The Blue House S03 E01

Dear reader, this is the beginning of the third season of The Blue House. I apologise for the long delay but I assure you that it's going to be worth the wait.

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Thanks to Godwin Adoro for this picture and to you for being so patient with me.

Now enjoy the first episode and don't forget to share!

Ronke stared at the infant in the incubator praying under her breath. She hadn’t wanted this baby at first but now if there was anything she desired it was for this baby girl to live. She was smaller than all her children but she was struggling to stay alive. The doctors had commended her courage and predicted that she would definitely live but at times like this when she saw other mothers leave the hospital with their babies but hers was lying frailly in the incubator fighting jaundice she was doubtful.

“Mummy she will be fine” Joke said from behind her.

“Amen” Ronke sighed and leaned back in the chair.

“I brought you some food.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Mummy that’s what you said yesterday! Please eat something.”

“You need to eat something.” Dapo had overheard their conversation and had just walked into the ward.

Ronke returned her attention to the infant lying in the incubator and resumed her prayers.

**********

Banke stared at the ceiling trying to convince herself that she had made the right decision by leaving Kunle. Images of her daughter bombarded her mind, she desperately missed her and wondered how she was doing and when she would finally be able to reunite with her. The lawyer her father had hired had said she didn’t have anything to worry about, the odds were in her favour. Why then did she feel this gnawing sense of emptiness and defeat? On the other hand she reasoned, life at her father’s house had been close to a fairy tale. He had immediately changed her car. “You need a vacation, that boy has stressed you.” He had said a week ago and tomorrow she would fly to Paris for one week.

Her mother on the other hand had become very hostile towards her and found every occasion to pick a fight with her. She related to her as if she was a secondary school student, ordering her around and giving her chores. Tonight she had insisted that she wash her plates herself in spite of the fact that there was a maid employed to do it.

“As long as you’re under my roof you will wash plates and do any other chores I decide you should do.”

Banke had sneered. “You can’t ask me to do chores like a teenager, I’m a married woman!”

Her mother had laughed long. “You’re a married woman? So what are you doing here?”

“This is my father’s house and I can come here anytime…”

“No this is my house! And I say who comes into my house and who doesn’t.”

“But you brought me here…”

“Because I thought you would come to your senses in a day or two.  But now I see that I was very wrong, if I had left you there standing stupidly at the door you would have come to your senses. You will wash your plates and…”

“I won’t do that, there’s a maid here to do it!”

“I employed the maid for my purpose. This conversation is over, wash your plate.”

She had burst into tears then. “Are you trying to make my life miserable?”

“I will make your life miserable in this house. Whatever you experience here is your own misfortune. If you can’t stand it, then go back to your own house!”

She had cried throughout the night pondering on what to do. By morning she had made up her mind. She didn’t have to live here in her father’s house or go back to Kunle. She would find her own place and get her daughter back.

**********

“I applied for a new job today.”

“What?” Helen stopped kissing Obiora and pulled back. She was grateful for the interruption, Obiora had been unresponsive.

“Yeah…it’s a better job with a better pay. As a matter of fact, I’ll be earning thrice my present salary.”

“Is it a job with an oil and gas company?” Helen was very interested in this conversation.

“Yes it is.”

“Wow…okay…I’m definitely excited about this!”

“There’s a slight adjustment we’ll have to make though.”

“What adjustment?” Helen didn’t like the sound of this.

“The job is in Port Harcourt.”

“What? So what are you saying? We have to move to Port Harcourt?”

“No, I’m not saying that. Calm down.” Obiora had known that this conversation was going to be difficult. Helen wouldn’t want to move and neither would she like his alternative.”I’ll come home every two weeks, you and the boys can stay here.”

“What are you saying? You want us to live in different cities? No Obiora, I told you before we got married that I don’t like the idea of husband and wife living in separate cities.”

“Yes I know we talked about this.” Obiora held his hands up in reconciliation. “But we need this job, we need the money. We can’t change the children’s school, buy another car, invest in another building project or even get by on the salary we both make. I know this is hard but let’s consider it, I can work there for a few years and then look for another job elsewhere.”

“I still don’t agree with you, you don’t have to go all the way to Port Harcourt for it to be well with this family. Money isn’t everything Obi…”

“It is when you can’t sleep at night because you’re wondering how to pay your children’s fees.”

Helen sighed. “Let’s not argue about this. You haven’t even got the job yet.”

“Yeah, let’s not.” Obiora got up to go to the bathroom. Helen lay back on the bed worried, Obiora was going to take the job if he got it regardless of what she thought.

**********

Olayinka stroked Sharon’s head as she fell asleep, a frown creasing her forehead.

“Is she asleep?” Effiong asked quietly from the door.

Olayinka nodded in the affirmative, lay the child’s head on the pillow, gathered the plates at the foot of the bed and closed the door gently.

“Did she throw up again?”

“No she didn’t, but she didn’t eat more than a few spoonfuls.”

“She’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“She should be better by now, the fever should have broken.”

“Give it a little while, she hasn’t completed the dose.” Subconsciously he reached out and drew her close, it was the first time he had held her since the accident. The embrace lasted for a few awkward seconds before he let her go. Olayinka didn’t want to let go.

**********

Kunle was at his wits end. What had he been thinking when he put Banke out of the house? He missed her, Teniola missed her, and the neighbours had asked after her endlessly. Worse still it had been difficult getting used to being solely responsible for their daughter. Knowing what cereal to buy, what to pack in her school bag, what pampers to buy and the right size, getting her hair made, and what duties to be assigned to the maid and the rigor of his job was taking a  toll on him. When he put Banke out of the house, he had thought that she would reconsider her ways and be back within a week but there had been no word from her. Was life with him that miserable that she was too relieved not to care? Was their daughter not even worth checking up on? As much as he wanted to reach out to her, he knew that if he did they would go back to being as unhappy as they had been.

Even though he missed her terribly, he noted that his finances had improved greatly. Being alone had given him the opportunity to take stock and reprioritize his spending. At the rate he was going, he would even be able to maintain the rent of this house. He was at peace, there was no bickering, no debtor calling him endlessly and he had some savings. Life was as it should be, except for the fact that his wife was not in the picture.

He tossed and turned on the bed missing their physical intimacy. Or had she endured that too? It was time to call for help. He sighed as picked up his phone and dialed his mother’s number.

“Hello Kunle?”

“Good evening ma.”

“Good evening my dear. How’s everything? Banke?....”

“That’s why I’m calling.” He explained everything to her.

“Hmmn….this is something. And you say she has not called at all?”

“No she hasn’t “

“Not even to check up on her child?”

“Not once.”

“Hmmn…and what about her parents? Are they just watching things deteriorate between you?”

“Mummy I really don’t know what to think…I’m so confused. Do I go back to her parents’ house to beg her?”

“God forbid! You must not do that! In fact now I’m sure that that girl was not destined to be your wife.”

“Mummy…”

“Yes, and those parents of hers are even more foolish than I thought. And it means they never really wanted you to marry their daughter, they only agreed because she was pregnant.”

“Mummy…”

“This is what we’ll do. I’ll call her mother and hear what she has to say, but left to me I think you should just forget about that girl. She is not ready to be your wife. Take care of your daughter and look for a real woman will stand by her man.”

“Yes ma.” Kunle sighed. He hadn’t expected his mother to be totally antagonistic towards the idea of him reuniting with Banke. Or did his mother have her own agenda?