FED UP!

(…continued…)

As they got close to Mabel’s mother’s place, her phone beeped. She checked it. It was a message from an unknown number. At first she didn’t want to read it but on second thought, she opened it. It was lengthy SMS; it was from Kemi.

  “Kemi just sent me an SMS,” she announced.

  “What did she say?” Coker asked her.

  “I have not read through it but it doesn’t look good.”

  “You can delete it without reading it, so you will not cause yourself more hurt.”

  “No I need to know what she said.”

  “Ok. Read it aloud too so I can hear.”

                As Coker’s brother parked in front of Mabel’s mother’s compound, she read the SMS. It started with calling Mabel all sorts of names. Kemi told her that Segun was her man and nothing she ever did would make him leave her, that she was Segun’s vomit which he would never go back to. Then Kemi made mention of her sex life and went into private issues. Mabel stopped and sighed.

  “That girl is crazy,” Coker’s brother said. “She is way out of her mind.”

  “Skip those ones and go to the end,” Coker said.

                Mabel starred at the phone without saying a word.

  “Mabel,” Coker called her. “Read the end na.”

  “I can’t continue,” she said and sniffed.

                She gave him the phone to continue reading out. He took it and finished reading the message. Kemi ended with a threat to teach Mabel a lesson for embarrassing her that day.

  “She is bluffing,” Coker said angrily and handed the phone back to Mabel.

  “We will not take it lightly,” his brother said. “After all I witnessed today.”

  “She is not my match in anything,” Mabel said. “She can bring it on.”

  “Forward this message to my phone,” Coker told her.

  “I will do that now.”

“Also forward it to Maggi.”

                Mabel forwarded the messages.

  “I have received it,” Coker said, checking his phone to confirm. “I will handle it from my end while Margret handles it from hers. As far as I am concerned, Segun is no longer in your picture, so the threat is uncalled for.”

  “I did not even touch her today. It was Margret.”

                Mabel swallowed a lump in her throat. Her emotion was a mixture of anger and heart break. Almost immediately, Margret called her and she picked. Margret was heard shouting angrily as she promised to take care of Kemi for good. When she was done ranting, she hung up.

  “I have to be going,” Mabel announced.

                By then, dusk was fast approaching.

  “Yes please, so you can rest.”

                Mabel opened the door and stepped out. She felt a spell of dizziness and she held the door of the car. Coker rushed and helped her stand upright.

  “You really need to rest,” he said.

  “And also see a doctor or therapist also,” his brother added.

                Coker walked beside her as she went into the compound. His brother brought her stuff and went behind them. Mabel tried her best to look normal as she waved and exchanged pleasantries with the neighbours. At the door, she met her mother standing with her phone in her hand.

  “I was about calling you now,” her mother said. “Where have you been?”

                Mabel just greeted her and shook her head in a bid to shake off the spell of dizziness. Her mother noticed that all was not well and rushed to her side. Coker and his brother greeted her. She responded and asked them what the matter was.

  “She is feeling dizzy,” Coker said.

  “Since when?”

  “Not quite long ago.”

  “Did anything happen?”

                Coker looked at Mabel who gave him an eye-signal not to say anything.

  “Co..what’s that your name again?”

  “Coker ma.”

  “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “Nothing serious. Mabel will tell you later. Right now, she just needs rest.”

  “If anything happens to my daughter..” she began sounding emotional.

  “It has not come to that yet ma. She just needs to rest. It is accumulated stress that is now telling on her.”

                Cynthia came out to the door and met the scene.

  “What is going on?” she asked.

  “Your sister is not feeling well,” her mother said.

  “I am fine,” Mabel said.

                Cynthia greeted Coker and his brother.

  “Come inside na,” she said to Mabel. “You are looking weak. You need to rest.”

                Mabel collected her purse and phone from Coker. Cynthia collected the ones Coker’s brother was carrying.

  “Thank you so much for everything,” Mabel told Coker.

  “Anytime,” Coker replied.

  “Thank you also,” she told Coker’s brother.

  “It’s my pleasure,” he replied.

  “I will handle the matter,” coker said to her as she turned to enter the house.

  “Handle which matter?” Mabel’s mum asked Coker.

  “Nothing,” Coker said and retreated sharply, his brother following immediately.

  “Hmm. Children of nowadays and secrecy. God pass all of you.”

                Cynthia carried Mabel’s stuff and entered the house, then their mother held Mabel’s hands as they entered together. As soon as they were in the parlour, Mabel sunk into the cushion.

(…to be continued…)

-©2015.Chinedu Isaac