new look.
"hmmm" Ashley grunted, putting a pin in her mouth.
"I don't think she've got taste for girlish stuffs." Cassandra continued.
"Maybe you should ask Kenny." Ashley gestured towards her son who was busy on phone talking to God knows who.
"eku ishe ooo" Barbra cooed as she walked into the room holding a large pink bear.
"Mummy I want...mummy I want..." Cassandra and Kola cried.
"Weldone sister mi." Barbra patted her sister ignoring them.
"mummy pulleeaase...I want it nao" Kola continued to whine.
"Its for your sister." Barbra replied tossing it on the kingsized bed she had ordered earlier.
"You mean Sasha?" Kenny scoffed.
"she might not like that you know" he continued pocketing his phone.
"You think so?"
"I'm not sure...but the Sasha I know, might not like all these stuffs." Kenny shrugged.
There was a moment of silence, everybody weighing his words.
"now why is everybody wearing a long face? Wait till she come nah." Kenny consoled.
"Yea she might be a changed person now." Kola put in, secretly wishing she would reject the bear and hand it over to him.
"Mr man. The last time I spoke to your father, he said her memory is intact...so?" Ashley rolled her eyes.
"maybe we should get back to work." Barbra noted.
"Yea sure! Kola get me those nails..." Kenny resumed his part of the job.
"Aburo, lemme show you the things I bought." Barbra led her sister out of the room, leaving the kids all to themselves.
They almost bumped into Joyce who was about to go out. Her baby strapped to her back and a baby bag in her hand.
"You're going out?" Barbra asked.
"Yes!" Joyce snapped as if to say 'noo, I'm coming in."
"You're taking the baby along? She's not up three weeks old...don't you think its too risky to...you know take her out in this hot weather?" Barbra continued in her careful manner.
"The child is mine, and I'm free to take her where ever I choose...risky or whatever." Joyce replied rudely before heading to the exit.
"That's sooo good! I wish she added more insults to that statement." Ashley clapped.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Barbra probed.
"Mrs Good Woman, thats what you want to be called shebi? I pray next time you carry yourself to her place, you'd leave the scene a black eye as a result of the slaps you'd recieve."
"Thats an insult." Babra frowned.
"Insult ke? Cos I told you the truth? When that iya Aje insulted you, did you say anything? Weren't you smiling like what I don't know?" Ashley continued.
"Ash.."
"If you like; even when the test proves the child isn't your husband's, beg her to continue staying here shogbo?" Ashley cut in.
"Whatever!" Babra stamped to the kitchen.
"yes oo! I won't stop telling you the truth o, till those scales fall off your eyes." Ashley clapped after her.
+++++++++++++
Joyce took deep breathes as she stepped her foot into the spacious compound. Was it a compound or a qtrs? It encloses four flats situated at different ends. John lives in one of them, she prayed he hasn't moved out of the flat yet.
She knocked gently on the door she was so used to, whilst wiping her sweaty forehead with the other hand. She was considering taking her leave when she heard the door click open.
"Good afternoon o, na who you dey find?" a young girl in her early twenties asked peeping out.
"Errrm..." Joyce hesitated.
"Please I'm looking for John, He lives here."
"Ehen..who you be?" the girl asked again.
"Please he's in?" Joyce ignored her question.
"Him no dey, any message for am? Na me be im wife, tell me I go deliver your message." the girl offered.
Joyce's eyes popped out, just then did she discover the girl's slightly protruding tummy.
The headache she've been nursing for days increased- it felt like some one was using her head for 'panel beating experiment', she closed and opened her eyes just be sure she wasn't dreaming.
"Madam shey you dey okay o, dis one wey you dey close eye so, no go faint for here o."
Joyce swallowed hard, slowly she started to walk away on her jellylike legs.
"Adanma, you and who dey talk?" a thick voice asked emerging for the back yard.
