Joe and Cynthia by Ubaji Isiaka Abubakar Eazy 2013: Fiction

 

DEDICATION

To my cats and closest pals; Simbi and Jasper who rubbed their furs against my feet or curled up between my legs while I wrote stories. You guys were the best!

 

Ojo, or Joe as he was popularly known, was a handsome boy of five who had all the love and attention of his doting parents; Mr and Mrs Tunde Badmus. It was not suprising that this should be the case since the beautiful Mrs Badmus had been unable to conceive after giving birth to Joe. Mr and Mrs Badmus lived in wealth and opulence and they showered little Joe with all the toys they could lay their hands on. For this reason, we could assume that there was no merrier boy than our handsome Joe. But Joe was quite clever and he exploited the parents affinity for him; he would suddenly alter his mood and frown his face feigning unhappiness, his ever devoted mother would then notice him and ask what the problem was, then would Joe place his demand ranging from sweets and biscuits to the type of toys his friends had although he already had his room filled up with diverse toys. The parents, in their bid to ensure he lacked nothing, would spare no amount of time and money to carry out his wishes.

One Saturday evening, Mr Badmus; having just returned from the club at Ikeja; drove into his garage and parked his automobile. He walked in and was welcomed home by his wife with a kiss on the cheek.

"Where is my boy?" He asked his wife cheerfully.

"I saw him in the living room not quite long watching a television programme. He must have gone upstairs to his room...let me call...Joe love! Joe love! Where are you? Daddy is back!"

Joe slowly walked down the stairs from his room; folding his hands across his chest; with his usual frown on his face instead of rushing to hug his father as was expected of him. The father now sitting on a chair gave Mrs Badmus a questioning look.

"What did you do to him?" He asked Mrs Badmus.

"Have I ever done anything to him? Ask him yourself, he can talk, he is no more a baby."

"Okay, sorry honey, it is just that I don't want my boy in a sour mood. Come here my Joe, you know you can tell daddy what it is all about. Is it mummy?"

"No" said Joe.

The truth is that Joe had just seen a cartoon movie; on the television set; where a cat happened to be the hero and had taken an immediate liking to cats so he wanted to have one for a pet but he knew that his dad might not readily concur to his demand should he ask him in a normal manner so he ran to his room; the moment he saw his father driving in; in order to prepare for the latest scene of the play he was enacting.

"Okay my boy! Come here," said Mr Badmus. "Come and give daddy a high five and let's talk things mummy need not hear, come."

Joe grudgingly walked towards his father who eargely picked him up as soon as he was within arms reach, sat him on his laps then he asked: "What is the matter boy? Talk to Daddy."

"I...I..." Joe stuttered.

"Yes, go on, I am listening' Mr Badmus encouraged him.

"I want a cat for a pet!" Joe finally opened up.

Mrs Badmus suddenly remembered her primeval phobia for cats and exclaimed: "What! You know you can't have that! Besides daddy is allergic to cats," which was actually the truth anyway.

Mr Badmus was puzzled. He wanted to satisfy his son but not at the detriment of his own health. After brooding for a while, he concured to the boy's wish.

"Okay, daddy will get you a nice kitten on Monday, now give daddy a high five and smile for daddy!"

"Hurray!" Joe hugged his father and gave him a broad smile. Even Mrs Badmus could not contain her Joy when she saw her little boy smilling, "The boy has a smile that can melt any heart yet he would not smile." She thought as she joined her family for another hug expressing a gay family reunion.

"Can I go to Junior's house daddy?" Joe asked after disentangling himself from the embrace. Junior (a boy of Joe's age) and his parents are next door neighbour of the Badmus's.

"What for Joe?" Mr Badmus queried.

"I want to tell him my daddy will buy me a cat on Monday!" Obviously, it was an established tradition for the two young friends to always update each others on the new things daddy and mummy bought for them.

"Oh Joe, you can tell him tomorrow. You know the night is far gone already. Besides, Junior would already be asleep by now. Up up you go! It is time for bed boy! Let's go so daddy can read you a story."

