~HER BABY’S SECRET~
EPISODE FOURTEEN
Arike’s POV
I went into the sitting room to meet Bamidele smiling brilliantly at Busayomi as they talked.
“I didn’t expect to meet you here,” he said.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you too.” She replied with a laugh. “How is work?”
“Stressful..but I have no choice.” He laughed.
“ABI o..we have to work to put food on the table.” Busayomi answered while Bamidele and I exchanged glances.
“I am preparing dinner,would you like some food?” She asked.
“Well..I am not sure. I am okay for now.”
“Okay so.. I’ll just leave you two to talk.” She shot me a compose yourself look before walking away.
“Are you alright?” He asked.
“Yes..I am fine. Please take a seat.”
“Thank you. I finished up my work at the office so decided to drop by since you wanted to talk.” He said.
I rubbed my palms together.
“Ahm..I am leaving the country.” I announced.
He shot me a shocked look. “Why? And how long have you been planning it?”
“I received a call from my Aunt today. My uncle was involved in an accident.”
He came to sit beside me on the couch. “Is that why you texted saying we needed to talk?”
I nodded. “It’s alright. You have to go and see your uncle.” He held my hands. “I can help with the flight ticket.”
“No..it’s all sorted out.”
“So when will you be back?” He asked
Now here is the main issue! I withdrew from his touch and stood up from the couch.
“The truth is that…” I paused.
“What truth?” He asked.
“I am not coming back. I will be staying for a really long time.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Why do you have to relocate abroad? Is it something that serious?”
He came to me.
“I just want to be with my dad.” I responded without looking up at him.
“No..no..you can’t leave like that. What about me? What about us?”
I breathed out heavily. “That’s why I think we should break up.” I blurted out.
“Just like that?” He gasped out.
I could see the hurt in his expression. I should have been more careful with my words.
“Our relationship isn’t even up to a month and you just want to end things just like that?”
“I am sorry.”
“Tell me the truth…Arike this is not just about your dad!”
I turned away from him. “It’s..It’s about him.” I lied
“No… we’re not ending things like this. Look -” he swirled me to face him. “I am coming with you.”
What?! My jaw dropped completely.
“I’ll arrange for my papers and then..we can leave together.”
He is Insane! Definitely! He is funny to think that I would allow that to happen.
“No, Bamidele you can’t come with me.” I objected.
“Why not?” He cupped my face. “My girlfriend is relocating abroad so why can’t I do the same?”
“You can’t -”
He interrupted me. “There’s no point in staying back when you’re moving out.”
“You have a work here.”
“I can get one over there too. We are not breaking up.” He said seriously.
What do I do?
“Why would you want to relocate abroad without talking to me about it? Don’t you care about me?” He asked.
“I care about you.” I answered.
He sighed and rubbed his face with his palms. “I need you to be honest with me..” he stopped.
My heartbeat accelerated. Does he know I am pregnant?
“Do you truly love me?” He asked.
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because you can’t just make a decision to relocate abroad without telling your boyfriend? If you truly love me..then you would have waited for my say before even booking a ticket.”
“My dad is in coma!”
“Not an excuse to want to leave just like that!” He said defensively.
We lapsed into silence for some seconds.
“Do you love me,Arike?” He asked again.
This is the point! I can’t continue deceiving him.
“No,I don’t love you.” I said honestly.
He turned away from me. “I knew it.” He snorted under his breath.
“I am sorry.”
“No..don’t be please.” He forcrd a smile to appear on his face.
“I really tried to but-”
“Nothing worked..you possibly can’t feel the same way I feel because of who I used to be.”
“No..no..that’s not true.” I countered.
“Stop lying to me. I could tell you doubted me when I said I wasn’t gay anymore.” He said.
“No! That’s not true! I swear..I never really cared about your sexuality.” I said sincerely.
“So why can’t you love me?”
“Bamidele -”
“Oh! Ouch! I think I know -” he hit his forehead.
How do I explain things to him without involving Dayo or my baby.
“It must be because of him. Dayo is the one you love.” He gritted.
“No…”
“Don’t deny it. I have my reasons for concluding that it’s him. Aside from being his best friend, you feel something for him. And you and I both know the truth.”
I dare not utter a word. I just let the tears flow freely. I know Bamidele was deeply hurt and angry but he was trying to act cool and calm.
“From your silence..I guess am right. So which means you only got along with me to distract yourself from whatever you’re feeling for Dayo.”
“No…” I tried to deny but he cut me off by raising his hand up.
“Okay you find it easy to leave because you don’t think about me. Arike,for a moment,I thought we were real. I thought I was finally having this happiness I have always wanted but -” he paused and shook his head.
“I was wrong.” He completed.
“I am sorry.” I muttered.
“Don’t be sorry,it’s my fault. I will assume that I was too forward with you. And I should have respected your decision to remain just friends.” He said
“Bamidele?” Busayomi called him
Thanks Goodness,maybe she could help me talk to him.
Bamidele turned to face her.
“It’s not what you think…” She added.
“So what should I think?” He asked.
“It’s my fault.” She said.
I looked up at her. Now she wants to take all the blame.
“I was the one who pestered her to give you a chance..”
“So it was against her will to date me?”
“Kind off..” she scratched her neck.
That was partly untrue.
He shook his head. “You know what? I think this is where I have to accept the break up.”
“I am sorry.” I mumbled again.
“Can you stop saying sorry?!” He snapped.