Joyce held her breathe spinning sharply. Their eyes met, and tears rolled down her cheeks- all hope was lost.
Kemi hummed gently to herself, as her right hand travelled from her large bowl of popcorn to her mouth, while her other hand caressed her tummy. She looked up momentarily at her brother who was sitting few metres away from her, his eyes was totally savouring her 'precious popcorn'; slowly she pulled the bowl closer to herself.
"Kemi nao..." Dapo pleaded once more.
"what?" she glared at him.
"Please...the popcorn, even just a handful..." He continued to plead.
"Bring your winchy hand into my popcorn and you'll see." Kemi threatened.
Dapo crawled towards her with the aim of stealing 'swiftly'.
Kemi quickly picked the bowl from the table placing it on her laps, She shook a fist at him.
"touch my popcorn and see! Ojukokoro! Enu jati jati! I'll make sure I punch out your teeth!" she threatened.
Dapo crawled back to his position defeated. He continued to stare at her, till she emptied the bowl; slowly he shook his head making up his mind to revenge anytime soon.
"Lo funmi lomi jor! Ice cold one please,and sparkling!" Kemi ordered.
Without a word Dapo obeyed.
"hmmmn! Lady Kay the wife of Tunji!" she hailed herself as a belch escaped her throat.
Dapo hissed irritated, he shuffled to the kitchen working out different plans.
"Omo Jati jati! Is it paining you? Cos I didn't give you my guguru?" she called after his retreating figure.
She snuggled into a sofa about to take a nap when the strong aroma of fried plantains hit her nose, she was still recovering from that when that of fried eggs filtered into her nose.
She struggled to a sitting position-salivating.
Soon Dapo walked back to the living room carrying a tray. She watched him as he placed the tray in betwwen his legs, switched on the Tv, before settling down to eat.
"Dapo?" she called, letting her cravings get the best of her.
"Ehen? Kilode? Why are you calling my name like that?" He retorted.
"Just a slice." she pleaded.
"can't I eat in peace? Ehn? Leave me alone o! Don't even come near me o cos I'll force you into premature labour!" He cranked his fingers shaking both fists.
Kemi watched silently as half the food disappeared into his mouth, she knew he was going to consume the whole food without her getting half a slice.
"If you finish that food ehn? I'd never forgive you, I swear!" she blurted out, her voice shaky like she might burst into tears.
The sound behind her voice made Dapo turn to look at her.
"Jesu Christi !" He screamed as he saw her eyes filled with tears threatening to spill down her face.
"I was only joking o"
"Noo! Continue! God is watching you " she wiped her tears with both hands.
"Your own share is in the kitchen nao, I was only Joking o" Dapo pleaded with her. He half ran to the kitchen, brought her share of the food; emptied his half-eaten food into hers also.
"You can have them all, I'm so sorry." He begged, looking scared.
Her tears continued to flow as she rushed the food with her hands ignoring the fork he gave her.
"Sorry o. I never meant it." Dapo wiped her tears which continued to flow in torrents.
"Water!"
Dapo quickly gave her another glass of water which she drank half way.
"Thank you." She muttered wiping her face.
She looked up at Dapo who was looking all tensed up, and a roar of laughter escaped her throat. He could only manage a smile.
"Stop looking at me like that jor!" she slapped his hands off her face.
"Tunji must have seen wahala before he travelled." Dapo heaved a sigh of relief.
Kemi laughed some more, rubbing her over fed stomach.
"Dee...those children are moving again o".
"Wow!" Dapo rushed to touch her tummy. He laughed when he felt it, double joy! He was personally happy his sister's tears ended in a good laugh else what would he tell the world. He still couldn't forgive himself that he was the reason why his sister wept.
Another issue crossed his mind- Sasha! The last time he spoke to Tunji who confirmed Sasha's perfectly healthy was one of the best moments in his life. Truly, his life revolved around his family.
