Chapter 13: Chapter 13

I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

-Marilyn Monroe

Gbenga kept calling and stalking me despite I told him it was over between us. When I stopped picking his call, he called Sholape and begged her to talk to me. She told him to move on because he had ruined his chance. I was returning to my hostel after attending lecture when a car suddenly parked beside me. Gbenga came out from the car and I wondered if he came to parade his new toy. Three other guys in black T-shirt came out and stood beside the car. I recognized Sunday who lived in his apartment but the other faces were not familiar. He walked up to me. “Aisha I want you to listen to me carefully” he said with a commanding tone. “What is your problem?” I asked rudely. “I want you back” he said arrogantly and I can’t help grinning. “Who do you think you are? You don’t own me; I don’t want anything to do with you again. It’s over between us”. He laughed sarcastically. “It’s over when I said it’s over Aisha. A chick does not recognize an eagle, it’s the mother hen who knows the threat of a big bird” he said smirking at me. I arched an eyebrow at him. “Who is the eagle? You? Mtchew! Spare me the drama please”. I wanted to sidestep him but he stretched his hand to block my path. “If I didn’t love you I know how to deal with you; don’t dream of getting into a relationship with anyone they will be dead meat. Try me and see”. “Are you threatening me?” I asked imperviously. He smiled coldly at me, raised his T-shirt to reveal a handgun. “Like I said, a chick does not know the eagle”. A chill ran down my spine and I felt my blood turn cold, I stared at Gbenga with my mouth agape. “Don’t be afraid I can’t hurt you, but make sure your beauty does not get someone killed. Come back to me when you get over your angst” he said, smiling nonchalantly. I watched him strolled back to his car and I stood there staring until the car was long gone.

Sholape and Rahamat were back from their classes when I got to the hostel. “Are you okay? You look like you could pass out any moment” Rahamat said. She might be right perhaps that was my situation, although I felt cold I was sweating profusely. I rested my back on the wall and slid down to a squat hugging my knees. “Did you see a ghost or something?” Sholape asked skeptically and I shook my head gently. “So what happened?” Rahamat asked apprehensively. I opened my mouth to talk but I couldn’t construct the words so I shut it back. Sholape and Rahamat exchange quick glances and I could guess their thought from their faces. After some minutes that seem like hours I put myself together and forced the words out of my mouth. “Gbenga showed me a gun”. “What!” They exclaimed. “He threatened to kill any guy that comes close to me”. Rahamat sat down automatically leaving Sholape alone still standing. “You mean the rumours were true?” Sholape asked. “What rumours?” I asked. “Tell me everything that happened” Sholape inquired. I adjusted my position and stretched out my legs. “He said he wanted me back, I told him it was over between us; he said something like a chick not recognizing the eagle and he showed me a gun. He said he wouldn’t hurt me because he still loved me, but he threatened to kill any man that got into a relationship with me”. The room went silent, after some minutes of expecting Sholape to say something, I looked up and she was dumbstruck. “What is it Sholape?” I asked impatiently. She blinked twice and recovered herself. “He belonged to the notorious axe gang known as aye. Perhaps they nicknamed him ‘number one’ based on his position in the cult”. “Ah I’m in trouble!” I exclaimed putting my arms on my head. Rahamat stood up to sit beside me and I rested my head on her shoulder. She put her arm around me consoling me that everything would be fine. At that moment I felt like Rahamat was so much bigger than me and I snuggle into her for protection. “What can we do?” Rahamat asked Sholape who was standing akimbo in the center of the room, her head bowed in thought. She shook her head gently. “I don’t know” she replied. “Can we report to the school authority” Rahamat suggested. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, we will be staring the hornets’ nest. Since he promised not to attack her let’s be calm for now. I’m very sorry Aisha, I can’t stop thinking it’s my fault. If I didn’t introduce him to you perhaps you might never meet”. “Sholape this is not the time to share blame or feel responsible. It’s the will of God and it has happened, we can’t change the situation by taking blame” Rahamat said. “She is right,” I agreed. “It was never your fault, if someone was to be blamed it’s me. Abdullah gave me clues but I put on a blindfolded.” Rahamat squeezed my shoulder. “It is okay, what we need is prayer. May God deliver us” she said.

