"Hello" a tenor voice answered
"Hel-lo" Amaka said slowly her voice shaking. She had never done this before
"Yes?"
"Am I speaking to Mr. Nwosu?"
"This is Ikenna. Who is this?"
"I got your number from..."
"Oh my God another one!" He exclaimed
"What?" Amaka sputtered confused
"Listen lady. Get a life. Have some dignity for Chrissake."
"Dignity" Amaka echoed
"Yes dignity. It's what prevents women from calling strange men at work"
"Work?" It was 10.30pm
"I am a very busy man" Mr. Nwosu continued. Hinting at Amaka to go away
"I'm so sorry to have disturbed you" Amaka apologised out of habit
"Don't be sorry. Don't call me again"
There was a click, then dial tone. Amaka stared at her phone. "I have suffered" she whispered to herself before turning to sob softly into her pillow, careful not to wake the kids.
The weekend meant one glorious thing to Amaka. An extra pair of hands. They came in various forms; a neighbour, a best friend. This Saturday it was the honour of her would be in-laws, The Cokers. Femi's parents lived in the centre of Abuja, not far from Nabila's parents, The Bellos. The twins went to visit roughly once a month and were always excited to go, mostly because of the swimming pool in the backyard. They packed their swimming trunk and swimming costume complete with inflatable toys before Amaka had even gotten up. They assaulted her in bed jumping and chanting "mommy let's start going." Amaka too tired to argue, called to say they were on their way and only offered an apple for breakfast knowing the kids would want to jump straight in the pool once they got there. She drove in and was met in front of their impeccable home by both Kunle and Lade Coker. As always Amaka was embarrassed by the act, it always felt like she kept them waiting. She strolled to the couple, knelt good morning and stood aside while they fussed over the children. The twins stayed long enough not to be rude before running towards the pool and diving in without a care in the world. Lade Coker shouted for the housegirl, Bisi, to take station by the water and watch over the twins. Amaka was led into the house and placed on the sofa like a trophy.
"Thank you so much for letting the twins swim around"
"Why of course" Kunle Coker said. He spoke what Amaka liked to call Old English. Dragging the last syllable of every word and ending it with a lilt. The first time she met him, she knew he was an Oxford man
"It is lovely to have the children over" Lade chipped in softly. Her non-verbal communication being she would like to see them more. Amaka did not know how to explain her need to be the primary care giver so she didn't bother
The silence went on for longer; but it was not uncomfortable. That was what Amaka liked about the Coker residence; there was never any useless chatter. If there was nothing to say; nothing was said and it was perfectly acceptable. She laid her head back and closed her eyes
"When last did you hear from Femi?" Lade asked with slightly wet eyes
"Last night"
"Oh. So he is alright?"
"Yes ma. He sends his love"
"No he doesn't." Kunle said "No need to be polite my dear, we know our son. He is an egomaniac, not even his children could make him return"
"Big Daddy..." Lade cautioned
"It's true" Kunle insisted. Amaka did not protest.
She watched Kunle reach across the sofa and pat his wife's hand. It was brief but filled with affection. He was so tender with her. Amaka always told Femi that he took his parents for granted. He insisted that based on the Nwafors every family looked golden, Amaka did not argue.
However years later saw an absent Femi and still she stuck to her guns. The Cokers were good people, genuinely good people and it was unfortunate they were blessed with a son that refused to acknowledge that. Kunle Coker was a retired lawyer, a self-made millionaire, and tried really hard to instil the lesson of hard work but Femi wasn't interested. He was surrounded by peers who spent their parents' political and ill-gotten money without a care in the world and labelled his father as a kill joy because he was kept on an allowance. Fast forward to University and Femi paid no attention to his studies, too busy on the lookout for the next big thing. He barely graduated very nearly getting kicked off the course.
When Amaka fell pregnant, Femi pushed his father for a loan totalling millions of naira. Kunle instead offered him a job. Femi viewed this as a clear power play and the discord began. As Amaka waited to be rescued from her parents' house in Anambra State by her knight in shining armour, and married to the love of her life. Femi continued to argue for money, calling his father unsupportive of his dreams even pushing for his inheritance upfront. Kunle refused each tactic, insisting Femi grow up and with that battle lines were drawn. Femi promised to return from America wealthier than his father, he swore on it. "Then I will marry you," he said to Amaka, "in a big wedding that all your sisters will be jealous of." Amaka didn't care about that, but Femi obviously did.
Lade got up to fetch Amaka something to drink ignoring her offers to help. She could tell how lonely the woman was. She just wanted her family all together, Amaka could relate with that.
"Where is Sade?" Amaka asked Kunle
"Ah she's resting" his eyes lit up when he spoke of his daughter.
"Is everything alright?"
"Eh her Autism is more manageable now" Kunle cast his eyes to the ceiling
"Or we're better with dealing with it. We've had eighteen years of practice" he laughed. Amaka joined in. For all his money and good intentions in the world Kunle was given two children: a son allergic to hard work and a daughter who was confined to her own world
"Here we are my dear" Lade dropped a tray of wafers and a bottle of Fanta with a glass on the table beside Amaka. She made to pour
"Ah Big Mommy please" Amaka rushed to stop her nearly toppling the tray in the process.
"The girl can pour her own drink" Kunle scolded gently and patted the cushion next to him for his wife to sit"
Lade was so eager to please that it ended up putting Amaka on edge. She sympathised with the woman's pain; her only son never contacts her and her daughter had good days and bad. She viewed Amaka as a surrogate and sometimes was too kind, almost as if to make up for Femi's flights of fancy. It always seemed like the woman was grooming her for something, it took Nabila to help Amaka see it.
