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When a man is handsomely mad, he adorns himself in a well-fitted designer suit, well-polished black suede and park his car just few blocks from Fatima Girls Secondary school.

Kunle gulped the last drop of Lipton and bulged loudly like a goat in heat, a habit his wife abhorred and had complained severely till she stopped talking to him and took it up in prayers. He closed his laptop after all he lacked concentration at that moment as his mind was preoccupied.

“Remi, I want you to cancel every appointment for today, I won’t be back till tomorrow.” He hissed.

“Yes sir.”

He stood and adjusted his red tie, the one his wife picked out for him for their anniversary dinner few months ago. He unconsciously ran his hands through his head and smiled at himself. His silliness and the flutter in his stomach. Remi watched him leave, she wondered what must have piqued her oga’s cheerful countenance, whatever it was, she knew it was not business related. Maybe the daughter of eve was in the picture. Kunle entered his car and drove to Fatima Girls Secondary school. That was the school his sweet sixteen attended. She told him it was their inter-house sports and would call off the relationship if he didn’t attend. Kunle smiled sweetly at his pretty naive girl. He said he would be busy in the office, Sade bickered. They quarreled, her tone raised and her eyes blazed. He held her waist and drew her close to his warm embrace. Nonchalantly, she succumbed to his touch. He brushed her cheek with his thumb and stared longingly into her glistening eyes. Before he kissed her, he turned sideways to take in their environment then leaned in for a quick one. Then it was settled, they knew he would attend. He got to the road that led to the school and saw fleet of cars, he found a spot and parked. He reached for his phone in his pocket and saw three missed calls. When he opened it, it was Sade. He smiled and dialled her number.

“Baby I’m just few blocks away from your school, you can come to where I parked just beside Nexon Supermarket.”

“Oh okay baby.” She responded enthusiastically.

Fifteen minutes later she opened the car and entered inside to the open embrace of her lover. He leaned in and kissed her softly like he was experimenting with a new wine then parted her lips and zealously had her tongue, saliva and mouth she was almost out of breath.

“I have something for you.” He said when he let go of her lips. He reached for a red bag at the back of his car seat and threw it on her laps.

“Open it.” He coerced.

She stared at him with a smile dancing on her lips, she unzipped it and squealed in excitement. She brought out Elizabeth Arden perfume, Gucci cap and shirt, Gold plaited bracelet and a leather purse. She gazed at the items lined up on her thigh, looked up to see her benefactor smiling down at her.

“I love you so much baby.” She whispered.

“I told you I will do anything for you.” He smiled.

He reversed his car and drove to Soft Haven, the hotel 5 kilometres from the city. They drove in silence each lost in the flutter of their thoughts, soft music played from the car cassette and the cool air which emitted from the car air-conditioner caressed their body and calmed every ailing nerve.

When a man is handsomely mad, he goes back home after the day’s toil with an empty pocket, he tells his unsuspecting wife that he made no sale from his shop. What she does not know is that he had already made an account for Madam Selense.

Papa Ngozi banged on the door and cursed. His wife unbolted it to let him in adjusting the baby she wrapped on her back with her kiri kiri star wrapper. Her kinky hair was dishevelled and her eyes devoid of lustre.

“Welcome, I dey wait you since make you bring money, so I go rush go market buy wetin we go chop.”

“Abeg commot for mah front, I no sell today. Soak garri make we drink.” He hissed and shoved her by the side.

He lumbered into the kitchen and deliberately opened the pots to find them empty to the horror of his wife who looked on, tears stuck at the corners of her eyes as she held her breath like life was seeping out of her. He closed the last pot with a loud thud and turned to stare her. Tears rolled down her cheeks. He sighed and went into his room, she followed him and stood by the door.

“Nothing dey this house again, na garri we dey soak everytime, this no be the kind life you promise me.” She sobbed.

“No be women like you dey build mansion, dey make money bring come family. You dey here dey stress mah life.” He barked fuming.

“I don tire for this kin life, wey all the money wey you dey sell na everyday wey market no dey?” She sobbed loudly wiping the tears with the back of her palm.

“If you tire, pack your load go your papa house.” He put off the lantern in the room and lay on the mattress. She turned and went to the sitting room and sat on the brown worn-out couch and cried silently. Chisom was not fooled she knew her husband’s money went to Madam Selense, the short yellow paw paw lady with big buttocks who run a peppersoup joint at the back of their house. It was an open secret that they were lovers, she visits his shop often at Abuloma to deliver peppersoup and before he gets home, he would hang out with her at her joint attending to impatient customers, fixing leaking roof and shouting at the men who press her soft buttocks while wishing the ones who ogle at her would drop dead. With her, he marked his territory to her amusement and vanity. She knew it was Madam Selense who set his soul on fire, and he might make an honest woman out of her.

