TWENTY
A male nurse pushed Kola out of the theatre in a wheel chair. The surgery had been done. He looked sullen. He was gently laid into the bed. He stretched out, guiding his leg safely not to hurt it. He sighed down heavily after the process. His eyes had a glint of utter sadness. His head, beating with heavy burden of regret. His leg had been bandaged. He would need to walk with crutches for a long time. He thought about all this and shook his head. A thought told him he had suddenly been written off and probably reaping the fruit of his deed.
“How long? ” He had asked Dr Chuks after the surgery which only lasted for thirty- five minutes.
The surgery was smooth and quick. He was wheeled into the theatre, covered with curtains. His leg was gently torn from the knee with a knife. Bloods streaked out in the process. Efforts were made to staunch it. He had been given tranquilizers before this. He didn’t really know what was happening. But he was told several pieces of metal were brought out from his leg.
“Few months. May be six. I can’t say precisely.” Dr Chuks answered him with a smile that had a pair of dimples plastered on his cheeks.
“What is really the problem you discovered with my leg?” Kola asked again with a voice choked with tears. The same question he had asked Dr Chuks a hundred and one times. Dr Chuks smiled. A gentle smile meant to give him some hope.
“Just like I explained to you when you did the x-ray, your patella was badly ruptured. But that was really not the problem but the several pieces of metal we found trapped into your fibula. The fibula is the other tiny bone in your leg apart from the tibia. That fractured it.
” What is a patella?”
“It is your knee cap. Sorry for the big word. But you will walk again.” Dr Chuks said and nodded his head affirmatively. He caught a glimpse of hope in his eyes.”
“You need some sleep. Besides I was told there is a lady waiting to see you. She is in the reception. She will be allowed to see you once you have taken a enough rest.” Dr Chuks retorted after a while.
“Please let me see her now. She could be my wife. I need to talk to her.”
“Okay. I will send one of the nurses to bring her in.”
“Thank you Dr Chuks. I am really grateful.”
Dr Chuks walked away with heavy footsteps. His lab coat flying in the wind. A crowd of people had begun to fill up the ward. Kola laid back. Minutes later, a lady walked in dressed in a velvet gown that cut her perfectly. She had a well-plaited strands of hair dancing about her back. Her face well powdered to glow in the freshness of the morning. She was in a pair of black flat heels that positioned her smooth fresh legs pretty well. She walked to Kola’s bed and smiled at him. She had a bag in her hand.
“Morning sir.” Tolu greeted. Kola stared at her. Her face seemed familiar but he had forgotten where he met her.
Kola nodded his response, examining her face in the process.
“I am Tolu, Lara’s friend.” Tolu said and took a seat by the bed.
“Oh Lara’s neighbour!” Kola sighed down finally. “How are you doing?”
“I am great. Lara told me you had an accident.”
“Yes. On my way to Ibadan.” Kola growled out and hissed in regret.
“Sorry about that.”
“Where is Lara? Kola asked and frowned. ” So she got my message. Oh thank God she did. She refused to pick my calls nor come to see me. That lady must really be evil.”
“She has travelled to Abuja. She said she has a programme.”
“Really, a programme with one of her men. Well that’s great. Just let her know I don’t want to see her again in my life.”
“She is really sorry.” Tolu sighed. “She said I should give you this.”
Tolu got the bag and showed it to Kola who grimaced sternly.
“I don’t need her gift. Please just return it. Tell her I am fine and I will walk again.”
Tolu smiled, observing Kola’s leg.
“So how is your leg?” She asked after she had put down the bag.
“Fine. I just had my surgery and the doctor said I will walk in few months.”
“That’s a good news. We thank God. ” Tolu smiled broadly.
“I really bless God I didn’t lose my life.” Kola said and feigned a smile.”I really bless God.”
“That is it. We appreciate God for sparing your life. ” Tolu intoned.
“And how has been study?” Kola asked trying to change the topic.
“Fine. We are almost done with our final exams.”
