The “STOP” was not enough and too late to halt Eliza’s two hands motioning down to her abdomen gripping the short knife with vigor. If the “stop” had been said while the the two hands were still dancing in the air with the knife, probably it would have worked on Eliza. But now, it was just too late.
Even Eliza wished she could halt her hands and preclude her action but on what seemed like an oneirism and the in spur of moment, Eliza eyes glowed with repugnance at her hands who were on jaunt to finish what she started, her hands juddered as they warped down on their trip to the abdomen, all Eliza’s 22 chromosome inclined to halt them, the cells were begging, the karyon where pleading, all her body were praying to stop the hands from reaching their destination, but alas! It all happened like a reflex action. The hands plunged deep inside her stomach and rested in the innards.
Eliza touched down uncousiously.
Tunde who had arrived at the scene, apparently he was the one who yelled out to stop Eliza, he had been in the sitting room downstairs for close to five minutes after he arrived. It was after he realised that nobody was going to attend to him, and the same time he felt driplet of of words from conversations between Eliza and her mother falling on his ear, that made him sprang up to interpose them, but unfortunately he was late. Everything he witnessed, happened in a millisecond he could not even explain.
He was the first to lift her up from the red liquid gushing out from her. He carried her on the shoulder and he lurched hurriedly out of the room.
“Yeeh Jesuu ohh.,, Mo’gbe oh, ahh mo daran, Elizaaaa tiii pa mii oh Jesuu ” was all Busayo was uttering as she scampered about to rescued her daughter from death.
She instantly rued over the motive that aided her to threatning Eliza. She never wanted to kill Dami, though she might have grown a strong antipathy towards him, still she couldnt kill an ant. All she wanted to do was to scare the lovevirds minds with her bane words so she could dissever them and end their affair effortlessly . But all her scheme and contrive had inauspiciously boomerang.
“Her daughter is on the verge death and it is all because of her mawkishness.” She thought to herself as she scuttled to their compound.
“Koofii ohh kooofiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik” he yelled at her gateman who was taking his nap inside what looked like a cubicle, though they called it security post.
“Maaaaaaa” Kofi flared up as he heard her madam calling her that name. She knew something bad had or was about to happened. She never called him by his name, she had a troponym she gave him. Either she called him “Aboki” or “Sonuu”. The two name are somewhat like a teaser he enjoyed, cause whenever she called him by any of those names, that means he still felt save on her good side.
He scurried out from the the cubicle to face her a Toyota camry claxon its horn incessantly. The whole situation got him informed that there was an emergency.
He quickly motioned towards the gate and rammed it open for the vehicle which never stopped blaring as he plunked on tarred road down to the nearest hospital.
________________________________
Been only two hours since Eliza was admitted, but seemed like eternity to Busayo and Tunde. Both were asked to stay put inside the lounge filled with different types of patient waiting to be attended to. Busayo never sat down for two minutes since her daughter’s admission.
All her body quivered and shook in fear of loosing her only daughter. Her eyes had gone crimson as a result of delirous and unrestrained cry. If she had thought Eliza coud be this desperate, she wouldnt have gone roughshod and become inimical towards her. Oh God! If you would give me a second change, i promise not to mis-use it this time around. She prayed as another stream of tears overflowed her face.
“Its okay Ma’am, i believe all is well. Eliza wont die.” Tunde rose up to coo Busayo. He felt that was he needed to do as a man, though he himself was hurting inside.
He couldnt actually figure out when he started falling inloving with Eliza whom he had one detested, treated like a vile and stave off. But one thing so sure was that the love he has for her now is pure and true. And could be be the agape type.
The cognitive memory of how Eliza stabbed herself made him put all the blames on himself. If he hadnt starve the poor girl the true love she loath when she was with him, she wouldnt have been a victim of suicide, he knows he had wronged her and he was ready to re-write all his wrongs. He is now back like a prodigals son, now in quest of her mercy and forgiveness to make him to fulfill all his heart desires towards her. I still love Eliza, nothing will take you away from me this time.. NOTHING! Not even death. Tunde thought hard.
“Sorri are you the relative of the patient in ward 7″ a stabled poised tone came out from a nerveless, coolheaded man who was robbed in overall coat hiding his inner white shirts and black pants trouser. A stethoscope was dangling round his neck. His eyes glasses stood proudly on his nose and giving him a grandiloquent appearance.
