Cynthia just stood, leaning on the
wall. She was pinging and observing what was going on. They were silent for a
while. It was Mabel who broke the silence.
“I thought
you are on your way to church?” Mabel asked Glory.
“On second
thought,” Glory said. “Church can wait till the next midweek service.”
“Why will
you miss service?” Mabel asked.
“So I can
stay with you for a while. I can’t leave you in this mood you are in now.”
“It is not necessary.
You can’t miss church service because of me.”
“I insist.”
“Cynthia is
here with me.”
“She has
been here since yesterday. She can go to church while I stay with you until she
comes back.”
Mabel
looked at Cynthia who shrugged.
“Okay,”
Mabel said. “You can stay while Cynthia goes to church.”
She
turned towards Miriam and Oge.
“I want to
stay also,” Oge said.
“Me too,”
Miriam added.
“No o,”
Mabel said. “You people should come and
go to church.”
“You are
sure you will be fine?” Miriam asked.
“I am here
with her,” Glory said. “She is in good hands.”
“Ok.”
Miriam
and Oge got up to leave.
“Put me in
your prayers o,” Mabel told them.
“We will,”
they replied.
Cynthia
opened the door for them and they left.
“Oya come and be going,” Mabel told
Cynthia. “You will soon miss the service.”
“Are you
sure you don’t need me to stay with you?” Cynthia asked.
“No, I am
fine.”
“Hope you
will not try to…”
“Just go
ok,” Mabel cut her off.
“Try to do
what?” Glory asked curiously, looking from Mabel to Cynthia.
“Nothing,”
Mabel replied.
“Don’t tell
me you tried to kill yourself like last time.”
“No oo.”
She
gave Cynthia eye signal not to say anything.
“Since
Glory is here,” Cynthia said. “Let me leave then.”
She
went into the kitchen and washed off the plates. Then she took her handbag to
leave.
“Do you
have t-fare?” Mabel asked her.
“Yes I have,”
she replied.
“You are
going to the house from here abi?”
“Yes I will
get there and dress for church and then come here straight from church.”
“Mabel
doesn’t have any church cloth you can wear?” Glory asked her.
“They are
all dirty,” Mabel answered.
“All of
them?”
“All.”
“I wish I
could help you wash them today but…”
“But you
are not the washing type.”
They
laughed.
“That thing
dey tire me o,” Glory said.
“You have
younger sisters that help you wash na,”
Mabel said.
“With
bribing o. Though they don’t wash everything for me.”
“Story.”
“I send the
expensive ones to the laundry. I don’t want stories.”
“Unless so.”
“But I wash
from time to time o when I don’t have option.”
“Ok o.”
Cynthia
moved towards the door.
“I am
leaving,” she announced.
“Okay tell
mummy I will come to the house in the evening.”
Cynthia
left and Glory locked the door.
“What will
you eat for breakfast?”
“I had
cereal before leaving my house,” Glory told her. “So no more breakfast for me.”
“Ok.”
Mabel
lay on the bed and flipped through the channels on the TV. Glory lay beside her
and helped her select which station they would watch. They didn’t talk about
the incident. Glory just brought up gist
and gossip topics that would cheer Mabel up. Then they watched reality shows on
TV till both of them slept off.
They
were woken up by a knock on the door. Mabel stirred and checked the time. It
was 2:25 pm.
“How long
have we been sleeping?” Mabel asked, waking Glory up.
“Who are
you asking?” Glory answered, sitting up.
“Is that
how you were supposed to take care of me?”
“Take care of you fire. You slept, I
slept.”
They
laughed. The knock came again.
“Please
help me check who is at the door,” Mabel said.
Glory opened the door. It was
Cynthia.
“Welcome,”
she said to Cynthia.
“Thank
you,” Cynthia said, entering with a nylon bag.
“What are
you carrying?” Mabel asked her.
“Food from
mummy,” Cynthia replied.
“You went
back home?”
“Yes. When
I told mummy I was coming here after church, she insisted I follow her back to
the house and bring lunch for you.”
“Did you tell
her anything?”
“No o. You
told me not to, right?”
“Yes.”
“You
haven’t told your mum what happened?” Glory asked Mabel, looking surprised.
“Not yet,”
Mabel replied.
“Why?”
“I will
tell her when I see her this evening.”
“Don’t fail
to tell her o.”
“I will
tell her.”
Cynthia
went to the kitchen with nylon bag.
“What is
it?” Mabel asked her.
“Rice and
stew.”
Mabel
went to the kitchen to help her dish the food. The aroma of the stew filled the
room.
“Your mummy
will kill somebody o,” Glory said.
“You have
not seen anything yet,” Mabel answered. “The woman can cook for Africa.”
Mabel
poured the rice and stew in ceramic plates. Cynthia put two spoons.
“You are
not eating?” Mabel asked her.
“No,” Cynthia
answered. “I ate in the house.”
Mabel
set the food down beside Glory and Cynthia followed with a bottle of water and
cups.
“Must we
eat together?” Glory asked. “You will out-eat me.”
“It is too
late,” Mabel said laughing.
Mabel and Glory ate while Cynthia
ate biscuit she came with and flipped channels on the TV. When they were done,
Cynthia removed the plates and washed them. They chatted for a while and Glory
begged to take her leave.
“Thank you
so much for coming,” Mabel said to her.
“What are
friends for?” Glory replied and carried her bag. “Will you go to work tomorrow?”
“I have not
even thought about it. What will I do?”
“Take a
sick leave.”
“I doubt if
it will be approved.”
“Talk to
your supervisor first.”
“I will.”
“No
problem. I will still check on you tomorrow.”
“OK.
Thanks.”
Glory
went towards the door. Mabel offered to see her off to the main road but Glory
told her not to bother. They hugged, Glory left and Mabel locked the door
behind her.
“How is
mummy?” Mabel asked Cynthia.
“She is
fine. She kept looking at my face to know if something is wrong.”
“Mummy sef.”
“When I
told her you will come to see her this evening, she relaxed.”
“I guess I
need to dress up then.”
Mabel
dressed up and left with Cynthia. They boarded a taxi and went to see their
mother.
“Hope you
will tell her?” Cynthia asked Mabel when the taxi was getting close to the
house.
“Yes I will,”
Mabel replied.
“Okay.”
When
they got to the house, Mabel paid the taxi man, and they entered the compound.
They exchanged pleasantries with some young boys playing football in the
compound. In the neighboring compound, there was a football viewing center
where young boys went to watch matches. It was unusually quiet.
“Is your
club not playing today?” Cynthia asked one of them.
“No.” he
replied. “We played yesterday.”
They
knocked on their door for a while but there was no response.
“Where did
mummy go on a Sunday afternoon?” Mabel asked, surprised.
“I wonder
o.” Cynthia said. “Let me check the backyard.”
She
went to the backyard but her mother was not there. She knocked on the back door
but got no response. She came back to Mabel in front.
“She is not
in the house,” Cynthia said.
“Let me try
calling her and know where she is.”
Mabel dialed her number but got
the ‘switched off’ voice prompt. They were worried.
(...to be continued)
Nedu Isaac
For the continuation, click here
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