A Table of Two

Chapter 1

Ai rain fell heavily the night before, it was still drizzling the next morning. I was by their gate in a 2016 army green Corolla at around 8a.m, exactly the time given to me by Minister. As wealthy as he is, Minister desired simple things though classy. His house is averagely huge with lot of space, after the huge gate is the small roundabout where the three roads in the house meet. The right one leads to the garage. The left one to the backyard, the garden and swimming pool. The road to the center lead straight to the building "the glass house" we call it. After parking at the garage near Nazeera's Bentley, I walked quickly into the house where Lanre their Buttler welcomed me with bright smile as always. I wore a white native, it was a friday, the rain had even drizzled on my wear, knowing fully how Mama A'ee will disturb me about the rain touching me, from the door I took the left turn straight to Minister's sitting room. He was with Salma drinking coffee on the floor.

Ina kwana sir, I greeted

Kai, shut up he answered. Come and sit down close to me, today's matter is not father and son. He added

Salma smiled and ran towards me, I kneeled on the big soft floor mat and hugged her.

Ke, jeki ciki... Minister said to her.

When on serious mood Minister utterly dislike greetings. That I know about him since I knew him with Baba.

Zo mana Walid, you see this your union with A'ee gives me joy beyond what you can imagine. You are a very humble and very intelligent, child Allah saka maka da alheri. I know it's not easy on you after the death of Mariam your former fiancée, to have accepted my proposal to marry Aisha my daughter.

Haba Sir, nima ina so ne. Besides no matter what happens in life, it goes on.

While I spoke looking at the 52inch television display BBC weather forecast, the memory of Mariam flashed all again, as it has since her death months ago.

Minister begin to preach to me while I remember the first time me and Mariam met. It was on a Sunday Morning, it was cold and harmattan season had just started. She was coming back from training, sweating and tired when I almost hit her. Surprisingly rain began to fall and I asked to take her home she didn't reject even though she didn't trust my gesture cause from my car broken mirror I could see her left hand in the small pocket of her sweat jacket, she held a small finger sized thing like spray ready for what may come.

Relax dear, I am harmless, I just want to take you home. I feel bad the way I almost hit you.

Kai I am very relaxed, unless you have another thing in mind, she said.

Just a junction away from her house my car broke down. I offered her umbrella, a torn, broken one. She collected said thanks and left while I sat in the car waiting for the rain to stop. She came back just when I pushed back the back seat to relax. She wore a white sweater and a short blue Jean, seeing her the second time was magical. It was like meeting a different person. I noticed her short smile, spread around her pretty small face that shine slightly like a dying moon, her eyes far brighter than earlier and her pointed-nose exactly like mum's, her eyelashes too, long, dark and wide.

When she speaks it was like Mira Larry the poet, words perfectly pronounced and well picked. We discussed even when the rain stopped about my dead car, the season and about her event management business.

Minister chuckled and succeeded in bringing my attention towards him. Toh tell me, which month is preferable, May ko June, Minister spoke while yawning like a hungry soldier. June is okay sir, daman it's her birthday month, I replied

Sannu Romeo, Minister joked.

Our wedding with A'ee went smoothly and low key even with her father's popularity. It happened in Abuja and our honeymoon in Dubai as insisted by Minister. His death cut our honeymoon short, just two weeks into it. We arrived in time before the burial 4pm Nigerian time. Five years on, Nazeera is about to get married in few months and Salma is in the university in Cairo. I have two children, Sameera and Azman who died a month after birth.

My nanny often told me, trouble only knocks in our happiest times when she tell me stories of lost empires and kingdoms, her stories were always deep and thought provoking. I own Kaleb Consult, founded and built from scratch with the help of Minister and other allies, Kaleb consult rose to one of the best management consulting firm with branches in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Minister was baba's very old friend, they schooled together at the Northern Sphere University. Baba and Minister met at the airport during his trip to the Holy land, both were surprised to have met again, they exchanged pleasantries with such enthusiasm. I have never seen baba greet anyone like that. I was saying farewell to baba, giving him his passport when this tall, fat, fair man showed up.

Kai? He shouted, looking at baba, for a moment I almost freaked out. Baba shouted Minister, and clapped their palms together before shaking their old hands.

La dona, the man finally uttered what seem like baba's nickname. I quickly stepped aside and allow them to behave like kids. They held each other and waved me when they got to the boundary line for visitors. I waved too as they left like three year olds, Minister's hand on baba's shoulder. I stood in awe as they walked to the plane which was ready for takeoff.

So after the death of Mariam, Aisha had lost her fiancé a year before, Zigmoh as he was known was a kidnapper and was Aisha's boyfriend who had met her family. After his arrest and death in police custody, Aisha lost herself, she loved him so much, he betraying and fooling her like that broke her spirit, she began to do drugs and come home late. After some counselling and prayers Aisha regained herself but she had become reserved and unlike her former self who was really loud and jovial.

Minister introduced Aisha to me, to work as my company secretary since she studied law in Lagos. Though I am reserved but crazy on the inside, so being around me made Aisha regained so much about her former self, with occasional quietness though. I lost Mariam a year later and Aisha took it upon herself not allow me experience the pain of losing a lover.

I still remember how sometimes I wouldn't sleep in my house because my house reminded me of Mariam, it looked like her and smelled of her, she was an event manager and very good at it. We met the second time officially as clients, when I took an event job having little knowledge about it. In search of a good event manager led me to Mariam, she did the job so perfect and trained me in event management. Few weeks together sparkled a love story, she was principled, crazy speeches always, "boringly" amusing at times. She even decorated my apartment, one we planned on living after our wedding, so with her death going back home after work was disturbing.

Aisha was there for me as a friend, she will make me coffee and warm sheets when I return from work. I stayed in their house for more than four months since it was closer to Kaleb Consult and I was running away from the memories of Mariam, besides we were like family with hers. One night the pain of losing Mariam stroke, I was checking my phone's gallery when our picture popped up. A phone reminder I set of our first year anniversary together 26th of July, I was trying to kiss her while trying to snap when she pushed my nose with her short finger as the picture was taken. We both loved that picture because it reminded us of that day, the day I proposed to her.

Tears was rolling down my left cheek whilst I was staring at the picture when Aisha entered. I quickly locked the phone when I noticed she was already standing before me, she kneeled and held my head, I was sitting on the bed, it was dark with rays of light from the windows peeping into the room, enough to see anyone standing. She began her sweet talk about letting myself feel the moment and not regretting. Devil whispered to my ear about Aisha's beauty. Her lips are thin, not wide nor too small but a kissing one, she have an average long face, glowing skin with no spots and big eyes. Whenever she speaks she roll her eyes which has always been sexy, I only noticed its full impact that same night. I quickly kissed her and her head remained still, probably shocked. I stopped and pulled my head back looking down, I saw her red velvet dress as I raise my head up slowly I noticed her puffed out hips, curved and sexy enough. When I finished raising my head, her big eyes were rolling again. She grabbed my head again this time from my neck and laced soft lips upon mine. She held em, and released, then put them back on, I held her waist, then fiercely and skillfully grabbed her to my body, her body was warm and comforting. We were on the bed already when both of us stopped instantly, sorry we both said. This is wrong we continued awkwardly, all at the same time.

We quickly separated ourselves like children caught eating a forbidden fruit. Good night as she left the guess room where I was, few meters to the main building.

Minister was already looking for her as he had called me to ask her whereabouts, ai she is inside sir. Kaci abinci ko? Don't sleep on empty stomach my child. Yes sir, I replied. Toh goodnight, he added.