Ngozichukwuka

Mr. Dennis

CHAPTER THREE

''Go and bring the cup na.'' Uka whispered to the five of them. Her eyes  fiery. She had asked Edu, who shook his head in response immediately.

Uju didn't hesitate to look away swiftly. Chuma and Emeka did same while Ngo stared at the cup in front of her through the transparent curtain and visualized herself going over to get the cup. If she could visualize it, then she could go ahead she thought.

''Why does this man always pick the worse time to visit mummy?'' Edu lamented in anger but they were all thinking it.
     ''Shhhhh.'' Uka tried to shush him up. ''He will hear you.'' She added.

Mr. Dennis, a widower was a friend of Mama Uka.  He had three little boys.

He never mentioned to Mama Uka whether his wife died or they were separated and he never for once brought his kids along with him nor did he ever introduced them. He would talk and brag about them a lot. Especially his first son, Joshua.

He also never mentioned the names of the other two boys but would refer to them in his sentences as 'the second one and the third one'.

Well, Mama Uka never bothered to ask him. They weren't really close and Mama Uka never asked. How they got to know each other? That's a story for another chapter or maybe not.

That night he came, it was 7:15pm and the Vincent's were already having their dinner. They were having, beef egusi soup with garri. It was Emeka's favorite food. He loved egusi soup.

Mama Uka was seated on the couch with her food placed on the center table.  Ngo, Uka and Uju, sat down on the mat that was laid over their rug. They did so whenever they wanted to eat just incase their mouth leaked as their mother would put and they have food particles all over the rug while Edu, Chuma and Emeka ate together too sitting a bit close to the girls on the same mat.

They ate in silence when suddenly, they heard a knock on their window and shortly on their door too, they all knew it was Mr. Dennis. That was his habit of knocking and his way of letting them know he was the one.

They hissed, frowned their faces and murmured non-stop. Their mother calmed them down and promised to tell him not to visit them at night or at least not when they would be having a lovely family dinner. She said that all the time but never came through with it as she would forget of course or maybe did not want to hurt his feelings. After all, she was always home from work 6pm and Mr. Dennis loved to visit when he was sure she would be home and doubtlessly well rested.

They speedily carried their food and mat to their room as Uka went over to open the door for Mr. Dennis. She welcomed him briefly and ran into the room. The rest of them were already seated on the mat forgetting their cup of water and they expected Uka to bring the big cup of water along with her after she opened the door but she didn't.

Uka wasn't aware that the cup was left behind because she was feeling gloomy.

They were all feeling gloomy.

They ate for a while till she needed to drink water that she noticed the cup of water wasn't there.

Ngo didn't visualize herself saying a greeting to Mr. Dennis so she ran in and out like a flash spilling not much water on their red rug.