ENIOLA: Beauty For Ashes

Chapter Ten

The food didn't look so inviting anymore after the two hour phone call Ayo received from his parents. He turned it into a storage bowl and placed it in the refrigerator.
"Babe?"
He turned to see Mellie in the kitchen doorway looking concerned.
"Hey baby. I'll eat later, I don't feel so hungry now" he said.
"Why? What's wrong? You look upset"
He lay on the couch, buried his face in one of the pillows, screamed at the top of his lugs before looking up at his wife.
"Mum and Dad called. My sister's husband is dead"
"What?!"
"Yeah, and that's not even the news. He died a little over three months ago. They found out after two months and I'm just hearing about it a month later"
"What else did your parents say? I know there's more" Mellie said, lifting his head and placing it on her lap as she sat on the couch.

"So many things, a great number of it being that Eniola has brought shame to the family name with her new behavior, yada yada-"

"I'm sorry, shame? Didn't she loose a husband? How does that even relate?"
"Same question I'm asking myself. I know there's something they haven't told me. I wish I could call her, I have to call her"

"You two had a falling out yes?"

"A horrible one. I was against the marriage. The Holy Spirit told me to tell her not to go on with it but she was so caught up in it that she banned me from speaking to her ever again. It still hurts when I think or talk about it. Do you think I should call her?"

"Think? You have to call her. Falling out or not, I get the feeling she might want to hear from you even if she doesn't know it. Take your lunch first though or I'll force feed you"

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They say once you realize you're living a life without purpose, you're halfway to finding a solution.
Eniola wasn't even looking for a solution. She just existed day after day, drowning in wine, weed and movies. If she wasn't out with Oge, she was cooped up at home. Sometimes she would go to the mall to pick up a few things, get so irritated at anyone who tried to speak to her and run back home.

Esther and Emeka were getting worried.
With Kunle dead, they were excited for the future, expecting her to bloom into a free bird with ambition. The excitement died quickly when they walked into the house one evening to find her out cold on the floor with a lighter in her hand.

They never spoke about it but prayed that she would get better.
Now she was seated in her backyard, puffing away and thinking about nothing and everything.

Life held no appeal whatsoever.
She had no zeal to do anything.
She deserved rest from four years of hell on Earth and she was getting it.
So why did she feel so hollow? Why did she still feel pain?
Why did she still wake up screaming from nightmares of Kunle's ghost trying to assault her?
He was dead. Why wasn't she free yet?
The speed with which her thoughts kept colliding made her dizzy. She got up and staggered into the kitchen, looking for water and crashed to the floor, losing control of her limbs.
"Wh-wha-Esther!"
Her voice was too weak for anyone to hear. After a few deep breaths, she tried to lift herself up but paused, wondering why the countertop was moving on its own.

"What in God's name?" she mumbled.

Everywhere became hot and her vision got blurry. She blinked hard, trying to gather herself together.

"Esther! Emeka!"

She forced herself up and into the living room. Fortunately, Emeka walked in.
He noticed her wobbly stance and caught her just in time to prevent her from falling on the floor. She looked confused and her skin was a little too red.
"Madam! Ahhh you're boiling oh!"

"E-ess-ther, call Emeka. Hospital c-card, hand bag" she said and passed out.

She woke up hours later to find herself in a familiar hospital ward, drip pipes connected to her arms and King, seated by her bed with an expression that looked like rage.