"Madam, you are not eating..." he said without looking up.
"anything wrong?" he asked again, since she kept mute.
"What i'm thinking...doesit matter?" Lara toyed with her scambled eggs.
"It does, it matters to me...tell me." Tony urged
"Do you have to go to work every morning?"
Tony smiled, he was expecting that.
"I stay at home-alone everyday, till you come back by evening, and.. And..." Lara complained.
Tony laughed.
"You are laughing? If you laugh again, you won't go work today!" she pouted
"you see..that's why I said you start following me to the office, there's a chair for you! You could sit and gaze at me all day!" Tony said smiling.
"No thank you." Lara laughed.
"you said you'd be going out today." he stated rather than asked.
"Yes, yes, I'd be going to see my mother, its been long since I saw her." Lara explained.
"aiit! But...be very careful." Tony intoned picking up his jacket.
"bye baby.." he gave her a peck.
"bye..." she laughed.
:::::::::******::::
"hehn! Omolara, so you remember me today." Funke said as her daughter flopped on a settee beside her.
"Mummy, don't start o! I'm too tired!"
"so you won't even eat in my house, ehn?" Funke gestured at the tray she placed on a stool.
"Mum, not like that! I don't have appetite..." Lara said slowly.
"hehen!" Funke clapped and looked her all over.
"you are looking so fresh! Enjoyment right?"
"Enjoyment ke! Mum I came to discuss something serious o" Lara sat up.
"hmm, go on"
"Mum, I think there's something wrong with my body, I'm becoming fairer, changes everywhere...mybosom, my hips...my...mumyou won't believe I now have a protuding navel..." Lara explained.
"Hmmm."
"Seriously mum, I've lost taste for food, even Tony is becoming worried." Lara concluded.
"Wonderful!" Funke said absentmindedly.
"When last did you menstruate?"
"Errmm, I think Two months ago." Lara informed her.
"Wow! How did you become pregnant? I thought your husband was impo..."
"Mum please! Lets not talk about Tony!" Lara stopped her.
"I have a doctor friend, we shall go and see him." Funke said giving her a searching look.
"okay.."
"I'll call to tell him we're coming." Funke walked into her room, to make a phone call.
Lara watched her closely, she wasn't expecting such kindness from her troublesome mother.
::::::*****::::::
"Thank you Doctor." Funke smiled as Olakija walked into the office carrying some papers.
"Omolara right?"Olakija asked Lara who nodded.
"From our test, you are seven weeks pregnant." he informed her.
"Wow! Oh my God!" Lara jumped happily, hugging her mother.
"Thank you Almighty God! I'm so happy! Mum I'm pregnant! You'l have a grandchild!" she shook her mother excitedly.
"Oh my! I need to call Tony..." her hands scrambbled through her bag for her phone.
"Errm...there'sno need for that." Olakija said quitely.
"Oops! Its prohibited to make calls in your hospital?" Lara quipped.
"No...its..its just that..that..there is a complicative issue." Olakija sighed.
Lara's face dropped.
"The foetus is not formed properly..."
"Yekpa! My grandchild! Haaa!" Funke threw her hands over her head.
Lara kept a straight face.
"I...I..don't understand...this..this.." she stammered.
"Well..." Olakija exhaled sharply
"For your safety, you need to abort it, else it might get more complicated and ..worst of all, cost you your life."
Funke began to sob.
"what have I done to deserve this ehn? Can't I have a grandchild ehn? Awon Aje! Those witches are responsible."
"I...errm...doctor...let me go home, and inform my husband." Lara said quitely.
"Noo...we can't let you go now! We have to do it now, since your mother is here. We can call your husband later. If we let the baby stay anylonger, it might cost your life." Olakija protested.
"Noo..." Lara began to say.
"omolara, I prefer your life to a million grandchildren o! Doctor please help us, if possible remove her womb so that she won't have complicated issues again o!" Funke said holding her daughter.
Lara sensed trouble.
