Must Read: Faith Works

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Faith Works

Lara stood barring the door, her mother wasn’t alone, she came with an old man and three young men.

“Lara can’t you see people are waiting? Let us in na!” her mother said again.

Lara shifted for them to get in.

“So mum who are they? And how may I help them?” she asked closing the door behind her.
“ehen/ the old man is ermm…the younger brother to your paternal grandfather, his name is Baba Lagbaja…” Funke began her introduction
“These ones are you father’s cousins…errm..y
es…beni, this one is Soji,..this one is Dele, this one is errm Tunde…they are all from your father’s village.” Funke continued.
“So what are they doing in my house?” Lara asked sternly.
“Ah ahn! Lara ki lo de! Shey an ja ni! Are we quarelling? Serve them drinks first now.”
Lara obliged.
“What’s your mission” she asked the Baba Lagbaja as she served him.
“They have come to take you!” Funke announced.

“Take me? How?” Lara laughed as she sat on a settee.
“Omolara my grand daughter…” the old man began.
“you are the only female child in our family, we value you alot.”.
“Yes!” tunde, soji and Dele chorused.
“You are the only one left to continue your father’s lineage, you can’t let your father’s name die like that.” baba Lagbaja said coughing at intervals.
“So?” Lara frowned.
“We have come to take you out of this marriage, we need children to bear Popoola’s name.” he further explained.
Lara laughed uncontrollably.
“You don’t laugh when an elder is talking.” Tunde yelled at her.
“She’s stubborn o.!” Funke chirped
Lara ignored her mum and faced Tunde.
“You don’t yell at me, else I’l throw you out of my house.!”
“Baba…”she turned to face the old man
“I’l go with you if only you can do something for me.” she said politely.
“Name it omo mi.” Baba Lagbaja said
“If you can return all you’ve collected from Tony and his parents, then I’l follow you.” Lara assured him.

“What are those things?”
“To start with, my mother must return the one million naira she collected for bride price, then all the jewelries and ornaments, then all the clothes, the house they bought for her, all the gifts they showered on her…alll..the…”
“Ehn!” The old man screamed interrupting her.
Lara gazed at her full length at the mirror;
satisfied by what she saw, she smiled to herself.
She smoothened the hips of her flimsy knee
length gown, she loved her hips, its one of her
greatest physical asset.
“Hmmm can’t wait!” she told herself excitedly as
she oiled her cornrows.
She should have fixed a weavon or plaited some
braids as her friend-Deji had adviced, but she
isn’t a fan of those artificial stuffs, she preferred
to go natural.

“What’s lacking?” she asked her beautiful
reflection.
“Nothing more, just to wait for the man.” she
chuckled.
Tony, her husband, would be back home, after
spending five good months overseas on his so
called ‘business trips’.
Their marriage was barely a year, and Tony has
spent more than half of it travelling. She hissed.
Their’s was an arranged marriage, she had met
Tony for the first time on their wedding day. She
remembered how harsh he was on that day.
She shuddered at the thought.
He had always gave excuses when it comes to
making love. He had never touched her, not even
a kiss…
The door bell rang, interrupting her thoughts.
“Yea baby! Time for action!” she said excitedly as
she catwalked to the door.
“Hey…welcome back home!” she said pleasantly
as he walked in.


“Thank you!” Tony mumbled.
She tried to hug him, but he stoped her
“Please!” he raised his hands.

She swallowed hard, plan number one failed. Next
plan…

“Errmm, why don’t you take a cold shower? You
must be tired after such a long journey…errmm,
I’d be setting the table..so that errm…you can
eat.” Lara said with a sweet smile.
Tony ignored her, instead, he walked past her into
his room.
Lara followed him with her eyes.
What was she gonna do, he still hates her this
much. She sighed heavily sitting at the edge of a
sofa.

She was lost in her thoughts when Tony’s phone
rang sharply. She stared at the phone as it
vibrated on the center table, she was tempted to
pick it but couldn’t, Tony had warned her
severally never to pick his calls.

“Hello Baby?” Tony said into the phone catching
Lara’s attention.

“Yea, just arrived few minutes ago.” he said
again.
Lara swallowed hard. Baby? Did he just call
another woman baby?
“No no no! That’s not true baby, you know I’ll
miss you more.” Tony said again.
Lara rose sharply, she felt her anger rose, this
was a disrespect to the highest order.
“Yea love, ama call ya later. Okay? Take care
sweerie.” he cooed softly before ending the call.
He turned to Lara who glaring at him.
“Why don’t you get me my food, instead of you
standing there like a palm tree?” he said
scornfully.
“Who is she?” Lara blurted out.
” ‘she’ is not your business i-diot!” He snapped
at her.
“Now move your bum into the kitchen!” he
ordered.
Lara walked quitely into the kitchen, she was no
longer angry but scared. She was scared of
something she couldn’t fathom.
Well, she won’t give up, plan number three…
“so do you like the food?” she asked as she
watched Tony eat up his food in mouthfuls .
“Your mum told me its your favourite dish.” she
added not minding his rude silence.


