Married But Available. B. Nyamnjoh

her until the following Saturday while Lilly Loveless walked off with the documents he had gathered for her, promising to return them after she had photocopied pertinent pages.

      The bar was actually in the courtyard of a two storey building where several families seemed to live side by side businesses. You wouldn’t even notice it walking by on the street, but as soon as you entered, to access the courtyard in the back, you had to pass through a passageway lined with crates of empty bottles. It wasn’t yet lunchtime and the twenty or so tables were empty, except for two early morning drinkers at separate tables who looked as if they’d spent the night refusing to let go of the muse in the bottle.

      Britney and Lilly Loveless settled in a shady spot against one wall and ordered their usual drinks. Britney, as always, was anxious to begin.

      ***

      “As I said before, some of these matters are discreet,” she commenced, “and others less so or only for a while. Kenneth and Judith were seeing each other around, but they finally met one evening when they were both at the same nightclub and Kenneth was really determined to start something. He was still a stranger to Judith, although she knew she had seen him around. He talked to her. She was very reluctant, because nothing about him at first impression and first sight clicked. He pleaded for a rendezvous, which was rejected. Eventually she walked off.”

      “So, what did he do next?” queried Lilly Loveless.

      “Well, isn’t there always the desire to hope? Kenneth went further to make a gesture. He went back to his car and in an envelope he put in new banknotes of fifty thousand Mim dollars with his complimentary card which said he was a customs inspector. Judith received her envelope and simply smiled, ‘What does he think?’

      “Days passed and passed. Kenneth waited and waited. One fortunate day, if I might say so, since it was unfortunate for his wife, Judith called Kenneth at his office. What pleasure! And that was the beginning of what no one could understand. Not even them. Immediately Kenneth left to join Judith who was resident in another town. This turned out to be a daily routine for him.”

      “You said Kenneth was married, right?” asked Lilly Loveless as she flicked a fly from her Mimbo-Wanda.

      “Yes, but we must grant him this: Kenneth never stopped being a ‘responsible’ father. He did every necessary thing as a husband and father, as money was not his problem, given that he received bribe left and right. Yet he never failed to see his loving mistress. They spent time together having lunch and visiting nightclubs. The money was there and he constantly dished it out. How sweet and nice of him.”

      “Or rather, of those who gave him bribes, to be more exact,” Lilly Loveless interjected.

      “Gradually it became more serious,” said Britney, ignoring her. “They both started spending nights together. Thus Kenneth was not home from time to time. Why not for a few days? How dare Mrs Kenneth question. Finally, Mrs Kenneth came to understand. But what could she do? She simply watched, unable to do much. She did complain to elders, but he did everything possible to stop her from giving certain hints to particular people. It got to a situation where he was constantly out of town. Just to meet Judith. To be fair to Kenneth though, this affair never brought an end to pleasant times and trips he and his wife had shared before he met Judith. So he did manage both women pretty well, to a point. But how can a wife forgive or forget that what should normally be wholly hers is being poached by another woman?”

      “You tell me,” said Lilly Loveless.

      “The affair got to an extent where his wife ignored all what was happening.”

      “Amazing woman,” remarked Lilly Loveless.

      “On one occasion after all his wife’s spies informed her of recent developments, she simply ordered him to withdraw his new purchases from his girlfriend’s apartment. He actually went and collected and presented them to his wife. Notwithstanding, the affair continued. Judith seemed satisfied with being the ‘Madame Numero Deux’ whenever Kenneth’s wife was not around.

      “As things go, Judith had a boyfriend as well, a fellow student, – flying-shirt, as you know we call them.”

      “No pockets, no wallet?”

      “You’re learning, Lilly,” Britney smiled like a good teacher. “The boy came to visit her from time to time. The truth is, he knew of Kenneth and his filthy riches, but never knew it was that serious. Judith was panicky since she did not know how to handle the situation. There was no way she could get off if she slipped away for two weeks with her flying-shirt. Kenneth could go around from town to town and it was sure he would find her and beat her. That beating again – seems the only language men instinctively know. She did not know how to tell her flying-shirt she had to be off for two weeks. This would have meant death. On many occasions the flying-shirt had gone to friends’ places and said ‘I am looking for Kenneth, Judith’s boyfriend.’ On several occasions he had questioned her:

      ‘Do you think you can spend your life with him?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘Why continue to be involved?’

      ‘I’m afraid I cannot call it off. He could kill me.’

      ‘Your studies are suffering. Have you realised that?’

      ‘I will change and get serious.’

      “She later on tells her friend that her student boyfriend will be going but she has no idea of how to do it:

      ‘Do you think the other one is the one you really need?’

      ‘Yes, we will grow together.’

      ‘Then take a firm stand and do it.’

      “This was easier said than done. With Kenneth around, she did succeed in taking leave of her flying-shirt. She did it so well that Kenneth could not believe his disappearance. But things eventually rang a bell, which made him start drifting. He stopped his search. From then on words, messages, phone calls came to a halt.

      “Just when she feels her life has changed and is more stable, Kenneth begins to solidify his marriage. Soon, it is Mrs Kenneth who matters. One of those cases where the guy lights the fire and when she finally desires to hope for more, he moves on.”

      “What do you think could have happened to turn the tables on Judith in this way?”

      “Perhaps Mrs Kenneth visited a marabout who gave her a charm to reconquer her man.”

      “Do those charms work?” Lilly Loveless was incredulous.

      “You ignore them at your peril,” said Britney. “If you don’t go for them as a married woman, those chasing after your husband will, and his love for you will evaporate before your very eyes.”

      Lilly Loveless didn’t know what to make of these affirmations by Britney, but decided not to pursue the matter.

      The waitress brought another round of drinks thinking that it was the first time she’d seen gossips like them taking notes. Then again, you can never tell about those people from Muzunguland and their bizarre interests.

      ***

      “Another affair began,” continued Britney, as she checked the time on the cell phone grasped tightly in her hand, “after Mr Richard rendered a service to Mrs Gilbert, when they met by chance at the hospital where they were both visiting patients. At first, they were simply friends of the ‘hi’ and ‘hello’ type:

      ‘How are you doing today?’

      ‘I am OK but having a tiring day.’

      ‘What of the patient?’

      ‘He has improved a great deal. Thanks for the concern.’

      “They did visit each other. It grew to extend to family visits, gradually integrating both families, sort of.”

      “Then…?” Lilly Loveless was too eager.

      “With the blink of an eye, it turned