Dear Future Husband E15
I adjusted the scrub as I reached for the side of the bed. “It’s urgent I see her, she’s a friend.”
“Kimberly, you are in no position to decide that. You are going anyway, and that’s final.”
I smiled. “David, I am fine.”
“You should listen to David” Ini suggested. I eyeballed her. “Okay, fine, do as you please.”
David stood in my way. “Look Kim, this is for your own good.” He said, and sat me back on the bed.
“Elizabeth needs me…” I stressed.
He shook his head in disagreement. “I am sorry; we’ll have to take care of you first.”
I turned my face away and lay back.
He nodded. “Would it make you better if you went to her?”
I grinned. “Yes.”
He nodded. “Fine, I’ll take you there. Where does she live?” His phone rang. He stared at the Caller ID and cut the call. “So, where are we going to?” he asked, again. The phone rang for the second time.
“Answer your call.” I said.
He took a deep breath. “Excuse me.” he said, and walked out.
Ini shot at me. “Kim! How dare you make him answer the call?” she said, as she approached me. “For what we know, it might be an ex, and you guys already have something special.”
I rolled my eyes and collected the clothes they had brought for me from Tola. “I would be in the bathroom.” I said, and excused them.
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“What is it, Father?”
Bolu Coker cleared his throat. “What are you doing in that hospital?”
David looked around the hall. “How do you know where I am?” he asked, as he walked briskly outside.
“David, I follow you and everyone that concerns you.
David hissed. “Well, your informants must have told you that Kimberly is ill, at least, I am obliged to be here.”
Bolu Coker laughed wickedly. “Ill? She only passed out, David Coker. Don’t exaggerate.”
“Why in God’s name are you following us?”
Bolu laughed and stopped. “David Coker, we have urgent matters to attend to.”
“I am suspended, remember?”
His father hissed. “David, this is not a game! I need you here now.”
David nodded. “That would be in the next three hours.”
Bolu laughed wickedly. “That must sound funny to you, I give the orders, son.” The laugh died. “You have twenty minutes.”
“That’s not possible, I have to take care of Kimberly.”
Bolu yelled. “There are friends there with her.”
“Dad, stay away from Kimberly. Stop following her.”
“David, I didn’t follow her. You have to come here now, in the next twenty minutes.”
David hissed. “You can’t give me orders, Father. I’ll come when I am done taking care of Kim.”
“How is Professor Mrs. Bankole’s health?” he asked, and the line went dead.
David gasped and rushed back into the hospital. He ran straight to Wura Bankole’s room. She was sleeping soundly. He took a deep breath and leaned against the door.
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I adjusted my top and stared at the others. “Look guys, I’ll be fine.”
Tola sat beside me on the bed. “I know, I just want you to take care of yourself. This looks minor, but it doesn’t mean that you should take it with levity.”
I smiled and placed my head on her shoulder. “Thanks dear, I’ll be fine.” I clasped my hand into my cheek. “Now where’s David?”
The door opened and David came in. he blinked as he stared at us.
“What is it, David?”
He cleared his throat. “I have to go home urgently.”
I nodded. “It’s okay.”
He knelt before me. “I am sorry. It’s really urgent and important I leave.” He said.
Tola smiled. “It’s okay, we’ll take care of her. You may leave.”
He nodded and ruffled my hair. “Do take care.” He said. He patted Henry’s back. “Take care of them.” He said and walked out.
Henry smiled. “The mantle of leadership has been passed on to a man of valour.” He said, proudly. He cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind, Ini, go and arrange for Kim to be discharged.”
Ini stared at him. “Is this one mad?” We all laughed. “Abeg, go and see the Doctor.” She shouted and Henry scampered off.
“What do you think could have happened?” I asked.
Ini shrugged. “You tell us, you know it’s not easy to predict your families.” She murmured.
“What is that supposed to mean, Ini Obong?” I asked.
She shrugged. Tola cut in. “Don’t mind her, you know how Ini can be.” She said, as she laid the bed.
The door opened and Henry came in with the Doctor. “Hi Kimberly.” She said.
I stared at her. “Can I see my mom?”
