Did I know?

DID I KNOW?

After our plot, I and my brother Tony walked in to see the man. He was comfortably balancing on the upholstery chair at where he had made an improvised sit out; his bulging eyes running from our heads to toe and back; of course he was not a smiling type. We were not surprise, we already knew him. His fame had already sprayed through the neighborhood; Mr. Straight as he was called is one name that strikes terror in the heart of any man wanting in discipline andcharacter. Perhaps this is what fetched him the name. He ordered us to sit down and began to throw series of questions; beginning with who we were. Tony spoke up telling him that he is Tony Brown from the region of Tema and that I am his sister going by the name Tessy brown.  He then moved over to how, why and when we wanted to rent his apartment. 

After managing to scale through the question and answering sessions, he finally accepted to rent us his apartment. We left joyfully and promise to pay the mortgage promptly. We finally did and packed in- mission accomplished. The first morning after rising, I saw Angela, my landlord’s daughter who quickly said hi to me. I responded with a ‘hi.’ It was long we got along. To say the least, she was friendly. She first came over to our apartment after her morning chores, and we began to chat. She behaves as if she had waited for us to pack in. Already she said it; how she had prayed heartily the day she came to see us (I and Tony) with her father; how she had prayed that he does not turn down our request; how she had prayed that she fines someone with whom she could wipe off her boredom in that large and lonely compound. Though her phone was always handy but this time she needed someone not on the screen but one who sits beside her; someone whom she can talk to and hear the person talk, laugh and hear the person laugh, touch and feel the person touch her too.

On my own part, this appears to be the first time things have worked out perfectly according to my wish. Angela is the kind of person I have always longed to have; simple, open and never runs out of interesting issues for conversation. Our conversation spans from relationship to school to family. She told me how her ex was over protective and she mistook it to be a sign of ardent love; but with time it became clear that he lacked understanding and maturity. I also bragged about how I can never date someone from the same neighbourhood, class or workplace. Interestingly, Angela concurred, saying it is one of the craziest things she could ever do. I think I did score a point that day.  It was not long when our closeness became known through the neighbourhood. I was taken to be Angela’s relative, maybe her sister who stayed away from home for some time. My brother, Tony, a final year engineering student usually come home on weekends-on Fridays; and stayed till Sunday evening. I know Tony; an extra ordinary person. He makes you laugh without uttering a word, just with some gesture; a calm but very sensitive and anticipatory guy. Each time he comes home we (I and Angela) ask for what he brought home for us.  Apart from weekends, it was always I and Angela all the way.

We went shopping together. We grooved out for parties. One day, the first time we kept late night, we came back about some minutes past eleven. It was our new found friend Cherry who initiated a fun filled conversation at the salon. We could not but follow it to the end. I was heavily scolded by Mr. and Mrs. Straight for having misled and corrupted their only daughter; followed with a warning never to repeat the act. But it happened again on a valentine day, when Tony came back from the college. It coincided with the usual Tony’s weekend breaks; I was with Angela when he (Tony) walked in, in his usual calm but dignified steps. We prevailed upon him being the only man around to take us out. After much resistance, he finally obliged. He took us to where he called a ‘modest place,’ watched over us like a hen over her chicks and after an hour’s time, he ordered that we go. We begged for more time, a little more time, some few more time till it spilled into the ungodly hours of the night. He then for the sake of our safety booked a room which we all slept and return the following morning. I and Angela knew we were in for it except Tony who was not around the other day. On reaching home, I was immediately served with a prepared notice, stating that we quit our apartment in a month’s time with a promise to refund the remaining part of our rent. That was the first time, the first time I saw Angela act; navigating between threatening and begging. She threatened to flee from her family never to return, should we be expelled from the apartment. She pleaded that she had been the one insisting that we stay over till the following morning, since she felt the road would be too rowdy and unsafe for us. So I am not only close to Angela, we have been through thick and thin together.

For some obvious reasons, I became increasingly worried; could there be anything funny? I knew I have the charism of studying people, watching their movements and emotions, reading deep meaning into words. Back then in my high school, I can still recall when some provisions were reported missing from my hostel, no one claimed responsibility. After more pleas for the culprit to show up, I just did a personal study of everyone in the hotel until I finally called and interrogated one Emilia; pretending to have discovered already that she was responsible, I asked her why she did such a thing. She told me she was hungry. The rest of the story followed suit. So it was glaring that things were no longer the same. But if so, Angela would tell me. After all she has never hidden anything from me; even down to their family secrets. Was she not the one who told me how her mother had plotted to get an external pregnancy in order to get a baby boy or at least someone whom she can call a sibling? I also thought Of laying myself bare before Angela but she was too close to her Mum and a mother's knowledge can anytime becomes a father's knowledge too. So I better leave it that way. But would Angela hide anything from me? Or could it be she was not comfortable sharing this one with me. Finally, my fears were confirmed. I saw Angela in the arms of my brother Tony. Gush! I could not suppress the pain. I rushed immediately to my room and began to shed tears.

Then I saw Tony come in. I need not think it over; I rushed for his neck, grab it together with the shirt; I press it hard with the following words” Tony you have disappointed me”. The thought of strangling surfaced as I pressed him harder and harder. Yet with a spike of his left hand, I saw myself falling on the glass table, breaking it into pieces. That was when Angela rushed in asking what was wrong? My sight of her heightened my pains. So I immediately push her out through the door; I saw her falling on the rail and but not for the rails, she could have paid for it with her breath. She retorted -Tessy why are you this wicked, you want to kill me? I can’t just hold it anymore- I quickly answered ‘’yes you man snatcher ’’ Angela shrugged at my words, asking were you guys( I and Tony) in a relationship? Didn’t you guys tell my dad you were siblings?  Don’t you two look alike both tall and fair? Did I know? Ha! I never knew. I bounced back at her- why should we tell him? Why should we ever tell him? Won’t your dad shout at us, asking if his apartment is meant for co-habitation? ”Then Tessy was it too difficult for you to tell me?” These were Angela’s last words.