DISARRAY

The tears flowed down her face as she did the hardest thing she had ever done in her entire existence. Despite the pain, she knew it was necessary to do this for her own good.

Seven months ago, when she walked into this big house, she was determined to be the best nanny and cook that money could afford. But right now, she was not just those, she was a young undergraduate of a prestigious university, undertaking an online program that will be of international relevance. She was better in every single sense. She had made her influence in the family and she was glad about that.

Her uncles were expecting a wedding in less than 14 days. Her stepmother is so excited for her. Her siblings are elated, knowing that their elder sister would be married.

She had grown to fall in love with the very difficult Mr. Michael. He was a very complicated character and she knew he had weaknesses. She had spent time praying for him regularly and now it seems those prayers were not answered. She wanted to marry him to prove to him that she could make him happy. She wished marriages of these days were like those of the past where it was arranged. Where the wishes of the family trumps the choices of the couples involved. His accusations stood as something serious but she could not wait to find out.

She wrote the letter and slipped it under Mrs. Bose's door. By 5:30 am, she left the Oladokun's mansion with just her purse. She had seen that the clothes she brought are all gone. Everything she has now was all new. She did not want to take it all. She would figure out what to do as the day progressed. She knew where she must go and she did.

Michael could not sleep that night. He tossed uncomfortably on his bed. He began to feel that Jenny was innocent and he had overeacted. So who could the culprit be? He would apologize in the morning. He noticed he could not stay so angry at Jenny. He knew he could be so temperamental and impatient. But Jenny set him straight yesterday. He values Laura till date and considers her the ultimate. But was he still in love with his late wife? he pondered about it.

He has to get Jenny to forgive him. He was ready to marry her. He will buy her a bunch of roses and gift her the 50 million he had set aside for the wedding. Her customized wedding bands with her names on them will arrive soon. He would make her happy and they would gladly put this horrible incident behind them.

As he meditated on that plan, he heard a knock on his door. The knock came repeatedly until it became a bang on his bedroom door.

"Michael open this door right now!" He instantly recognized his mother's voice and quickly opened the door.

"So, after all, I said yesterday, you had the effrontery to quarrel with Jenny?"

"Mummy, what are you talking about?" He asked feigning innocence.

"Do you like to sabotage the good things in your life because you feel you don't deserve them?"

"Mummy, what's with all these questions?"

"Jenny is gone. She dropped this letter under my door and Ahmed the gate man said she left almost two hours ago."

Michael snatched the letter hastily from his mother's hand. He walked out of his room and straight out of the house.

"Ahmed!!!" he called and the gateman came running.

"Where did My wife go to this morning?" "She say she dey go prayer meeting sir." "Did she say when she will come back?" "She nor tell me sir"

Still clutching this letter in his grip, he saw Sarah walk into the house.

"I thought they said you were ill yesterday"

"Yes sir, But Madam said I should come in and prepare breakfast for Stephanie" "When did she tell you this?"

"She sent me a text around 9 p.m yesterday" Michael gestured for her to go in and opened the letter to properly read it.

"Mrs. Bose as you loved being called, I write you this note with a broken heart. I know I promised you to be there for Stephanie until she is 18 but I doubt if her father would let me do it. Michael is under the illusion that I am involved in sorcery to trap him into marriage. He accused me of taking late Laura's photo frame. The same one I gifted my girl for her 13th birthday. I am so hurt at the unprintable names he called me last night. I may love him but I have the dignity not to dance in the mud with a man who is not over his late wife. While it is an admirable trait in some areas, I see Michael as a coward. He wants every love life of his to fail so he could say he got it right just once with Laura! I am not after his money or whatever he thinks he has. I promise to pay back all he has spent on my education. I would be at the emergency point where you said I could go if anything happens. I am sorry it had to be this way"

"Which emergency point?" Michael screamed at the top of his voice as he climbed the stairs.

"Mummy open this door? Which emergency point is she talking about?"

Michael banged on his mother's room door. Stephanie came out of her room fully dressed for school and so did Deji.

"Daddy good morning. Why are you yelling this morning?" He had no answer for his baby girl so he mopped at her, looking so lost. "Daddy, aren't you going to work today?" Michael suddenly realized he was wearing only his tight briefs and it was inappropriate. He instantly covered his groin with both hands as he walked to his room in a flight.

After he had dressed up, he returned to find his mother's room wide open but she was not in it. He hurried downstairs, only to find Bisola putting a huge suitcase in the trunk of Deji's car.

"Mummy, what is going on?" He asked his mother who had entered Deji's car.

"I am leaving. I put off my flight just for this wedding to hold. But since you have pursued the bride away, let me go"

"Mummy calm down. I will get her back. Just tell me the emergency point you asked her to go to. I am sure she is still in Abuja"

"Deji please enter this car and drive me out of this compound. You can bring your Matilda back. It is obvious that is the kind you like"

Michael watched his daughter roll her eyes at him before entering another car for the driver to take her to school. They must have told her that he drove Jenny away but he didn't. She ran away at the first sight of a quarrel. Why would she do that? Was she not supposed to fight for him? Or even try to prove her innocence? He asked himself not knowing he was shouting as he spoke.

He entered the house and asked Sarah for a cup of tea. The tea tasted so creamy that he could have sworn that Jenny made it.

"I thought I asked you for a list a couple of days ago"

"Oh sir, I have settled it."

"How much did you pay?"

"Sir it's no bother"

"I insist young girl"

"It's just 200 thousand naira"

"I will give you a million tomorrow "

Instantly Sarah knelt on the ground holding his leg.

"Sir this is too much. Thank you so much for this. I am so grateful. Thank you, sir"

"It's okay Jenny. It's obvious you needed this money more than anything "

Sarah didn't mind being called Jenny. He could call her Mrs. Bose as long as she gets what she wants.

Michael called in a Special favor from the lieutenant who caught the pickpocket. He wanted Jenny found.

As he was leaving for work, he called Bisola.

"Did anyone strange come to this house yesterday?"

"No sir"

"Did you clean Stephanie and Jenny's room yesterday?"

"Yes sir"

"Did you see the picture?"

"Yes sir. Miss Jenny always said I should clean the picture daily because sometimes, Stephanie places it on her chest to sleep. I cleaned it yesterday when everyone had left the house"

"What do you mean by everyone?"

"Miss Jenny went to the wedding planner with mama early in the morning. Stephanie has gone to school too"

"So who came back first?"

"Stephanie came back first, your mum and miss Jenny last."

"That means there was no way Jenny even knew what happened not to talk of doing it"

"Exactly sir."

"And nobody came to visit?"

"Sir, nobody, I only left the house once to give Ahmed packaged meal that Miss Jenny dropped for him and I didn't see anything."

"Thank You Bisola."

As he walked out of the house he had an idea.

He arrived at the office to tidy up his business quickly so he could attend to the matter. Bisola called him on the phone.

"Bisola is everything okay?" he asked impatiently.

"Miss Nina is here to pack Mr. Deji's things sir." Bisola responded

"What is the meaning of that? What rubbish. Give her the phone."

"Good afternoon sir" Nina greeted.

"Nina, what is going on?"

"Deji sent me over to get his clothes "

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, maybe he was spooked by yesterday's occurrence. I don't know sir"

"It's okay. Just do as he said" Michael concluded.

"Bisola please allow her to pack everything that is remaining of that idiot out of my house. What a foolish boy."

He was tempted to call Deji but he didn't. They can all get lost for all he cares. He doesn't need them. He was so disoriented that he did not meet up with his appointment. He went home when it was 7 pm. Sarah told him Stephanie had gone to bed. When he reached for via daughter's room door, it was locked!