“You can, but she’s resting, and I would love to check you before we discharge you.” she said, and helped me back on the bed.
She went through the formalities and smiled. “You are in a good shape, but we’ll have some medications prescribed for you, and you are advised to return within the week for a check-up, preferably Wednesday. I’ll set you up for an appointment.”
I nodded. “Thank you. Can I see her now?”
She nodded. “Please come with me.”
“I’ll join you guys at the Pharmacy.” I said to the others and went with the doctor.
She stood before the door. “There she is… she is still very unconscious, so I advice you don’t spend much of your time here” she added and left.
I stared at her as she slept with an Oxygen mask over her nose. I held her hand as I took my seat. “Hi Mom…” I started as tears rolled down my eyes. “I know you said ‘hey’…” I took a deep breath. “I am sorry. I wish you didn’t have to go through all these pain, you don’t deserve it.” I paused and ran my finger through her hair. “Mom, how are you?” I asked. I knew I would be getting all her responses logically in my heart. I knew that she would say… ‘Your mom is hanging on fine until her dying day’. “Mom, you can’t give up yet. I think there’s hope.” I said, with a smile. “David isn’t so bad, and I think I love him.” I took a deep breath. “David and I may just work.”
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David parked his car and ran into the house. “Father!!!” he yelled.
“He is in the garden.” A maid directed.
He hurried to the back of the house. “Father!”
Bolu Coker puffed his Marijuana. “Why are you yelling like a rabid dog?”
“Father! This isn’t funny. What do you want from me?”
He hissed. “We have business to take care of. There is a major takeover soon.”
“Damn your takeovers! What do you intend to do to Kim’s mom?”
His father smiled. “I see you got the message.” He leaned against his cane. “Prof Mrs. is slowly become irrelevant, I don’t think the society would miss her, after all they don’t miss your mom.”
David raised his hand in anger but restrained himself.
“Bravo! You were going to hit me?” Bolu asked, and smiled. He turned round and slapped David. “You idiot! What has come over you? I own you!”
David panted heavily. “Stay away from Kim’s Mom, Father.”
Tunji Bankole joined them. “What is going on here? I heard noise.”
David stared at him. “You despicable old man! How dare you touch your wife?”
“Oti o! Bolu, what an insult?” Tunji roared. “Bolu, what is all these?”
Bolu Coker threw his marijuana angrily on the floor. “Enough of this nonsense, David. Get out of here, all your actions have grave consequences and you know it.”
David eyeballed them and walked away.
“What has gotten into your son?” Tunji asked, furiously.
Bolu sighed. “If you knew you were going to kill Wura, you should have done that without hesitating.”
“What are you saying? I can’t kill her.”
Bolu rolled his eyes. “Don’t play innocent with me. Wura almost died and no thanks to your daughter and David, she’s alive.”
Tunji shook his head confusingly. “I only hit her. I can’t kill her.”
“You mean you didn’t know?” Bolu probed taking his seat.
Tunji nodded. “I left her in the room.”
Bolu smiled. “Wura tried to commit suicide. She was found in the pool.”
Tunji gasped. “She can’t swim…”
Bolu nodded with a smile. “It’s about time she paid Elizabeth a visit then.”
“What do you mean?”
Bolu clapped his hand. “My friend, your wife is on the way to first class depression, so we could ease her problem by dumping her in a facility, home or abroad, probably in Australia.”
Tunji stood up angrily. “What are you saying? I can’t do that to Wura. I have hurt her enough.”
Bolu smiled. “Tunji, you have done nothing wrong to Wura. We are only looking out for our families, and these women always get in the way of everything. It’s not a big deal, if we adjust them you know.”
“By adjusting, you mean killing, right?”
Bolu hissed. “Why are you making it sound so brutal? We are helping these kids out, and you are way too far in it to chicken out now.” He yelled and poured some Red wine. “Here, this should calm your nerves.” He said, and walked in.
“David!” Bolu called as he walked upstairs. “Young man, you have been rude to daddy and my patience is wearing out.” Bolu paused as he saw David dragging his bag downstairs. “What is this, David?”
David smiled. “Father, you are not blind, I suppose.” Bolu raised his hand to hit him, but David restrained him. “I have had enough. I need my own space.”