“Good to hear that. ” Kola smiled. ” So instead of that idiot studying for her final exams, she prefers to be gallivanting everywhere with men.”
Tolu didn’t reply that. She smiled.
” She will come around to see you soon.”
Kola didn’t really buy that with the look of his face. He sneered at it and looked away.
Tolu sat for hours. She was on her phone, typing and reading to while away the time. She debated whether to tell Kola the truth about his son or not. She was confused. But telling him was the best. But was it proper to tell him in such condition? Tolu asked herself. She didn’t want to be part of Lara”s lies any more. She really needs to tell him. She concluded within herself. At least that will save his marriage. She stopped pressing her phone and looked up. Kola was also busy reading from his phone. She thought this was a good time to tell him all the truth before he fell asleep.
“There is something I need to tell you sir.” Tolu broke the silence. The glint in her eyes told she was very serious with what she wanted to say. Kola put his phone away and looked up at Tolu.
“I thought I need to tell you this to save your marriage.” Tolu began. “My conscience will judge me if I don’t let you know the truth. Sir I need you to handle this with maturity.”
“What’s that?” Kola cut in.
“It is about you and Lara.”
“Okay” Kola nodded, his eyes blinking with sheer attention.
“She told me she has a son for you.”
“Yes. But I thought that was a secret between us.”
“Sorry about that sir. You see Lara and I have been good friends for years. We know our secrets.”
“Really!” Kola raised a brow. A grimace of intent seriousness had begun to contort his face.
“Yes.” Tolu continued. “You see a couple of months ago. She told me something about you and your child. She said you aren’t the dad. That she only told you the pregnancy was yours then because she felt you will look after her and her child better than the guy that actually impregnated her!”
“God!” Kola’s blood suddenly ran chill. He struggled to sit up properly. A cold shudder began to sail through every fibre of his being.
“Are you serious with this thing you are saying?” Kola asked with a stutter. His voice choked with fear and uneasiness. And there seemed to be something in his head that had begun to blow it bigger.
“You can go find out about this. ” Tolu said faintly. “You deserve to be happy in your marriage.”
“If this thing you are telling me is true then I am finished. “Kola said with uneasiness. He was now sitting bolt upright on the bed, breathing heavily.
“She told me all this. Besides I know the guy that is the real biological father. It is one Tony.”
“It is this same guy she travelled with. Right? Just tell me the whole truth.” Kola bellowed
“Yes. They have been dating for years.”
“And he sleeps with her right in the room I pay the rent. Right? This story is becoming interesting. Seriously I can see it is really getting funny!” Kola said and gave a sarcastic laugh. His voice gradually rising.
“You need to take this with a strong heart.” Tolu said to him softly.
“Do you know it was because of this boy I lost everything I worked for? This same bastard she told me was my son. ” Kola was laughing. “I have indeed been a fool, a real big fool all my life.”
He laughed again and everyone fixed their gazes at him to know if something had begun to go wrong with him. A nurse hurriedly walked up to him that minute. His voice had gradually gone loud.
“Hope you are fine sir?” She asked sizing him up in quick appraisal.
” Yes I am fine. Thank you.”
“You don’t need to be stressed. You just had a surgery.” The nurse told him. “Madam please you need to stop talking him up.” She turned to face Tolu who later smiled apologetically. Kola motioned at the nurse that everything was fine. She walked away after checking his temperature and blood pressure.
“Please don’t let Lara know about this.” Tolu said to him.
“She won’t. ”
“When you find out, just move on with your wife without telling her. Please!”
“Don’t worry dear I won’t.” Kola assured her. The look in his eyes showed he was restive. He was hissing and shaking his head momentarily to show this.
“I need to go. ” Tolu said and got up. She picked her steps out of the hospital. A thought told her she was wrong to have told Kola the whole truth. It crucified her as a traitor and a bad friend. Another thought commended her for saving a marriage. She edged her way further into the sun.
To be continued……
ยฉ Emmanuel Erondu,2019
