Ebere
I mumbled in my sleep and drew the thick duvet over my body. It was past 8.am no doubt but i felt so tired all i wanted to do was sleep. The ring tone of my phone resonated in the room, I grumbled and threw back the duvet, the call disconnected before i could reach for the phone. I fell back on my pillow my hair cascading all around me. I was too tired to look for my hair net the previous night. I heard a sound at the door.
KO! KO! KO !
” Oh God! Who is trying to ruin my beauty sleep?!” I moaned with fatigue and got out of bed. This better not be one of those Jehovah witness or GNLD people trying to market their drugs. I don’t want to argue with anyone so early in the morning about the six classes of food and food supplement. God Forbids!
” Hold on! You want to break my door?!” i turned the door knob and my breath ceased.
” Hi. Can i come in?” He flashed me a killer smile which had my heartbeat racing for the hills.
” H…..hi….su…sure” i stammered.
What was he doing here? why now when i looked like something the cat won’t even drag in! my hair was a mess, my face didn’t look as radiant as that of the women in western movies when they wake up in the morning. My eyelids were puffy.
” Sorry for not informing you before barging in on you like this, but i doubted if you would pick my call”.
” Have a seat please. Excuse me for a minute”.
I walked slowly to my room and jumped into the shower, i flew out seconds later and hurriedly dressed in a casual top and jean. I considered wearing some make up but i didn’t want him to think i was trying to look good for him, in the end i settled on lip gloss and walked back into the living room.
” Sorry for keeping you waiting”
” It’s alright, i didn’t know you sleep in” he accused.
” What?! i don’t sleep in……I was just too…”
He laughed. ” Don’t get me wrong, i just thought you would be awake by 9 am”
I nodded.
” Am sorry for what happened at my house, i’m sure you must have overheard our conversation because you were gone by the time i came back downstairs”.
I nodded. ” The other lady……why was she so set against me?” i asked even though i knew the reason like the back of my hand.
” Lola? I’m sorry you overheard us, believe me she’s a very sweet lady and such a kind soul.” Ayo said.
” So why was she so set against me?”
He rubbed his palms together, i noticed he did this whenever he was about to say something that made him uncomfortable. ” She has cancer”
” Oh poor Lola” i cried out.
He cocked a brow. ” You sound like you know her personally”
” Umh? no, no, I imagine it must be a really trying time for her” .
” Yes it is and she obviously need a nanny for Liz but she’s insisting on taking care of her by herself. She has only few months to live so she want to spend the remaining time with her but it’s telling on her health.”
My heart took a deep dive and i almost collapsed to the floor in shock. ” Liz? the red haired girl?”
” Yes, she’s my niece. Mildred my wife, soon to be ex wife is a bad influence on the kids. She let them do whatever they please just to spite me” he sighed.” Please i need you to come back”
” Lola is your brother’ s wife? how about your brother and…..and….the little girl with pink hair?”
” My brother is late, a fatal accident when Liz was only a baby and Tess is Mildred’ s niece.”
” So only Monkey is your daughter? You mentioned something about your wife being your ex soon”
” Yea Constance is my daughter, Mildred and I are getting a divorce.”
” Sorry about the questions. ”
” It’s alright, will you come take care of the girls? ”
” All three of them?”
” Yea for now but Tess will return to the states with Mildred.”
This was my chance to get close to my child, how about Ify? how will she cope without me?
” You don’t have to decide now, i know you are skeptical about working for me but please give it a thought. ” He stood up like he could read my mind.
My tall, dark and handsome. ” Why me?” I blurted out.
” Pardon? Oh! The girls likes you and they tagged you cool besides it would drive Mildred crazy.”
I stood up and saw him to the door.
I heard the door knob click open as i was about entering my room. I wondered if Ayo W. Forgot to tell me something and walked back. She flew into my arms with a big smile.
” Ebere! I Have missed you so ”
We both laughed. ” Have missed you too. Hi Emeka!”
He grinned at me. ” Hi yourself.”
Ify let go of me and walked back to him, she pecked him on the cheek, he kissed her softly on the lips before taking his leave. I jumped up happily and fell back on the couch in a fit of bubbly happy laughter.
” What is wrong with this one?” Ify smirked at me before settling on the couch.
” My God! I’ m glad you have been having fun in my absence”
She blushed to the root of her hair and held out her hand. The big stone on her finger glittered beautifully and i could swear i saw my reflection in it.
” Wow! babe! Come here”
I pulled her into my arms. ” Mama is so happy for you”
” I am too.”
” How did it happen? how come you are so lucky! in less than two weeks that i have been away you have managed to hook another elegible bachelor! ” i feigned jealousy and she laughed.
” Oh come off it!. How are you? ”
I laughed happily. ” Please let’s talk about you biko.”
” My mother told Juliet i had cancer, apparently she’s ashamed of me”.
” Oh Ify”
” No Ebere. Am fine, I have realized that she will never love me and she would never accept me unconditionally. Surprisingly it was just what i needed! I have stopped searching for Love where there’s none.”
I took hold of her hands. ” If there’s anyone on earth who deserves to be happy it’s you girl! you don’t need anyone to love you or accept you for who you are and it’s their loss any way! ”
She smiled. ” Thank you. Ehen Who was that? ”
” Who?”
” Come on! the tall dark guy! Ayo W.?”
” Yes. Pinky is not my child”
” What?”
” It’s Liz! I couldn’t even recognize my own child ! and oh! I ran into Dayo yesterday, more like i rammed my car into his!” I got up dramatically.
” Oh Ebere! What did Dayo say? did…..did you tell him?”
” He’s married to the President’ s cousin and the bas.tard was so cocky and full of himself! God! ”
” Oh Sweetheart!”
” He gave me his card but i tore it into bits. I can’t still believe his nerves! my God! he asked if i was still standing! you should have seen his face when i mentioned that i was pregnant when he left……..he offered me money!”
” He’s such a bas.tard!”
” Ayo wants me to come work for him.”
” How about his wife?”
” He’s getting a divorce and Lola is not his wife! he’s married to the other Chimney pot i told you about. ”
” You should go work for him, you will get to see Liz and forge a bond with her.”
” Lola has Cancer, i don’t think i want to upset her”
” What! She has had your daughter for ten good years! I don’t think it would be selfish of you if you try to get closer to her now!”
” You think so? My God what a mess! ha!” I suddenly remembered something and i ran into my room excitedly while Ify looked on in bewilderment. I tentatively brought out the vials in my drawer and walked back to the living room.
” My cure?”
” Yes love. Your cure!” I kissed her bony cheek.
” Thank you Ebere ” she said so softly. ” I don’t know what i would do without you, how do i pay you back for your kindness ”
” Pay me back by getting well, i have a wedding to plan too! my! am so excited! ”
She laughed heartily. ” How did you manage to cross the border with the contraband and how’ s Kofi?”
” Kofi is bouncing. Am yet to call him tho, will give him a call later. Let me brew some tea, the oil is to be dropped into the boiled tea with a dropper and the green powder is to be taken with Soy milk. You shouldn’t take cow milk hence forth it’s bad for your health.”
” Alright Mama.”
” When this one finishes i will go back for more so we have to be careful with these ones, it should last up to a month. ”
” Oh Ebere!”
” You will be alright, you just wait and see!
To be continued
