Last updated on May 16th, 2023 at 09:49 am
I woke up, feeling a deep sweetness from my core—the first in a long time. Okay, last night, in fact, yesterday happened. Jude had called with another number while I was at the party and he was screaming like I stole from him. I ended the call and blocked the number. Another number called again, and eventually, I switched off the phone. Where is everyone?
I got up to ease myself and heard the sound of the TV from the sitting room. After easing myself, I went into the sitting room and there was Vic carrying Dolapo and they were both watching the TV. I allowed myself to enjoy the view for a while. Then, as if Vic noticed my presence, she looked up.
“Madam, you don wake?”
“No o, wake ke. I still dey sleep.”
“Wow, today is Sunday and Lape is sleeping off her hangover. Strange things.”
“Abegi. Been a while I drank, I am not such a lightweight.”
“Let’s agree.”
“Dolapo, sweetie.”
“Your mama has remembered you finally,” Vic said, smiling down at Dolapo, who rewarded her with a toothless smile.
“I see you are enjoying your time with her.”
“You have not breastfed her since yesterday afternoon that we went for owambe.”
“I have trained her not to always wait on breast o. With two other children and chores, it can be a bit hard to sit down for thirty minutes breastfeeding her.”
“Hmmm. Alrighty.”
***
“Don’t pick that gown biko.” Vic said. I was looking through her wardrobe for clothes that would fit me.
“But this is the only one that would fit na.”
“After taking like three other gowns, abegi.”
“Shoe nko.”
“Isu ni. As per yam.” Vic got up from the bed and without expecting it lifted me from the floor over her shoulder. This was her usual thing in school.
“Leave me. I am now a mother o. Three children.”
“Who cares? Na five no be three.” She said, dropping me on the couch in the sitting room.
“Just so you won’t give me your clothes abi? You will sleep tonight, not so?”
“I will come to your house, enter your room and pack every cloth in sight.”
My mood fell as soon as she said this. I had gotten my IUD fixed earlier. Vic worked from home today because of me, so, we had the whole day enjoying ourselves together, discussing dreams and plans, and reminiscing about school life. She seemed to notice my countenance as she sat on another couch and looked at me, quietly.
“I wish I did not have to go back.”
“I would say I understand, but I don’t.”
“I know. It’s just with him, from the onset, it had been stifling. Looking back, it’s as if something came over me…”
***
I continued ranting with Vic only listening until it was time for dinner and I had to care for Dolapo. I would be going back early tomorrow morning and I was happy and anticipating seeing my boys and even Sarah. But I knew I had an issue to face with Jude. Sarah and Mummy Abound had called on Vic’s phone, so we had spoken almost every day.
I had to resume my life tomorrow and it felt like my bubble of excitement over the weekend had just been deflated. I put Dolapo to sleep and started packing my bags.
***
I picked the boys from mummy Abound’s and they were both excited to see me, asking a million questions at a time. We were now on our way home, having refused mummy Abound’s offer to drop us off at home. The boys seemed to have gotten along with her also, even though they were both crying when I left them on Friday. Friday, seemed like forever now. I opened the gate and shuffled them inside the compound.
As we got to the door, I noticed something had changed. There was now a padlock at the door. Jude has locked me outside. I brought out my phone and called him, knowing fully well that he would never pick up my call. He proved me right. Then I sent him a text explaining that his kids were outside. Nothing. I didn’t even know what to do right now. To wait or go to the firm to see what was happening and come back when Jude was likely to be back?
***
That was what we did, we went to the firm and I got some work done while the boys played around. We came back at night and the door was still locked. I debated between calling mummy Abound and Sarah. I eventually called mummy Abound around nine-thirty at night. It seemed like Jude wouldn’t be coming home to sleep and he had now switched off his phone.
We had been at mummy Abound’s place for a week now and I had to beg their school to let the boys come in with their house cloth. Their school uniforms were inside the house and Jude had not reached out to me since I returned from Lagos.
***
I didn’t know if I was also trying to stall with this matter and finding different excuses to justify it. It’d been two weeks since I returned to Osogbo yet I hadn’t seen the four walls of my house. Mummy Abound was quiet about the matter, acting like she did not know anything, same for Sarah. Only Vic was showing her anger. Jude eventually called last night, screaming at me.
I had to listen all through because I needed to go back home and get everyone settled. He told me he wanted to see his sons this morning and we were on our way home now. I was really scared but I couldn’t do anything right now, I had done what I set to do and had to face the consequences. The kids were oblivious to everything happening. For once, I wished I could stop being an adult and go back to the five-year-old me.