₦airaland Forum

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SHe studied his square face with a chin that could chisel a granite, it had trimmed beard that had spread around the mouth and connected with trimmed maustache, their blackness suited his dark flawless chocolate skin.

He kept his hair short like most Nigerian men. His slightly open lips would form a smile now and then back to their posture.

Ife smiled as she stole a glance at his up-turned nose which looked cute and playful like a child’s but had veered into a snobbish territory the first time he saw her at the door.

“You suddenly went quite, why?” He asked looking at her.

“Oh sorry, just that I have a lot in my mind hey?”

“Its good to share you know?”

“Hmmm.” Ife sighed, why was he so good to her? Or was it just to buy her face?

Kenny came back in her pyjamas and sta next to Ife. “I wonder how Nneka is doing.” She said to herself.

“Your mother you mean?” Ife screamed frustrated, when would they let by gones be by gones and let go of the past? She was tired of pulling in different directions, she wanted to tell her mother that she hold nothing against her and be there for her in this trying time but Kenny was making it difficult.


“I am I missing something here?” Femi asked sitting up straight like a parent in a principal's office being called to answer for his child's ill manners, Kenny pouted and looked away, Ife decided to tell him.

“Kenny is my twin, I am Taiwo but my parents never used it. As you already know, our mother, Nneka lives Soshanguve, her daughter killed herself this morning and Kenny doesn't seem to care.”

“Kenny why didn't you tell me all this? Eversince I accidentally told you that you are adopted you decided to keep secrets from me?” He asked pained and troubled.

“Your wife told me to keep my stuff to myself.” Kenny retorted.

“But Kenny I am your brother....”

“So now I am your sister? After ruining my life? Making me seek for the woman who gave me away?”

“Kenny, calm down please.” Ife begged.

“Calm down for where? the truth hurts right? Sometimes I wish I boarded that plane, and died with Pearl instead of being left with a wicked soul like Femi, who sold me over that winch! God punished you for ruining my life!”

Kenny ran for her life after telling her mind. Ife knew it wouldn't have ended well but what about her? Her heart ached, her head felt heavy. She wished she hadn't come, Kenny was acting childish.

“I deserve whatever that will come my way Ife, I am sorry you had to see that.” He said.

Ife didn't say anything, she didn't want to talk to anyone, let alone Femi.

“You hate me too right?” Ife wished he would stop talking and go to his room, she would stay on the couch because she knew Kenny wouldn't open up, not in her state. Femi needed to shift, or else she wouldn't be able to answer to questions that might come the following day.

“Ife, please.” He moved next to her and held her, she didn't protest, just kept sighing after a while Ife decided to ask;

“Why did you treat Angie the way you did?”

“I was looking for an escape from reality, wanted someone with no strings attached. But things turned out bad and I had to end it with her, she is persistent and wouldn't have left if I didn't do the things I did.”

“And why go to her flat after? The threats?”

“I wanted to talk to her but she became too hostile, then Mike came. I knew I didn't stand a chance anymore, just couldn't leave without a fight.”

“And your fiance?”

“It wasn't working out. She was not inlove with me nomore.”

“Why marry her?”

“My dad said it was a right thing to do, I had to give us another chance but hey, I guess it wasn't meant to be.”

Sleep came when she least expect it and as they say it sure is an enemy.

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

The drive to Femi's flat was short, Malaika parked her car outside the residential garage and locked it. They mounted the steps to catch some fresh air. Ife rang the bell and Femi came to answer the door.

The two had never set eyes on each other, Ife had heard a lot about Femi she knew it was him before he could say hi.

He was tall, lean and athletic, he stood tall with certitude at the door, owning up too much for her liking, Ife understood why Kenny and Malaika feared the guy.

He took her silence for shyness, addressing her an expansive tenderness.

“Can I help you?” He asked politely, switching on the outside lamp which revealed Malaika from the shadows. Ife looked from Malaika to Femi as they stared at each other. She felt like running before the two started a fight, stupidity was an understatement to how she felt for asking Malaika to drive her there.

Her plans to run were interrupted by an irritating taping on the door frame by Femi. His facial expression had changed; his thick shaped charcoal eyebrows had formed a v-shape. She counted the lines his forehead had formed as he turned his nose up at them.

Ife winced shuddering, she felt like peeing in her pants. What if he grabbed them both and throw them six floors down? and face expression had changed completely, he

“Well?” He asked still frowning.

