(EPISODE 12) THE REAPER'S LOOT

(EPISODE 12) THE REAPER'S LOOT... A TOUCHING STORY!

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her to the ICU where her daughter was with her heart in her hands and her wrappers flying along behind her. She didn’t mind that people stared at her, she didn’t mind that some shook their heads pitifully at her, the only thing on her mind was seeing her daughter. She didn’t even have the time or energy to pray in her heart, she only wanted to see her daughter. She walked light-headedly towards her daughter with her lips quivering. She wanted to scream, to yell at her to stand up, to shake her awake but she knew even one single noise must not emit from her and so she kept mum and just looked on at her.

Bola: “Why are you looking at me like that mum? See I am here and I am fine. Please do not be sad at all” she had followed her mum all the way from Ifeoluwa’s house.

Adunni: “Bolatito… afi igba ti o ba aiye ara e jeee (until you destroyed your own life)” she said biting her index finger and shaking her head slowly as tears drizzled down her face.

Bola: “Hmmmmmmmmmm” she folded her arms in her midsection.

Adunni: “And I warned you to abort that pregnancy. I warned you that nothing good would come of it but you refused to listen to me. How could you have let a man who had a phobia for long term commitments have the better of you like that? How?” she asked rhetorically.

Bola: “What could I have done when I really really love him? I still do mum and even if you turn back the hands of time and ask me to choose again, I will still choose him” she was still stubborn despite the state she was in.

Adunni: “I have not forgiven you o Bola, for making me bite my fingers in my old age when im supposed to be reaping the fruit of my labour. You were my only hope, my only joy but you took that joy and hope away the moment you walked out of the house that day. And now, here you lay on the verge of death because you were trying to give birth to a child with no legitimate father. Pele pele ni tie o (sorry is yours)” she said in a waves of different emotions. She wanted to move closer and hold her daughter’s hand, whisper sweet words into her ears and beg her to wake up and come back to her but the bitterness in her just wasn’t letting her do all those.

Bola: “Mum please help me take care of my daughter”

Adunni, as if she had heard what Bola said started talking again…

“I don’t think I ever want to see that guy and his daughter again. They remind me of you, of my loss, of my past. No! I know he will be able to take care of her, I will stay here to take care of my own daughter. I cannot leave this place even for a moment from now on”

===

Angela: “Just imagine how foul in smell. I reek of baby powder, food and vomit. I feel like a nursing mother. Eeeew!” she exclaimed disgustingly as she drove back home. she picked her phone and dialled her aunty’s number to let her know the recent development…

Mmesoma: “You mean it? That is what I am talking about my dear. she will never wake up from that slumber and even if she does, you would have gone home with the bridegroom” she said and they both laughed out loud.

Angela: “But how about the baby? Just imagine him asking me to change her diaper when I don’t even know anything about diapers”

Mmesoma: “Hai this girl. What do you now know? Please learn o because that baby is the means to the end you want. Take care of her like your own and see him fall head over heels in love with you. You have to apply wisdom to everything you do now cos he will never love you if you show even one pint of hostility towards his child”

Angela: “Well you are right. I am just afraid I will have to compete for a place in his heart with her too. She seems to have become the centre of his world. You should see the look on his face whenever he looks at her”

Mmesoma: “The power a baby wields my dear”

They talked about a lot more before disconnecting the call. She felt rejuvenated after talking to her aunt and then started making another game plan in her head.

===

Two Months Later…

Charles was in his room reading a newspaper when his wife strolled in grinning from ears to ears like a toddler. He looked at her and joy filled his heart. Seeing her happy had a way of melting his heart like a vanilla ice cream in an oven. He spread his arms invitingly and she fell into it…

Mmesoma: “Honey guess what?” she placed her heart gently on his chest.

Charles: “What?”

Mmesoma: “I am pregnant” she announced still beaming with smiles.’

Charles: “It’s a lie. You are pregnant?” his face lit up brighter than it already was then became dull all of a sudden.

Mmesoma: “Why are you looking dull like that when you are supposed to be happy?” she sat upright on the bed.

Charles: “Just remembered the baby is not for me. You know like I am not its biological father”

Mmesoma: “I wouldn’t have been this happy if it wasn’t for you honey. I never really met any other man. Just made you believe so”

Charles: “What do you mean by that? Are you trying to tell me this pregnancy is mine?” she asked looking like one who would burst into lit fireworks at any moment from then.

Mmesoma: “It means you are the biological father of my baby of course. We are having a baby, you and I” she said, took hold of his left hand and guided it to her flabby tummy. “Can you feel that?”

Charles: “Yeah but faintly. You have made me a happy and fulfilled man my wife. God bless you” he bent down and gave her a lingering kiss on the forehead.
 Some minutes later, they heard Sunday’s voice downstairs talking drunkenly to no one in particular. He started calling his daughter’s name all of a sudden and walking upstairs. He kept shouting and saying he knew his daughter was somewhere in that house and that he wanted her back. he walked to the stairs and towards the corridor which had several rooms lining it. As soon as Mmesoma heard his voice at the corridor, she dashed out of the room and headed there too.

===

True to Ife’s words, he kept going to check on Bola, taking it in turns to stay with her with her mum even though at first, she had harassed him on several occasions and made the nurses send him away from her ward- she had been transferred to a private ward where she was still being given special attention. He continued going every evening after work and in the mornings before going to work until he wearied her mum out and she started getting used to seeing him around and even having a little chit-chat with him.  The injury on her head had healed considerably well but she was yet to come out of her oblivion. She kept wandering around.

He grew closer to Angela who had almost become a mother to his child. She took such good care of her that she started living in the house with him. She quit her job so she could have more time for the baby whose dad had had to take her with him to work on several occasions cos there was no one to leave her with at home. He even dedicated and named a program after her- Boluwatife (as God wants).

Meanwhile all the love she bestowed on the girl was only for show. She treated the innocent child with acute disdain and neglect whenever they were left alone. She wouldn’t bathe nor feed her till late in the evening when she knew her father would be arriving. The baby was almost crying every minute while she read novels or watched movies. She was living exactly the kind of life she had always wanted.

That noon, the baby began to cry all of a sudden after she had decided to be nice and feed her. She ignored her for some time but when she could take it no more, she dashed to the room and started yelling at her, she kept quiet for a second, looked at her through tear-filled eyes and began to cry again, this time louder and more heart-wrenching.

Angela: “Do you think I am your mother or what? Look at me very well, I hate you and your mother with everything in me. I wouldn’t even mind throwing you out of this window if I get the chance to. I only want what I deserve and that is your dad. Just wait for me you hear?”

She went outside to check if there was anyone in the compound and when she was sure there was no one around, she went back inside and started slapping her little by little. When she realised that slapping her like that gave her joy, she intensified it, then yanked her up and flung her back on the bed roughly. In the process of yanking her up and tossing her back on the bed, she lost her breath and went still with her pupils dilating.

Angela: “Hey Bolu, what has happened to you? Are you okay?” she lifted the still baby into her arms and started shaking her vigorously. “This is gbese o. what will I tell your father? Oh God! I am done for, I am really done for. I have to run away. I must run away” she dropped her gently on the bed and started packing her things.

Question: Has God decided to perform a miracle for Mmesoma and her husband or she is playing out one of her evil-minded games? Is the baby dead?