“Yes, we are” Tunde answered immediately. Not wanting Eliza’s mother to say uneccesary thing that would pretermit his presence in the hospital.
“Okay, can i see you both in my office now?” The words sounded more like an order to the question it was meant to be, because he never really waited for them to answer before he walked towards his office.
“So, i have some information to pass accros to both of you” the stabled voice came out again to the already sitted audience who were more than anxious to know the state of Eliza.
“You see, lets thank God that the knife didn’t cause alot of harm to her. If the knife had pierced further, then this wouldn’t be the story. Its possible we should have lose her instantly. But notheless, there is still an advert reaction to the little scarthe the knife caused”
“What is it doc ?” Both Busayo and Tunde asked the question simultaneously, with worry pasted on their face. Already they were getting peeved by the doctor torpid mode of addresing them. The doctor looked confident why they were boiling with ignorance or anxiousness.
“You see..i dont think” the doctor continued with his poised tone “or let me say medically i dont think Eliza’s womb can carry a child again, her womb was severy fractured by the knife. She has lost her womb to the injury. So no child for Eliza ” The doctor finished adjusting his eyes glass that gave him his grandiloquent physic.
Tunde whistled out some incoherent sounds. …
TEMI {MINE} Episode 13
“What did you just say doc ? Busayo found out her mouth asking the question again, in a way that made it looked like the doctor never meant what he said. Or probably she was daydreaming.
” See madam, you need to calm down” the doctor said trying to waive her question aside. He didnt see the need to iterate such gloomy news to them again.
“Everything happens for a reason and .. ”
“That wasnt the question, i said you should repeat Eliza’s condition” Busayo squalled out again with emotion valid with obvious pain, anguish and regret. She clutched her head with her two hands, while another round of stream of tears puffed out from her crimson eye balls.
Yeeeehh moti gbe.. Mo daran, Aye me ti ba je… Ahh mo fi owo ara mi seh arami. Those where the words that came out from her mouth as she weltered in her teary state spiced with mucous.
All the medical peach the doctor used to profesionally coo her, failed woefully.
“Madam that is not the end of the world for Eliza, i mean she can still be a mother. She can adopt …”
“Noo doctor.. She wants her own children, not adopted ones..,kindly do something to salve this situation.. Pleasse doc.. I will pay anyting..i am ready to give out anything that to salve this. ” Busayo said amidst her wail.
“I am afraid madam, there is nothing we can do about this.” The doctor poised voice sounded again disintegrating Busayo’s ruefulness. She regretted everything that happened ever since her arrival from the states. She wished she never met Dami in the house.
Nothing like love or emotion would have crowded her to the point of attempting suicide if she hadnt met that boy.
She lamented remembering the day she picked him up from the gutter, robe him, feed him and offer him a job.
“OhGod! Why is all these happening”? Busayo asked as her face swamped in blistery tears.
Tunde still sat down there with his jaw dropped on his hands, while his elbow rested on the doctor’s table. Masticating nothing in particular but his jaw moved like he was chewing bubble gum. Some sort of his reflex response to unco situations like this.
It was no doubt that his psyche had swaned away from the happenings around him. From the doctor’s cooing to Busayo’s wailing had falling perfectly on his reverie state.
His he ready to marry a girl with no womb? No hope of making him a father. A girl who in no time will be recited among the barrens. Is he ready to stay married and commited to some one who who is never going to taste the joys of motherhood ?
But despite all the impairment thoughts clamouring his mind, he still felt a strong penchant towards Eliza. ..
_______________________________
His eyes rambled around the surroudings before he avered that he was
out of his dungeon. The scourging sun sending tons of cecity into his
eyes and the moving vehicles all around him reasserted and confirmed to
him that he has been released and freed momentarily.
But why ? Was the question that stood boldy on his mind.
Did his madam just at almighty mercy order for his release ? Or probably there is another set of futurity ravages ready to strike him out of the blue ? Because as much as he knows his madam, she wont just release him when he is her only encroachment or usurpation.
