FARIDA
PART 58
Wale received a call in the middle of the night. It was Morenike’s nanny Agnes. She was frantic on the phone.
“Something is wrong with Morenike. She has been crying and bringing out saliva. She has refused to swallow her spit. She has refused to eat too”
“What happened prior to that?”
“Your mother threatened me not to tell you. Iya Morenike went out and left her for me. Your mother came in while I was taking my bath and took her away. I was looking for her almost losing my mind when I heard her cry from your mother’s house. I rushed in there and a man wearing white with another woman wearing white too were holding her. I rushed and grabbed her from them. I ran to our own house. After some time she cooled down but she refused to eat or drink”
“And you didn’t tell me? You didn’t call the nurse?”
‘You mother came with those people and told me if I dare say anything they will make me run mad. I don’t want this child to die. Please sir, what should I do?”
“Where is her mother?”
‘She is not at home?”
“What? Anyway, I will handle this soon. Get the baby downstairs without making any noise I will send the driver to pick you up. He will take you to the hospital”
The driver rushed them to the hospital that night. Wale was in Abuja. He got ready for a trip to Lagos. He was tired of both his mother and Tomiwa. She had been crossing her boundaries but she didn’t know he knew. He had a cctv planted in strategic locations in the apartment. He would take his time to watch them when this was over.
The paediatrician that attended to the emergency noticed something blocking Morenike’s windpipe. On closer examination, they observed it was bitter kola. Who gave his daughter bitter kola to eat? They also found honey and palm oil. Immediately, he called his father, told him what happened and that he wanted his mother and her accomplices arrested. His daughter would have died. The father promised to handle it.
He arrived Lagos and spent time with Morenike. He immediately fired Agnes and had her arrested until his mother joined her. He sent some people to his apartment to move out everything that belonged to Morenike. They were boxed and sent to Abuja while she was recuperating.
Tomiwa did not come home until three days later. She was not aware of the happenings in the house. She observed the house was unusually quiet so she checked Morenike’s room and met it empty. She began to fret. She called the nanny but she wasn’t picking up. She called Iya Wale and still no response. She called Wale; Wale didn’t pick her call. She was almost running mental. She then called Wale’s sister who told her to rush to the police station where their mother was.
Wale with the help of his father had arrested his mother and cohorts. Tomiwa got to the Police station and she was also arrested. Wale wanted to know what happened to his child whom he left in the custody of her mother and the nanny.
“I went to bath when Wale’s mum came in and carried the baby because she was crying. I thought she was with her in the parlour so I took my time to dress up and quickly eat before going to the sitting room. They were not there. I heard Morenike crying from Wale’s mother’s house. I rushed there, carried away from this man and woman and rushed to our own flat. Morenike continued to cry. She refused to eat, she was just crying and won’t allow me drop her down. It was when it was too much that I called you”
“Where was a mother?”
“She went out”
“She didn’t come back that night?”
“She didn’t come back the day before and that night”
“Mrs Badmus, narrate what happened”
“I eard the shild crying. I went there, the nanny was not there. I had visitors from home in my ouse. I bring te shild to my ouse. The visitors pray for her and bless her. Dats all”
“How did they bless the child? Baba, how did you bless the shild”
“I bless the shild. I mix honey ati salt ati palm oil put in er mouth”
“So who put the bitter kola? Who put bitterkola in the mouth of the shild?”
“It is blessing and nothing more”
“Because of you mum, I almost lost my child. She almost died. I warned you. I gave you rules. I said you should take my child out of my apartment but you didn’t listen. Because I refused to marry you Tomiwa you left your barely three months old baby for four days without communication. I have gotten a medical report from the hospital and I am filing for sole custody of Morenike. You are an irresponsible mother and a disgrace to motherhood.
“Please hold it there. What nonsense? You have a lover and other lovers in Abuja and because I have a baby I can’t have a life? I have stayed indoors for so long under your instruction and you are saying I can’t have fun?”
“At the detriment of your daughter? You abandoned your daughter for days. You never checked up on the nanny. She has been in hospital for two days and you are not even aware. I am in Abuja and I had to attend to my sick child from there when she has a mother that is supposed to be living with her. You don’t deserve this child. You are a horrible mother and my child is not safe with you. Simple instructions you cannot obey. Let’s see how this plays out in court”
Wale’s mother was released on bail while Wale insisted the two main culprits remain in detention and face the law. He left Lagos for Abuja where a nanny had been employed for his daughter. He set up a room for her in his new home (he changed his accommodation so his family won’t know where he was). The new nanny took over the care of Morenike.
Mentioning the whole scene to Farida made her so angry. How could Tomiwa be so irresponsible? Even the nanny that refused to obey instruction had was wrong. Farida could feel how angry and frustrated Wale was. Morenike will be with two strange faces so it will be difficult for her to adapt to her new environment.
Farida discussed travelling to Nigeria for two weeks with Monica. “Wale needs help and support at this time. I think I can take off two weeks and travel trusting you will take charge over here when I am gone”
“Hope you are not going with Eni and Dayo? Once they step into Nigeria Sam will seize them”
“They will be here with their second mother. I am not going with them”
“Hugh would have to spend weekends here with me if you don’t mind”
“Definitely, he is welcome. Both of you are serious”
“He is better than any black guy I have been with. Are you sure it is because of Morenike you are travelling? Are you sure it is not because of someone else?”
“Please Monica stop. I want Wale but I am going for Morenike”
“Now you are talking”
They both laughed.
When Farida landed Abuja, she called Wale and asked him to give her directions to his home. He wasn’t expecting her so he sent it. He was shocked when she was at his doorstep. He stood in amazement.
