Read The Intruder Episode 1: Stalker
Tobi stormed into the house and stood over Anita, shaking with sizzling rage. Anita sat up and stared boldly at him, trying to hide her fear. His anger was so hot she was sure she could feel the scorching heat coming from him.
“You evil bitch!” He roared. “What did you do to my wife?”
She shrugged like she didn’t care. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t lie to me!” His body shook with anger. At this rate, it wouldn’t surprise her if he pounced on her and tore her from limb to limb. For a brief moment, she had a second thought on what she was doing in his house in the first place. But that feeling passed and she stared at him like she didn’t give a hoot.
“I’m not lying. Maybe she was tired of the marriage and looking for an excuse to leave you since. Instead of blaming me for what I didn’t do, you should thank me for helping you reveal the type of wife you married. She only loves you when the going is good. And leaves you when a little crisis comes. Who does that? A whore.”
Tobi didn’t know when he raised his hands to slap her.
“Eh-ehn, that’s a very bad idea.” She warned, stopping him in his tracks. He lowered his hand and took a deep breath.
“I want you to pack your things and get out of my house this minute.” His voice was precise and cold.
“What about your file?” She reminded him smugly.
“Fuck that file!”
She flinched. The she regained her I-control-this-situation attitude and asked him. “Careful. You might get what you wish.”
“Get out of my house!”
She merely looked at him like she was bored. “I will leave. But let me tell you. Once I step my foot out of the door, I will make an important call you won’t like.”
“You think that I care?”
“Oh you should. Because the storm that is coming will so consume you, you won’t even find where to begin to get out of it. Trust me, it’s that bad.”
“You’re not going to control me with your cheap blackmail. I’m going to get you out of my life and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
“Are you willing to chance it? Think about it. Your wife is gone. Are you willing to lose your children too? Your reputation and your company? The company that your uncle handed to you instead of his wife and sons?”
Tobi’s glaring hatred at her didn’t waver but she could see the doubt and uncertainty that were beginning to form in his eyes. She gave him an insolent smile, knowing she had won.
“Good boy. Now that we’ve got this out of the way, I want you to prepare to get rid of your wife for good.”
He stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. Get rid of her. Divorce her.”
“You must be stupid to let that out of your mouth.”
“Okay, then. I guess I’m going to make that call after all.”
She rose to leave. Tobi dragged her back and dumped her on the couch.
“Don’t you dare!”
She stared up at him in disbelief. “Oh, this is how it is, abi? You want to assault me.”
She laughed. “Imagine. Tobi wants to beat me. He-he! There’s nothing I will not see in this life.”
“I will do more than beat you if you blackmail me again.”
“Then divorce your wife.”
“For you? God forbid.”
“Okay, say goodbye to your company and everything you’ve built.”
He paused and kept staring at her like she was an alien. “What is wrong with you? Do you know the damage you’re causing my innocent family?”
“Too bad.” She said nonchalantly.
“The Anita I know used to be sweet and kind and loving. She couldn’t bear to hurt a fly. But this woman standing right here is a heartless stranger. I know I contributed to that but must my family suffer for it? What about my wife? What about my children?”
She flared up. “And what about my own children, huh? Answer me! You killed them. You flushed them away with your selfishness. You tore my heart to pieces and stopped all possibilities of hearing the cries of my own babies!”
By now, she was hysterical. Tears were flowing down her cheeks and her eyes flashed, pouring out years of accumulated hurt and hatred. “You think you know pain? You ain’t seen anything yet. You made me this way, Tobi. Deal with it.”
And she stormed off.
Tobi stood in the living room for a few minutes. Then he sadly went to the master bedroom and shut the door. He sat down on the large bed he shared with his wife a few hours ago and leaned his head on his hands, completely shattered. How had his life turned like this? He wondered. One moment he was deliriously happy. Another moment, his life was crumbling. All because of the stupid mistakes he made as a youth. His Amaka was gone. He was on the verge of losing everything else if he made the wrong move.
His mind flashed back to the first day he met his wife. He had returned to the country after some years of study abroad. He was just beginning to find his bearing in his uncle’s company after he had inherited it. So, he visited his best friend, Mike, from University days. Mike was a lecturer in the same University they attended. The two of them were gisting and catching up on old times, when this beautiful girl wearing medicated glasses entered.
“Good afternoon.” She greeted.
“Good afternoon.” They greeted her back.
“Amaka, how are you?” Mike asked cordially.
“I’m fine.” She replied.
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m still finding it difficult to gather materials for my research. I was wondering if you could help me with one of your books, please?”
“Sure, but make sure you bring it back. I will be very angry if you don’t.”
She smiled. “Ah Doc, you know I’m always loyal. Trust me, I won’t even try to be on your bad side. You’re one of the few people I can rely on.”
He scoffed. “Not me. I’m not the one who brought up the theory that western economic policies can’t succeed in Nigeria.”
Tobi’s brows shot up at that. He stared at Amaka, amused. “Why would you think that considering that their policies have recorded massive successes that other countries are trying to copy them?”
She removed her glasses, placed them on the desk and faced Tobi with full confidence. “I’m not saying they aren’t successful. I’m saying there are lots of reasons why their policies might not record much success in Nigeria. First, our cosmological views are different from theirs. I’ll give you an example…”
She went on to give him a thorough lecture to defend her argument. By the time she was finished, he was hooked. Before he could ask her out, she had taken the book she had requested for, excused herself and left.
Then she came back. “Sorry, I forgot my glasses.”
She took the glasses and left again.
He met her again when he left Mike’s office and headed for his car. She was coming from an opposite building, carrying a stack of books. He smiled and waved at her. She smiled back, and walked up to him.
“Hi.” She greeted.
“Hi.” He greeted back. “I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself. I’m Tobi Williams.”
“Amaka Ejiofor.” She dropped her books on the car and shook his offered hand.
“Nice to meet you, Amaka. You’re doing a research, huh?”
“For my PhD Thesis. I’m a PhD Student.”
“Wow, that’s great. Well done.”
“Can I have your number? As someone in the capital market, my experience can be a huge help to your research.”
She smiled. “Sure.”
They exchanged numbers. She left and came back again. “I forgot my books.”
She carried her books and Tobi watched her leave, his heart swelling with what he later knew was the beginning signs of falling in love.
From there, they hit it off and within a space of six months, they were married. They had been inseparable until that Anita intruded into their lives.
That was why he couldn’t understand why Amaka would leave him and the children like that. It wasn’t in his confident wife to pack and leave without a fuss. Anita must have had something to do with it. He could feel it in his gut. The witch!
Unable to bear the loneliness, he entered their walk in closet. The absence of Amaka’s things echoed the emptiness in his heart. Only her night wear was remaining. She must have forgotten it. He smiled, his heart lightening at his wife insane flaw. Picking up the night wear, he pressed it to his nose, her scent comforting him.
He began to laugh. He would let Anita think she had won. But by God, he would send that bitch back to hell and bring back his wife!
Watch out for Episode 6 on Thursday. Please post your comments and share.