“I don’t need to remind you of the consequences of your actions.”
David nodded. “I am fully aware, Father. I just need my own space.”
“Which of the houses are you moving into?”
David pulled his bag as he walked past him. “You don’t need to ask me, you’ll always find out.”
Bolu held his hand back. “David, be careful. Don’t push your luck, son.”
“You shouldn’t push yours too, Father.” He said, and walked away.
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“Mom?”
Elizabeth turned with a sad smile. “You have been gone.”
I wore a faint smile as I took my seat. “I am sorry.” I said, and hugged her.
She placed her head on my lap. “Don’t leave me again.” She begged.
I nodded. “I won’t. I’ll come to see you every day.”
“Do you want to hear about my soldier?”
I smiled. “Yes, Please.”
“He came during the wars. They were the dark and stormy wars.” She started. Cold chills ran down my spine as I listened to her. She chuckled. “He won the war and I fell in love with him. I mean, who wouldn’t love a hero fresh from the fights?”
I stared at her. Her words were too wise. “Who are you?”
“A broken woman, a woman who has lost her pride and everything she stood for, a woman who lost her soldier and took the Villain.”
I wanted to know more. “What’s your last name?”
“Elizabeth Sunflower.”
I stared at her. “Really? Liz, I mean your real surname.”
She nodded with a smile. “That’s my name.”
“I want to help you find your family. You don’t deserve to be here.”
She hissed dryly. “This is exactly where I belong. I have no home or family.”
“What about your husband?”
She sighed and poured some water. “The villain, you mean?”
I nodded. “The Villain.”
She smiled as she looked outside her window. “He’ll soon be dead, but before me. I must see him die.”
I hugged her as she broke down in tears. “Don’t be bitter.”
“He took my life from me. Everything I was, he destroyed it, and made me this.” She cried.
I rubbed her hair. “It would be fine.”
She nodded. “I know… tell me about yourself. I should at least know about my daughter, shouldn’t i?”
I smiled. “My name is Kim Banks and I am a writer. That’s all, nothing important.”
“That’s important for me.”
She sat up. “Your parents must be very proud of you. You are a pride to any mother.”
“Yes, to my mother.”
“What about your father?”
I blinked. “He loves me.”
“He should.”
I rose to my feet. “Tomorrow is Sunday; would you be allowed to go to church?”
“There’s a cathedral here. We all worship together, if we want to.”
I smiled. “Can I come?”
Tears rolled down her eyes. “I would be delighted.”
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David sank into a chair. “I just need to stay here for the weekend.”
Oyinkan stared at him as she took his bag from his hand. “Old Coker must have pushed you too far.”
He sighed. “Please give me some water.”
She left for the kitchen and returned with a glass of water. “David…what do you want to do?”
He took his water and placed the glass carefully on the side table. “Oyinkan, I don’t know. But I need to find my mother.”
“I think you already blew your cover by telling that woman that you are Elizabeth’s son. We have to come up with another plan before your Dad gets to her.”
“He put her there. He just doesn’t want to kill her yet, that is if she’s not dead yet.”
She smiled. “Your mom is fine. Remember, the Mother said she isn’t allowed visitors.”
“And I feel if you push it, she may alert your father and you don’t want anything to go wrong.”
He nodded. “I need my mom in my life. I need her to forgive me.”
Oyinkan smiled. “I have an idea.”
“What?”
She smiled brilliantly. “Tomorrow is a Sunday. I want to believe that the house of God isn’t confined to only the inhabitants of Victoria’s Home.” She started. He smiled. “Exactly, so we are going to Church tomorrow, hopefully, we can locate your mom in the crowd.”
“I don’t know what she looks like. It’s been 12 years, and she probably must have forgotten me.”
She winked. “A mother’s heart never forgets.”
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The church bells chimed as I walked in with my bible. Elizabeth was waiting for me in the front row. “Why did you have to seat here?” I asked.
“I have scores to settle with God.” She said, as she grinned. I had never liked the front row for any reason. “I am sorry, it’s just that I think Father Francis has a way of relating to me during the masses.” I popped my eyes at her. “Not in that way, Kimberly. He talks about my pains and sorrows, gives me some hope.”
