Inbetween 5

The sun was at work before I got to work. I parked in the restaurant opposite my work building. Coming down from the car, I saw people gathered downstairs. Not under any shelter but outside! Vulnerable to the diligent sun. 

From where I stood, it didn't look like a peaceful meeting. I wanted to return to the car and wait for the hurricane to pass then I saw the landlord. He was a tall, scary looking man with his bushy beards that could even  hide a small chick. My leg started moving before my brain realised. 

I crossed the road to where everyone was and began searching for familiar faces but! not madam Chinaka that was vibrating in the crowd. Then I saw Aku, sitting on the rail outside Tunde's office. I breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over to her. She jumped down on seeing me. 

"Aku, what's going on ?" I asked, my eyes still roaming in search for Tunde. 

"Good morning ma" She greeted. "It's Landlord oo. He came early this morning and locked all the shops"

"For what again , is something wrong with him? " I said, my voice loud with anger. 

I looked back to where the landlord was standing, I could imagine standing and shouting at him. He would  look down on me like I was an ant before him and when his ears are full, he could jack me up by the neck and fling. It would be very easy because his height comfortably put me in the dwarf bracket.

"Why did he lock the shops?" I asked Aku. 

"Money for cleaners oo..cleaners they have not even called. They are now purnishing people for salary of workers that have not even come" She complained. 

I nodded, still searching for Tunde. I had being in the building before him, I should have a stronger mouth by then. Still I  looked for him to come speak for us all or just me. 

"Let me hold your bag" Aku offered, already dragging the bag. I let it go and smiled at her then I turned back to the chaos in front of me. It happened once in a while with any payment that involved the improvement of the building or surrounding.

Just then, the landlord started walking towards me, he walked past and ran upstairs with his little tout boys. That was when I saw Tunde, he smiled with the side of his mouth and winked, I had to laugh. 

"I'm coming " he mouthed then ran across the road. 

From where I stood, I could make out his car clearly at the parking lot opposite. I had always known it was black but I then saw, it was a black ford, the same make with my own and the same color. He took an envelope and started walking back. I looked away, feigning interest in what ever the crowd was saying. 

The landlord came down stairs after awhile and without a single word to anyone, he began unlocking the doors he had locked with his own padlock. As he unlocked, the boys took the padlock. 

Tunde stood beside me and placed his hand on the small of my back.

"I'll send someone round to all the shops, please comply as you should. It's a little amount of money. " The landlord shouted through the noise. 

Aku ran out, "He has unlocked upstairs ! " she shouted.

I nodded then smiled at Tunde, "A better part of our morning has been wasted. I need to utilize the rest of the day properly. " 

He bowed, "As you wish, my lady. "

I hit his arm before hurrying upstairs. I tried to close my eyes to the work that  lay ahead of me but coming into my office, the materials littered all over the table. The nets and laces scattered indignantly, work smiled at me. 

At noon, my phone started ringing, I turned and put it on speaker where I could work on the dress I was cutting and answer the call at the same time. 

" Lady " the caller said, "you can not ever call to know how I'm doing. "

The number was not registered in my phone but I knew that voice, I had grown up hearing it, when we  played, when she was sleep talking, when she was angry and I could tell she was not angry right then.

"Ada, January has been so busy " I said, wiping off a sweat I could not feel on my forehead. 

"I am coming to Umuahia . I left Abuja two days ago but I'm in portharcourt now" she said.

"You didn't tell me you were coming down to the east"

"Yes, yes, I know, I just have something to tell you. "

"Ada, something to tell me? " I asked. 

Did she find out?  I should have told her before she found out herself. Too late for regrets. I removed the phone from speaker and took it shakily to my ear. 

"Yes, that will be when I come. My fiance is in town so I'll spend  my first night at his place, giving you time to pack out of your room for me  then you humbly move to the guest room " she said with a laugh. I took her laughter as a clue that she did not know yet. 

"Lady, are you there? "

"Ofcourse. Did you tell your fiancee, you were coming? "

"Nop, I want to surprise him. I have not been to his place before but I have the address. All I need is someone to keep him at home "  She said. "I will tell him, my baby sister is coming to see him early in the morning. "

"What? " I asked in disbelief and shock. "No, no, wait. I think you should call him and for me, tomorrow, I'm making a delivery in Owerri, lots of deliveries. My hands are so full, I can't join in your surprise. "

"Okay" she said, her excitement killed. "I'll find a way to keep him at home."

"No, you should find a way to call him first, let him know you are coming " I protested . I hope I did not shout louder than I should have. She was silent, as though 

she was considering what I said. 

I could still remember the places  paintings of me had been in Mathew's home; the one at the beach, he hung at the dining then a duplicate was in his room. The one of both of us was in the living room at the centre of all other photographs that were hung on that wall. 

"I want to surprise him " she said stubbornly before she ended the call. 

I tried to play out scenarios of the after event in my head, all that played was Chaos - big chaos. 

The thought of calling Mathew to clear my things, vanished as quickly as it came . I sat, rocking my seat back and forth . The elements of my head also rocking back and forth. My head began to ache and I was still trying to figure out what  I could do to reduce the damage. 

I bent my head hoping for divine intervention. Maybe there would be no sign of me in Mathew's house when she came but how could I let my sister continue with a man like that? 

I stared up to the ceiling above my head, praying for things to turn out right. It was like God answered because right then rain started to fall, a sudden rain that came without warning. It spattered quickly on the roof and as soon as it started, it ended. Maybe God heard me after all.