Along the road,
she stopped briefly to buy some fruits.
“Madam do quick o,” the keke driver said. “You know say things dey
happen these days.”
“I know.”
“Abeg o. Na election period we
dey.”
Mabel did not
step out of the keke while purchasing
for security reasons. She pointed at the fruits she wanted and paid. When she
was done, they continued. He dropped her at her house and she paid him. There was
light when she entered the compound.
“Thank God,” she said.
She met some
neighbours as she went towards her house. She waved at some and stood briefly to
exchange pleasantries with the others. One of the persons she met was Chuka.
“Your babe no well o,” she
told him.
“You mean am?”
“Yes o.”
“Wetin dey do am na?”
“She go use mouth tell you.”
“Kai. Cynthi m no suppose
suffer at all.”
Mabel laughed.
“I fit see her now?”
“She fit dey sleep now sha. Maybe
tomorrow.”
“You sure say I no fit check
am now?”
“Make we leave am tomorrow.”
“If NEPA take light, I go come
on gen for una.”
“Ok. Thank you.”
Mabel got to her
house and entered. The door was not locked. She met Cynthia and her mum in the
sitting room watching a home movie. She greeted her mum.
“Welcome my dear,” her mother
replied. “What kept you so long?”
“I was looking for fruits and
yoghurt.”
“Welcome,” Cynthia said,
managing to sit up. “How is Mrs Biodun?”
“She is fine. How are you?”
“I am feeling the pains o.”
“Hope you are not observing
bad posture?”
“Not at all.”
Mabel dropped the
drug pack and her hand bag on the center table.
“Take the yoghurt and fruits,”
she said and handed the other nylon bag to Cynthia.
Cynthia opened it
happily and rummaged through.
“You bought two yoghurts?” she
asked.
“Yes.”
“You will take one then.”
“No. I took one already. I am
watching my weight.”
“Then give me one,” their
mother said and stretched her hand.
“Yoghurt is for children, not
for elderly people,” Cynthia told her.
“Says who?”
Cynthia gave her one.
“It is not cold,” their mother
said.
“Let me put them in the fridge
for some minutes,” Mabel said.
“Ok. Take the fruits also.”
She took the
yoghurts and put in the refrigerator.
“Ehe, Chuka said I should
greet you,” she said to Cynthia.
Cynthia laughed.
“Did you tell him I am sick?”
Cynthia asked.
“Yes o.”
“Why na?”
“Is he not your…?”
“I know you are just teasing
me. He is just our neighbor.”
“But he is from a comfortable
family.”
“And so? My school first joor.”
“That boy likes Cynthia,”
their mother joined in the teasing. “And the way Cynthia is shy around him, I think
she also likes him.”
They laughed.
“Oooohm. You people should
stop it na.”
“Just make sure he doesn’t
score goal without following due process,” their mother continued.
They laughed.
“He even wanted to come and
see you now.”
“What did you tell him?”
Cynthia asked with a little frown.
“I told him to come when NEPA
takes light.”
“It is you he will see.”
They laughed.
“What did you eat?” Mabel
asked Cynthia. “So you can start your drugs.”
“I ate rice.”
“She ate very little,” their
mother said.
“No o,” Mabel said. “You need
to eat well. You have drugs to take.”
“I have eaten enough.”
“No.”
Mabel went into
the kitchen, dished some food for Cynthia and brought to the sitting room.
“Try and finish this one.”
“I don’t have much appetite
and I have been feeling feverish.”
“I know. Just try.”
Cynthia took the
plate from her and slowly ate the food.
“Go and put your own na,”
their mother told Mabel.
“I need to bath first.”
“Ok. There is water in the
bathroom.”
“Thank you.”
Mabel went into
their room and undressed. She had her bath, wore something simple and came out
to the sitting room. Cynthia had finished eating so she took the plate back to
the kitchen, dished hers and came back to the sitting room with it. She gave
Cynthia her drugs and then sat back to eat her food.
“Is there no station giving
news?” their mother asked.
“Not yet,” Cynthia said.
“This election sef,” Mabel
said. “Mummy who are you voting for?”
“I don’t even know. I may not
vote o.”
“Why? Don’t you have your PVC?”
“I do. But I don’t know about
security.”
“They are ensuring the security
of lives and properties.”
“That’s what they will say. So
who will you vote?”
“I don’t even have PVC?”
“Why?”
“They did not make it easy for
working class people like me. Come here, go there, come today, come tomorrow. The
stress is tiring. I tried my best.”
“My dear. I just had to
struggle and get my own o. They said if we don’t get it, we will not receive
salary. I actually fought to get mine. It was not easy o.”
“Mabel what about the balm?”
Cynthia asked.
“Is true,” Mabel said. “It is
inside my hand bag.
She went inside the room to get it.
(…to be continued…)
-Chinedu Isaac
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