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Jumoke’s question hit Kola like an arrow. He shook from within him. He should have known from the onset that something would happen that would counter his lie. So Kelvin and his wife choose to pay them a visit on this night of all nights?
He maintained a bold front and tried to walk past his wife into the living room. He needed to buy time. He must cook something.
Jumoke blocked him. Her petite frame, the pregnant stomach and the funny way she placed her arms by her two sides, all presented a picture that could have amused Kola if he was in a better mood. He wasn’t amused. Rather, he frantically looked for a way to get out of the tight corner.
” Damn Kelvin,” he cursed under his breath. Why would he and his wife not look for another day to visit. Why did they choose to visit on a day that he needed to cover his track?
” Darling you didn’t answer my question,” Jumoke said. ” Where are you coming from?”
” But I told you that I was tidying up some works because of the auditors that would visit my work place tomorrow.”
” You don’t expect me to believe that, do you? Kelvin said you left the office around 6:30. Where did you go before coming home. Where did you spend the two hours between then and now?
” Hun- Hun.”
” Is that an answer?”
Kola brushed past her. She followed and drew him back angrily. ” I want you to look at me directly in the eyes and confirm what you told me when you called. It seems that you are hiding something from me.”
Kola’s heart jerked. He replied gruffly. ” Believe whatever you want to believe. I thought that we’ve gone past this stage of suspecting each other.”
” Yes we have. It’s just that my doubt returned because what you told me and what Kelvin told me about your movement were contradictory. Anyway, since you don’t want to tell me the truth, let’s leave things as they are. All I know is that God will not leave me in darkness. He knows that I sincerely want this marriage to work. He will reveal every secret to me.”
” It has not gotten to that now,” Kola said. He drew her to sit beside him. ” Okay, let me come out clean.”
” Better.”
” There’s this business that a friend introduced me to.”
” What friend?”
” You don’t know him. We were together at the University and we lost contact after school. I had totally forgotten about him until I met him two months back. He has become a financial guru with lots of investments in many sectors of the economy. He wanted us to partner and he was ready to finance me even when I told him that I don’t have much.”
” Does he live here?”
” Not really. He only comes here on business.”
Jumoke raised an eyebrow. ” How come that I have never met him. I thought that I knew all your friends.”
” He’s a very private person. He has investments in real estate in this state and wants to make me a partner. I would be overseeing his investments both here and in neighboring states. It’s going to put us on a high pedestal.”
What Kola told his wife was true. A highly placed friend had approached him to forge a partnership in real estate. The friend would finance 80% of their investment and Kola would only need to give 20% of the capital. It was while he was thinking of what to tell his wife that the investment story came to his mind. At least, he was telling her a half truth.
He came around so that we could strategize on how to expand his business in this city. He was the one that suggested a meeting at Bolingo eatery.”
” Bolingo!” Jumoke shrieked. ” I have heard so much about that place. I learnt that the meals are really, really expensive but very nice. Did you eat there?”
” Yes. We had a plate of pepper soup and a few drinks.”
” Haaaa, and you couldn’t bring a takeaway for me.” She pouted.
” How would it look? Everything was at his expense. I would look greedy if I had requested…”
” You should have told him that you have a pregnant wife at home. Babe, you fall my hand.”
” It’s okay. I will take you there one of these days. No matter how expensive.”
” Promise?”
” Promise.”
” But on a serious note, why did you have to lie?”
Kola bowed his head dejectedly. ” I’m sorry,” he said and drew Jumoke to his laps. ” I wanted everything to get to an advanced stage before I tell you about the business. Considering your nature, you might have misgivings about the whole thing and go ahead to discourage me. Moreso, because of your condition, I didn’t want you to stress yourself fretting over me. Honestly, I planned to tell you.”
Jumoke passed an arm around his shoulder. ” I quite understand your concern and the reason why you kept me in darkness. However, I don’t think it’s good for you to hide something of that magnitude from me. No matter what, we should always be plain to each other. That’s what will boost our trust in each other and strengthen our love.”
Kola nodded. ” I’m sorry. It will not happen again.” He planted a kiss on her lips.
” Okay,” Jumoke said and bounced up. ” Let me set the table while you go freshen up.”
” No.” Kola objected. He pointed to the wall clock. ” It’s almost ten. You need to be in bed now. Remember the doctor said, you must always get as much rest as you can.”
” I’m not feeling sleepy. I slept too much in the afternoon.”
” I insist that you go to bed now. I will take care of myself. I still have a couple of things to do on the internet. Here let’s go.” He picked Jumoke up in one sweep and carried her to the bedroom amidst flaying of hands and a weak protest. Kola dropped her gently on the bed and whispered. ” Don’t move.” Next, he picked a blanket and covered her. Then, he whispered sweet nothings to her. Jumoke smiled as her eyes became heavy with sleep. She soon drifted into sleep.