Tony coughed slightly, gulped down some water.
“Please Lara, let me eat in peace! Do I need to
choke?” his voice was harsh.
“But..I…” she looked confused.
Tony rolled his eyes.
“I wonder why this illiterate girl can’t just let me
be!” He muttered at the Bewildered Lara.
“Can’t you gerrit that I don’t talk while eating?
Didn’t your mother teach you table manners?” he
asked angrily.
“I’m sorry.” Lara mumbled leaving the dinning
area. Tears clouded her eyes, she looked visibly
scared.
Tony watched her leave, he felt sorry for her. He
shouldn’t treat her that way, he knew! But he just
hated the marriage, he was forced into it by his
parents.
She was beautiful and lovable, but his anger has
already taken over his heart.


His food became tasteless, he hated to see
beautiful girls cry.


Lara lay, curled up on the darduma in the parlour.

She hugged her pillow tightly as she wept. She
had been like this for days now. Tony as usual
was kneeling beside her, he wondered if her tear
bank would ever get exhausted.
“I should have listened to my mother.” Lara
muttered.


Tony sighed…back to square one he thought
inwardly.


“Because of you!” Lara sat up.


“Just because of you! I ruined the relationship
between I and my mother” she wagged a finger at
him.



Tony backed away, she was becoming violent.

“What haven’t I done for you? Tony? This is the
best way to pay back?” she tasted the saltiness
of her tears.
“I’m sorry baby…”
“Thunder fire you if you call me baby again!” her
eyes glinted in anger.
“I’m very sorry, its not what you think…” he felt
sorry for her.
“Its not what I think right? Oh please, explain!”
“Seriously, I won’t lie to you Lara…she was the
one kissing me, I didn’t kiss her…” Tony tried to
explain.
“No difference! The real thing is that you kissed!
And you enjoyed it!” she grabbed her pillow.
“Lara…” tony held her arm.
She pushed him away violently.


“If you touch me again, I’l murder you!”
Tony stared at her, he’d never seen her this
violent before.

“I wish I have spiritual powers!” she whispered.


“I’d have made sure you get back on a wheel
chair with your manhood cut off” she spat out,
before sauntering to her room.


Tony watched her: frightened.
The thought of been crippled again scared him.
He had heard stories of yoruba girls been
witches…


He wondered what kind of bad breeze blew
Sophia to the airport.
She said she came to congratulate him, it started
from a hug, then she kissed him.
“Rubbish!” he muttered lying down on a settee.
He must have dozed off.
He opened his eyes lazily as he felt something on
his head,
his eyes widened as he saw the noozzle of a gun.
He tried to get up, but a firm leg pressed his
chest down.
“where’s your wife?” a voice growled.
He didn’t reply.
“you deaf abi?” another voice asked.
He looked around, he was surrounded by five
armed men.

” una never bring the meat commot?” another
voice asked walking into the room..
“no boss, the guy no wan show us where she
dey.” one of the robbers responded.
“Search the house jor!” the boss commanded
the five robbers dispersed in various directions,
while the boss sat beside Tony.
Tony jerked as he heard Lara scream from her
room.
“Tony!” she yelled again.
He tried to get up but the boss pulled him back.
“Don’t move” he placed a sharp knife on Tony’s
neck.
The robberes emerged pulling Lara with them,
they threw her at their boss’s feet, she shrieked
as she fell.
“Wow, this babe set die!” the boss exclaimed.
“Please don’t hurt her, I’d give you anything you
want.” Tony pleaded.
“Noo, mr man, we didn’t come for you, we are
paid to work on her.” The boss said pulling Lara
towards himself.
She shivered, tears streaming down her cheeks.
He tilted her chin up, and his eyes met her
frightened ones.
His eyes widened in recognition.


“Lara the class monitor!” he exclaimed in suprise.
“Bayo?” she gasped.
“What are you doing here?” he couldn’t help
asking.


She felt weak, the suprise she got made her
whole body numb.
Bayo was her classmate/best friend during her
secondary school days.
“I’m sorry for…errm..the…erm” Bayo whispered
wiping her tears.
“Boys make we waka!” he told his boys who were
grumbling.


“Make we dey go jor!” he added firmly, sauntering
towards the door.


“Just like that?” one of the boys queried.
“Wetin again? We no fit touch her na! Make we
just go!” Bayo replied.


“we no fit trust her, she know you, she fit call
police..” they grumbled again.
“She won’t!” Bayo chuckled.
He left with his boys following suit.
Tony held the trembling Lara as she wept. She
rested her head on his shoulders holding him
tightly.
He led her towards his bedroom.
He kissed her tears dry, the salty taste made him
want to sU-Ck some more tears out of her eyes.
She clutched him tightly as he searched for the
zip fastener of her night robe…