It was a very hot afternoon in the month of February; this was the period in the year when people living in a congested 1 room apartment regretted it. I was luckily sharing my one-room with a friend but the room was still so hot. We walked down to the balcony to receive some fresh air while we accompanied it with the handmade "abebe".
I was angry at the fact that everyone in the area was locked in their room enjoying electric fans and air conditioner as the area was always blessed with light. My compound was an exemption as our landlord’s son squandered our electricity fee for the 3rd time that month. While I thought of things to say at the meeting to be held later that night, a Lexus salon car zoomed noisily into our compound. This aggravated my irritation as dust flew everywhere even at my face.
My friend was quick enough to shout out in anger while I struggled to breathe beneath the dust. After this, a young woman dressed in an expensive lace material flung the car door open and briskly walked past us with her face down. The man who drove the car took his time in putting off the vehicle, he was a big man dressed in another colour of lace material and agbada, and he had on heavy long gold chains on his neck and expensive-looking slippers to match. He walked around his car in a stylish manner to check for any damages and looked towards my friend and I. While he kept his gaze, the lady who seemed like his wife slowly walked past us to the trunk of the car. Now we finally got a good look at her face, she had fresh bruises on her face and one under her eyes which was showing signs of healing. She was a very fair beautiful woman and these bruises could not take the beauty away.
While I took details of the woman my friend called my attention back to the black big man. He looked at me purposely to get my attention, but he was on the wrong track, a woman beater? Hell no!! Now he was smiling seductively at me winking and smirking his lips in succession. This even irritated me more; he looked like a hungry pig!! His wife now struggled with kegs that seemed to carry palm oil and a basket of fruit while he kept on looking at me, his wife successfully struggled past us and disappeared into the dark lobby.
Then he made his move, he walked towards me and asked for my name, I told him and then he announced his relations with my landlord. Landlord son keh!!! He started talking about meeting my parents to ask for my hand in marriage. Then I let all hell loose, ’’stupid man’’ I started with.
He was taken aback and did not believe his ears when I called him a woman beater. He let out his anger and wanted to slap me when his wife called him from our landlord’s window. He stormed in after snapping his fingers at me. Whatever way, I was ready to leave the compound after the meeting that night.
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