Why? 3 || Shackled to the Heart 35

EPISODE 35

Penelope Ezekiel

INT. SHOPPING MALL, IBADAN- AFTERNOON

With the sun up in the sky, Wemimo and Imade enters the mall in their causal clothes hand in hand as they walk with other people going about with their business. Wemimo directs them into a boutique

IMADE

(Huffs in disappointment) Seriously, another boutique?

She forcefully removes her hand from his

WEMIMO

Come on, you don’t want to shop

IMADE

When you said we were going on date, I thought we could get popcorn and drinks and sit at the back of a cinema room where I get to see a movie with my husband. Afterward, get lunch or ice cream and maybe even go to a park

WEMIMO

A park? Seriously

IMADE

We don’t have to go a park, the point is I don’t want to spend this rare date with you on shopping that I do practically every week with Ann

WEMIMO

Rare date? We went out last week

IMADE

A date is for a couple without their kids, haven’t you noticed that it has been a while that it is just us two on an outing

WEMIMO

(Sighs lightly) I noticed but between spending time with the kids and spending time with you, I don’t just have the time

IMADE

I know, which is why I want to make best use of my rare date and not squander it shopping for your kids

WEMIMO

(Chuckles) Shopping for kid eh? I remember you gushing over that dress you got for yourself, actually you gushed over everything

IMADE

Well, they were beautiful dresses and I love beautiful things

WEMIMO

Okay, this will be the last boutique we will be hitting today. We can do whatever you want after all

IMADE

For real?

WEMIMO

(Nods) For real

He pecks her on her forehead before the couple both walks into the boutique. Walking around, Imade sees a designer bag which brings a bright smile on her face

IMADE

Oh my God! Did you see that Wemimo?

She hurriedly walks to the shelf and puts up the bag

WEMIMO

And there I thought you don’t want to shop anymore

IMADE

(Sees another one) This looks good too

WEMIMO

Look around, I am sure there will be more

IMADE

Oh, I am definitely going to

She looks around and sees another one

IMADE

Wemimo, look at this

She looks behind her and sees nobody

IMADE

Wemimo!

She drops the bags back on their shelf and starts to look around for him. After few minutes of looking around, she sees him standing at the middle of the boutique looking at everything, watching how everyone is going up and down like he is observing

IMADE

(Upset) Are you kidding me?

She walks to him and taps his shoulder

WEMIMO

Hey! How is the shopping?

IMADE

Is this another one of your boutique?

WEMIMO

Another one of our boutique is what you mean

IMADE

So, you are actually working while you are on a date with me

WEMIMO

(Tries to hold her hand but she slaps her hand away) Come on, Imade

IMADE

This is the fourth boutique we visited today, I should have known you were working. I didn’t even ask for the date, you suggested it

WEMIMO

I really want to spend time with you, Imade but you know how busy I am

IMADE

It is just a day

WEMIMO

My last free date for a while

IMADE

What are you talking about?

WEMIMO

Starting from tomorrow, we are starting official work on the tech company I want to acquire. I am going to extremely busy, I might not even come home regularly anymore

IMADE

That serious?

WEMIMO

Yes, that serious. Anita and I are putting a lot of resources into this new company, I need to sure that everything goes smoothly which mean my 100 percent attention will be on the new company for the next few months. We recently acquired this boutique and the others few months ago but I haven’t had the time to come see them and see how they are doing. So I thought why not come here today and also spend time with you too

IMADE

But why didn’t you tell me?

WEMIMO

Because I didn’t think you would notice but I meant it when I said this is the last boutique

IMADE

I wanted you to look at a bag but you are busy

Imade starts to walk away and he follows her

WEMIMO

Come on and show it to me

IMADE

Don’t worry about me, keep working

When she gets no response, Imade looks behind her and sees Wemimo just standing still with a deep frown on his face

IMADE

Everything okay?

She walks back to him, looks in the direction he is looking at and sees Olamide, Ann’s husband shopping with a young fair lady in her twenties. Hands round the young lady’s waist with a bright smile on his face.

WEMIMO

Isn’t that Olamide?

IMADE

Oh boy!

Wemimo moves towards the man and Imade runs after him

IMADE

Where are you going?

WEMIMO

To say my greetings

IMADE

Come on, Wemimo, don’t be that guy

WEMIMO

What guy?

IMADE

That guy

They both get to where Olamide and the young lady are

WEMIMO

Hello, Olamide

The young man turn to the couple and on seeing them, the smile on his face drains out as he hastily removes his hand from her waist

OLAMIDE

We… Wemimo!

While Wemimo smirks, the young man tries to compose himself

OLAMIDE

(Looks around them awkwardly) Hey! Wemimo

WEMIMO

(Sarcastically) Looking for Ann?

Imade hits her husband on his rib with her ankle

WEMIMO

(Looks at Imade) What?

