****EPISODE 33****
An unusual noise roused Jide. Waking up, he discovered that he had slept off on the couch. He peered at the clock, the time was 2:10am. He noticed the television was on, and a football match was going on.
Why had he slept off on a couch? Jide wondered momentarily. Then Slowly it started registering – The note he’d seen on the dining, the talk with Adamu on who she’d left with and his angry mood ever since. He had probably slept off while ruminating over this new attitude of Daisy. He concluded.
The sound he suspected roused him earlier on wafted in again, Jide listened closely, it sounded like a car.
A car! He exclaimed in his mind and rushed to the door, opening it just in time to see Ade supporting his wife out from his car and towards the house while she staggered pathetically.
Jide stood there speechless. It wasn’t just the fact that his wife
looked drunk and out of touch, but also the fact that she was being escorted by Ade of all people! That made him so. What had gone wrong? He wondered.
‘No need to hold me, I can walk for myself!’ Jide heard Daisy say, still he stood at the door and waited the approaching figures.
‘You are far too kind, Mr. Ade, but really I’ve got this’ Daisy
protested again, her steps however, didn’t show that she could stand much less walk on her own.
‘Hey hubby! She called excitedly as they stood now facing Jide, but Jide made no move whatsoever.
‘Hi’ Ade said, a flustered look on his face. He would try to be diplomatic and nothing else if he wanted to leave in one peace, Ade thought. What would you expect from a husband whose wife was coming home stark drunk
and being supported by the one man you despised? He wondered and put up a complacent smile.
‘Where are the both of you coming from?’ Jide asked, rather calmly. Hands akimbo and still obstructing the way. He sighted Adamu just then, entering his quarters, obviously after getting a fill of Daisy and her stupidity. Jide thought angrily.
‘Please just let us in, I can explain after that’ Ade said trying hard
to support himself and the staggering Daisy.
‘No way am gonna let you inside here!’ Jide almost shouted.
‘Okay, I get it, but at least get her inside’ he pleaded.
‘You both can get into another fight, but let me go for my juice, room, whatever’ Daisy blabbed. Twirling all the while, soon she started struggling free from Ade’s hold.
‘Please take her’ Ade pleaded, not sure he could hold on anylonger.
Jide sighed and lay hold the skwirming Daisy from Ade. With an angry look he said: ‘Goodnight Ade!’ led her in and banged the door.
Ade stood there a while, staring blankly at the door. What had he
expected? An invitation inside? An appreciation for a job well done? A pat on the back? ‘Oh well’ he scoffed, anyone who didn’t know Jide well, or their history together would have picked offences. But not him. He was overtly glad to see the end of one the long and scandalous night he had ever experienced.
Shrugging in resignation, he made for his car. And soon he was driving in full speed out of the estate where Jide and Daisy lived.
Back In the parlour, Jide was trying hard to control Daisy, she had suddenly become aggressive and wanting him not to hold or support her.
‘Am not drunk, am fine! Let me alone!’ she screamed
‘Stay still you f.ool, let me help your pitiable self to your room’ Jide cursed. This was the supposed wife of his who had left a note that
simply read ‘gone clubbing!’ on the dining for him when he returned from work around six! Now here she was totally drunk, brought home by an annoying friend of his and smelled of smoke and alcohol! Yet instead of
feeling mortified, remorseful or something, she was acting up and trying to push him away!
‘Let go of me, go and hold the lady in red, leave me alone!’ Daisy
screamed on and on like a mad cat, then with all the strength she could muster, pushed Jide away. It had however resulted into her pushing herself away as she came tumbling down, but fortunately landed on a close settee.
‘Finally!’ she said and broke into fits of hysteric laugh. She calmed down later and stared blankly at Jide.
Jide stood, watching all the dramatics Daisy was displaying. She was on a fiery red mini gown that tightly hugged her figures, her hair was disheveled and a red
earring dangled from one of her ears, the other probably came off somewhere. She was staring blankly at him now.