“Stop staring at me. You needed help and here I am. Where is the gorgeous Morenike?” Farida asked as she pushed past him into the house. She heard her cry and went into the nursery immediately. She lifted her up with her towel and planted loads on kisses on her face. She washed her hand and assisted in getting her ready for bed. She placed Morenike on her chest and she fell asleep in no time. Each time she tried to stand up and lay her down, she cried. The nanny took her from Farida and laid her on her chest. She grumbled for some time but finally fell asleep.
“You are God sent. I was almost running bananas. I have to spend enough time with her so she gets used to me. I am through with my mother and Tomiwa”
“Are you? I know your mother offended you by disobeying you but I don’t think she meant any harm? She was probably protecting Morenike”
“From you. She was protecting her from you and nearly killed her in the process”
“She made a mistake. Free the old man and woman. Your mother should know better. I know you are angry but please”
“And Tomiwa?”
‘She is a young girl who is saddled with a responsible she is not prepared for. Please forgive her”
“And give her a second chance?”
“That’s not what I am saying but please allow her access to her child when she wants to see her’
‘I am not. We are going to court. I have already filed for sole custody with evidence of her negligence as a mother. I have CCTV footage of her ignoring her crying child. She didn’t breastfeed the baby for more than two weeks after they came back. That useless nanny didn’t tell me anything. She brought visitors to my house and she allowed my mother take her to her apartment even after my warning. I didn’t want Morenike exposed to diseases; I know how careless, Tomiwa and Mum are. Anyway, we will have our day in court”
“Will it go that far? Settle it amicably”
‘She took me to Lagos Sate Women and children affairs claiming I abducted her child. I went there with all the evidence and they advised me to make it legal. She can’t see Morenike again until she is two and with supervision. Once I have the ruling, I will bring her to the UK to stay with her siblings”
“That will be awesome. I will be glad”
“I know you will. You are her real mother; Tomiwa just birthed her for us. Everything will be well taken care of. Gradually our desire will come to past”
“But you will forgive your mother”
“Only when she accepts you”
Wale’s father came to Abuja to see him. He told him how proud he was of him and the way he handled the situation.
“Even though you didn’t want the child and the mother you treated them very well and took up responsibility. Imagine a father being better responsible for a child than the mother. Tomiwa has exposed how irresponsible she is. If you had lost Morenike, heads would have rolled including your mother’s. I had warned her to stop going up and down looking for how to separate you from Farida but she won’t listen. She still blames Farida for what happened. I asked her if Farida was the one who put bitter kola in the mouth of a three months old baby and almost killed her. I told you I will take action. I have told her that before lives get lost I m going to do something. She will take an oath not to do anything against you or/and Farida otherwise her life will go for it. Only then we I ensure the release of the baba and his accomplice. She has agreed. I wanted to speak with you first. What more do you want from her?”
“I want her to live like she doesn’t have a son. I don’t want her near me or any of my children. She should just live as if I never existed”
“It is not possible. I understand all she is doing but she is going to the extreme to prove a point. Relax. I will sort everything out. She won’t bother you anymore”
‘Thank you dad”
“Well, your brothers have failed woefully in the past quarter. The figures have dropped terribly. I have given them this quarter to recover and also meet the target. I don’t see them doing it though. They are always at loggerheads. I shared them to regions and still the report isn’t fantastic. I know where the issues are but I will not let them know. It is best they discover themselves”
“Well, it’s good for them. Gradually, they will begin to understand the business”
‘They are in competition so they can’t win. The solution requires them coming together which will never happen. Your mothers will fuel the feud”
“I am not there. We have completed three mega stations and working on four more. He also wants me to handle the operations of the business but I told him I have no interest in that but can recruit and train staff that will do an excellent”
“Why don’t you want to handle the operations?”
“My family is in the UK. Morenike is going to join them once I am given full custody. I need to spend time with them; it I important to me”
“You trust Farida more than Tomiwa?”
“A billion times and over”
“Her husband will be the only stumbling block”
“We are not particular about marriage. We just want to be together forever”
“Because of opposition? Everything will fizzle out in time”
“Like I aid dad, we are not particular about legalizing the union”
“That’ fine. We want to start another estate and I would require your expertise. I have told your brothers to handle one project while you handle this”
‘I am not interested in competing with them”
“You are not competing with them for bad. I need them to understand the ethics of work. You won’t understand. Let’s leave it at that”
Farida’s two weeks in Nigeria was very interesting. She spent most of her day with Morenike and her night with Wale. Wale took her to the clinic for tests to be conducted on them for stds and they were both certified clean. Next, he asked for family planning. Lucky, a Nigerian doctor from the UK who volunteers in the hospital recommended she goes back to UK for a better range of contraceptives. In the meantime, she recommended the contraceptive injection which was to be taken once every three months. She was to change it after she gets back to UK.
The two weeks were over quicker than they started. Farida left for the UK. That night, Morenike cried for hours. When she heard her voice sing to her, she calmed down. Wale knew the decision he had taken was the best.
Sam narrowly won the primaries election. It showed hi popularity was dwindling. He didn’t know if it was because of Farida’s saga or Idara embarrassment to him. His two wives had caused him a lot of stress.
He had observed changes in Idara. She became more involved in the house activity and the children. It was quite intereting to see her work out to lose weight. He hadn’t seen her load food and eat like she used too. She had lost weight but not enough to call a party. She was also quite attractive now. He could consider her again as long as she doesn’t get pregnant. He has had enough kids. He began to invite her into his room again and she didn’t disappoint. No one could be like Farida but Idara wasn’t bad herself.
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