A Wake up Call

The light comes back, and gives a swift-second bright illumination to their room, and then throws the room back to its former darkshadow.

Nneka gently feels for her husband on the left hand side of the bed, but her fingersgathernothing but coldemptyspace. Her phone –she thinks, comes again,  glows the second time, a third and a fourth then the once bright light is overthrown by a darkness that hovers once again in the room. Chinedu must be in his study; he has a very importantdeal to close at Porttomorrow; he leaves at first light.

Port Harcourtreminds her of many things: mintyoil-coatedmonies, lowlife and highlives, the clubs and yes, the strippers. Nneka once rocked the coldmetalpolesultrily with a barestringedass. That was many years gone-by. They met at Port and may move back if Chinedu gets the deal done. The oilcompany wants him as bad as his familyneeds him.

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Suspicion

The phonecomesagain and again, it begins to ring in a lowfainttone; like someone who wants to conceal something. Nneka frowns; her phone is switched off; that is not her ringingtone, and night is certainly over, for now. Chinedu usually  takes his calls in the study, at night --his business is his bestfriend, so also, his right-hand-connect, his phone.

A beep comes, another and her hands makes suspiciously for the phone. Nneka’s fingers are itching for a press. Two O’clock in the morning? Nneka notices the burning sensation the phone gives off. This is not her phone and neitherChinedu’s. She press a button and the light comes-on again: fiftymessages and tenmissedcalls? The phone has a password. She turns it over in her hand and notices that it is a old brand of BlackberryPassport and Chinedu’s picture is on the screen. Nneka tries his date of birth, 12 June, 1979 and the home menu flashes before her sleepyeyes.

A Devastating Discovery

The first thing that clicks open is the list of missedcalls. Jerry has been the one. He is Chinedu bestpal from Port.Nneka lifts her weight onto one elbow then slips-on her footwear to take the estranged phone to her husband. She gropes for the lightswitch, but she feels lazy to hit it. Nneka presses the return button to trace the way to Chinedu’s study, the phone almost slips off her palm and she grabs at it. The WhatsAppmessagesautomaticallycomes-up on the wide screen.

Read: The Home Coming.

She reads Jerry and her husband’s chats; Baby!There? Yes!Good.Coming?Yes! Tomorrow!I love you…. Nneka closes her eyes, and opens it at once, rubs her eyes with her fingers, just in case there are still specks of sleepleft in them; she  can’t believe that it is Jerry, but Jerry is in Port? Jerry has a wife? She recalls how Chinedu tells her tales of growing up with Jerry as neighbours, how they played hide and seek then chased after girls. As though sleep clouds her sense of sight and she sees only shadows. Nneka holds-on to  her swollentummy, out of pain,  and feels their twinskick. Jerry?

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Nneka draws closer to his study and she notices that their lights were dim. She presses the dropbutton on the phone, and images of Jerry holding his largejoint in his hands stares her in the face. Her hands starts to shake; she makeshotliquid that drips on her pant. Nneka uses her laststrength to push the door open and before Chinedu hit the escape button, Nneka’s eyes stumbles on a disgustingvideo of Chinedu and Jerry in a sexbout. Chinedu jumps to his feet. He has been caught. Nneka looks at him with merited, and in between  teary-eyes,  she looks down, and says;

“I think my water just broke.”

Written byUdemezue, Oluoma.

Udemezue, Oluoma loves to read and write; she also enjoys movies and meeting new people. Oluoma believes that life is nothing without a little touch of romance, thriller and reality. Catch her on:udemezueoluoma@yahoo.com, Udemezue, Oluoma Judith on Facebook, Instag- oluomaudemezue, and Twit- @Udemezueoluoma.