In the stillness of the night Emeka clutched his pillow and smiled. He still felt the softness of her body, the lingering scent of her citrus perfume. His body still longed for the comfort of hers and that night as he slept, he dreamt of the woman who made his heart flutter and his penis ache, Madam Selense.

When a man is handsomely mad, he drags his woman by the ear and like a heap of rubbish, he would push her down the stairs to contain his anger.

The woman who stood before Nneka and narrated her ordeal was not the friend she grew up with at Elekahia. The one with sharp tongue, auspicious eyes and audacious gait. The woman standing before her drowned in the abyss of seamless self-loath. Her colours dimly faint and her voice weavered. Nneka couldn’t wrap her head around the sensibility of concealing multitude of sin with gift. The car was brand new, the type they called tear rubber growing up. It was a white G Wagon. Chinedu out-did himself this time she thought. He went overboard with his apology gift. She caressed the body of the car, and a pang of envy pricked her heart and as she looked at her friend who stood before her smiling with a missing tooth and black round purple pulp around her eyes. Her envy squashed and melted into nothingness.

“How long will he continue to placate you with gifts and act right by you.” She finally said.

“I really don’t know.” Oge frowned.

“Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately?”

“Yeah, I know one of my upper tooth is missing, the stitches on my cheek and the eye.” Oge smiled. She turned from her friend and stared at the car then walked inside the house. They settled on the black leather couch and watched Silverbird TV.

“Why. don’t you want to leave.” Nneka dragged the bull by the horns. She was tired of dabbling around words.

“I still love him.” She muttered and swallowed hard.

No you don’t, you fool, you love his money. Nneka thought.

“Besides the kids need him and he loves them to death.” Oge smiled, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Nneka rolled her eyes and fixed her gaze on the television. Morris Bruce was giving a speech on the just-concluded Miss Nigeria beauty pageant.

“I know he loves me; he just has an uncanny way of expressing it. ” Oge sliced through her thought.

Nneka reached out and took her friend’s hand in hers smiling warmly. She patted it gently, where words fail, she hopes reassurance would suffice. There was a bang on the door, and it opened. It was Oge’s husband. Oge sprang up from the couch like one who sat on a snake thinking it was rope.

“Darling welcome.” she blotted out.

“Yes baby.” He took her in his arms.

Nneka exchanged pleasantries with Samuel and took her leave. When they insisted, she stayed few more hours. She reminded them that she nursed a baby.

As she drove home that day all that beclouded her mind were the choices her friend refurbished herself with. All she knew was that leaving was hard especially when he accosted you a certain lifestyle and you have intricately woven your world around him. As much as Nneka tried to understand Oge’s dilemma she hoped that somehow Oge would find the strength to make the right decision. It was glaring what her aunt had always said to her, that most men are mad, but few are roaming. They basically do not dress in tattered clothes and stand beside the road murmuring and giggling to themselves, they wear a beautiful cologne and have a nice haircut. She smiled at the absurdity of it all.

Sade sat on the bench at the small clinic, the one Kunle had recommended, a conspicuous clinic outside Port Harcourt city, it looked old and smelled damp. The paints were faded and the two nurses in attendance looked like they needed food, and the Job didn’t accost them such luxury. Two other young women sat on the bench and waited for their turn to see the doctor.

“Sade Peters.” The averagely built dark bald man called.

“Yes Sir.” She leaped to her toes and followed the man down the hallway to his office.

“It will be brief and painless, I promise.” He patted her on the arm.

Like a humble sheep in the slaughterhouse, she lay on the bed trusting on the expertise of the doctor’s hand to remove the seed she wouldn’t be able to nurture; the one Kunle outrightly rejected.

The procedure was not brief and painless like the doctor promised, the pain was excruciating she thought her soul would leave her body. He gave her some drugs to relieve the pain and the bleeding. She sat on the floor and wailed, for the new emptiness she felt. She picked her phone and dialled his number.

“Baby, are you through.” He answered.

“Send the driver to come and take me home.” She replied icily and dropped the call.

