The driver, an elderly man, got down, opened the booth and I promptly took down the big bags inside and took them inside one after the other.
“Where is my friend, she has not returned from work?” she asked as she stepped inside the house. “No, Aunty, she hasn’t,” I answered, wondering how best I could get to her to let me quickly know my fate. But knowing Aunty Florence very well, she was not the type of woman you could hurry or pressure into doing things, she would take her time and do it in her own time.
‘Is there food in the house?’
‘Yes, ma, there is rice and beans,” I told her.
“Okay, let me go and shower first. Meanwhile, help me warm the food a little.” And just as she was going inside the room, she stopped and turned back. “I know you’re very eager to know what was decided with my husband, right?”
“Yes, ma,” I nodded.
“I know, I can see it written all over your face,” she said. “But don’t worry, we will talk about everything soon. I stopped by at your place on my way home, I spoke with your mum, she will be here shortly, then we can all sit down and talk, okay?”
“Okay, ma,” I nodded, trying very hard to conceal my disappointment. “Why couldn’t she just tell me what my fate is? Why must we have to wait for my mother? The anxiety very nearly tore me apart. But I had no choice. No matter how much I begged her, she would not speak. I had to wait for my mother to arrive…
It was about two hours after that my mother arrived. Those two hours seemed like forever to me. But thankfully, she was finally here. I greeted her when she came, but the truth is, I was not excited to see her. It was my dad that I really wished I could see. I missed him so much. How I wish I could get the opportunity to hug and beg him to forgive me for all I’d put him through…
“So, tell me, my dear,” mother’s voice broke into my thoughts. She was talking to Aunty Florence. “What did your husband say?”
Aunty Florence’s face was expressionless. It was difficult to tell what was going on inside her mind. She gazed at my mother for a few seconds then shifted her attention to me. Then, she cleared her throat and said, “My husband said she can come and stay with us for a while!” she finally said.
“Heeeee! Thank God o!” my mother screamed in excitement. She got on her feet and started dancing as though I just won a jackpot. And in my mind, I was wondering, why is she so excited about this? For me, it was just a huge relief that I was finally going to leave the village and go o a new environment where no one will see me go through my first nine months course. I would not be able to stand the shame. How would I face the prying eyes on me when my tummy begins to protrude? It was best I leave the village for Lagos. But I was not anything near as excited as mother was. In fact, if truth be told, I was not happy leaving the village because that was where my heart is. That was where my friends, my mates that I went to school with, lived. To leave the village to start a new life was not something I was looking forward to, but under the present circumstances, I had no choice. I had to leave.
“But you don’t look too happy about the news, Rosemary, “Aunty Florence said to me after she noticed I was not half as excited as my mother.
“No, Aunty, I am happy. I really am. Thank you very much for everything,” I said to her, looking slightly away from her gaze.
“Don’t mind her, she doesn’t know that all that I am doing is for her own good,” mother returned, giving me a sharp look.
“But how were you able to convince your husband to approve of her coming? Hope he wasn’t angry with you, my dear?” mother asked.
“No, he wasn’t angry at all,” Aunty Florence answered. “I told him we need someone who could help us with chores around the house and that I was sure Rosemary would be a good girl,” she replied.
“And what about the pregnancy, what did he say about that?” mother asked.
“To be honest with you, Aunty, I haven’t told him yet about it,” she replied, looking slightly away from mum. “I was sure that if I tell my husband he would not allow her to come with me to Lagos. So, I have hidden the truth from him for now. Will come up with a way to tell him later.”
“But, why now, he will find out sooner or later,” mother said, extremely bothered that Aunty Florence didn’t mention to her husband that I was pregnant.”
“Aunty, I know my husband, there is no way he will allow her into the house if he knew she was pregnant,” Aunty Florence replied. “Don’t worry, I will find a way of letting him know before he finds out himself,” she assured her.
“Okay, I hope so,” mother sighed heavily. “So, what’s the next step now?”
“Before we move on to the next step, I need you to warn Rosemary to be of good behaviour,” Aunty Florence interjected, her countenance changing into a more serious one. “My husband is a very strict person. He does not take nonsense. If you misbehave, he will only warn you once, the next time you do what he asked you not to do, he will send you packing straight away, is that okay by you?”
I nodded. “Yes, ma, it is,” I promptly answered. “I promise to be of good behaviour.”
“Florence, you too, you know your Rosemary very well, she’s a good girl., it’s this unfortunate incident that is making her look like she’s one badly brought up girl but she’s not. I can vouch for her any day, anytime, “mother put in a few good words for me.”
“Good!” she responded. “Now, this is what I think the next step should be…”
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