“Dorcas??!”Lati exclaimed. She told him she lost the pregnancy. 27 years ago, when Lati's wife Helena was still alive, lati went on a work trip to a remote area, to inspect some pieces of land, and he was stranded at night, unable to get a bus to the city. He never saw a hotel to sleep in. He sighted a 70 year old woman infront of her house plucking herbs, he walked up to her and asked her of a nearby hotel. The woman said there is none nearby “,You are a funny man. This is a village.
You can't find hotels here. People coming from the city who know they will spend more than a day usually have relatives or friends who live here or some of them pass the night at police residence at the other end of the road. But right now, the place is closed. A group of thugs attacked the place two nights ago and wounded the officers”
Oh ..I see, my God "He heaved a sigh already tired of what to do. He blamed himself for not bringing his car. He obviously looked exhausted, and he was very hungry too. Even if he came with his car, he doubts that he would be able to continue another 3 hours journey
"How about a restaurant? A food canteen or something?"
"Yes. there is a food canteen few walks away from here". The old woman said "Once you go straight, you will see a tree, walk few steps and you would see the canteen"
Lati nodded and requested if he could drop his heavy bag to quickly go eat. The woman agreed
"Or do you want me to lead you there?" she suggested
Lati politely declined and said he would be Okay
Lati was able to locate the food canteen and met two workers washing plates and clearing the table.
",Hello. Please can I get some food?".
The workers were about to talk when the owner of the place, a woman appeared and spoke
"You came quite late. But we still have a kind of meal yet. We have mashed Maize and green vegatables soup"
"Oh my God"Lati said with frustration. He reacts to Mashed maize and he remembered the few times he ate it, he had stomach troubles and he almost purged his intestines out.
"I can't...I can't take Mashed Maize. I react to it. Is that the only meal you have left?"
"Yes. It's almost our closing time already" The woman replied.
Lati nodded his head and walked along. He was confused and frustrated and didn't know what to do again. There he was, tired, famished and without a place to lay his head till morning. As he was going, he saw a woman with a tent selling cups of tea to people. He didn't know if it was a good idea because he was very famished, and tea alone wouldn't even solve his starving stomach. He would probably go to the old woman and ask her of another nearby canteen
He got back to the old woman and told her what happened
"Oh God I am really sorry about that" She said sighing "And another canteen is quite far from here" she added beginning to feel sorry for him
"Seeing how tired you seem, how about you spend the night here and also I will give you food"
Lati looked up at her. He was actually about to summon some courage and beg her if he could spend a night at her house
"Oh...Really?" Lati asked with opened eyes
“"Yes, you can spend the night here in my house" The woman suggested.
“Really?” Lati asked again relieved
"Yes ,I know this place may not meet your
standard but…"
“No no it's okay., I am just amazed by your kindness. You don't even know me and you are not worried I am a soldier” The woman smiled and pointed out there was no need to be scared of a soldier as long as she doesn't cause trouble. She led him in the building made of clay, with few wooden chairs inside and mat spread all over the room. “ This is our living space. We have only one room and it's me and my Granddaughter that shares it. She is at the backyard grinding pepper. You can spend the night right here. I will bring more thick clothes to spread on the mat”She said
“Thank you so much for your hospitality” Lati said dropping his bag "You are a life saver"
“You don't have to. We are just preparing yam and fish stew. I will ask my granddaughter bring it for you when it's done. You can relax here. But first let me bring you some water You must be thirsty too" She said putting on the small radio on the chair for him.
She came back with the cup of water she had poured from a covered pot and Lati received it and gulped it at once. He was really thirsty. He gave back the empty cup and thanked her again
The old woman went back into the kitchen and also brought her some ripe payaya she had recently peeled and told him to eat before the meal is done.
"Oh no. you really didn't have to.."Lati said
"Come on Mr Soldier I know you are really hungry and the real meal is not ready yet, so why not have this first to quench your hunger"
"Thank you so much"Lati said accepting it
"I hope the Yam and fish stew is okay by you? You don't have allergies with that?"
