December 18, 2024
THE PREMIERE OF A THRILLER DRAMA SERIES ON AFRO-SCOPE.COM, BY A WRITER WHOSE IDENTITY WE SHALL SOON UNVEIL AS A SURPRISE
It was a Friday evening and Ugo had gone to his wife’s workplace to pick her up at the close of work. It was the first time he was visiting her workplace. There was acute fuel scarcity in the city of Abuja, so the cost of transportation had increased. His wife had complained to him earlier in the morning that she was spending almost half of her monthly salary as transportation fare. He had promised to start picking her up every day when she closes from work.
His wife, Ebere had informed the company security at the gate that her husband was coming. She works as the secretary to the CEO of a big organization, so entrance is restricted to only people who have appointments. As soon as Ugo approached the company gate and identified himself as Ebere’s husband, he was allowed to drive into the premises. The security man ushered him into his wife’s office. His wife was not there, so Ugo had to sit and wait patiently for her.
“Wow! This place looks nice. The office is large and cozy.” Ugo said in his heart as he looked around the large room. It is through his wife’s office that the CEO’s office could be accessed. Anyone who wants to see the CEO must first see Ugo’s wife. He wondered where his wife was.
“Work is supposed to have closed by this time. I was even thinking she would be waiting for me at the gate, not knowing I will have to enter inside,” Ugo said in his heart. But just as he was settling down to rest under the humming air conditioner above his head, a door opened and his wife came out. She was closely followed by the CEO who was closing from work. One thing about the job was that Ebere never closes from work before the CEO. The CEO must leave the office before she is allowed to close from work.
“Good evening honey. Have you been waiting for long?” Ugo’s wife asked as soon as she emerged from the CEO’s office. Ugo’s eyes were fixed on the CEO. He was looking at him as if they had met before or as if he saw something in him that captured his attention. Ebere was confused because her husband responded to her greeting and that of the CEO absentmindedly. He behaved as if he did not even see his wife or notice her presence. He was just focused on the CEO. Ugo just exchanged dry pleasantries with the CEO and then he was out of the office and started driving home with his wife.
“As they were driving home, Ugo kept his face straight. He never said a word to his wife and even when Ebere spoke to him, he refused to respond. Ebere wondered what was troubling her husband.
“Why is he not talking to me? Why is he silent? Did I do anything wrong? It was as if he saw something in my boss that pissed him off. But what did he see in the man? This is very troubling because my husband is usually a talkative. For him to refuse to talk to me is very troubling.” Ebere said in her heart as they were driving home.
They got home and Ugo called all his children and looked at them in a strange way. He looked into their faces as if he was searching for an answer to a troubling question. He invited them one by one to stand before him as he examined their faces like a medical doctor. When he was done, he moved to his room and locked the door tightly.
“Why is my husband behaving like this? Why was he looking at the children like that? Has he gone mad? He is behaving like a lunatic and I’m very worried about this.” Ebere said. Night had fallen and she had finished cooking. He took some of the food to her husband who still hasn’t opened the door.
“Honey please open the door, I have brought your food,” Ebere said, but Ugo turned deaf ears. It was the first time he was rejecting his wife’s food.
“This has never happened in the past. My husband refusing to eat my food? This is strange. The worse part is that he is not even talking to me. Did I offend him? How am I supposed to know and apologize if he is not letting me know what the problem is? I don’t think I can sleep tonight with this kind of problem in my heart,” Ebere lamented.
Ebere dropped the tray of food in front of the door and sat there. She started weeping loudly. She was greatly troubled and sorrowful. Her cries started disturbing Ugo. When he could bear it no more, he opened the door and came out.
“Why are you disturbing my peace? I’m trying to rest but your cries won’t let me. Please go to your room and cry. Allow me to rest because I’m going to work in the morning. The night is far spent and most people have gone to bed. Please, leave immediately,” Ugo said. His voice sounded like that of a soldier.
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what I did to you. You are not talking to me and you have rejected my food. How am I supposed to be happy? What did I do to you? I’m not comfortable in this house because of your silence. Why are you treating me this way? Why are you refusing to eat my food?” Ebere asked tearfully. Her heart was beating very fast and her nose was running.
“You want to know why I’m treating you this way?” Ugo asked his wife. He was holding the door and looking at his wife who was seated mournfully on the tiles.
“Yes! Tell me what I have done to you and if I’m wrong, I will apologize to you. The silence is killing me,” Ebere said pleadingly.
“Come inside,” Ugo threw the door open for his wife to come in. She sat on the bed. Ugo as also sat on one side of the bed.
“I’m sad because of what I saw earlier today at your work place. What I saw when I looked at your boss made me sad. Immediately I set my eyes on your boss, I started asking myself some questions,” Ugo’s voice was emotional but firm. Ebere’s heart started beating very fast. She became highly uncomfortable.
“What did you see in my boss?” Ebere asked tenderly.
“Well, the truth is that my first son, Junior looks like your boss. When I saw your boss, I was shocked. He looks exactly like Junior and Junior looks like him. How is it possible for two people who are not related to resemble each other like that? I think the two of you have some questions to answer. I demand a DNA test”, Ugo said. His words were coming out like bombshells and hitting Ebere.
“Are you insinuating that I have allowed my boss to touch me? Are you saying he has eaten from my honey pot? You know this is not true. I have never cheated on you,” Ebere responded. She sounded very emotional.
“Well, I’m not saying you cheated on me. I’m just saying I want a DNA test just to be sure I’m not raising the CEO’s son because the two of them look very much alike. Tomorrow morning, I’m taking Junior to the hospital for a DNA test. I want to be sure he is my son. If it turns out he is my son, fine, I will apologize to you. But if he is not my son, trust me, you won’t believe what would happen,” Ugo said. When he finished talking, he lay on the bed and slept off.
Ebere left the room heartbroken, not knowing what to do.
“I wonder why allowed him to come to my office. I shouldn’t have allowed him to see my boss,” Ebere lamented. She picked up her phone and called the CEO to tell him there’s fire on the mountain.
WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 2