OLAMIDE

Of course not

WEMIMO

Well, she is not here

OLAMIDE

I can tell, I mean she will be in her office right now. It is good to see you, Wemimo

WEMIMO

Is it?

IMADE

Come on, Wemimo, you are been rude

OLAMIDE

It is fine and I know what this looks like but it is not what you think it is

WEMIMO

Oh! It is not

OLAMIDE

This is my assistant, Penelope Ezekiel

IMADE

Hello Penelope, I am Imade King and this is my husband, Wemimo Arotile-King

PENELOPE

Nice to meet you, sir and Ma’am

OLAMIDE

It is great catching up with you, Wemimo

Olamide leaves with his assistant with Wemimo burrowing a hole in their back with his eyes

IMADE

Come on, let go

WEMIMO

That man is cheating on Ann

IMADE

Based on what, Wemimo?

WEMIMO

Are you blind to what I just saw?

IMADE

(Defensive)The same way I am blind to whatever is going on between you and Anita

WEMIMO

Where is that coming from? And they are not the same thing

IMADE

They are exactly the same and you said there is nothing between you two

WEMIMO

Because there is nothing between us, what else can I do to prove myself?

IMADE

Then there is nothing between Olamide and that lady, she could actually be his assistant, just his assistant

Wemimo brings his phone out of his pocket and dials a number before putting it to his ear

IMADE

What are you doing?

WEMIMO

Confirming if she is just his assistant

IMADE

How are you going to do that?

WEMIMO

(Speaks to his phone) Hello, Ann

IMADE

(Frantic) Wemimo, don’t

ANN

(Alarmed) Oh my God! Did Bankole call you already?

WEMIMO

ANN

(Sigh in relief) Oh! Thank God

WEMIMO

Why would he call me?

ANN

No reason

WEMIMO

Ann, what did you do?

ANN

Nothing, why did you call?

WEMIMO

Is your husband around?

ANN

What is this? Did you suddenly like my husband overnight?

WEMIMO

Is he around, Ann?

ANN

Whatever reason why you are looking for him, you are in luck, I just got off the phone with him, he just arrived IB

WEMIMO

Of course, he did

ANN

Is there a problem?

WEMIMO

Ann, you did something that Bankole is involved in, what is it?

ANN

I got to go, Wemimo

She drops the call

IMADE

And?

WEMIMO

He called Ann to cover his track, he is definitely cheating

IMADE

Say he is, it is not your place to tell Ann

WEMIMO

Ann left Bankole for him, she hurt your brother for this man

IMADE

Do you want to be the one to tell her that the man she choose is the wrong one? Do you want to be the one who destroys her family? Do you want to be the one who hurt her? (Sigh lightly) When she finds out, she is going to tear her marriage down herself

WEMIMO

Maybe she should

IMADE

And for what? Bankole is getting married soon and she already has two kids with the man, let it go

WEMIMO

I loathe people who cheat on their spouse

Fears cribs into Imade at that moment

WEMIMO

And speaking from experience, it is not a good feeling

IMADE

(Feeling awkward) That was a long time ago

WEMIMO

I know but each time I think about it, it hurts

IMADE

(Calmly) you still think about it

WEMIMO

(Senses her mood) You are forgiven, Imade, I don’t hold it against you but when Ann finds…

IMADE

She might not find out

WEMIMO

She will find out, he is not even keeping it a secret and even if he was, nothing remains secret forever. Ann will eventually find out and if she get to know that I knew about the affair and didn’t tell her, she is going to rip me a new one

IMADE

You don’t even know if he is actually sleeping with her

WEMIMO

That is why I am going to find proof, please excuse me, I am going to make some calls

He leaves and Imade is left to her thought

FLASHBACK TO HER CONVERSATION WITH THE NUN

SISTER ELIZABETH

You need to talk to Wemimo

IMADE

I can’t, I will lose everything

SISTER ELIZABETH

You are not losing everything, you will still have your kids and your company

IMADE

But my marriage?

SISTER ELIZABETH

Yes, you may lose your marriage but he loves you a lot, he may forgive you down the line

IMADE

You are not even sure

SISTER ELIZABETH

The one thing I know for sure is that you will lose everything if you don’t tell him

IMADE

That is if he knows

SISTER ELIZABETH

He will find out, trust me

BACK TO PRESENT

Imade taps her hands nervously not knowing what to do

Next on Why?

APERRY

I know you want the best for him but you are refusing to see the magnitude of the issue here, this could destroy the relationship between Wemimo and Bankole if he decides not to turn a blind eye

ANN

Not if I make him play ball

APERRY

How? By fucking him

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT FRIDAY, 9PM WAT

Previous Episode

Why? 3 || Shackled to the Heart 34

Why? 3 || Shackled to the Heart 33

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Why? 3 || Shackled to the Heart 29