Echoes Episode 5

 

All Aisha looked forward to hearing everyday was the sound of her husband’s car zooming into the compound. Her husband; she liked the sound of that. The past 6 months have been the best 6 months of her life, she had no idea any human being could be so happy. She woke up every morning to the miracle God has blessed her with, Bryan, her Bryan. Whoever said all men were dogs should please stop searching from the zoo, Bryan was a miracle packaged in human form. Of course he had his flaws but his virtues were certainly more than any flaws she could think of.

She had been standing for about 30 minutes preparing her husband’s favourite meal, he loved his eba and ogbona soup and she always ensured he ate it every once in a while. Her left leg had started aching again; it’s been so since the previous month but for her, it was a beautiful kind of pain. It was because of her pregnancy. She pulled up a stool and decided to sit down while cutting the oziza leaf. A sweet smile warmed her face as she remembered Bryan’s reaction when she finally confirmed his suspicions that she was pregnant. She hadn’t really experienced the usual dizziness most pregnant women did plus they had been very careful whenever they had sex because they had agreed to spend some time alone as a couple before welcoming babies so she never thought a baby had already found a seat in her tummy. But Bryan always suspected and his reason as insane and unusual as it was, turned out to be true.

            “Babe, I’m almost 100% sure our baby is on its way already”

It wasn’t the first time he said that so she wasn’t so surprised, and although she had laughed it off the first time, she was now very interested in knowing why he kept insisting.

            “For crying out loud Bryan, why do you keep saying that?”

He had gone down on his knees and kissed her tummy.

            “Do you even realise how many times you have gone to the toilet to ease yourself in the past one hour?”

She had burst into laughter, her husband was insane! This was his reason, seriously? She had expected him to say she was starting to add weight or something but pee? Certainly hilarious!

            “I’m serious honey. You pee so much these days and its one of the earliest signs, I’m serious.”

            “I hear you o doctor Bryan, this little girl right here isn’t pregnant, not yet.”

            “Okay o. I have said my own”

Then came the 18^th and there was no period. She had a 28 day cycle that has never missed, immediately it didn’t come that day, she knew something had happened. She immediately went to the pharmacy for the strips and gbam! Although a bit faint, she saw the red line; she was pregnant! She wanted to get worried because she knew it wasn’t the plan, but the thought of her carrying Bryan’s baby just filled her with joy. She didn’t wait for him to get down from his car that night, dressed in her cute lingerie, she ran out to him as soon as he drove into the compound and gave him the most passionate of kisses.

            “You were right baby, we are pregnant”

            “Yaaaay! I told you! I told you! I’m the man!”

Of course, it wouldn’t be Bryan if he didn’t revel in the fact that he had been right, he would take his time to soar in his glory. But she could see he was happy, so happy. They had thought they wanted time to themselves first before any babies, but now that the babies were arriving, they realised they couldn’t be happier.

The pain had relieved her a little, she stood up to wash the leaves and get ready to prepare her husband’s soup. She could still feel the pain slightly but ogbona soup was the kind of soup you don’t leave on fire. She had boiled the stock fish and isi-ewu (head of goat) Bryan loved so much, it was time to add the crayfish, saint pepper and palm oil.

            “Ouch!”

Her leg, again

She managed to add them, covered the pot and immediately sat back. She was already 6 months gone and despite how much she enjoyed the way Bryan doted on her, she couldn’t wait for the baby to come out. Ifunaya; that was the name they had both agreed to give their baby girl because she was a child borne out of love, an overdose of it. Although she had wanted a boy, Bryan strongly desired a girl and truth be told, she was happy he won. She had been against checking the sex of their baby before birth but as typical of Bryan, he was impatient and just needed to know. He finally succeeded in convincing her and once again, as regards matters of this pregnancy, he was right! Her leg pain has increased since it started too, she hadn’t complained at her ante-natal because she knew it was just one of those signs experienced during pregnancy especially as she was already going into her final trimester. But she decided that she would have to complain at her next appointment, it was gradually becoming unbearable.

The palm oil had boiled enough, it was time to add the ogbona and remain standing to stir it till it was good enough to add the leaves. She managed to get up and as fast she could, did all she needed to before running back to sit.

            “Ifunaya my darling, why are you causing mom so much pain? Please position yourself well, so you wouldn’t have to rest wherever you are resting that is causing this pain, please darling.”

Call her cynical but she felt her baby kick, and that put a smile on her face, her baby would be kind and loving. The pain usually increased in the evenings. She could have cooked immediately she got back from work around 4pm to avoid having to stand at night, but 2 things had kept her from doing so. One was Telemundo. Telemundo was one of the channels on DSTV that showed series of Mexican soap operas. Her favourites were ‘Under the Same Sky’ and ‘Part of Me’ and both were showed between 4pm and 6pm. She could have waited for the repeat at night but by then Bryan would be back and he absolutely hated the channel.

