HIRED WIFE

” So what do you expect me to tell Angie now?”

” Hmm.. you know what? I have an idea although I don’t know if you will fancy it with your high degree of holiness! ” Sophie told me in a tone that depicted mockery

” What is the idea Sophie? Let me hear it!” I asked attentively

” I was thinking that it’s best you hire someone to stand-in as me.. you present her to Angie after her eye operation, that way you will fulfill your promise to her.. problem solved! ” Sophie said over the phone as though it was such an easy task

” Sophie are you sh? mel3ssly asking me to hire a wife in your place? ”

” If that’s how you see it.. to me it’s like using a stone to kill two birds.. you fulfil your promise plus Angie would not be bothering you about me for at least few months, until when my next leave comes and from there we can figure out a way to explain everything to her! ” ” It’s just the scent and voice that she will really sense the difference.. moreso Angie is a four year old so it won’t really matter, that’s if she will even notice sef…”

” Sophie she is a four year old but certainly not f?? lish like you think!”

” Okay fine! I will talk to her tonight and give her a small white lie about how I intend going for a voice surgery.. the rest I believe you can figure it out! All you need to do is buy the hired wife my perfumes, skincare products and fill her in on other things”

” Wow! Just wow! If someone had told me that this discussion and suggestion is from my own darling wife, I would have denied it! Sophie what exactly is going on with you? You’ve changed a lot ”

” I need to go Tony, I have got loads of work that needs to be done.. I’ll talk to you later, love you! ” Sophie concluded completely ignoring my question.

She ended the call before I could even get a chance to say my own goodbye.

I heave already tired, yes! Sophie’s idea is somewhat perfect but it’s so unfair to both Angie and I.

Hire a wife? I never dreamt of doing that in my wildest dreams.

So Lord please help me! I said a simple word of prayer as I laid there staring at the ceiling.

Not long afterwards, a knock landed on my bedroom door and Angie’s soft voice followed

” Dad! I think someone is at door.. the person has been knocking since but it seems like you are sleeping!..” Angie said blindly opening my bedroom door to come in

Wow! I must have been so lost in thoughts, that I never heard someone knocking at the sitting room door even though my bedroom is adjacent the sitting room.

I stood up from the bedroom and reached out to Angie, who is still blindly trying to find her way to my bed

I held her right hand and led her out of my bedroom to the sitting room to answer whoever is at the door

” Angie I’m sorry for stressing you okay!.. just sit here while I attend to whoever is at the door” I said to Angie, at the same time helping her sit on one of the soft sofa in the sitting room

I walked to the door, checked through the door hole to see who my visitor is

I recognized the person immediately

It is Oge! the beautiful slim nurse I met at the hospital yesterday, during Angie’s eye check up

I gave her my house address and requested that she come see me today, I’m glad she honoured my invite

I opened the door for her and ushered her into the sitting room, very pleased by her beautiful official outfit; a long sleeve blue shirt tugged into a black knee length skirt

” Welcome Oge.. sorry I kept you knocking for long, it wasn’t intentional at all” I told her apologetically

” It’s okay sir.. I understand!” Oge replied smiling

” Thank you for being such an understanding lady.. please do have a sit.. thank you so much for honouring my invite!” I said to Oge and watched as she slowly took a sit beside me on the sofa

” It is not a problem sir! although I am new at the hospital so I therefore do not know you too well, but from what I heard from the other nurses, you are a trusted and a regular patient at the hospital so I know that it is safe honouring your invite!” Oge said and I was really pleased by her statement.

What a smart young lady! I thought inwardly

” Thank you once again Oge but you are mistaken about the regular ‘patient’ part, my daughter is actually the patient not me.. she is the sole reason I invited you here today but before that let me do a brief introduction between you two” I said and turned towards where Angie sat at the far end of the sitting room

“… that is Angie my daughter sited over there.. Angie this is Aunty Oge, the one who was knocking at the door earlier” I introduced

” Hi Angie!”

Oge waved at Angie, unknown to her that Angie couldn’t see her waving hand because of her condition

” Good afternoon Aunty Oge… Please Daddy can you help me to my room? I will love to give you and Aunt Oge some private space for adult discussion” Angie said and I felt so proud of my daughter, she is always so considerate even at such a tender age

” Okay Angie!” I said as I stood up to help Angie to her bedroom while Oge looked on, surprised at Angie’s blind condition

After successfully helping Angie to her bedroom, I came back to the sitting room and took my previous sit besides Oge

” She is blind?” Oge asked the moment I sat down

” Yes she is and like I said earlier she is the sole reason I invited you here.. Initially aside my stay-out house assistant, I am the one who personally takes care of my daughter and I love it that way, but at the hospital yesterday I was advised to employ the services of a nurse who will medically see to her special medications until the operation date arrives..”

I continued while watching her facial expression, which was actually unreadable

“.. that why I took an interest in you when I saw you yesterday at the hospital while Angie was still in the check up room, that’s why you couldn’t meet her yesterday too.. ” I said, took a break and continued from where I let off

” To cut the long story short.. Oge I need a nurse that would be taking care of Angie, until a day to her eye operation which is scheduled for next week.. can you do that?”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

” I am a nurse sir so I can do so although it’s going to be a bit difficult following her blind condition.. but then if the pay will be good then sure I am in!”