Once, he heard her talking to a guy he assumed was her boyfriend and he couldn’t help laughing, he couldn’t believe a creature like that had a man in her life but stranger things had happened. She was pretty enough, if you liked big eyes and full lips on a woman and she had lovely hair which was hardly ever made in any other style except weaving, she wore no makeup except the horrid orange lipstick that made her lips look even fuller and her sandals or slippers were forever cutting. Of the over 24 days she had been coming to his house, she had looked for a shoemaker at least 13 times.
He sighed and rubbed his beard, hoping that her horrible influence and taste did not rub off on Amanda who idolized her teacher. Of course, they wouldn’t be together long enough, even he could see Amanda had improved well enough under her Teacher’s golden influence. He was planning that by September, he would return Amanda back to normal schooling. It was April, that should give Femi less than 4 more months to permanently corrupt Amanda.
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On a brighter note, he thought as he went climbed upstairs to his bedroom on the first floor, he had a date with Tiwa. In the past few weeks, he had tried to get a feel as to how she would react to the idea of a date and when he realized she was forthcoming, he had played his shot four days ago.
Now, it was Friday and he had a plan to take her to his country club on the Island for a very relaxing time. He had every intention of getting to know her outside work, her past and everything that made her tick. He smiled to himself as he entered the shower, wondering just what his father would think when he heard. The Minister would be ecstatic.
He was picking her up by 5pm and he was wondering if he shouldn’t change his plans for the day from the island as the Friday traffic to that area might be ridiculous. They might end up spending most of their night in the car at that rate. He was still ruminating when he heard the door open followed by Femi’s voice downstairs.
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“Amanda!” She squealed in excitement. He didn’t have to be there to picture Amanda running into her outstretched arms. He had seen it often enough. He remembered now there was something else he liked about Femi, her voice. It sounded like whatever angels sounded like. Last week Monday, he had been going to the kitchen for a glass of juice, more to stretch his legs than anything else when he heard her singing. He couldn’t explain what he had felt that day and he had decided not to examine it too closely.
He had walked into the study that day and warned her never to sing in the house again especially when she was supposed to be teaching his daughter her lessons. He hadn’t expected a reply or defence and he hadn’t gotten one anyway. Voiceful or voiceless, Femi was a necessary nuisance and in 4 months, he need not see her in his house again.
He finished dressing, called Tiwa to ask her if she was ready, she said almost and he cut the call and left his room. On his way downstairs, he heard Femi talking to Amanda and decided to stop and say bye to Amanda. And to see what Femi was wearing today. And to see if her slippers or sandals was in need of mending. And to see if she still had on that horrible lipstick she usually wore.
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