Ife looked at Malaika to bail her out, she was tongue tied. Atleast Malaika knew the guy. Malaika stepped forward, she stopped an inch away from Femi looking him straight in the eye.

“Could we please talk to Kenny?” She asked.

“She is taking her bath and I doubt you would want to wait for her.” He said dismissively.

“We will wait, its rather important.” With that Malaika passed Femi at the door and made her way inside, Ife hobbling after her like a sick puppy.

“What is your problem? They have taken away your tongue?” Malaika hissed at Ife after they were settled in the living room. Femi had vanished into thin air.

“I didn't know what to say, you saw what happened when he saw you.” Ife said honestly, she couldn't talk when the Femi aka Boko Haram guy was around.

“Something is bothering him, he is usually grumpy like this when he is worried or stressed.” Malaika said, and added after a moment. “ And I thought you were not intimidated by those kind of looks? Unless its more than that?”

Ife couldn't look Malaika in the eye which sold her out. Malaika knew her like she knew Kenny, there was nothing she could hide from them.

“You can't, he is married, besides he is your brother.” Malaika reasoned.

“Whoa, I didn't say I like him joor.” She looked away avoiding Malaika's hard stare. She decided to take a look at their surroundings; it had four suede leather black sofas, small pillows decorated them nicely and matching dark purple curtains, with a sheep skin rug on the floor. The flat screen television was still on, a movie was playing on M-net action.

“Nice choice of color neh?”

“Yeah.”

“Where do you think the madam is?”

“Sleeping maybe?”

Femi came around then. “Kenny will be with you ladies soon, would you like something to drink?” He was stealing glances at Malaika, he would look at her when she wasn't looking. The girls shook their heads. “Please pardon my manners, I am Femi.” He extended his hand towards Ife and sat besides her.

Ife blushed, “Ife-Oluwa, I have heard a lot about you.” They shook hands.

“Same here, from yours truly Malaika right?” He asked, flashing his best smile. Ife saw Malaika roll her eyes and fiddled with her phone, then got up and straightened her jacket.

“Ife, I have to go, I have to finish a project I am working on, its due tomorrow.”

Ife knew Malaika wasn't comfortable around Femi, she would have to let her go, after all she did all Ife asked. It was only fair she let her go.

“Ok, thanks for this hey, let me walk you out, I think I will find my way back from the gate.” Ife got up, so did Femi.

“Can I please walk you out Malaika? If that's ok with you that is?”

Both girls looked at each other, Ife remembered what Malaika had told her a while ago about Femi but the guy didn't look capable of killing a fly.

“Fine.” Malaika said to Ife's suprise.


After the two had left Kenny walked out of the bathroom clad in a pink towel. Her face lit up when she saw her twin and they ran to each other like they hadn't seen each other since the Israelis left Egypt.

“I never thought you would step your foot into this house, what brings you here?” Kenny asked sitting besides Ife on the couch.

“Do I have to have an excuse to come and see my one and only sister?” She teased.

“But we both know you can't stand B.K, biko, its even late why are you here this late?” Kenny asked.

“Ok, its not good news, not good at all.”

“Oya talk to me now.”

“Barbie killed herself this morning o.”

“You lie! Chai, that girl is not that type. I refuse to believe.” Kenny got up, eyeballs ready pop out of their sockets.

“Something might have happened, I even wonder if it wasn't me.” Ife added thoughtfully.

“You, how?”

“We exchanged words and I kinda said nasty things.” She said regreting her actions. Only if she had left, maybe her sister wouldn't have killed herself. The word sister sounded foreign to her.

“It wasn't you jare, it was that good for nothing Portugese guy. I thought I heard Malaika's voice?” Kenny assured her changing the subject, she seemed not interested in the news Ife brought.

“She had to go, Femi walked her out. That reminds me, where is madam?”

“Which madam?”

“Femi's wife na, who else?”

“She left him. Those two had problems way back and we only saw them after they got married.

They both blamed each other for the miscarriages, they fought everyday and she served him with divorce papers Friday night.

Seems like she had already made up her mind, she left that same night o.” Kenny had turned up her nose when telling Ife about her brother's misfortunes, Ife smiled at how Kenny and Femi turned up their noses when annoyed, whoever they took the habit from should have been a pro at it.

“Wow, I feel sorry for them sha. Their marriage had only four months?”

“Yes o, but if you ask me, its good riddance.”

