Mabel went through her phone call
log and saw all the missed calls. Cynthia and her mum had called her severally.
Cynthia also sent her text messages asking her where she was and why she was
not picking up. She dialed Cynthia’s number. It rang once and Cynthia picked.
“Where are you?”
Cynthia asked her.
“On my way,” Mabel
replied.
“You have not been
picking my call. Even mummy called and you didn’t pick. Is there a problem?”
“I will gist you when
I come.”
“Ok. How soon will
you be here?”
“In fifteen
minutes.”
“Ok.”
Mabel
hung up. About a minute later, her mother called her.
“Why is mummy
calling me?” Mabel asked herself. “Is she not with Cynthia?”
Mabel allowed her phone to ring and
stop, and then she dialed her mother. Her mother answered, sounding worried
about her. She reassured her mother that she was fine and she was on her way to
the house. Then she hung up.
“You have a lovely
family who care about each other,” Coker’s brother said.
“Thank you,” Mabel
said.
“I will love to meet
them.”
Mabel
kept quiet. Coker’s brother looked at her through the rear view mirror but she
looked away. He cleared his throat and continued driving.
“Mabel,” Coker
called.
Mabel
did not respond. He called her again, turning around to see why she was not
responding.
“Yea?” she answered.
“Do you still feel
dizzy?” he asked.
“Slightly.”
“I couldn’t help but
notice something in your apartment.”
“What is that?”
“You still have
stuff that belong to Segun.”
“You mean stuff he
bought for me.”
“Yes.”
“They are still
there.”
“Why are you still
keeping them?”
“I can’t throw them
away.”
“Why?”
“They are things I
need. I bought more things for him, and he still has them.”
“Oh really.”
“The wrist chain he
was wearing today was the one I gave to him.”
“Ok. But since you
know he has moved on, why not remove those things and get new ones. They will
keep bringing back old memories and reminders of him.”
“Ok. I will. When I return
back to my house fully.”
“If you need help
with buying new ones, let me know,” Coker’s brother interjected.
“Don’t worry,” Mabel
replied him. “I can take care of myself. Thanks anyways.”
They
were silent for a while. They drove past a shopping mall and Coker asked Mabel
if she wanted to buy anything she might need in the house.
“Don’t worry about
me,” Mabel said. “You have done enough already.”
“I don’t think I
have.”
“You changed your
plans for today just because of me. Who does that?”
“If you say so.”
“I could do with
cold bottled water though. I don’t know whether there will be light at
home.”
“Ok. We have already
passed the shopping mall. We will stop at the one we see.”
They
didn’t drive long before they saw a supermarket. Coker’s brother drove into the
parking lot and parked. Mabel made to open the door and come out but Coker
stopped her.
“Where are you
going?” he asked.
“To get the water,”
she replied.
“Don’t worry, I will
get it for you.”
“Ok thanks.”
Mabel
relaxed. Coker went into the supermarket to get the bottled water. While he was
away, his brother kept stealing glances at Mabel through the rear view mirror.
He seemed to be observing her mood in order to know what to say. Mabel knew he
was trying to say something but she kept quiet, looking out of the window. Then
she looked at the rear mirror and their eyes met.
“Is there a
problem?” she asked him.
“No,” he replied. “Not
at all.”
“You are tensed up.”
“Me? I am not.”
“Hmm.”
“Ok, truth be told,
I am thinking of what to say.”
“Ok na.”
Mabel
shook her head and smiled. Coker’s brother saw her do that and felt stupid. He
tried to say something but stopped when he saw Coker coming.
“What did you say?”
Mabel asked him.
“I said Coker is
coming.”
He turned
on the ignition, Coker entered and he drove off. Coker handed the take-away bag
to Mabel. It contained bottles of cold water, juice, some apples and biscuits.
“Ah ah,” Mabel
exclaimed when she got the take away nylon. “Why did you stress yourself?”
“It is nothing,”
Coker said. “I am still trying to redeem myself for what my friend did to you.”
“Bros bros,” his
brother called him. “You no remain anything for me to do.”
“Wetin you wan do?
Your oyibo madam no dey?”
“Bros leave matter.
Difference dey.”
“Thanks a lot,”
Mabel told him.
“You are welcome,”
he replied.
“You have truly redeemed
yourself.”
“Now you know that
all men are not the same.”
“If I hear. Only time will tell.”
As they got close to Mabel’s
mother’s place, her phone beeped. She checked it. It was a text message from an
unknown number. At first she didn’t want to read it but on second thought, she
opened it. It was lengthy text message from Kemi.
(...to be continued)
Nedu Isaac
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