Efe's diary : Newly opened chapters 4

My mum called. We had a long conversation, my dad had begun his usual Benin man attitude. A young girl had come to our house during the week and claimed my Dada got her pregnant. This was enough to launch the woman into emotional turmoil. I was in no mood to be sympathetic, I mean if you wanted to be with that kind of man you had to live with whatever consequences you were served.

“Mama, I’ll ask aunty to talk with him. Please relax.” I tried reassuring her.

“I’m relaxed o, I am just angry. Garri business is no longer flourishing and instead of this man to support me he is going around sowing his oats.”

I sighed... I hated for her to remind me she was everything to us. It was about time I started picking up some of the bills.

“Mummy, take it easy. How are my brothers?”

“They are fine. Hmmm, how are you Efe?”

“Me? I’m fine o Mummy, everything is alright.”

“Make sure you remember the child of whom you are o. Even though I might not have the world to give you, I expect you to live within your means and always remember, you must be a graduate, even if it means me selling my body parts.”

Tears stung my eyes.

“You hear me?”

“Yes Ma.” I sniffed.

“Your father can go on to do all he wants, we will not be shaken, never!”

I smiled, “yes Mummy.”

‘Ehen, how is your result?” she asked.

“Mummy, ah very good!” My spirits soared.

“I trust you my child. That brain I don’t have you have it. All of you are excelling. My father refused to train me, I’ll train you all. All of you will graduate and become notable people.” 

“Thank you mummy. Iyamiwura”

She laughed. She loved to hear adulation.

My mother was gold indeed. She was from Osunstate, and even finished secondary school with good grades, her father had refused to help her further her education. He had said training a female child through university was a waste of resources. 

“Efe, make I go market. The rain don stop; At least anything food go enter table”

“Mummy be careful o, then send Debatomorrow. I have some money left from what uncle gave us last week for our hair; rather than braid, I only washed my hair”

“Omosefe my hero!” my mother hailed.

“Mummy anything for you all o. Just send him tomorrow I’ll also add transport and maybe he will even meet Aunty at home, she might also add something for the family.”

“Thank you my child.”

“Mama, forget that man. One day we will all make you happy.”

“I know my child.” She said before ending the call.

I spent a few moments replaying our conversation - the pain in her voice lingered in my head, the disappointment from the man she loved with her whole life. My uncles and aunts from both my paternal and maternal sides had insisted she left him when he began his excesses- drinking, womanizing and all sorts. She had insisted what God had joined together, no one would put asunder and stuck with him regardless.

“Efe, you dey alright?” My male cousin Yuwa walked into the room to find me teary eyed.

“Yes, na dust o,” I rubbed the eyes for effect.

“Hmmm, dust? Mummy deycall you”

“Alright” I said without leaving the bed.

“She asked that you follow me,” he persisted.

I sighed.

“She wants you to come check if the outfit she is choosing matches or rhymes with her shoe and bag,” he explained.

My aunt always did that, prepared an outfit for an occasion that was three days away.

“Okay I dey come!” I said standing up to follow him.

************

My phone was ringing nonstop. “Who be that when dey call you now?” my aunt fumed.

“I nor know o.”

“Abi na Mummy Sun?” That was the nickname for my mum. She hailed from Osun state, hence the name

“No o, I just talk to her finish sef.”

“Or na your many boyfriends?” she eyed

I smiled 

“Go pick the call, I nor wan hear nonsense.” 

I laughed and went to check who it was that wanted to kill my battery. It was Kingsley my boyfriend, I should have known, he was the only person who called me severally in such a manner. 

“Hi,” I picked the call.

“Madam, I have been calling you!” He started.

“I saw all 12 missed calls. I was busy”

“Busy? You asked me to call you back for a rerun of the medical exam and you are refusing to take my calls?”

“See, I was busy with my aunt. I couldn’t have heard my phone ring and not take it” I responded imitating his angry manner.

“Well, you’re now a GRA kid. I expect it.”

“Look, is there anything you want?” I snapped.

“Yes, I’m outside your aunt’s house, come out!”

“What? You did not even call me. Why do you always barge in on me?”

“Bring the test results along I need proof” he replied ignoring my question.

I looked at my phone’s screen. He had ended the call immediately he gave the last instruction. “Efe, nor be wahala be this so?” I hissed.

I had no results to show him, I hadn’t done the test like he instructed and even if I did go ahead to conduct it, I already knew my genotype was AA - the falsehood was to tell him off. I walked out of the house stealthily, thankfully, my uncle had gone out. He went visiting a few political allies and my cousin had gone to see her friends. She was preparing to return back to school in Ghana and these last few weeks here in Nigeria mattered a lot to her.

I walked angrily towards his car or rather his mother’s car which he had bullied her into letting him use regularly.

“Hi,” I managed to say through clenched teeth when I got in.

“What’s wrong with you?”  He asked angrily.

“How do you mean what’s wrong with me?” I eyed him.

“You do know I love you right? With my entire life,” he sighed.

