The Family

I’ve been getting calls to update. The culprits haven’t exactly used the word ‘update’ but I got the idea. Since I’m currently facing a bout of blogger’s block (there’re some interesting things going on but they’re too private to share) I’ll just put up one of my book ideas from the past. This is part of Chapter 1 from something I called The Family — something about internal family strife told from different perspectives. Dumb name, dumber story, so I dumped it.

Adegoke

Things were beginning to firm up between us, I thought as I squeezed Eka’s thigh under the table. She gave me one of those impish smiles and I smiled back.

“Yes dear?” I turned to my daughter who had been tugging at my sleeve.

“Daddy when are you going to pay our school fees?” she asked.

“Hasn’t your mom paid already?” I asked in reply.

“No,” her brother said, his mouth overflowing with food. “Our headmistress said we haven’t paid our school fees and that we should tell our parents to…”

“Alright that’s enough,” I cut in. “No talking with food in your mouth.”

I could feel my wife stiffen under the table although her face showed nothing above.

“We’ll pay before the end of the week,” I forced a smile. “Now hurry up and finish your food, and remember, no talking.”

This rule had been hard to enforce but my wife ensured she twisted the ears of any defaulter and that worked better than my bargaining. We ate in relative silence.

Dinner ended and the children rushed to the living room to begin their usual duel over the TV remote. Eka made to rise but my grip on her thigh stopped her.

“What did you do with the children’s school fees?” I asked quietly. She knew that tone so well, not daring to meet my gaze.

“I haven’t bought clothes in a long time,” she said hesitantly.

“We both work. I give you money for food, the children, rent and every other thing. You spend your money any way you want to,” I struggled to keep my voice from rising. “What kind of clothes do you spend eighty thousand naira on?”

She squirmed uncomfortably in her chair.

“What’s wrong?” I leaned forward. “Is the chair biting your yansh?”

She sat quietly, unable to reply.

“You can’t spend eighty thousand on just clothes,” I snarled. “Where’s the remainder?”

A tear rolled down her cheek, a prelude to a downpour. I lost my cool.

“Where is it?!” I thundered.

Startled, the twins stopped wrestling over the remote and watched us, rapt with the curiosity of six-year-olds.

“You’re going to cough it out — all of it,” I said harshly. “When you finish tidying up, I’ll be waiting for you.”

I got to my feet and stormed to my room, trying to appear oblivious to her as she dissolved into tears.

I lay face up on the bed, unconsciously counting the ceiling tiles as I wondered how I was going to handle this. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened but this was the first time I wasn’t going to pay.

The door opened slowly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the twins walk in, Sola urging on Segun from behind. I shut my eyes and pretended to sleep as they inched towards me.

Someone — I think Sola — pulled on my moustache. I said ‘ouch!’ and sat up.

“Hey!” I held my arms out to them, wondering if their mother had sent them to me. They jumped into my lap and we shared a hug.

“Daddy..” Segun began and I stifled a frown. Perhaps I wasn’t wrong after all — Segun was his mother’s pet.

A shadow fell over us and I looked up. Eka was standing in the doorway. I tensed as she walked over and sat beside me, placing an arm around me. When she rubbed her breast subtly against my back I could tell she was aroused. I wondered how the night would play out.

We joked with the kids for a few minutes. While she put them to bed, I went to brush my teeth and take a shower.

I was hardly out of the bathroom than she was all over me…

When it was over, I looked down at her head resting on my chest, listening to her shallow breathing from the exhaustion of the moment.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“I know,” I replied.

“I won’t do it again,” she said, like a little child.

“I know you won’t,” I replied, smiling to myself in the near darkness. “So when’re you going to get the money?”

“Please…” she began.

“No,” I interruped. “Get the money. That’s all I have to say.”

She was suddenly as cold as a fish. I watched her silhouetted against the dim light as she got off me and grabbed her wrapper.

“I’m sleeping in my room,” she said. I didn’t answer.

That was the beginning of the end of things between us.


Soppy, I know!

Comments

  1. nilla says:

    WOW!!

    Interesting….very interesting.

    I’m lost though, what’s the title? Eka or Adegoke?