I nodded. “Okay then.”
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The security man stood firmly before the gate. “Please where is your visitor’s pass?”
David hissed. “Today is Sunday, can’t I worship God wherever I so wish?”
“Please sir, we are new to town and we need a place of worship. we were told that there is a church here.” Oyinkan pleaded.
The security man remained firm. “This is a secure facility and the only people allowed in are those with family here.”
“My Mom is here!” David shouted.
The security man nodded. “Can we have a proof of that?”
David kicked the sand furiously. “What stupid proof?”
Oyinkan placed her hand on his shoulder. “Come on, David.” He yanked her hand off furiously. “Calm down, David. There would be other days.”
“There would be none for me.” he shouted. He kicked the car furiously. “This is disgusting.”
The security man approached. “Calm down sir.”
“Don’t tell me to bloody calm down.” David shouted as he muscled him against the car. “Leave me alone!”
Oyinkan hurried after him. “David!”
He turned back sharply. “Go away, Oyinkan. I just want to be alone.”
“This is just one set back. We’ll try again.”
He nodded. “I know…now leave, I’ll be fine.” He replied, handing the car keys to her.
She hugged him. “You don’t even know her face, David. We can always try again.”
“Just go.”
Oyinkan smiled as she walked away.
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Tunji took his seat and started talking to his unconscious wife. “Wura, I don’t know what to say.” He started. “I think I pushed you too hard and I am sorry, but you are never interested in looking out for our daughter. I am trying to sort out her future. My measures may seem harsh, but I am sure that in the end, you would see reasons with me.”
A doctor stepped in. “Professor Bankole, please can I see you outside for a minute?”
He nodded. “Yes please.” He replied. “What is it about?” he asked as he shut the door.
“When we did some diagnosis on Professor Mrs. Bankole, we realized that she had gone through some sort of physical assault. We just want to know if you can help us clarify that?”
He rolled his eyes. “As far as I am concerned, my wife has not suffered any form of assault, and the fact that she attempted suicide is something that I would love to keep secret.”
The doctor nodded. “We can respect that.”
“It is not a thing of pride and I still think we should look deeply into the matter, for all we know, she might have just been hanging around the pool and slipped.”
The doctor shook his head in disagreement. “I am afraid that is not the case. We also had to force pills out of her system, sir.” He said, and tapped Prof. Bankole as he walked away.
Tunji Bankole took a deep breath and walked out of the hospital.
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Ini sipped her drink. “I have a plan that would fetch us some more money without directly hurting our deal with Shola.”
“How about we just come out with the truth? I mean this is pure blackmail.” Marcus replied.
She nodded. “And what happens after we turn ourselves in? Jail, Marcus! Jail!”
He took a deep breath. “We won’t serve long terms. I have a lawyer friend, he is really good.”
“You really are stupid, Marcus. Aren’t you?”
He shot at her angrily. “Don’t use harsh words on me. I am not to blame totally for all these…”
“Of course, we share in the blame. And I should take a larger share because I trusted a moron like you, I should have just finished her off myself.”
He nodded. “You are right. I should never have supported you, look Ini, it’s a mess that we are in together, and I know I’ll get us out of it.”
She wore a rueful smile. “Sounds impressive, so what do you have in mind?”
“Nothing for now, so, what’s your genius plan?”
She smiled. “You would agree with me that I am hotter than Shola, what if I struck a deal with the agency director not to release the actual figure of our deals to her?”
Marcus wore a grimace. “You want to sleep with the director?”
She nodded. “Shola does it, many models do it, and we need our money.”
“That’s disgusting, despicable!”
She frowned. “Calm down. It’s my body.”
“Since when have you been doing this?”
She smiled. “I intend to start tomorrow.”
“You won’t!”
She shot at him. “Why not? We are going to be broke if we don’t find a solution as soon as possible, Shola is winning.”
“Just shut up, Ini. Is this all about Shola winning?” he asked. She opened her mouth to talk but he stopped her. “I am not done! Have you no value for yourself, Ini?”
She slammed the table. “Enough, Marcus! I am from a poor home, values are not placed on self, you think about others, I am thinking about you here, your money has dropped.”
