BIBI - CHAPTER 17

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange was happening to you

Several months later…..

****

Pere removed his glasses and rubbed his aching eyes. He thought about Nneoma. It had been months since he had seen her.

He had reached out to her and tried to see her, but she had refused to pick up his calls. Eventually, she blocked his number, and he saw red. He had had enough. Today, he decided to go to her office to see her. A thousand thoughts crossed his mind. What if she wasn’t at the office? What if she had traveled?

“Kade, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said to their office assistant and headed out.

“I’m here to see Ms. Nneoma Odili.” He said to the receptionist.

“Is she expecting you?”

“No.” He replied curtly.

“What is your name?” The lady asked.

“Pere is my name.” He answered.

“She’s not at her desk.” The receptionist said to him after calling Nneoma's secretary.

“Wow! But do you know if she’s in the office today?” Pere probed.

“I don’t.” The receptionist said brusquely.

“Okay, thank you,” Pere said, walking away. He felt defeated.

Perhaps he would sit in the car and wait for her to come out of the building.

It seemed like a stupid idea.

Maybe he would go to her house, but the problem was he didn’t know where she lived and almost punched himself. They met in restaurants and other places, but he had never visited her at home.

 ****

Adesua walked into the Westfield Strafford City Shopping Centre on a sunny Saturday morning. She was excited to see her two best friends after a long time. Her friends, Ebika and Nkem were on a visit to London, and they agreed to meet at Europe's largest shopping center. Ebika's husband had just been appointed as the commissioner for works in Lagos State, and she was on a shopping spree to look her part as a commissioner's wife.

Adesua was done with her course at the London College of Fashion and was beyond excited. She had spent the past three months doing an internship at Ralph & Laurie, a top designer, and fashion brand. She had learned so much and started a business on the side. These days, the demand for the children's clothes she made outpaced her ability to meet them. Tonye was doing well in school, and Wole had reduced the frequency of his travels. He lavished her with his attention and affection. She felt like the luckiest woman alive.

Her phone rang, and she gazed at the screen before picking up the call. “Adesua, I am here o.”

Adesua chuckled. "Where exactly are you? You know this place is massive."

Ebika looked around her. "I am right in front of the Kurt Geiger store."

"Okay, stay right where you are. I think I know where it is." Adesua responded.

"Alright, see ya," Ebika said.

"See ya," Adesua answered.

"Girl!!! Girl, I have missed you." Ebika hugged her minutes later.

"What did you do to your hair? I like it, though." Adesua said, smiling.

"Thanks. Everyone likes it other than my husband. He thinks it's not quite befitting for my role as a commissioner's wife."

Ebika had cut her hair into a mohawk and colored it golden brown. She spotted a tomboyish look in a feminine body, what with all her curves. It made her remember the Nigerian comedian Warri Pikin.

"I think I'd like to agree with the commissioner," Adesua said, laughing, and Ebika shook her head. "Not you, too, please. I'll do something about it once I get to Nigeria."

"Cool. Now, where is Nkem ?"

 "You already know that one can never get anywhere on time." Ebika retorted, and Adesua laughed. "Let me call her."

"I'm on my way o. Ekene was the one who delayed me." Nkem said when she picked up the call.

"She says she's on her way. Ekene delayed her."

When Nkem joined them about thirty minutes later, they caught up on the events of each other's lives.

"But Adesua, you look great o. See how your skin looks radiant. You look so trim too. Do you spend all day at the gym?"

Adesua couldn't contain her laughter. Ebika could be dramatic like that.

"But for real, Wole has been taking good care of you o. You are too fine to waste away in one broke man's house."

"Ebika!" Nkem reprimanded her. Nkem had her opinions but kept them to herself. Pere was a complete gentleman, and there was no reason for Adesua to have left him.

"I am famished. Can we get something to eat?" Nkem said hours later when they had shopped to their heart's delight.

"I know just the place," Adesua informed them. They ate lunch at The Iguana Restaurant. Adesua settled for Spanish rice and battered fish while Nkem and Ebika enjoyed a delicious Barbeque chicken quesadilla and burrito meal.

"I don't feel like heading to the hotel yet," Ebika said, pouting.

"Me too. That cousin of mine is probably hanging out with his friends at some pub now." Nkem chimed in.

"How is Ekene doing?" Adesua asked.

"He's great. He just became a partner at Goldman Sachs and is only thirty. That guy is going places." Nkem answered.

