NAIJA TEENS

Chapter Ten

Bunmi's P. O. V

I woke up this morning with a start.  Someone was writhing beside me.  As I turned, I saw Funmi,mouth wide open, hands curling definitely painfully behind her back.
   I screamed and jumped out of the bed. Esther and Ayo who were fast asleep woke up too.
  "What?" Esther questioned and stretched. I couldn't answer because she gasped and cried out.  "Oh my God, Funmi!" Ayo scrambled out of the bed and began to cry.
   I didn't know what to do. I was too dazed to move.
  "Aunty Bunmi do something naaa!" Esther sobbed.
  "I...I don...don't k...know what to do" I stuttered and whimpered.
  Ayo ran out of the room and Esther followed suit.
  I bent towards Funmi and touched her. She groaned and curled up, her legs sticking out. I tried to straighten her hands but I couldn't, it was so stiff.
  My parents had gone for a conference in Benin with Chika's parents and I was in charge. What do I do?
   I picked up my phone and dialled Chika's number. It rang several times before she picked up.
  
"Hello" Her voice was groggy. I woke her.
  "Chika" I couldn't help the pain in my chest, I burst into tears.
   "What happened" she asked with deep concern. Oh I love her so much.
  "I... it's Funmi. She's convulsing" I flopped on the bed and sobbed "I don't know what to do, Mum and Dad are not at home and there's no money to take her to the hospital ". I checked the time. It was just after six in the morning. Am sure am disturbing her. But there's nothing I can do. And speaking about money I don't want her parents to be involved in this.
  
