Unsteady Storm

Chapter Eighteen

Mama and Ije were in the sitting room early the next morning.

Nedu yawned and sighed. "Good morning Mama, Ije, I see you've resumed your early morning attitude?"

Ije laughed while Mama replied. "Morning, my son"

"I'm about to prepare for work, so let me just go up and get ready"

"Nedu, mama said the baby was kicking" Ije said excitedly.

"Aren't you supposed to know when it's kicking?"

She wrinkled her nose. "I thought it was just my belly disturbing but mama said it's the baby"

"Wow, is it still kicking?"

Ije shook her head. "You came late, oya, go and have your bath"

Nedu shook his head with an amused grin on his face before running upstairs.

He was done in about half an hour and he got down to have his breakfast which Sinachi served on the dinning table.

As he ate, Ije and her mother talked about what happened at home.

"Junior has gotten a job at the University, I hope he moves to somewhere better after that" Mama said.
Junior was Ije's only sibling.

"Thank God, at least, he is working now"

"Thank God o" Mama mused.

He turned and focused on his meal.

***
He was at the office when a call came to his office telephone.

"Hello, Chinedu Nwosu speaking"

"Hello, my dear" a cheery feminine voice replied.

"How may I help you?" He asked.

"Well, I'm at the bank, I want to have a word with you"

"And you are?"

"JJ"

The person hung up.

Nedu held his chin staring into space. Someone knocked at the door and his colleague, Darell poked her head in.

"Chinedu, there are people that need you out there and mind you..... A certain Joelle wants to see you"

"Oh" he shook his head and sighed.

He stepped out of his office to the crowd of people that the cashier was attending to. He spotted Joelle immediately, it was easy to spot her anyway because she was in a sophisticated outfit, her nose and lips were pierced and golden rings were on them, her skin was lighter than normal owing to the bleaching cream.

"Hi" she said.

He took her hands and led her outside before people would see him with her.

"What's wrong?" She chuckled.

Nedu folded his arms across his chest.
"What do you want?"

"Calm down, young man, I'm not Paula"

"Very funny" he hissed.

"Okay, that's fine, but that won't stop me from saying what I want to say....."

"Please be fast, I have work to do" he glared at her.

"I'll be fast, it's concerning your life anyway not mine..... Paula is my sister and I know what she's capable of. I know I'm not a great person but I'm not a murderer either....."

"Joelle, please I need to go, I'm really busy"

She exhaled. "Can we meet up?"

"Fine, where?"

"At my house....."

"I'm not coming to your house!" Nedu spat.

"Okay, I have your number so I'll text you where we will meet"

She handed him her phone and he confirmed his number.

"Stay well, Nedu" she said and walked away.

He hissed and sighed.

Darrell came to hand him some forms for him to sign on and he set to work.

As he was about leaving in the evening, the manager of the bank who came in a few hours earlier walked up to him.

"Mr. Nwosu"

"Yes sir" he turned around to look at him.

"Anytime from now, there will be a celebration at my house for the success of this bank and the new house I just bought plus I want to give my employees some time to chill"

Nedu chuckled. "Congrats sir"

"Well, I need you to be one of my special guests in the occasion.... You know apart from your carelessness, you are a wonderful staff"

Nedu chuckled again. "Oh" he murmured.

"So what do you say?"

"I'm highly flattered. Thank you sir"

"I'll inform you when it's ready to kick off"

"Okay sir"

"Have a wonderful evening. Good night"

"Same here sir"

He shrugged and walked out of the bank into the bustle and hustle outside, it was past seven pm but everywhere was still busy. He climbed into his car and began to drive home.

***
The gate was wide open and there was a car in his house, he drove in immediately, he saw Sinachi sitting on the floor of the verandah.

"What's going on here, Sinachi?"

Her eyes widened in seeing him. "Madam fainted" she muttered.

"What?"

He ran inside the house, mama was nowhere to be found neither was Ije.

"Sinachi, where are they?!" He shouted.

"Sir, madam's friend carried them"

"And you didn't think to call me"

"My credit card finished" she said apologetically.

"So who owns the car in the house and why is the gate open?"

"Madam friend's car, it spoilt. They are in madam's friend's husband's car"

Nedu bowed his head with a sigh. "And nobody called me?"

"Sir, it was sudden, madam's friend just came inside and madam started shouting, like that, she fainted"

"Jesus, Sinachi. You were so dumb that you couldn't get their names or where they were heading to?"

"Madam's friend is aunty Anulika, I think that's what mama called her"

"You think?!" Nedu shouted.

She quivered and stared at him in fright.

"Get in the car, we are going out now!"

Very sorry for the short chapter, I'm trying to make the story exciting to read.

I don't know much about banks and stuff, I hope I'm trying.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Did I create a cliffhanger?😏. I don't even know.

What do you think caused Ije to faint? And where is mama? Who knows where Ije was taken to?

Now, this is where I say my goodbye, I'll be absent for a few months due to school and I want to plead with you guys to not give up on me 🙏😢 I'll be back to update as usual.

Thank you for reading.