"Wow, I love ambitious men," Ebika stated.

They settled for a movie at the Vue Cinema since none of them was ready to head home. Tonye was with Wole, and since it had been long since she saw her friends, she decided to make the most of the time with them.

"Oh my, it's like Merryl Streep doesn't want to age." Nkem voiced out in the middle of the movie.

Adesua smiled and let her mind wander to a bright and colorful future.

***

“How is Lara?" Kevin asked Stella Maris while they watched Criminal minds on MNET.

Stella Maris put her plate of popcorn on the table and turned to look at her brother. “She’s fine. Why are you asking?”

“Nothing. Lara just crossed my mind.” Kevin replied.

“Hmmm.” Stella Maris muttered, reaching for the bowl of popcorn.

“Lara is busy these days, but I’ll see her later today. She says she doesn’t like coming to the mainland. She hates the traffic.”

Kevin laughed. “Welcome to Lagos!”

Stella Maris yelled when the cops in Criminal Minds caught two criminals disturbing the neighborhood’s peace. “Yes! Get them!”

Kevin’s phone rang, and he reached for the TV remote control to adjust the volume when he saw the caller. “Hey, my man!” He said to his friend, Ike, on the other end of the call.

“My siblings are in town. We are golfing at Ikoyi Golf Club, and I was wondering if you’d like to join us this afternoon. I invited a few other friends too.”

Kevin looked at the time. “Yeah, sure.”

“Cool, see you around two pm?” Ike asked.

“Yes, Sir!” Kevin replied.

“Ike’s siblings are visiting from the US. Since you were planning to hang out with Lara, do you guys want to join us at Ikoyi later?”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll have to check with Lara, though.” Stella Maris answered.

“Okay. Besides, it’s time we found you a man. I don’t want mum’s trouble anymore. She thinks I’m not doing much to help your love life.” Kevin said, frowning.

Stella Maris laughed and headed for the kitchen with the empty bowls. “I don’t need your help with getting a man, brother. They come after me all the time!”

“I hear you.” Kevin retorted.

“I'm not going to stand around and watch men play golf," was Lara's response to Stella Maris when she mentioned going golfing with Kevin and his friends to her. Besides, your brother doesn't like me. No, I'm good."

"My brother doesn't hate you, Lara. I can assure you. Kevin sometimes acts like some disgruntled bear, but he's sweet at heart."

"Tell that to the gods." Lara rolled her eyes.

Lara finally agreed to hang out with Kevin and his friends after much persuasion from Stella.

She opted for a golden yellow silk shirt and black leggings. She had just relaxed her hair and was pleased with her hair length since she had been trying to grow it for a while. She styled her hair to the side and held it in place with bobby pins. Bold earrings and light makeup made her look like she was in her early twenties. “Black, don’t crack!” She chuckled. She completed her look with black Karl Lagerfeld sneakers and a YSL crossbody bag gifted by her friend, Omosede.

“Hi,” Kevin said to her when he saw her.  “What a gorgeous lady!” He thought.

“Hi, Kevin,” Lara responded.

“I was afraid you didn’t want to hang out with my friends and me,” Kevin said to her.

Lara glanced at Stella Maris before returning her gaze to Kevin. “Nope, I just don’t find golfing to be an exciting game.”

“I see. So, what made you change your mind?” Kevin asked.

“When I heard you all were going to Terra Kulture afterward. I’ve heard about the Terra Kulture restaurant and their ewa agoyin and Agege bread. I’ve wanted to see if it’s as delicious as people say.”

“Well, then. I guess a trial will convince you.” Kevin teased.

“Certainly!” Lara countered.

When Ike walked up to them, Kevin introduced Lara.

“Hi, I am the only Ikeora in Kevin’s life. Pleased to meet you, Lara.” Ike stretched his hand to shake Lara.

 “Over there are my siblings, Emmanuel, Cheta, Lota, and Ebere.” Ike said, pointing at them.

Terra Kulture turned out to be more fun than Lara imagined. The ewa agoyin and Agege bread were just as she had imagined. Delicious!

“Thanks for coming out, Lara. Will I get to see you soon?” Kevin’s eyes roved over her face.

“Don’t push it!” Lara said inwardly.

“I don’t know….” She said, shrugging.

“I like you, Lara, and I’d love to see more of you. Can I get your phone number?”

