WILD CARD (PART 11) "Gone There To Do What?" Aisha's Voice Brought Me Tack To Reality

"Hehehe. Some women have no shame. No dignity. I wish I knew the place. I would have gone there to.........."

And it all starts coming together.
 

Athlete, abroad, three kids- I don't know the number of children Dani has but ten years is a good amount of time to have three kids. Could she be the one?

"Gone there to do what?" Aisha's voice brought me back to reality.

"Erm, nothing, never mind." I respond.

"What do I do now?" Aisha asks.

"Where did you say his house is again?"

"Are you serious about going there? In your condition? No need abeg." She wipes her tears.

"I just want to know."

"Ok, Trans Amadi, not too far from your place now."

But there are lots of streets at Trans Amadi. But this is too much of a coincidence. I need to stop asking these questions in order not to arouse suspicion.

"Never mind, I'm sorry. What did Mukthar say? What was his reaction?"

"He has been apologising, saying the woman seduced him, he even went to my parents to report himself. 

Now my parents want me to take him back."

"This is a tough one. But what do you want?" I ask her.

"As you know, we are Muslims and our religion allows polygamy, but I'm not even married to him yet. 

Besides, does he intend to take a married woman as his second wife?"

"Hmmm." I'm lost for words.

"See why I'm confused?" She says, sobbing again.

" I'm so sorry darling. I think you should take your time before you make a decision.
______________________________________

I kept thinking about all Aisha told me on my way home. I couldn't even concentrate on the wheels.
Could it be Dani?
 

All the facts of this story are too close.
 

Or am I the one over thinking things?
 

I couldn't ask Aisha more questions to avoid suspicion. But I was going to find out, one way or another.

"So, that's what I heard today o!" I said as I concluded the narration of Aisha's ordeal to Chuks. In fact, I didn't allow him undress before I started talking.

"Hmm. It's really crazy darling. But I suggest you keep calm and be sure of the facts first. Besides, what would you do even if all these were true? Confront them? As who? Their spouse? Take it easy 007."

"What are you saying? That I should just pretend like I heard anything?" I snapped.

"Yes. Mind your own business dear, of which I'm number one. Please let us eat. Did you cook or I do it?" 

He was getting on my nerves but I knew there was some truth in all he said. So I dropped it.

"Besides, Daniella just put to bed, I doubt if she would be involved in something like that." He added defiantly.

I just kept quiet.

But I was not done.
 

No way.
__________________________________

Few weeks later, I was rounding up at the military hospital, I heard some noise and came out of my office to check what the noise was all about.

I was surprised when I got out to see two women who looked like they were involved in an accident.

One had her hair ripped off her head and scratch marks here and there. It wasn't a pretty sight.

I got close and received a shocker!
 

The second woman was Dani!

Her elbows and fingers were bruised, her forehead and jaw swollen. Her clothes were torn to shreds.
 

She had scratches all over her neck region and bite marks all over her body. She was also barefooted.

"What happened?"

"They were fighting over a man o." Nurse Jenny responded. She's the official CNN reporter of the hospital, nothing happens without her knowing.

"Ok. Can we just take care of them first? Does any of them have a record with us or they're just emergency cases?" I asked.

"Yes o, she has a record here, she's Col. Akhigbe's wife." CNN to the rescue once again, pointing at the first woman.

"Ok. Let's get them into the emergency ward and tend their wounds and then run the necessary tests."

"Yes doctor. "

I was too ashamed to let anyone know I knew Dani. What a mess!

I later gleaned from the staff that Dani was apparently having a sizzling affair with the Colonel, his wife got to know and confronted Dani on more than one occasion.

But on this fateful day, the woman had got wind of their where about. She sought them out in a hotel and gave Dani a good fight.

She gave Dani a good whipping, I must confess. If not for her hair that Dani was able to rip off, she may have come out unscathed.

"Ify, can we talk please?"

Haha. The moment I've been waiting for. I would definitely give Dani a piece of my mind. This is so nauseating.

"Yes, no problem."

"I just want to beg you not to tell your husband about what you've heard. I know all those radios without batteries have told you lots of stories but please don't tell your husband. You never know with men, he might tell my husband."

To say I was amazed is an understatement. I was shocked!

She wasn't even ashamed of her actions.
 

She didn't even deny them.
 

She wasn't remorseful.
 

All she wanted was that I don't tell my husband.
 

I was tongue tied.

"OK. Goodbye."

I couldn't bear to breath the same air with her, my head was spinning.
_____________________________________

Chuks heard a earful from me that night.
 

He was irritated and deservedly so.

I deliberately called in sick the following day so I don't get to see Dani till she's discharged. I couldn't bear to see her.
________________________________________

Let me just say for the record, delivery is not an easy thing. I wanted to deliver my baby vaginally but the baby wasn't having any of that.

My small cervix couldn't expand enough to allow passage of a 4.3kg baby.
 

A baby girl who was all CHUKWUDI WILLIAMS!

From her full hair, to the long fingers and toes, she looked every inch like my husband.

Mama and Papa were beside themselves with joy, my in-laws too.
 

My home was like a clan meeting place.

We were all overjoyed and myself and the baby was pampered silly.

We named her Chioma, Priscilla; among her other names. Boy, the list was long.

During her dedication, Aisha came with Mukthar. The delivery and care of the baby hadn't given us the chance to talk.

When things seem a little quiet in the evening, we went outside to talk.

"So how are things with Mukthar now? It seems you guys are back together."

"Yes, he apologised and will be moving out of that place to avoid a reoccurence."

"Hmm. I hope he is sincere because there'll be other women wherever you move to. Even at his place of work, and on the road, there are women everywhere. Will he have to live in isolation?" I said.

"I told him too and he promised he has never cheated with any other woman but it seems that woman's charms were more than he could resist. All in all, he seems sincere. His parents and mine also scolded him and he is sorry."

"There's no harm in giving him another chance. Just be sure it won't become a routine."

"I understand you, And I've told him if he tries such again, I'm walking away, married or not."

"So when is the wedding?" I ask, laughing and hugging my friend.

"Soon, I'll keep you posted. You'll be the first to know once we've set a date."

It's not as if I don't have other friends, but Aisha has been a good friend. She's my oldest friend here as I met her on my first day in porthacourt. She's just special.

We said our goodbyes soon after that.
______________________________________

My baby was three months old when I completed my youth service and I started job hunting.

It was on one of those days I went to submit my application in a hospital that I saw Dani walk into the same hospital.
 

We greeted each other like acquaintances and after she left, I heard the nurses talking about her.
 

She had come for an abortion!
 

Will this girl ever stop?

The Saturday after the abortion episode was Aisha's wedding.
 

Guess who we met there?

Yes, you guessed right; Dani's husband.

We exchanged pleasantly and were surprised once again that we were meeting at our mutual friends event.
 

Hubby and I told Toba who the couple were to us, and to our greater surprise, he said they were 

neighbours, though Mukthar told him he would be moving out pretty soon.

"Really? So you live in the same house," I emphasised. For Chuks' sake.

"Yes, three years. We moved in first though." Toba explained.

"So why is Dani not here?"

"She's not feeling too well. She came down with some sort of fever. So she had to rest at home. She regrets not being able to come."

"Awwwww. Greet her for me o. I wish her quick recovery."

By now Chuks was filled with laughter. He couldn't laugh. He kept nodding through out the conversation.
He didn't say a word until the subject of our discussion changed.
 

#fiction
#friendship
#girlchild

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Written By Tolulope Fakayode-Faniran

June 14, 2017