HELPS: PART 25

 CHRONICLES OF THE HELPS

CHAPTER 25

Lianater and Ike lay in bed. The couple was intent on sleeping in that Saturday. They planned to have breakfast in bed, and may play with their kids by lunch time. Or preferably take them out. It had been a very long and busy week for the couple.

The knocks on the door made Ike groan. “Who is that? Who has decided to disturb my peace?”

The door made a squeak sound as it slid open, revealing a fair round face. “It is your Princess, Adanne.”

Lianater couldn’t hold the laughter that exploded from her throat. She turned on her side, watching the girl at the door.

“I want to sleep, Ada. Go and play with your sister,” he pulled a blanket over his head.

Ada sauntered into the room. “I will leave one you have answered my question.”

Her mother rolled her eyes. She suspected the girl might bombard them with thousands of questions that morning. Sometimes she wondered how the little girl’s brain worked.

“One question, Ada. And no more.”

She climbed the bed and sat right in the middle. “Yes, daddy. It is just one question this time around.”

Ike peeped through the blanket. “I am listening.”

The girl cleared her throat. Lianater started to laugh again. Her husband eyed her, then direction his attention back to his first daughter.

“Are boys’ wee-wee different from girls’ wee-wee?”

“Wee-wee?” he glanced at his wife. His gaze seemed to say ‘Help me out here’

Lianater smiled at Ada. “Yes, it is different,” then made a hand-sign, so her husband could understand what the girl was asking.

“Oh! Oh… I get it now,” he released the blanket and sat up straight. “Your brothers have the same wee-wee, while you, Ify and mummy has the same wee-wee.”  
Ada fell silent for a millisecond. “Okay. Then why does Aunty Hauwa have a boy’s wee-wee?”

Ike chuckled. “That’s impossible.”

Ada frowned. “It isn’t. I saw her. She doesn’t have a girl’s wee-wee.”

The couple stared at each other, alarmed.

Lianater cleared her throat. “Erm… when and how did you discover this?”

She looked up at her mother, “Yesterday. I was in her room when she came out of the bathroom. She chased me out.”

His brows came together in an angry frown. “What else happened?”

Ada shook her head. “I ran out when she threw something at me.”

He sighed in relief and turned to see the fear in his wife’s eyes. If what Ada had seen was indeed true, then they might have employed a male help who disguised as a female!

“Make sure that she-he doesn’t leave this house. I am going to Mr. Kola’s place,” he flew out of bed, changed into a jean and a tee-shirt and dashed out.

xxxxxx

Hauwa followed her employer outside the building. Her husband and their neighbour were seated on the front porch, eating from a bowl of boiled corn.

“Good afternoon, sir,” she greeted Mr. Kola.

The man eyed her and poked Ike. “Even the voice sounds strange.”

“That was what we thought at first, but we assumed that she probably has a masculine voice.”

Mr. Kola nodded. “Some women do.”

“Exactly.”

The maid stood there watching them. Did they want to send her out on an errand? She hoped it was somewhere close by. She had a lot of chores to do that weekend. She didn’t have the time to chat while time flies.
“What is your real name?” Mr. Kola’s stern gaze bored into her confused stare.

She blinked twice and stuttered. “My… my… my name is Hauwa.”

Both men chuckled. The maid threw a glance at Lianater. The woman stood at the door; her face was expressionless.

“Okay, okay, fine. Hauwa, are you a man or a woman?”

She stared back at Mr. Kola. Was the man having mental issues? 

“I asked you a question,” his tone increased a notch.

Hauwa looked from her employer to her husband, then back at the angry neighbour. “I am confused, sir.”

Mr. Kola slapped his friend on the shoulder, “She is confused,” then he started to laugh in a mocking way.

Ike dropped the corn he was eating into the empty bowl and eyed the maid. “Please answer the question.”

Was her employer’s husband having mental issues too? Hauwa cleared her throat. “I am a lady, sir.”

“Are you? Really?” his gaze swept over her from head to feet.

She turned to Lianater. “Have I done anything wrong, ma?”

The woman ignored her and folded her arms across her bosom.

“Hauwa!”

The girl stared hard at the neighbour. He was beginning to piss her off. He wasn’t her employer. He had no right to speak to her in such a manner.

“If we decide to strip every item of clothing on you right now, what are we going to find?”

Her heart missed a beat. “Why?” she took several steps backward. “What did I do?” she looked him up and down like he was some kind of monstrous insect. “Why will you want to strip me when I am not a thief?” her eyes darted left, then right, obviously seeking out an escape route.

Ike and Mr. Kola got up.

“You might not have stolen anything in this house, but we need to ascertain if you are truly male or female,” Lianater spoke for the first time.

Her jaw dropped, as she stared at her boss. “Erm… erm… ma, I am a lady.” 

“Are you?” her gaze pinned the girl to a spot. 

“Ye… yes, ma.”

“Then, let’s prove it.”

The maid bolted.

“Samson! Samson lock that gate!” Ike yelled at the security guard.

The guard left his post and manned the gate, ready to catch the fleeing culprit.