29 Jamal grinned like a Cheshire cat

That Saturday Ikenna Nwosu strolled into his new friend's house. Nabila was in her garden unable to stay away. She held the hose and watered her African lilies, remembering her promise to twine the stems on her baby's crib. Ikenna called to her

"Mrs. Mujahid"

Nabila waved "Ikenna yade. How nice to see you again" Jamal looked confused, "when did you meet my wife?" Ikenna thought about making a joke but Jamal didn't seem to have a sense of humour right now.

"Her father consults with the UN and I was with the Minister of Health during a meeting"

"How many Minsters are you friends with?" Jamal asked

"All of them." Ikenna responded calmly

Jamal focused his attention on his wife, "It was like a month ago. Baba and the Minister left to discuss privately so Ikenna and I had time to talk." As she spoke Ikenna winked at her to rile Jamal up.

"My friend try that again and you are out of this house wallahi" Jamal warned. Nabila laughed

"The garden is lovely Nabsy" Ikenna continued ignoring his friend. He gazed admiringly at the water feature as it trickled

over white stones. The colours were so vibrant and the floral scent strong. He patted her on the shoulder "seriously impressed"

Jamal was yet to get over the fact Ikenna called her Nabsy, what was that? He didn't remember the last time he called her that. Jamal still didn't care what Nabila did with her time, but by Allah he was the only one in this marriage that was allowed to have an extra marital affair. He looked as Nabsy excitedly explained her planting technique to a very interested Ikenna.

"That is really cool" he nodded steadily "Do you think this will work on uneven terrain"

"Well not this exact pattern but definitely. You can plant anything once you understand the soil you have to deal with" and Nabsy began to describe what Ikenna could do with his back garden, something about rolling hills, low hedges and climbing vines. Jamal hated being excluded from the conversation

"Kai lets go in" he announced loudly squinting at the sun

They sat down at the table when the chef served pounded yam and efo. Ikenna smacked his lips loudly and complimented the cooking, asking if he would be available to take up another shift

"You tried to steal my wife and now you want to steal my cook" Jamal said without a smile

Nabila didn't understand what had gotten into Jamal. That was the second time he had referred to her as 'his wife.' She didn't want him to wreck her master plan

"Did you get round to calling my friend like we discussed" Nabila asked Ikenna

"It slipped my mind. Give her my number to buzz me"

"No way. You are the guy. You make the call"

"I might forget. I am so busy with work"

"You are always busy with work"

"Beginning to sound like my ex-wife" Ikenna warned

"Maybe she had a point." Nabsy mirrored his tone

"You used to be married?" Jamal asked shocked. Nabila looked confused "I thought you guys were friends?"

"Guys don't talk about stuff like that" Ikenna said

"Call Amaka" she ordered

Ikenna handed over his phone and Nabsy imputed her friend's number along with a reminder to call.

"She must really be something" Ikenna conceded

"She is already too good for you" Nabila said.

"That is true" Jamal agreed. Heaving a sigh of relief that Ikenna would be focusing on other females.

Ikenna laughed good-naturedly and enjoyed his meal. He tipped the chef, and made Nabsy promise to further discuss his landscaping, thanking her for a wonderful afternoon.

"I like him" Nabila announced as she got ready for bed that night, lowering herself gently to avoid triggering dizziness

"Because you foresee double dates in the future" Jamal responded sarcastically

"Most of your peers just follow you around like lap dogs but Ikenna is on an even keel. You're good for each other's ego. Maganin ka wallahi- he's your medicine"

"How long was he married for?" Jamal asked

"Five years" Nabsy responded

"Where is his wife now?"

"In Switzerland where he left her" Nabila pulled the covers "With half his net worth"

"Ki che Allah- swear to God" Jamal exclaimed fully awake now

"Wallahi. You know how it is there now; the wife is entitled to half of everything"

"So he left the country for her as well. Ba zan iya ba- I can't do that" Jamal shook his head to emphasis his point

"She was the reason he stayed as long as he did. Offers from Central Bank had been coming in for years, but she didn't want to move here. So when the marriage dissolved..."

