Ruth Vicissitudes - Episode 4

 

It was a tense atmosphere at the office. Several documents and files piled up on the desk of Dolapo when he got to the office at about 9 am. Going home early the other day amounted to that. He quickly settled down, carefully taking a glance at each of them and prioritizing one file over the other. He was making progress and soon, the huge pile had started to diminish. Along the way, his office telephone rang, which got him distracted.
“Mr . Dolapo, two gentlemen wants to speak to you. They said that they are your acquaintances”, spoke a tender voice over the telephone.”
“Please, anyone who asks of me should wait or come back the next day. Am quite busy with work”
“Sir, am sorry but they said they cant wait”
“Can you get their names for me?”
“Lambert and George from Brooklyn, they said”
“Oh, let them in please”, he replaced the receiver, jubilating. Lambert and George were Dolapo’s coursemates and best friends in New York from the first year till they graduated. Both of which were twins and from affluent homes. Three years after graduation, they never heard anything from him and worse still, Dolapo left Brooklyn for Nigeria. To him, it was going to be a happy reunion but he had a reason for cutting them off after three years

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. He ushered them in when they knocked. The two  good looking brothers dressed simply in a black jeans and navy blue shirts.
“Hey bad guys, good to see you both”
“Dollar boy”, as George usually called him. “The one and only in the world, am happy to see you man”
“You still call me that after how many years? Times have changed man”
“Nothing changes with you still spending dollars”
“You are just flying over the moon Dolapo”, said Lambert. They exchanged pleasantries and sat on the sofa seat.
“Common Gee, am just stuck in this boring company, making sure everything runs smoothly here. Meetings here and there, I mean its just too exhausting”
“That’s what you have to do to keep the dollars rolling man. No food for the lazy man”
“Well, that’s what you wanted to do. Isn’t it?”
“You keep forgetting Lambert that I never wanted to do business administration. My father pushed me into this because he wanted one who would take over his company when he is retired, just like now”
“That’s true. How is he and the whole family?”
“The old man is alive and waxing strong. Counting down time you know. And yours?”
“Good I suppose”
“So when did you guys come back and how did you find me?” Dolapo asked the question that has been on his mind since their arrival.
“First of all, we arrived three days ago and secondly, there is only one AK Technologies and you told us your father owned it. So one plus one equals two”
“Oh, that’s very calculative of you”
“It just wasn’t right about the way you left and disappeared like that. What happened?”
“Things got messy over there and I decided it was best for me to come back here. It all happened too fast, am sorry for cutting you guys off”, Dolapo apologized.
“Its okay but you are taking us all out for a get together. Drinks and our spice is on you”
“Common, guys, you still take spice?” Bewildered Dolapo asked .
“Of course, spice is the groove, its our motto and that’s what gets us really high, high up into a realm of imaginations and possibilities”
“Hahahaha”, they clattered in laughter.
“And there is this new product out there, don’t know if its here already”
“I don’t do that anymore guys. Am clean and have turned over a new leaf”
“haha, see who has turned a new leaf”, they laughed hysterically.
“Wait, did you do to Rehab? Was that the reason why you left us with no word about you”, George asked.
“Of course not. It was gradual before I stopped”
“That is bullshit. Aint no feeling like getting high man”, Lambert spoke.
“By the way, I don’t think I can take you guys out. As you can see the files, am paying for my leaving early yesterday and I make sure I give him a report every evening”
“Why do you that? If he doesn’t trust you to handle things as a man, why then are you the CEO? He should get someone else to do the job then”
“He can’t, am his son. Let just forget about him, he is an old man”
“We can go out in the evening Dolapo. Just tell you workers to clear the table for you”
“Okay then, let me call my fiancée on the phone right away”
“Man, you are dating. That is awesome. I hope this one is hot like very hot”
“Yes, she is. Not bad anyway”
“Wait, don’t tell me you are trying to cancel your date because of us”
“Yes, we were supposed to meet up somewhere but its okay. There will always be another time”
“I hope we get to meet here one day?”
“Yes, someday”.
Ruth dropped by to see her family in the afternoon after lectures. She first, went to the market to buy things with some money Dolapo had given her and then, hired a taxi that brought her to the doorstep. At the sound of the car horn, she stepped out, carrying some of the nylon bags and polythene  from the seats where she seated and the boot of the car. Mrs. Eruwahere, discovering it was her daughter rushed quickly to help her with the carrying.
“Good afternoon mama”
“Good afternoon my daughter. You shouldn’t have bothered to come under this harsh weather”
“It’s nothing mama. I planned to come early but the market today was too busy and I had a difficult time finding a taxi that will bring me here”. Ruth paid the driver and trailed her mother to the kitchen where everything was kept. She sat in the sitting room and waited and wondered where her father went to.
