(Episode 14)
Christmas in November –
Comfort was somewhat jittery as Israel was about to thrust,
Comfort: “I can’t do this, man!”
Israel: “what?”
Israel tried to force his way through but she was in tears already,
Comfort: “please, baby don’t force your way!” she tried getting up but his grasp was too firm, “Please, baby, I will give it to you when I’m really ready!”
Israel: “then why did you get me high!”
Comfort: “I’m sorry!”
He ignored her plea, with one hand pinning her down, used the other to make sure he was going to hit the target and pushed. She kept on begging, screaming and shaking her body. Something stung her face; it was agonizing. In a flash, she felt a piercing in between her thighs, blood trickled out. It tore into her heart too. Pains ran through her body. She couldn’t cry. The pain of the slap and the thrusting combined in make her yearn for death. Israel kept going up and down; the movement of his body crushed her. She couldn’t open her eyes. The pain wouldn’t let her but she could imagine Israel growing horns with a scarlet red face. The way the devil was drawn by cartoonist. The grinding went on for minutes. She was dying. There was fire in between her thighs. The face almost tore from its squinch. Israel was ecstatic; he moaned with every thrusting. It was about him; what Comfort felt was less important. What did it matter anyway? There was glee on the face as he licked his lips. He could feel it running down his spine; Comfort was crying. The pains weren’t getting any lesser,
Israel: “awww!” he growled. The feeling was orgasmic. He shook the butt making sure he had emptied every of his own into her. And dropped on her and crushing her the more.
She didn’t know if to curse him but the feeling of hate for him clouded her. Unapologetically, he swaggered with his bare butt to the bathroom. The sound of the water harmonized with the song he whistled.
Death, she called its name. She opened her thighs calling for death to come and have her too. She wanted to be consumed for the pains were intolerable. Her hand went down her thighs, there was thick substance smeared all over. It was blood and his semen. Like mess, that was how she felt… she cried bitterly.
How to face him was the problem. She dragged the bed sheets to cover herself and buried her head in the pillow. She wanted to suffocate herself. He entered the room whistling,
Israel: “Get up and clean yourself,baby!”
Did he just call her, baby? After having her forcefully? She didn’t know if what he did to her would be called rape but it felt like that. If a knife was close she would stuck it in his neck and watch him as he dies.
She felt dead.
…..
It’s been two weeks, since Jake started Chemotherapy. It sucked Jane financially. She was fired from work after been away for weeks and when she explained to her boss that she was unjustly detained. He wasn’t ready to listen. The Jones family had been of great assistance but they couldn’t do much.
Doctor walked into Jake’s room, who was smiling with his body by his side,
Doctor: “How you feeling, Jake?”
Jane: “Good afternoon, Doc.”
Doctor: “afternoon, mummy Jake!”
Jake: “Great, Uncle Tee!”
Doctor: “Gimme hi five,man!”
Jake sat up and gave him a high five. They giggled. They had become very close; he had to make the hospital give Jake a special feeling, “Can we get started man!”
Jane: “Turn, Jake!” Jake turned and received injection,
Doctor: “That’s my man! just rub it!” he did that, “Jake, can you gimme a minute with your mum?”
Jake nodded,
Jake: “Go ahead!” he smiled.
The doctor called Jane aside,
Doctor: “Mummy Jake, have tried my best to plead with the hospital management to give you time so you could raise money to pay for the debts so as to continue with Jake’s treatment but they have given you two days if you can’t pay they’d have to cut off his treatment,” tears gathered in her eyes, “there’s little I can do!
Jane: “Thanks, Uncle Tee! God bless you for me!”
Doctor: “Just try and run around and see the little you can get. Meanwhile manage this!” he handed her ten thousand naira. She thanked him in sobs, “please wipe your eyes. Bless God! I don’t want my friend to see you in tears!”he was referring to Jake.
Jane entered the room looking worried,
Jake: “what is it, mum? Did Uncle Tee give you bad news?” she shook her head and sat close to him,
Jane: “I don’t want to lose you, baby!” she held him tight,
With tears in his eyes too,
Jake: “I don’t want to leave you, mum! Uncle Tee said I’ll be fine right,” she nodded as they cry in each other’s embrace.
She was standing by the road side. Confused; she seemed to be in a different world. Everything was in a fast forward. Her uncle’s word spun with her. Mr Ojobi, was her uncle, her late mother’s younger brother. He was a director in an Oil company in Lagos. He never treated her like family. Going to him was out of necessity. She didn’t know where else to turn to.
Mr Ojobi: “See my dear. I feel sorry for Jake but this recession has eaten deep into my bank account. I’m broke right now,” he dipped hands in the b****t pocket and handed her two thousand as for her fare.
She felt like throwing the money at him but she needed it badly. On the phone she had overheard one of his numerous girlfriends thanking him for sending fifty thousand naira to her.
Tears tore at her cheek she didn’t mind the attention her crying in the public evoked. A car stopped by her, the owner wound down the glasses. It was someone she knew, quickly, she wiped the tears, “Come in!” she didn’t hesitate to enter. It was Chief Audu,
Audu: “what’s wrong with you? Why would a beautiful girl stand in the middle of the road crying in public? Ah,ah!”
She couldn’t lie to him. It was tiring lying to the world that she was alright when her life was tearing apart,
Jane: “my only child is dying! He has cancer and there’s no money to continue his treatment!”she broke into tears. Needing help wasn’t something she could be ashamed of. She was ready to do anything to keep her son alive even if it meant warming chief’s bed.
Audu: “Oh, my God! Why didn’t you look for me! I dropped by your house on many occasions but you were always absent and your neighbour wasn’t willing to disclose your where about!” Jane was still sobbing, “stop crying my dear! So where’s your son,Jackson?”
Jane: “hospital,Jake sir!”
Audu: “Jake, sorry. Okay, fine! I’ll support him and if possible I’ll transfer him to the hospital of my friend the best in the country.”
Jane was suspicious of Chief’s generousity. Her body could feel his roving eyes clawing at every part of her body. That old body of his wanted her and she couldn’t care less. All she wanted was care and support for her son. Audu took her to an eatery, “I have a proposal for you. I need your help too!”
Audu told her of Jerry, how he was being a thorn in his flesh. He had been to many schools but home and abroad but never finished any, “he isn’t getting any younger yet he does look like he is going to become responsible anytime soon. I’m dead worried. Who would I leave my riches to? I’m a very wealthy man!”
So the rich also cry, she thought.
The deal was,chief Audu didn’t want her for himself but wanted her to help change Jerry,
Jane: “I’ll do my best!” she agreed.
It was now time to devise a plan how she would come into Jerry’s life.
