Chapter Seven

Bimpe got to 805 forty minutes before time. A slow jazz music was playing in the background and different tantalizing aromas filled the air. She went to secure a table with a view of the parking lot, so she could see Ifeoma the moment she drove in. She chose 805 because of the luxurious decor and the welcoming ambience of the place. The staff were courteous and the food was delicious. This was where she would bring potential clients to when she was still working at the company with Fred. Presentation was what mattered in business. If you took a client to an expensive place for lunch or dinner, that client would already see you as a person with class and when you start to give them your business pitch, they would have a hard time telling you no. That singular purpose was the reason why she chose this fine restaurant as the best place to meet the woman that wanted to take her man. Her Fred. Behind every powerful man was a more powerful woman, most people just never realized that. While waiting, she decided to chat up her brother Dotun. He was back in the country and he had gotten a lucrative job with the EFCC. The only problem she had with her baby brother was his insistence on no wanting to meet a woman and settle down. The family was already tired of praying for him to find a wife. Her mother had even started thinking Dotun was gay. Bimpe was the only one that knew that the reason why Dotun was scared of relationships was because the woman he had ever really truly loved, died in a car crash. Now he was scared of getting emotionally attached to any woman because he was scared of losing someone close to his heart again. "Hey Sis, where are you? That place looks nice. Can I see that picture behind you?" He said, as his sister face timed him. She turned to look at the picture hanging behind her. She didn't notice it before when she got in. It was a really beautiful picture of a little boy using a cup to fetch water from a bucket and pouring it on cracked soil, not knowing that the water was giving life to some dead seeds deep down in the dry soil. She saw the name of the artist that did the painting and wrote it down on a paper along with his number. Now, she knew the best birthday gift to get her brother. "I'm at 805, I came to have lunch with a client" she didn't want to tell anyone just yet about the issues in her marriage. Even though she knew her secrets was safer with Dotun, she didn't want anyone in on it just yet. "You'd be 36 next week, Dotun, any plans for your birthday?" "You know me, Sis. I'm not big on celebrations. Please, I'm begging you now, you and Fred shouldn't plan any surprise party like you did last time, I won't show up." "Don't worry, D. No surprises. How about you surprise us and mummy with your girlfriend, you still haven't found a woman you wanna try again with?" She asked with genuine concern. Besides Fred and her late dad, Dotun was the only other guy she could rely on. Whoever he eventually ended up dating or marrying would be one very lucky woman. "No girlfriend yet, sis. You'd be the first to know when I have one. How's Fred and my little angels? Hope Trey's teeth have grown back, I don't want his gap teeth to be permanent o." Then they both laughed, because Dotun had had four missing front teeth for years and they only grew back when he was ten. "They're fine, D. You should come around the house this weekend for lunch. Come and be an uncle. Come take Trey out." "Alright I will, hope you'd package some food for me when I come. You know how it is with bachelors and you know your cooking is the best after mum's." He flattered his sister, knowing that flattering would make her say yes. "You're working with EFCC and still trying to scam me abi? Nice try, Dotun. I'd call you later D. My client just pulled up." "Alright sis. Love you too." Then she placed her phone down and watched as the red shiny crosstour drove in and parked next to her car. She decided to drive the grey metallic G63 today to exude class. Her g-wagon was the only other car parked outside, so when Ifeoma got out of the Crosstour, she admired the G-wagon packed next to her. She had already sent a text to Ifeoma before she face timed her brother, letting her know she was already at 805. Bimpe was wearing a flower printed blue sundress that hugged and showed her curves she wore a black jacket on top of it. She wore a pearl necklace with matching earrings. At 38, and with two kids, she looked way younger and better than the woman she just saw admiring her car outside. Well if men were attracted by what they see, then Fred needed to start using glasses so he could see properly.