“Why do you talk like that?”

“That girl was too spoiled for my brother, you see Femi needs a strong woman who will stand up to his nonsense, not someone who always ran to her parents house whenever they had a misunderstanding. And since she left, my brother even visits me in my room, offers to help me with cooking, he did the laundry on Saturday and cooked today's lunch.”

“Sister in-laws, I pray to marry an only child o, you are full of it. Wetin did that poor girl do to you na?”

“My dear, just because I didn't talk doesn't mean I was happy o! The girl had been pain since the day she visited Nigeria. She is used to maids you see? So I had to literaly cook for her!”

“Why did Femi marry her?”

“Marriage is different from girl/boyfriend relationship, apparently my brother thought once they were husband and wife she would take the wife role. For where?”

When Ife thought the news were reaching a climax, Femi entered the house.

“Let me go and change, don't run away from B.K he doesn't bite.” Kenny winked and left, Femi joined Ife in the living room, rubbing his arms with hands, he had only a short sleeved sport shirt and jeans. He sure was freezing.

“Sorry I had to fix somethings with Malaika.” Femi said apologetically.

“Its fine, the message I brought here has been delivered.”

“Do you mind if I turn on the heater? Its damn cold out there. ” He asked getting up and coming back with a heater. “I hope its not bad news.” He added after cuddling on a one sitter couch.

“Well kinda, that's why I rushed here immediately I heard.”

“Oh? I hope I am not prying hey?”

“No silly.” They laughed, Ife felt relieved from the burdens she had been carrying since her father's sickness reached its final stage. She felt at ease with Femi despite what Kenny and Malaika had told her. He was really handsome in person than he was in pictures.

Ife had a thing for cute guys, if she thought the portugese guy was handsome then Femi was hot.

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

Ife tossed and turned on her bed, she couldn't sleep nomatter what she tried. She went to bed early, skipping dinner but sleep would not come.

She had felt uneasy since morning, couldn't get Maru out of her head. She had tried calling him but would put the phone away before she pressed the green call button. Why was she feeling that way? After seeing her half sister locking lips with him she still wanted to talk to him? She had tried for so many days to erase the his touch away from her, his soft lips the sensation she had felt when their lips met. Malaika's noisy sleepers were disturbing. The girl had been pacing the room for like ever.

“Malaika!?” Her friend didn't answer her but kept pacing up and down. “Malaika please, I am trying to get some sleep here.”

Malaika paused and looked at her, eyes filled to the brim with tears. Ife got confused, did Mike break-up with her best friend? Did someone die from home? She got off her bed and pulled Malaika next to her on Malaika's bed.

“Girl, talk now, what's wrong? Is it Mike?” Malaika shook her head, tears falling down her dark chocolate flawless skin, Ife wiped the tears off with the palm of her hand. “Something happened back home? Take head, it is well.”

“Everything is fine, on my side that is.” Malaika, held Ife's both hands and squeezed them gently. “Barbie killed herself.” She said quickly. Ife just starred at her, what kind of a joke was this? The girl she saw just two days ago?

“Malaika, I beg you in the name of God, please do not ever joke like that.”

Malaika handed her phone to Ife, who read few lines of the conversation on bbm between Malaika and Mike. It was written in black and white, her sister was indeed gone. The phone fell from her hand in a free fall, it hit the floor with a thud and nobody bothered to pick it up. Questions she couldn't answer started flooding her head, was it because of her Barbie killed herself? Did she leave a suicide note? Where was Nneka? The girls?

“Please, how is her mother?” Ife turned to her friend again, swallowing a lump down her throat. She was trying so hard not to cry.

“She has lost it, she keeps asking after you and Kehinde, then Barbie, after some time pass out. Nia's mom told Mike when he was there after he heard the news.”

“But nobody knows anything about us.” Ife felt a deep sense of loss, it was too heavy of a cross to carry. She had never felt that way, even when he father died. Was it guilt?

“Can you call Femi for me please?” Ife asked, her friend. Malaika frowned at her.

“What? Femi? Me? Why?” She asked disgusted. Ife had forgotten just how much the two hated each other. But she had to get a message across to Kehinde, morning was too far, something would happen to her sister.

“Look, you know I can do stuff for you but calling Femi is something I cannot do. I promised Mike I will stay away from him.” Malaika trudged to the window and looked at the clear blue sky, Ife followed her.

