HE SAID NO.
EPISODE 20
Mrs. Akinwale was preparing to go over to her mum’s place to see her son, she had been going occasionally for the last two weeks since she had been staying over at Grace’s place. She had refused to speak to her husband nor disclose her whereabouts to anyone. She felt it was best to stay away from him in the mean-time.
Although he wasn’t complaining, she purposed in her heart not to touch his money or anything that belonged to him.
After much thoughts, she decided to call Daniel, her brother, who was in Germany for his MSc. They used to be very close growing up but they drifted apart slowly as they grew older until Akinwale, her husband finally created a chasm between her and her brother. They haven’t been in touch on a regular, since he left for Germany a year after her wedding and as such, they had to catch up on a lot of things. He was done with his Msc. program but he had no plans of coming back anytime soon, she also told him about all that had been happening and he was so furious with her for keeping him out,
“Grace, please do me a favor,” he said,
“Yes, Dan,”
“Please don’t go back to that bastard for any reason, please, “he demanded without waiting for a response, Daniel never liked Akinwale and he did not hide it “And please call me if you need anything at all,”
He sent some money for her to secure a decent apartment, She and Grace already got one some streets away from Grace’s place but she still had a lot of cleanings and arrangings to do, she also planned to take custody of her son.
“This looks to me like you are heading towards separation from your husband,” Grace said after she told her,
“No, I’m not. Trust me, ”
“Then, pick his call and hear what he has to say,”
“No, Grace. His voice is the last thing I need to hear, I think staying away from him is the best thing I can do to myself for now,”
“Don’t you think he needs help too?” Grace asked as Mrs. Akinwale answered her with a shrug,
“Yeah, he sure does.”
“And don’t you think you might just be in the right position to help him?”
“Grace, I am only just beginning to find my feet. Jesus is still working on me, Lets still give this a little time, “
“I agree with you on that, please take your time. God is your wisdom, ”
“Amen, thank you, Grace, thank you for being there for me in these turbulent times,” Mrs. Akinwale said as she held her hands in hers,
“Mrs. Grace, I am doing this with pleasure, you really can’t imagine how glad I am, to see you happy, ” Grace replied, while gently squeezing her hands, they became emotional and hugged a moment,
“Let me be on my way,” she said as she stretched to pick her brown handbag from the chair, where she kept it. Grace got her a new brown handbag and refused to allow her to use the old black one, even though she argued that nothing was wrong with the old one and she claimed, no one was looking at her, she had to succumb to Grace’s persistent naggings.
While Mrs. Akinwale was still trying to put on her shoes, there was a knock on the door.
As soon as she opened it, she wished she had gone as Amifel walked in staring at Mrs. Akinwale like she had just seen a ghost,
“I was just about to call, I thought you changed your mind, ” Amifel already called to tell her that she was coming around,
“Meet Mrs. Grace Akinwale, my namesake, she is the nice woman I told you about, “ Grace said proudly as she turned to Mrs. Akinwale, “ This is Amifel, my sweet sis,”
“Oh wow! Grace!” Amifel said, she still had the look of shock on her face,
“Amifel, “ Mrs. Grace said coldly, she felt uneasy and could not hide it. Amifel was the very last person that she wanted to see,
“What is going on here? You two know each other?” A perplexed Grace asked,
“Yes, I know Grace very well, she was my childhood friend,” Amifel announced, the way they looked at each other like some stranger made it obvious that they were no longer friends,
“Been great, thanks and how are you and your beautiful family? ” Amifel asked, grinning from ear to ear,
“We are fine, ” Mrs. Akinwale said, there was an awkward silence between the both of them and Grace was wondering how to salvage the situation when Mrs. Akinwale came to her rescue, “I was actually on my way out before you came in, ”
“Oh, okay, I guess we’ll see some other time then?”
“Yeah, take care,” Mrs. Akinwale said, as she hurried out,
Amifel jumped excitedly on the bed as soon as Mrs. Akinwale left, bombarding Grace with a series of questions, “Is this the rich woman you told me about?”
“Yes, I was…” Grace was about to ask a question but Amifel wasn’t done,
“The one you said was having family issues and all?” She continued while articulating,
“Yes Amifel, where do you know her from?”
“Do you remember this girl I told you was the daughter of mumcy’s friend?”
“I can’t recollect, ”
“The one that I told you I saw at the mall sometimes last year, no almost a year and a half now, ”
“Oh oh oh, the one that was bragging about her beautiful family and all?”
“You are sharp girlfriend! Your smartness will not disappear!” Amifel clapped,
“Wow! I am speechless, such a small world indeed!” Grace remarked,
“I’m telling you, babe, it’s such a small world! Who could have thought that she was living in a boxing ring while pretending and telling everyone who cared to know that her home was a paradise, ”
“If this was not coming from you, I wouldn’t have believed all you said happened at the mall that day, ”
“Ah! The lord has vindicated me oh! I am single, but my life is far better and enviable than hers, ” Amifel bragged,
“Don’t talk like that Ami, she is changed now, that I am sure of, it is not Christ-like to make jest of people who are going through stuff, ”
“But she and her mom do the same thing to me at every chance they get. At least I am nice enough not to do it to her face, ”
“But you know better, moreover I am sure the person you just saw would never do such again, please let this go, ”
“Thank God for Jesus sha, if not, ”
“If not ‘Kwa’? ” Grace asked with a smirk,
“I would have staged a drama here today, ” Amifel said as she stood up to demonstrate, while Grace laughed profusely.
What could have happened at the mall?
To be continued…
Written by Sodamade Olamide Tolulope.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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