(Episode 7) Late Blooms – A Knotty Story!

Fiyin was having a miserable day. Actually, he was having a miserable week. After the fiasco with Femi at Cold stone on Saturday, he had called her that night but she hadn’t picked her calls. On Sunday, he had sent her a message apologising and she hadn’t replied. On Monday, he had roses delivered to his house for her but she hadn’t come.

He had called her repeatedly after that and she hadn’t picked, he had eventually had to get in touch with Mrs Ingalam who told him Femi had gone for a  Teachers’ conference and was due to return on Friday. It made him angry that she hadn’t called him or told him about the conference. Yes, he paid the school for her services and they in turn paid her but he was to all intents and purposes, her employer.

He had been tempted to tell Mrs Ingalam to tell her not to come back but he was scared that at this point, such a threat might prove too real. The way she felt about him now, she just might go and he didn’t want her to go. Yet.

Now it was Thursday and he hadn’t found anything to cheer him up. In fact, one of their doctors made a mistake in a surgery on Tuesday and was about to be sued for malpractice. He had spoken to their Team of lawyers a few hours ago and they had decided that settlement out of court was the best way to go. He knew they could win the case in court but the Hospital’s name and Doctor Ifeanyi Godson’s name could end up being smeared by the ensuing publicity.

He needed Femi and her orange lipstick back by Saturday or he just might explode. It didn’t help that Amanda was sure it was his fault that Femi wasn’t coming. All his explanations to the little girl had fallen on adamant ears and she continued to stare at him like he was some sort of betrayer.

She even reported him to Ose, her nanny and that one was also giving him the bad eye. His mother had also called him yesterday from Abuja to ask what he had done to Amanda. His little girl that everyone said was quiet and peaceful had turned into a little blabber mouth and disrupter in the past few days.

His phone rang and he picked quickly, realising it was the office intercom and hence could not be Femi.

Fiyin: “Yes, Ozioma?”

Ozioma: “Sir, its Dr Tiwa, she’s here to see you.”

Fiyin: “Sure, let her in.” He had waded into the problem between Ozioma and Tiwa and had been surprised to hear that Tiwa did not usually acknowledge Ozioma and infact, according to Ozioma, snubbed her regularly. He hadn’t often asked how she managed to stride into his office without him getting a call and assumed she and Ozioma had an agreement.

He had to ask Ozioma to apologise to her and that she was never again allowed to come into his office without Ozioma’s say so. If he called Tiwa to come, he would tell Ozioma to let her pass but she must acknowledge Ozioma as his secretary and gatekeeper.

“Hey, doctor handsome” Tiwa said as she came in, wearing a beautiful blue gown that moulded her curves well with heels that showed off her long lovely legs

“Hi, dear, how are you?” He smiled in greeting as he came around his table to hug her.

“I’m not fine oh.” She said as she pressed her body into the hug. You’ve been neglecting me this past few days. She grumbled, her mouth forming a pretty pout.



He removed her hands from around him and went to sit down on the guest couch and patted the space next to him. “I’m sorry, I’ve been really busy, you must have heard of Doctor Ifeanyi’s lawsuit?”

“Yeah, I did” she said as she sat down and crossed her legs, “He should have been more careful.”

Fiyin raised one eyebrow at her, “Really? He’s a doctor, he made a mistake under pressure, an unavoidable mistake, he’s deeply shaken and sorry. Damage was done, yes but nobody died and the damage can be repaired. We can pay for that, we are trying to convince the family to settle out of court, Imagine what this would do to him

“I know you want to take his side as the MD but as a Foreign Trained Medical Doctor, don’t you agree that Nigerian trained doctors are a little too careless because there are no repercussions?”

“I agree but from the inception, Saint Havers has always trained her doctors to be much more careful than the average Nigerian Doctor. Doctors aren’t infallible though, they are human. Mores the pity.”

“Yes, Nigerian doctors are, especially that UNN trained guy from Nsukka. If I were you, I would only employ foreign trained doctors and you can afford it, anyway” She stated emphatically.

“Okay” He said, unwilling to discuss the confusion her lack of sympathy was causing inside him.

Not wanting him to see her as cold blooded, she grabbed his hands and laid it against her breast “Look, I understand what you’re going through, you can talk to me about anything, alright?”

“Sure.” He didn’t think so but he didn’t tell her that as he took his hands off her breast.

“So, what are you doing tonight? I have these……….” She droned on but he wasn’t listening anymore. Femi was in big trouble on Saturday. He had a lot of things to say to her when she got back.

“Fiyin!” Tiwa’s voice pierced his eardrums.

“Yes?” He asked, shocked out of his reverie.

“You weren’t listening to me.” She grumbled, pissed off.

“Sorry, I’m tired, I need to sleep, okay. We will talk later.”

“Alright.” Tiwa said as she kissed his cheeks, “see you later.” and walked out. If she wasn’t mistaken, Fiyin was starting to lose interest in her. Well, he had better find the interest again because she wasn’t going anywhere. And neither was he.

==

“He said what?” Ronke screamed, spitting out a bit of her shawarma in the process. “Why, that pompous, good-for-nothing oaf! What is it with these men, anyway?”

“I don’t know oh.” Femi answered her best friend, still hurt by Fiyin’s words from last Saturday.

