Who is this man? What is he to Bobby? Why is he asking me so many questions? And where is the damned Bobby by the way? Lots of questions were racing through my mind as I stood in front of the door, facing this man’s interrogation.
“I am not..not his girlfriend, sir. I’m just a friend of his,” I told him, still unable to look him in his eye.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked. I could only nod my head slowly in response.
“Please, sir, is Bobby at home? It’s very….it’s very important I see him, sir, please….” I was close to tears now. I knew something was wrong, I could feel it, but I just couldn’t place my finger on it.
“Is there something wrong, young lady, you look troubled?” this man was torturing me with his unending questions.
I couldn’t take the pressure anymore. In an instant, I went on my knees and pleaded with the man. “Sir, please, I beg you in God’s name, I need to see Bobby right away, where is he?” My voice had begun to tremble heavily. My eyes had become glassy with tears. I couldn’t tell why, but I had a bad feeling something nasty was about to happen to me and without realizing, I had begun to weep inside for myself.
“Okay, young lady, if you must know, Bobby is not around at the moment….”
“Where is he, sir? Where has he gone to?” I didn’t let him finish.
“Bobby has traveled back to Lagos, that’s where he was staying before he came to the village!”
At first, it all sounded as though I was in the middle of some sort of dream. I felt the entire world stand still around me. There was dead silence. The only thing I could probably hear was the beating of my heart as it slammed hard against my chest. What did this man just say? Did I hear him correctly? Suddenly, everything around me started spinning in circles and I was right in the middle of it. This had to be a dream….something had to come and wake me up….
“Sir, I’m sorry….please, what did….what did you just say?” I was trembling all over as I uttered those words.
“Are you alright? You don’t look too well……..” the man was saying something to me. But I was not interested.
“Sir, please, did you just say Bobby traveled to Lagos?” I asked him for confirmation.
“Yes, that’s right, he’s gone back to Lagos,” he nodded.
That was the last thing I heard before I lost consciousness and slumped to the floor. By the time I opened my eyes few moments after, I was inside the apartment, lying on a couch in the living room. Bobby’s uncle was standing beside me, fanning me frantically. He must’ve carried me inside the house when I slumped.
“Young lady, are you okay now? Are you much better?” he asked me the moment I opened my eyes and realized I was not dream, it was all for real.
“What exactly is going on? Who are you and why did you pass out when I told you Bobby had gone back to Lagos?” the man was asking me a barrage of questions. He was clearly puzzled and had no idea what was happing.
“Sir, I am in a big trouble! I’m in a big mess,” I said to him as I got up from the couch and rose frantically to my feet. I was starting to sweat all over.
“Calm down and tell me what’s going on because you’re practically getting me scared here!” he said to me.
“Sir, Bobby has killed me! I’m in trouble!” I was jumping up and down the room. It was as though my entire body was on fire.
The uncle reached out to me, grabbed me by the hand and sat me down. He, too, was sweating all over now.
“Now, calm down and tell me exactly what the problem is,” he said after he’d put me in a chair. “First, what is your name?”
I sighed heavily as I sank into the chair. “My name is Rosemary, sir,” I answered.
“Okay, Rosemary, now calm down and tell me what the problem is, please…” the man tried to calm me down.
“Sir, Bobby has finished me!” I began, the tears coursing slowly down my face.”I am pregnant, sir….I am pregnant for Bobby!”
