Ride Her Shoes

20- Confrontation

"How has she been coping so far with the school stuff? You know she has a baby now and that might change how she feels about going to school." Zainab said while driving to the university in her car with Akudo seated on the passenger seat next to hers.

"Well, from what I've been told by Chigozie, Nmachukwu seems to be doing just fine except for the postpartum depression which of course is expected seeing the circumstances at which she was made to have the child, she's doing just fine."

Changing the subject to the reason why they were both going to the uni, Akudo asked,"How sure are you that he's going to meet up with us?

Zainab smirked,"I'm a lecturer, his lecturer. He has no other choice but to answer when I call." She paused and took her eyes off the road for a few seconds to stare at Akudo as they approached the school entrance before focusing back on the road,"Besides, no girl should be treated as he did Nma, no one deserves such." Zainab said in a firm tone.

Taking in a deep breath, Akudo rested properly in her seat as Zainab drove speedily into the school premises. It was her decision that they find Echezona and get to know if he was truly aware of Nma's condition and also tell him about his child.

Nma is not aware of this movement, that's the reason why Akudo had Chigozie stay with her today while she joined Zainab. As much as she -Akudo- do not want to tell him about the child, She had a strong urge to see the face of the man or rather, the boy who put this young girl through this pain.

"We're here!" Zainab announced as she parked in front of a bungalow which had a wide entrance which led to her office. She grabbed her hand bag while Akudo held a brown envelope containing one of the numerous letters Nmachukwu had written but this one seems different as she had written the same day she had her child.

"Feeling nervous?" Zainab asked her and was Akudo nervous? Of course she was. Not really because she was scared but because she wasn't sure what to expect and just didn't know how he'd react neither, how she might react in the process. Hopefully, her emotions don't get the better of her.

"Not really," She lied and slid out of the car still holding the envelope in her hand.

Zainab soon left the car and locked it. "Hopefully he will accept his wrong doing and right them." She said as they walked into the building.

"How would you get him here?" Akudo asked and Zainab smiled

"Fortunately for me, I made him my course representative an-"

"You what!"

"Long before Nma," she said softly,"Quite unfortunate, isn't it?"

"I gave out an assignment to the class and it has to be submitted today so definitely he'd be here before 12 noon. That's the deadline for submission." She explained and Akudo agreed.

They soon stopped in front of a brown closed door which happens to be the third in the right hand side of the hall. It had an inscription on it which read 'Dr. Z. A. Ahmed,' her name.

Zainab searched through her bag for the keys to her office and upon sliding it into the keyhole, she gently turned the knob and opened the door wide. She entered the office while Akudo followed closely, shutting the door behind as she doesn't like leaving it open.

The smell of dusty old books could be perceived by anyone who entered the office. I was so strong and couldn't go unnoticed. One might think that it was Akudo's first time in her office as she kept wiping her nose with the back of her palm hoping the smell would be wiped off but I doubt if anyone can get used to this smell.

"How long do we have to wait until he gets here?" Akudo asked, refusing to get distracted while admiring the new look of Zainab's office.

"He should be here in the next tw-"