At class I couldn’t interact freely with my male colleagues. I evaded a guy that wanted to borrow my notebook and headed towards the hostel after my lecture. “Excuse me!” someone called behind me and I looked back. I knew this particular guy, I’ve been trying to avoid him all week but he kept showing up everywhere I went. I increased my pace but he caught up easily. “I was calling you” he said. “How can I help you?” I asked rudely. “Hey! Calm down, I come in peace” he said smiling. “My name is Toheeb”. He waited for me to introduce myself when I didn’t he said he would like to know me better. I glared at him. “Toheeb exam start next week. If I were you, I would focus on reading to make good grades not chasing girls”. I walked out on him and bumped into another guy in a hurry to get away. “I’m sorry” I quickly apologized. He smiled tauntingly at me. “We are watching you” he said. Instinctively I turned to see if Toheeb followed me and was relieved when he wasn’t in sight.

Mother called to tell me my brother rented a new apartment for her. “Which of my brothers?” I asked surprisingly. “Oluomo of course, Yusuf Adigun, one child like twenty” she kept praising him. “What kind of work is he doing that he could afford to rent an apartment in less than two months” I asked baffled. “You better leave English, it is not just a house, na self-contain” mother said happily, and I congratulated her with mixed feelings. “Hurry up I want to reap your fruit too” she said proudly before hanging up.

We finished exam and I went to her place to spend my break. When I got to the gate I couldn’t enter, there was a warning to beware of dogs. I called mother and she came out to get me. “The dogs are in their cage” she told me like I was going to gamble on it. I stepped into the living room and marveled at the interior decoration. “You said Yusuf rented this place for you?” I asked surprisingly. “Not only rented, everything you see, plasma, chairs. He bought them new” mother said appraisingly. I went inside to drop my bag and by the time I got back Mother was on a call with Yusuf. She informed him of my arrival and he promised to come the next day. I determined to get to the root of the matter when I saw him. “My good son, he called every time to ask about my health” mother said looking at me oddly. “No mother, don’t look at me like that, you know I’m busy.” I said, but she didn’t say a word, she only scrunched her face to show her displeasure.

I was in the living room watching a movie on the cable when I heard a knock on the door. “Who is there?” I asked on my way to answer it. “It’s me” the person responded. “That’s not your name” I said and peep through the magnifying glass. I unscrewed the locks and threw the door open for Yusuf to enter. “I didn’t realize I needed an identity card to enter my mother’s house” he said grinning at me. “Are you going to come in or I should shut the door in your face” I taunted him. He smiled and sauntered to sit on the couch where I stood up. I stared at the black Lexus car parked outside. “Who is the owner of that car” I asked. “Mine!” he replied. “Do you remember telling me I needed to work to own a car? I worked to own that car” he said with self-actualization. “You work? I don’t remember you taking a job in an oil company; you only have a secondary school certificate by the way.” Yusuf shook his head smiling. “That’s the problem, too much reliance on paper certificate. It doesn’t fetch money in the real world anymore sis, wake up!” he said using his hand to gesticulate. “You are still not making sense to me, which work would fetch 18 years old boy money in less than two months to rent an apartment of this magnitude, furnished it and bought a Lexus car? Are you into Yahoo business?” He sneered. “If you don’t know the way you gat follow the people who know.” I looked at Yusuf with contempt. “It’s a criminal act that is punishable by law, I hope you know that” I said oblivious that my voice had began to rise. He reclined on the couch and stretched his legs on the table. “At least I’m not carrying guns to rob people of their belongings, they more or less handed it to me willingly,” he said like I was the one failing to see the clear picture. “What if you get caught?” I started to panic. He smiled at me arrogantly, the kind of smile Gbenga would execute when he said “I’m Chief Badmos son”. “I will take my chances” he said impassively.

I sat down without making another comment. We talked randomly about school, where he lived, life in our former area, and in the course of our interaction, Yusuf unknowingly told me that a woman traced her husband to our former house and returned with her friends to fight mother, claiming she wanted to snatch her husband. I felt embarrassed; I couldn’t believe mother had reduced herself to hook ups. Now I saw the reason dogs are implored to guide this place.

Mother got back in the evening, and I was determined to lay bear the rumblings in my chest. “Mother! Do you know where Yusuf got the money he used to rent this apartment for you?” I asked accusingly. “What does it matter?” She asked eyeing me with disapproval. “Yusuf is into yahoo yahoo, he is a yahoo boy!” I exclaimed. “Ehen! Why are you shouting? Is he the only one doing it? Ko sa jale, abi armed robber ni?” she asked rhetorically. I was perplexed. “But he still collect people’s money illegally” I managed to say. She waved her arm in the air. “Let me hear word. You have bit your father’s intestine, self righteous people. God gave me a good son that remove thrash food from my plate, have I ever benefit anything from you since I gave birth to you? That one Ibrahim or what is he called, locked himself in Ile-Kewu, how it will benefit anybody we don’t know”. I stood up and left her bedroom angrily, but she kept talking long after I was gone, raising her voice to make sure I heard from the living room.

