Pemisire walked into Richard’s ward and sat on the plastic chair beside his bed. “What would you like to drink?” She asked.
“I’m alright.” He replied.
After the meal, his mood had been disturbed by the remembrance of his sister. He couldn’t help himself too, it was just like a fresh wound that might take time to heal. Having his sister smiling, laughing was all that had always made him glad, seeing her corpse was the worst thing in his life. June 12, a day of remembrance.
“I can prepare you a cup of tea.” She said.
“Unknown, I’m already fine.” Richard replied her.
Richard’s phone buzzed. He picked up the call from the unknown number and waited patiently to hear the voice. “My.. my son.” He heard the woman’s voice.
“Son? Please, who’s this?” He asked.
“You’ve forgotten your mother’s voice right? It’s me, it’s your mother. Richard how are you and your sister?”
“What?” Richard ended the call. “What nonsense! That was her voice!” He exclaimed, frowning his face.
“I hope there’s no problem.” Pemisire said.
Richard glanced at her. “You are now more than a friend, more than a companion and more than a helper. I don’t know you from anywhere, so you don’t too. Even though, you’ve been great and kind. I think that was my useless mother.” He replied her.
“Useless?” Pemisire sprung to her feet. “Never call her that again! No matter what has happened, never call your mother a bad name!”
Pemisire shouted.
“She really is.” Richard said, already crying. “She’s not a mother among mothers, not a guardian among guardians, she’s nothing but a useless one!” Richard repeated squeezing tears out.
“No!” Pemisire sat down again, going down in her tears. “It…it’s wrong.” She stuttered as she started crying too.
“Why are you crying? Because I called her a useless mother? Honestly, that’s what she is! She’s not a mother but a killer!” Richard burst out more.
“No!” Pemisire repeated. “You still have a mother, if I had, I don’t think I’ll be in this state.” She added.
“But unknown, her death is better than her living body. If she had died immediately after giving birth to Christiana, it wouldn’t have been better than living without impact!” He said.
“A mother is a mother, no matter what.” Pemisire wiped her tears.
“Not in this stage, not now! Why on earth is she calling me after she killed Christina? I’m an orphan, no father, no mother. I’m better that way than having foolish parents.”
“Richard!”
“The unknown!”
****
Pemisire had been thinking on how she could wash down her despondency, and that of Richard but no idea came up. She had tried to calm herself and had succeeded in doing that, Richard was just left still crying on the hospital bed there.
“I have told you before, there is no God.” Richard said, pressing his lips together after.
“I don’t want to start arguing on this again, you know yourself that he exists.” Pemisire replied.
Richard turned his head toward her and smiled faintly. “Where was he when I needed his help? Where was he when everything became tough? Have you ever wondered why you worked as a Bartender?” He asked her.
There was a brief silence for a while before Pemisire replied. “Richard, I do. Maybe because of you, who knows?”
“No! He worths to be questioned. Why are some people rich and some very poor?” He asked further.
“Your questions can only be answered later. When the time comes, you will know. By the way, when will you call your mother again to speak with her?”
Richard hissed as he turned his back at her. “I am not ready for any atrocious woman.”
“You should be passionate to the unpassionates, good to the bad.” Pemisire said.
“Em… Unknown, you don’t know this woman, do you? She sent me out of her house all the time I went there and until I picked the urgent call that led to my accident.” He said.
“Forgive the person who doesn’t worth it, you have to be kind.” Pemisire told him.
Richard gave a soft chuckle and shook his head. “I have a problem with you, it’s this problem of lack of understanding. Can you forgive someone who killed your sister?” He asked.
Pemisire stood at once and turned her back at him. Though, the guy was just saying his own, he never knew Pemisire had lost her sister. Pemisire soughed and faced Richard. “I think I have to leave now, I want to catch a friend of mine.” She said.
“It is not that I wish you sister death, I was only expressing my mind, hope it’s not that you’re angry with me.” He faced her too.
“No.” Pemisire forced a smile.
“What is no? You were more cheerful than now, you must be angry.”
“No, what you said and my departure are coeval. Don’t think I’m leaving because of that.” She replied.
“You don’t look like a Bartender, you speak eloquently. What made you take up that job?” Richard asked her.
“If God wants you to know, I’m sure you will know soon.” She smiled and waved as she walked out.
****
“It wasn’t easy because today is Sunday.” Helen informed Pemisire.
“Really? So how much did you buy the phone?” Pemisire asked Helen as she sat down on the bed and admired the phone.
“I hope you know that’s not a new phone, it’s been used by someone before. So, I think you should be using my MTN sim that I don’t use any longer.” Helen told her.
“Really? That’s cool, at least it will safe hundred naira or more.” She smiled.
“Yeah, hope you like the phone.”
Pemisire smiled. “I have no choice, fairly used mobile phone. Anyways, I love it.” She replied. “Thanks, you won’t lack anything good.” She added.
“Abeg! It’s because of you that I cancelled Church-going, you should prepare me what to eat.”
“Get me the sim as soon as possible, let me start getting set to prepare the food.” She stood up.
“Yeah.” Helen stood up to get her sim card for Pemisire. She had used it before she couldn’t find it again and now found it some weeks before then.
****