I saw the worry lines across his face. Kingsley I cannot do this again. I know you plan to marry me but our genotypes do not match and I cannot keep up with this charade.” I rushed the words. What I should have said instead was that he had graduated for more than 2 years now, he had no job, was waiting on his older ones for money and he was so engrossed with ensuring I was not cheating he had little time to create and pursue his own dream.

“So you’re saying we should end this?” He asked wearily.

I swallowed.

“Efe, do you know what this would do to me? You’re my world, my life.” He allowed the tears flow freely.

I knew he cared for me, but he was obsessed. He would follow me from a distance to ensure I stopped at no one’s, warn other boys to stay off, smelt my face and lips to know if I had kissed anyone and God knows he hit me when he felt he wasn’t getting his way through words.

“I cannot do this again Kingsley let’s just end it.”

“Can’t we try more tests and pray about this?” His tear-flow increased.

“We would only hurt ourselves the more.” I tried to shed a tear. Sadly, my dry eyes wouldn’t cooperate.

“Get out from my car!” he barked

“Kingsley...” I whispered.

“Get out before I push you!” he voiced angrily as he started the car.

I slowly got out and stepped away.

“I know you did this because of another man, enjoy your life with him.” He snapped as he drove off angrily.

I walked back to my gate, the traitor tears now falling freely. I wasn’t crying because of Kingsley, I was crying because I didn’t feel anything for him, I pitied him. I held onto the small gate to regain balance. I felt a hand on my shoulder. Rose was back.

“Hey,” she hugged me.

I allowed the tears flow and cried harder as she held me.

“It’s okay, you’re doing the right thing,” she consoled.

I nodded my head in agreement.

“Let’s go inside.” She said.

“But how are you here?” I asked her.

“I saw you walk towards his car as I approached the house so I lurked around because I was scared he might try to hurt you.”

“No wonder” I sniffed.

“No wonder what?” rose asked

“He actually made a fist at some point, looked around and then barked at me to get down from the car.”

“I could see his face, I knew he would get violent and I wanted to be there to protect you.”

“Thank you” I said half smiling.

“I love you Sis.”

“I love you too.”

“Efe,” Yuwa called. 

“Yes!”

“Mummy says you should go iron her skirt for tomorrow.”

Rose chuckled, “I’m off... I’ve got menstrual pain” She chuckled again.

“For real?”

“Errm, that’s my alibi men! Say hi to your mother for me,” she laughed heartily.

“Efe!” My aunt called

“Ma, I’m coming.” 

“Where’s your sister? I heard her voice.”

“She is in the room, she’s feeling sick,” I swallowed. I hated lying.

My aunt frowned. “She wasn’t sick enough to go gallivanting right?” 

“It’s menstrual pain.”

“You both must be mad.” She said angrily. “And tell her I know when her monthly flow comes so she should find a new lie.” She hissed.

“But it’s the truth” I tried convincingly.

“Well, since you’re her spokeswoman and doctor, maybe you can sweep Daddy’s room when you’re done ironing my skirt. That would have been her job.”

“Alright ma.”

“So you would do it?” My aunt asked.

“Yes, it’s just to help her.”

“You and Rose are both mad.” She walked away.

I turned to go to the ironing room then I heard my name again.

“Efe!”

“Ma,” 

“When you’re done, come join me in the kitchen and maybe if your sister feels better, you call her to come learn how to cook...idiots!”

********************

My cousin had come to join me in releasing the dogs. She knew her mum didn’t buy the stomach pain alibi and she would make me suffer for covering up for her. 

“Efe, koyo (well-done),” she patted me on the back as I opened Murphy’s cage.

I sighed.

“Did she really have you do many chores?” Rose asked.

“Nah, I’m fine. The chores were normal, besides I had enough time to gossip with her while we cooked”

“I don’t know how you do it, gossip with those two - mummy and daddy.”

“They are really cool, I love their company.”

“You’re old now.” She laughed 

“Get-out!” I joined in.

“Your phone has been ringing, it’s a mobile phone Efe, you should take it with you.”

“Phones are a distraction, every call would be returned when I’m less busy.”

“Maybe when you get a blackberry, you’ll get familiar with holding your phone.”

“That thing is demonic,” I smirked.

“What is?”

“The blackberry thing, you’ll be in this house and hold your phone like you would a book” I shook my head.

“Everyone cannot be like you madam.” 

“Yes I know. Which is why I do not also want anyone turning me into what I’m not.”

“You should call Larry, he has been trying to reach you.”

“Yea...” I said quietly

“Go inside, you can have your bathe and return your calls, I’ll take it from here.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes.”

Rose hated the dogs, she actively avoided them, I was a little scared she would leave them hungry and go on a calling spree with her friends.

“I also need to make some calls and you know I do not have a bedroom voice like you, staying out here would give me the privacy I need.”

“Oh I see...”

“Yes please,” she said and slapped my behind as I walked away.

“Lesbian!” I mouthed.

“Sister, sister.” She replied.



to be continued......