Rita's Diary- Part 1

"Rita!it's a set of twins" Dr Kamsie beamed with smiles.

"Really! You are kidding me"

"Hey, see..." she pushed the monitor closer so I could catch a view of the hearts beating.

"See, this is one heartbeat and this is another...You've got two hearts beating in your womb Rita...I'm so glad for you"

"I can't believe this... I am so amazed" I whispered crying

"C'mon you deserve to be happy darling. Don't get all mushy on me" Kamsie squeezed my hand

"God never sleeps kamsie, he doesn't sleep, and he answered me at the eleventh hour"

"Yes He did..."

"I have to rush home now... Haven't been home all day"

"Oh. So are you gonna tell Dayo about this?"

"Of course, I have to. He has to hear this so that slut will be out of my house in no time"

"Take it easy Rita, you waited fifteen years for this bundle of joy, I think you should wait awhile before you break this news"

"Don't you see Kams, this is a way to unite my home. Ensuring that stranger is kicked out of my home."

"I know... I know...it is tempting but i do not think you should share this news right away. Wait it out please"

"Okay Pastor!" Rita laughed.

"Kamsie had been a good friend to me for over twenty years. She was married to a pastor and even as a doctor, her faith and believe could move mountains. She always prayed for me and had advised me to be steadfast in all my waiting years."

"Kamsie give my regards to your husband I'm off"

"Okay Rita...Please don't forget to take my advice to heart"

"I will...." I smiled as I left her office.

********

"Hello Dayo how are you?"

"Mama I'm fine...." Dayo adjusted on his sofa so he could take his mother's call

"Where's that witch you call your Wife?"

"She's not home"

"Oh, she's out there looking for who to impregnate her? Well that's her business! I visited Baba he asked that you send her away so she doesn't spread her Ill-luck to Romoke. You know your new wife is pregnant"

"Mama is that really necessary? Rita has labored with me all these years, I can't just push her out."

"Labored with you bawo? (How?)"

"Mum she was always here when I had nothing"

"It doesn't matter pay her generously and send her away. Baba said if she doesn't leave, you might lose this child and your life too"

"Ahhh....Is it that serious?"

"It is o my son"

"Baba even said she's sleeping with different men and also seducing you and once you give in, you will die."

Dayo suddenly remembered a silly mistake he made two months ago when Romoke had complained of body pains so he left her to be with Rita. That night, they had gotten intimate. Despite their disagreements, He loved her and that night she had just seemed irresistible. Now, if what his mother was saying was true and she had started sleeping around, it meant his life was in danger.

"Dayo are you there?"  His mother asked

"Mama I'm in trouble o!"

"What's wrong?"

"I slept with her two months ago"

"Ah... Dayo you see? That woman is a witch she seduced you. Yepa!"

"Mama what do I do?"

"Send her away and ensure you come over this evening so we can go see Baba for cleansing."

"You know I can't go with you to that native doctor mama, I'm an ordained deacon in the church"

"Ah! kini yen? (What’s that?) You better come and do yourself good. If I hadn't gone out to seek the elders, you would have remained in your childless state."

Dayo thought about it for a few seconds. He was an ordained deacon in church. His wife had been called into the singing ministry years before he met her and when they got married, her dedication to God had drawn him closer to God. He had grown up in the home of a fortune teller. His father had been an Ifa priest as a result, he always went home to consult the oracle until he married Rita. He soon lost his old lifestyle when he found a new life in Christ- a development that made his mother really angry. When he lost his father, there were expectations that he would take over but because of his believe in God, the title was transferred to another family. He had served God all these years and gotten nothing from it, not even a child. Trying his roots wouldn't hurt. "Mama I’ll see you tomorrow instead."

"Okare omo mi (well-done my child)"

"Should I bring Romoke along?"

"Of course you should!"

He had to, Romoke was the daughter of the chief priest. "Okay mama"

**********

"Nwannem (my sister) how are you?"

"I'm fine ooo..." Rita answered excitedly as her sister squealed over on the phone

"You sound ecstatic my darling"

"Why won't I Cheta?"

"Hmmmm, has your foolish husband finally returned to his senses?"

"It is not even related to Dayo's latest escapades and please don't call him foolish"

"Okay o....So what's it? A promotion"

"Yeaaa... Sort of" Rita grinned

"You are already in the board so what else... The COO?"

"You wish....Something better"

"Okay Rita I'm not so good at guessing help me here"

"I'm pregnant Cheta!!!" She screamed

"Oh my God! Rita! Rita! This is amazing"

"Yes o sis I was at kamsie's because I noticed I had been feeling sick for a while now so I thought of going to see a doctor."

"Hmmmmm...I'm so glad I feel like jumping on a plane and coming down to Nigeria right away."

