For d first time since she gave birth to Emmy, she was stepping into d club again, wearing a new bumshot which Rebecca had managed to get for her and a faded top which formerly belonged to Rebecca.
She dreaded going back to the business but she had no choice, Emmy was down with fever and she needed to get her drugs. She couldnt afford anything bad to happen to her baby.
She ignored d surprised stares from her colleagues and d waiters, some knew about her pregnancy, some didnt.
Immediately she took a seat somewhere in d bar, she saw him.
Dressed in a black tri-quarter and a shiny white polo with a shiny black shoe, with a bottle of Star in his front, with a faraway look in his eyes, Shola.
The man who had caused her pain. She still remembered dat day at his house where she had practically begged him to let her stay, even if he didnt feed her, even if it was in d corridor….but he refused and rubbed her mistakes to her face.
‘i’m sorry but i cannot harbour a prostitute in my house, not even one who doesnt even know d use of condoms! Get lost Fiona, go find d father of dat cursed child in ur womb’ he had said.
She had been mad and angry ‘my child is not cursed and he or she will never be cursed. U are d cursed one here and i curse u and ur generation…..d same way u have called my child a cursed child, so shall people call u and ur generation as a whole cursed people….and u all shall be cursed for life!’ She had said in tears, picked up her bags and left for Rebecca’s house painfully.
He had been her best friend and she had thought he had feelings for her d same way she had feelings for him but she had been wrong…..u never know who’s ur true friend until ur time of hardship.
Alot went through her head and she needed to get them out. She stood up and walked to d waiter close to her.
‘give me a packet of cigarette’ she said curtly.
The waiter looked at her as if asking Fiona, when u start to dey smoke but instead she asked ‘which one?’
‘erm….erm….anyone….which one do u guys have?’
‘d person wey send u no tell u d one wey u go buy?’
‘nobody sent me…..which one do u guys have?’
‘ah! Fifi u don dey smoke?’
‘which one do u guys have abeg?’ Fiona asked rather harshly, why couldnt they mind their business.
‘sorry!’ d waiter said and brought out different types of cigarettes ‘choose’
She read their names aloud and chose d one whose name was kind of sweet in her mouth, Dorchester.
She pushed d money to d waiter and made to walk away.
‘forgive my inquisitiveness……Fiona, but i want to just tell u something,’ D waiter said ‘it doesnt matter what u are going through right now, it doesnt matter d tough times u are having right now, because for every problem, there’s a solution, life doesnt give us problems we cannot solve…..so if u think dat thing u’re holding in ur hand is going to ease ur problems then u are greatly mistaken because it will only compound ur problems d more….i dont know u as a smoker Fiona, dont start now….simply because u think cigarettes has a way of making people forget things, i’m talking from experience, i was once a chain smoker but i changed because it wasnt helping me and……’ another customer approached d table and she smiled at Fiona ‘have a nice day Fifi’
Fiona turned and walked away sharply not letting d words of d waiter get to her….she was correct but she didnt want to think about dat now, whats her business anyway? Everyone knew Agnes to be a gossip and a pokenoser.
She went back to her seat and opened d packet, she stared at it for a while, then removed one, placed it in her mouth, took a lighter, lit it and inhaled, she coughed.
She inhaled deeper again and she coughed again but she loved d burning sensation she was getting from d cigarette.
She raised her head and saw Shola’s surprising stare. Whether it was because she was smoking or because he hadnt expected to see her there, she didnt know……and she didnt care.
She held d cigarette like an expert smoker and blew it in d air, this was d path she has chosen to follow, and she was going to follow it to d end.
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********************
‘what do u mean u dont have money? What kind of a joke is that?!’ Fiona barked, reaching for her panties. This man had better be joking because he was not leaving without giving her money.
‘abeg no vex. I forgot my wallet at home, i didnt know dat it wasnt with me…..’
‘so u carry urself come here come fuc.k ashawo when u no get money abi? Make i take am say u dey joke because whether na ur wallet u forget for house abi na ur money, dat one concern u!’
