RANDOM

Ahhhhhh!" The loud scream jolted me from my sleep, the wailing that came after made me realise what had happened; Mama Ekemini had lost her baby once again. I flew out of my bed in my silk night gown, running to their apartment in a frenzy,  praying silently that the cause wasn't what I was thinking it was. "Sister Ekaette! Sister Ekaette!!" I screamed banging on their door "Nnena" her voice was weak almost deathly, small hands pulled the door open for me, I stared at Ekemini's tear stained face; the skinny 8 year old was carrying a burden too heavy for her to even lift. "Aunty Nne" Ekemini burst into a fresh round of tears as I reached out to hold her. " It's okay my love, we'll be fine" I reassured her as I pulled her into the house to face a bleeding Ekaette. "Nnena, please get me some water and a rag to wipe this mess" she was already used to the constant miscarriage so the pain became bearable for her, going to the hospital after a miscarriage for Sister Ekaette was after she cleaned the blood on the floor. I rushed to her kitchen and came back with a bucket of clean water and a torn towel; the steady miscarriage rag. "Nne thank you" she couldn't cry anymore, it was beyond her. "Where did he go after this?" I asked quietly "He didn't say, he just stormed off" her voice was almost a whisper as she mopped the blood on the floor. I pulled Ekemini into my arms and rocked her gently hoping hoping she'll be able to sleep as it was still too early in the morning for her to be awake. "He said I should pack my things out of his house before he returned" Sister Ekaette's voice was still quiet like she wasn't speaking at all. "Where does he expect you to go? After making you cut ties with your family and friends?" I didn't raise my voice but the disappointment was evident in my tone, Ekemini's soft snores filled the dimly lit living room. "Nnena, I have no idea" she was done cleaning the bloody floor at this time. "Let's put Mimi in your house and get to the hospital" she reached out for the girl in my arms before I stopped her and adjusted the girl in my arms as I stood up. We walked out the door with a black bag in Sister Ekaette's right hand.

"Okada!" I shouted at the bike man riding away, he turned to our direction and stopped in front of us. "Babawale Street near the transformer" "Aunty na the two of you?" He asked "Yes na two of us" I looked at Sister Ekaette's tired face. "Bring 200 naira" the man said. "Na 150 we get" I turned to Sister Ekaette and motioned for her to climb the bike. Fifteen minutes later, we alighted in front of the black gate of our block of flats, I paid the man and we walked into the compound. He was already standing in front of the house, shooting daggers at me and Ekaette. "I believe I was speaking a clear language when I said I wanted your things out before I return" his deep voice sent chills to my bones. She wasn't bothered about his screaming, "What more could happen after this?" She was surprisingly calm as she looked up to him. "What? Are you asking me that stupid question?" His eyes were bloodshot and he reeked of alcohol. "Yes Christopher; I was asking you " with that statement she turned to me "Nnena come and help me pack my things and my daughter's" "Where would you go to?" My voice was shaky even as Chris' eyes were digging the back of my head. "Let me pack first, I'll figure that out eventually" she opened the door to their house and I went in with her. One hour and thirty minutes later, we both stood outside their house motioning to the men from the moving company to pack up whatever they see, Christopher had left us to pack up. "Sister is it okay to empty his house like this?" I asked quietly as the men from the moving company went in and out of the house lifting different things. "The worst years of my life were spent as Chris' wife and the only ray of sunshine was Ekeminiabasi. I wouldn't want to leave him peacefully when he made my life hell" a smirk played on her lips, that was the scariest I had seen Sister Ekaette.

 

 

 

The moving company pulled out of the compound after about two hours of clearing the house. Sister Ekaette gave them an address, who knew she had a secret house? I was surprised when she told me after we entered Chris' flat when we got back from the hospital. "I actually have somewhere to go" she smiled at my stunned face. "Thank God ooo. Where is that?" The joy was evident in my voice. "You know I own about 30 percent shares at Bill and Boys" she talked like as if Bill and Boys wasn't the biggest food company in Nigeria. "30 percent? When you said you had shares I didn't expect it to be this much" I was excited, I hadn't given up but I thought all hope was lost. "My father was the owner of the company before he died" she spoke again like it was a breeze. "Your family is rich so how did you end up with Christopher? " I just had to ask, it plagued me that the daughter of a multimillionaire was married to a nuisance! "Christopher wasn't supposed to be the husband, family members pushed me to marrying him because his family was going to be our ally. Three years into our marriage, his family went bankrupt and there was no redemption. The night he heard the news was the night I lost the first pregnancy after Ekemini. I lost five more pregnancies after that because he was bitter and my family was still doing well. You'd be wondering why I stayed, I didn't want my family to feel pity for me and I didn't want Ekemini to be without a father"  Her story was like a fictional one, I couldn't exactly believe it, it was surreal. 

 

 

Three days later, she moved out of Christopher's house; the latter hadn't returned to his house for the past three days! So much for being a father. A black car stopped in front of us as we stood outside the gate to our compound. "Nnena, thank you for making these past few years bearable, you're such a good friend." Her voice was teary "Sister Ekaette, it's you that is the good friend. Thank you for everything too" I was sad they were leaving but glad that she was pulling herself out of the misery an arranged marriage had put her into. She held my hands, pulling me into her embrace. "Once you're done with your Youth service, there's an administration job waiting for you at Bill and Boys. Keep in contact, Nne" with that she pulled out of our hug and went into the car whilst waving at me; Ekemini had cried her eyes out before screaming that she didn't want to leave me.

The car drove off and I saw Chris staring at it. "A new boyfriend or sugar daddy, I presume?" He asking smirking. "You could say so" I replied smiling brightly at him. The surprise Sister Ekaette left for him hasn't hit him yet. I walked back into the compound with him steady on my heels. "Your dearest friend, hope I wouldn't find her in my house" He said still smirking. "I doubt if you'll find anything in your house" My smile was brighter than usual as I winked at him. He ran into his flat in a frenzy; the screams that came after were quite satisfactory, like music to my ears.

"Happy birthday Chris!" I shouted at him as I walked back to my flat; the birthday surprise wasn't ruined.