(…continued…)
“Are you ok?” Coker asked
Mabel as he drove her to her house.
“I will get over it.”
“Please do. He doesn’t own
your life.”
“No he doesn’t.”
Mabel was quiet
most of the journey, only replying whenever Coker asked her a question or his
brother made a comment that she just had to respond to. She was just lost in
thought. It was Coker who brought her back to reality when he told her they had
gotten to her house.
“Oh ok,” she said.
Coker looked at
her and shook his head. He drove into the compound and parked well.
“I will wait for you to get
the things you need to take so I will take you to your mum’s place,” he told
her as she alighted.
“Ok I will not take time.”
She greeted those
she saw in the compound without waiting to chat, and then went upstairs.
“That girl is going through
stuff,” Coker’s brother said when she was out of the car.
“A lot,” Coker agreed. “But
she is strong.”
“I wonder how that segun of a
guy had the heart to leave such a lovely girl like this.”
“I still think Kemi has
something over him.”
“Maybe, or he is not seeing
what I am seeing. A very beautiful girl with the right body.”
“Apart from that, she is
domesticated, efficient in her work place, she doesn’t mess around. She is just
a wife material.”
“So what is wrong?”
“She has to sort things out by
herself. We can only do the much we can to help.”
“Maybe I should apply.”
“As what? As cleaner?”
“As Segun’s replacement.”
“Please let her be. She is
still hurting. The wound in her heart is still fresh.”
“But she needs a man…”
“She doesn’t. Right now, she
needs God and her family.”
“Kai, I wish I could help.”
“You might get the chance to
do so, with time.”
Mabel got to her
room, washed her face and hurriedly applied light makeup. She confirmed that
everything she needed was packed and ready to be carried, checked the switches
to make sure they were off. Then she locked the door and went downstairs. She
stopped at Mama Risi’s door and knocked. It was her son who answered the door.
He greeted her.
“Thank you,” she replied. “Where
is your mother?”
“She is in the kitchen. Let me
call her.”
“Don’t bother calling her.
Just let her know I have gone to my mum’s place.”
“Ok.”
She went
downstairs. When she was close to the car, she heard Mama Risi calling her from
a window in her apartment. She turned and greeted her.
“Are you leaving?” Mama Risi
asked her.
“Yes. I will come back
tomorrow.”
“OK. My regards to everyone at
home.”
“They will hear.”
Coker turned on
his ignition and reversed the car. When he was done, his brother opened the
door and Mabel entered.
“Thank you,” she said.
“You are welcome.”
Coker drove out.
When the care was about entering the road, Mabel suddenly started looking for
something. Her eyes were popped out
“What is it?” Coker asked as he pulled over.
“I can’t find my phone.”
“Where is the handbag you had
with you some minutes ago?”
“Oh, I think I forgot it in my
room.”
“Are you sure you are ok?”
“Yes I am. Let me go and get
it.”
Mabel opened the
car and came out to go get the bag. A wave of dizziness hit her and she
staggered.
“Mabel!” Coker shouted and
rushed out of the car, with his brother following behind.
“What happened?” Coker’s
brother asked her.
“I don’t know,” she replied.
“I just felt dizzy.”
“And you said you are fine.”
“Don’t bother about me. It is
nothing.”
“You need to let go from your
heart.”
“You are too nice to carry
such emotional loads,” Coker’s brother added.
“I said I am fine. Don’t worry
about me. Let me go get the hand bag and my phone, then we can leave.”
“I will go with you,” Coker
offered.
“Ok.”
“Please stay with the car,”
Coker said to his brother.
“Ok.
Coker went with
her into the compound. He made sure to walk close to her in case she felt dizzy
again. Mama Risi looked from her window and saw Mabel coming back in and asked
her if there was any problem.
“I forgot something,” Mabel
replied.
“Ok.”
At the base of
the staircase, Mabel felt another wave of dizziness and fell into Coker’s waiting
arms.
(…to be continued…)
-Chinedu Isaac
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