Spice of Life - Episode 5 (MIL to the Rescue - Pt 2)

 

SPICE OF LIFE (E-Book Series)
[CHAPTER 4] -  MIL to the Rescue, Pt 2

Now if I had seen a more formidable and stoic matriarch, Adaobi Ezeonu beats them hands down. She was tall, 5.11’, fair and drop-dead gorgeous, she looked like she drank from the Turk everlasting fountain as she looked like she was 5 years older than Chuks. What if that was what the fountain amid the garden is for? She looked terrifying as well as terrific. She had a bouncy short wig  and a nice boubou gown made with Adire fabric and bedazzled at key patterns. She looked fierce, it’s like we made her angry by attempting to touch her painting, her mouth was tightened and her face expressionless, her raised fingers came down majestically. This woman is regal. She must have been a princess or probably schooled with Queen Elizabeth at some point.

“Good morning ma, so sorry ma” I and Abike said in Unison with knees almost reaching the ground.

“You don’t go touching things that don’t belong to you, you can feel with your eyes you know, that is why it is called art, you know” she said.

“Yes ma, sorry ma” We both said.

Chuks led us to the smaller parlor, everything in this parlor was light blue and it was cozy enough for a conversation as serious as this. She beckoned us to sit, we sat like robots. A maid appeared and served cold fresh pineapple juice served in glasses. She took a glass, then motioned her over to us.

Chuks started, “Mom, as I mentioned earlier, this is Abike, the girl I want to marry.”

“Which of them is?” she asked, sizing us through her glasses.

I had just realized that Chuks was sitting in between us, I shifted uneasily as flashbacks almost brought tears to my eyes. I almost wished I was the bride, I mean have you seen the elegance of this house? But I was the rejected stone. I don’t think I am strong enough for this or at least as Bikes thought I was, she should have carried Nonye. I try to force out a smile. Chuks looked at me and laughed nervously or was that spite I heard in his laughter, "Stop Overthinking things Dara!" I tell myself.

“ No Mom, this is Dara, she is our event planner and an old friend of Abike…” He put a second hand over Abike’s hand,  “..my bride to be.”

“Event Planner Nnanna, for what na, how do you choose event planner without consulting me first, that is if this wedding is going to hold...” She rolled her eyes. Okay this plan is going as planned.

“...And Ajoke, Chuks told me that you work in Royal Capital, from the last graduate trainee cohort. Where are you from and who are your parents?”

“Yes ma, I am from Oyo state, I grew up here in Lagos, My Mom owns a school in Ibadan and My Dad is a civil servant. My name is not Ajoke ma, It’s Abike, Abike Folunrunsho” Bikes said nervously.

“Oh yes, she’s correcting me, you have not married my son yet and you feel you can correct me in my own house, Wow, just wow, who do you think you are?” She flared up.

“Mom, stop this now, I thought we’ve gone past this, you promised to be nice…”

“Oh, shut up you, what do you know? So Ajoke or whatever you call yourself, you felt the quicker way to gain wealth is dating the boss’ son right? You young women of these days, sleeping around for money, so what’s the plan to bewitch my son and take over all he has?”

“Mom….” Chuks had stood up. Abike was in tears now. The juice tasted bitter now. I set it down on the side stool.

“Oh please, Nnanna! When are you going to start behaving responsible and stop frolicking with all these gold-diggers. All you have brought me is pain and disgrace. You have refused to be responsible like your sisters. I have spent a fortune cleaning up your mess since your secondary school days. What do I get in return? Bringing all these daughters of Jezebels to usurp my hard-earned work.” She spoke in anger.

“Mom, stop this right now. What is all these rubbish” Chuks was mad already, his voice.

“Or what?, What are you going to do? Hit me, Oma mme, you can’t dare, you did not tell her, you didn’t tell her that she’s not the only one that you have brought here to waste my precious time.”

Chuks stormed out of the room with clenched fists. I tried to comfort Abike. She turned to face us.

