The Wife ESCAPED!

Timmy kept his eyes open as he drove. In addition to specific directions to Caro’s house, Millicent had also given him a few tips which he would do well never to forget. To go Caro-hunting was no simple business and he could never be too prepared.

As he sighted the large bungalow with blue and red roofing sheets, he gently slowed down and came to a stop, just as a middle-aged woman exited the first door of the building. Timmy alighted from his car and walked up to meet her, recognizing her from Millicent’s description as Caro’s mother.

“Good day, ma’am.”Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

“Good day. Can I help you? Are you looking for somebody?”

“Yeah. You, actually.”

“Me?”, the woman was a little taken aback. “Why are you looking for me? Is there any problem?”

“Oh no, no, no, nothing like that. You’re Karow’s mother, right?”

“Yes? Why do you ask?”

“Well, your daughter came up to our offices to inquire about our need for good tailors and it seems she changed her mind in the process. But upon our investigation, we found out that we could surely use a tailor like her. Highly recommended and all. So…”

“Wait. Excuse me,” Mary interrupted him. “What kind of thing do you do in your offices?”

“We a… Oh! Speak of the angel. But… she doesn’t look too happy about being spoken of!”

Surprised at his sudden outburst, Mary turned around to find out what had alarmed him. She was shocked to see Caro… her very own Caro, coming after the young man, a big broom in hand.

“I guess I’ll have to come back some other time,” Timmy said over his shoulder to her as he hurried to his car.

“Caro, will you stop that nonsense!”, Mary scolded. But her ward was more intent on seeing off her enemy.

“Don’t come back here again o!”, she shouted after him as he sped off in his car.

“What was the meaning of that?!”, Mary exploded as the girl turned around. “Are you now a mad woman? Answer me, Caro!”

“Mu…”

“Give me that broom!”, the woman ordered, snatching the broom from her hand. “Now, disappear inside the house before I open my eyes!”

The girl quickly obeyed, leaving behind a puzzled guardian who was still trying to come to terms with the madness she had just seen her ward display.

**

When Timmy returned to his office, he found it closed, but not locked. He pushed open the door and slumped down on the nearest chair with a sigh. But he was denied the peace he needed to re-examine the occurrences of the last few hours. His partner and friend, Olly, walked into the office and stared curiously at him.

“Are you back already? How did the mission go?”

“Well, I’m back,” Timmy shrugged. “Defeated and with my tail between my legs.”

“I told you it was a bad idea,” Olly sighed as he took a seat at the opposite side of the table. “When a girl starts acting like that, you let her go and look for another one. Too many fishes in the ocean, man.”

“Yeah. But that’s just what they are. Fish. For food only. This one ain’t just any fish. She’s a special one. It’s not easy to find a young woman nowadays that holds so strongly to her respect and dignity…”

“And hatred of men.”

“Call it whatever you like. But she’s the direct opposite of a slut. She’s not just there for the taking. She knows what she’s about. She’s a real woman. A woman worth hunting… by a real man and…”

“Look, let me leave you to your poetry, eh. I have serious and profitable work to do.”

“Be like me, Olly!”, Timmy shouted after him as he rushed out of the office. “Get yourself a real woman.”

Olly stopped in his tracks and then turned around and rushed back into the office.

“Your stupid poetry made me forget what I came to tell you,” he hissed as he slid back into the chair.

“What’s that?”

“Your sister…”

“Oh God. What did she do this time? Look, whatever she did, try not to be angry. Blame it all on me. Whatever the expenses involved, I’ll pay. If an apology is necessary, I’ll gladly render it. Please, just don’t take it to heart.”

“I’m used to her ways by now,” Olly shrugged. “But you didn’t let me finish. Your sister, today, paid for all she bought. At the normal price.”

“Huh?”

“I was as shocked as you when Jim told me. In fact, I asked him to repeat himself. She even tipped many members of staff.”

“Olly, I don’t like the look of this. Who knows if she’s paying for my head and the right to decapitate me right here, without anyone interfering? I didn’t leave her in a very good mood, you know.”

“Well, there’s nothing bad with taking off your head here. Just as long as she takes the head and body along, and never return. We’ll gladly clean the bloodstains and wish her… Goodbye. See you at 4.”

Timmy didn’t answer. He was deep in thought, wondering the reason why his sister had gone out of character – something she rarely ever did.

*****

“So how many buttons were fake?”, Timmy demanded.

“About half,” Jim replied.

“So I guess it wasn’t unintentional. Either way, I don’t think we’ll be doing business with them again. But what…”

His phone suddenly started ringing and he picked it up to look at the caller ID. It was Tracy. He bit down on his upper lip and then turned to Jim, “You know exactly what to do, right? Just put in all the figures and send it up to me, so I can sign it.”

“Okay.”

“Give it to Olly if I’m not around by the time you’re done,” Timmy added, just as he received the call on his phone.

“Hi Trace, wadup? I was told of your kind gesture the other day. I mean, you paid for everything and even tipped some of the guys. I’m really grateful, you know.”

“Don’t think I did it for nothing o,” his sister scoffed.

Guessed as much, Timmy thought.

“Normally,” she continued, “when my friends give me money to buy things for them, I take half and pay you half. I cannot be buying something from my own brother and pay the full amount na. In fact, I don’t even suppose to pay anything sef. But there is this guy there. His name is Jim. Very smart, nice guy like that. I think I like him.”

“Well, I’m glad you do. It’s good to know you like someone here,” Timmy replied innocently.

“What’s the meaning of that?”, she clipped. “Anyway, can you hook us up?”

“Hook you up? What are you talking about? Hook you up with who?”

“The guy na. Jim.”

“Oh! Jim? Come on, Tracy. Jim is just a kid. He’s nowhere near your age.”

“And so? Doesn’t he have a penis? Or is he as young as that girl you’re chasing around town?”

“Jeez! What girl? I’m not chasing any girl!”

“Eh en? Okay na. I’ll tell Dora, Mummy, Daddy, and everybody that cares to know, that you are pursuing underage girls all around Lagos.”

“Oh my God. What on earth have I done to deserve this?”, Timmy moaned.

“That’s your business. If you know you don’t want everybody to hear about your pedophilic exploits, just hook me up with Jim.”

“Fine. I’ll see what I can do. Goodbye.”

“Wait. I…”

He disconnected the call, switched off the phone and threw it on the table.