‘abeg….just give me ur phone number, i didnt do this on purpose, i’m d last person to lay with a prostitute and not pay, i’ve never done dat before and i’ll never do that. I forgot my wallet, i’m serious’
‘u forget ur wallet but u no forget ur pri.ck abi? Na me u dey use dey play? After all d kamasultra styles wey u use me do? God don punish u today, if na so u take dey fu.ck ashawo dey lie give dem say u no get money, u don jam rock because e no go work for me’ Fiona barked picking up a bottle and hitting it on d wall with just her bra and panties.
She grabbed him by d waist as he made to say something ‘look my face wella, if u open dat ur yeye mouth talk rubbish na now, i go chuk with u dis bottle, i go chuk ur belle open if u no give me my 3k now!’
Tears washed d man’s face as he placed his palm together pleading for mercy.
Fiona would have none of it. She would not tolerate all of Rebecca’s excesses, pass through pains in dat house, battle with her conscience whenever she was going to lay with a man and then, he would give her d co.ck and bull story of forgetting his wallet at home, it would not happen. Not after three rounds! If dis man thought he could sleep with her and not pay her, then he was d biggest joker of d century!
‘my money or ur life!’ she said sternly.
‘eh?’
‘choose one! I’d rather have u die and not pay me my money dan u being alive and not paying my money’
‘biko….’ he had heard of how dangerous some prostitutes were and how they could kill if they were not paid. He suddenly regretted patronising a prostitute today…..this was all because of Chidinma!
Chidinma, he would never forgive her for sleeping with his best friend, never!
‘Chidinma…..’ d name rolled off his tongue subconsciously.
Fiona drew back ‘who’s Chidinma?’
And he burst into tears ‘i’m sorry, i’m so sorry, please find it in ur heart to forgive me. I didnt mean to do this, and i promise to pay u ur money tomoro, i will not fail’
‘na who u dey tell day one? U dey joke oo! Infact,’ she looked through d window, ‘lets not talk too much, u dont have d money, fine! Goodbye!’ She buried d bottle in his stomach, took all his phones, hurriedly wore her gown and dashed out of d room.
****
Ann looked at Fiona with tear filled eyes. What could she say? Her story was so touching! How could someone suffer dis much and who was dis aunty Rebecca? She deserved to be killed.
‘i…..’ Fiona couldnt continue and she couldnt control her tears anymore….she rested her head on Ann’s shoulders ‘its not like i dont love Emmy, i do…..she’s my daughter, but….i dont want her to live d kind of life i lived. I can never be a good mother to her neither and dats why….if i see a reputable family to sell her to, i’ll readily do so….i want her to live a comfortable life with people who would love her…..i want her to live in a family where ther’s a father and her mother, a home where there’s no Rebecca, i want d best for Emmy’
She sobbed and continued ‘when Emmy was seven months old, Rebecca poured pepper in her eyes simply because she was wailing in d night and i was not around, i went for night work. She barely survived it….it almost destroyed her retina but for d help of God…..’ she coughed.
Ann wrapped her hands around her ‘but why havent u left dat house….i mean why didnt u take Emmy away from there?’
‘and take her to where? Emmy is better off in Rebecca’s house than my new place. Its a house where numerous crimes happen, people are slaughtered in dat house and besides, i do not want Emmy to know dat her useless mother is a chain smoker and a member of a gang where we rob and assasinate….u dont understand Annabel, do u? I’m a killer! I’ve killed so many people….i cant even count! I’m a horrible mother, i cant even protect my own child from her father…..an Ogba doesnt know she’s his daughter, him knowing is going to be even worse because he doesnt want children. I….he’s a member of an occult….and having children is a taboo….i need ur help Annabel, i dont know y i’m telling u dis, but i need u to protect Emmy for me….u must promise me to always love Emerald and treat her like ur daughter, please just say yes. Be d mother dat i could not be for Emmy, pls’
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TBC. ON MONDAY, WATCH OUT FOR OUR WEEKEND STORY
Who remembers Lillian?
