Episode 3
TOO HARD TO LET GO
I cried until there was no more tears left in me. I stood up and went into the bathroom.
I didn’t know exactly how long I stayed back there, but I was sure I spent more than 3 hours laying inside the bathtub.
I soaked myself inside the foams, praying silently for what was happening at that moment to be just a dream.
After sone times, It hit on me that I made a terrible mistake. I wasn’t supposed to have allowed Lucy leave.
I came down from the tub, tied the towel round my waist and left for the living room.
She just cannot leave like that… not without an explanation.
I picked up my phone and dialed her number, but it wasn’t reachable . I sat down and continued calling, I dialed severally yet, no connection
I thought I knew exactly where she could be at that moment.
So l went into the room, slipped into my trousers and tshirts, picked my car keys and drove out.
I have to confront her there and then.
Susana was her best friend. And she lives, some minutes drive away from our house.
But surprisingly, when I got to the flat, I met the door padlocked. A neighbor told me she had been out of town for three days then.
Asides Susana’s house, I didn’t know where else to look. She has no other relatives in town that I know. Or could it be she has travelled down to her village?.I wondered.
It was already dark by the time I got home. I sat in the living room, calling her number repeatedly, but it still wasn’t connecting.
I realized my anger was gradually transforming into concerns, I was becoming worried… really worried for her safety. I started blaming myself for everything.
I shouldn’t had let her leave in the first place.
I laid down on the couch, trying her line occasionally and hoping to hear her knock on the door. I didn’t know when I slept off.
When I woke up in the morning, I quickly picked up my phone from the floor where it fell and started calling all over again. Still, no connection.
Maybe I should go check her village. I thought.
I drove down to her village that morning. It was a 6 hour drive from town.
As I was driving, I was praying silently that I meet her there, even though I had no intention of taking her home with me. My only concern at that very moment was her safety.
Her mother was out, spreading a pair of wrappers on the line when I drove into the compound. She hurried up to meet me as I stepped down from the car.
“My in-law, this one you came unannounced, hope all is well?”. She inquired in response to my greeting.
That alone was enough to make me know that Lucy wasn’t there either.
“I hope there is nothing wrong with your wife?”. The old woman asked again.
I shook my head and smiled.
I bent to look into the car( I was still thoughtful enough to buy bread)
“I just said I should say hello. I was attending a Thanksgiving service in the neighbouring town”. I lied, handing the nylon to her.
She collected it from me, smiling.
“Thank you so much. How is my daughter doing?”. She asked.
“She is doing very well, we’re fine, no problems. I replied.
….I have to take my leave now”. I added.
Her countenance changed immediately.
“Leave?, so soon?, without sitting down?. No, my dear, things are not done that way. You have to come in and at least, sit down. I’m just coming back from church, I haven’t cooked anything yet, but I can fix something fast for you”. She pleaded.
“I need to hurry back to town, don’t worry, We shall visit one of these days and we will have enough time to spend with you”. I had said and got back to the car.
She stood back, watching as I reversed and drove out of the compound, honking silently.
I nearly bashed two cars on two different occasions, as I absentmindedly drove back to town. The first driver just gave me a warning sign from the window, as I apologized, but the second, came down, inspected the car and went back to the steering. He then looked out through the window and pointed a koboko at me.
“Na your God save you today!”. He screamed.
After that, I became more focus on the road until I got home.
I sat in the living room, searching through my contacts for anyone I could connect with.
“Why did you even allow her to leave in the first place?, were you not suppose to stop her, you this fish head”. I couldn’t stop cursing myself.
As I continued browsing through my contacts, my phone beeped. I unlocked it instantly, and behold, it was a text from her..
Typing 4….
ยฉ Joy Ifunanya
