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âThank you for making out time to be here, Iâm Ruth,â An elegant looking woman, dressed in a Navy blue, off-shouldered maxi dress, stripped with gold lines on the burst that matches the gold studs earrings revealed under her long box braids and the gold bracelet on her left wrist, introduces as she welcome me into her sitting room, pointing to the couch for me to sit âI was thrilled when my friend called me to inform me about your coming,â she sit comfortably facing me âbefore then, I was frustrated.âMrs. Adebanjo had filled me in a little on the personality and need of her friend, Ruth. And while Mrs Adebanjo is away on a trip with her family, I'm really in need of a substitute job so, it's imperative I make a good impression here today.âI had trouble getting a good babysitter so I called my friend who recommended you to me.ââIâm sorry you had to go through the trouble.â I say, smilingâThank you again Eno.ââYouâre welcome.â I reply.âI have a company dinner to attend next week Friday with my husband and I am hoping that you can watch my kids while we are out,â She request. From the look on her face, I can tell that the dinner is a very important one.I nod and starts to say âIâllââ But I'm distracted by the engine of a car driving in. I watch Ruth glance through the window to see whose car it is.âMy husband is back please, give me a minute.â She say politely then exit the sitting room to go welcome her husband.I take my time to admire the painted white parlor adorned with polished brown furniture. The oval shaped center table in front of me is a detailed piece of art made with shiny brown glass with flower design on it, which stands on a light brown, furry center rug. The living room is too large, that it has two separate chair arrangements. The first, which I'm seated in, has a magnificent milk and coffee brown coloured, 7 seaters sofa Facing a novel TV stand with polished brown wall unit. On one end of the stand, I can see a white flowers vase holding a bouquet of flowers and on the other end, a small picture frame of the lovely couple, which I paid little attention to.The second chair arrangements is having a black love-seat sofa set close to the wall, two black arm chair and an abstract coffee table at the middle. I also notice the beautiful crystal chandelier hanging at the center of the living room and white floating shelves with different colors of artificial flowers on them which leads to the dining area. Wow, so this is what being rich feels like. If I put price on everything i see in this room, the estimation I'll get will be enough to settle ten generations.My eyes survey in awe then, it found a family photo hanging on the wall in front of where I'm seated, I observe it is an enlarge family photo. I easily can spot Ruth, her husband sitting while their four children, a girl and three boys, stands behind their parents, smiling beautifully. The girl looks very much older than my daughter and the boy beside her looks seventeen. But the other two boys are still very young.I smile admiring the beautiful family, thatâs when it dawn on me. Instantly, I jump up, shocked, taking another close look at the family photo.Gaping fixedly at it when I hear the front door whacking open then Ruth voice echoes in my astound mind âIâm sorry I kept you waiting.â She apologize.I turn around to see her and there he is, standing before me was my confirmation from the photo I studied.I feel my heart throbbing fast, my feet turning numb and my eyes, wide enough to contain his image.âDo my eyes deceive me?â I wonder as the room turns smaller and smaller, suffocating me in it.âEno, meet my husband.â She introducesI can hear me screaming in my head but my mouth opens up saying nothing. Tears forms in my eyes.I gaze at confuse Ruth âSo this is the family you abandoned me? â I blurt, tears blurring my vision and escaping down my cheeks.âWhat?â Ruth sound, even more perplexed. Looking at her husband, then at me âYou two know each other?âAll those years from the village, the pain, the stigma, the wait. Everything came flooding my head, breaking me into smaller pieces. Ubong, the man that took my pride and left me with the price to pay alone. Feeding me with false hope and dream crowned with fake love. That man who after promising me forever, abandoned me to suffer alone in the village and ran to the city to build his perfect family in a perfect house. And now, before my eyes is that man, Ubong.Ubong stands speechless, staring at me in bewilderment.I hope and pray every day never to run into Ubong, this is the Universeâs way of telling me that is inevitable.âIâm sorry Ruth, I canât work for you.â I utter in my now shaking voice. Picking my purse on the couch, I add âIâm truly sorry, Iâll call Mrs. Adebanjo and apologize.â before leaving the room hastily.I can hear them arguing from inside but what do I care? All I can think about now is getting out of here.I stand at the end of the street, heavy. Fighting back the tears was the most difficult part. All the memories I had of Ubong, all the pain I went through, it is all coming back to me.My chest ache so much I can barely breathe. I am scared of myself right now; I hurt so much Iâm scared of what I might do.I take out my phone and dial Omohâs number. I know I shouldnât bother her right now but I did.âBabe,â I called the moment she pickedâHey, what âsup?â she asks in her cheerful tone, a tone I definitely ignored.âPlease, where are you?â I ask instead.âIâm on my way home. Are you home?ââNot yetâ I reply, trying hard to sound alright but failed.âAre you sure you are ok?â She suspects quickly.âWeâll talk when I get home.â I say, ending the call. If you ask me, I think I am a bit relieved that I wonât be alone at home. With my state of mind, I can't predict what I might do next.******UNWANA p. o. vI want to be like my mom when I grow up. Looking at her as we walk out of the airport, holding the hands of her husband, my father and holding me on my shoulder while we enter into the limousine sent from the GREG RESORT to pick us up to our new house in California. She I my role model, sheâs strong, focus and has a good eye for men. I like my dad, Mr. Adewale Rotimi Smith far more than uncle Chidi, my momâs ex. My mother had a sad beginning and now she is laughing at last and has also made me laugh.Now I donât have to continue at command secondary school anymore, daddy said I will finish my education here. Iâll miss my friends but please, Iâll make new ones.I almost forgot, Iâll soon be a big sister. #smiles#The End
