The Wife ESCAPED!

When Caro returned home after ‘greeting’ Stan, she found that she couldn’t stop thinking about Timmy’s behavior. And worse still, she didn’t know what to make of it. But she was glad that she had not met him on her way back – it would have been awkward, she was sure. Not only for him, but for both of them though she was far better and more successful at hiding hers. She would rather die than let him or anyone else find out just how awkward and ill at ease she felt in his presence.

“Caro,” somebody called and Caro quickly looked up and scanned around with her eyes. She was just a few steps away from her front door and to the right, at the far end of the building, was a grinning Amaka, juggling a ball invitingly. She stared at the neighbor girl for a few seconds, undecided whether or not to join her. But before she could reach a decision, Amaka tempted her with a long pass. Instinctively, Caro put out her leg to prevent the ball from rolling past her. Then she juggled it a little with her eyes on it all the while. It wasn’t weekend and the day was still young, and also, she had other things to do, but… she shot out a determined pass back to Amaka and that girl’s grin widened in relief at Caro’s resolution and quickly returned the pass with a stylish backheel shot. But just when the girls were about to settle down to enjoy the round leather game…

“Carooooh!”, the voice rang out loud and clear, all the way from inside the house and Caro could clearly detect every feeling behind the call.

“Maaaah!”, she answered, and waited for what exactly she knew would follow.

“You be like person wey dey prepare for exam o.”

Caro did not reply. She simply stood there with the ball between her legs, biting down on her upper lip and waiting with trepidation for more… or nothing. If more came, it would mean the end of play. But if nothing came, then it would mean the call was simply one of caution and reminder, not rebuke.

Eventually, nothing came and Caro sighed in relief.

“Come,” she whispered to her friend and picked the ball, leading the way to the field where the girls usually gathered to play football on weekends.

Of course, like her Mummy had said, she had an examination, arguably the most important one in her schooling career, to prepare for, but Amaka seemed to have learned some new tricks with the ball and had become confident enough to try her new found skill against her first teacher. Caro would teach her that… once a teacher, always a teacher; once a student, always a student.

When they arrived at the field, they were surprised to find it occupied. Some of the neighborhood’s jobless boys had chosen it as the venue for their morning football tournament and the place was almost totally dominated by running sweaty bodies shooting, passing, clearing, whistling and shouting for Tunde to pass the ball or Ojo to “look, look! I dey here!” and so on.

As Caro ran her eye over the scene, with its complete 22 players and more on the sidelines, she hoped the next weekend would not usher in a dispute over ownership of the place between these muscular cockerels and her vastly outnumbered all-girl team. Each team had its own home turf and this area traditionally belonged to the girls, but she knew enough about boys to be sure that making their own rules and expecting others to abide by them was one of their major characteristics.

“Let’s use here,” Amaka said, drawing her away from her thoughts. Caro surveyed the part she had chosen and shrugged. They could as well use anywhere. The boys had all but covered the entire grassy field and just this sandy and stony spot was left for them.

Caro threw aside her footwear and took her position opposite Amaka who had gone back to grinning like a Cheshire cat. She was so eager to play that Caro was dead sure those new found tricks had gotten to her head.

“One,” she counted, pride clearly ringing in her voice and the grin totally taking over her face.

Caro went for the ball and quickly returned with it. How it escaped her guard in the first place was something she still could not understand, but she said nothing and let her feet do the talking. It was not often that she got beaten so easily, but she was certainly very interested in taking the lead from now on. Woah! Another one! And this time, in trying to trap the ball, Caro slipped and almost fell. Christ! Was this the real Caro or just a clone? She was acting like a novice while playing against a real novice.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

“Two,” Amaka announced and clapped her hands happily, rubbing salt into her friend’s injury.

Caro said nothing in response. Enduring the enormous embarrassment, she went to retrieve the ball again and with her lips set in grim determination, she released a fiery shot. But to her surprise, Amaka caught it deftly. Wow! The girl had really learned a few things. But admiring that move had put Caro off her guard for a second or so. By the time she realized it, Amaka’s shot was already hurtling toward her at full speed! She quickly put out her leg to stop it, but the force of the shot was too much and it knocked her leg wide and plam! Caro landed on the ground on her heavy backside.

“Ha-pfffff,” Amaka quickly covered her mouth to stifle the laughter that had almost burst out of it. But it was easy to see from the quaking of her shoulders that the mirth was great. She was not really mocking her friend, but the way the mighty queen had fallen was so comical that she just could not swallow the laughter.

If embarrassment was a person, Caro was the middle name of that person. She sat with her head hung in shame for almost half a minute in the spot and position in which she had fallen down. There was just no other way she could think of that would have been capable of stopping that ball. It was lucky that only both of them and none of the other girls were here otherwise this would have been the permanent end to her unchallenged dominance and authority, even if she could still retain the captainship of the team.