"What are they going to do inside?" Soliat whispered looking at the retreating figure of Mr Edegbe who didn't look pleased.
Efe watched them, her, still wondering if she would be submissive in bed. Learned women were not submissive, they loved to take control, and he loved his women lethargic under him. But he liked her, she was beautiful and curvy and her face told of a childlike, carefree innocence he would like to taint, too bad she was already taken. One look at Alhaji and he could tell she was taken, he had missed his chance and he doubted it was because he threw her number out, something told him he had never had a chance. And Alhaji looked like the kind of man who possessed what he owned, a fierce possession.
"Why don't you sit down," the man told him. "With that kind of height and build, you make me feel small."
Efe did not acknowledge his attempt at levity, but he obliged, he was tired of standing anyway and it did not look like Edegbe would finish with his mistress soon. He had found a good subject to tease him with.
"So, Solia told me you both have a history," Alhaji started to say.
"Brother Abubakar!" Soliat shrieked, and immediately covered his mouth with her palm and the smile on Alhaji's face told Efe he liked the contact. But Brother Abubakar? Had he misinterpret something? Still, he answered. "I don't think I owe you an explanation."
And Alhaji laughed as though it was a funny joke. "Of course, you don't." Then he asked. "How is work?"
"Fine."
"Just fine? You don't have any complaints like your friend?"
His complaints started from coming to the north. On any day, especially after realizing Soliat was off the market, he would go back to his motherland. He wondered how long it would take Edegbe to realize he could not sell a bag of rice for ten thousand if he wanted to make profit. It was not that he couldn't leave or he did not have his own money to take care of himself, but he had built a kinship with Edegbe and he didn't want to go back alone. He looked back at Alhaji, realizing he was waiting for his response. "I did not come the north expecting a land glittering with gold. It's true that some things are annoying, but it's annoying everywhere. Benin has its own share of that annoyance." And it was the roads, the bad roads, the roads in terrible conditions that was quick to form thick puddle when it rained. Edegbe had always claimed the worse thing he could do was go driving during the rainy season, you learnt the physical violence of fighting traffic on raining days. But they went out everyday, raining or sunny and he would come back with tons of complaints about how horses and goats were on the driver's seat. The man did not have a preference on who to insult, anybody that annoyed him received the lot.
Efe felt the intense gaze of Soliat and he wondered if she was not in a relationship with Alhaji to look at him like that. She had called him 'Brother', but he doubted they were siblings, after all, 'Brother, was used on older males who was not related to you. He watched Alhaji take her hand to say. "Next time when you're going to get a tattoo, I want to come with you." And it felt, to Efe, that he was marking his territory
"But I like doing it alone," Soliat responded.
"Why, because it's painful?"
"Wallahi, what has pain got to do with this?"
He shrugged. "Most women don't like their husbands coming in with them to the labor room because they don't want him to see them writhing in that kind of pain, maybe, that's why. Your mother did not let your father too, but I was there and after they cleaned you up, she let me carry you first, I was the first person to hold you."
Soliat wanted the ground to open and swallow him. "Must you say that in front of a stranger?"
"Giving your history, I doubt he's a stranger. Plus, he should apologize, that's the gentlemanly thing to do."
"He's no gentlemen," Soliat argued, what gentleman disrespects a lady the way he did? "And you don't have to concern yourself with me and the men in my life," she said playfully and Efe concluded that she did not know. And she did not know— a bang disrupted his thoughts and he glanced at the door where it was coming from. Did Edegbe and the woman break into a physical fight? Did the woman slap him? It was unlikely, the woman was always calm and collected, and Edegbe would never hit a woman, despite the annoyance.
Mrs Yasmin came out seconds later looking her usual serious self and Efe could not stop giving her curious looks.
"We'll be going," she announced. "I suppose the gateman is out, would you open the gate for us?"
"We're going?" Soliat asked.
"I just said so, or do you want to stay back?"
"No."
"Why isn't Mr Edegbe coming out?" Alhaji asked, more curious than concerned.
"Maybe he doesn't want to come out," she replied glancing back at the door where Edegbe had his head against trying to calm his thudding heart. He feared they would hear and he did not have an explanation. And he did not know what had happened, but he knew it was a plus one to whatever game Mrs Yasmin was playing. Yasmin now, he reminded himself.
"Yasmin," he said softly. He had called her name a few times when talking to Efe, but up until now, it didn't feel personal. He touched his hand to his beating chest to make sure he had regained his sanity before stepping out.
Efe was the only one left. "They left?" He asked the obvious.
"They left."
He took a seat ignoring Efe's questioning look. "When is Victor returning?" He picked his trouser from the floor where Efe had thrown it. "Wait, was this here the whole time?"
"You brought it out, you should bring it inside."
"At least we had guests." He willed his voice to sound normal.
Efe placed his leg on the chair opposite his. "Are you okay?"
"Don't I look okay?"
"It's not that you don't look okay, you're trying too hard to look okay."
He shrugged. Then remembered. "I have something to ask you." And he hoped he wouldn't sound crazy. "Do I, sometimes, blink with just my left eye?"
Efe looked at him. "You're not a normal human being."
"I knew it!" But he felt disappointed. If blinking with his left eye meant he attracted Yasmin, then he wanted to blink with his left eye.
"Wait, you did not know?"
"Know what?"
"You do blink with your just left eye."
He did? "But how is a one eye blink possible?"
"Explains why I said you aren't a normal human being. And of all times, it has to be when you're angry."
"How often does this one eyed blink happen?" He was finding it hard to believe.
"As often as you get angry."
"So I've done it to you?"
"I'm more at the receiving end of your anger than any other person."
"Are you sure it's not a wink?" Then he thought. "But why would I ever wink at you?"
"Exactly. And a wink pulls up more muscles of your face than a blink actually does." He winked to explain his point. "Who told you about it? Mrs Yasmin?"
"Yes, and I thought she was joking."
"I don't think that woman knows how to joke."
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked to Efe's knowing smile.
"Nothing. You said you wanted to buy something?" He said, standing up.
"Ah, yes. I don't know why Victor has to leave today of all days."
"Don't cry too much, I'm here for you."
"You're crazy."