The second thing was that Bryan was going to see his father from work. Ever since their wedding and the unforgettable experience at their reception, father had only visited them once. They had visited him several times but the atmosphere had always been tense. She still overheard him sometimes telling Bryan to be careful. How could a father see how happy his son was with a woman and still insist something was wrong. She remembered how she had pitied him that day when he had burst into tears publicly. He had immediately put himself together and lied that the thought of his wife being absent on their son's special day was what moved him to tears but she and Bryan knew better. Ever since, their conversation had been stiffer than ever, even when he was told his granddaughter was on her way, he had feigned a smile on his lips but that look of fear was even more pronounced in his eyes.

            “Thank you my darling, the pain has reduced.” She placed her right hand on her tummy; she was having a mother-daughter time. Some people might not agree but she strongly believed that babies in the womb could hear when they are spoken to by their mothers.

            “Can’t wait to see you”

She added the oziza, covered it to boil for a short while and then food was ready. Just then, she heard the father of the house drive in.

            “Oh daddy is back honey, let’s go welcome him”

**********

Mrs Akpan was at it again.

Toju had gotten home from work to meet Mrs Akpan and Iya Halima having 'a go at it'. Ire was sleeping when she picked him up from the crèche in her school that she had thought she would just calmly lay him down to sleep when they got home but no, Mrs Akpan the trouble maker was busy stirring waters. She quietly entered the compound, didn’t greet anyone so she wouldn’t be noticed and headed to her room. She laid Ire down but the noise was out of this world, he woke up. She was angry; she needed Ire to sleep so she could have time to complete her lesson note. Her school’s vice principal had complained that her lesson notes weren’t up to date and even though she was teaching the only Nursery school she still had to ensure they were. She had to do something or Mrs Akpan wouldn’t stop till tomorrow.

            “Mrs Akpan, abeg wetin happen”

Not that she was interested but she knew Mrs Akpan well and she knew the only way to shut her up was to pretend to be interested in her story and then agree she was the victim.

            “My dear, na cook I dey cook for kitchen o, as pepper don cost for market I decide sey I no go cook white rice with stew sey instead I go cook concoction rice”

            “Okay okay, wetin Iya Halim kon do?”

            “Hmmm. As I use that our grinding stone grind the small pepper wey I get, nah in I carry the stone put for one side sey I go wash am when I finish. As I put the food for fire, I sey make I come inside come pick my phone wey dey ring. When I finish o, I sey make I go check my food because you know sey plenty witch full this house and person no fit leave hin food for kitchen.”

She could hear iya Halima’s voice coming from her room. She had been dragged in by two other women and Mrs Akpan was just standing in front of her room raining her abuses.

            “Na you be witch, yellow pawpaw”, Iya Halima gave her reply

            “Ahhh, see this black dirty Yoruba charcoal wey dey follow me talk o. if e sure for you come outside, coward!”

            “Mrs Akpan, I dey hear you abeg” Toju couldn’t wait for this nightmare to end. She could see from the corner of her eyes that Ire had come out and he was bare footed. She needed to end this as go attend to him.

            “As I dey talk before this cockroach interrupt. As I return go kitchen nah in I see sey this blackey don dey use the grinding stone grind pepper. Na jejeli I tell am sey when she grind finish make she try wash the thing, na where I offend as be dat o. she kon dey tell me sey sebi na me first dirty am sey because of that when she grind finish, she go leave am the dirty way wey she meet am, imagine o, that kain thing make sense?”

Toju shook her head. She couldn’t afford to voice out her ‘no e no make sense’. If Iya Halima should hear, that’s another trouble. Not that Iya Halima was a troublesome woman or at least, she wasn’t as troublesome as the ‘madam’ Toju knew she only reacted that way to Mrs Akpan because she had done same in the past and in fact was always doing that to other people. She would wait until someone had made use of one of the kitchen items, monitor the person till she leaves it and immediately run to use it. After usage, she will tell the person she met it dirty and isn’t anyone’s slave. Iya Halima was simply getting back at her. But not today, she needed her peace and was ready to calm this storm. She carefully dragged Mrs Akpan to the front of her own room.

            “Mrs Akpan, no mind dem abeg, na you dey right. Dem just want make you dey shout so that people go think sey na you be wicked person. If I be you ehn, I no go just answer them.”

            “Chai! Na true o, all dis Yoruba people ehn. Make I leave dem so that shame go catch them well well”

She didn’t expect it to be as fast as this but how very grateful she was that it was.

