THEREE IS A CROWD (Part 1 & 2) – OPEYEMI OJERINDE AKINTUNDE

PART 3 “THREE IS A CROWD”
Opeyemi Akintunde

TWO WEEKS LATER

Florence’s mum walks into the living room with her boxes. She walked in exuding so much grace . She walked in elegantly with so much pride. She was on the big side and she carried it well with so much gait and poise.

“Is the air conditional unit not working?” was the first thing she asked

“It is mum, but Tade is allergic to cold so he can’t handle it when it is too cold”

“Some things can never change and even when you force it to change, they find it hard to adapt”

“Mum, what did you say?” Florence said, as she couldn’t make out what her mother muttered

“Never mind, I hope the AC in the room is working perfectly?”

“Yet it is”

“Florence, why do you have all these blackheads on your face? Is the water here treated?”

“Mum, it’s not the water that is causing my blackhead. I seem to be reacting to something”

“Oh my Goodness, I told you, Adamson was a better option” Mrs Adesina moved closer to her whispering

“The last time I saw his wife, her skin was so smooth & flawless If you had married Adamson, your skin would be thanking you now”

“ Mom!” Florence said to her mum with a stong emphasis on it, Mrs Adesina immediately understood and turned to see her son in law.

“Oh son in law, how are you?” she said

“Fine ma” Tade replied trying to cover up his heartache from the comparison he had overheard from the mouth of his mother in law.

After the greetings, he walked back in.

******

“Forgive my mum, she didn’t mean it” Florence said

“Obviously” Tade replied as he brushed his hair

“Where to? Florence asked

“To make more money, so I can make your skin better”

“Tade, I said she didn’t mean it”

“Florence, and I replied obviously”

‘This is 6pm, what business are you going out to do at this time”

“The business of clearing my head” Tade replied

He was mad! He wanted to get out of the house to clear his head, His mother in law was a nagging woman, She had a degree in nagging. Florence had told him once that she felt her dad had died so as to escape her mother’s nagging.

“Excuse me” Tade said to Florence who was standing in his way.

“I am not letting you leave this house”

“Florence, please…”

“No”

“Florence”

“Tade, I choose you , so nothing she says should get at you”

“How would you feel if my mother came here and started speaking about my ex”

“Your mum can not do that, when is not like she is crazy…” Florence blurted out before realizing what she said.

“I am sorry I didn’t mean to talk like that” She quickly added

Tade is obviously enraged, Florence could see it in his eyes; so she borrowed herself some sense and stepped aside. Tade still controlling his anger, stepped out of the house.

******

“Where is he off to?” Mrs Adesina asked Florence as he drove out of the compound.

“Don’t tell me he keeps late night! My God, Florence I knew this guy would be an error. Gush, Adamson is a gentleman compared to this illiterate”

“Mum, can you stop it?”

“Ehn Ehn… Florence, is this what this useless boy has turned you into, now you insult me and speak back to me” Mrs Adesina burst into tears

“God, why is Florence so different from my other children, even Miracle that is not my biological child gives me more joy than her, her two elder brothers are doing well, they are married to responsible girls”

“Responsible girls?” Florence said

“Yes, except for Eunice, that one, she will soon leave my son, she is just there to while away time, when I am ready, I will send her out of my son’s house”

“Thank God, I am not the only one giving you problem”

“Shut up Florence, Shut up! We are talking about you… I am reporting you to God, and you are busy diverting me”

“Sorry ooo… continue” Florence said and walked away

“God, my late husband was a doctor” Mrs Adesina said

“God already knows that” Florence said from the kitchen

“God, I am still a practicing medical doctor”

“Mummy, God is not blind ooo”

“God, my two sons and adopted daughter are medical doctors”

“God has gotten this memo since”

“And, it’s only my daughter Florence that settled to be a nurse! Oh my God” Mrs Adesina said with tears pouring from her eyes.

