LOVE IN TIMES LIKE THIS (EPISODE 23)

Harry shuddered at his mother’s painted pictures on the room wall; It was a gift the Apostolic women gave to him to pay their condolences.

The women had contributed money and made sure Harry’s mom’s funeral was a success.

He carried Didi on his back every night to visit his mother’s grave for two months. Harry mourned his mother for a long time.

Harry looking at painted picture

Two months after his mother’s funeral, he knew that the rent of the new house was almost expiring, he made plans to sell out the furniture, the generator and the refrigerators, so that he can gather money for a one room apartment, where he would live peacefully with his daughter.

After he sold most of the house furniture, he didn’t wait for the landlord to chase him away, he packed by himself to a small one room apartment, where he began his dry cleaning business. He washed and iron customers clothes from home, and delivered to them in their houses.

A few times Didi helped him scatter the clothes or peed on them.

He started getting patronages from people around his neighbourhood mostly.

“Mr Harry, you wash so well.” His new neighbour aunty Udeme said shrilly, twisting her waist and winking at Harry.

Aunty Udeme was a woman in her mid forties, who had a big breast, and a big buttocks. She had wrinkles on her face, and her boyfriends were mostly teenagers.

Didi began to cry aloud when she noticed aunty Udeme walking close to her father.

“My daughter doesn’t like women around me.” Harry said boldly.

Aunty Udeme giggled. “What does this your small chubby girl know about people being around you?” She said, laughing childishly. “I only came to say Hi bro Harry.”

She picked up his pillow, and buried her face in it. It smelled like him, kind of wild and faintly sweet and musky.

Didi crawled over where she laid and bite her arms sharply.

“Jeez!” She jumped out from the bed.

“Your daughter’s teeth is sharp, how old is she?”

Harry chuckled and then replied softly, “she will be one in few months.”

Aunty Udeme kept touching her arms, where Didi had bite her. “This your baby enh…” she muttered and hissed.

“Brother Harry, I am going o.” She said aloud, as she shook her buttocks. “Before your one toothed daughter will cut off my skin.” She added shrilly.

“Thank you aunty Udeme.” Harry said boldly.

****

Harry woke up with the thoughts of Atimma. He had wondered why she had not called him since she left for training in London.

He took a keke napep to her office that morning, and when he alighted from the keke napep, he saw a woman addressing a group of people. She was elegantly dressed in lilac colored corporate gown. She tied a lemon color yashmak on her head; Harry watched her from afar, and waited for her to finish before he could approach one of them, but his heart led him to the woman with the lemon color yashmak.

“Good morning madam.” He greeted huskily in oral English.

“Morning Mr?”

“Harry…Harrison I mean.”

“How may I help you Harry?” She asked boldly.

“My wife works with this company ma’am. She was among the people who went on training to London some months ago. I just want to find out if I can get a number I can contact her with?”

Susan looked at Harry amazingly and then said, “I am Mrs Susan Seno. Follow me, let’s talk inside the office.” She said politely, as she led the way, Harry walked behind her.

“I have been longing to see the unfortunate man who married Atimma.” Susan said, as she lowered herself gently on a chair.

Harry glared at her, but she spotted sadness in his eyes.

“I don’t understand ma.” Harry asked.

Laughter bubbled up in Susan’s chest, making her feel bold and little reckless.

“You mean you’re not aware that your Atimma is sleeping with my husband? They eloped to London to resume their love affair.”

A reluctant smile tugged at his mouth, and his heart flipped.

Read the next episode 24-25 here

By Vicky Bon.

You can read the previous Episodes below:

Love in times like this (Episode 1)

Love in times like this (Episode 8)

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