EXERCISE

When a wealthy Politician is pressured by his doctor to exercise, he begins to understand the value of the things money can not buy - his family. A pleasurable read about love, family, health and wealth. Another masterpiece from the winner of the Yusuf Ali Prize for Creative Writing...  



EXCERPT :  

Years later, she is in London, with two teenage sons, three businesses, and a young boyfriend – a Nigerian schooling in Oxford. He is smart, and handsome  and she is the one paying his tuition –  the rumors were flying, the stories were too many. But you had brushed them aside.  Nothing was more important to you than your business. You could get another wife, but building another empire of wealth wouldn't be possible at this age. So, whenever you got an anonymous call from the secret informants telling you they had seen your wife with a young man, you'd hang up and drop your phone. The next day you'd invite them to your office and before they leave you'd sign a cheque, shaking their hands with it. The last one was a young blogger – skinny, with a fair dotted face.

'You should talk to her. These things can't be hidden forever you know.' He said, smiling at his phone, at the bank transfer you had made.



 You dreaded asking her about these things. They weren't important. She was your wife, which was all that mattered to you; not until the day you stumbled on the article with her picture on the internet. It was at a Nollywood movie premiere, and she had attended it with him, dressed elegantly in a floral gown while her date wore a three piece suit and an Italian bow tie with the swagger of a teenager. He was too dressed for an immigrant student. She took his hands, smiled happily into the camera. She seemed happy with him, unbothered – a shameless bitch! you thought. And when you called her later that evening, lying on your bed, you placed the phone so close to your ear, hoping the rage in you would let you listen to what she had to say.

'Why the hell are your pictures on the internet?' You boiled, not letting her finish with her greeting.

'My pictures? What pictures?'

'Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about Ireti ! Your pictures are everywhere. And to think that you keep going everywhere with that boy. You are a married woman for Christ's sake!'

She was silent, and for some seconds you thought it was the reception from your end.

'He's just a friend.'  She muttered.

'Just a friend you say? Just a friend and you hold hands with him everywhere. People are watching. This boy is young enough to be your younger brother. Why disgrace me like this. You of all people should know how much my reputation means to me and my business. Don't spoil things for me please I beg you.'



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