They took turns to
freshen up. Then Mabel massaged Cynthia.
“Are you still feeling the
pain?” she asked.
“Yes but not as bad as it was
yesterday,” Cynthia replied.
“That means the treatment is
working.”
“Yes it is. You really tried
for me yesterday.”
“You also tried for me over
the weekend. One good turn deserves another.”
“What are sisters for?”
When they were
done, they ate their food, then Cynthia took her drugs. There was no light so
they just sat in the parlour, gisting.
“Did you tell your friends
that you are not feeling fine?” Mabel asked Cynthia. “So they can cover up for you in school.”
“Yes. I sent Chidinma a chat
message. She will inform others who should know.”
“I hope they are not coming here?
I don’t have the strength to arrange this parlour for anybody.”
“They are coming,” Cynthia
said laughing.
“What!”
“Yes o. They should be on
their way any moment from now.”
“Ooohm who will now arrange
here?”
“This place is better than
their houses. We don’t need any special arrangement. It’s already swept and
cleaned.”
“But your hair is untidy.”
“This hair is getting old.”
“You need to loose it.”
“Not today. I can’t go to the
salon today.”
“Will your back allow you to
sit for a while so I can loose it for you?”
“Who taught you how to loose
this type of hair?”
Mabel laughed
loud and said, “You forgot I learnt hair making before I got a job.”
“That’s true,” Cynthia said.
“So when you are ready, let me
know.”
“Let me lie on the floor and
stretch my back for a while, then we can start.”
“Ok.”
Cynthia made to
lie on rugged floor.
“Wait let me get the foam,”
Mabel told her.
“Don’t worry. I will feel more
relaxed on the bare floor.”
She lay face-up.
Mabel checked her phone and saw missed calls and some messages.
“How come you don’t know when
you get these calls?” Cynthia asked her, puzzled.
“Most times, I put the phone
on ‘silent’ especially in the night when I want to sleep.”
“So what if the call is
important?”
“I always call back or send a
message?”
“What if there is an emergency?”
“It can still wait a little
longer. I don’t like being disturbed with calls whenever I want to rest, especially
from people who don’t have anything doing and decide to call without any
tangible reason.”
“Ok that’s true.”
“I actually started doing this
when some friends started calling in the midnight because they couldn’t sleep.
With sleep in my eye, they will be telling long story. I kept on so as not to
make them feel bad. When I saw it was not helping me, I began putting the phone
on ‘silent’ if I didn’t want any disturbance.”
“I see.”
“While you are still resting
your back, let me reply the text messages.”
“I even forgot to ask, did you
speak with mummy last night about what you should do?”
“About what?”
“About Segun and the repeated heart
break.”
“Yes we spoke about it.”
Cynthia tried to
sit up, “so what did she say?”
“Lie down,” Mabel said. “I
will gist you when I am done replying
the messages.”
“Ok,” Cynthia said and lay
back down. “Hurry.”
“It won’t take time.”
When Mabel was
done replying the messages and speaking with some on phone, she told Cynthia
all she had discussed with her mother the night before.
“So when are you seeing
Pastor’s wife?” Cynthia asked when she was done.
“I will send her a text
message first to know when she will give me an appointment to see her.”
“Ok. It has to be before
Sunday abi?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“What if Segun comes back
begging now?”
“I will not make the same
mistake mummy made. I will not let any man ride on me and treat me like trash.
I will not give him face until I see he is truly sorry.”
“Serves him right.”
“Who says he is even coming
back. He has moved on.”
“I think so too. Kemi is finer
and curvier than you.”
“You are not serious.”
They laughed.
“I am kidding,” Cynthia said. “Any
man who misses you has missed a big thing.”
“He has had me. What is there
to miss again?”
“Let’s leave that matter for
now. Can you lose my hair now?”
“Hold on. I will tell you when
I am ready.”
As they talked,
NEPA brought the light.
“Yeeee,” Cynthia said and made
to sit up.
“What is there to watch in
this house?” Mabel asked rhetorically.
“Movies,” Cynthia replied. “We
have lots of them in the movie rack.”
“You don’t have any reasonable
movie here. The absence of Cable in this house is not good.”
“It will waste. It is only in
the night that either mummy or I am around to watch TV.”
“I will go to my house later
to check how things are and then bring some of my movies.”
“Will you leave me alone
here?”
“No. Maybe when Chidinma and
co come.”
“Better.”
While Mabel
flipped through the local channels on the TV, Cynthia went to the refrigerator
and brought some fruits. After searching for a while, Mabel was fed up.
“All these News and talk shows
sef,” she said. “No one wants to do something interesting. Not even music.”
“Check the Movies there. You
could find one we can manage till you get from your house.”
Mabel checked and
reluctantly slotted in one of them. They watched for a while and NEPA took the
light.
“I really miss my house,”
Mabel said.
“Let us go na. We will come
back in the evening.”
“No. You don’t need to stress
yourself. Moreover, your friends are coming to see you.”
They talked for a
while and Cynthia’s phone rang. It was Chidinma calling to find out if she was
home and told her she was on her way.
“Start with the hair na,”
Cynthia begged Mabel.
“Ok. Sit up.”
Cynthia sat on
the floor. Mabel got the tools she needed and started loosing the hair. Before
long, Mabel was done.
“Do you need to wash it
immediately?” Mabel asked her.
There was a knock
on the door.
“That should be Chidinma. She
will help me do the rest.”
“Ajibo Chidinma will do what?”
“She does not do that ajibo to me o.”
The knock came
again.
“Let me get the door,” Mabel
said and went to the door. She opened it and saw Chidinma and another lady.
They exchanged pleasantries and Mabel let them in. As she was closing the door,
she saw Chuka waving at her. She waved back. He gave her sign with his hand
asking her whether he could come and see Cynthia. She replied with a sign that
he should check later.
Cynthia and the
ladies exchanged pleasantries. They looked worried about her.
“You are really looking sick,”
Chidinma said.
“True,” Kate, the other lady
said. “Look at your hair. Scattered.”
“I am getting better.”
Cynthia made to
stand and felt pain in her back.
“Lie down for a while,” Mabel
told her. “You have been sitting for a long time.”
Chidinma helped
her lie back on the floor facing upwards. They sat on the floor beside her as
they discussed.
“Let me leave you people to
gossip,” Mabel said and went into the room.
“You can join in the gossip na,” Cynthia said.
“Remember I have to go out
soon. Let me get my cloth ready.”
“Ok.”
“I am still around in case you
need anything.”
“We will help her with
whatever she needs,” Chidinma said.
“We have cleared our schedule
for the whole day to stay with her,” Kate added.
“That’s nice of you. Thanks.”
Mabel went into the room to get the cloth she will
wear to her house ready, while Cynthia and her friends gisted in the parlour. Then suddenly, Cynthia began to cough.
(...to be continued...)
Nedu Isaac
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