“Ini, I don’t need your pity or concern. You are in a battle of supremacy with Shola, and it’s time you give up.”
She frowned. “It’s not your business.”
“I love you, Ini. It’s my business.”
She laughed hard. “Love? I don’t believe in that sh*t!”
He nodded. “I know, but I am real. I have loved you forever and I have never stopped. Does it hurt you so much that someone cares about you?”
“I don’t need it. I have never needed care.”
He took her hand. “I want to care for you.”
She took her hand out of his grip. “You are a fool, Marcus. A real fool. I won’t love you.”
He took a deep breath. “Thank you.” he rose to his feet. “From now on till we find a solution to this mess we are in with Shola. I don’t want any salaries.” He said and walked away.
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I took Elizabeth back to her room.
“Did you enjoy Father Francis’s sermon?” she asked, as she took her seat.
I slumped into the bed. “Erm…it was fine.”
She laughed. “You are a pretender, just like my late son. He used to lie about everything to make me happy, before he changed and his death.” She started. I sat up as she continued. “Do you know that I used to be a terrible cook, and when I made my baby lunch and ask, ‘How is it?’ he would stare at me and say, delicious.”
“Seriously?” I asked.
She nodded in agreement. “There was a day he took my food to school; I didn’t know that kids had planned within themselves to show off their mother’s skills. I was called to school by the principal at lunch break?”
“Why is that?” I asked.
She smiled. “My son beat up his friends badly, they said his mother’s food tasted horribly.” She said, in tears. “He fought them so much, and he was only eight. My husband decided that he should never eat from me again. I learnt how to cook, but up till his death, he never ate from me again.”
By the time she was through I was already in tears. “I am sorry for your loss, but how did he change so fast? He must really have loved you.”
She smiled as she poured a glass of water. “He was forced into business, ruthless business by his Dad, and before we knew it, my husband had his whole life mapped out, his university, his friends, and his wife. If he hadn’t passed away, they would have been married by now.” She paused to drink her water. “He slowly started to see his father as right, and as a kid who always adored his father who never paid any interest to him at an early stage, you can imagine his delight when his dad decided to start a relationship with him.” She took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, their relationship isn’t what any mother would wish for her only child. My son watched my husband hit me, toss me around and never said a word, sometimes he looked away, but the day he died, was the day he watched my husband drag me out of the house into this home.”
I paused and stared at her. “Did you kill your son in your heart? Or is he dead?”
She smiled. “Kimberly, he is dead. Simple.”
“Why do I think you are being poetic with this?”
She frowned. “He is dead.” She replied as a tear drop rolled down her eyes.
I nodded in agreement. “I am sorry.”
I left Elizabeth after a couple of hours, she had taken her 4pm medication and was asleep. I took the lonely path where I had first met Elizabeth as I walked home. I felt sad, a mother was hurting from the deathof her son. My new story had a plot already, it was to me, the best love story ever told, a love that went sour, Elizabeth Sunflower and her late son, I was going to change the names and add to my fiction, but her life was unraveling a new plot every time.
The bushes danced in their beauty as the wind blew and it took my mind back to the first day I met her. It is a day I am forever grateful for. I leaned against the ‘love chair’ in the lonely street for support and then thought about my first discussions with her. ‘I am going to find her husband’ I thought in my heart.
“If my life is for rent, and I don’t want to buy…well I deserve nothing more than I get…” Dido’s ‘Life for rent’ streamed nearby. And I hummed accordingly. It was beautiful and it sounded pure. I thought the voice was natural. I had never heard such before. I didn’t care, I hummed on.
I didn’t hear the song after a while. I stood up and decided to take my leave when I saw the bushes dancing again. I am not adventurous, but for some weird reasons, I knew Elizabeth was hiding in the bushes and singing. She must have followed me without my knowledge. As I approached the figure, I could hear sobs, weak sobs. Why would Elizabeth cry in the bushes? yet she remained still, with her head buried down from the view I saw her.
I walked closer and the body turned quickly. “David?” I gasped.
Dear Future Husband E15
© Tomi Adesina
#OpraDre