I called father the next day. After greeting him, I told him we had a semester break and I’m coming to his place. “I just left Lagos on a business trip to Abuja with my boss, and I don’t think we will return soon. I’m very sorry dear” he said apologetically, “if you wouldn’t feel alone you can get the house key from Seye”. “Hmmm never mind I will stay at mother’s place” I said. “How are you doing? You sounded off” he asked. “Nah! I’m fine” I replied. “Alright I need to go now, take care of yourself and be prayerful”. “You too dad.” I replied and accepted my fate to spend the rest of my break with mother bearing down on me for making a sincere comment.

Gbenga had become a bony fish that I can neither spit nor swallow. Throughout the break I kept my phone mostly offline to make sure his call wouldn’t come through, and I switched it on when I needed to make important calls only. As part of my safety tips, I made sure Rahamat and Sholape were back at the hostel before I left for school. Two days after I got back my phone rang and it was Gbenga. I have considered changing my line, but I didn’t see how it’s going to get him off my back, not when he had his eyes all over the campus. I concluded it was useless; I would be putting myself in the dark if he couldn’t reach me. I picked up his call and wondered how someone that sounded harmless could be so lethal. “Hello My queen?” he greeted. I wanted to shout that I am not his queen but I would be flaring a kindled fire, so I kept silent. “How are you doing?” “Fine” I replied curtly. “I tried to call you throughout the break your line was not reachable. I hope all is well?” “Yes” I replied. “Why was your line not reachable?” he asked effortlessly not minding my one word responses. I thought about something fast. “It was due to the epileptic network service in my area” I said. Trying to speak normal to him was driving me crazy, and he seemed not to notice the effort I was making to be civil or he simply didn’t care. “Are you back on campus?” he asked. “I’m sure you already know if I’m back” I said dryly. He chuckled silently but I could hear him over the phone. “When are you coming to my place?” he asked. I paused not knowing how to answer because I realized I needed to tread carefully. “Gbenga! We both know this relationship is not working anymore. Please let me go” I pleaded. “I can’t let you go Aisha; it’s like giving out my oxygen when I needed air. My survival instinct wouldn’t let me do that.” he said and I wondered if what I perceived in his voice was helplessness. “Gbenga if you love me the way you claim, you will let me go. Love is not about holding on to, it is in letting go when you have to. I’m not happy with the way you are forcing me to stay in this relationship. You should care about my happiness above your own if you truly love me”. He exhaled deeply and I thought it was a sign he had giving in. “I can’t Aisha; I’m going to lose my mind if I do that. Moreover you owe me” he said. “I will pay you back if that is what it boils down to” I replied. I didn’t know when Sholape came in, she had been listening to most of the conversation I was having with Gbenga, and she was trying to tell me something without Gbenga overhearing but I couldn’t understand her. “Are you sure you can pay me?” Gbenga suddenly asked bringing my attention back to him. “I will try if it means getting my freedom back” I said resting my back on the wall of my room. “The day you told me you were a virgin and swear on it, I began to count my lucky stars. I mean, I love you more than I can put into words already but your being a virgin was an icing on the cake. And you wanted to take all that away from me because of a simple mistake Aisha. I stopped drinking because of you, when you left I wanted to take alcohol to ease my sorrow but I couldn’t for many days” he said sadly. “What do you want from me” I asked calmly. “Can you promise to do anything I ask” he said expectantly. “If it means you will stop threatening my life, Yes, I promise to do anything you ask” I said without thinking. Although I couldn’t see Gbenga but I could imagine him smiling at my response. He took his time before speaking. “I want you to bear me a child as a token of the love we shared”. My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a screeching sound. I stood motionless replaying his words in my mind. Sholape bent down to pick my phone from the ground, I wish she would leave it there, put petrol on it and burn it down. “What happen? What did he say Aisha?” she asked genuinely concerned. “I have entered one chance. He asked me to give birth to his child before he can agree to end his relationship with me” I said and her jaw dropped.