“Oh, dear, don’t be like that.” Ronke comforted her, grabbing her forearms that were resting on the table. “See, I swear, men are just naturally stupid, seriously, see Ben for example, do you think he’s okay?” She questioned speaking of her husband of 18 months. “Just the other day, the idiot told me I was getting too fat, me oh?” She wondered, getting up from the table to get more shawarma from the kitchen.

Femi couldn’t help laughing, Ronke really had gotten fat, her friend who had always been petite and weighed less than 50 kilograms was now soundly round. Of course, her 3 months old pregnancy had a lot to do with that. Because Ronke was tiny, immediately she got pregnant, it was very obvious and now at 3 months, she already looked over 5 months pregnant.

“Imagine Ben oh! Who put me in this condition?” Ronke was saying as she came back to the sitting room with doughnuts in her mouth, fresh shawarma, groundnuts, chocolate and meat pie in the tray she was holding. She gave Femi the tray before lowering her bulk into the love seat she just vacated.

“Don’t eat my stuff jor,” she dragged her tray from Femi, “go and take your own in the kitchen, imagine wanting a pregnant woman to run errands for you.”

Femi giggled at the way Ronke was eating, happy to see her friend so healthy and glowing. She and Ronke had been friends since their second year at the University of Ilorin. She studying primary Education and Ronke, History. They had eventually started rooming together in their second year and remained best friends till now.

She had been the one to stand by Ronke when her parents had refused to allow her marry Ben, her long-time boyfriend because he was from Benue state. They had wanted her to find a perfectly nice Yoruba boy but Ronke had been adamant on marrying Ben, the guy who had proven himself over and over again.

It took Femi’s intervention and Ronke’s uncles for them to eventually agree. Femi knew for a fact that Ben, a Federal civil servant in Abuja was extremely kind, courteous and loving and was truly deserving of the prize that was Ronke. Femi had been maid of honour at their wedding and although she loved Ben, she had been desperately sad to see Ronke relocate to Abuja.

Now, Ronke’s parents couldn’t be happier. It was hard to be around the couple without seeing their love, commit and dedication to and for one another. And even though she was fatter and bulging, if Ronke looked any more beautiful than she did in that moment, then it would be disastrous. She was just glowing from good health and contentment.

When Femi realised she had been selected as one of the teachers to represent the school at the Teachers conference in Abuja, she had immediately called Ronke who was delighted for her to come. They hadn’t had a chance to meet and talk since Ronke got pregnant and was not permitted to travel anymore. Femi had come and stayed the entire time at their house, saving the money given to her for hotel to enjoy a good quality week with her friend or as much as she could of the week when she wasn’t at the conference.

“But, babe, you know your dressing culture is not improving, right?” Ronke asked her friend softly.

“How? You said I should buy more colours that went with my complexion, that’s what I’m doing..”

“…and style, Femi! Style! Why must you always wear these loose, baggy gowns? You’re the one letting that Doctor whatever talk to you anyhow, imagine! He and Tiwa should plan a wedding. With their filthy mouths! And that orange lipstick! It makes my eye water just looking at it! If I say wear flashy colours, am I referring to orange and purple?”

“Your eyes water at everything now” Femi answered her, unsmiling.

“This one is not pregnancy matter jare. Shebi you saved some money on hotel accommodation? We will go shopping on Saturday, I’ll make Ben drive us.”

“But I’m going back tomorrow…”

“Lai lai! Never! When did you get here?  You haven’t even spent one day and you want to go?” Ronke said, sounding hurt. “Am I chasing you?”

“I got here on Sunday, now its Thursday, that’s a whole 4 days here. It’s not you, its work, I have to teach Amanda on Saturday.”

“Okay, send a message to Dr whatever and tell him you’ll resume on Monday and….”

“…..i don’t want to talk to him again!”

“Let me hear word jor! You’ll talk to him and prove him wrong about you! Send him a message, we will go shopping on Saturday, then you’ll go back on Sunday.”

“Roooonke, I don’t…….”

“Please now, consider my pregnant state and Ben is a terrible husband, he’s really maltreating me” Ronke wheedled.

“Fine, let me see more of Ben’s maltreatment” Femi sighed, “I will send him a message.”

“Yes!” Ronke shouted. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll also send him to the grave- with a heart attack.” She smiled wolfishly.

 ==
Good evening sir. I’m sorry I wouldn’t be able to make Amanda’s class tomorrow as I’m still in Abuja. I will be there on Monday, extend my regards. Good night.

Fiyin read Femi’s text in worry. He knew he should be angry but he was actually bothered. What if she wasn’t intending to come back? Why had she refused to pick his call since Saturday? Did she hate him now? Amanda will never forgive him if Femi did not return.

He switched off his TV and dialled her number. Not surprisingly, she didn’t pick up. He had really been looking forward to her coming tomorrow, he had cleared his schedule so he could be at home all day. What would he do now? Maybe he would take Amanda out or he could call Tiwa, he really had ignored her lately.

Or he would just fix a date for all three of them. Yes, he needed both Tiwa and Amanda to take his mind off Femi’s shenanigans.

Question: What’s happening to Dr Fiyin? I suggest he gives Tiwa a chance though. You never can tell