Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Theo had to hire a house for the sake of Nkiru and her baby in case she chose to stay back in Abuja. He had left the hotel lodge and had moved into the three-bedroom flat on Maitama. He hoped Nkiru would forgive him so they could rebuild their marriage. The fact that he had not been allowed to touch his baby hurt him much. He had had sleepless night because of this. He would drink to stupor before he could have some form of sleep. He hoped his mother-in-law would get to Nkiru and get back to him. If he knew where Nkiru was he would have gone to look for her. His mind soon drifted to Sophia. He believed she could have an idea of Nkiru’s whereabouts. He thought of waiting for Mama’s feedback, before he decides on whether or not to call Sophia.

Nkiru was done bathing her baby and had laid her on the bed, while her phone rang. She looked at the call carefully and saw it’s her mother, before she picked. She had stopped taking strange callers, because Theo had used strange numbers to call her a couple of times.

“Hello mama... “

“Hello Nkiru...”

“Good morning ma...”

“Good morning my daughter how is my baby,” Mama enquired.

“Baby is doing fine,” Nkiru faced her baby playfully to her phone, “Baby say hello to grand ma,” and Mama chuckled at Nkiru’s sense of humour. “So, how is Papa doing?”

“He is doing fine. He said I should greet you. I called because of what I heard. Theo called me. He told me you’re nowhere to be found. He said he’d been looking for you the past five days,” Mama revealed.

“Mama, you should help me and ask Theo what he wants from me. I thought he ran away from home. What does he want from me now?” Nkiru vented. Her voice drew Vero’s attention from inside. She stood by the door eavesdropping on Nkiru’s conversation with Mama.

“I know Theo treated you badly. He deserved whatever treatment you decided to met on him. He is regretting his actions, but for the sake of the baby please come back. Besides, I have to come for Omugor.” Mama made argument for her return home.

“Mama, you mean I should go back to that cheat? He left home only to come to Abuja and be flirting with women?” Nkiru raged.

“Nkiru, love covers multitudes of sins, and two wrongs can’t make a right. Please find a place in your heart to forgive him.” the old woman pleaded.

“Mama I’m sorry, I don’t want anything to do with Theo again,” Nkiru reaffirmed. “Mama sorry I had to cut this call. She paused her call and began to pace about the confine of the room in a bid to douse the tension brooding inside of her. Vero walked up to her and held to her shoulders.

“Nkiru, you’ve to calm down,” Vero took her to the sofa in the living room. Both sat for a word. “Nkiru, I know you’ve been hurt, but you have to listen to your mother.”

“My mother has been supportive of that cheat. I don’t get it,” Nkiru interjected.

“Do you really mean it’s over between you and Theo,” Vero put that word again to Nkiru.

“I don’t want anything to do with him,” Nkiru repeated.

“But why did you come looking for him in Abuja, all the way from Lagos,” Vero asked.

Nkiru could not say a word; instead she tried catching her breath and her mind wandering through many things. Rivulets of tears rolled down her cheeks as she listened to Veronica.

“Your marriage is presently in shambles and you can still fight for your marriage. Your relationship is still too young for you to quit. Something good can still come out of these rubbles you see today...”

Nkiru knew her decision to quit her marriage would meet a lot of stumbling blocks. She had always loved Theo. It’s the reason she came looking for him in the Federal capital Territory. She never knew him as a cheat until now. That fact hurt her greatly.

After Mama’s call, many other calls had streamed into Nkiru’s phone. He received calls from Akintola and her father. Other callers were her mother-in-law, all said the same thing. They wanted her back home with Theo. Of course Theo had been a regular caller, but she had been cutting his calls.

Veronica took Nkiru and her baby on a ride. They visited a couple of places around the Abuja metropolis. They had fun in a popular restaurant and relaxation at the park. On their way back Vero decided to stop by at a friend’s shop, Paula’s Shopping Place at Asokoro.

“Please I’ll stop by to say hello to a friend briefly along Asokoro axis,” Vero said.

“It’s okay,” Nkiru consented. The baby was doing great.

Vero drove to a halt in front of Paula’s Shopping Place. “I’ll be right back,” Vero unstrapped her seatbelt and hopped out of her car. Nkiru watched her walked into the super market through the glass door, before she focused on her baby. Her attention was drawn to the door of the Super Market. Vero walked out with Paula, after a couple of minutes. She and Paula gestured a farewell, before Paula returned inside and Vero advanced towards the car. She joined Nkiru back in the car. “Sorry, I kept you waiting,” Vero apologised as she ignited the car and glide onto the road.

“Don’t mention,” Nkiru responded. “Do you know that lady,” she asked as they sped off.

“You mean, Paula,” Vero sought clarity.

“Yes... is Paula her name,” Nkiru asked after a second thought.

“Yes, Paula and I had been friends right from the day I stepped my foot in Abuja. She used to work in a bank and now she owned that Super market,” Vero said briefly.

“I know her as well,” Nkiru revealed.

“Oh you do,” Vero was surprised Nkiru knew Paula, “It’s indeed a small world after all. How did you know her?”

“She’s the one Theo cheated on me with,” Nkiru was slow at breaking the news, but Vero received it with shock.

“O dear,” she said repeatedly, “Now I get the entire gist.” Vero reasoned. “You must be right there, because Paula told me similar story about a man he met in a hotel lodge. You know I really do not know your husband, but from what Paula told me. She had an appointment with a client, who lodged at the hotel. You know how bank in the country operate, so Paula was under pressure to save her job. She had to close an account with this rich Chief, and this chief had interest in Paula. Paula has never met this man before in her life. Unfortunately, she ended up in Theo’s lodge, on the lead of the receptionist. Your husband had lodged with a different name and was a similar name with that of Paula’s client. She was sacked because she failed to close the deal, because she never met the real client after all.”

Nkiru was hearing this version for the first time. Although she had gotten the true picture on what transpired between Theo and Paula, but she didn’t exonerate him of blame. If he had not abandoned his home he wouldn’t have been expose to such evil.