     "Hey Bunmi, calm down, nothing is going to happen to Funmi " She said trying to reassure me. "I'll tell....  O God my folks are not at home too.  I'll tell James. "
   James keh?. James hates me more than Satan he'd be happy am in this predicament.
    "Wouldn't he mind? " I asked. He would.
    "Ah ah. James is not like that."she replied.
     Amen to that.
  "I'm coming, just give me ten minutes and alert you neighbors oo! " She said and hung up.
   I dashed out of the house into the compound. Some of our neighbors were already running towards our house with Esther and Ayo behind them.
   "Bunmi kilonsele? (What is happening?)." One of the women asked.
    "I don't know..." I explained everything to them and they began to nod their heads.
   "It's just a small case. Onions and an iron spoon will do." Mummy Faridat our next neighbor replied. "Do you have onions?"
    "Yes" I replied and Esther ran into the house to get it.
    We all went in and Mummy Faridat went into our room to bring Funmi out.
   When I saw how limp she was, I started crying again.
   " E gbe enue saun jare (come on shut your mouth)" one of the women said. Mummy Faridat gave her a Stern look.
    Esther vame out with two bulbs of onions and a knife. Iya Chinedu collected it and peeled off the back. She divided it into four and tried to squeeze a quarter into her eyes . Ayo came in with a spoon and was rewarded with a pat on his head. Mummy Faridat put the spoon between Funmi's mouth so she wouldn't wound herself with her teeth.
  After everything, we all waited silently for a miracle to Happen.
     A miracle?
   So all these was happening and I forgot to pray?.
   "Let's pray" I muttered. 
   "Pray kini?(what?)".
   I was beginning to hate this woman. She was still eyeing me. Who even told her to come here. And am suspecting that she has something to do with this.
   My phone rang. It was Chika. I picked up. She asked me how everything was going. I told her nothing was getting better. She reassured me.
    And then I heard his voice. The voice of the one who hated me to his marrows.
    "Hey Bunmi, don't panic okay? We'll be there in less than three minutes.
  I nodded.
   "Did you hear me?" He asked.
    "Yes" I replied.
  He hung up and I returned back to crying. Esther and Ayo were doing the same thing too.
    True to his words, I heard the sound of a car driving into our compound. I was too tired to go outside. I was worn out mentally but when Chika entered I ran and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around me and rubbed my back.
    "Shhh... It's okay. Don't cry. God won't let anything happen to Funmi."
    I nodded repeatedly " okay, okay"
   When I saw James , I felt relief wash over me. He made all my worries evaporate. Instincts told me to go and hug him but I didn't. He'd push me off in disgust. 
    He went to meet Some of the men who were standing by the door. 
    "Chika we need to take this girl to the hospital.  These people don't know what they are doing. " James said after speaking with them. Chika was holding me and it was so hard for me not to notice the confidence he carried while he spoke.
   "Oya  na"  Chikasaid and turned to me. I had bent over and was checking my sister's pulse. "Bunmi we're  taking her to the hospital.  Tell everyone to go  home. " James said quickly taking over.
     I nodded and bent to carry Funmi from the arms of  Mummy Faridat but James stopped me right in time.
    "Don't worry let me take her to the car. " He offered politely.  I was shocked. James nice to me?. Hallelujah. 
   Maybe it he'd go back to being an asshole after everything is perfect.
  James picked her up from Mummy Faridat's arms after explaining to her in Yoruba.
    He turned to me. "You're following me to the hospital abi? (right?)" He asked. I nodded.
       "Alright let's go" he said and moved towards the door. I followed him.
    "Chika take care of them.  Am going with Bunmi " James called from  outside the door.
    We walked to the car and he opened it with the keys.
    "Let me help you" I offered quietly, scared of his response.
   He smiled. For the first time since I knew him .
  I opened the back door and he placed Unconscious and limp Funmi at the back.  I followed and sat down, placing her head on my laps.
   James climbed into the driver's seat and started the car before driving out.
    I was a bit nervous being alone with James. I was scared of how he would react if I spoke. He was way beyond my level. He didn't speak to my type of people, he saw poeple like me as inexperienced. So I kept shut.
    But I couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. He was wearing a black tank top and khaki shorts and it looked good on him. Well what doesn't look good on James. I used to notice but  not like today because he was always rude and nasty to me I didn't bother to dwell on how good he looked.
   He swerved out of our street into their street.  He greeted some of his friends who hailed him.
   Well James was a popular guy in Isolo. Everyone knew him and his friends. He even smiled at a girl who was passing by his car. Her eyes lit up when she saw that it was James. She greeted him and he sped up and into the main road.
   The drive to the hospital was  a bit long that I was getting impatient. James didn't bother to talk to me. He was focused on driving.
    Finally we got to the General hospital.  He drove into the large hospital and parked his car in the parking lot. He killed the engine and climbed out.
  He opened the door before I could and I scolded myself for not acting fast. Am sure he would think I want him to open it so maybe we'd start a conversation or something.
  He lifted Funmi from my laps,his fingers brushing my chiffon skirt. I didn't know what to feel. Happy or angry. God. My brain is so messed up.
  I climbed out of the car and James locked it before we hurried into the pediatric section of the hospital.
   Everywhere was not as noisy as I thought it would be. A nurse saw us and hurried to us.
   We explained everything to her. Well, James did because I was crying again.
   God, James would hate me by now because he ignored me and continued speaking with the nurse.
   We were directed to a waiting room. The nurse told us to wait as she carried Funmi to a ward down the hall.
   We sat down at the back. I felt unconformable even if a few people were seated at the front. He sat a seat away from me but I could still feel his presence in the room. Like we were the only ones present.
  He took out his phone from his pocket and dialled a number. It was Chika. He told her that we were already in the hospital and Funmi had been admitted.
   I decided to press my phone to keep me busy but I left it at home. So I began to make patterns on my flay skirt with my hand. It was only me in this. James only helped in driving us here. The bills, oh and I didn't inform my parents. I didn't want them to be scared. What if Funmi died . It would be all my fault because I didn't call my parents.
    Life was being squeezed out of my little sister and all I did was watch like an odè. I couldn't do anything. Nothing. Even Esther and  Ayo could move but I couldn't. I must be the worst elder sister in the world.
   I was always strict on Funmi. I never let her play with her friends. I was always forcing her to read her books and sleep. I made her wash her clothes herself. I used to beat her all the time. God. She would hate me by now.
    "Hey, stop crying" A hand swiped off tears form my face.
   I looked up to see James. He was kneeling in front of me.
  I cleaned my face and sniffled. "Sorry"
  " Bunmi would be fine okay?"
I nodded
   "Nah, I want to hear you say it"
    "O...okay" I sobbed. "I don't know, I don't know. I didn't tell my parents. They'd be worried. So I did not call them. I hope I didn't do the wrong thing." I don't know where all the boldness came from but I began to speak.
   "I know you hate me but can you drive me and my sister back to our house"
   He frowned. Oh God. He's angry.
  "I mean-'
  He Suprised me by smiling "I will, don't worry"
   "Thank you for coming over to my house. I thought you wouldn't come. I was scared I thought she was going to die. I would have never forgiven myself because she was my best sister even if I never treated her like one. And my parents would despise me for not informing them. Ayo and Esther would hate me for not listening to them when they told me to  call my parents. And I would be alone. No one would talk to me because I was the cause of her d..."
    I was silenced when he wrapped his arms around me. James? Or his clone?
    "You talk too much. Nothing is going to happen. No one would hate you because no one is going to die. So stop talking"
   "I Know..."
He cut me short " It's okay. I know you're panicking but everything is going to be all right okay"
   I nodded and he released me to my utmost disappointment.
    Let's go and check if they're done "

I'm tired! 😹... I promise to write the next chapter before Saturday..
Stay safe! ✨