FED UP!

(…continued…)

Mabel brought out her phone and called her mother. She told her mother the test result and her mother was happy. While she was still on call, another call was coming into her phone. She ignored it the first time, but the second time, she checked. The call was from Segun.

                She rounded up her discussion with her mother. Then she allowed her phone ring without picking.

  “Imagine,” she said.

  “What is it?” Cynthia asked her.

                She showed Cynthia the missed call on her phone.

  “Segun is calling you?” Cynthia asked. “why?”

  “If you ask me, who I go ask?”

  “He should allow you rest na.”

                Her phone rang again. The call was still from Segun.

  “Should I pick?” Mabel asked.

  “No.”

                The call came two more times but she did not pick.

  “Who knows why he is calling me?”

  “Maybe he wants to apologize and ask for a second chance.”

 “I don’t think so.”

  “We had better be going so we don’t get to the office later than your appointment time.”

                They stopped a keke, told him where they were going, beat price and entered. As the keke went through the bumpy and gallop-filled road, Mabel was lost in thought.

  “What are you thinking?” Cynthia asked her.

  “Just wondering why he is calling.”

  “So..”

  “Nothing to worry myself.”

  “Better not worry yourself because of that…”

                A text message entered Mabel’s phone. She checked it. It was from Segun.

  “He just sent an SMS,” Mabel said.

  “Hian. He doesn’t want you to rest ni.”

  “Let me see what it is about.”

                She opened the message and read through with Cynthia. Segun asked how she was doing and exonerated himself from the earlier purported threat. Then he signed out by telling her to take care of herself.

  “At least this does not look like an apology from someone seeking a second chance,” Mabel said.

  “Since when did he start caring about how you are doing?” Cynthia said. “I sense something in that message.”

  “What?”

  “A subtle declaration of interest.”

  “There is nothing there.”

  “If you say so.”

  “Let me call Coker and know whether he is back from his journey.”

  “Is it now you and Coker?”

                Mabel gave her a what-is-wrong-with-you look.

  “I don’t want it to look as though I only call him when I have problems.”

  “Ok oo. I dey look all of una.”

                Mabel spoke with Coker on phone. He told her he would be coming back the following day. She told him that Segun called and sent SMS. He was surprised but then he told her to do whatever she felt was comfortable for her. He told her that Timi had been asking after her. She smiled and told him to greet Timi for her but to also tell him to stop bothering about her and move on with his life. When they were done, she hung up. 

  “Coker’s brother is a nut case.”

  “He is still after you?”

  “Yes o. Coker said he is not letting him rest.”

  “He is cute and looks rich.”

  “So?”

  “Shift him my way if you don’t want him.”

  “You have big eye o.”

                They laughed.

                When they got to the church office, they alighted, paid the man and he left. They walked into the church office section and met the pastor’s wife standing outside the door with another church member. They greeted them.

  “Mabel and Cynthia, how are you?” she said, hugging each of them.

  “Very fine ma,” they replied.

  “Mabel, It’s been long you came to church.”

  “It is the nature of my job ma and some issues,”

  “It is well. How is your mother?”

  “She is fine ma.”

  “Wait a little while. I will see you shortly. Let me attend to some pressing matters.”

  “Ok ma.”

                She strolled out with the church member, while Mabel and Cynthia sat in the reception area.

  “Let me go and buy something we could eat,” Cynthia said.

  “Hei!” Mabel shouted.

  “What is it?”

  “We did not buy anything for mama.”

  “It is true. What do we do?”

  “Maybe next time.”

  “Ok.”

  “Kai. How could I have forgotten it?”

                Cynthia got up to leave. Mabel called her back and gave her more money.

  “Get recharge card for mama. We can’t see her empty handed.”

                Cynthia left and soon came back with the snacks, drinks and recharge card. They ate and waited. A while later, they heard someone call their names. They looked towards the entrance and saw their mother.

  “What is mummy doing here?” Mabel whispered to Cynthia as they got up to welcome their mother.

(…to be continued…)

-©2015.Chinedu Isaac