Ifeoma stood by the side of the Gwagon, placed her hand on the handle of the driver's door and then took a picture. She took more pictures of herself around the car and then started posting them on her page. Bimpe kept looking from the window as she drank her wine. She picked up her phone from the table and went to Ifeoma Nwosu's page on instagram. The pictures she just took were already uploaded. On one of the pictures, Ifeoma had captioned it as "God just keeps blessing me" then she had added many money emoji under the caption. Bimpe carried her bottle of wine and her glass downstairs to the table she had reserved for their lunch, then she sat there waiting for Ifeoma to come in as soon as she was done deceiving her almost thirty thousand followers. When Ifeoma stepped into the restaurant, Bimpe raised her head as the whiff of that familiar perfume wafted to her, competing with the aromas of the place. Ifeoma hadn't seen her yet because the reserved table was in a corner out of view from the entrance. Then Ifeoma had gone to ask one of the waitress where Bimpe was seated and the waitress pointed out the table to Ifeoma. Bimpe sat with her back to Ifeoma so Ifeoma couldn't see her face. Ifeoma adjusted her black sequined gown looked at her reflection on one of the mirrors that lined the walls and then she walked towards the woman sitting alone at the table in the corner. Before she left the house to come see this woman, she had spoken to Fred on the phone, telling him about the business lunch she would be having and Fred had wished her the best, and then told her he would be coming to her house later on around 4pm. She couldn't wait to rush home after the lunch and insert the new pebble she collected from the old man. The old man had told her that with the new pebble, she would now be able to totally control any man. Things just kept working out for her. She looked at her phone as she walked towards the table, she already had more than a thousand likes on the pictures she just posted. Some people were also in the comments section telling her congratulations. Then she smiled, put the phone in her clutch purse as she approached the table.

"Hello, I'm sorry I'm la....Jesus!!! " She screamed as the other woman stood up and turned to meet her. "Hello Ifeoma Nwosu, nice to finally meet you. Please take a seat." Ifeoma stood there, transfixed like a deer caught in headlights. Nothing prepared her for this. Mrs. Bimpe Daniels. Fred's wife. No one knew her full name, even Fred didn't know her full name. She had told Fred the first day they met that her name was Stephanie Ifeoma Philips, she'd never been given any English names by her parents. For this woman to go through great lengths to get her full name meant she was in big trouble. Few drops of hot urine trickled down her leg as she hurriedly sat down across the woman whose husband she was sleeping with. She couldn't even look her in the eyes. All the pictures she had seen of Mrs. Bimpe Daniels didn't do justice to the very elegant lady in front of her. Now she understood why Fred would never leave his wife for her.

"Are you ready to order now ma?" "Yes, Hadiza, we are." she even knew the waitress by name Ifeoma thought to herself. She must be one of their main customers. Ifeoma hid behind a menu as Bimpe placed her order. "I'd want a plate of grilled chicken with that your famous sauce and some boiled potatoes. How long would that take?" "10 minutes ma." Hadiza replied. "How about you ma, what would you want to have?" Hadiza turned to face Ifeoma. "Just give me water." Ifeoma spoke from behind the menu. "You should try their roasted fish and Tabasco sauce. It's lovely. That's Fred's favorite dish whenever we come here." Bimpe announced and then added, "but if the water is all you want though, no problems." Ifeoma nodded sheepishly as Hadiza smiled knowingly and walked away.

