The Enemy Within - S01 E11

1 month ago

The Enemy Within - S01 E11

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 11

The Enemy Within, Episode Eleven

"Hello Chizi! How are you? You know took your phone number after the dinner we had at the restaurant the other day. I decided to call and say hi to you today. How is everything?" Mike said over the phone. His voice did not sound normal. With her sensitive intuition, Chizi noticed that Mike was talking with some difficulty, like someone who is weak. It was like he was going through some emotional issues.

"Hello Mike! Thanks very much for calling me. It has been a while. I have not seen you since we had the dinner that night. You took my number and I didn't take yours. I would have called since. But everything is perfectly fine here. I have started my tailoring shop and everything is moving fine. In fact, I have made a lot of profit from the N10 million given to me by Uche. It has been three months since I started the business and I can tell you that things are moving fine. I got a contract that changed my life. What about you? Have you started your own business? Is it moving well? Are you making profit?" Chizi asked.

"Which profit? I did not start any business my dear! It is a long story, but to cut the whole thing short, I did not get the money as promised. The N10 million I was promised that day did not reach my hand." Mike lamented over the phone. He was almost close to tears. His life had become hellish since the past two months. He was told to walk away from his job with a promise of N10 million, but the money never came. Each time he thought of it, he felt like crying. He was looking for someone to talk to and that was why he called Chizi.

"I'm surprised and shocked to hear this. My boyfriend Uche said the money would hit your account. What happened? Please can you make me understand? Uche never lies to me because that night, I got my own money and the impression I was left with was that your own already entered your account. I'm so confused right now. Can you explain your situation?" Chizi asked. She was very eager to help and she really wanted to find out the truth.

"Chizi, this is not phone talk. It is what can explain to you face to face only if I can see you. The story is long and I cannot begin to explain myself on phone." Mike tells Chizi tearfully.

"Alright, I will send you the address of my tailoring shop right now. Is it possible for you to arrive here within thirty minutes?" Chizi asked.

"It is not possible. In fact, I can't even make it today because I'm in my village. I went back to the village when everything became dry for me. I don't even have money for transport. I guess I'm stuck in the village." Mike lamented over the phone. Chizi was shocked when she heard that Mike had been in the village for two months.

"My God! Is it that bad? I never knew you were in the village. Alright, calm down Mike, everything will be fine. Send me your account number let me send you some money. I want to see you here tomorrow." Chizi tells Mike. When Mike sent her the account number, she transferred N100,000 to him. Mike was very happy because it had been long any money entered his account. He quickly went to the POS in his village and cashed the money and then came back to pack his bags in readiness to move to the city to see Chizi in the morning.

Mike hardly slept that night because he had been looking for a way to go back to the city without success. As soon as it was day break, he picked his bags and disappeared from the village. By 4pm, he was already in the city searching for Chizi.

On her part, Chizi took time to prepare for Mike's

coming. She prepared a delicious egusi soup

and eba for him. In fact, she did not go to the

shop that day because she wanted to welcome

Mike properly. She felt so bad over what was

happening to him. Somehow, she knew that the

success of Mike is tied to her own. She can only

marry Uche if Mike married Clara as planned.

So, she felt obligated to help him out.

The food she was cooking was almost ready when Mike called her that he was at the shop waiting. Chizi had bought her own car from the profits she made. Although, it was not an expensive car, but she uses it for mobility and she had stopped using public transport. As soon as she got Mike's call, she hopped into the car and drove to her shop where she picked him up.

"You are really doing well. Look at your shop. You even have five apprentices. And you have your own car. This is really impressive. As for me, my village people never allowed me to prosper like you. I wonder the kind of bad luck that followed me to this city." Mike lamented. Chizi was shy and felt bad for Mike at the same time.

"Please enter the car let us go to the house. Stop patronizing me. And please, stop mentioning village people because they have no hand in what is happening to you. This is life for you. Many times, things don't work out the way we plan. Please enter the car let me go and feed you well. I have prepared a nice soup for you." Chizi said to Mike. She drove slowly and they were gisting about life until they got home.

"Wow! must confess I'm impressed by your progress. You have done very well for yourself. Look at your apartment. So beautifully furnished with AC. Congratulations Chizi! I'm happy for you." Mike said as he sank into one of the soft chairs in the living room. Chizi immediately rushed into the kitchen and served Mike food. Mike ate like a hungry lion. For the past two months, he never had food that tasted so nice. He licked his fingers as he was eating. Chizi watched him with pride, knowing she cooked the food with her heart.

"Now that you have eaten, I'm all ears. Tell me the story of what happened. Why didn't you get the money as promised?" Chizi asked while turning down the volume of the TV in the living room. She increased the humidity of the AC when she saw that Mike was sweating after consuming the nice, hot food.

"My dear, first, I must say thank for helping me come back to the city and for the food. It was delicious. Look, Chizi, the truth is that Clara did not give me the money. She told me that her father froze all her bank accounts, so she was unable to make transfers." Mike said.

"Just like that?" Chizi asked.

"Yes, just like that! And the worse was that I already resigned from my job. I had already submitted my resignation letter to her father. You know it was her father who paid me salary. So, without any salary entering my account, I had nothing to feed myself. I almost died of hunger. I woke up one day and decided to go back to my mother. That was how I went to the village." Mike said. He struggled not to cry because he was in emotional pains.

"What about your relationship with Clara? I thought she said she loves you. How come you were in the village and she never cared about you? She was practically dying to marry you from what I heard from Uche. What happened? Did you two break up?" Chizi asked with curiosity written all over her face.

"My dear, after that dinner we had that night, Clara changed. It was like magic. She changed within two weeks. She started giving me attitude and I quickly understood that something had changed. Things became worse when she did not give me the money and I became frustrated. She stopped picking my calls." Mike said.

"I'm shocked to hear this. Did you tell my boyfriend, Uche about this?" Chizi asked.

"No, did not. I was not allowed anywhere near that compound again. And I don't have Uche's phone number." Mike said.

"But you should have called me. It was wrong for you to have gone through all these alone. My goodness, I'm shocked. If you had called, I would have told Uche immediately. Well, now that you are here, we will go together to confront Clara in Uche's presence." Chizi said.

"Is she still at Uche's house?" Mike asked.

"Yes, because the wedding plan is still going on just as we agreed. That is why I'm surprised at what you are telling me because no one mentioned it to me. I was still thinking we are still on the same page, not knowing that Clara didn't keep her part of the agreement. She betrayed us. I'm sad because she is putting the whole plan in jeopardy. Since that time, I see Uche once in two weeks. But we will go to his house tomorrow. We will know what is really going on." Chizi said.

Watch out for episode 12.