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Tobe and Tracy landed in Port Harcourt the following afternoon. Tobe took a cab to Chuks’s place to pick up some belongings he had left there before traveling to Tracy’s. Later that evening, Chuks dropped him off at a hotel. Meanwhile, Tracy went back to their apartment.
She left her bags by the door, sat on the couch, and looked at her phone screen, missing the picture of her and Tobe as the lock screen image. Tracy began to cry because she missed her husband.
“How do I fix this? How do I fix us, T?” she said as she rubbed her finger over his face on the screen. 
Chuks & Tobe
“Guy, I understand how you feel,” said Chuks. Tobe gave him a look. “Okay, maybe I don’t completely understand, since I’ve never been married, but you know what I mean,” Chuks added.
“Imagine that I sleep and don’t wake up, or that she burns down the house with me in it,” Tobe said.
“No, it can’t be that bad. I mean, you two have loved each other since what, primary school? C’mon now, something can still be done,” Chuks replied.
They continued sipping their drinks and eating the goat meat pepper soup that one of Chuks’ girlfriends had prepared.
The Intervention
“Hello, so you still have my number, abi?” Tracy said when she picked up Chuks’s call on a Saturday morning as she was preparing to get her hair done.
“C’mon, don’t say that. I called you just last week. How are you doing?” Chuks said.
“I’m not fine; bring me my husband,” she said, and they both laughed.
“That’s why I called. Are you busy?” Chuks asked.
“I was getting ready to do my hair. What’s up?”
“How long will that take? Because I need a favor. I need you to meet me somewhere,” Chuks said.
“Chuksy yo, I hope it’s not to set you up with one babe or play girlfriend so you can escape from another babe,” Tracy teased, alluding to Chuks’s usual shenanigans. “It won’t take more than three hours. I hope you can wait.”
“No wahala, I’ll wait. Our wife, look good, oh. This one is serious,” Chuks said, and they both laughed before he ended the call.
Tracy wore blue jeans, an off-shoulder Ankara top, and multicolored heel sandals. She took only her phone and a small purse that contained her cards and car key. She arrived at her regular salon in good time since it was a weekend and she didn’t have to deal with much traffic.
“Hey, Chuksy!” Tracy said in her sharp voice.
“Don’t ‘hey Chuksy’ me. So this is the three hours, abi? Did they change your head, or did the hair not arrive early from China?” Tracy laughed at his jokes and then said, “I’m sorry, assistant husband. Where am I to meet you?”
“I’ll text you the address. If you like, take another five hours,” Chuks said, ending the call.
“Bro, how far? I’ve been waiting for you. The car dealer I told you about just called, and he said we need to come in early because they’re expecting other clients as well,” Chuks said to Tobe over the phone.
“What car dealer?” Tobe asked.
“Are you kidding me? I told you last week that you’re helping me make selections for a car. I’m sending you an address; please hurry up,” Chuks said, then ended the call.
Tracy arrived at the address Chuks had sent her, and then called to ask him where he was. He informed her that he had made a reservation. She made her way to the reception, where one of the waiters led her to a table in the VIP section of the restaurant.
Tobe wore a light brown turtleneck shirt, a navy blue blazer and pants, and light brown moccasin loafers.
“Finally, I thought you weren’t going to show up,” Chuks said to Tobe when he got out of his car.
“Looking sharp, bro. Are you buying one for yourself as well?” Chuks teased Tobe.
Tobe looked around, searching for new cars, but didn’t see any. Then Chuks said, “Chill, bro, we need to eat first. You know how picking a car takes a lot of time. We’re going to need a lot of energy, you especially.” Tobe only shook his head, then Chuks added, “Just go in, ask for the reservation made in my name, and I’ll join you soon.”
“I hope this is not one of your games. You know I’m still married, right?” Tobe said, and Chuks laughed so hard.
Tobe walked in, asked for the reservation, and was pointed to a table. He walked slowly towards the table, checking his Twitter notifications. Tracy had been going through her mail. She lifted her head to stretch her neck a bit. “I’m going to kill that Chuks,” she said under her breath when she saw Tobe approaching the table.
“Son of a bitch,” Tobe uttered when he lifted his head and saw Tracy sitting at the table. He sat down quietly.
“You look good,” Tracy said, breaking the silence.
“You too, nice hair,” he responded.
“You people are not hungry; you’re forming for yourselves,” Chuks said with a funny Igbo accent. He continued as he pulled out a chair and sat down, “Guys, it’s been two months since this chicken returned,” tapping Tobe’s shoulder, “and I know how much you both love each other, but staying apart isn’t going to fix things.”
“If I didn’t do this, you both would keep dragging this until the love fades away, and I! (he hit his chest) Chukwuemeka Eze 1 of my own land (Tobe and Tracy laugh), won’t be a part of any divorce, so please, let’s settle this, biko.”
Tobe stretched his left hand across the table and reached out for Tracy’s hand. She wore a beautiful smile.
“Now! Can we eat? We’re still buying that car, by the way, and you both are contributing,” Chuks said. Tracy gave him a scornful look, and Tobe didn’t say a word. They enjoyed a good meal, then headed over to the car dealership and picked out a white Mercedes-Benz.
“Can I have a test run?” Tracy asked, but both Tobe and Chuks chorused “No!” knowing Tracy to be a rough driver.
“This is not fair,” she said, “but at least we’re riding in it back home, yeah?”
Chuks drove them all to his apartment, where they shared drinks and played video games before he dropped them off at home later that night.
The Reconciliation
Tracy woke up to a wonderful breakfast made and served by Tobe the next morning. “Breakfast for the wife,” he said with a smile. Tracy looked radiant, a bright smile plastered across her face. “I miss this, and I miss you,” she said, stretching like a 6-year-old.
“So, what do we have planned?” Tobe asked as he got dressed for work. Tracy crawled out of bed and hugged him from behind. “Can I come and take my darling husband to lunch? Please?” she asked, turning him to face her and adjusting his tie.
“Okay, but you know I’ve got a lot of work to do, right?” Tobe replied.
“I can either wait or help out so we can finish faster. What do you think, husband?” Tracy said in a playful, babyish voice. Tobe just smiled and kissed her on the lips. “Your car should be here before 12. Take care of yourself, and I’ll see you later,” he said, dashing out of the room while Tracy jumped back into bed.
“Get to work, babe!” Tobe yelled from the living room. Tracy chuckled, then grabbed her laptop, opened it, and logged in. She sent out a few emails, posted some articles on her blog, then took a shower and got dressed.
Tracy chose a black lace dress that Tobe had bought her during one of his trips, paired with pitch-colored shoes, a gold bracelet, and matching earrings. She sat in the living room, waiting for her car to arrive, and watched a replay of a show she had missed the previous night.
Tracy arrived at Tobe’s office around 2 p.m., making her way to his office after exchanging pleasantries with his secretary and two other staff members. “Hey wifey, just in time,” Tobe said, standing up to hug her. They went out for lunch, enjoyed their time together, then returned home and ended the day with a good movie on Netflix.
