Nichoatra

Chapter 7 Roderick (Fufu, Soup, and a Few Drinks) The day after Nicky and I attended the Nigerian ball, I met Kenneth at his girlfriend Estelle’s place, where we occasionally got together for a few drinks and a nice bowl of hot fufu and soup. Estelle was a great cook, and, like Nicky, she was a single mother. I’m not sure how Estelle and Kenneth met, but they had been dating for about five years. She seemed happy whenever I was around them. Kenneth said he enjoyed her company, although she often complained about being his mistress. Kenneth’s friend Joseph Kento was at Estelle’s, too. Joe hung out with us sometimes, especially since his wife left him about a year earlier. He liked to brag about how many women he had had and how some of those women were highly respected in the community. He hadn’t been able to get Nicky, however. He walked up to me as I was standing in Estelle’s living room. “Hey, Rod,” he said, “your man Kenneth told me that you are seeing the girl at the bank. How did you do it, man? That girl is like a rock!” “Well, we have been on a couple of dates, but I’m still trying to make her mine,” I replied. “Yeah, I heard you really like her.” “I do, but she’s not making it easy for me at all. She said she only wants to be friends.” Joe laughed. “Man, you should be like me,” he said. “I keep two or three at a time … with a few in the pipeline.” “That’s probably why your wife left you, Joe! You need to slow down.” “My wife leaving is the best thing that has happened to me in a very long time,” he said. “The woman was tying me down. Marriage is too much work; I’m not even sure why I got married in the first place. But I am glad it’s over. Now I can come and go as I please.” Kenneth walked in from the kitchen, where he had been helping Estelle prepare the food. “What are you two talking about in here?” “Your man Joe was telling me how happy he is to be divorced,” I said. “Don’t believe that crap Joe’s telling you,” Kenneth said, laughing. “His wife left him because he was all over the place. He does not know how to be discreet. Now he’s running around with all kinds of women.” Joe looked indignant. “I’m not running around with all kinds of women. As a matter of fact, I’m seeing a very high-profile married woman in this town. We have been spending a lot of time together lately.” “And how do you pull that off?” Kenneth asked. “She comes over every morning before work. I leave my garage door open at night, and she sneaks in early,” Joe said, shrugging. “She’s not the only one; the other two are also married. It’s much better that way because I do not have to deal with ‘single woman’ drama.” “You are one brave man, Joe,” I said. “I could never pull off something like that. It’s too risky.” “It’s not any riskier than falling for a woman you just met,” he retorted, “especially since you are already married.” Kenneth laughed again. “He’s got you there, Rod! Anyway, you haven’t said anything about your date yesterday. How did it go?” “I think I screwed up, man,” I admitted. “I was really feeling Nicky at the ball yesterday. I had a few drinks, and we danced a couple of songs. And then on our way home, I asked if I should get a room.” Both Kenneth and Joe objected with a loud roar. “Oh no, man!” “Even I know better than that!” Joe added. “What were you thinking?” Kenneth asked. Just then Estelle walked in, carrying a tray with our dinner, and Kenneth gave Joe and me the “quiet” signal. After the fufu and soup, followed by a few shots of Hennessy, I decided to call it a night.