Seno's words rang in Atimma's head several times. She imagined his face when he said them. She walked around the house, murmuring words to herself.
She was pregnant, and the signs were beginning to show on her face. She counted the money Seno gave to her over and over again.
She had missed home, she missed Harry and Linda. She had wondered what her daughter might look like now, and thought of how she was going to face them. She had Harry's number off hand, but she was ashamed to call him.
She stared at her phone for a while and then began to search for Linda's number. She dialled it and placed the phone slowly to her ears.
"I have been planning to call you, what's happening? I feel everything isn't right with you. I saw Seno with his wife at the ibom tropicana yesterday, he didn't see me. I tried calling you at that moment but your number didn't go through." She said shrilly, reeling off.
Atimma was mute for a while, then she suddenly broke down in tears.
"I am pregnant Linda, I want to get rid of it."
"You're pregnant for who?"
"Seno of course. We broke up two weeks ago, he left Nigeria and said it was over, that he was going back to his wife."
"How can he say such a thing? After using you for how long? No, you can't get rid of the pregnancy. Keep it.
Come back to Nigeria and let him know you're still carrying his baby."
"What if he doesn't accept?" She asked through a hard breathe.
"Tell his wife. When you do that, he is going to know you're serious."
"I thought of that too. But I didn't want problems."
"Babe, na wa for you o. How can you think of getting rid of a whole Seno's baby. Do you know the kind of share of wealth you will have by keeping his baby? you might even have him back sef."
Atimma became relieved as she held her chest.
"Have you been seeing Harry and my daughter?"
"No o, the last I saw him was at the market. He was selling water as usual. Abeg, leave that poor thing. You should think of coming to see your daughter."
"She won't know me." She said pensively. And then became quiet for a moment.
"I just hope to see her soon." She muttered.
"Okay. thank you for calling me o, I will be expecting you in Nigeria soon."
"Thank you bestie, you always help me out when I am bothered." She said softly, as she hung the call.
She began to search for her international passports and ID cards.
She started making calls to find out about ticket bookings.
****
Didi woke up with a fever. She had been shivering and crying all through the night, keeping Harry awake all through the night.
He gave her the medicines Enomfon brought the previous day, but she vomited them with everything she had in her tummy.
"Enyofon, Dada enyonfon...awant enyonfon." She cried out softly.
Harry stood stiffly beside her on the bed, hurt and pained.
He held Didi in his arms and tried to sing to her. Didi placed her small hands on his mouth.
"You don't like the song honey?" She nodded softly.
"What song should I sing for my angel?"
"Enyomfo...dada...enyomfo..." She became cranky.
Harry took his phone and typed a message to Enomfon... 'Didi is ill. She has been calling your name for hours now. I need to take her to the hospital urgently.'
Within a minute, his phone rang. He stared at it, his heart trembled as he saw that she was calling him back.
"Hi." He said huskily.
"I want to be sure you're not tricking me, place the phone on Didi's ears." She said in soft whispers. Harry placed the phone immediately on Didi's ears and whispered "it's Aunty Enomfon. Say hello."
"Enyomfo, come, come..." She said softly.
Harry placed the phone back to his ears and said, We need you badly sweetheart."
The sound of their voices melted her heart, she couldn't wait for another moment. She took her car keys and drove speedily to Harry's house.
Harry was already waiting outside for her, with Didi covered with wrapper in his arms. Enomfon ran out of the car, threw the car key at Harry and got Didi from him.
She held her tight like she was never going to let her go. They sat behind the car, humming songs together as Harry drove hastily to the hospital Downtown.
©reserve
Written by Vicky Bon
May 31, 2017
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