They burst into laughter again.
“He even wanted to come and
see you now,” Mabel said. “The guy is really worried.”
“What did you tell him?”
Cynthia asked with a little frown.
“I told him to come when NEPA
takes light and mummy is sleeping.”
“It is you he will see.”
They laughed.
“What did you eat?” Mabel asked Cynthia. “So you can start your
drugs.”
“I ate rice.”
“She ate very little,” their
mother said. “I was telling her to eat more but she refused.”
“No o,” Mabel said to Cynthia.
“You need to eat well. You have drugs to take.”
“I have eaten enough,” Cynthia
said.
“No. Eat a little more.”
Mabel went into
the kitchen, dished some food for Cynthia and brought to the sitting room.
“Try and finish this one,” she
told Cynthia.
“Ooohm,” Cynthia protested. “I
don’t have much appetite and I have been feeling feverish.”
“I know. That’s why you need
to take the drugs. But you have to try and eat well so the drug will not knock
you down.”
Cynthia took the
plate from her and slowly ate the food.
“Go and dish your own na,”
their mother told Mabel.
“I need to bath first,” Mabel
said.
“Ok. There is water in the
bathroom.”
“Thank you.”
Mabel went into
their room and undressed. She had her bath, wore something simple and came out
to the sitting room. Cynthia had finished eating so she took the plate back to
the kitchen, dished hers and came back to the sitting room with it. She gave
Cynthia her drugs and then sat back to eat her food.
“Is there no station giving news?” their mother asked.
“Not yet,” Cynthia said
flipping channels on the TV.
Most of the
stations were hyping different candidates for the coming elections.
“This election sef,” Mabel
said. “Mummy who are you voting for?”
“I don’t even know,” her
mother said. “I may not vote o.”
“Why? Don’t you have your PVC?”
“I do. But our votes don’t
always count so no need.”
“Whether it counts or not,
just satisfy your conscience by doing the right thing and voting.
“What about security? You go
to vote and thugs start beating people up and forcing you to vote a particular
candidate. I don’t have strength for that thing o.”
“The government and electoral commission
say they are ensuring the security of lives and properties this time.”
“That’s what they will say. So
who will you vote?”
“I don’t even have Permanent Voters
Card sef?”
“Why?”
“They did not make it easy for
working class people like me. Come here, go there, come today, come tomorrow.
The stress was tiring. I tried my best.”
“My dear. I just had to
struggle and get my own o. They said if we don’t get it, we will not receive
salary. I actually fought to get mine. It was not easy o.”
“Mabel, what about the balm?”
Cynthia asked.
“Is true,” Mabel said. “It is
inside my hand bag.
She went inside the room and soon came back with it.
“Remove your cloth,” she told
Cynthia.
Cynthia sat up
and did so.
“Are you sure you can do
that?” their mother asked. “Or should I do it myself?”
“Yes ma,” Mabel replied. “It
is not a big deal.”
“Ok if you say so.”
Mabel began
massaging Cynthia while their mother watched. After watching for a while, she got
impatient and took the balm from Mabel.
“You are not doing it well,”
she said and began to do the massage herself. “Children of nowadays and soft
hands.”
“Ok oo,” Mabel replied and sat
down.
After massaging
for a while, Cynthia said she was tired and asked her to stop. She stopped and
Cynthia lay face down for a while till the hot sensation subsided.
“Let me go into the room,” she
said. “I want to sleep.”
Mabel helped her
get up while her mother went ahead of her to make sure the bed was ready for
her to lie. When she got to the room, she lay down and they tucked her in.
“Do you need anything else?”
Mabel asked her.
“No thank you,” Cynthia
replied and closed her eyes to sleep.
Mabel and her mother went back to the sitting room.
“I hope what is wrong with
Cynthia is not a serious matter?” she asked Mabel in a low tone.
“Dr. Obinna said she will get
better,” Mabel replied. “With the drugs she is taking, she will be fine.”
“I pray so. This one that has
touched her kidney is scary. I don’t need any organ problem o.”
“It will not get to that.”
“If you say so. I have already
sent text message to our pastor.”
“Ok. What was his reply?”
“He said he is praying for
us.”
“Us…Did you tell him about
me?”
“No. Your issue is not
something to talk about anyhow. You are the one to tell whoever you want to
tell.”
“Ok. Thank you.”
“Though I was tempted to tell
him.”
“I will talk to his wife
tomorrow.”
“Please you need to. So we
will know what to do about the issue.”
Mabel suddenly
sat up as if she remembered something.
“I have not heard my phone
ring or beep since we came back,” she said
“Are you sure you did not
forget it somewhere?” her mother asked her.
“I don’t think so.”
Mabel looked
around the sitting room but did not see it.
(...to be continued...)
Nedu Isaac
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