ANIKE
By: Toyin Taiwo
Episode 30
She sat on the bed and I stood in front of her.
“Mummy what do you know exactly?” I asked her.
“Enough to know who you want to go and meet, your manfriend right? I saw him today in the hall. Admiral Gabriel Alawide. He sat beside the commissioner for education” she revealed.
“Jesus Christ!” I closed my eyes tight. “Mummy when did you find out?”
“I may not work when your father was alive, I may be a full time house wife, I may not be a career woman but you know I was not an illetrate.
As a sane mother, you don’t expect me to buy that crap of a story you sold to me that he is just a divine helper or God sent.
So I hired a private investigator” she stood up and opened my wardrobe.
You hid his pictures here because I was coming right. She also opened her bag and brought out a brown envelope and a USB
drive. She threw it on the bed. I picked it up and opened it. I brought out the contents, they were photos of Prince and I. I inserted the USB into my laptop and I heard some of my phone
conversations with Prince. So my lines were tapped. I opened my mouth in astonishment.
Of a truth nothing is hidden under heaven. Tears were already flowing in my eyes. I knelt down in front of my mum who was also crying.
“I didn’t raise you like this, I never wanted any of my female children to end like this. My own mother raised me well, but I failed as a mum” She said sobbing.
“I’m sorry for disappointing you Mummy.”
“You did not disappoint me, I failed you. If I stood up to my responsibility, you wouldn’t have found yourself in this position.
You are dating, no you are sleeping with a man old enough to be your father all because I failed to provide for you.”
“Mummy don’t blame yourself for my transgressions. I did this to myself, nobody forced me into it. I made the decision.”
“Do you know my mistake? I shouldn’t have followed you to that house that very day. I should have stayed back in the church.
Because this journey started that very day. I should have sent you back to return everything he gave you. But I behaved foolishly.”
“Mummy I’m sorry I did the wrong things for the right reasons, just forgive me.”
Adekemi joined us in the room and knelt down pleading with my mum with me.
“You knew all along?”
“Recently ma, during my recruitment into the navy” she answered her.
“And you never told me, all my children now keeps secrets from me.”
“We are sorry ma” we chorused.
Okiki entered the room. “What’s going on here why are you all crying?”
“It’s nothing, we just remembered your Daddy, you know a day like this couldn’t pass without remembering him.”
“You don’t have to cry, you should be thankful to God who sent us help if not we won’t be here today.”
“Thank you my dear, you can leave now, I’m having a conversation with your sisters” Mummy discharged her.
“Your phone has been ringing since inside your purse that is what I came to give you” he gave me my purse and left.
I brought out my phone to check the caller. Mum and I looked at each other. She cleaned her face with her wrapper.
“You can go, I’m sure he’s waiting for you. An adage says ‘A knife cut a child’s hand, you throw the knife away. Knife has already done what it wanted to do.”
I went into the bathroom washed my face. I picked the wine, my purse and car key and left.
I got to the hotel room, and I met David, the overall best student, he was already leaving. I think he came to thank Prince.
“Anike!” He was surprised to see me there. He gave me ‘so you know him look.’
“David, Hi and congratulations I’m really happy for you.
“Thanks” he replied. I hurriedly walk passed him.
“You two know each other? He asked.
“Yes, we do.” “OK, see you some other time.
“Thank you once again sir. I’ll talk to you later, miss” he bowed and left.
Prince pulled me into an embrace immediately he left.
“Congratulations my princess!”
“Thank you.”
I kept the wine on a table. “Is that for me?” he asked.
“Yes”I replied and he thanked me.
He handed me a cheque of #10M . “That’s your graduation gift” he said.
“This is a big gift. Thank you!”
He noticed I wasn’t smiling.“ What’s the problem my princess?”
“My Mum knows about us” I said with a teary voice.
He gave me a bear hug. And the tears flowed the more.
“You told her?”
“No, she found out herself.”
“I’m sorry she found out this way. Maybe I should talk to her.”
“That wouldn’t be necessary.”
“Let me tell her my intensions.”
“What intention?” I told you I won’t marry you.
“I’m not talking about marriage here, I’m talking about the affair.”
“Anike please…not this night. In fact you need to leave so your mum won’t be having some funny imaginations.”
“When are you leaving tomorrow? I asked.
“In the morning. I’ll go and see the governor first before leaving for Abuja.”
“OK, have a safe trip.”
“I’ll be traveling next week, I won’t be back until three weeks time. I would have ask you to come with me but with the situation of things, I think you should lay low for now.”
“OK, good night and take care of yourself.”
“I will, take care of yourself too” he said and kissed my forehead.
I came back to my apartment, my siblings were watching movies. I went to my room, my mum was lying down.
“Eku ile ma” I knelt down and greeted my mum. You dare not greet her standing even if you are the first lady.
“Kabo oko mi. So fast you didn’t even spend up to an hour” she said looking at the wall clock.
“Mummy!” Why is she teasing me.
“He’s same age with your father” she said.
“Mummy you don’t have to remind me that I’m having an affair with someone of his age. Mummy he’s a good man, he took care of me like his own blood.
The house you are living in presently is mine, I bought it myself,
I have five shopping complexes, three at Abuja and two in Lagos. I have two landed properties in Ajah. I acquired all these from the money I got from him. Even the house you stayed before Lekki is now mine. He changed the ownership name to mine. I rented it out after you moved out. I changed cars every year, Mummy I can’t start counting all the things he had done for me. I’ll leave
him but not now, I can’t just end things with him in a rush.”
“Who ask you to leave him, I never said that. After sleeping with him for three good years. What difference does it make? I have few questions to ask you, and I want honest answer.
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