‘Oh Jide man of my dreams, your lady in red. . .nearly beat me black and blue’ Daisy blurted, laughing hysterically again between sentences.
Jide still stood staring at her, he couldn’t make out who was the lady on red she kept referring to. Because the only one on red here was her. Daisy tried to sit up then but fell back onto the settee, she laughed
and rolled her hand lazily in the air, then let it fall back, giggling in the process. Jide fell on her side now, a concerned look on his face. His anger fast dissipating and replaced with amusement.
‘Let me take you to your room, you need to rest…’
‘I don’t wanna sleep’ Daisy protested, then brought her hand on the face peering at her and gently caressed it, her fingers lingered on his lips.
She smiled then, ‘this eyes…’ she whispered, ‘They attracted and built this love I feel for you over the years…’ she said, her face holding a sober and pained look, then she laughed, ‘this lips…this lips’ she drawled and slowly drew towards him, as if to kiss him.
Jide felt his heart beat stop.
Suddenly, Daisy pushed him away and giggled hysterically, leaning back.
‘You got a long way to go!’ she croaked.
Jide stood up and shook his head watching her laugh and carelessly swinging her hands.
‘Got you!’ she blurted still laughing.
‘I need…’ she said and stopped laughing abruptly. She concentrated on Jide with the look of someone trying hard to remember something.
‘Yes!’ she said, her eyes sparkled too. ‘Yes! I need juice…yes juice’. Then she made to stand up but Jide was by her side pulling her back. ‘I’ll get it’ he said and hurried to the kitchen, coming out later to hear her singing out of key to the chorus of Chris de Burgh’s ‘lady in red’.
He placed the glass of juice on a side table and drew it closer to her, his face holding an amused grin all through. This wife of his was something else! he thought.
Daisy stopped singing then and made to seat up, but Jide was on her side in a flash and helped her up, soon she was draining the content, once through, she hit the glass carelessly on the table, Jide quickly moved the table out of way so she
wouldn’t cause any more damage. It was a miracle the cup didn’t shatter to pieces.
He thought.
‘Thank you!’ Daisy quipped excitedly like a satisfied child and leaned back on the settee. Her gaze slowly turned on Jide who was bending over her, her expression suddenly turned sober.
She looked so different, so innocent, more like . . .
Breathtaking! Jide thought. Those eyes that had haunted his dreams were looking straight at him now. He saw the pain and hurt in their depths, and felt his heart melt, they also tore at his heart, Jide realised then, that he was probably the one who put them, he felt a sudden urge to make them smile once again.
‘Am sorry Daisy…’ he was saying when Daisy giggled again and made to stand up.
Jide rolled his eyes in resignation and moved to stand in front of her, then tried to pull her down but she resisted.
‘No no, I want to go to my room’ she cried.
‘Okay’ Jide said and stood upright.
Daisy t—-t out her left hand and smiled.
‘Take me to my room then’ she said.
Jide took the offered hand and pulled her up effortlessly, thinking that she was getting sober, only for her to begin another number of hers.
This time she was humming loudly and un-rhythmically to the chorus of ‘Apologise’ by Timbaland.
Jide sighed as he half dragged and half carried his drunk wife to her room, wondering what song she was humming to this time.
Daisy however, did not relent on her musical rendition as she staggered helplessly all the way to her room.
Jide sighed again and wondered where Daisy pulls out all this songs. Not that he knew exactly what this particular one was about or who sang it.
And so man and wife staggered in the hallway towards Daisy’s room, but when they got infront of her room, the door was locked and Daisy could not tell where the key was so Jide led her to this study instead and lay her on his bed. He pulled out her heeled shoes, covered her with a blanket, switched off the lights, quietly closed the door of his study and made for the parlour. Daisy however had not stopped singing when he left.
As he passed her room, he wondered why she would lock her door and where she had misplaced her keys. A funny character she was. Jide concluded and continued on his way, thanking God that she was safe atleast.
‘so much for getting married’ he scoffed, as he lay down to sleep on the settee after
putting off the television.
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To be continued………
TAKING CHANCES