"Oh. no. I don't ma"am. I only react to Mashed Maize" Lati answered. The old woman nodded and went towards the backyard
About 30 minutes later, a young lady of about 19 years brought dishes to him and water
“Thank you. You must be her granddaughter”
“Yes sir. ” The young lady said smiling unable to look him in the eyes
“Why are you scared to look at me”
“I am not scared sir. I have just dreamt of seeing a soldier one day. I have only been seeing them in pictures. I can't believe I am looking at one”. She said shyly.
“Fate has been good to you then. ”Lati said smiling. The girl also smiled and left while Lati fed on his meal
The old woman came to check on Lati before she finally proceeded to sleep
"Hope you enjoyed the meal"
"Yes. It was really Good. One of the best meals I have tasted ever" He complemented
"Well, it's my granddaughter to thank for that. She prepared the Meal"
,"Wow. She really did a good job"
"I should leave you to rest" The old woman said smiling. Lati stood up and bowed his head as a sign of respect as he watched her leave.
Minutes after, the young lady came to the living rooms with books and lantern and also dropped some thick clothes on the map
"My grandma asked me to give you this to sleep"
"Oh. Bless her. Thank you" He said
Lati asked her why she wasn't sleeping and she said she wants to read for her external examinations into the teachers' school in the city
“Wow.. that's great. You attended the government school in this village?”
“Yes. I stopped at the 9th grade. That is the minimum requirement to get into the elementary teachers training school in the city”
“Oh…okay. What is your name.” he asked her
“Dorcas”
“Dorcas. You can call me Mr Lati. ”He told her, staring into her brown beautiful eyes. To be honest she looked like his wife. He quickly looked away and wondered why he stared at her for so long. They discussed a lot of things after that, especially relating to life in the village that Dorcas forgot she even came to read.
“Oh..I should not distract you from your reading”Lati said realizing they had talked for awhile. Dorcas on the other hand enjoyed their conversation and wished, they could continue. She opened her books and watched him sleep. His pleasant cologne filling her nostrils
The next morning, Dorcas grandmother made him food before he set to leave
“Mama, I can't thank you enough for your hospitality. I don't know what I would have done without you" Lati said
“It is nothing Mr soldier. I have a son your age. It's just like an act of kindness towards a son”
“Thank you” he Said handing her some bundles of money. The old woman rejected claiming she did not help him to be paid but Lati insisted and dropped it on the table.
“It's just a little appreciation from me please"
“Thank you”the old woman held his hands warmly. She prayed for safe journey for him and as he set to leave, He heard a voice from the back
“Mr soldier”!.It was Dorcas
“Heyy” he said walking up to her,"I ….I was just.."
“Leaving without saying Goodbye?”She queried. folding her arms “So much for a girl you were in her arms groaning last night”
“Hush!.”He silenced her. He wondered how she could be so blunt. “Your grandma is just at the front door” “Dorcas.. Listen, what happened between us yesterday was pure lust and a mistake. I don't know what came over me”
Dorcas looked at him for a moment and her eyes were teary
“A mistake?” She said. Too bad for her, she had fallen in love with this man in just one night.
“Safe journey” she said crying as she ran off.
“Dorcas..Dor…damn it"He touched his forehead and sighed heavily. He regretted what he did, especially cheating on his lovely wife. He felt he took advantage of Dorcas too but at least she initiated the romance.
Dorcas made sure Lati left completely before she went over to where they both sat the other night and cried bitterly. She was hurt. This man disvirgined her and she was blinded with both love and lust. She wiped her tears and felt some dropped on something a bit hard, like a piece of cartoon, she opened it and it contained a brand new wristwatch. Lati had forgotten it. It was a gift from his wife for his birth anniversary. He packed it along with his other accessories, he brought it out when he was reading and forgot to put it back again but then Dorcas found something interesting in there, his home address, His wife Helena had travelled out for a work trip on Lati's birthday and she decided to send the birthday gift to their home address. Dorcas folded the paper and she wrapped it in her cloth.
The next three weeks, she discovered she was pregnant, she explained everything to her grandmother who suggested since she had his address, they should trace his house in the city. “We have no other choice now. I don't have the capacity yet to take care of yourself and your baby together. I have been trying for you a lot and you know it.
”
Dorcas nodded and thanked her grandmother.