"You are her saviour" Nabila said that night two years ago
"She is hoping you'll be the one to tame Femi and bring him to his senses"
"I have no control over Femi" Amaka protested
"Not the way she sees it. You are the good girl that will help her son settle down. As long as you are around, Femi will come home. That is why she is so nice to you. You are her life line to her son. The day you leave, you take the grandkids and him away"
"She has Sade"
"You know it's not the same"
"I'm going to check on the kids" Lade announced gravitating towards the sound of laughter
"More like watch over them" Kunle said when his wife was out of ear shot. Amaka smiled
They sat in silence, with occasional chit-chatter about work and the twins and current affairs. Kunle spoke slowly and without burden. There was no emotional blackmail involved, nor exaggerated lip service. Mostly it was silence, beautiful calming silence that Amaka rested in. She liked Kunle Coker. Just as she did the first time she met him, he pointed at her four months pregnant tummy and said boy-girl twins. He was right.
Jamal Mujahid was sexually frustrated. Rabi worked the morning shift now, making it hard for them to spend time together. Dirty talk on the phone was not the same and eventually they both had to concede defeat to her crazy schedule, his workaholic attitude and cancel their room in the Hilton. Jamal had become accustomed to their routine: last room on the 14th floor, sex, wake up to her beside him, order room service, more sex, freshen up, shower sex, kiss goodbye, groping in the car. Sex with Rabi was amazing and the most potent high he had ever experienced. Deprived of it Jamal suddenly found himself with nothing to occupy his mind but thoughts of when next he could strip her naked, touch her till she quivered, suck on her nipples. He was losing his marbles. He needed a way to blow off steam.
With nowhere to go, Jamal found himself home more often. At first it was awkward Nabila had obviously cultivated a routine that involved her being alone in the house. They stared at each other like children who needed to talk but had nothing to say. Slowly as his presence became more regular she relaxed. He had to admit that she was no longer so annoying; and had taken it down a notch. Gone were the tantrums, sulking and complaints. She smiled when he ate at the table and didn't bother him if he was in no mood to talk. She was also very concerned with his headaches
"It is not so bad now. You were right it was dehydration. Why are you smiling?"
"You just said I was right" Nabila grinned. Jamal shook head for her, and in that fraction of a moment he figured he probably didn't hate her anymore.
A hot Thursday afternoon Jamal returned from work to find Nabsy taking a nap on the couch. She slept a lot these days; or maybe he just noticed that because he was home more often. Normally, he would walk past her and up the stairs but her face looked puffed up
"Nabila me ke damun ki- what is wrong with you?"
"I have a headache" she said stirring awake
"Since when?" Jamal peered closer; she looked awful and was breathing heavily
"Tin tini fa- a long time"
"Asibiti- hospital" Jamal reached for his car keys
"Ba na so- I don't want to"
"Nabila you have been inhaling fertilisers for weeks now. It could be any one of those chemicals you use in the garden. Dan Allah mu tafi- lets go."
If Nabila wasn't so lightheaded she would have heard the shadow of concern in her husband's voice. Jamal heard it; he definitely no longer resented his wife. They lived together peacefully and she actually bid him farewell to work each morning. Nabila tried to rise up but fatigue kept her grounded. "Yanzu- now" he ordered beginning to fear the worst
Jamal drove Nabila to the hospital, having to stop along the way as motion sickness prompted nausea. He parked and held her head as she threw up on the side of the road. He handed an almajiri ₦500 to clean it up and continued on his journey as slowly as possible. He was really worried now. What does she have? Is it contagious? Patiently he sat in the waiting room outside the doctors' office; glad he knew the GP and could call ahead. Jamal thought about what his father in law, Dr. Danjuma Bello would do to him when he found out Jamal let his daughter get sick, inhale those bloody gardening fumes all day.
The man would have him assassinated; his body would be publicly burnt or drowned at the bottom of Jabi River. Jamal suddenly felt very hot and he pulled on his collar. He jumped up when the nurse informed him the doctor would see him now. Walking in he found Nabila sobbing into a handkerchief and the doctor consoling. Seeing Jamal's frightened face the doctor spoke "It is good news Jamal. Do not look so worried." Jamal glanced from his face of mild amusement to Nabila's of sadness. He did not know who to believe.
"I will leave you two to talk" with that the doctor excused them
"Are you sick?" Jamal asked quietly
"No"
"Alhamdullilahi" Jamal exhaled the breathe he didn't know he had been holding
"Then why are you crying?"
"I am perfectly fine. Nothing is wrong with me" Nabila said with heavy eyes. "Nothing" she repeated. For a second there she had thought, with the fatigue and nausea and heavy smells, she prayed that maybe, perhaps....
Jamal looked confused "Ki na kuka- you are crying" he explained hoping she would clarify that point for him.
"Can you excuse me for a while?" Nabila said politely
Jamal was worried by the formality in her tone, maybe she was in shock or something. He was just glad he avoided untimely death and would live to fight another day. He stepped out and waited for her to calm herself and get ready. As he drove home, Jamal insisted she stay away from her garden for a while and if she must return to caring for it alone, she had to wear a gas mask. Nabila did not argue.
Over the next week he watched his wife go through a variety of emotions. She was herself, then weepy, then sleepy. Jamal did not know how to deal with this complex layered Nabila so he was extra careful. He thought of what the doctor said on their way out "Take good care of her." Jamal said he would, so over breakfast as Nabila helped butter his toast she asked if he would invite his squash buddy for lunch after their game on Saturday. Squash, the sport he had taken on to combat his intense longing for Rabi. If Jamal were ever to recommend an aid to sexual desire, bouncing a hollow rubber ball repeatedly against a wall was definitely it.
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