"Alright daddy. I shall have a cat on Monday! Hurray! I shall have a cat on ..." He continued ranting as he leapt across the stairs into his room while Mr Badmus slowly followed behind in a pensive mood.

Mr Badmus returned to the living room  thirty minutes later announcing to his wife that their son was asleep while Mrs Badmus took him to the dining table where they set about discussing this sudden and strange request from their son.

"What do you think of Joe's request honey?" Mr Badmus asked in-between mouthfuls and quickly gulped down a

"Joe! Where are you? I have a present for you boy!" Shouted Mr Badmus as he returned home that Monday evening. He had left work as quickly as possible so as to visit DAVID PET SHOP down the road leading to his office where he got the most agile and intelligent kitten for his son. It was white with a little patch of black around the left eye.

Mrs Badmus and her son rushed out of the kitchen where both had been busy preparing dinner although Joe was busy stuffing his mouth with crumbs torn off from the fishes. Mrs Badmus ran back in fright. She saw the little "thing" inside the little basket right in front of her husband! Joe picked the kitten and rubbed its fur in a loving manner.

"Is it a female daddy?" Said the boy.

"Awutchi!" Mr Badmus sneezed. "Yes it is and I suggest you call her Lydia."

"That is my name BADMUST, don't even try it." Mrs Badmus shouted from the safety of her kitchen.

"I shall call her Cynthia," said Joe.

"Awutchi!" Mr Badmus sneezed again in-between staccato chukles at his wife's phobia. "No problem, Joe has already given it a name, he he he! Awutchi! You can take the cat to your room boy!"

"Okay daddy." Joe carried the cat, basket and all across the stairs to his room while the father looked at him and smiled, "that is my boy!" he muttered.

Joe dropped the basket in his room, played with the cat for a while, then, he decided to take a quick shower before returning downstairs for supper. He left the kitten on the bed and rushed into his bathroom for a quick shower.

Meanwhile, Cynthia; the intelligent cat; finding herself on the soft matress had decided to make herself comfortable for a while but after some seconds she began prancing around the room.

Joe returned from the bathroom naked and Cynthia suddenly turned towards him. She was so shocked to see a thing like the tail of a big rat dangling between Joe's legs. After looking at the thing for a while, she finally concluded that the dangling thing was nothing else but a RAT!

Life to our young Cynthia had been nothing else than a competition, a competition to prove who was best at doing things at the pet shop. She felt instinctively that this was another of such tests as many others she had undergone at the pet shop. So, our dear Cynthia felt that there was no better opportunity to prove her intelligence and efficiency to her new master, moreso considering the fact that she had just won the Cats Nobel Prize for The Yongest Rats Killer at the pet shop. She decided to attack with immediate effect and alacrity!

First, she patrolled up and down the bed without taking her green pupils off the dangling thing for as much as half a second. Meanwhile, Joe was just about to put on his pyjamas. Cynthia then positioned herself right in front of Joe. She sat and raised her left fore paw up like a soldier saluting a flag. Then she bent down and meowed and she lept "twah" and caught the dangling thing between her fangs! In a moment, it was not just the dangling thing that was in-between Joe's legs but a dangling Cynthia dangling like a pendulum in a hurry to count off the seconds.

Mr and Mrs Badmus heard the agonising cry of their boy from their bedroom where they were sleeping after dinner. Both parents started an unrefreed marathon race and nearly pushed each other down to get to their son's room and as they entered they met him screeming as if in agonising pain.

Wake up Joe! Wake up! Shouted his father shaking the boy from his deep and troubling slumber.

It had all been a dream. Joe was sweating profusely on the forehead. Mr Badmus looked at the time, it was 11pm, barely three hours since he left Joe in his room to sleep after reading a story to him.

"What is the matter?" asked the mother holding Joe to her chest.

"Daddy I don't want a cat anymore," said the boy looking up at his father. "I want a dog insted."

The parents took in deep breaths of relief and Mr Badmus promised to buy him a nice puppy on Monday.

They both left the room, the problem had been solved, yet both kept wondering what could have warranted such a quick change of mind from their Joe who they knew to be adamant when it comes to having his wishes granted. Perhaps they would never know after all, would they? But you and I know so let's make it our little secret (winks).