  2. mochafella says:

    Ah yes, the good old “sex as a weapon” move. Throw in a little kiddy manipulation for extras.

  3. Afropinay says:

    WOW!!! Azuka.. thats so interesting…First time I really read your story to mind, and in no rush.:-)

    There are lots of women who do this sadly..

    Cheers..

  4. Diamond says:

    i like this….yeye man though…if he knew he was going to ask for the money back…he should have done so before all the loving came…but then the woman shouldnt be trying to manipulate him with sex either…oh well

  5. Nyemoni says:

    Azuka I do not like this story jor… Haba! I thought the man was gratifed after the ‘exhaustion of the moment’… Na wah for the man.. Anyway, the story was aight! I can’t write to save my life!

  6. babaalaye says:

    If she wants she can go sleep on the Roof sef. The Koko is, where is the money?

    So did he get the 80k back.

  7. snazzy says:

    like the odb, the man only wanted to hear “hey Adegoke, baby I got your money don’t you worry, say hey baby I got your money.”

    I like it how someone said that he should not have asked for the money back, like he was going to use the money to do anything other than pay “her” children’s school fees.

  8. Azuka says:

    Nilla
    Adegoke’s the narrator. I wanted to switch between narrators from time to time but this was the only thing I wrote.

    Mochafella
    Yeah, that’s how it works. Sucks…

    Afropinay
    So you’ve confessed finally? I know you print out and read the other stories anyway.

    Do you see now why the monk has been on your case for a long time? So you’ll never be tempted to do this!

    Diamond
    I’m glad you saw my little trick. He did ask for the money before the loving came.

    Nyemoni
    Haba, the exhaustion of the moment can’t take care of 80K. She still hasn’t explained what she did with everything. 😉

    Babaalaye
    I don’t know if he got the money back. Unlike most writers, I don’t plan before writing — the story flows straight from my pen. I think that’s why I get writer’s block so often.

    Snazzy
    Interesting analogy.

  9. temmy tayo says:

    I suggest that you start writing novels.
    Trust women now. We always have our ways.

  10. Naijabloke says:

    Wa sere Mr Adegoke .. Eka been think Mr Adegoke head no go correct again after shinning the congo..LOL

    Nice one man and thx a lot for ur birthday wishes .. I know no say u fit call me I for give u my number now .

  11. exschoolnerd says:

    more! more! more!

  12. Vera Ezimora says:

    Mmm, nice!!!

    I totally support the man oh. Why would she spend a whole 80K?? She’s obviously taking her husband for granted, so this time, she has to pay.

    I don’t think before writing either. I just write. I never know what will happen or how it will happen; it just happens.

    Me likes!!

  13. Azuka says:

    Temmy Tayo
    You need to visit my house back in Nigeria. I’ve been writing ‘novels’ since I was 8. I never finished any of them — except two and they turned out very silly. My room is full of books and books that contain never-finished stuff. Writer’s block is second nature to me :-(. I guess I need to take lessons.

    Naijabloke
    Na so we see am oh. Adegoke na correct man. Honestly, I expected you to sound like a… how do we put it? So far the bloggers I’ve talked to [you and Vera] sound very different from my expectations :-D.

    Vera
    Admit it — you’ve always liked everything I do.
    I’m glad we see eye-to-eye on this [for once]. Oh, you write without thinking too? That’s great!

    Thanks again Vera.

  14. It’s a woman’s world. I’d have loved to see you go into detail on what led to the ‘exhaustion of the moment’ but that would have made the attraction of the story different. Good job…

  15. omo naija says:

    not at all!
    i am eargerly waiting for part 2!!

  16. onada says:

    I love it!!! we should start an aspiring authors forum!!!!

  17. Noni says:

    I like it a lot. Although it doesn’t ring true. A woman wont play with her children’s school fees and she definitely wont have spent all of it. Cant wait to read the next bit.

  18. Azuka says:

    The Professor
    Thanks

    Omo Naija
    Emmm, there’s really no part two. This was what I put down, then tossed in a corner because it didn’t agree with me.

