Steve drove back along the road, looking but unseeing, his sight blocked by the pillar of joy and excitement in his heart. He thought of the pains in the heart he had had to go through since he married Serena but could not feel the effect of the pains again because of the joy that has flooded his heart. The discussion with Bobby was something he never thought would go the way it went. The gracious words from his friend have helped in creating joy in his heart.
I'm glad, he said to himself. Bobby has turned a new leaf. I 'm excited he’s alive today to tell the sweet story. I'm happier; he's the one who has created the words that have supplied the streams of joy in my heart. He switched off the music blasting away from the car radio. Oh, he said to himself. Common, stop the noise. I don't want to hear that now. Wonders shall never end, my friend, Bobby has become a preacher of good things.
“The same way Serena will become one," his other self said to him. “People can always become good, better and the best."
"Serena!" he flung at himself.
"Yes, Serena, "his other mind said. “Bobby has become a new creature so Serena can also become one too."
"Yes," he agreed "I hope it happens now. I hope it happens quickly." "Happens now?” his other mind asked him.
"Yes, I want it now. I'm losing patience. I'm almost detesting my decision to go into this already."
"You don't have to." "Yes," he agreed. "You're to continue..."
"Continue to," he said cutting off his mind from finishing the statement. “See the good morals and decency behind the personality of Serena. Put on display the extra power, extra patience, extra love, extra everything to help her become the woman I desire."
"Now you get it."
"I know. I know and I've always known that." "Just keep it up.”
"Ok then, " Steve said to himself shutting off further thought on the issue, pressed the brake of his car in front of his house and pressed the horn to signal to his wife to open the gate from behind.
When Steve did not see a response from his wife to the sound from the car horn, he picked up his phone to call her phone number but found out that it was switched off. What's happening? He asked himself and pressed the horn again. Just then he noticed that the gate was locked up from the front with a padlock suggesting that his wife was not inside the compound. He quickly pulled up the hand brake, opened the car door and moved swiftly towards the gate shaking the padlock.
What, he thought, walking back to the car. Is going on here? Where’s Serena and where’s my son? He picked up his own key to the padlock from his bag in the car, unlocked the padlock, drove into the compound and entered his apartment.
I don't think anybody is in this house, he said to himself. He picked up his phone again, dialed his wife's number and received the same response that the phone was switched off. Steve dropped his phone on one of the chairs, put off his jacket, loosed his belt and sat on the floor wondering where Serena had gone without informing him.
Then, he rose up suddenly and rushed into the bedroom only to find out that Serena’s clothes were missing from the clothes wardrobe. This discovery sent some worries into his heart and mind and he went to the bedroom, lying flat on the bed and was speechless
What's going on? He asked himself again as if he expected a quick, ready-made answer from somewhere. Serena has packed out of the house and has taken my son away with her. This can't be true. But we’ve not had any argument or quarrel with each other for the past month now.
Then what must have made her do this? He asked himself again and remained speechless still lying flat on the bed
But where’s my Serena and my son? Where has she packed to? Allen Avenue? No, that can’t be. Prostitutes at Allen Avenue are not nursing mothers. That can't even be an option because she knows I can easily find her there. Has she gone to her mother in Benin? Well, that can be an option anyway; he said in his mind and rose from his bed to pick up his phone to call her mother. But, he thought and laid his back again on the bed. What if she’s not there? That will be too many pills for that old woman to swallow. I don't want that ailing woman to have that for now. That will definitely be the last option after I've exploited all other options.
He rolled to the other side of the bed. He was now lying with his chest on the bed, holding the pillow tightly and closing his eyes tightly. Oh, he shouted in his mind. Charles! Charles! Has Serena packed to Charles’ house? Has Serena taken my beloved son to the house of the adulterer called Charles? No, Serena, you won't do that. No, Tammy is too young for this. You don't drag an innocent child into the mud and vomit you enjoyed playing in. This boy deserves more than this, he thought and squeezed his face as if he was trying to drag out balls of tears from his eyes.
But, he said to himself again. How do I find Charles? I don't have his phone number and I don't know his house. I thought the Charles issue had gone for good after I discovered his adulterous relationship with my wife and I stopped her from her workplace. This Charles issue is still there. Oh, Serena, why are you still bent on enjoying your vomit? Why do you still love playing in the mud? Your vomit and mud shouldn't be an attraction to you again. It's horrible that you have gone back to Charles again. It's more horrible and grievous that you've taken our innocent son along with you.
"But," his other mind said to him." How’re you sure she's with Charles?" "But," he answered himself. "Where then will she be?
You need to find out first."
How? He charged back at his mind." Adultery is always an attraction to prostitutes. They love it as babies love their mothers’ breast milk!
“You called your wife a prostitute?" His other mind said to him.
"Oh, I' m sorry." He said in his mind and rolled over to his previous position on the bed lying flat with his back on the bed. “But how do I figure out what's really happening here?
"You," his mind cuts him short. "Don't reach a conclusion until you’re sure of your facts." “I agree."
"What looks like a black color may always not be one."
"I see," Steve replied his mind. "Maybe I need to wait till tomorrow to know the next line of action."
"Yes, you need to relax your stuffy brain."
"I agree." He concluded in his mind and slept off.