Lara hesitated at first, stunned by his revelation. “Yes, sure.” She gave him her phone number, and he took her phone and saved his phone number on it.

“Talk to you soon,” Kevin said as she got into her car.

“Good night, Stella Maris. I had a great time.”

“Me too. See you later!” Stella waved at her.

****

On a Friday afternoon, while Adesua was making lunch, the doorbell rang, and she peeped through the peek hole in the door.

A lady she could not recognize was standing outside.

The lady knocked again, and Adesua opened the door.

The woman stared her down like she was something the cat had just dragged in. She threw her head back and laughed.

"I thought Wole could do better than this." The woman said, looking at her with disdain.

Adesua frowned. She suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Who are you? I am about to shut this door if you don't tell me who you are and what you are looking for.”

The woman was well-dressed and possessed an aura of class and poise.

“I am Angelica Ibekwute Adefarati, your worst nightmare!”

“Oh yeah?” Adesua rolled her eyes.

She had Wole's last name, and the alarm went off in Adesua's head.

“Are you..are you..?” Adesua stuttered.

“Yes, I am Wole's wife! I have been married to him for twelve years and have watched him change girlfriends like pairs of old shoes!”

“The other day, it was one stupid Mabel girl that I had to confront. I traveled from Dubai, where I live with Wole and I's three children when I heard you are the latest trash gracing my husband's bed!”

“Excuse me! You don't get to call me names.” Adesua countered. "Who do you think you are coming to my door to talk crap? If you were that good of a wife, Wole wouldn't be jumping from one woman's bed to another like a male on heat! Has he told you how good I give it to him and how he can barely take his hands off me? Who do you think you are? Come to my house to tell me rubbish!!”

Angelica laughed hysterically. “You are nothing but a cheap whore. Keep telling yourself lies. You left your husband in Nigeria and have clung to mine like a leech, but your time is up. Go and find out about me o! Find out what happened to the last lady who refused to leave my husband. She has become a person who can no longer show her face in town.”

“I made Wole, and I'll be damned if I let you reap where you have not sown! Adesua, you have been warned before you wake up one day, and your precious Tonye suddenly vanishes from the face of the earth.”

“Goodbye, Adesua.” With that, the woman, about 6 feet tall, walked away.

Adesua stared at her as she walked away, too stunned to do anything else. “Osanobua! Wole had been married all this while and hadn't thought to mention it even when she had asked.”

Her heart raced, and a sudden trepidation enveloped her.

The words of Fela's song 'Trouble sleep, yanga wake am' filled her ears.

She had indeed gone to find 'palaver'!

“Who is Angelica?” Adesua asked Wole later that night when he got home.

“She said I should find out about Mabel and what happened to her. Why didn't you tell me all this? Do you hate me so much that you'd want your wife to feed me to the wolves?”

“I didn't know she would find out,” Wole said quietly.

“How could you not know that? Your wife is ruthless!” Adesua yelled.

“So I have been your side piece all along? Your side chick?” Adesua said heatedly. “You are married, and you kept that information from me? No wonder you are not on social media! Ha, Adesua Efosa-Alohan, you have been punked!”

Adesua became hysterical. “I don't feel safe here anymore. Gosh! She even knows where I live!”

“Calm down,” Wole tried to appease her.

“Don’t touch me! You jerk! Do not lay your filthy hands on me! I left my husband, my home, to become a side chick? God punish you, Wole!” she grabbed a pillow angrily and walked out of the room.

 

****

Bibi squirmed with pain. She had been feeling pains around her stomach for a while. It felt like someone was kicking her.

Her mother was currently with them in Houston. Everyone was counting down to her due date.

They called the hospital, and once the midwife had assessed her situation over the phone, she told them to head to the hospital.

“Let's get you to the hospital,” Ireti stated.

“I'm coming with you,” Bade said firmly.

Bade wheeled himself out, and they helped him into the car after Bibi was seated. He held her hands. “Babe, it's going to be okay.”

She nodded her head. The contractions came on strong and fast.

Ana got into the driver's seat and drove them to Memorial Hermes Hospital in Houston.

Bibi pursed her lips and tried to breathe. She felt hot and cold at the same time. Bade held her hands and massaged them.

“Pele, Bibiire.” Her mother said to her.

They attended to her quickly once they got to the hospital and took her to the labor room. Bade went in with her.

