FED UP [LI]

(continued...)

                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. She read the first line and then skimmed to the end. It was a long text message from Kemi.

  “Kemi just sent me an SMS,” she announced.

  “What did she say?” Coker asked her.

  “I have not read through it but it doesn’t look nice.”

  “You can delete it without reading it, so you don’t read what will make you feel worse than you already feel.”

  “No, I need to know what she said.”

  “Ok. Read it out so I can hear.”

                Mabel told Coker’s brother where to park as he got to their compound. As he did so, she read the SMS. Kemi started by calling Mabel all sorts of names. She told Mabel that Segun was her man and nothing she ever did would make him leave her, that she (Mabel) was Segun’s vomit which he would never go back to. Then Kemi made mention of her sex life. Mabel stopped reading and sighed.

  “That girl is crazy,” Coker’s brother said. “She is way out of her mind.”

  “Skip that and go to the end of the text message,” Coker said.

                Mabel stared at the phone without saying a word.

  “Mabel,” Coker called her. “Read the end na.”

  “I can’t continue,” she said and sniffed.

                She gave him the phone to continue reading out. He took it and finished reading the message. Kemi ended with a threat to teach Mabel a lesson for embarrassing her.

  “She is bluffing,” Coker said angrily and handed the phone back to Mabel.

  “Don’t take it lightly,” his brother said. “I don’t think she is bluffing, after what I witnessed today.”

  “She is not my match in anything,” Mabel said. “She can bring it on.”

  “Forward this message to my phone,” Coker told her.

  “I will do that now.”

  “Also forward it to Maggi.”

  “Ok.”

                Mabel forwarded the message to Coker and Margret. Coker’s phone beeped.

  “I have received it,” he said, checking his phone to confirm. “I will handle it from my side while Margret handles it from hers. As far as I am concerned, the meeting today had nothing to do with you. So the threat is uncalled for.”

  “I did not even touch her today,” Mabel said. “It was Margret.”

 “Forward the message to Segun,” Coker’s brother said to him.

  “No ooo,” Mabel said. “It will look as though I am afraid of her.”

  “Let’s not get Segun involved yet,” Coker said.

  “But he is the center of all this,” Coker’s brother said.

  “No,” Mabel said. “Kemi is.”

                Mabel swallowed a lump in her throat. Her emotion was a mixture of anger and heart break. Almost immediately, Margret called her on phone and she picked. Margret was heard shouting angrily as she promised to take care of Kemi for good. When she was done ranting, she hung up.

  “I have to be going,” Mabel announced.

                By then, dusk was fast approaching.

  “Yes please so you can rest,” Coker said.

                Mabel opened the car door and stepped out. She felt dizzy and held the door of the car. Coker rushed and helped her stand upright.

  “You really need to rest,” he said.

  “And also see a doctor or therapist,” his brother added.

                Coker walked beside her as she went into the compound. His brother got her stuff and went behind them. Mabel tried her best to look normal as she waved and exchanged pleasantries with the neighbours she saw. At the door of her mother’s apartment, she met her mother standing with her phone in her hand.

  “I was about calling you now,” her mother said. “Where have you been?”

                Mabel just greeted her and shook her head in a bid to shake off the dizziness. Her mother noticed that all was not well and rushed to her side. Coker and his brother greeted her. She responded and asked them what the matter was.

  “She is feeling dizzy,” Coker said.

  “Since when?”

  “Not quite long ago.”

  “Did anything happen?”

                Coker looked at Mabel who gave him an eye-signal not to say anything.

  “Co...what’s that your name again?” their mother asked

  “Coker ma,” Coker replied.

  “Can you tell me what happened to my daughter?”

  “Nothing serious. She will tell you later. Right now, she just needs rest.”

  “If anything happens to my daughter...” she began sounding emotional.

  “It has not come to that ma. She just needs to rest. It is accumulated emotional and physical stress that’s now telling on her.”

                Cynthia came out to the door and met them.

  “What is going on?” she asked.

  “Your sister is not feeling well,” her mother said.

  “I am fine,” Mabel said.

                Cynthia greeted Coker and his brother.

  “Come inside na,” she said to Mabel. “You are looking weak. You really need to rest.”

                Mabel collected her purse and phone from Coker. Cynthia collected Mabel’s stuff that Coker’s brother was carrying.

  “Thank you so much for everything,” Mabel told Coker.

  “Anytime,” Coker replied.

  “Thank you also,” she told Coker’s brother.

  “It’s my pleasure,” he replied.

  “I will handle the matter,” Coker said to her as she turned to enter the house.

  “Handle which matter?” Mabel’s mum asked Coker.

  “Nothing,” Coker said and retreated sharply, his brother following immediately.

  “Hmm. Children of nowadays and secrecy. God pass all of you.”

                Cynthia carried Mabel’s stuff and entered the house. Their mother held Mabel’s hands as they entered together. As soon as they were in the parlour, Mabel collapsed into the cushion.

(...to be continued)

Nedu Isaac