Daddy: Daddy

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67 5 ack home, as we were relaxing, I remembered the incident at the bar. “That woman really embarrassed Dad,” I said to Mawumi. “I wonder how some women can be so rowdy.” “I thought those were the kind of women you guys prefer,” Mawumi said. “Are they not better than dull women like Mum and I? And the way she drank. She virtually knocked down half of the bottle of cognac before abandoning it, and despite the fact that she took it dry, she left looking quite normal. I am sure she smokes cigars, too.” “Were you observing her that closely?” I asked. “She actually looked like, if given a chance, she would pounce on you,” Mawumi said. “Despite the impression she gave that she was joking, a woman does not take such chances.” “You mean, even in front of an old woman like that, you are not sure of your position,” I asked. “These days, every woman holds on to her man if she happens to have a good one and does not allow snatchers like her to have their way.” “She simply looks like a jovial old woman to me,” I said. “And she is a famous writer. Her books are all bestsellers.” “What can that woman write, short of pornographic literature?” Mawumi asked. Three days later, Dad came to my office, and I offered him a seat, but he shook his head. “Work has ended for the day, son,” he said. “Newu is inviting us to the Anlahsi club.” B 68 Dad normally did not need to be invited to sit down in my office. He always made himself comfortable as soon as he came in and his refusal to sit down betrayed his eagerness to see Miss Newu. “You can’t come in here and close my office for the day,” I protested. “I still have lots of work to do.” “Not when there is merry-making with Newu,” Dad said. “But you could go alone,” I pointed out. “After all, she was your classmate, not mine.” “Now she has become our mutual friend,” Dad said. “Are you afraid of her?” I asked. “When it was Miss Jam, you always sneaked off to meet her alone. Now that it is Miss Newu, you seem to be afraid of the possibility that she may drag you by force into one of the toilets of the club and rape you.” “Newu is not like that,” Dad said. “She may be a bit crude with her language, but she is a decent woman. On the other hand, she drinks like a man and makes good company.” “I suppose she is the kind of woman for the Anlahsi club,” I said. “I would like to see her taking on those old blokes who distressed Mawumi during her lecture.” “She could certainly take them with her left hand,” Dad said. I dropped everything and we took off to the Anlahsi club. “Call your Mum; tell her that you are with me and that we are going to be a little bit late,” Dad said. “Should I tell her who invited us?” I asked. “At times I wonder whether you are really my son,” Dad said. “What a silly question you have just asked there. If I didn’t have full confidence in your mother, I would have started doubting.” “Sorry, Dad,” I said. 69 Miss Newu was perched on one of those high stools at the counter smiling at us as we came in. She came down from the stool and took us to some soft chairs. “This is what soft people like you need, not hard stools,” she said. She was drinking cognac. “What should they serve you?” she asked Dad. “Booze before greetings.” Dad opted for cognac too When she turned to me I followed suit. She called and the waiter brought a bottle of Martell. “You want olives, groundnuts, or any kind of snacks?” she asked. “Whatever you offer,” I said. “So you young bucks also go in for stiff cognac, eh?” she said conspiratorially. “Along with the cognac, you could add a dose of Viagra so that you go home and make twins with your lovely wife this night.” Dad and I could not help laughing. “Here they sell Viagra along with the drinks,” she continued, “because many members are tired, weakened old bulls like your dad.” She seemed to suddenly realize that Dad...