On their way home, she sat at the back and clutched her stomach. The pain had subsided, but her heart shrank. She told the driver to switch off the air-condition and wind down the windows for fresh air. He did as he was instructed, she was Oga’s baby girl. When his oga couldn’t find time in his schedule to pick her up or satisfy her silly qualms, he called him to be at her beck and call, drive her around town and take her to him in his hotel. He stole glances from her from the rearview when he thought she was not looking, she was pleasing to look at, average, slim and fair. Her almond eyes were well structured, her lips were full and pink. She wore a cornrow and lay calmly on the chair.

“Are you hungry I can grab you something to eat, he said I should…”

“No I’m fine.” She hissed.

“Do you need anything?” He asked.

“Just drive.” She snapped.

He knew his oga had a flair for schoolgirls but there was something about Sade, besides been beautiful she had a temper. He wished he could park by the road, drag her out of the car and give her some brain reset beating, but his Job was more important and the girl sitting behind the car looked like she had gone through hell and back. They drove in silence; he stopped her at the gate of her house, and she didn’t mind. She alighted from the car and without a word, entered the gate and he reversed and drove off.

She was glad her parents weren’t home, her younger brother played video game with his friend Chijioke. She entered her room and threw herself on the bed. Her phone rang. It was Kunle.

“Baby, hope you are not bleeding much, I’m sorry please let me know if you need anything.” He cajoled.

“I need you to leave me alone forever and never call me again.” She barked.

“Baby you don’t mean that, I think you need to rest, and we can talk later.”

“I hate you ” she responded.

“I love you so much baby.” He replied.

She dropped the call buried her head inside the pillow. Her mind raced; she recollected their moments in the cozy bed in his hotel room. The things he did to her body and how he moved inside her moaning like she was the essence of his existence while whispering sweet nothing to her ears. She grabbed her phone and sent him a message.

“Call me when you are done with work.”

“Work can wait baby, I’m calling right away.”

Her phone started ringing…….

Chisom dissuaded herself from visiting and confronting madam Selense, she wants to tell her to leave her husband alone.  On a second thought, she would go to her shop and kneel pleading with her to release her husband from the clutches of her juju. She would tell her to leave some money for her husband to bring home to her and her child. She would urge her to reserve for him some strength for her conjugal right. She would humiliate herself if that would appeal to her conscience. She fed her child with the last remnant of pap and milk. Tied him securely to her back with wrapper and strolled off the street to madam Selense’s shop. Nothing prepared her for the sight before her. Madam Selense sat on her husband’s thigh held his head closely to her bosom and fed him peppersoup. It was still noon, and the sun shone brightly. She stood gobsmacked as she watched them having their intimate moment and oblivious of the happenings around them. Few customers sat in the shop and sipped their beer nonchalantly. She didn’t know how she was able to move her body and stood before them. Madam Selense ignored her, stood from Emeka’s thighs and sat on a chair beside him.

“Wetin you dey find here.” He frowned his eyes bloodshot.

“This place no look like your stationary shop.” She said slowly like she was trying to taste and savour each word.

“You don dey monitor me now?” She retorted.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, worst of all sceneries in this godforsaken place, her eyes betrayed her.

“Make person no come dey cry for my shop abeg before them think say I beat am.” Madam Selense hissed.

Chisom untied the child from her back, dropped her in the palms of one of the man who sat sipping the beer who happens to be one of their neighbours.

The plastic table fall on the ground spilling its contents as the two women rolled on the bare floor kicking, biting, grabbing each other’s hair. Her husband and some of the men tried to separate them and with much effort Emeka was able to drag his wife off his lover.

Barrages of slaps landed hard on her cheeks, he kicked her hard on the stomach and pushed her away. Madam Selense fumed and cursed, urging him to deal mercilessly with her. Chisom fell on the ground and wailed like a woman who just realized that her days of widowhood had begun. The man who held her child grabbed her by the hand and whisked her away. He took her home and tried to calm her nerves.  She held her child closely to her chest and wept. The man sat beside her on the pavement till she stopped crying.

“You knew all these while why did you have to confront them.” He asked.

“I no know, maybe hunger.” She bemoaned.

“And you think confrontation was the best.”

“I tire, I really really tire.” She wept.

She stood from where she sat and entered into the house, she gathered her clothes and shoes and packed them into a big bag then she the kitchen and packed her pots and cutleries into a large bag. She powdered her face, tied her child firmly to her bag and stepped out to the horror of the man.

“What are you doing?” He asked bewildered.

