HE SAID NO
EPISODE 17
“I will be there in less than 30 minutes, please pardon me,” Amifel said before she dropped the call, it was a client she booked an appointment with, she called to tell her that she was at their meeting spot already. She ordered for an Uber ride before she sped into the bathroom for a quick bath,
She was mopping her body with her white towel when her phone beeped, it was a new message notification.
“Maybe it’s the Uber driver,” she said to herself as she ignored it. She dressed up hurriedly so as to meet up with time, as soon as she was done, she put her purse, face towel, a jotter, and a pen into her navy-blue bag. She stretched over to the edge of her 6 inches bed and took a quick glance at her phone, she had just received a message from George. It reads,
“Hey, just wanted to let you know that we’re done!”
She blinked a multiple-time, she couldn’t believe her eyes as she gave a wry smile,
“Wow!” she exclaimed, “Wow! So, he couldn’t at least call or do this politely, what a way to end a relationship,” she said as she debated within her on whether to reply or ignore it,
“This is rude and he does not deserve my response!” she concluded as she wore a black wedge sandal and took a glance at the mirror before stepping out of her room. Her Uber driver called just as she stepped out, he was already in front of her gate.
“Perfect timing,” she muttered,
Her mum was not around, so she locked the doors and kept the keys, as soon as she settled in the car, she thought to call Grace but she remembered that she would still be at work, so she sent her a text instead,
“Babe, there’s gist oh, let me know when you are less busy,” it read,
“Thank you, father!” She said in a low tone as her face curved into a smile.
********************
Mrs. Grace Akinwale was feeling so much better, she had spent almost a week at Solid Rock hospital and she was feeling much better. Even though her husband came around every single day, she refused to see nor speak to him. Her mum stayed with her all through and only left to change her clothes and take Tobi to and from school. Also, her son was temporally staying with her mum.
“ ’Pele’ dear, hope you are feeling much better?” Mrs. Balogun asked as she took her seat on the iron chair beside her, that has been her regular spot over the past few days, she sat on the chair and rested her head on the edge of the bed to sleep every night. Grace on the other hand was seated on the hospital bed with her back to the wall as her legs dangled in the air,
“Yes mummy, I am fine now,” she said, her face was as emotional as it had been since her mother came around.
“Adejoke mi,” she began, she usually called Grace by her native name whenever she wanted to say something really important,
“Mummy,” Grace answered,
“My child, I am your mother and I love you very much. What your husband did was painful, very painful and he has realized that he has been wrong all the while. He called me and he asked me to beg you, if you see his face, you will know that he has changed. He has grown so lean and long, ah, I pitied him,”
“Eeya,” Grace said mockingly as she laid down on her back and looked intently at the ceiling like she was seeing a vision. She was tired of talking about Wale, she and her mum have been arguing about him the whole week and she had told her that she does not want anything to do with him anymore.
“Is that all you would say?” she asked as her question was greeted by silence, “Anyway, the doctor told me that you would be discharged tomorrow,” she announced,
“Okay,”
“So, I have told your husband that…”
“That what? Mummy, that what? I have told you a thousand times over, I don’t want to talk about him! is that too much to ask?” she cut in as she turned her back on her mum,
“Who are you turning your back to? Anyway, that is your business, I have told your husband to come and pick you tomorrow,”
“Pick who?” she said as she laughed wickedly, “It’s like you think I am joking, I am not going back to that house, I am not going back to wale!” she yelled, red hot anger with anger,
“Whose house do you plan to go back to or do you want to be living in the hospital?”
“I will stay at your house for a while before…”
“Da pada! Oya swallow it,” Mrs. Balogun yelled, “Stay back in which house? “she chuckled, “ ‘Omode o mo ogun, o n pe le fo’ (a child does not know the difference between what is dangerous and what is not) you cannot come back to my house oh! It is not me that you will disgrace, “ she said as she walked out of her room, slamming the door on her way out,
Mrs. Grace felt like her head was dangling on her neck, she was furious. Why would her mum want to see her miserable? Does she want her dead?
She thought about her life all day, she had sworn never to go back to Akinwale’s house. The question is, to where? She urgently needed somewhere to stay or she might as well remain in the hospital till she figured something out. She was still thinking about where to go when her phone rang. At first, she thought it was her husband but after the 3rd ring she decided to check who it was, it was an unknown number,
“Hello,”
“Hello, please am I speaking to Mrs. Grace?” the caller asked,
“Yes?”
“Thank God! I have been trying to reach you, the last time I called someone else picked and I was beginning to think you gave me a wrong number,”
“Sorry, who is this?”
“This is Grace, a staff of City bank, you gave me your number about 2 weeks ago,”
“Oh oh oh! I remember!” she exclaimed, “ You helped me with my card and all,”
“Yes ma, “
“I am sorry I forgot to save your number that day and thank you so much for the other day,”
“Its fine ma, it was a pleasure,”
“So, how have you been?”
“No problem ma, I am fine. Trust you are fine too ma,”
“Yes, yes, I am fine… I am fine” she repeated as if to assure herself that she was fine,
“Okay ma, I just called to check up on you,” Grace said,
“That was really thoughtful of you, thank you so much,”
“You are welcome ma and enjoy the rest of your day,” Grace concluded before she hung up,
Mrs. Grace Akinwale resumed back to her thoughts, she just told someone that she was fine when she obviously wasn’t.
“It’s of no use telling her, what help could she possibly render,” she thought to herself, then she remembered that she temporarily needed a place to stay, she unlocked her phone quickly and dialed her number. She might be of help afterall…
To be continued…
Written by Sodamade Olamide Tolulope.
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