Wow! That's great" the dean, oblivious of the tension between the two people he just attempted introducing to each other, exclaimed. "You two have made my job easy. Now if you'd both excuse me, I have got some things to take care of. You are welcome to use my office for your catching up but don't forget to talk about the business at hand, I will join you in a bit" he said as he walked out of the office.
There was a prolonged uneasy silence after the door was closed. Or maybe it was just her, the silence was getting to her but she could not seem to be able to break it. She was too stunned to be able to command her vocal cords, she tried opening her mouth but no words came out. She watched him as he walked round the table, sat on the dean's chair, raised his legs on the table, crossed them and smirked at her. All she could do was gawk at him as he seemed to be having fun at her expense. Seeing Siji so unexpectedly after all these years, after all that had happened, was too much to handle, if only someone had warned her. The last time she had seen him, he had not been this composed, he had been running like a crazed animal, barefooted and in just a singlet and boxers through the Fajuyi hall main gate. She had always wondered what had happened to him, had tried to contact him, especially after Stella opened up to her, but he had simply disappeared into thin air after his expulsion. ---Oh! How I wish things had happened differently---
"Seen a ghost?" His taunt roused her from her reverie. "Of course, you aren't mistaken if that's what you think. You are looking at a ghost from your past. A ghost that has come back for payback."
"Siji what are you talking about?" She found her voice at last.
"Oh! You don't know? Of course you wouldn't know." his voice was rising now, she was seeing a part of him she had never seen. Where has her sweet Siji gone to?
"You'd know by the time I am through with you and Pago for what you both did to me."
"Did to you? I had nothing to do with what happened to you in school Siji, I....."
"Really? Let's start with you jumping right from my bed to my friend's in less than 24 hours......"
"That's very unfair of you to say, you very well know the circumstances behind....."
".........maybe you even connived with him to set me up......"
"........you know I wouldn't do such a thing to you, I ....."
"........then you passed my child off as Pago's and ......."
They were both talking with raised voices that she could have easily missed what he said last
"Excuse me Siji, what did you just say?"
"You heard me well."
"What is it you're accusing me of? Are you claiming I gave your child to Pago?"
"You know it's not just a claim, it's the truth."
"My daughter isn't your child, even though I once wanted her to be, but she is Pago's. I have the test documents to prove it."
"No need to argue about that now my dear, the court will decide whose she is."
"You don't mean that, do you?"
He stood up from the chair and looked her straight in the eye.
"Do I look like someone who is kidding to you, l am serious about every word I said, I'll make sure that you and that backstabbing friend get ......"
The sound of the opening door cut him off. The dean entered, all smiles and apologies
"I am so sorry I kept you this long. Hope you've both reached an agreement on the building, or will you guys need my input?"
"That won't be necessary sir. Siji....mmhm Mr. Ade has shown me what he plans to do." Ese said while she smiled at the dean, then she turned to Siji and added coldly. "And I totally agree with all his plans." before Siji could process the hidden meaning in her statement, she turned back to the dean and said. "I guess I will see you later professor, I have to be on my way now." Then walked out of the office.
The prof, sensing some tension this time, asked Siji when they were alone. "Hope all is alright?"
"Yes, everything is alright and going as planned." Siji replied.
There was a prolonged uneasy silence after the door was closed. Or maybe it was just her, the silence was getting to her but she could not seem to be able to break it. She was too stunned to be able to command her vocal cords, she tried opening her mouth but no words came out. She watched him as he walked round the table, sat on the dean's chair, raised his legs on the table, crossed them and smirked at her. All she could do was gawk at him as he seemed to be having fun at her expense. Seeing Siji so unexpectedly after all these years, after all that had happened, was too much to handle, if only someone had warned her. The last time she had seen him, he had not been this composed, he had been running like a crazed animal, barefooted and in just a singlet and boxers through the Fajuyi hall main gate. She had always wondered what had happened to him, had tried to contact him, especially after Stella opened up to her, but he had simply disappeared into thin air after his expulsion. ---Oh! How I wish things had happened differently---
"Seen a ghost?" His taunt roused her from her reverie. "Of course, you aren't mistaken if that's what you think. You are looking at a ghost from your past. A ghost that has come back for payback."
"Siji what are you talking about?" She found her voice at last.
"Oh! You don't know? Of course you wouldn't know." his voice was rising now, she was seeing a part of him she had never seen. Where has her sweet Siji gone to?
"You'd know by the time I am through with you and Pago for what you both did to me."
"Did to you? I had nothing to do with what happened to you in school Siji, I....."
"Really? Let's start with you jumping right from my bed to my friend's in less than 24 hours......"
"That's very unfair of you to say, you very well know the circumstances behind....."
".........maybe you even connived with him to set me up......"
"........you know I wouldn't do such a thing to you, I ....."
"........then you passed my child off as Pago's and ......."
They were both talking with raised voices that she could have easily missed what he said last
"Excuse me Siji, what did you just say?"
"You heard me well."
"What is it you're accusing me of? Are you claiming I gave your child to Pago?"
"You know it's not just a claim, it's the truth."
"My daughter isn't your child, even though I once wanted her to be, but she is Pago's. I have the test documents to prove it."
"No need to argue about that now my dear, the court will decide whose she is."
"You don't mean that, do you?"
He stood up from the chair and looked her straight in the eye.
"Do I look like someone who is kidding to you, l am serious about every word I said, I'll make sure that you and that backstabbing friend get ......"
The sound of the opening door cut him off. The dean entered, all smiles and apologies
"I am so sorry I kept you this long. Hope you've both reached an agreement on the building, or will you guys need my input?"
"That won't be necessary sir. Siji....mmhm Mr. Ade has shown me what he plans to do." Ese said while she smiled at the dean, then she turned to Siji and added coldly. "And I totally agree with all his plans." before Siji could process the hidden meaning in her statement, she turned back to the dean and said. "I guess I will see you later professor, I have to be on my way now." Then walked out of the office.
The prof, sensing some tension this time, asked Siji when they were alone. "Hope all is alright?"
"Yes, everything is alright and going as planned." Siji replied.
★★★
He lay on his bed that night holding both pictures, he had gotten the little girl's picture from a magazine. The semblance was so striking, the major differences being just the times both pictures were taken and the obvious difference in ages of both females. This can't be a mistake, even the blind would see how much Rose looked like Tumininu. She was like his mum's reincarnate. But Ese was not joking about the test document. He could tell she was serious about it, she was not even moved by his threat to go to court. Her last words, if nothing else, had shown that she was ready to fight him in court. Could he be mistaken? Could the resemblance be just a coincidence? The situation was making him go nuts.
About the Author
Soji Adeola Ayanleke was born about 3 decades ago in Kano.
He studied Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, he speaks Yoruba and Hausa fluently and he is
trying to learn Igbo and Spanish. His hobbies are reading, writing and
playing some indoor games.
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