Wasted Years (Episode One)

Episode Eight

Wasted Years
(Episode eight)

I'd made up my mind. I'd thought life was going to be much simpler from then on.

It was two good weeks, and Dakota hadn't called or sent a message. I wasn't going to think twice about his behaviour, I had lost him long ago. I was going to quit and damn him and his pregnant girlfriend.

I was going to take myself on a vacation, Inyene and I; maybe Dubai or visit my brother in Kenya.

And above all, as times went on, I was going to forget about Dakota, erase him from my memory, from my past and get a new life.

There were lots of men in Lagos. Tall ones too. Men who appreciated good women and warmhearted woman who earned her own money and wasn't a liability.

I was still in my deep thoughts as I showed the truck driver the way to Dakota's house.

As I alighted from the truck, I turned to the driver and said, "Oga, hold on, I dey come."

I walked into the house and my heart fell immediately my eyes met the picture of Doctor Yemi on the wall of the sitting room. She pouted, while he held her firmly from behind, two dimples appearing in her cheeks.

"Sister!" Eno exclaimed excitedly as she hugged me. "Ah sister, you came on time,  brother will be packing to his new house tomorrow. " She said. I tried to force a smile, but I couldn't just do it. It was obvious that I was bittered.

"I want to pack my stuffs." I said as I kept staring at the pictures of Yemi on the wall.

"Ah sister, you will leave us? Brother and Sister Yemi are home." She said. I pushed her aside and walked hastily to the bedroom, they panicked when they saw me.  I gave Yemi a stern stare, eyeball to eyeball.

"Ifure, you didn't call before coming here." Dakota said as he left her arms. Signs of pregnancy had started showing on her face and her belly.

"Ifure Hi," She said casually as she stood to her feet. She was looking adorable in a western style blouse with a piping around the yoke and a full flower print skirt.

"I have come to pack my things." I said weakly and moved to the wardrobe.

"Your stuff aren't there anymore." Dakota said, "I took them to the kitchen store. My sister will help you take them."

My heart sank. "Kitchen store?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I needed space here..." He said as he flaunted his hand to Yemi's shoes and dresses.

I smiled, a bitter smile. A smile that meant all wasn't well. It meant bitterness, anger, jealousy, and pains.

I nodded painfully as tears clouded my eyes, I stripped before them. Their eyes widened at my panty, my brassiere and my long sleeveless ankara gown on the floor. I was naked, in tears in pains.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dakota asked.

"My God will punish you both for using my life and making it miserable. You will never have that child in your womb..."

"Stop this nonsense, I never promised to marry you, we were only dating, so your prayers or your curses won't work on us." Dakota said.

"The same way you took away my babies, that is how God will take away yours." I laughed insanely, pointing at Yemi.

"Fuck it, he paid me, you paid me, I was doing my job." Yemi said.

"I don't care," I said tearily, "Your marriage will never be fruitful. You will suffer in penury. Everything you two have worked hard for will go down the drain mysteriously. You will never see happiness again. Misery is your name from this day henceforth, you shall have no peace in your home. You shall never carry your own children, except there is no God." I said painfully, but wholeheartedly. I wore back my attires and directed the truck driver to the store, where he packed my bags. "Take it to my sister in Lekki." I said weakly.

"Madam you nkor? You no dey join me?" He asked.

But I didn't answer. I took a long walk to nowhere.

I had no idea where I was heading, but I knew I had gone crazy, absolutely mad. My head, my heart was on fire. I was still walking out of the street when the truck driver drove pass. He stopped and blew a horn, but I walked past him instead.

"Madam, we come here together o, e no fair as I dey leave you here." He said. But I was mute, I didn't say a word to him. I walked past him and he drove off.

I walked far, I walked crossed bridges, I walked past long traffics and places I had never been. I wasn't tired, I wasn't weak. I was strong, too strong to stop.

There were lots of things on my mind.

I wanted to walk to the third mainland bridge and jump in there, i wanted to die so that i won't have feelings, I will feel no pains, no heartbreaks, no memories that will awaken my pains.

Then I saw a church sign board, I stopped and read what was on it, 'Saint Vincent de Paul parish' written in a blue and yellow paint.

I walked in my sweaty tattered clothes into the church premises. I plucked off purple queen of the night flowers, still wet and slid them over my fingers, like I had seen Dakota do some years back when we had first met. It was like wearing a scented glove. I was thinking about him, yet I hated him so much.

I walked into the empty church hall, and as I knelt before the altar, I'd wondered what to tell God. For years, I hadn't prayed a good prayer, and I was kneeling there, mutely, my heart heavy like I carried a heavy stone in it. The face of Dakota and Yemi hunted me, I closed my eyes and saw them, I opened my eyes and saw them.

My Palms smelt of him, the scent of his favorite flower. He planted it everywhere around his house. And even the scent of his perfume almost smelt same.

I was afraid to look at that the stature of the lord. I thought he was going to tell me how stupid I was to have fallen in love with a man like Dakota.

And no matter how God would rebuke me, I knew I was going to dream of Dakota that night, and it was going to be a nightmare if I see Yemi in the dream too.

I was insane for almost six months.

©Vicky Bon
September 2018