            “Sorry ehn Mrs Akpan, God go fight your enemies for you”

Those were the kind of words she liked to hear and it worked. Peace and quiet returned to the house, Iya Halima had long kept quiet and must have started doing something else inside her room. Mrs Akpan, though still fuming went to the backyard and there was peace and quiet again. Toju was sure Mrs Akpan hadn’t noticed the boys had resumed their song because she didn’t make to run after them, she was just glad it had ended. It was 3:30pm already and by 6pm everyone would start putting on their I-better-pass-my-neighbour generators and the noise would be back. She had to make hay while the peace reigned.

            “Ire dear, where is your shoe?”

She bent to look for it. She might be living in a lousy environment but she still hated dirt and walking barefoot irritated her. She looked at her soon and her heart filled with love for him, he was handsome and growing up so fast. 20^th of next month would be his first year birthday. He looked so much like his father. The height, eyes and that pink lips, if Shola ever saw him it would be impossible to deny. She could have hated him but she loved him mostly because he had her brains, Ire was sharp! At 8months he was already walking and calling ‘mamma’. He had grown some teeth and could accurately decode things she wanted him to do, she knew he would be a genius, like her.

She missed home. She missed her dad. She hadn’t seen him for about 2 years now since she went home for money. After Shola left that day she had made up her mind she was keeping her baby but she knew she needed money to survive. So she had gone home, told her dad something about having come home to pay him a surprise visit. He had a date that night so hadn’t particularly paid her much attention. She had gone into his study, found his safe, unlocked it and taken a huge sum. He gave her his password on one of those nights he had gone on a trip with one of his girls, she had called him that she needed some money urgently. He had tried the gtbank transfer but it wasn’t working so he gave her his password and told her to take the money from his safe. Thank God she had a magnetic memory because now it sure came in handy. She packed some of the favourite things she left at home and was ready for the next day’s journey.

She was ready to leave very early the next morning, her father wasn’t back and she knew he wouldn’t be until mid-afternoon since it was a Saturday. She decided to write him a note just so he wouldn’t worry too much and wouldn’t involve the police.

            Daddy, I love you so much and you mean the world to me.

Please forgive me for I have wronged you. I got pregnant and I can’t face the shame.

I couldn’t tell you because I know how ashamed and disappointed you would be.

I have taken some of your money so I will be fine.

Don’t look for me because I will be back. Yes dad, when the time is right, I will be back.

 Forgive me.

Toju.

She knew it would tear him apart but that was the best thing she could think of at the time. Her father would have been too disappointed in her but she knew he loved her and would certainly forgive her all she needed was to give him time.

She had then remembered the place her departmental team had visited in Lagos during one of their semester trips. They had been lodged in a hotel for the 3 days but had visited the local areas to set traps for the rats they would be using for their research work. They had visited Edo state the previous semester and decided to get samples from Lagos the following semester. She had seen the small houses with many occupants and shook her head in gratitude to God for the kind of life she was privileged to live in her Abuja home. They had gotten so many rats and those working in the lab had gotten more than 10 positives from the 50 samples they took, that was good. They were researching the Lassa virus and they needed as many positives as they could get.

So no 23 Aliu street was the first actually, the only place she thought of when she needed to hide away from her world. She was able to secure a room in the house because she was able to pay a year upfront to the landlord as opposed to the person who was already bidding for the room but could only afford 6 months’ rent. She stayed in a hotel for about a week before moving into the room. She made sure she saved the phone numbers of important people -including Shola for when she was ready for him- and then fixed in a new sim card, it was a new life. She had managed by organising private lessons for the kids in the compound, the token she was paid went a long way.

Her neighbours had raised eyebrows. They all wondered and gossiped about the young pregnant girl in their compound but no one ever had the courage to actually walk up to her to ask any questions and she didn’t bother either. 2 months after, they had abandoned their initial worries and welcomed her among them. She was the ‘bookie’ in their house and they all wanted their kids to learn from her. Ada (a neighbour's daughter) had taken her to the hospital where she registered for antenatal and eventually gave birth to Ire. Ada was the only friend she had, she was the only one about her age and she loved Ire too. So Toju was especially glad when she finally got admission into the university after she had helped her prepare for her JAMB exams, but she missed her.

It was 5 minutes to 6. She had completed her Lesson note for the week and even the next. She had prepared Ire’s meal and fed him to his fill. She didn’t have the strength for the kitchen this evening and so garri and the fried fish she bought on her way home would do just fine.

            “Oya, generator owners, resume”

Just then she heard the ever so familiar sound

“kra kra krekrekre kraaaaaaaaaa”

The ‘I-better-pass-my-neighbours’ have been unleashed.