“Calm down Bamidele…” Busayomi cautioned him in a soft tone. “I know you are hurting but -”
He interrupted her. “Well..I hope you have a good life abroad,Arike.”
One last look at me and then he was on his way out. Bamidele was heartbroken but he did a great job at hiding it.
Busayomi hugged after he left.
“Don’t worry everything will be fine..soon.”
I hope everything will be fine soon.
*******************************
FIVE DAYS LATER
I would be leaving Nigeria tomorrow, and I haven’t gotten the courage to tell Adedayo about it. I wanted to leave without informing him but Busayomi kicked against it.
I haven’t heard from Bamidele ever since he left my home. I tried to text him, apologizing for my wrong deeds but he read the messages but never replied. I knew that I had lost a very good friend though I wished things didn’t turn out this way between us.
Busayomi went out to buy some items which Aunty Sade asked me to bring along. And everything would be set for me to leave.
I picked up my phone to get things done once and for all. An incoming video call came in as soon as I switched on my data connection. Talking of the Devil – Dayo. I declined but later switched to Voice Call.
“Hi Adedayo,” I said
“Hi Arike,how are you?” He asked.
“I am good. What about you?”
“Bored…” He grumbled.
“And Shalewa?” I asked.
“Shalewa isn’t home.” He replied.
“Where is she?”
“Working on a new movie.” He replied
“Okay.”
“I just finished up some files and decided to call to check on you.”
“I was just about to call you too.” I muttered.
“Sounds like we were thinking about each other.” He said
“I need to tell you something.” I said after breathing in and out heavily.
It’s getting late,why hasn’t Busayomi returned from the store? I thought within as my gaze flickered to the time.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“I am relocating abroad.”
“What?! Are you serious?” He sounded surprised.
“Yes..” I explained the reason to him. Uncle Badejo was still in coma.
“Listen..why relocate when you can just be with them for some time and then return?”
“No…I think it’s better to stay there with him. It’s the less I can do to repay him for everything he has done for me.”
“Okay.. you’re right. And if that’s what you want,no problem. So do you want me to arrange the private jet for you?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I already booked a flight.” I answered.
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow morning. My flight is at 7:00am”
“Tomorrow? How long have you been planning it?” He gaped.
“Almost a week.”
“Wow! Seems like you were planning to leave without telling me.”
I thought of what to say without him thinking I didn’t want to tell him about it. “I have been busy arranging things.”
“Arike?” He called after a few seconds of silence. “I know things has been really awkward between us since we got intimate sexually. But I don’t want think that you’re relocating because of me or what happened between us.”
“No it’s not -”
He cuts me off. “I know it’s hard…I mean to see me married to someone else.”
I am leaving because I am carrying your child.
I sighed. “Dayo,I am not leaving because of what happened. I Just want to be close to my dad. And now that he’s sick, his wife would need extra help running the Foster Home.” I explained calmly so he won’t detect that I wasn’t completely honest with him.
“Okay..I understand. I will call you tomorrow.”
And with that he disconnected the call. I fought the cry to break down and cry as I placed my hands on my belly, caressing it gently.
*******************************
NEXT MORNING
At 6:00am, I was set up to leave for the airport.
“Have you taken your diary?” Busayomi asked.
“Yes,I already packed everything into the box.” I pointed out.
“Good,the Uber driver is almost here.”
“Maybe we should bring the bags outside.” I suggested.
“Yes so we won’t keep him waiting when he comes.” She agreed.
I grabbed one box while she took the other one. We made our way out of the apartment.
Busayomi checked her phone. “Let’s bring it outside the gate, he’ll be here in two minutes.” She said.
I locked the doors and handed her the keys before we motioned towards the gate.
My heart beat skipped beats at a time when Dayo stepped out of the car. I wasn’t expecting to see him before leaving the country.
Busayomi and I exchanged glances. Is Dayo the Uberman? I wanted to ask but she was surprised as I was.
“Good Morning,Dayo.” She greeted.
“Good Morning.” He answered. “I just thought that I should take you to the airport.” He added.
“Thanks but there’s no need. We already booked Uber since last night.” Busayomi replied.
The Uberman was Busayomi’s course mate in school. So it was easy to talk him into driving us to airport very early today.
A car horn caught our attention.
“Oh! He’s here!” Busayomi announced.
She took the boxes from me. “I’ll put the boxes in the car.”
“Okay.”
“So…this so where I have to say goodbye.” He huffed.
“Text me your address and phone number when you get there. So I can always check on you whenever I am out for a business trip.” He added.
I nodded but in my mind I won’t be doing anything of what he asked of me. I already envisioned a farther apart as I decided to cut ties with Dayo completely. It’s the only way to protect my baby.
“I am going to miss you.” He stepped close to me.
I forced a smile on my face. “Likewise.” I muttered.
Then he embraced me. “I am still going to keep to my promise.” He whispered into my ear.
“I don’t want to ask too much. I love you,Arike.” He added.
I love you too. I wanted to say it out but I kept my words at bay.
I withdrew from the hug. “You take care of yourself okay?”
He shook his head. “Stay Safe. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.” I said before walking towards the car.
One last glance at Dayo,he waved and I did the same too before entering the car.
The engine roared into life as the driver made a u-turn. I let down the tears that had threatened to spill in front of Dayo. I felt Busayomi touch on my hands.
I looked up to see her arms spread for me to hug her. And I adjusted into them.
“It’s alright, don’t cry.” She Pat me.
I hoped that I was doing the right thing. I am just doing everything from my unborn child.
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