An okada man
drove past her speedily. It was so sudden that Margret lost control of the
steering. She got the car under control almost immediately.
“Yeye okada people.” She said angrily. “That is how they kill
themselves.”
“The person he is carrying is
not even bothered,” Mabel said. “Imagine
“Don’t mind them.”
Some driving distance
later, they saw an accident scene by the road side. The same okada man who
overtook them speedily had collided with a car negotiating a turn, apparently in
a bid to overtake from the wrong side.
“You see,” Margret said and
slowed down. “What reckless okada riding can cause.”
“What these people do to
themselves is terrible,” Mabel said.
“And their passengers also.”
“Always in a hurry to nowhere.”
“Should we stop and see what
happened?” Cynthia asked.
“You forgot I have an
appointment with Mrs Biodun,” Mabel answered her.
“Who knows whether anything
happened to them?”
“Look at them by the side of
the road,” Margret pointed at the okada man and his passenger standing by the
side of the road with their cloths torn, bloody and dirty.
“Thank God they are still
alive sef. I hope they learn their
lesson.”
“Learn indeed. They never
learn anything.”
The accident caused
hold-up momentarily as people stopped their cars to know what happened. Pedestrians
also stood to watch the events unfold.
“Whenever anything happens,
people will leave where they are going and stand to watch,” Margret said.
“As if it is a movie,” Mabel
added.
“How do I pass this hold-up now?”
Margret honked
her horn for the people and vehicles in front of her to move. They adjusted and
she meandered through the human and vehicular traffic and drove on. When she
got to the street where Mabel’s mother lived, she slowed down.
“I have forgotten the exact
house,” she said to Mabel.
“Where you have been to
several times?” Mabel asked her.
“Forgive me. All these houses
look alike.”
“Keep going. I will tell you
where to stop.”
When they got close to the house, they saw Mabel’s
mother standing at the gate, still wearing the clothes she went to work with.
“Isn’t that your mum,” Margret
said.
“Yes,” Mabel replied.
“So that must be your house.”
“Yes it is. Park by the side
of the road.”
“I hope area boys don’t charge
for wrong parking here?”
“Not on this street.”
Margret parked well and they came out.
“How are you,” their mother
said as she walked towards them.
They greeted her.
“Maggie how are you?” she said
to Margret.
“I am fine ma,” Margret
replied.
She turned to
Mabel and asked, “What took you so long?”
“Hospital process,” Mabel
replied. “We were even lucky. If not for Dr Obinna, things would have been more
stressful for us today.”
“God bless him for me.”
She held Cynthia
close.
“How are you?” she asked
Cynthia.
“I am fine o,” Cynthia
replied.
She turned to Mabel and asked, “So what did the
doctor say?”
“Cynthia will tell you when
you go in,” Mabel answered. “I have to go see my office supervisor and also get
the drugs prescribed for Cynthia.”
“Ok. You need some money to
buy them?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Cynthia and her
mother turned to enter the compound
“Should I get anything else
for you?” Mabel called after Cynthia.
“My yoghurt,” Cynthia replied.
“Ok.”
“Or better still,” her mother
said. “Just get her some fruits.”
“I will get both.”
“Byebye ma,” Margret said.
“Byebye my dear,” Their mother
said. “Greet your people for me.”
“They will hear.”
“Thank you so much,” Cynthia
said to Margret.
“No wahala,” Margret replied. “Get
better ok.”
Mabel and Margret
entered the car as she drove off.
“You will be going home from
here right?” Mabel asked Margret.
“Nope,” Margret replied. “We get
the drugs, I drop you off at Mrs Biodun’s house and then I can leave you for
today.”
“Aww. That’s so nice of you.”
“You deserve much more from
me. What are long time friends for?”
“Yes o.”
They got to a
pharmacy and Margret parked. Mabel went in with the prescription note, she got
the drugs for Cynthia and they continued to Mrs Biodun’s house.
“Do you need to call her so
she will know you are on your way coming?” Margret asked Mabel.
“I think so,” Mabel answered. “Lemme call her now.”
Mabel dialed Mrs Biodun’s line and she answered. She told
Mabel to come, that she had been waiting for her. Mabel hung up.
“Wheew,” Mabel exhaled and
sunk into her seat. “What a day.”
As they got close to Mrs Biodun’s house, Mabel’s
phone rang. It was her mother. She picked but she wasn’t hearing well.
“Hello…hello,” she kept
saying.
Then she heard her mother calling her “Mabel Mabel”,
with a worried tone. Her heart jumped
into her stomach.
(...to be continued..)
Nedu Isaac
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