Chapter 1: Conflicting Thoughts

“Useless man.” He said, as he took the glass of water and threw it on me.

"How many times did I repeat this order to you, I told you to sweep that place?" He got up in a bit of rage as he raised his hands to slap me.

“clam down sir, you have been way too moody, why shout on your worker like this”. A soft voice from the back said, it was a slim, fair, pretty young lady who had visited the restaurant occasionally, she had usually tried effortlessly to get my attention but I told her I was married. 

“Mr man, just because he is still even working here is why you are already making tantrums like a six-year-old girl.” She sighed. 

 “young woman I don’t know who you are but you cannot even be up to my daughter's age, how dare you….” 

“Oh please spare me those details, old man, you are just a rude old man, you know you should apologise for even raising your hand to this man. What if I tell you that I am a lawyer and that you could be arrested for attempted assault on this man? What would you do then?” She looking very serious.

“who are you and how dare you speak to me like this”. My boss became even more angry as he walked away.” 

“can you just stop this please or how much trouble do you want me to get into today?”. I shouted at her, "Thanks a lot but I don't need your help”. I said.                                                                                               

“Tony”. She paused. “why do you still insist on doing this?” she asked expecting me to respond, but I remained silent. 

“Tony, Tony! Tony! Alright then don’t answer me, it seems you don’t want to hear what I have to say.” She said as she pretended to walk away, I remained silent and continued to clear up the mess on the table I was cleaning. 

“Tony, you are still as stubborn as ever, back then no one could easily make you bend to their will and look at you now, despite the fact that you have lost your memories, your character and traits are still the same”. She smiled. I paused for a while, remaining unshaken. “don’t ever call me that name again”.

I carried the plates of food that were on the table and took them to the kitchen. As soon as I came out to clean the table, I saw that she was still here. 

“You are not going to get what you are looking for from me, I already told you before I am married”. 

“Maybe my approach last time made you jump into the conclusion that I was into you, although you being married is a real shocker, I never saw you as a family man, but I must tell you, you are not cut out for it anyways”. 

As she walked closer, she took a chair and sat directly in front. “you were not born for this, what did that man said again? Ahhh yes… “useless man”, well he wasn’t wrong, you being here is a complete waste of time and talent”. 

“And who are you to determine that?” I said angrily. 

She stood up and came close to my ear, as she whispered “come back to the Dark Dragon with me”. 

I stepped backwards. “wha…what are you talking about?” I stammered. 

“shhhh… don’t cause an unnecessary scene, look I have been trying to make you realise that you are not this ordinary”. She said as she used her hand to weigh my appearance. 

“I have never seen someone who would reject to have a very sweet life alongside all the money he needs and could ever want but instead choose to be a waiter, you may despise the name Tony but that was what we all called you. You once loved that name so much."

"How can you not remember anything? Not even one, I know that you were involved in an accident in one of the missions you were sent which made you lose your memory but I can’t believe that you would just forget it all like that.” 

“Look lady, woman or whatever you are".

“Trina, that's my name”. She said,

“Whatever name it is you call me, I have told you countless times I don’t recall anything for the past three years, please let me be. Please understand that I am now a different person, I don't know how I was back then but this is the new me, so if there’s nothing else I still have a lot of work to cover”. 

As I made an attempt to leave. “Does that mean you have no interest in your bank card?” She said…

“What bank card?” 

“Well you know just the special card that has a huge amount of money given to every member of the group, I am sure yours must even contain more as you are one of the most respected member of the group, aren’t you going to try and use it to get out of this nasty place and job where you are treated as trash.” She said, smirking. 

“I am pretty sure you must have seen the card, if I were you I would think about it seriously, anyways here is my business card and the card, I hope to seeing you next time.” She smiled and left. That woman had some kind of strange aura around her. 

I continued to serve customers when I heard a shout. “where is he, where is he…. Oh there you are; you are a useless man”. She grabbed my shirt as what I was holding fell from my hand.

“Mama calm down please, please let’s take it outside”. “don’t ever call me that I might be your wife’s mother but I am not yours, she won’t even be your wife again, not for long”. 

“What do you mean mama?” 

“What is all the noise about?". My boss said, “Dumebi why are you disturbing the customers, please take this out with you and don’t return here once you leave”. 

“Sir please, please just give me a moment to discuss with my mother-inlaw, I will not disturb the customers, I……” 

"That's enough excuses, I don’t have time for this just leave now, I have it with your incompetence, no more begging just go please, ever since you started working here one problem to the other just leave abeg”. 

"Oh ooo you see na, it is not only me who sees you as a useless man, your boss self-don tire from you.” 

I dragged my mama outside. “mama what is all this? What is all this? Why did you come here to my work place? Mama if you needed anything you could have called me and then….

”She started to laugh," Call you?" “mama if you needed anything you could have called” like you can do anything, you broke man, do you even have a penny to your name."

"Anyways this is why I am here”. She said as she brought out a brown envelope from her handbag, "open it." 

I collected it and began to read it. “Divorce papers!” I exclaimed. “mama what is this again I thought we talked about this. 

"We didn’t discuss anything o, this is it, you know that Uloma's friend who is a Rich Lawyer, he has offered to marry my daughter and give us the life we deserve." "We are tired of this poverty stricken life you have given us. Look, Uloma has signed, you better sign yours also." 

“Demebi signed.”

“yes o, I am tired, she too is tired so therefore we are moving on."

"Just sign please and yes we are taking the house too, at least let it not look like nothing came out of this marriage. Sign please”. 

"Mama you can’t possibly want to take my house; I mean I bought that house with my own money”. 

“And what is my business with that? "Didn’t you put it in my daughter’s name? Hence the house now belongs to her, whether or not you bought it that is not what the papers say. So biko just sign it.” 

I signed the papers with anger and disappointment.They didn’t deserve me.It’s time to make an end.

“There”. As I flinged the paper and walked away. 

I reached my hand into my jean pocket and brought out the special card “Let's see if Trina was right about who I was or not. I can’t believe I am about to do this but at this point this is the only option I’ve got.” 

I muttered to myself and walked into the nearest bank I could find