“O’boy thank your head say madam finally talk say make we release you ohh.. That time wey i tell you say mak u pray you see say i correct.. And one thing..thank that pretty babe wey dey always check and dey bring food for you. No think say na we generous reach that side wey go dey bring you that correct food you dey chop ooh.
I no even know wetin dey do we guys sev.. You get that correct babe for hand.. And you,come dey do rubbish .. No wonder the girl sev she no want see you. I no even kno the reason she still dey fall for you ingrate when better dude like me dey here”
Dami’s nous recaptured all what the rangy constable squealed out to him like he was under pressure to confess. But one other thing that baffled him was when the man asked him to thank the lady that has always been the one to sustain him with food.
He had always been jarring to know the person whenever any of the constable brought him food. Hence, everytime they came dropping his food, he tried his best to meet the person. But unfortunate they always gave him their usual response..
“She didnt want to see you.”
Of course he knew his madam would never be so lenitive to send food to him. And Eliza wasn’t aware of where he is. But why is the person not even wanting to see him thence he could relate his gratitude to her. Leastways he owns the person his life.
Now that he has been freed, his he going to relinquish the love of his life or he should undergird himself and tramp back to claim what he thinks belongs to him ? Hope that wont be too goosy of him ?
Anyways time will tell.
He removed his hands akimbo, with intention to resume his hiking. Now lost about where to go. He could not trust whether to return to the snare that once mumbled him to the dungeon he escaped from. While there was no where else to go. He gave an audible sigh and shook his head, action depicting his piteous state.
The miserable life he thought he perprtually evaded now came hunting back.
There is no doubt he is on the highway to the ghetto life and inutility he belongs to. ..
FOUR MONTHS LATER.
•
•
•
After some months, Eliza had managed to fully recuperate from her trauma, but never recovered from the detriment of her womb. And to pound the whole matter, the absence of Dami in her life had induced a great discomfort to her.
She felt her life was incomplete with Dami not in circumference to console her. He was the only one that could supply solace she hankered. Her body, soul and spirit seemed to have fallen into detritus as the visceral thoughts of losing her lover became crammed in her mind.
“My love, Why did you leave me, Do you think i can live this life without you, where are you, ” ? That was the question she asked multitudinous times from nobody in particular whenever she resumed her broody mode.
In first month of her convalescence, she had asked about Dami from her mother, in which she explained to her that she had ordered his release but never care to know his whereabout since then. Inasmuch he didnt even bother to return to their house.
For the first time in blue moon, mother and daughter had a worth remembering descant, as Busayo took time to explicate all her privies. She told Eliza that she never meant to hurt Dami or her, but all her incensed attitude then was just directed towards dissevering them and quilting Tunde and her.
She explained that her preference to Tunde was just on normal conditions, but probably must be due to his outstanding success. She said she thought that being with Tunde is the only way to put her future on a safety succour.
However, it so patent that fate had played it part in the story. Cause she had decided to relinquish her avid desire of forcing her on Tunde.
“Only true love will rescue the situation now” Busayo told her daughter. ” And when it comes knocking, plss baby embrace it, you dont have the druthers to choose anymore. Accept your fate and also strenghten ur faith. I still believe in miracle.” Busayo concluded as she swarm in her ever stream of tears.
Nothwisthstanding, immediately Eliza got fully recuperated, she asked her mother for the location she ditched Dami in which she gave.
Eliza went to the division, to quizz the enviroment and probably she would see anybody to stag him about the Dami’s whereabouts. Fortuitously she found one but was eventually thwarted by the information she got.
“Seh na that idiot, mumu,pikin you sev come look for?” the rangy constable threw question at Eliza.
She poker-faced the instant he called Dami “idiot”
“My boyfriend is not a mumu or an idiot” she quickly defended maintaining her impassive face.
“ohh i hear oh, but if he no be mumu why he come get many fine babes for hand ..still he still won kill himself ontop another girl wey land him for cell”
“What do you mean by that” Eliza asked quickly with miffed raised eyes furrowed. Slighty getting agitated by what the man meant by “many fine babes”
“Yes na.. E get some fine babes wey dey always come here come check am.. He even get one weh fine.. Waitt oo Make i see oo” the rangy policeman raised his left hand to his forehead slantingly, also squinted her eyes. An action he did to scrutinize Eliza sarcastically.
