Diary Of A Fusspot 17

I shushed Anna but she wouldn’t stop fussing all the way to the solicitor’s office. I knew we made an incongruous pair, me in my suit(I decided to wear a suit so the lawyer would know I meant business) and a squalling baby on my arm. I wondered if I had made the right decision by bringing her along. But we were a family and I wanted us to have a united front. So all of us were going for this meeting no matter how loudly Anna complained.

I was five minutes late when I got into the conference office.

“Thank you for joining us, Mrs. Amadi.” The lawyer said courteously as I sat in my seat and rocked my baby back and forth.

“Like I was telling Mr. Amadi the situation we’re in is a rather precarious one. We’ve searched but cannot find the associate and all the evidence points to Mr. Amadi being the main suspect. We need to prepare for the worst case scenario. Mr. Amadi may…”

“Who did the search?” I interrupted him.

“I don’t understand you madam.”

“Who conducted the search for my husband’s associate?” I asked him.

“The police did. They think he may have been kidnapped because there’s no trace of him. Unfortunately there is talk of charging your husband with the kidnapping but that hopefully won’t happen.”

“The police did,” I repeated sarcastically. “You know as well as I do that their search may not turn up anything. Have you personally contacted the associate’s family?”

The lawyer sat down confused. “Yes I have. But they don’t know where he is either.”

Ike looked at me trying to figure out what was going through my mind.

“I think we need to see the family again.” I stated.

“Ok. Mrs. Amadi but we’re running out of time on a wild goose chase. I think we should spend all the time we need preparing for your husband’s trial. You would be asked to testify and I think we need to discuss what kind of image we want you to project in court.”

“With all due respect Mr. Edison, I think I need to get to the associate’s family myself. I would appreciate if you can give me their contact information.”

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea, Mrs. Amadi.”

“Is it illegal for me to contact them?”

“No, not at this stage. But when the trial begins…”

“Hopefully there won’t be a trial.”

The lawyer looked at Ike as if to say ‘get-your-wife’ and I could feel Ike’s eyes boring into my back.

I took hold of his hand.

“I know what I’m doing honey,” I whispered.

As if in agreement, Anna stopped fussing and cooed.

“Ok Madam,” Mr. Edison said after a pause. “I would write down their contact details. As a precautionary measure, I think it best I go with you so that you do not say or do anything that can be used against you later.”

I thought for a moment and then said suddenly: “Mr. Edison do you believe my husband is innocent?”

He smiled. “Yes I do.”

“Then you can go with me.”

 

As we got into the car, Ike turned to look at me.

“Odozi aku(my sweet wife), you were wonderful today,” he said kissing my hand. “In fact, I should hire you as my lawyer.”

“Dim oma(my sweet husband), Ogadima(everything was going to be alright.”

It was the mantra I had been singing to myself for days now and one I truly believed. The Lord had not forsaken us. I watched Anna as she fell asleep in my lap, feeling rather sleepy myself.

I must have dozed off because my sudden movement made my phone fall off my lap when it rang.

“Hello Chinelo,” came Titi’s distressed voice.

“Yeah Titi, what is it?”

“I’m sorry to bother you. It’s my husband. I saw him today and he tried to kill me! I don’t know what to do!”

“What? Ok hold on. I’ll be home soon and we can talk about it.”

Ike looked at me with some concern.

“Is everything all right dear?”

I shook my head. “It’s Titi’s husband. She said he tried to kill her today.”

Ike’s eyes widened but he said nothing and his hands gripped the steering wheel tighter

I shook my head again and wondered when I was going to get a break. I was just a housewife but now I was suddenly so busy running up and down…

“We will go straight to Christy’s house,” Ike said decisively.

I leaned back in my seat and tried to doze off again.