Must Read: Three Women (short story) - Season 1 - Episode 28

6 years ago

Must Read: Three Women (short story) - Season 1 - Episode 28

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“That’s one hell of a story. I think I really feel for Kike, probably because she is the only one of your girlfriends that I really got to know. Hell, I don’t even know your wife.”

“You’ll get to meet her soon. I think we should make that this weekend.” He said and there was silence the rest of the journey.

People were already outside waiting for Tosin when Dapo dropped her off at her in-law’s place.

“What you need to do right now is head on straight to your wife.” Tosin said after they got the last box out of Dapo’s car.
“Thanks.”
“No; thank you! Now, go on home…” she stopped and got close enough to whisper “…make some good loving to her.”
Dapo just smiled and got in his car.

“I’ll call to see how you are doing, and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.” Dapo said before firing up the engine.

“You’ve done enough, just go home.” she said and winked at him.

Lola was on a wooden chair outside the house as he entered the compound. She smiled when she saw him. Without a word, she got off the chair and led him into the house.

“I’m sorry I’ve not been as supportive and understanding as I’m meant to be. Maybe it’s all this hormones.” she said as tears rolled down her eyes. “I love you.” she said and he held her in a tight embrace. She sobbed for a while, and Dapo just let her exercise that right.

“I heard the whole story from Dupe’s brother; so what do we do now? She’s never going to let you go. I think we should re-locate to another country.”

“No, we are not running away for any reason. As long as you understand everything now, it will be easier to fend her off.”

Dapo spent the rest of the day in-door with his wife and was awoken around 5.00a.m the next day by a familiar voice on the phone.

“Hello?”

“My mom…” the sobbing voice was saying.

“What is wrong with your mom?”

“Uncle D, you need to come over. Please, my mom is very sick.”

“Sick? What exactly is wrong?” Dapo said and started getting out of bed. He knew it had to be serious for Anu to have called at this time of the day, but he wanted to sound re-assuring on the phone, so he asked her a few out of the way questions to cool her down.

“Please come; hurry.”

“Okay, I’m on my way.” He hurried off the bed after the line was disconnected. Lola rolled over with sleepy eyes, wondering what was going on.

“I’m sorry darling, but I have to go this one time. I think there is some sort of emergency at the Cole’s.”

Lola sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. “I hope it’s not that serious? Just drive carefully.” Lola said with sleepy eyes.

“Thanks, I’ll call you when I get there.” he kissed her on the fore-head before rushing out.

The Cole’s home was so silent when he got there that he wondered if it had been a joke; but he knew Anu couldn’t have been pretending. The gate was wide open like a car drove out and there had not been time to close it. He drove in, and still nobody approached him. He got out of his car and walked fast to the main entrance of the house, his heart was beating fast all the while. Kate, the maid was squatted at the corner of the living room as he entered. She got up in a hurry when she saw him.

“Uncle D!” Anu shouted and ran up to Dapo. “I don’t want my mother to die.” she said, in tears.

“What are you talking about? She’s going to be alright.” he said, still trying to re-assure her. He searched the maid’s eyes for some answers, and he didn’t like what he saw.

“Madam don go hospital…oga! kai!” she said in broken English and started to cry.
“What happened?” Dapo asked.

“I no know; Jimoh don take am go hospital.”

Anu held Dapo so tight like her life depended on that hold. After a while, he noticed that she had fallen asleep, and he carried her as he headed for the stairs. He dropped her off in a room he believed to be hers’. He was heading towards the stairs till he noticed an opened door, and decided to check it out. The first thing that caught his eye was a glass cup on the dressing table. There was a note underneath it; he walked into the room, and picked it up. Kike’s hand writing had not changed all this years, so he knew she had written it. Tears rolled down his eyes as he read the content of the note.

To Whom It May Concern, I have taken an overdose of sleeping pills, and would be dead in a matter of minutes. I feel there is no life worth more for me to live. I do not want to live a miserable life which would in turn affect my daughter, Anu.

I know Anu’s father and his wife would take good care of her. And since I would be an obstacle in their lives, I decided to end mine.
P.S
Dapo, I loved you till death.

He lay on her bed for some minutes, and genuine tears rolled down his eyes. In a flash, all the memories he had shared with Kike while in college came back in bits. He sprang up all of a sudden thinking maybe she could still be alive. He ran down the stairs and went in search of the maid.

“Which hospital did they go?” he asked her.

“Saint Michael.”

“Saint Michael?” Dapo repeated to confirm, and she nodded.

It was already dawn by the time he drove out of the Cole’s mansion.

Dapo got the bad news from the doctor that she was B.I.D, which meant Brought In Dead. He had to sign some papers because he was the only one close to family that was around. He called the Cole’s lawyer and explained everything to him.

His drive home was dreadful, and it was like he was doing so on auto pilot. His mind was not on the road. He felt what happened was partially his fault and he kept thinking maybe if he had treated her a little less harshly the last time they saw, maybe she would still be alive now.

Lola cried when she heard the news, and it was sincere tears. Even though Kike had been in the way, she would never wish death on anybody.

Anu came to stay with them for the times that the funeral was being planned. Kike’s relatives wanted to take her, but the lawyer said the legitimate person to have her should be her biological father. The funeral was delayed a month because her family in the states wanted to be around for it.
………………..
The day Dapo planned to spend with his cousin, Tosin was spent at a new fun centre along the road to Ikorodu. Tosin was all over Anu, and they bounded so quickly.

“So how is the father in-law?” Lola asked Tosin.

“I won’t lie to you, the situation isn’t improving.”
“Oh!”
“Yeah, it’s like we are just waiting for him to die.”

“It’s that bad?” Dapo cut in.
“”Well, he’s 79; that is old enough.
Dapo’s phone rang and Caller Id read- ‘Dupe.’ He excused himself to pick it up. ”Hey! How are you doing?”
“I’m great, D.”
“What’s that sound…like…”
“I am actually at the Airport.”
“At the airport?”
“Yea, I am travelling to the America with my Dad.”
“Hmm!” There was silence for a couple of seconds. “For how long will you be away.”

“I don’t know…maybe 5 years…maybe forever.”

“Interesting.” There was silence again. ”Dapo…I wanted to confess to you before leaving.”