"but doctor...why the hurry? What if I'd not even see you today." her voice wavered.
"talk to me doctor! What's the hurry all about!" Lara said with a frown.
"We have to hurry my dear, for your life! Your mum still needs you around her! We have to make haste while there's yet time" Olakija explained.
"Omolara don't be strong headed na! I can't lose two things o! I can't lose my grand child and my only child o! Follow the doctor's advice."
Lara shook her head rising to her feet.
"The baby has a father, the father needs to give his full conscience, Tony has to be here, else nothing should touch his baby!" she said in a fierce whisper.
"young lady...your husbands presence would only worsen the situation." Olakija tried to hold her.
"I still demand to let Tony know! He doesn't even know I'm in a hospital right now!" Lara pushed him away.
"What if I died in the process? Tony would never forgive me! Besides its against my faith to kill! I can't kill my baby!" she turned to face her mother.
Funke thought for a while, she exchanged some looks with the doctor.
"Okay, call your husband to come now."
Lara looked from her mother to Olakija, somehow she felt her mother was up to something.
"Hello pumpkin" Tony said from the other end.
"Hello baby..." her voice became shaky.
"Hello.... hello...hello? Honey are you alright?" Tony sounded worried.
"Ye...no...yes!Tony please...can...you come over over to Anukpo specialist hospital now? Please..."
"Hospital? Lara are you okay? Tony said again.
"Just come, now please!" Lara ended the call.
::::.***:
"Excuse me...." Tony walked into the room
"G'afnoon Doc." Tony shook Olakija.
"Good day ma'am" he greeted his mother inlaw.
Lara hugged him weeping profusely.
"Easy now baby...don't cry..I'm here okay?" He whispered as he rocked her.
"Doctor, what's wrong? I mean..what going on?" Tony asked the doctor.
"is it that serious? How bad is it?" he asked again after Olakija explained the situation to him.
"The situation is worse!" Olakija sighed.
"Can't we..I mean..don't we have time to think about it...I have to inform my parents.." Tony was trying his best to be strong.
"Parents ke! Were your parent there when you impregnated my daughter? Ehn?" Funke shouted at him.
"you better allow the doctor do his work o! After all you did to my daughter you still want her dead abi? Nothing should happen to my daughter o"
"Hope you know your daughter is also my wife!" Tony glared at her.
"See who is talking o!" Funke clapped.
"Let them do it...I don't want to die." Lara said amidst tears.
"You won't die..." Tony held her tightly.
"Errm..Doctor..I think we need time to think about this..." Tony turned to the doctor.
"Lets go home!" he helped Lara to her feet.
"There's no time." Olakija protested.
"There is always time!" Tony said as he led Lara towards the door.
"Where are you taking my daughter to? Ehn?" Funke tried to stop them
"To a more reputable hospital! I won't let some quack and ill-experienceddoctors use my wife as a sample for experiment! Besides the hospital itself is not fit!" he shot at her.
"Tony please..." Lara began to plead.
"Lets go." he said holding her hand.
:::::::::*u******
Lara rested her head on Tony's shoulder, she was tired from crying. Her in-laws were both there with her; sitting on a waiting chair.
The hospital was "reputable and standard" as Tony puts it.
Amara shuffled to her feet as Doctor Myles walked in.
"Sit down please." Myles smiled taking his seat.
Lara pursed her lips, she was fighting back tears, she could hear Tony's heart pondering dangerously against his chest.
"Well, it still beats my imagination..I mean..what kinda doctor would opt for an abortion just like that?" Myles adjusted his glasses as peered at some papers.
"ermm...so...doctor, what have found out?" Ifiora said gently.
"Yes..yes, oh yes!" Myles smiled looking up at them.
"I'm glad to inform you all that there's nothing wrong with this pregnancy" his smile widened.
"Did you check well? I mean...did...did You conduct the test properly? You're sure there isn't a mistake?" Tony intoned.
