James and l lodged in a hotel that night and he encouraged me to select any woman of my choice from the prostitutes who hung around the hotel premises. He gave me some money.
I was unlucky as l picked an ugly lady to spend the night with me. She snored heavily and, sometimes, l would wake up, thinking it was Daddy who was with me. On the first crow of the cock the next morning, l settled her and pleaded with her to leave.
lt had been too weeks since l left home. l had stayed at James apartment all the while. Sometimes, l thought about what Mum had said to me and l wondered if Mummy was actually serious in leaving for Dubai. l had no relatives l was familiar with, except the few Daddy had shown me. That morning, l intended to visit home and see how Mummy was doing.
James rushed into the toilet and came out some minutes later, sweating and panting at the same time.
With one arched eyebrow, l stared incessantly at him. "James, did you engage in a fight?" l asked rather jokingly.
"Fight who?" he replied, still panting
"Then, what is the matter? Why are you sweating like a Christmas goat?"
"Are you nuts; so I can't use the toilet again, abi?" James retorted.
"Using the toilet, yes; but, in that manner, l think I'm suspecting you."
"O' boy, move into the kitchen and prepare us something to eat. Why would you suspect me; am l a thief?" he asked with mean expression on his face.
l chuckled. "Is he a thief? No, he is a priest," l said to myself. l quickly recalled that James hadn't told me about what happened after we got arrested.
"That reminds me, how did you say you got out of the prison? That is, if you actually went to prison," l asked inquisitively.
"Man, l have told you that, the story is long. Besides, it is already buried in the past now; we should be talking about the present."
"I don't get you. What is it you are keeping from me? You can't tell me what happened after we got arrested? What is the problem?" l said furiously.
James didn't say a word; rather, he moved quietly into the bathroom. l couldn't understand what it was, James kept from me, but l let it pass, since we were still alive and safe. l felt it should actually be left in the past. l left james apartment shortly after taking a shower and l made my way home.
I got home some minutes later; the environment was unusually calm, like a cemetery. l climbed up the stairs and knocked heavily on the door, hoping that Blessing wouldn't waste so much time this time in opening the door for me. l had switched off my phone since l left home so Mummy wouldn't be able to contact me. That way, l would completely be on my own. l stood there knocking, for about twenty minutes. It then occurred to me that, maybe Mummy had left for Dubai as she said.
Suddenly, the door opened lightly, and a darkskinned lady with a pear shaped head and eyes that were size of an onion bulb came out. l stood still, arrested by the shock of seeing a stranger in my father's house. She rained all kinds of abuses on me; possibly, l had disturbed her sweet sleep.
"Excuse me, l don't remember asking my mum for an additional house help. Stupid thing!" she shouted as she banged the door on me.
l was bewildered. Was this a dream or a movie? One of our neighbors had come out, staring at me. "Good afternoon, ma," l said with courtesy.
"Afternoon, dear; don't you actually know, or are you here to disturb the entire flat?" she asked me.
"I don't understand you, ma. What do you mean?"
"We have new tenants there now. Your mother has packed out about a week ago, saying that she had no plans of coming back. She instructed me to collect the house till whenever she comes around."
"What! Mummy packed?" l asked shockingly.
Mummy was really serious when she said she was leaving for Dubai, l thought.
"Yes, and she also asked me to tell you, in case you still come around that, you should go to your uncle Mr Alex's house. She said your things are there. Why are you doing this to yourself, William? Why do you want....."
"Thank you, ma. l should be on my way," interrupted her quickly and left.
I was now at Mr Alex's house, a duplex. Mr Alex was Mum's elder brother, the only sibling of hers that l ever knew. He was a businessman. l never knew the nature of the business he was into, but Daddy had once told me that he used his first son for a "ritual," in order to make money. He had four cars in all, one of which was for his wife. It was believed that armed robbers couldn't enter his house, because he used charms to safeguard himself. On one occasion, some robbers had gone into his house when he was away. The robbers were said to have picked up brooms and started sweeping his compound until he came back and caught them. l didn't want to stress James the more, knowing that l was a liability to him, and l had no other choice, than to stay in my uncle's place.
As l knocked at the big black gate in front of the duplex, a dwarf came out, after peeping through the tiny hole in the gate. l knew from the marks on his face that he was an Hausa man and l wondered how he would be able to open the large gate all by himself, considering how little he was.
"Who are you?" he asked me with a brusque voice.
"I am here to see my Uncle. Tell him that William is here," l replied quickly.
"Oga is not around, but the wife is around, inside the house now."
"Yes, you can also tell the wife the same thing.
I hope she remembers me."