They heard the footsteps of the person running down the staircase in a hurry.
“I think it is my brother,”
Risi said.
“Why did he run
downstairs?” Mabel asked.
“He is afraid.”
“Why will he be
afraid?”
“I don’t know for
him o.”
“You are sure he is
the one?”
“Yes. I know the
sound of his slippers.”
“Go and call him
then.”
Risi
went to the top of the staircase and beckoned on her brother to come. She came
in, with her brother walking slowly behind her.
“Are you afraid?”
Mabel asked after he greeted her.
He
shook his head.
“Then why were you
running?”
“Nothing,” he said.
“Come in.”
He came
in and stood by the door.
“Is mummy back?”
Risi asked him.
“She just came back
now,” he answered
“Did you give her
the food?”
“Yes. She was eating
when I left.”
He turned to Mabel and said, “Aunty,
I just came to say ‘thank you’”
“You are welcome my
dear,” Mabel replied.
He
turned and quickly walked out.
“My brother can be
afraid eh,” Risi said as she went back to finish her food.”
“He is not afraid,”
Cynthia said. “He is just shy.”
“Why is he like that?”
Mabel asked Risi.
“I don’t know,” Risi
said.
“But he talks with
other people in the compound.”
“Maybe he doesn’t
feel comfortable around you.”
“He will grow out of
it sha.”
When
Risi was done eating, she thanked them and carried her plate and that of Mabel
and Cynthia to send to the kitchen.
“Don’t worry about
it,” Cynthia told her. “I will take them in later.
“I am already doing
it,” Risi said and went to the kitchen with the plates.
She
spent some time in the kitchen.
“Risi,” Mabel called
after a while.
“Aunty where did you
keep your soap and sponge?” Risi said. “That is what I am looking for o.”
“Your hand cannot
reach it,” Cynthia said. “I will wash the plates later.”
Risi came out and sat on the floor,
watching the TV with them. Soon after she sat, her mother knocked and walked
in. She hurriedly got up.
“You came to carry
Risi?” Mabel asked.
“No o,” Mama Risi
said. “I came to thank you for the food.”
Risi
sat back on the floor.
“You are welcome
ma,” Mabel said.
“My dear, God will
bless you people very much,” Mama Risi said.
“It is not a big
deal ma,” Mabel replied.
“I was wondering
what my children will eat today. When they came back from their friend’s place
and told me that they didn’t eat, I had to go and see if I can get foodstuff on
credit.”
“Eiyaa. Did you
get?”
“No. They said until
I pay what I am owing them, they will not give me anything.”
“It is well. Things
will get better.”
Mabel’s
phone rang. It was Coker. She picked. He told her he was downstairs. She told
him to come upstairs. Then he hung up.
“You have a
visitor?” Mama Risi asked.
“Yes o,” Mabel
answered as she hurriedly wore a skirt over the short she was wearing before.
“Risi come let us
go,” Mama Risi said to her daughter.
“Leave her na,”
Cynthia said.
“No o,” Risi said as
she got up. “You have a visitor. I will come back when the visitor goes.”
“Ok, I will see you
later,” Mabel said to her as she left with her mum.
As Risi
and her mother left, Coker knocked.
“Come in if you have
something for me,” Mabel answered.
Coker came
in followed by another lady; his fiancée.
“Did you keep
anything for me?” he asked, smiling.
“Ahh, you came with
our wife,” Mabel said and hugged the lady.
“Yes o.”
“Mabeline how are you?”
the lady asked.
“I am fine o. It is
just hunger.”
“My dear it is
everywhere o.”
“You are looking
good.”
“I am doing a good
job na,” Coker said.
“I have been looking
good for as long as I can remember o. Was it not because of my looks that you
refused to allow me rest?”
“Which looks?”
“I was looking
better than this when we met sef. You stress me out.”
They laughed.
“You are welcome,” Cynthia
said and shifted to the edge of the bed.
“Please sit,” Mabel
said to Coker, pulling a chair for him.
“What about me?” his
fiancée asked. “No chair for me?”
“If you will not sit
on the bed with us, you can sit on the floor,” Mabel said, laughing.
“You are not serious,” she said, laughing.
She lifted the pillow and sat
beside Mabel on the bed.
“How is your
brother?” Mabel asked Coker.
“He is fine,” Coker
replied. “He traveled though.”
“Ok.”
Coker’s
fiancée put her hands over Mabel’s shoulder and asked her, “So how are you
doing?”
“I am doing fine,”
Mabel answered.
“I mean after…”
“I know. I am over
it now.”
“Has he tried to
come back or apologize?”
“Nope.”
“Men are something
else o.”
“Not all men o,”
Coker said.
“Apart from you
darling,” his fiancée said.
“You still can’t
conclude o,” Mabel said and winked.
“I am telling you
o.”
“If someone told me
that Segun would do that, I would not have agreed.”
“You are a nice
person o,” Coker’s fiancée said. “If someone does that to me, I will just…”
(...to be continued)
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