The Blue House S04 E02

 

 

This post is dedicated to my mother, for the times I couldn’t understand.

 

Effiong burst into the room where Olayinka had been folding the laundry. She dropped the cloth startled.
“What happened? What is going on?” She hadn’t seen Effiong like this since the night he slapped her.
Effiong paced the room huffing and puffing, muttering under his breath and shaking his head.
“Would you please tell me what is going on? Effiong?”
“Where were you today?”
“Where was I?” Olayinka repeated the question unconsciously, why would Effiong ask her such a question? Had he been monitoring her movements again?
“Answer the question!” his hands were on his waist now and he stared at her daring her to lie to him.
“I went for a couple of meetings to… today…” Olayinka stood up and stuttered trying to recollect her the events of her day.
“Yes….?” Effiong prompted impatiently.
“Then I went to the mall to check out some stuff for the event next week… then I went to pick up the kids and we came straight home.”
Effiong shook his head. “Is that all?”
“Th… that’s all I can remember… nothing unusual happened… oh and I saw an old classmate of mine!”
“Where?”
“At the mall, he was doing some shopping too…”
“And then what happened?”
“Effiong… let’s not do this please… I had a drink with him and we caught up on old times. Nothing else happened.”
“Really? So why were you giggling and tapping his hands often?”
Olayinka was astonished. “Effiong did you have me followed or did you follow me?”
“I have my sources….”
“Well I’d like to know them! Did you have me followed?”
“No I didn’t.” Effiong finally replied somewhat awkwardly, realizing how silly he must have sounded. “Someone saw you.”
Olayinka sighed and sat down on the bed. “Effiong we can’t work things out between us if you can’t trust me.”
Effiong laughed. “That’s a scarce commodity in this marriage…”
“You made a mistake too Effiong and I chose to trust you after I found out.”
“You mean after I confessed to you?” he smirked. “Our situations are very different. I was under the influence of alcohol, you spread your legs to that fool willingly!”
Olayinka sat dazed and hurt by Effiong’s words, she had really thought that the worst was over between them. She wanted to speak but the words failed her so she continued folding the clothes. Effiong just stared at her, too ashamed to admit that he was wrong and that a part of him hadn’t totally forgiven her.
**********
Ada had just come back from Enugu where her parents lived. As soon as the door was opened she realized that she had been missed. The boys hugged her fiercely as if she had come to deliver them from something, someone.
“So you missed me?” Ada said very pleased.
“Yes Aunty Ada, please don’t ever go away again!” Chijioke pleaded.
“Oh… okay…”
“Where’s your Mum?”
“In the kitchen making vegetable soup again!” Onyebuchi lamented.
“You guys don’t want vegetable soup?”
“No!” they both chorused.
“So why didn’t you tell her so?”
“We did but she said that’s what she can afford and so we must eat it. Aunty Ada we are suffering!” Onyebuchi said close to tears.
Something was very wrong here. “Okay guys… err…let me go in and unpack and then we can talk okay?”
“Okay.” They let her go reluctantly.
Ada dropped her bags by the dining and went straight to the kitchen where she found Helen truly cooking vegetables.
“Hey sis.”
“Hey you!” Helen replied tiredly from the sink where she was washing up the dirty plates.
“You look tired.” Ada went to her and wrapped her in a warm hug.
“Yeah… How was your trip?”
“Fine, Mum and Dad sent their regards and some goodies.”
Helen managed a tired smile. ”Well thank God for small mercies.”
“So what’s going on between you and the boys? As far as they are concerned, you’re making them suffer.”
“Don’t mind them, they are finding it hard to adjust to their Dad’s absence.”
“They’re not the only ones…” Ada said with meaning and exhaled. “Why don’t want you to go to Port Harcourt?”
“Ada I’m not going to uproot my life because Obi has a grand dream. I have plans for my life too!”
“I hear you, but how long do you want to continue like this? Your kids already think you’re a witch.”
Helen smiled. “They’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.”
“You should listen to your kids, they are really terrified of you. Children like to know they’re heard.”
Helen muffled her response and managed a smile. “Okay.”
Ada understood that the conversation was over. “Okay, let me go and freshen up.” Helen nodded.
The tap flowed and so did Helen’s tears. “She thinks I’m not listening to my kids, if only she knew how hard it really is to be with the boys alone. How can I discard my plans and go to Port Harcourt? Lagos is where I’ve planned my career, my life! It’s what we planned! Why must I be the one to make the sacrifice? How did I go from being the world’s greatest mum to being a witch?”
There’s a relief that comes from crying but Helen couldn’t enjoy it, she could hear the boys arguing fiercely about something. She wiped her tears and put on a brave face.
**********
Later that evening, Ada brought out the teddy bear she had bought for Teniola from her travelling bag and contemplated waiting until tomorrow to give it to the girl. She had really missed her and thought about her ceaselessly during her trip. She had never felt this way about any child before; she missed her smell, her laughter, her chatter and the warm feeling she got everytime she was with her. She had to see her tonight, hopefully her father would not be around.
Joy opened the door happily.
“Aunty Ada!” she greeted effusively, curtseying.
“Joy! How are you?” She hugged the girl, equally glad to see her.
“Good evening.” Kunle greeted from the couch.
“Oh good evening sir.” Ada said self-consciously, she had been hoping that he wouldn’t be there.
“Mama!” Teniola squealed from the floor where she had been playing with her toys. Ada ran to her and scooped her up, kissing her cheek.
“I’ve missed you! How are you dear?” Ada and Teniola were in a world of their own.
“She definitely missed you. She was cranky while you were gone. Only your sister-in-law could pacify her.”
Ada smiled wide. “I was cranky too!” she said to the uncomprehending girl who had busied herself with her braids. “I got you something.” She presented her with the gift and the girl’s attention instantly shifted to the new toy. Ada set her down and Teniola in baby language introduced the new toy to the other toys. Ada and Kunle looked on amused at her.
“Why don’t you sit down?”
“Okay.” Ada said nervously now wishing she had waited till the next day to see Teniola, Kunle made her nervous.
“So how was your trip?”
“Fine. How was your weekend?”
“Not bad.”
An awkward silence filled the room as Joy left them to attend to what she was cooking in the kitchen.
“So what do you do?”
“Err… I teach. “
“Like most corpers right?” they both laughed. Another awkward silence. “So do you like the place, are they treating you well?”
“Yes, it’s not as bad as I thought it might be. The students and the teachers are quite warm.”
“That’s good.”
They both stared at the screen then at Teniola who was much occupied with her new toy.
“I should go.” Ada said finally, staggering slightly to her feet.
“Okay, thanks for coming and thank you for taking care of my daughter.”
“Oh you’re welcome, she’s such a wonderful child.”
“Indeed she is.”
Ada wrung her fingers while Kunle stared at her. “I should go.” she said again.
“Okay… have a nice week.”
“You too.” She said as Kunle saw her off to the door and opened it.
“Uncle!” Joy called to Kunle who was still at the door.
“Yes!”
“The food is ready sir.” Joy said with a hint of a smile on her face.
“Oh…! Yeah!”