    Onada
    I’m actually working on something along that line. I’ve been too lazy to code, though…

    Noni
    Good point. I do know some women who’ve played with their children’s school fees ;-). Er, there’s no next bit. Did I promise a next bit?

  19. Vickii says:

    This is really good Azuka, I’ve read other pieces of your fictional writing and I’m always impressed by how easily and accurately you are able to write from a fictional character’s perspective. I think this is really interesting! Maybe you should write short stories, that way you’ll hopefully be near the end about the same time that writers block hits you!

    Lol at Noni, you’re lucky if you’ve only ever come across the kind of woman who wouldn’t spend her children’s school fees. Unfortunately, there are too many of them out there!

  20. Jaycee says:

    Na wa oh…pls I support the man. Ahn ahn…Eka didn’t even take PART of the 80K, she took the WHOLE money…common, what kind of ole is that? And what kind of husband/wife sex would satisfy the man. Dude, u didn’t even talk abt where he works…he probably got the money by almost killing himself…in naija currency again.

    Azuka…excellent write-up. Good study break! Cheers!

  21. Jaycee says:

    Zuks…I wanna be part of the aspiring writers forum too…I used to write in high school, but errrrmmm…med school got way to busy…(just wanted to chip that in)

  22. mack says:

    Grrr I go swear for that kayn woman o. hmmm… heeeey 80k on what? clothes? what kind of clothes? That’s not funny…. nooo that’s just not funny. I however dont exactly know how I would handle the whole situation.

    I dont think it would signal the beginning of the end, but then, if she’d done it 5 other times, haba. Ok, I have an idea: she wont see another dime again, not my dime or the bills. I’ll pay everything myself *thinking what next to do*…

    See, since the woman appologised and at least felt sorry, I wouldn’t want it to be the end, or even cause an end; *slap himself* It’s just a story, an awesome story.

  23. Azuka says:

    Vickii
    I’m blushing. I think short stories would be nice too.. I haven’t been writing much lately — reading blogs can be such a chore :-(.

    Jaycee
    Lol and thanks… 😆

    Mack
    I believe in forgiveness too, but when I started out the story, I wanted the man to react differently from what I’d have done. A lot of women are hard to understand. Some expect to get away with something and get angry when you refuse to let them get away with it.

    Your analysis is making me want to complete this :-).

    Jaycee, Onada
    This was an early sketch. I’m working on a redesign at the moment. Comments would be highly welcome.

  24. mari says:

    WOW, nah thats insane, 80K!!! And that was money for her kids school.

    Loving your short stories, Azuka.

  25. lol.. you seem to have something for thighs Azuka.. lol… this was good… and unexpected… i never would’ve thought it’d end that way from the way it started… can’t believe she spent the school fees.. but one thing I will say for her…my grandpa always used to say…”whenever you see someone on the street just dancing for no reason… there’s something/someone beating drum for them somewhere”… so i believe she was aware that her husband was able to and would take care of the problem… but I guess this time she was wrong… lol.. she’s a designer babe oh.. 80 thousand? on versace abi na gucci?

  26. oh your a fantastic writer by the way Azuka.. i’m impressed!

  27. Thoroughly loved this piece. Very talented too. Azuka, u not just simply great in computers but literature too. More more.

  28. Azuka says:

    Mari
    Thanks, I’m honored…

    Overwhelmed
    I don’t have anything for thighs oh! Where else have I mentioned them? Thanks for the encouragement!

    LOASCM
    I’m blushing… 😳

  29. Naija Dude! says:

    Mr. Azuka…. wow! I think we need to talk about you giving me a tip or two about writing this fiction. You seem pretty good…. Keep it up big man!!

  30. Azuka says:

    Naija dude
    Your crush writes better than me. Pity she’s off laying claim to all the guy bloggers so I’ll gladly accept that role ;-).

  31. Princess says:

    You’re writing is amazing!! So what did she do with the money? I’m eagerly awaiting the rest of the story.

  32. Jaycee says:

    hey azuks…didn’t see the anything on the ‘early sketch’ link u posted for me to look at. Was I supposed to sign in or somn? Let me know…TTYL (hope ur SAT II went well).

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