Tunji emptied his can of guava juice in gulps, his throat needed to stay wet atleast after talking for close to an hour on phone. He had listened to Kemi moan and complain about the pregnancy, sometimes she laughed, sometimes she cried and at other times she screamed and called him names. Dapo also came on phone to complain about Kemi's new 'attitude', he had pleaded and made unmentionable promises just so Dapo won't leave Kemi all by her self.
He was about to open another can of juice when he heard a knock.
"these Indians don't know I hate someone disturbing me at night." he hissed.
The knock came again softly.
He rose to his feet, his fists clenched by his side. Those attendants should know that not everybody needed to be attended to at almost midnight.
"How may I..." he stopped halfway when he saw Sasha. He could swear she was trembling, her eyes swollen like she'd been crying. He prayed silently she wasn't falling sick again, not after he had arranged his bag to be in Nigeria in less than 48hrs.
"Sorry to disturb you." she muttered as he made way for her.
He closed the door quitely waiting for her to drop the bombshell.
She stood in the middle of the room, counting her toes, her dreads covering her face.
"Don't tell me she's scared of sleeping alone." he teased, suddenly relaxing as she didn't look sick to him.
"No" she looked up, pushing her dreads off her face.
"So why is my 'baby sister-inlaw' not having her beauty sleep?" he asked sitting by the edge of the bed.
"I'm scared." she blurted out.
"Scared of what?"
"Dunno" she ran her fingers through her dreads;wearing a frustrated look.
"I don't wanna go back home...don't wanna go back to PH city." she whimpered running to the window.
"Why?" Tunji maintained a calm voice. The girl reminded him so much of Kemi, the best way to handle them was to listen to all they have to pour out.
"I don't think they'd want me around them..." she sniffed
"I might end up falling sick again...who knows I might not survive it. It may not be a nail this time around, it could be me drinking some poisinous substance." Her voice trembled.
Tunji' throat felt dry,
"Did I hear you clearly?"
"Uncle Tee-Jay they don't want me..."
"And I take the 'they' as your family?"
"I'm here cos of them...I want to remain here forever...pullease" she sobbed.
Tunji could feel his heart rent into pieces, that girl's cry wasn't a beautiful sight.
++++++++++++
"Wow...Her Royal Majesty!" John gave a mock bow.
"To what do I owe this royal visit?"
"Good afternoon" Joyce sniffed.
"Thank you o...this afternoon is one of the best so far o" John laughed wiping his hands on his shorts
"Adanma ...please bring out those plastic chairs." he called out.
"Adanma nnem, my one and only nwa oma, Asa mo, Asampete!" John hailed Adanma as she appeared carrying two plastic chairs.
Joyce rolled her eyes, he was delibrately doing that to hurt her, she cared less, afterall she's betrothed to him- she is his wife and she has their daughter.
"Husby...na one of your sister be this?" Adanma asked as Joyce settled into of the plastic chairs.
"Ooooh! How can I forget to introduce you now?" John slapped his shining gorimapa.
"Errmm...Adanma- Asampete m,This woman name na Joy, e be like say na her pikin she back so... Joy? I wan make you meet my new girlfriend, her name is Adanma- the true child of her mother." John laughed as he introduced them both.
"Eeeyya...see as the pikin fine, aunty bring am make I see." Adanma said admiring Joyce's baby.
"Don't! Don't touch my child!" Joyce slapped her hand off.
"Aunty na wetin I do na?" The younger woman asked alarmed.
"John! This is the kind of man you are ehn? I don't blame you, I shouldn't have loved an illiterate." Joyce could taste her tears as she spoke.
"Wetin I don do? Your rich husband pursue you comot for house abi?" John spread both palms in question.
"Nooo don't worry! The elders would judge our case." Joyce hissed stamping out of the compound.
"See this woman..who she be sef?" Adanma asked.
"No mind am! Make she jump inside river! Enter inside house jare." John led her into the house.
TBC AT 1PM.