Rita laughed "take it easy, you haven't heard the best part yet"

"Okay, I’m shaking right now"

"It's a set of twins!"

"Oh my God, oh dear! Rita!!!! I'm shook!"

"It's okay! You aren't as shocked as I am. I have had so many lovely nights with Dayo, I’m wondering how one of Dayo's drunk nights led to this."

"Dayo now drinks?"

"Since he fell into the world he drinks like a fish"

"I don't believe it!"

"You better do"

"So, are you going to tell him?"

"No...Kamsie said to wait a while. You know that stranger is superstitious"

"Well, I was going to say the same thing. Wait a little"

"I will....I'm home Cheta....I'll call you much later"

"Thank you sis...Biko nwayo nwayo oo (gently gently)"

"I will... My love to the kids"

"They'll hear"

Getting down from my car, I realized my personal belongings had been packed outside my house. I laughed in mockery of the devil. Kabiru! I shouted calling the gate-man

"Yes madam"

"Why are my things outside?"

“Na Oga put am there o"

I pushed the entrance door into the main house but it was locked. So I knocked on the door but instead of Dayo opening the door, he called out my name angrily from the balcony upstairs

"Rita why are you disturbing my peace?"

"Dayo the door is locked please open it so I can come in"

"Come in to where? Those are your things leave my house!"

"Dayo! Leave your house? Are you alright?"

"I will be if you just leave"

"What's wrong with you, why are you treating me in such a manner, why?"

"Just go Rita!"

I kept on banging the door...there was no way I'd leave this house today. We both suffered together to get all what we had.

Dayo pulled angrily at the door and I I fell. "Go away!" he screamed at me as he started throwing my things outside the gate.

"Dayo please don't do this where do you want me to go. I've been with you for fifteen years Dayo please."

"You can go anywhere. I do not care. You are nothing but bad-luck!"

"Deacon Omodayo Jesugbemi please don't do this" I cried

"I am not Jesugbemi my surname is Ifagbemi and get out."

"My husband felt such disdain for me he punched me out of his home, a home we had both built with sweat and blood"

I sat by the gate, refusing to leave the premises.

"Aunty you better leave." Romoke, his harlot called out

"Don't you dare talk to me, you daughter of Jezebel" I spat at her

"Me Jezebel? Am I the reason you are barren? You are a man and our husband says he no longer wants a man in the same house with him" she rubbed her protruding tummy to further mock me.

"I have a God and he will fight for me"

"God doesn't fight for witches" Dayo hurled insults at me. "If you don't leave I'll personally kill you and you, Kabiru, if you don't push her out you'll lose your job"

And so the gate-man begged that I leave the house even though he had so much respect for me and I understood his need to keep his job.

I sat outside my gate. The same house I had toiled with Dayo to build. I married Dayo when I turned twenty-one. Many people had complained about me being too young to go into marriage but what would I have done? Dayo had been my boyfriend since my university days and immediately I graduated I found out I was pregnant. As a pastor's daughter, my parents wouldn't hear of it, so they insisted I get married. Dayo's mother never showed up for the wedding, she was not too happy his son had married  a non-Yoruba and most of all, a staunch Christian. Two months into the marriage, I suffered a miscarriage and so the journey of barrenness began. At first I thought God was angry that I had gotten equally yoked with an unbeliever and defiled my marital bed. But later, I realized he was merciful and had forgiven me. I soaked myself in kingdom work and Dayo who had given his life to Christ encouraged me, telling me daily that children are God's heritage and they would come when God willed. Fifteen years after, I was now thirty six, Dayo had become a total stranger and had returned to his old way of worship

"Cheta!" I cried as I spoke with my only sister on the phone

"What's wrong Rita? I thought you called that you had gotten home"

"I was home but Dayo threw me out. My things were on the lawn waiting for me"

"What the hell is that? You have a share in his business and he can't do that to you"

"He just did and I'm outside."

“At this time of the day? Please call Kamsie and go over to hers"

"I'm about to call her thought i should speak with you first"

"You should call dad and mum"

"Yea, I will"

"Or would you rather go home?"

No one was in her family house. Her parents had relocated to London six years ago. They headed the London church branch of their local church here in Nigeria.

"I can't stay there alone."

"Okay call kamsie I’ll call you later to know how you are doing. I love you"

"I love you too"

I soon began to feel raindrop on my skin. It was going to rain and i was stuck in front of my husband’s home. No shelter and cold would claw at the light flowing dress I wore. I dialed kamsie's number but it went straight to voicemail. I dropped my message hoping she would get it in time and come rescue me before I got drenched. There was no way I would leave this place alone-My personal items were all over the place and I couldn't drag over four boxes with me as I walked. So I sat outside as the rain splattered on me. I got drenched sitting outside my home, my marital abode while a stranger lay in bed with my husband.


To be continued........