“Now listen here young lady, I don’t ever want you near my son, Okay? Chuks is not for you, he would never be for you, you would never marry him. So, what’s your price ma’am. How much do I have to pay you to leave my son. Name your price, Name it just name it, you whore, sleeping your way to the top of your career. Yes you are whore just like the rest, I heard of your promotion, you think I don’t know of your plan, to wreck my son, name your cheap price, let me pay you off…”

She brought out a cheque book and started to write. "... so you can get out of our lives back to that slum where you belong..."

It was at this point, I got irritated, Bikes was already heaving and humping, crying bitterly, I felt bad. Yeah I wanted this to end but not with all these insults, but what exactly was I thinking. Bikes made a move to leave, I stopped her and faced Mrs. Ezeonu in annoyance.

“Pardon me Ma, we don’t need your money, if you don’t want the marriage, you can say so instead of insulting my friend here, who has done absolutely nothing wrong, but love your….”

“Oh, close your mouth, Idara Effiong, Is it that not your name?” She retorted. My eyes widened in shock. How did she know me? I have never met her before, Oh Lord.

“Aha! I knew it! You think I don’t know that you dated my son in the University, I was wise enough to stop you from ruining his life with your Efik witchcraft, but you repackaged your friend to complete the process. This time I would make sure I end you…”

I staggered backwards with hanging mouth, too shocked to stand. My eyes were spinning round. In fact everything was spinning around. I wanted to disappear, or the grounds should swallow me, I ran out to meet Bikes, who was held to the wall with two big Rottweilers snarling at her. I grabbed her hand, and we ran towards the gate, it was a far distance, and we were being chased by the dogs. One dragged Bikes boubou causing us to fall, suddenly, the dogs became like large bears, sat on us with sharp claws about to tear our throats out, my bladder was about to burst…. Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!!... No! No!! No!!! I screamed out… I woke up sweating like a fish, I raced to the bathroom, as I sat on the toilet seat doing both number 1 and 2 at the same time, I pondered, geez what in the name of God was all that? Damn, it felt so real and sinister. Lord have mercy!

Okay, I think this dream was a warning sign. Is it for me to stop meddling in these affairs or for Bikes not to go ahead with this or are these signs of malaria. As I come out  from the bathroom, I check the time 5:45am, okay I am texting Bikes. “Bikes Babe, Good morning, Hope you are okay, Apologies, I cannot accompany you to Chuk’s Mom’s today, I woke up feeling terribly sick. I must go to the clinic today and check myself. You can ask Nonye if it is not too late. So sorry. Let me know how it goes." I dropped the phone and opened my Bible; I need to hear from Jesus right now!

 *******************************************************************************

It's been 8 hours; Bikes have not called yet. I should have warned her about the dream oh God, Hope something have not happened to my girl. Since she texted me back saying it was fine and I should take care of myself, her phone has not been going through. I had alerted Jenjen and the others. I had told only Jenjen about my nightmare. She laughed at me in the beginning but since Bikes had not picked up, she was freaking out too. Time passed painfully. I and Jenjen had agreed to go to the Ezeonu’s mansion and inquire for ourselves by 6pm and if they don’t allow us, we would launch a missing person hashtag on twitter and tag all the Ezeonus and all their companies.

It was 5pm, I was on a call with one of our vendors, Jenjen rushed into the room,

“Bikes is on the line, group call.” I mouthed “really??” I give her a thumbs us. She left to the sitting room.

“Okay, Ma, Please I have to jump into another meeting now, Apologies, we would complete this discussion tomorrow, please, it is very urgent” I did not even wait for her feedback, I quickly switched to the group call.

“Dara is here now” Amira said.

“Bikes, how far, you got us worried, I have been calling all day, hope you are okay?

“Yeah, I guess, since all of you abandoned me” Bikes said, she didn’t sound happy, Oh Lord, what must have transpired.

“No Now, never we cannot abandon you babe” we all said in varying expressions.

“Yeah, no problems, I understand!”

“So, how did it go?” Bikes let out a deep sigh “Hmmph…Well…”

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Written by Rosemary Ugwuogo aka Dauntless