(Episode 11)
Christmas in November –
Lizzy was on her way to the hospital. She couldn’t drive, the news wouldn’t let her. The voice of the lady that called her still echoed in her head, “Are you Lizzy? Your friends were rushed to our hospital!” Lizzy screamed. The news had left her in distraught.
Lizzy sitting at the front of the cab,
Lizzy: “Abeg driver, do quick!” There was little traffic; the driver maneuvered his way. Her mind flew to Sarah, flipped out her phone, “Aunty, have you heard the news?” she said in a trembling voice. Sarah was on her way too,
Sarah: “just leaving the voice,” her voice was trembling too.
By the time Lizzy entered the hospital confusion twirled around her, for a minute or two she moved left and right. No nurse seemed to have her time. After some minute of being patient, she rushed to a nurse and fortune enough it was the lady that called her through Comfort’s phone.
Lady: “I was the one that called you!”
She took her to the room; Comfort was on the bed with bandaged arms but Israel was in the emergency ward. It was said he had hit his head on the wheels.
Lizzy who was sitting by Comfort’s side heard her phone ring. It was Sarah. Saved as Auntie Sarah.
Sarah sounded distant,
Sarah: “where are you?”
Lizzy: “I’m at the female ward!”
Sarah: “Okay, I’m coming now!” Comfort was asleep. They had sedated her. Sarah entered and rushed to Comfort’s bed, “oh my baby,” she was in tears. Lizzy’s had to drop.
Lizzy: “they gave her pain killers and sedated her.”
They went into a doctor’s office, who told them Israel would be fine.
Sarah: “Please, do all you can for he is all I got!”
….
It was time for John’s closing hour; he went in to notify the madam, who was watching TV,
Iya Loja: “Who dat?”
John cried behind the door,
John: “na mi, John!”
Iya Loja: “h’enter!” he pushed the door in a gentle manner and limped in,
John: “Good evening, Iya!”
Iya Loja: “Ehen, John ne!” her mind was in the Yoruba movie she was watching, “Ah!” she screamed when an actor was about to murder another, “You is wucked pesin ooo!” she placed her hands on the head. John stood watching too with arms folded,
John: “Chai!” the yelling drew her attention to him,
Iya Loja: “Ehen,John, what happun?”
John: “I just come tell you say I wan close!”
She checked the wall clock,
Iya Loja: “Shey your time iyaff reash!” he nodded, “Your second nko?”
John: “E don come!”
Iya Loja nodded,
Iya Loja: “Alrice! Katty she aff gif you food?” John nodded, “ Oda bo!”
John: “Huh?”
Iya Loja: “bus’ man! Safing Journey!”
John: “Tank you, ma!” he made for the door.
Iya Loja: “Ehen, John coming back!” John turned back, “What I hear of you pregnanting another geh, is true?” John looked down; “Ah!” she turned the volume of the TV, “John ni! Johnnn! How many time I call you?”
With his eyes still on the ground he replied,
John: “Two times!”
Iya Loja: “See you,you aff efun answering me! But why you no get money,eh? You and family dey managing you come an go and giff anoda pesin belle. Ah!” he stole a glance, “You ‘er no efun pitying yourself that you’er Aro! Okay, where’s new wife?”
John: “Maggi, no bi my wife oo,Iya!”
Iya Loja burst into laughter,
Iya Loja: “Iyo ni ,Maggi ko!” she was still laughing after few minutes she added, “ John ni she is your wife whether you likes it or not! Before now I telling you no bi efery tin wey wearing skirt your eyes go dey inside. O ga o! Where she is now?”
John: “my house!”
Iya Loja: “Is a wa o! o ga o! Be going”
John wasn’t pleased at all as he left. On his way home, he ate roasted groundnut and was singing as each seed landed in the mouth. That was to get him away from his worries. Since Margret moved in, it was from one scuffle to the other. Going home was now a burden.
John: “My house don turn where America and Iraq dey fight!” he’d say.
Getting to the house he met his seven children outside, the younger ones were playing together and the elder ones sat down on their own,
The younger ones clustered around him, five of them, chorusing, “Papa wetin you buy come!” he handed them nylon full of groundnut and they scrambled away with it, the elders joined. He sat outside to receive fresh air when Margret bumped at him,
Margret: “John, I wan money to buy pepper!”
John twitched his mouth,
John: “Na wa o! You no go even greet me,eh?”
Margret: “Greet fire! Abeg gimme something joor!”
Jacinta heard their voices and bumped out too,
Jacinta: “Papa Anna! Gimme money for salt!” Anna was the name of his first daughter,
John stared at them both,
John: “Na wa ooo! Na mi bi di first to keep two women for house!” he ignored them and placed his head on the hand. They were making noises over his head, “Wetin dey worry una? I say I no get abi make I use myself for money?”
They screamed at the same time, “Yes!” he hissed and stood up to leave that was when Margret held one end of his collar and Jacinta held to other end before he could say a word. They had pushed him to the ground and sprung on him.
…..
Jerry was in Kingsley’s apartment and some other friends with their girlfriends inclusive. Jerry sat down playing game with Nnamdi. Nnamdi and others were smoking and drinking,
Nnamdi: “Take kush na!” he said to Jerry,
Jerry: “Nah!”
They laughed, Kingsley said,
Kingsley: “Jerry na pastor now o!!!”
Jerry: “Go joor!”
They laughed about it. They kept smoking. Jerry was really fighting the temptation not to.
Kinglsey to Nnamdi,
Kingsley: “Howfa, Coke dey oo!” Jerry’s Adam apple vibrated. They were somewhat addicted to cocaine, he didn’t know if he had the strength to resist. Kingsley and Nnamdi made for the door of the room, Jerry after much hesitation followed,
Nnamdi joked,
Nnamdi: “Pastor wetin happen na?” turned to Jerry.
Jerry: “If I wound you eh? Make we go arrange something!”
……
Jake was in the playground in school; playing with friends when he fell and slumped. His friends gathered around trying to get him to stand up. Tochi rushed to call their class mistress,
Mistress: “what happened?” she said to panicking Tochi,
Tochi: “My brother,Jake fell and he has refused to wake up!” Tochi called Jake his brother not neighbour.
Mistress: “what!?” she ran after him.
The teacher rushed out and found Jake lifeless. They took him into the school bus to a nearby hospital. Tochi and others were in tears.
…
Chief Audu was on the phone in the office. It was Esther. He was on the phone with her.
Audu: “Baby! Baby!!!”
Esther: “Leave me joor!”
Audu: “ah ah,what’s wrong?”
Esther: “You just abandoned me! For three weeks ooo!”
Audu smiled,
Audu: “Ah,ah! You know it isn’t intentional now! I thought I explained to you business and family issues have really eaten into my time off late!”
Esther: “Okay ooo!”
There was a knock on the door; it was persistent,
Audu: “Lemme call you back,please!” he dropped the call, “come in!”he said.
A strange looking man with full beards, appeared, he had a hood on hiding the face,
Strange Man: “I am here!” he said in baritone as he sat down removing his cap.
Audu seemed a little afraid,
Audu: “who are you?”