They took her vital signs, and the midwife tried to get Bibi to relax. She put a clear gel on her abdomen, pressed the transducer against her skin, and moved it around, trying to find the baby’s heartbeat.

Bade placed his hands on Bibi's forehead and wiped the sweat on her brows.

“Hmm, something's off.” The nurse said. “I'll be right back.”

Bade frowned, praying that everything was alright. The doctor came in with the midwife and said hello to Bade.

Two more doctors came in, and they examined Bibi.

By this time, Bade was apprehensive that something was wrong. “What's the matter?”

“Oh, God!” Bibi muttered. Was her baby dead?

“Is my baby dead?”  

“We can't hear the baby's heartbeat, and the baby isn't showing any signs of movements or kicks. We're sorry, but your baby is no longer breathing.”

“No! What are you all saying? My baby is not dead. I could feel her kicking minutes before.” Bibi wailed.

The medical team looked at her with sympathy in their eyes. “We have to perform an evacuation.”

Bade shuddered when he heard those words. He had to be strong for his wife.

His voice broke when he tried to appease her. Bibi wailed again, and tears streamed down his face.

“But how can my baby be dead? How? Can someone please tell me?”

The nurse held her hands and tried to calm her.

Bibi wasn't sure anything would be okay in her life ever again. Maybe she was to blame for her baby's death. Guilt and shame tore at her heart.

“You have to push the baby out.” The midwife said to her.

When she delivered the baby, the doctors placed her in her arms so she could see her. Tears streamed down Bade’s face. This little one didn’t deserve to die.

Bibi wept when the doctor took the baby from her arms. “Oh my baby, my angel….” She said repeatedly.

Bade wiped his tears. They needed to decide on her burial.

“What is happening to our children?” Ireti wailed when she heard the sad news.

“Ko ye mi o!” Ana said weeping. “God, what is this?”

“God will restore that which is lost. They will have more children.” Peyi said calmly after his wife broke the news to him. How is my Bibi doing?”

“She is devastated. We don’t know how to console her.” Ana told her husband.

*****

When she returned home days later, it was as if a part of her soul had become numb. No one could feel or understand the depths of the pain. For the first time, she saw Bade cry. Through his ordeal, he had never crumbled in front of her. The death of their baby stung. Evangelina Olaoti had lain in her hands, cold and still. She had kissed her repeatedly after the medical team had placed her in her arms.

They buried her the day before.

"The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh. Let us accept this is the will of God. Some of the family members who had come around said to them. She couldn't understand what kind of God took pleasure in killing innocent newborn children."

"I didn't do this." A voice whispered in her heart.

"But you could have prevented it." She replied.

Her mother came over and sat beside her. They were in the family sitting room on the upper floor of the house.

"Bibiire." Her mother held her. "Bibiire, we cannot question God."

"Mum, please do not mention God at this time. Please."

Her mother held her. I"t is going to be okay.  You are going to have more babies. You'll have triplets and twins; I will carry them like this and take care of them for you." Her mother gesticulated.

The days became weeks, and Bade could no longer take it. Bibi had become cold and distant. She no longer cared about her appearance and had become a shadow of her former self. Whenever he got close to her, he would feel her walls go up almost immediately.

He was going crazy with the way Bibi was acting. They still shared a bed but could best be described as roommates.

"Bibi, please let me in. We are all here for you. You do not have to deal with this loss alone."

"I want to go back to Nigeria. I can no longer stay here. I need a break from all of this."

"Do you need a break from me too?" Bade asked, and Bibi kept quiet.

"Bade, this is not about you," Bibi stated.

He wanted to yell and break something. "Bibi, do you know how hard this is for me? We can get through this together. God will give us another child."

He looked at Bibi, and she stared ahead like she hadn't heard him. "Bibi, please stay here. I need you here with me."

When Bibi walked away as though their discussion had ended, Bade sighed. Maybe her parents or his could talk to her and make her stay back in Houston.

As the days rolled into weeks and their relationship disintegrated, Bade knew it was time to let Bibi do whatever would make her happy. Her mental health meant more to him than anything. She had retreated into a shell and barely communicated with everyone. After speaking with her parents, they decided it was best to let her return to Nigeria. Maybe that way, she could heal faster. 

As Bibi packed her bags and prepared to travel back to Nigeria, a sense of overwhelming sadness filled him. He was making progress in his physical therapy sessions. He could go back to Nigeria too but would he receive the level of care he was receiving now? He had questions.