“Yes i don see amm.. She fine pass you.. E get one lady wey dey always bringfood come here.. Shee finnnne oo.. Chaii to fine.. She get front and back pass you.. And she yellow pawpaw pass u too. See na everyday she dey always bring food for him. Delicious food.. And he be like say..na him house wife sev cause the way she dey care for am..”
Eliza could notice the vapor of her already steamed rage. With just any pesky words from the constable again, she could have pounced him. But all the same, she tried hard to regulate her already boiled furore, and put on a puckish smile to concealed it.
“So do you have an idea of where he is now” she managed to ask.
“You dey ask her a whole marry man wher he go dey .. Of cause him go dey with dat him wife na.. Abi wetin u tink.” The lanky police asked with heavy tone of sarcasm.
Eliza’s eyes had now gone red betraying a kind of emotion one could not easily decipher. But a long stare would make one think there were already unshed tears clouding the eyeballs.
“So so so whats her name.. I i mean the wif..the girl l ? Eliza asked again this time, the tears had already choked up her eyesballs. She poured down everything uncontrolably, exactly how the cloud pours out the rain.
“Her name na Racheal.. Na wetin she call her name be that” The police man voiced out, but now he was ruthful after he noticed the havoc he had caused.
Eliza left the police station with pain and anguish thinking so guys are the same. So Dami finally jilted her.
_____________________________
He hadnt tasted any food for the past two days, even the last time he ate, it was a crump of bread left for rottweiler ( a large vigorous dog) he ate. He couldnt afford to spend the money he made for the day.. Because he might not see any crump to eat the next day and his new work too will hold on due to the fact that it he wouldnt be the one to be given the cart to push.
But unfortunately, the money was ripped off his pocket while he was sleeping in an uncompleted building. An upshot to his new apartment.
Yes, he was now a cartage, the easiest work for him to lay his hands on. He tried applying for driving, the only thing he knew how to do best. And thanks to his madam for that, she was the one who enrolled him as a participant for driving lesson before she employed him then.
It seemed all the to be-employers he had applied with had a phobia for trust issues. Because none of them were willing to confer their life and vehicles to a nonentity who had no traceable domicile.
After so many weeks of saunter, begging for food from the street. He resolved to being a cartage. He had gotten a hints that they make money too. He met some one who introduced to the job, the man had told him not to look at the filthy and sordid side of the work. “Atleast man must chop”
Now, he had been doing the work for quondam, and at present he already had quadrillions of reason to quit the grime job, but he just couldnt because to him “Man must chop”
Dami fixated his already bulbous eyeballs on the woman sitting in her stall totally oblivous of his gaze. The woman who already had exhibit her wares to customers. The stall was averagely filled up with different kinds of of miscellanous, assorted drinks and minerals.
Dami’s bulgy eyesballs had randomly scanned all the drinks and had settled for a bottle filled to brim with coca-cola liquid and two sausage roll. He swallowed hard.
He had to control the appetite that made his tongue,salivating like a dog. He prayed and hoped for a little distraction. A little distraction was all he needed to execute his operation.
He tippytoed noiselessly, as he proceeded to his destination. Nobody can’t stoop him now, it seemed the hunger had deteriorated as if it smelled food coming.
He shook his in head in shame at the thought of whom he has become in month kept gnawing at him. He moved stealthily like a piddling thief he was about to become.
“Oh God let this be my first and the last time i will ever do this” he muttered a word of prayer silently as he continued on his hazardous journey.
Yes! thank God he finally made to his promiseland. He sighed and smiled in complacency. He never knew it would be this easy shaa. He tore the wrapper hovering her loot. His farmished taste had become grounded now. He opened his wattery mouth, and was about to take a first bite of his pillage.
“O ooooo oLLLLLEEEE Ewwa woo Le ” A sheepish voice yelled behind him.. Dami looked backed to see a small teenage girl infront of what he quickly envisaged as legion of tempestuous lions running after him, ready to lynch him If they mistakenly caught up with him.
With Dami eyes witnessing his death approaching, his legs momentarily got benumbed, he tried to run for safety but he couldnt instead, he tripped and fell like a wounded cow…
To Be Continued…
DROP YOUR COMMENT
Eyaaaa…so bad