“He went out to do deliver some goods to a client”, her mother returned to the sitting room and sat sluggishly.
“Mama, are you alright”
“Not really, am having a slight headache. I have been having it since yesterday”
“Have you taken any pain relieving drug?”
“Yes, I have my daughter. By evening, I believe it will subside. How is school and Dolapo?”
“School is good, so as Dolapo”
“Good. Am happy that you  are well and have forgotten about the past”
“Mama, am famished. Any food?”
“There is. Let me get some for you”, she stood and left. Ruth got a call from Dolapo after the departure of Mrs. Eruwahere that he wouldn’t be dropping by. Her mind drifted to Ericks, the date she cancelled because of Dolapo’s coming. She thought it would be an opportunity for her to know Ericks. She regretted cancelling it after all. In the midst of her ruminations, her phone rang in her hand bag. It was a number that wasn’t saved but she answered.
“Ruth, its Ericks”
“Hi Ericks, how did you get my number?”
“I cunningly took it from Maureen’s phone the other day at the party”
“You don’t mean what you just said. Don’t tell me you have been searching through my friend’s phone without her consent?”
“Of course not. She wouldn’t give me if I asked. I know her too well”
“Am still going to tell her”
“Okay am sorry. Just called you to remind you of our date”
“I didn’t consent to it remember”
“You didn’t give me any answer. That’s what I can remember”
“Ericks, you are always trying to win over everything”
“We can just take thirty minutes of your time and you go. So you are going to come right?”
“Huh, ehmm, I think”
“5 pm. I will be waiting at the gate of the campus”, he hung up.
She looked at her phone transfixed after the call. Firstly, she didn’t expect Ericks to call at the same time she was expecting and secondly, she marveled at his ability to manoeuvre things his way ever since he convinced them to go for the party and now, he just convinced her to come for a date. She began to think differently about Ericks in different absurd ways, a ghost somewhat implanted in her mind that tracks her, a persuasive person, a guy who gets anything he wants. With Dolapo not coming, she thought there was no reason for not honouring the date. She took her handbag and proceeded to the exit door before her mother came in with a plate of food.
“Are you leaving already? Hope everything is okay?”
“Yes mama, one of my friends just called me that her mother is sick seriously”
“Oh, so sorry. So you are not going to eat?”
“No, some other time. Extend my greetings to papa when he gets back”, she left hurriedly.
When Ruth dropped by the gate, Ericks was waiting as promised and he boarded a taxi immediately that took them to a restaurant. They both placed an order and absurd silence overtook proceedings as they ate and stole quick glances at each other while smiling occasionally. Her date with Ericks wasn’t what she expected at first. It looked slow and silence devoured the beginning but along the line, it became the best date as it turned to something more beautiful than staring at the stars and as fascinating as anything could be. She learnt a whole lot about Ericks that day, things she couldn’t believe he could tell on a first date to a lady or to anyone for that matter. He did more of the talking while she did more of the listening. His story about his late mother who battled cancer till her death while he was tender was the most touching and captivating she had heard. Ericks wasn’t just any other guy she had met, he was open-minded about a whole things about him and honest. She saw more of her late fiancé in him than Ericks personality himself and sometimes, she feels she was talking Samuel. His company was comforting, protective, something she never felt when she was with Dolapo, she hoped to see Ericks more often.
“Do you know how to swim?” he asked her.
“No, I am hydrophobic”
“Come on, there is no big deal there. I could teach you tomorrow if you want. How about coming by this time at Caras recreation”
“I have not even agreed and you are fixing a location. Your persuasive tongue won’t work. I don’t want to drown”
“The best way to overcome fear is to fight it, stand up to it and it will vanish like a smoke in the air”. She totally agreed with him, Ericks was never wrong about some things. She agreed to another date at the stated address, something that made her more than happy to.
Ruth got back to the hostel late in the evening, looking all happy and exhausted. Tonkey and Maureen were inside watching a movie while she entered. Maureen was the first to suspect an unusual smile and a nice dimple on her face, something she frequently saw if Ruth is excited about something.
“Hi girls”, Ruth greeted, removing her shoes and undressing to her inner wears.
“Hi Ruth. We have been trying to reach you on the phone. Whats up?”
“I told you I would be at my parents place today. Didn’t I?”
“Yea. You did. We were just worried about you. That’s all”, said Tonkey.
“I brought you guys food”
“Oh, thanks girl. This movie will be more enjoying now that food is here”
“I hope your parents are fine though I can see that you are very happy about seeing them. That means they are well”
“They are”, she replied in a low voice , leaving out details about the real reason for her happiness. She put her pyjamas on and slept on her bed.