“I don dey go my papa house. Make them for marry I wish them luck.”  She grabbed her luggage and walked down the road, she had no transport fare on her, but she hoped to seek help from a stranger at the park. She didn’t want to put their neighbour in a state of jeopardy where he would feel uncomfortable for aiding another man’s wife run away from home. He was kind enough to take her home and listen to her cry.

“Wait.” A voice echoed through her thoughts. She turned, it was her neighbour.

“Have this and support yourself.” He pushed some wades of cash into her hand and told her to take good care of herself and her child. She thanked him profusely even as he turned to leave. When he was out of sight, she counted the money, and it was ten thousand naira. It was enough to take her back to Degema. As she walked home, she made a mental note of the men who came asking for her hand in marriage and wondered why she settled for Emeka.

“Johnny open the gate.” Oge screamed as she walked briskly to her car, she opened the white G Wagon and drove out of the house. She had no direction, she just drove, she wanted to get as far as possible as she can. Away from the smirking glaring reality of her life and the delusion of denial. She stopped by a cafe, alighted from the car and found her way inside the cafe. She found a table by the corner; a waitress approached her just as soon as she settled down.

She tried to wrap her head around her husband’s words that morning, he said he had a son with another woman, he said it was a mistake. Oge laughed loudly she paused then laughed louder. She wondered how the fusion of male and female genital organs became a mistake. Or maybe he slipped and fell and landed his penis in the woman’s vagina.

She had held her breath as he narrated his story flustered. He told her to arrange the guest room, they would move in later in the day. She lost all her defences; she yelped and told him that would never happen under her watch. It would be over her dead body. He told her to leave, or she would leave dead.

“Would you like to order now ma’am.” The pretty waitress smiled.

“Please I would like to have a bottle of malt.” She smiled.

“Right away ma’am.” The pretty waitress went to place her order. She seemed agile and boisterous of life. Oge envied her. She dialled Nneka.

“I don’t know where to start from.” She breathed

“What do you mean.”

“He asked me to leave, or I will leave dead.”

“What actually happened?”

“The fool has a bastard and wants him raised in our house.”

“You are kidding right! Is he mad?”

“He said they are moving in today.”

Nneka was silent, just breathing into the phone. She knew her friend’s husband was mad but never grasped how much.

“The kids?” She finally asked.

“They will have to stay with him since I don’t have a reasonable thing doing.” She cried.

“Now listen to me, you will not leave your kids with that mad man. You will ask for spousal support, send him divorce papers and take him in on domestic violence. First you have to get yourself a lawyer.” Glad she finally let out all she had wanted to say to her for a long time.

“I get it, thank you.”

“Yeah, keep me abreast of the situation, okay?”

“Will do that.”

When she got off the phone, her drink was on the table, she gulped it and stood to leave, dropped the money for the drink on the table, a tip for the pretty waitress and left. She got home and noticed Kunle’s car parked at her spot she alighted from the car and entered the house. He sat on the sofa, reading newspaper and drinking scotch. She ignored him and climbed up stairs to her bedroom. Fifteen minutes later, she went downstairs dragging two large bags. She entered the children’s room and packed some of their belongings with their stuffed animals.

“You are leaving alone; my children are not leaving with you.”

“You must be the biggest clown of the century if you think I will leave my kids under your care.” She fumed and walked back to the children’s room to pack more clothes.

He poured himself another shot and gulped it all at once. He shook his head smirked clapping his hands.

“Oge I will not repeat myself, take back the children’s clothes to their room.” He growled.

“Do your worst,” she sneered.

He lurched at her, pressed her to the wall and grabbed her by the neck choking her. She whimpered and struggled to get out of his hold, but he overpowered her.

He shrieked hysterically and tumbled on his back, blood oozing out of his head like a rushing tap, his eyes closed slowly, and he remained motionless. Johnny stood over him with a blood tainted figurine.

Oge coughed hysterically trying to catch her breath.

“Madam, are you okay?” Johnny asked in a trembling voice.

“Oh my God! Johnny what have you done?” She whispered.

“He was trying to kill you madam.” He cried.

“Lock the gate and make sure nobody enters the compound.” She ordered.

She entered the kitchen and came out with a plate of jollof rice and chicken, pulled out a chair from the dinning and settled down to eat. Johnny sat beside the lifeless body weeping.

“Johnny stop crying and clean the blood then go back to your duty post.” She ate a mouthful of jollof rice and munched loudly.