"All is well." myles laughed.
"Both the baby and its mother are in perfect condition."
"Oh my God!" Amara hugged Lara affectionately
"Are very sure doctor?" Ifiora wouldn't believe.
"Very very sure! You can go check in another hospital to confirm the authencity." Myles chuckled.
"Come over here, baby..." Tony whispered as he hugged Lara.
He was relieved all was well.
He shut his eyes as he savoured her hug. That witch! He thought.
He was definitely going to deal with his mother in-law. How could she be so wicked?!
Lara wiped a sweat off her forehead as she pushed a trolley round the mall. She was shopping alone against Tony's wish, he always wanted them going out together.
He becoming a superglue! She thought. She just doesn't want some Adam generation hovering over.
"Nice" she said aloud as she examined a baby feeding bottle.
She threw it into the trolley,that was the tenth feeding bottle she's buying. Money isn't a problem like Tony said, their baby deserves everything in the world.
"What's this used for please?" she asked a woman close to her.
"Ooh! Its just like a box, you can keep your baby's feeding items in it." the woman explained with a smile.
"Thanks" Lara smile back throwing it into her trolley again.
She made sure the trolley was full before heading to the cashiers desk, the security men helped take the goods to the waiting car.
She felt hungry, luckily there was a restaurant in the mall. She excused herself from the driver, before hurrying to grab a bite.
She chewed her food slowly, till something caught her attention.
A dark woman in a blond wig!
She smiled quitely, why can't black people understand that those wigs made them look like black mermaids! She thought.
The woman rose from her table, and their eyes met.
"Hey Deji!"
"Hy Lara" Deji replied
"its been a long time, how have you been?" Lara walked towards her pleased.
"i've been like the Deji you used to know!" Deji replied coldly.
"I'm happy to see you, so can you join me at my table!" Lara tried to hold her.
"No I need to go now!"
"oh c'mon Deji! Are we quarelling? You've been acting strangely" Lara looked worried.
"lara please! I beg you don't start!"
"Okay..." Lara sighed.
"So you're pregnant?" Deji sneered.
"so who did the job? Tony or your gateman, or your father-in-law, or your driver or your....come on tell me!" she eyed Lara's bulging tummy.
"Did you suddenly forget I'm married?" Lara forced a smile
"oh no! I didn't forget your husband is an impotent!" Deji quipped.
Lara bit deep into her lower lip.
"Deji..." her voice was low.
"You're hurting me! Stop that! I thought you were a friend, I mean..that was cruel...besidesTony's alright now."
"Oh really! Let me don't waste much of my time! Wish you all the best." Deji turned to leave.
"Deji tell me whats happening" Lara held her hand.
"Nothing! Just that I think....we..wecan no longer be friends! You aint my class, you're married and I'm not, gerrit?" Deji said carelessly.
"does that matter?" Lara whispered.
"It does! Please stay away from me!" Deji walked away.
Lara watched her friend leave, she hoped Deji didn't mean those words, something was wrong.
Do people change so easily? What was wrong with everyone in the world?
Her mother changed from bad to worse, Tony changed from bad to good, now Deji is transforming into a being she never knew...
Deji exhaled sharply as she sat in her car.
"So Lara is preggie?" she asked herself.
"Her mum didn't tell me! I'm sure she needs me!" she wondered aloud.
She felt jealousy and strife surge through her veins.
She, naturally was never happy ever since Lara got married.
She was beginning to earn some satisfaction when Tony maltreated her, she definitely want Lara to be single as she is, but had to put up some shows to cover up. Now she could no longer pretend to be that 'caring friend', she was now a jealous friend.
She sure is going to help Funke to make sure Lara is out of that house.
She nodded as she thought.
She picked her cellphone.
"Hello Veejay?" she said.
"Are you in town?"
she listened for a while.
"okay, I'm coming over" she ended the call.
"I'm sorry Lara...Deji aint a true friend!" she whispered driving off.
TBC..........
