stop just in time when I see who it is.

I sag in relief. “Richard.”

Richard’s face is stony as he stares down at me. “Get into the car.”

I walk to the Mercedes on shaky feet and Richard joins me.

“I am sorry.”

“Don’t,” Richard says, pressing down the ignition button on the dashboard. “Don’t you dare say a word.”

We head back home and the look on the faces of the other drivers on the road is clue that Richard’s speed is above normal.



                                                ***********************************



The bedroom door opens and Richard walks in. From the look in his eyes I can see he is still angry, even though his facial muscles are more relaxed than they were when he picked me from Jude’s apartment.

“Why did you go to his place?”

“I wanted answers.”

“Did it even matter that I asked you not to have anything to do with him?”

“You wanted more evidence.”

“I can’t remember asking you to help me with that.”

I look away from Richard to the drapes on the window. I only turn back when I hear his quiet approach. He sits down on the edge of the bed and stretches his legs before him.

“He said you met with her today at Protea.”

“And how is that news?” Richard asks, his voice rising slightly. “I told you I met with her today.”

At that point, I decide that I have had enough. “Stop snapping at me.”

Richard stare is like a laser beam but I keep myself from flinching. Finally he exhales and throws himself back on the bed.

“I am so pissed right now.”

The fight gone out of me, I inch closer to him. “I am sorry. I should have informed you about my decision to pay him a visit.”

Richard continues staring at the ceiling. Protea pops up again in my head.

“He says you are having an affair with her.”

Richard turns cool eyes to me. “Well, what do you think?”

“I don’t know what to think,” I reply truthfully.

Richard shakes his head. “I am not going to answer that. It is up to you to trust me.”

I lower myself to the bed and curl beside Richard, my eyes on him.

“I trust you.”

Some of the tension leaves Richard and he turns on his side to throw one arm around me.

“What if your friend had not dropped a note for me with the security guard?”

I shudder when I remember Jude’s attack. I trace the faint line of new growth on Richard’s chin, grateful for great friendships and a husband that cares about me.

“Do you want to talk about the other things I found out from Jude?”

“I have had enough of that name for tonight,” Richard grumbles, but his arms tighten around me anyway.

“There is a lot of money involved Richard.”

“Tamisho, we will talk tomorrow.”

The rest of the evening is spent in quiet reflection. We retire to bed early and Richard turns to his side of the bed. After several hours of tossing from lack of sleep, I make my way across the bed and hug Richard tight.

Morning comes sooner than expected and Richard is next to me, one protective arm resting on my hip. I allow myself to watch him sleep for a few minutes until a full bladder forces me to move out of his embrace and make for the bathroom. I use the opportunity to brush my teeth and then check my body for any marks from yesterday’s encounter with Jude. Finding none, I breathe a sigh of relief and go back to the room.

I am surprised to see Richard sitting up on the bed, but the look on his face stops me cold. I hurry over to the bed and kneel beside him.

“What is wrong?”

Richard closes his eyes briefly before opening them, “my mum.”

I look at the phone in his hand. “Did she just call?”

Tortured eyes meet my own. “Yes.”

“What did she say?”

“She has cancer.”

I remember the dream and feel guilty for not urging Richard to call his mother.

“I am sorry.”

Richard does not hear me. He is in a distant place. A place of teenage temper tantrums and hurtful words. I do the only thing I can do to ease his pain. I wrap my arms around him and whisper comforting words.