Ifeoma
The supposed ‘ cure’ was working.
Within two days my energy level and
appetite were back to normal and i had
started to put on some weight. My T_
cells also increased and Emeka gave
me some calories boasting drugs. It
seems everyone was struggling to give
me my life back, maybe it was time i
start fighting for it too. My dad found a
way to smuggle more of the’ cure’ for
me through the help of Kofi’ s daughter,
Bella.
We lost some of our dear ones in a
little over a month, Racheal had brain
seizures, Kofi had CMV of the eye and
one day Bella found him cold in bed.
Christmas was just weeks away and i
was prepared for my wedding.
” A penny for your thought ” Ebere
walked into my room. ” Wow you look
lovely”
She had caught me wearing the Italian
wedding gown Chiboy had bought for
me.
” You could have knocked!” I said,
embarrassed to the side.
She laughed. ” Really you look great!”
” I would like to wear this gown for my
wedding ”
” That would be fabulous! ”
I scrunched my face. ” But it was
Chiboy that bought it!”
” All the more reason you should wear
it!” Ebere said with a wicked laughter. ”
Imagine wearing the gown bought by
another man on your wedding day! it
would serve him right!” She gave me a
high five.
” How’s Liz”
She groaned. ” The girl is something
else! Lola is still not speaking to me.
She doesn’t even want me near her ‘
child’ ”
” How about Ayo? What’ s brewing
there?”
She fluttered her lashes. ” Nothing. And
i wouldn’t want to have anything to do
with him anyway?”
” Why Ebere? . What are you hiding
from me?”
” His father is Senator Williams”
” What has that got to do with anything?
”
She looked away.
” My God! You…….you…..”
” Yea. He recognized me too and he
throws subtle innuendos whenever I’ m
in the same place with him.”
” Oh no! does he also live there? ”
” No but he finds an excuse to come
visit every day!”
” I think you should tell Ayo”
” Tell him what? that i f*ucked his dad?
and his niece is actually my daughter?”
” Ebere i’ m sorry…..but there has to be
a way out!”
” The only way out is for me to scram
out of there before they discover that i
am a fraud”.
******************************
*********************
After Ebere left for the restaurant
because it was her off day at the
Williams’ s residence i drove down to
Ikoyi. I could do some of the things i
used to do before since i started using
the miraculous ‘ cure’. I had wheedled
the address from Ebere without giving
myself away.
” Your madam is expecting me” i lied
through clenched teeth.
” Madam no tell me anything o, Abeg
wait make i go confirm from her”
” My friend do you want to lose your
job? do you know who i am?”
” Sorry ma, na protocol ”
” Protocol my foot! Open the damn
gate!”
” Yes ma, sorry ma” the security was
already sweating.
He pushed the gate open and i drove
in. I marched down from my car like i
had been to the house on several
occasions, i slide open the glass door
and entered the cool air conditioned
living room. An ebony woman sat on
the couch flipping through a fashion
magazine, she was so skinny i could
wrap her around my little finger. She
looked up in apprehension.
” Who are you?” She demanded.
” Lola, my name is Ify and I’ m here to
see you” i could see recognition register
on her face briefly before she gave me
a blank hostile stare.
” Leave at once! i don’t know who you
are and I’ m not interested in whatever
you have to say to me.”
” Why? What are you afraid of?”
” I will call the securities if you don’t
leave right away”
” Why are you acting so hostile? is it
because you know who i am and why I’
m here?” I sat down at this point. ” She
did you a favor Lola”
” Please leave” she pleaded.
” You would have lost your husband and
probably your home too if Ebere hadn’t
helped you…… your husband would
have married another woman if you had
failed to give him a child if Ebere hadn’t
helped you “.
She covered her face with her palms in
despair. ” I offered to pay her!”
” It wasn’t and isn’t about the money
Lola, Ebere was born to love others and
give her all without expecting anything
in return, don’t you think the least you
could do is give her a chance to get to
know her child?”
” She’s trying to steal Liz away from
me! I can’t lose her now!”
” Nobody is trying to take Liz away from
you and if you think so it means you
don’t know Ebere at all!”
” She’s not trying to steal Liz? then
what is she doing here pretending to be
a nanny?”
” She only want to know her”
” I don’t want to lose my child! I have
lost my husband and she’s all i have
left”
” Give her a chance, try to know her”
She managed a half hearted smile. ” I
see why Ebere loves you, because you
have her back. I wish i have someone
one to stand up for me too.”
” Ebere would be there for you if only
you can stop seeing her as the enemy.
”
” Am dying, Liz is the only bright spot in
my life now.”
” You are giving up easily, fight, Lola
fight it back”
” Am only being realistic ”
” True. But you have already stopped
living, start living once again, not just
for your daughter but also for yourself.”
I said, standing up.
” I wish i have your courage and your
strength. Thank you”
If only she knew how i was furiously
paddling underneath the water to stay
afloat. I let myself out while she sat
immobile, deep in thought.
TBC
