Wasted Years (Episode One)

Episode nine

Wasted Years
(Episode 9)

I always wanted to talk to God long before now. I always wanted to ask him questions, but I didn't find time to. I spent half of my life for a man who was in love with someone else. I would have spent it expecting signs from God.

"God I am here with you today..." I cried out, "I have been so foolish in the past."

I spent about an hour, crying and saying things I couldn't even understand. I began to have a sudden fever that caused me to sleep for quite a long time.

I woke up many hours later on a bed that wasn't mine. It was hospital bed.

I felt Someone held my hand, and when I opened my eyes, it was mama. I muttered something nonsensical under my breath. She grabbed me to herself and said softly, "You're safe now my child. look at your brother," She pointed at my brother Jerry.
"Look at your aunty Sifon, My sister Inyene's mother, she is here. She came all the way from Badagry to make sure you're fine." Mama said.

But I was mute as I stared at each of them in the room.

"You will be fine Ifu, we are here for you, okay?" My aunty said.

"The driver alerted us that you were acting insane, we had to search for you." Inyene said.

"Let's never talk about that anymore." Her mother retorted, "We should be grateful to God that she is alive."

After a day, I was discharged from the hospital. The hospital reminded me of Yemi. I despised it.

Mama took me to our family house. After I stayed with her and recovered, I needed to resume work as soon as possible.

"You should stay a little longer, you are not really strong." She said.

"I am very well now mama."

"I hope you've taken your mind off that riffraff of a man?" She asked as she handed a mug of chocolate tea to me. I stirred the tea with a teaspoon, and nodded calmly. "Your cousin narrated everything to me, I didn't want to discuss yet with you until you're strong enough." She added.

"What did she say?" I asked worriedly.

"She told me how you wasted your time on that stupid boyfriend of yours, even when she advised you to leave him, you didn't listen, now see, you almost took your own life because of that stupid boy.".

"Inyene told you all of these mama?" I asked.

"Of course, she had to tell me because we were wondering why you almost took your own life for one stupid man."

"Why would she tell you my secrets?" I asked angrily, dropping the tea mug on the center table of the sitting room.

"What is a secret mbok? That you and that man were dating, or that he didn't love you as much as you did? Everyone knew of this, my prophet told me of it. As a matter of fact, their wedding is tomorrow." Mama said. My mind was spinning wildly at the last sentence mama made. I got up, went to my room and packed a few of my stuff into my handbag.

"Where are you heading?" She asked.

"My house. I have to resume my work. My customers need me." I said and walked to the door, then paused and turned to mama,  " Thank you for taking good care of me, I am well now." I slammed the door.

I took a bus back to my house in Lekki, and as I arrived I couldn't wait to start blasting Inyene as she opened door.

"You are a betrayer, you told my mother everything that was meant to be a secret between you and I." I said bitterly.

"What are you talking about?"

"You told mama about Dakota and I, how he wants to marry someone else, and how I almost killed myself..."

"abegi! Let me hear word!" She said aloud as she slammed the door and walked pass me to the bedroom. I walked hastily after her, still panting. "Why do you people hate me so much? Why? just tell me why you humans are so heartless?"

"I don't hate you, I feel sorry for you" Inyene replied as she stood, "Pity is the last thing I'd expect from you. You're lying, if you had pity for me, you wouldn't tell mama all that nonsense."

"I don't get why you should place your bitterness on my head. Your stupid boyfriend is getting married tomorrow, he is nothing but a mere empty vessel, go empty your frustrations on him please and leave me alone."

"Really?" I asked. The pain in my eyes tore at my heart.

"Don't you think it's time you stopped blaming the human race for your problems? Learn to love yourself Ifure, nobody will ever love you more than you love yourself. You worked hard for that relationship,  it was the same way you worked hard to build an empire for yourself, men would be running after you. Now look at you, how lonely you would become because you put all your eggs in one basket."

"Maybe I have found other diversions to my loneliness." I said calmly as I sat on a chair by the bed.

"You do not have a second boyfriend, do you?"

"I have work to do. I will never have anything to do with any man ever again. I'm content with my work and life."

"You have everything, get yourself a man who would love you."

True, I was surrounded by beautiful furnishings and clothes, but somehow, seeing what I had accomplished alone made me feel better. It took some of the sting out of my memories. If I was strong enough to build such a successful life, surely I was strong enough to deal with the pain and disappointments life sometimes sent my way.

"Let's get a house agent. I am moving out of here to Ikeja by month ending." I said to Inyene in a firm voice.