(...continued...)
Mabel dialed her number but got
the ‘switched off’ voice prompt. They were worried.
“Where
could mummy have gone to?” she asked.
After
a while, Cynthia remembered. “I think she went to see Mimi. She put to bed last
week.”
“Really?
Mimi has put to bed?”
“Yes. So I
heard. I have not seen her.”
“Do you
know if they are still at the hospital?”
“No, they
came back last night. Mummy may have gone to her house.”
“Should we go
there and check?”
“Yes. If
mummy is there, we will meet her. If not, then we will use that opportunity and
see Mimi and her new born baby.”
“What do I
give her when I see her?”
“It is not
necessary. She will still dedicate the child. Then you can give her whatever
you want.”
“Ok.”
They left to go and see Mimi. She was
one of their neighborhood friends. They got close because her mother and their
mother were close friends. On their way to Mimi’s house, they met their mother
coming back to the house.
“Mummy good
evening,” they greeted her when they got to her.
“Evening my
loves,” she answered and hugged them. “Has it been long you came?”
“Not very
long,” Cynthia answered.
“I went to
see Mimi. You know she put to bed last week. They came back last night.”
“Eiyaa congrats
to her,” Mabel said. “Boy or girl?”
“Baby is
baby o.”
“I know but
boy or girl?”
“Baby girl
o.”
“It is now
balanced. She already has a boy, now a girl.”
“Yes o.
Thank God for her.”
“What
happened to your phone?” Cynthia asked.
“The
battery is dead. I was hoping to charge it in Mimi’s house but the joy of the
baby made me forget to give it to them to charge.”
“Ok.”
“If not for
one of these boys that came to tell me, I wouldn’t have known you came.”
“So how is
Mimi?” Mabel asked. “And the baby.”
“They are
fine o. I enjoyed carrying her baby o.”
She gave them a funny look. They
laughed.
“Don’t
worry,” Cynthia said. “You will soon carry your grandchildren.”
“Amen oo.”
They
turned to go back to their house but Mabel stopped.
“Let me use
this opportunity and see her,” she said. “I don’t know when next I will be free
to come around.”
They
went to see Mimi and her baby. They met her in the sitting room with her
husband, her mother and some visitors. They exchanged pleasantries.
“What about
baby?” Mabel asked.
“She is
sleeping in the room,” Mimi replied.
“Eiyaa so I
will not carry her small.”
“You will.
How long are you staying with mum?”
“Not long.”
“Don’t
worry. Baby has a long way to grow so you will see a lot of her.”
“Ok o.”
Mabel, Cynthia and their mother
stayed a little longer and took their leave.
“She is
hiding her baby,” Cynthia said when they were out to the road.
They
burst into laughter.
“Why will
she do that?” Mabel asked.
“To prevent
touching touching. You don’t know who
is who.”
“She did
not hide the baby,” their mother said, still laughing. “I was there when she
breastfed the baby to sleep.”
“Ok o.”
They
got to their house, their mother opened the door and they entered.
“What do I
offer you?” their mother asked Mabel.
“Offer
who?” Mabel asked her. “Am I a visitor?”
“Don’t mind
me o.” her mother said, laughing. “I always forget.”
“Is it
because I got my own apartment some months ago?”
“Which
months? It’s been more than two years.”
Mabel
went to the refrigerator to get water she could drink.
“You don’t
have cold water here,” she said when she touched the water cans.
“We have
not had light for two days now,” her mother replied.
“Why?”
“No one
knows exactly. Some say the transformer is faulty; others say it is from the
transmission line.”
“What about
your generator?”
“It has
been long I used it. Moreover, that generator cannot carry the refrigerator.”
“You will
need a generator that can carry your fridge.”
“It is
expensive. You don’t need to bother yourself?”
“No matter
the cost, you deserve the best from us.”
“Helping
Cynthia with her schooling is a lot for you.”
“I know.”
“Mabel this
is my final year o,” Cynthia said. “Forget the generator till I finish my
project.”
They
laughed.
“Get a rich
boy friend,” her mother teased her.
“Mummy!”
Cynthia called.
“I am
joking o.”
Mabel
opened the windows and the curtains well.
“Here is
stuffy o,” she said.
“Let’s go
to the backyard then.”
As they passed the kitchen, Mabel
saw some food stuff on the table.
“What are
they for?” she asked her mother.
“I wanted
to cook soup before Mama Ejima came
and we went to see Mimi. It can wait.”
Mabel
carried a tray of Egusi and went out
with them.
“That thing
will take your time o,” her mother told her.
“Not if we
do it together.”
“If you say
so.”
They
sat on a bench and peeled the Egusi.
Cynthia also joined them. They gisted
as they peeled the Egusi. Mabel’s mum
brought her up to speed on information concerning friends and family. Before
long, they were done with the Egusi.
“Bring the vegetable,”
Mabel told Cynthia. “Let me cook the soup before I go back.”
“Go back
where?” Her mother asked. “Are you going back today?”
“Yes mum.”
“Mabel,”
Cynthia called, eyeing her.
Mabel understood. Cynthia wanted
her to tell her mum what had happened. She did not say anything. Cynthia went
to the kitchen and called Mabel to come. Mabel went to see her there.
“Tell her na,” she told Mabel in a hushed voice.
“I don’t
know if I can tell her,” Mabel replied. “She may say she told me but I didn’t listen.”
“Just tell
her.”
“Is there any
problem?” their mother asked from the backyard.
“No ma,”
Cynthia answered.
“Have you
not seen the Ugu leaves?”
“I am
looking for the knife.”
Cynthia
went out with the tray of pumpkin leaves. Mabel sighed and went after her.
(...to be continued)
Nedu Isaac
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