“Can you please drive me to his flat then?” She said placing her hand on Malaika's shoulder. Malaika shrugged her off.

“Ask Botshelo or T'soarelo please.”

“But I cannot go with them to Femi's, I am not ready to tell them about my private life please.”

“God knows my heart, fine. Dress up I will go and start the car.”

Ife changed into her jeans and sweater, slipped into her pumps and followed Malaika. “Botshelo, T'soarelo, we have to go somewhere quickly, will be back.” She called out her room mates who were watching television as she locked the door.

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

“Makhi! Ko ko, Nne, are you in here?”

“Come in, I am in the girls bedroom.” Nneka's faint voice called in her friend Selina. The woman had been an older sister she had never had, she took her in when she first arrived at Soshanguve with her girls, gave her food and helped her get the RDP house she lived in.

“The girls said you called for me?”

“Yes, come on in.” Nneka called her in, what would her friend think of her? She was not crying for her own daughter.

Was it betrayal she was feeling? Was God trying to punish her for turning her back on Taiwo and Kenny? Where were they? How were they faring? What kind of a mother throws away the second chance of happiness out of the window?

Maybe her daughter had felt ashamed of calling her a mother, as Nneka went through events in her head, she came to a conclusion that Sebabatso had been a coward.

She had not been brave enough to face life like her, but what would she tell people? When her daughter did not leave a note? Sebabatso had drawn her line in the sand but the blame was going to fall on her.

She felt her friend pushed the door, that's when she tried to get up, but collapsed on the floor near Barbie's lifeless body. She couldn't hold the feelings inside anymore, Selina would understand.

“Nne, what happened?” Selina asked wiping Nneka's tears with the back of her hand, it was no use, she ended up letting them fall freely down her cheeks. Her friend wailed, her wailing tore deep down her heart. Barbie had been a smart child. Since they arrived few years ago she had only made her mother proud, what could have gone wrong?

“I woke-up early this morning, and decided to wake the girls up for church.” Nneka said blowing her nose. “She was on her phone, we quarrelled a bit, I dragged her to my room. She was having sex Selly! My sixteen year old daughter was already having sex!”

The words almost choked, but she forced herself to finish the story. “I found her here after church like this, I couldn't let the girls see this. Its too horrifying for them.”

“We should call the police, and your sister. She stayed with her on weekdays, she should be here.” Selina said concerned.

Nneka wringed her hands nervously, pacing up and down while Selina made the calls. She sat down at one moment, bitting her finger nails, she would get up touch the back of her neck then sit down again. The routine went on until some elderly women came around, whom she didn't know where they came from. One of them was Zulu and was all about tradition. Nneka's bed was put aside to create space in her room, in a flash she found herself on a mattress in her bedroom surounded by women in blankets and head wraps. Sebabatso was nowhere to be seen.

The police came, asked questions and took the body to the mutuary but Nneka had no idea what was happening around her. Everything was a blur. The women next to her would try to make conversation with her but to no avail. Her sister came but she didn't know she was there.

“Nne, are you awake?” Selina woke her up gently. “Come, drink some water, we cannot have you leave the girls now, not when they need you most.”

“But I am not thirsty.” Nneka tried to protest, her throat was sore, her head too heavy for her body. It felt like Zuma rock ontop of her.

“I know you are not but you need to drink ok?” Selina didn't wait for an answer but forced the glass between her friend's lips, who had clenched teeth. “Come on, just a sip ok?”

Nneka's red swollen eyes questioned her friend. “What are this women doing here? Is Barbie gone already? I didn't hear Keddy's car leave. My God! Where is my watch?” The room was dimly lit, two candles were burning dimly on the dressing table. “Load shedding again?” She asked bewildered.

Kedibone came in then, her eyes red and swollen too. Nneka's mind sensed then that something was wrong.

“Where are my six daughters?” She asked the sad mourning faces, but they all looked away. “Kedibone where are my six daughters?” She croaked. Kedibone shrugged and burst into tears.

“Ok, make I call them for here jare. Ife, Kenny, Barbie? Barbie are you on that your phone again? If I come in there you will not like it o!” She was ready to get up when Kedibone croaked.

“Barbie is dead!”

Her Barbie? Dead? God forbit! The women around her seemed to have had enough, they forced her down as everything went blank again.

Blue diamond: yea!its a big welcome back indeed.
HBG,i see you sis...

Thanks guys now please manage this short update eh?

God bless your week ahead for me.