"So how's business? I see you sell good quality hair. Do you sell perfumes too?" Bimpe asked, trying to make small talk before the food arrived. Ifeoma nodded. "What's the name of the perfume you're wearing? It smells nice." "Perry Ellis platinum." she replied as she fixed her gaze on the containers of pepper and salt on the table. She was so uncomfortable. Then Hadiza brought the food, the aroma was heavenly. She handed the cold bottle water to Ifeoma along with a glass cup. "Are you sure you won't want to try this? It's so delicious." Bimpe said as she cut a piece of the chicken with her knife, used her fork to hold it, then she cut a piece of the boiled potatoes as well ,turned it around in the sauce and then used the fork to put both the chicken and the potatoes in her mouth. She closed her eyes as she chewed, savoring the taste of the sauce. Ifeoma was starting to salivate, so she drank some water. "Hadiza, please bring another plate of this goodness for my guest." "okay ma." Hadiza said as she went to prepare a second plate. Bimpe ate in silence while Ifeoma kept looking at the containers on the table and then started to look around at the decor of the fine restaurant. Then Hadiza brought in a second plate of the same food Bimpe was eating, soon as Ifeoma took a bite of the chicken and boiled potato marinated with the famous sauce, she admitted that she had never tasted anything better. They both ate in silence and Bimpe placed her cutlery on her plate as she finished eating and took pleasure in watching Ifeoma eat. Ifeoma suddenly became full and also stopped eating. "Are you done?" Bimpe asked. Ifeoma nodded. "you're sure you don't want to eat that?" Bimpe asked as she took the fork from her plate and picked a chunk of chicken from Ifeoma's plate. Then she closed her eyes to chew on it. She forked another chunk and Ifeoma watched as the woman chewed the piece of chicken. She thought to herself, this definitely was the kind of woman to have as a friend, not an enemy. Bimpe then picked a serviette and cleaned the corner of her lips as Hadiza came to clear the plates.

"Ifeoma Nwosu, you do know Fred is my husband and not our husband right? You do know he has kids and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his family right?" Bimpe asked again as Ifeoma kept sinking in her chair, unable to meet the other woman's fiery gaze. "I don't know what you did or how you did it to make him come after you the way he has, but all that would end today." Bimpe said as she picked her bag from the floor and started to search for something in it. Ifeoma made as if she would run, thinking the other woman wanted to harm her with acid or something worse, the other woman did harm her though but not in the way she had feared.

She finally found what she was looking for and then she kept her bag back down on the floor. "Ifeoma, God has a husband for you that would make you rejoice that the last man didn't make you his wife. If you don't leave my husband, you won't find such man that God has ordained for you. I forgive you for what you've done to my family but it ends now." Then Bimpe took Ifeoma's phone, an iPhone X like hers as well. Another gift from Fred, she was sure. She smiled, used the Sim card ejector to remove the SIM from the phone, then she broke the sim card. Ifeoma just sat there, unable to move or say anything, tears streaming down her face. Then Bimpe gave her a new Mtn SIM pack, took out the sim card from the pack and inserted it into the phone. Then she turned the phone to Ifeoma's face. "look at your phone!" she commanded. Ifeoma looked at her phone through burning tears then the phone unlocked. Bimpe then went through the contact list in the phone and deleted Fred's number which was saved as 'Assurance' on the phone. She smiled when she saw it, then she went to whatsapp and deleted the conversations Ifeoma had with Fred. She thoroughly checked the phone for any traces of Fred, when she was satisfied there was none, she handed the phone back to Ifeoma and stood up. "I've helped you in ending your relationship with my husband, you're welcome. Now, he would never be able to contact you and you would never contact him. I'm sure he would miss you and what you used to do with you, but don't worry I would wean him off you. This is me being nice to you. If he comes to you again, I won't be a Christian woman. Here's a check of 4 million naira, move out of your apartment at Area 11." She said and smiled at the surprised look on the weeping woman's face. "Of course I know where you stay. My husband has gotten you a nice car, an IPhone X and started a business for you. And I have given you a check of four million naira. Get another place and find your own man because I promise you, Ifeoma If I ever get to have this conversation again with you, I'd be talking to you in a box with cotton wool stuffed in your nose." She said the last words slowly so Ifeoma would get the full import of her threat. Then she placed the check on the table and walked away. As she neared the door, she called out to Hadiza. "My guest is a millionaire, Hadiza, she would pay for the lunch." With head held high, shoulders squared, Bimpe walked into the sunshine, entered the G-Wagon, woke up all the horses under the hood and did a burnout in the parking lot before she drove off. She was always cleaning up Fred's mess. She had a surprise for her husband later tonight when he gets home, but she had few more stops to make before she faced her husband. Then she drove to the daycare to pick her daughter.