Kola returned to the living room and managed to eat though he had no appetite. He ate because of Jumoke. She might not be happy by morning if she discovered that he didn’t eat the food she left for him. Afterwards, he lied straight on the sofa with his hand joined at the back of his head, and started thinking of how he was fast becoming a fluent liar. How easily he had distorted the truth in order to get out of a bad situation. He even added that he and the friend might travel for a business trip in the nearest future.
When will this stop? He asked himself. He wanted it to stop. He’s going too far. If only deaconess isn’t pregnant. He would have gone straight to confess about their sexual escapade NOW.
Kola ruminated far into the night. The discussions with deaconess all came rushing back to him. She had indirectly hanged something on his neck. Her request that he should scout for a place where they could have an abortion meant only one thing, that she wants him to be involved in the process. Her last statement that everything they would do must be as fast as possible was an attestation to the fact.
He had never been an hospital person. He wondered if they could get a doctor that would agree to terminate a 4- month old pregnancy for a 50 something year old woman.
After a long rumination, a name came to his mind. Jerry. Jerry the bad boy. They were together at the University. They were room mates at the main campus before Jerry moved into the hostel at the teaching hospital at the beginning of his clinical years. He was a medical student.
After leaving school, they’d kept in touch even though infrequently. Most of their conversations were on Facebook and Whatsapp. Kola knew that Jerry had done well for himself and had already established his own practice in another state.
Jerry was a bad boy. His badness was such that it was like a trademark on him. He could sleep with anything in skirt. He was a party goer as well as an alcoholic. Kola was always suprised at how he could live recklessly and still maintain a good academic record. If there’s a doctor that would agree to carry out an abortion, Jerry would definitely be one.
Kola and some others like him were the Jesus boys on campus. At countless times, he had made it a point of duty to preach to Jerry about Christ. He would tell Jerry that the kind of life he was leaving could only lead to eternal damnation. That kind of message could make another person get angry. But instead of getting angry, Jerry would only smile, shrug and beg Kola to allow him enjoy his life. Ironically, it’s this same Jerry that he would now call to help him terminate a pregnancy.
He almost cut the call when the phone rang at Jerry’s end. Jerry knew that Kola was the caller and greeted him jovially.
Before placing the call to him, Kola peeped into the bedroom to check if his wife was still sleeping. He preferred to wait for the next morning before making the call but he wanted to go to bed believing that they’d gone a step ahead in the plan for flushing the pregnancy.
As a form of precaution, he opened the living room door, moved to the front of the house and sat on the pavement, far from the front door.
They exchanged pleasantries with Jerry. He hesitated before stating his request. His tongue felt heavy. Maybe he should have left deaconess to sought things out by herself.
Jerry sensed his hesitancy and encouraged him to talk.
Kola cleared his throat. ” I don’t know if… something happened and…I need an abortion.”
Both of them remained silent. Kola thought that Jerry was no longer on the line. He cleared his throat again. ” Kola speak on,” Jerry said.
” I need it urgently. Something happened and… someone took in for me. My wife must not know about it. She’s also pregnant.”
” The person. Is she a school girl? A spinster or…”
” You won’t believe it. She’s a widow; a fifty- three year old widow. We only did it once and…life happened to me.”
” How old is the pregnancy?” Jerry asked.
” 4- months. If you do this for me, I will never forget you. Both of us are pillars in the church. The news about our infidelity would shake the church if it is known. I know you might be judging me now but…”
” I’m not judging you Kola. I will do it.”
” You are going to do it?”
” Yes. You both will have to travel down to this place”
Kola frowned. ” Do I have to come with her?”
” Yes of course,” Jerry replied in a matter of fact way. Terminating a pregnancy is always a traumatizing event especially for the woman. Forget that she’s consenting to this. Maybe she was even the one that suggested it. But if you check her heart of heart, she’s already in love with the baby in her womb. She might only be doing this to cover her shame. She must have already developed a special bond with the foetus. It might take her a while before she get over her pain if she carries out the abortion. I’m talking about the emotional trauma. She needs you to be by her side to hold her hand as she go through the process.”
” But I’m not her husband.”
” But you slept with her and planted a seed in her.”
——-
Kola contacted Deaconess and intimated her of the development. They would need to travel to where Jerry was living, two states away, 6- hours Journey.
Kola had it all mapped out to his wife. He said that things are happening at a fast pace. His business partner wants him to travel with him to a neighborhood state. There’s a large expanse of land that he would be purchasing for the e******n of several shopping malls. He wanted Kola to come serve as a witness to the transaction.
Jumoke believe him. She packed his bag and bade him farewell.
Kola and Deaconess travelled to Kaduna to meet with Jerry.
TO BE CONTINUED
Β©Bosede Fagbemi
I often wonder at how some men will be lying to their wives and still be playing lovey dovey with them.
Some women will be sleeping around and act like the best wives at home.
No one can hide secrets forever. God the revealer of every intent will always bring every secret to light