Jamal and his wife talked about Western ways till they fell asleep. Gossiping like school children. It was the first time, in a long while they had gisted.

The next squash game Jamal's curiosity got the better of him so he asked Ikenna if he had a girlfriend, all under the pretence of protecting Amaka

"You are going to have to be more specific. Will this be the IMF contract or the bail agreement?" Ikenna replied smiling

"It's not like you are short of flesh and blood women. All you do is stare"

Ikenna wielded his racket like a light sabre. "You know how Nigerian women are now; anyone you date at this age will be expecting a ring within a year. As a recent divorcee, that is just not happening"

Jamal nodded in agreement. Any man in his early thirties was not considered to date for fun. It had to be leading somewhere.

"What's your marriage like?" Ikenna asked

"I am the husband and I have a wife" Jamal answered straight faced

"No aboki" he knew Jamal hated that name "I mean what is it like, the same person for five years. Same face every morning and all that. Heaven or Hell?"

"You were married once. How do you remember it?" Jamal asked back

"I don't remember much. I worked too hard, sometimes not returning home till midnight."

"Just as you do now" Jamal added.

"But we are talking about your marriage. I can't figure it out. Most husbands I know either gush about their marriage mentioning their wife in all conversation or complain and hit on everything in a skirt. You do neither." Jamal's blackberry beeped with a text message.

"I have to go" he said suddenly jumping up. Scrambling his things together he nearly tripped on his way out the door.

"Bros is everything alright?"

"Yes yes. Good game" Jamal gave thumbs up yelling as he ran down the hall and out the sports complex. He raced to his car and sped out the parking lot at break neck speed.

The image of the words on his screen was glued to the forefront of his mind.

You have no idea what I would do to you if you were here. Rabi

Jamal grinned like a Cheshire cat and stepped on the gas. Rabi was just getting off work and Jamal was already waiting for her in the vacant parking lot.

"What took you so long?" she giggled as she got in

Jamal put up the tint windows and reached for her breasts. Rabi leaned into his palms and laughed her husky laugh. She purred when he slid his hand down her scrubs.

"Yes just like that" she whispered in his ear. She was always so responsive to his touch and when Jamal found the silkiness of her centre he felt just how eager. Rabi gave a moan and held on to his wrist her nails digging into skin. He turned on the radio when Rabi straddled him and rolled her waist atop his fingers not bothering to bite her lip. She was so vocal

"Just there. Yes! Oh faster."

Jamal lay back as Rabi bewitched him with her kisses, pulling down the elastic of his gym shorts and releasing the hard on that had been causing a strain in his pants from the moment he got in his car. She squeezed the engorged head and kissed away the grunt she knew would emerge from Jamal. They shed their clothes in seconds; there were no zippers or buttons to contend with today. Rabi bit his earlobe and murmured nasty promises. Things she would do to him, for him, with him. Releasing his touch from within her; she licked her nectar off his index finger. Nestled between pink pursed lips; she sucked with a promise to replicate elsewhere.

"Bee Bee" Jamal grunted her name breathing fast

He grabbed a fistful of her ass and buried his face in her breasts, rolling his tongue on her nipple till she begged him to bite. Hard just the way she liked it. Jamal took each dark knob and sucked and pinched and kissed. He thrust into her. Hard, fast, deep till she clutched her chest, it was hard for her to breathe now. The AC was on but they were both perspiring, skin got slicker and Rabi relished licking his neck and burying her face in his curls. She spun around with him inside her into reverse cow girl and bounced her ass for his pleasure; smacking herself and calling out his name. Jamal growled like an animal. She made him call her name and he made her call his. Taking turns to set the pace they satisfied each other till their bodies unable to cope longer shivered in release.

"I really needed that" Rabi whispered when she came

"Me too" Jamal said sleepily "Don't you ever leave me again"

"I'll try my best" Rabi promised as she settled into the curve of his shoulder and slept.