*****My heart beats faster and my legs wiggles weakly. The silent treatment is killing me slowly and I find my self saying;âPlease Wale, can I at least see you one last time.â I plead, still standing by the door.Yet, he says nothing. I turn and rest my back on the door while I squat down âIâm sorry I didnât fully trust you. Iâm sorry I compared you to the past men in my life, Iâm sorry I gave you the impression that I didnât love you, Iâm sorry I doubted your love.â I speak, fighting the tears wrestling to pour âEver since Ubong left me with Unwana, my daughter, in my womb, Living had been very hard. Some days when the humiliation grew worst, I attempt aborting my child and every time, I failed. If not for my Parentâs undying love, who knows if I would have been alive today.â I converse as tears floods my eyes and my beating heart threatens to stop.âI hated Ubong with my life, then a day came, I gave birth to my Bright star and from the first day I laid eyes on her, I found hope.
********I get down from the Taxi in front of Wale's gate then, I pay the driver before he drives off. I stand a while facing the large, black gate while trying to rehearse what to say when i go in and see him.âUhm, uhm,â I clear my throat âYour sister is worried about you so she ask me to check on you to see how you are doing.â No, it doesnât sound right, why should I be the one Tessy sends.I try another one âBaby, Iâm sorry, I shouldnât have held back that kind of important part of my life from you.â Thatâs if I get the opportunity to speak.âHoney, you can hate me all you want but I will not leave here until you forgive me or at least hear me out.â How pitiful. He can as well call the police on my ass and they will just bundle me out.âUh,â I sigh âDarling remember the fun time we had, remember you said you donât care what circumstances have to offer, as far as you have me.â Ah, Iâm so desperate.âCalling him all the sweet pet name in the worldâs list doesnât guarantee me earning
********Itâs been two weeks since I last heard from Wale, he also has been avoiding my calls. And right now, Iâm so worried about him, what a twist. First, men leave me when I tell them about my other half and when I thought concealing that information was best, I lose the love of my life.Life is good, fair, unbalanced and cruel at the same time and I just stand alone at the receiving end. Is there even an atom of love left somewhere for me?I can feel my head spinning out of control, my eyes bulging out and I look so tired.I stare at the lecturer without hearing a word of what heâs saying and the harder I stare, the more the face of the lecturer turns into the face of Wale. Iâm losing my mind.âAre you ok.â Jude's voice brings me back to class the moment the lecturer left the classroom.âYes, Iâm fine. Just having a little headache.â I say, using my left hand to rub my head. My head had start to hurt from much thinking and I feel miserable. I just need to lay on my bed and cry but
*******Wale Laughs suspiciously at my expression.âEno, is this you?â She asks on her feet, taking a good look at me to be sure with an identical surprise expression as mine.âYes, itâs me.â i laugh, not trying to contain my surprise.She makes her way to where I stand and hugs me warmly âI canât believe this. So you are the Eno my brother has been talking about.â She remarks, ending the hug and looking at me again âI know only one Eno which is you but I never suspected he was talking about the one I know.ââMiss Adeyemi, Iâm as stun as you are.â I say smiling.âThe title. Please, call my Tessy.â She tells me, taking my hands âCome, sit, Iâm so happy to see you.ââThanks.â I reply following her to the executive booth.It will sound weird calling Miss Adeyemi, Tessy. She and I have become closer in school and she has helped me a lot to become one of the best at school. As a nutritionist, her advice has placed me on the right track.âMeet my fiancĂ©, Gabriel.â She introduce me to the ha
******Omoh and I stayed home all afternoon watching into the badlands with a bowl of popcorn in-between us. And at the end of the seventh episode of the first season, she turns to me and says âI believe you havenât told him yet.â Reducing the volume of my T.V set.âTold him what?â I ask as if unacquainted with what sheâs talking about.âEno!â She calls out.âWhat?ââYou know he has the right to know.â She declares, with worrying look on he pretty face.âI know and I will tell him.â I tell her âI plan on telling him tonight.â âYou are going on a date with him tonight, and you are supposed to meet his sister too. When will you have the time to tell him?âOmoh is right; I may not have the time to tell him. I might be carried away, who knows. I donât know how to answer her question; I just need to ponder on how to create a right opportunity.âWhy havenât you told him before now?â She asks again.I return my gaze to Omoh âI wanted to be sure. I donât want to bring another man into my da