“Mummy, stale gist, tell God something new”

“God, why must she always be the odd one out, she is the only one not enjoying her marriage…”

“Only one? Mummy stop lying, you are talking to God ooo, don’t let him slap you”

“God, apart from my second son, who I plan on scattering his marriage, God please help me rearrange Florence’ life… Firstly help her, try to convince her to try medicine again, also if possible give her another husband and finally give her a child”

“Mummy, rest! God is not going to answer your first two prayer requests”

PART 4 “THREE IS A CROWD”
Opeyemi Akintunde

Mrs Oluwagbemi sat satisfactorily watching an epic movie. The screen of the newly bought Plasma TV her son just gifted her was making movie viewing more interesting. Comfort was her middle name now. She had toiled earlier in life to raise her Children and in recent years God decided to show His Goodness to her by blessing one of her children. Tade was God’s way of wiping her tears. She had three other children of which Gbemi her last child was the only the one staying with her. Gbemi sat nearby focused on her phone as usual.

“Na wa o, rich girls and the way they treat their husbands… Maami, can you imagine! How can a girl castrate her husband in his sleep, And the annoying thing is, they will find a way to make sure she does not pay for her sin”

“Ta ni yen?” ( Who is that?)”

” It’s not someone you know ooo, I am reading news from an online site”

” News wo niyen?” (What news is that?” Mrs Oluwagbemi asked

“Is it not the daughter of that rich billionaire that owns Segeri Mail, she castrated her husband”

“The one that married the son of her father’s driver”

“Yes oo maami”

“Ha! Hope the boy did not die”

“Maami, e tun na bread” (Mum, Really?)

“Ha! Ori mi ko o” (God, I reject such a thing) “May such a thing not happen to my son o. Do you know that Florence girl can do something like that?” Mrs Oluwagbemi said

‘When she does not want to drink Elubo as garri, and when it is not like they plugged her brain to light socket, I promise you Mummy, I will cut her breast and fry it” Gbemi replied

“Such a thing will not happen in Jesus name”

“E pele, Iya Church”

“Let me even call him”

*****

Tade saw his mum’s call. Exactly who he needed to talk to…

“Hello maami… E kale ma”

“Oko mi, how are you?”

“I am not fine”

“You are not fine, kilo sele” ( What is wrong?)

“It’s my mother-in-law ni, she is in our house for a month, she just came this evening and she is already reminding me of my place” Tade has tears pouring out of his eyes.

“Mammi, am I not good enough? Maami I am trying for her daughter ooo, I work hard to make sure she doesn’t need anything, she doesn’t spend her salary, I pay for everything, yet her mother came in today and said if she had married her ex, she would have had a better skin”

“Skin… Ko ye mi”

“Pe skin e ma fine”

Mrs Oluwagbemi burst in laughter…

”This your mother-in-law’s brain is leaking oil ooo, her daughter has been in her husband’s house for two years and has not conceived and all she cares about is her skin” Mrs Oluwagbemi said, and Gbemi could not hide her anger…

“Brother mii, what is she doing in your house for one month? I thought you said you and your wife agreed no extended family can sleep over in your house except when you have kids?”

“Don’t mind her, she suddenly changed the rule to accommodate her own mother” Mrs Oluwagbemi replied

“No mummy, the thing is her mother came for a training in Lagos for one month, so I believe Florence doesn’t want her spending money at the hotel”

“The money that they have in excess, Tade it is not fair ooo” Mrs Oluwagbemi burst in tears…

‘I have come to Lagos three times this year, first when Iya Julie’s daughter was getting married, Iya John’s grandson’s naming ceremony, and just last month, when my tailor friend did graduation for her daughter, these three times, you never let me stay in your house for the night, Tade ko da ooo” Mrs Oluwagbemi said crying… She ended the call.

“Maami, I hope they will not castrate your son soon, he is at the mercy of that saucy mother-in-law for one month”

“God forbid”

“I pray it is not your son’s dead body you will go and pick after one month”

“I reject it ooo in Jesus name”

*****
Tade kept redialing his mother’s number, but she was not picking up, he dialed Gbemi’s number, but she wasn’t picking up either. He kept looking down at the phone screen as he drove, suddenly he felt a bright light on him.

In response to what he felt he looked up, he saw that he was in front of massive truck. Tade screamed and tried to swerve his hand