Days passed and Edu while seated inside the room of his mother kept thinking about how Veronica disappeared. At some point he stood up and his mother who was getting better held him and said, "Where are you going to?"
"I need to travel mother" he said.
"Travel? You should not let the love you have for her become your downfall. You have what it takes to find another girl in this village and make her your wife and I will give you my support and my blessings but going after a girl that her life has become complicated will be endangering your life. Stay back son and do not go" said the mother but Edu had made up his mind. Having seen that there was enough for his mother to eat until he returns he hastened and left that morning. Before he left he held his mother's hand and said, "I think I needed to have been more considerate with her. I practically chased her away with my attitude. It wasn't her fault that she got into a mess and that is if she did get into one but if she did i should have stood up for her. Having to be so hostile to her did me or her no better. I have to look for her mother and know what the problem is, what is it that bothers her and try to know if I can be of help to her" The mother did not say anything further but understood where her son was driving at. She allowed him go and he left that morning, took the first bus to the city.
On arriving the city he decided to eat at a restaurant and when he got in there he was sure the food there would be expensive but it was more expensive than he had thought. When he was done eating he discovered that there was a notice on the wall and that notice read to his shock. He was seeing some figures that he had not imagined. Just then a waitress approached him and said, "Sir, your bill is six thousand naira. At that moment he gasped and wanted to know if he heard her right. He was sure if he spent that amount for just a plate of food and if he was to spend it three times a day he would not be able to have anything left by the time he returns to the village. He knew the company that Veronica said she was working for having asked questions. He was going to go to the company and ask of her. He stood up and paid before he stepped out and saw roadside food vendors and regretted why he did not go to patronise them. When he stepped out a cab pulled up and the driver asked, "Where to?" he did not answer but walked out on him. He headed to the bus stop where he entered a bus going towards the location of the office where Veronica worked. When he got there he saw that it was a huge building and looking up to see the apex of the building would make one want to fall.
He stayed outside for a while wondering what he would do, whom he would say he is looking for. He sighed heavily and wanted to enter when he saw a lady stepping out and when he looked carefully that was Veronica. He hid behind a car packed at the front of the company building and saw that she entered her car with another lady and just then he reasoned it better to go and cause them to see her. When he approached them and that was before they could drive off he stood right on their front and Veronica hulted the car abruptly which caused Anita to go forth and back forcefully.
"What's that?" asked Anita. She noticed that Veronica was staring at the person standing infront of them and when Anita looked and saw that a young man was standing there infront of their car and she quickly brought out her pistol. She would have positioned herself to fire if Veronica hadn't stopped her and spoke. "Don't Anita" Veronica then hot down and looked carefully to see that it was actually Edu who was standing there and glaring at them. She immediately and without a word said, "Come inside the car at once!" Edu without delay rushed into the car and they drove off.
Their car stopped at a roadside and Anita bought some stuffs because it was already getting dark and before long it would be night. When they reached the house belonging to Veronica they got down and headed inside the house. While inside Anita stood aside with Veronica for a while before she headed into one of the rooms in the house, leaving Veronica alone in the house. Veronica on the other hand turned to look at Edu who was standing with his backpack and she sighed heavily.
"What are you doing?" she asked and he didn't understand what she was saying. "I said what are you doing?"
"What am I doing here?" asked Edu to be sure what he meant.
"What are you doing coming here?" she asked and Edu sighed and wanted to approach her but she stretched forth her hand to stop him and said, "Don't come any closer and answer my question; what are you doing here Edu?" she was getting walked up and he could see it.
"You need to calm down Vero. You sound as if you are not happy to see me. Are you not happy to see me?" he asked.
"Happy to see you? Are you for real now? You need to know that I'm not going to allow you do what you want to do simply because you want to do it. You coming here is against what I stand for now. What are you doing coming to my company? Was I into error when I told you about my place of work?"
"What do you mean?" he asked and she felt he was too ignorant of what he was bringing himself into.
"You keep asking that question and it's annoying in my ear. You should not have come here! that's what I mean and you being here is going to endanger your life more than it will discomfort me" she said loudly and suddenly realized she needed to be calm. "What are you doing here?" she repeated.
"To see you. Have I made a mistake coming to see you owing the way you left without a word?" he said and she swallowed hard. She walked up to him and said, "You will return home this night"
"I'm going nowhere without you" he said.
"You are not listening to me Edu. You should listen to me and stop being too stubborn; this place that you have come, this house that you have visited is not going to be conducive for you and there is someone that must not know, must never know you or find out that you are here which is why you need to go from here now"
"But I have made it clear that I'm not going anywhere else you explain to me what has come over you; it's not been long you left the village and here is what you are exhibiting; now I want you to tell me to my face that you never loved me all those years we were together, all those years we ate palm kennels together. You see if you don't explain to me things that will make me feel alright I'm going nowhere. Thanks you brought me to your house. Now that I know your house do you not think if I go the way that you are asking me to go I am going to return here and pester you until you explain things to me? Oh you are talking about your boyfriend, is he a dangerous man?" He asked and she shook her head, seeing that this was a play to him. She sank on the seat and he approached her.
"What happened to us, what happened to our relationship?" asked Edu. She kept glaring at his face, not knowing where to start from.
"Edu I have alot to tell you but you must know that whatever I do with you now it will reach the ears of someone I work for. I don't trust that the one I'm with won't tell him and I don't trust that what we are discussing here in this room won't leave this room. Which is why I'm not going to tell you anything here but will send you off, to come to the village at an appointed time to discuss at length with you" When she said this Edu stood up and paced, only to stop before her and said, "There is nothing to explain to me dear; I didn't come here for you to tell me to go, no, that's not why I come; I am here so that you look at me straight into my eyes and tell me that you don't want me any longer. I can understand; seeing how rich you are living now and you don't care what happens to me or to the woman that gave birth to me, the woman that you so much cared about and prayed for day and night. I will go but be rest assured that I am never going to disturb you any longer. It is with you now to be where destiny has put you. I'm not timid and I'm not a lost person; I know my way around town and I will find my way home and I will always find a way out of the things that come at me. You on the other hand have either been taken to a politician who has done a lot for you or you now are part of a secret organisation that pumps your account with riches. Who am I now to start to guess about these things. I will go" He stood up and walked out and she followed him hastily. When both of them got outside he struggled for his bag which she was holding until he was able to get hold of it and she departed from her place that night. Veronica stood there and kept looking as he left. She started sobbing..She did not take notice of Anita who was already standing behind her as she put her hand on her shoulder. When she turned Anita spoke, "Do not bother so much about him.. It is better you let him go than keeping him to endanger your life. Your life and his life will never be the same again. There is no need allowing him stay around you when you know it is never going to work between the both of you. Come inside and have something to drink" Anita led her inside the house and they served themselves drink and as they drank Anita sighed and said, "Have you considered the boss's proposal to be your man?" Veronica stared at her and Anita just realised she had not asked that question at the right time but that it was wrong to ask a woman about a man she does not like when she has just lost the one she likes.
*****
Ken was inside his house when Jude paid him a visit and he welcomed him in and both of them sat down. Jude stared at him and said, "Have you spoken with boss concerning your promotion?"
"Promotion? I have not been told anything about any promotion but Sir did you say he wants to promote me?" Asked Ken and Jude nodded while forcing a smile. "Which means you will no longer be under me for the promotion that is coming to you is so big you will be answering the boss directly" Ken was happy but he did not need to be told that Jude wasn't comfortable with the development.