15/03/2025
COULD THERE BE ANOTHER ME?
I looked cautiously at him. What was he saying? I didn't know what he was talking about.
"You don't look at me like that," he snapped.
I couldn't understand his anger. "I don't know what you are talking about man," I croaked. My throat felt soar and dry. I wondered why I felt the way I was feeling. We could settle this right now in a fight. I knew he wouldn't be a match for me any day any time. But I was a changed man. "I don't get you," I said with a lot of patience.
"How is Amanda?"
I was taken aback. "Who is Amanda," I queried.
"Don't you pretend with me boy." He stood up. "You are the reason she left me." I didn't know when I started laughing.
He glared at me. "Who do you think I am?" He swung his right fist at my face, but I saw it. I quickly bent my head and raised it up just in time to see his left hand swiftly coming at my face. I caught it and held it in a vice like grip. I realized instantly that I didn't want a fight.
"What is wrong with you man?"
"You are wrong with me. You came to Kano once and destroyed my happiness. Amanda ran away with you and you are here asking me stupid question."
“Who is Amanda?” I asked again.
“Don’t play dumb with me,” he snapped. “You know Chimamanda is with you? She ran away with you when you came to Kano. You took her away from me. Did she not tell you that we were going to be married in six days?” I looked lost. “You can’t talk now? Did you really think you would never be found?” I was silent for a long time. “Well, it turns out that nothing can ever be hidden forever. You have been found. And now, you must not only explain to me why you took my wife from me. You must also tell Amanda’s family why you denied them the elaborate traditional marriage everyone wanted. And before I forget, you must tell them where you have been keeping their daughter.”
I dropped his arm. I looked over to Chidi at the bar. His attention was on us just as the attention of the other customers were. His arms were folded as he watched us. I waved him to come over. He picked the bottles of beer he had gone to collect and walked to our table.
"I see you two are catching up on old times," he teased.
"I don't know about old times," I said. He thinks I took his girl in Kano."
Chidi glared at me. "So you came back just last week and you went to Kano without telling me or anyone? Tell me. Did you meet her in Germany?"
"Who?” I asked.
"The girl," he replied. "You stayed seventeen years in Germany and you didn't meet a good German or any other European girl. Just ten days you have been home and you have gone to Kano to take someone's girlfriend?"
"Who told you I did that?"
“You just said that,” Chidi mused.
“He said that,” I corrected.
“Whichever,” Chidi quipped. “How come you never told me about her? We are good friends. Aren't we?”
“You don't believe that already. Do you?” I was aghast.
“He seems sure of what he is saying.”
“Look, I don't know this guy from Adam.”
“Liar!” The man standing opposite me snapped. “This guy came to Kano five years ago and ran away with my fiance just six days to our wedding.”
I laughed. “I'm sorry man, but you...”
“You will be sorrier by the time I am done with you.”
I saw he was really serious. “What are you going to do?”
“Chibiyke,” Chidi called. “I thought you just came back from Germany. How come you have been stealing people's wives in far away Kano?”
“What are you saying Chidi?” I was getting annoyed by Chidi’s skepticism or cynicism. I didn’t know which.
“I am saying that I don’t know what to believe again.” He looked at me seriously. “I mean look at you. You look so innocent that one can hardly believe that you are the one he is talking about. But on the other hand, he looks serious and sure of what he is saying. Who is to be believed?”
I was aghast. How could my best friend not believe me? Who else would believe me? I bent my head and before I knew what was happening, I noticed tears were dripping from my eyes. I closed my eyes as the tears bit hard on my iris. I was lost. What was happening? Why was this happening? It sounded funny but now seemed very serious.
“I heard everything.”
I was startled. ‘What was Lisa doing here?’ Lisa was my fiancé, and I was home to conclude our marriage so I would move back to Germany with her. What was she doing here? I looked up and there she stood. Onyinyechi her best friend stood behind her. She was our chief bride's maid for the wedding. What were they doing in the restaurant? Why was all this happening now? Why was Chidi acting like he did not know me at all? Was he coordinating all this?..To be continued...
But advice me before I continue. What am I supposed to do? I want to marry Lisa, but I don't know how to convince her. Do you believe the strange guy?
