A Loner's Journey Through Lemonade Making

Chapter 13|Bitter Wife, Bitter Life

Aunty Oma

Nelo was such a breath of fresh air!

Granted, she could be a pain in the neck, a bone in my throat, a pain in the ass and all that stuff, but she gave the best advice. I planned on getting some for her once I eventually manned up and told her about the situation with Blessing. She knew he was quite a busy person who seldom stayed in one state for more than two weeks, so there had been no suspicion on his absence from home. But I could swear I saw raised eyebrows and suspicion in her eyes when there had been no voice or video call from him that night. It was what we usually did whenever he was away from home. And most times, I would have to leave her for privacy, and she would giggle and mumble things about finding love someday too.

Her call to me on Tuesday had been one of the things that put a smile on my face repeatedly. Beforehand, it had only been tears.
She'd already told me she'd been posted to Lagos for her youth service long before and would love to stay with me, and she was finally coming. Of course, I'd thought about what her reaction would be when she found out Blessing had maybe or maybe not just unofficially gotten a divorce from me. I mean, all that was left was for him to demand everything he'd given to my family during our wedding and hand me the divorce papers for me to sign our ten year old marriage away, our fifteen year old friendship away. If we had a child in those years, it would almost be done with secondary school.

Anyway, I'd been really excited to see her. She sent me her flight details and begged me to be at the airport before her flight landed at 10:45am. Speaking of flights, the witch who birthed Blessing hadn't shown up. Was she coming to Lagos through a normal flight with a commercial plane or was she flying in the night on a broom? Oh wait! Had she upgraded her witch status? Did she now have wings or a magic carpet? That woman was a case. I would be lying if I said I had never imagined being at her burial, dressed fully in the material they would have been chosen with Nelo and Lady B at my sight, consoling me while I shed fake tears. My black shades and veil would cover my smile, as I would watch her coffin being lowered into the ground. It would be the best day of my life. That or when I gave birth to my first child.

I called Mr Pius but his phone was switched off, probably an order from Blessing. I would be a fool to think there wasn't someone in the background. Of course I knew. The thing was, Blessing was attracted to anything in skirt, be it a four year old preschooler, a fourteen year old secondary school student, a final year university student, a thirty year old married woman or a fifty five year old nurse. I'd seen this as a major red flag back in Uni when he'd come to see me. He had gawked at every female that passed by. And Nigerian female law students were quite attractive. But then, love had blinded me. I was now seeing it with 3D Glasses, a magnifying glass and binoculars on a plasma TV.

It was a wonder how none of our maids had gotten pregnant. Maybe it was just God switching his sense dispenser on. You know what they say; a fool at forty is a fool forever.

So I drove to the airport and picked her up. She came with only one suitcase and a small purse. Typical Nelo. She would buy out all the boutiques in Lagos if I mistakenly left my ATM card with her. But I would make sure she didn't get any money asides her NYSC allowance. I would love to see how she would survive on it.

We stopped at Blackbell and got some takeaway. When we got home, I showed her to her room and she slumped on her bed immediately. Typical Nelo.

☆☆☆☆☆

Network had been really bad.

I'd been trying to make research for an article I was writing for a magazine. I was being featured on the front page! It was a women's magazine, and I writing an article on entrepreneurship and success. I couldn't believe it. It was funny how I'd gotten successful in the field I was in. I'd always loved baking growing up but to me, law was my calling. I'd always admired their outfit, how brilliant they were, how fluently and sensibly they spoke and of course, their ability to defend their case, whether guilty or not. Sadly, I hadn't put all that knowledge to use. But I certainly would someday.