WILD CARD (PART 13 THE FINAL SAGA) "Hold your gist abeg. Goodnight." I try to sound uninterested but I'm curious

"Chioma, there's no way you're buying more chocolates here. You've picked more than enough, we need to go to the fruits market." I had to shout this time so she gets the message.
 

She's quite strong willed and likes to have her way all the time.

We were making our way to the cashier's desk at our usual grocery store and I almost bump into a woman. I look up and guess who it was?
____________________________________

I had been hearing rumours that Dani was back in town but I didn't believe them, considering all she said at the dinner outing we had.

I was surprised to bump into her just like that. She looked shocked too.

"Dani, hi. You are back. Wasn't expecting to see you in this part of the world anytime soon." I chimed.

"Hi Ify. I just got tired of the place.
 

The cold, no social life, and the language change. They don't speak English. Toba wanted me to go back to school years back but I didn't have the time, (abeg wetin she take time do?) I only wish I had attended the Italian and German classes he paid for. 

Maybe it would have been easier for me to adapt over there. He promised to relocate to an English speaking country, most likely England so we can join him. It was just too stressful for the kids."

"Awwww. I know how that can be. I understand. "

We say our goodbyes.

Trust me, my gist partner heard all about it that night.
 

All Chuks could do was laugh.

"Ify, you can never change."
____________________________________

It is on this note that Dani's escapades begin again.
 

One year went by and she didn't move an inch. She kept hopping from bed to bed.

But she finally surprised me, and all who know her; she got a job!
 

Dani had never worked all her life.

I was sincerely happy for her.
 

She has finally grown up.
 

Many said she slept with the chairman of the company where she was employed as a P.A to the chairman.

I really didn't care, at least she had a job. That would at least keep her busy.

But it was not to be. Next thing we see is that she's seen all over town with the chief.
 

That's perfectly understandable, seeing she was his P.A.

The chairman was chief Amaechi.
 

He owned a conglomerate in Rivers state.
 

The man was stupendously rich.

When one of our mutual friends, Stephanie, wife of the commissioner for information (who took the job more seriously than her husband, as she's aware of everything that happens in Rivers state) told me Dani was sleeping with Chief Amaechi, I told her to shut up.

"You'll see Ify, their relationship is beyond professional."

We were at a state dinner and she escorted Chief Amaechi to the event.
 

She was all over the man like a rash and I knew Stephanie wasn't lying but I would never encourage gossip. 

Much more when it's about an old though estranged friend.

Two years after that, she came to my office to tell me she was moving to England.
 

To join Toba I presumed.
______________________________________

Times have changed.
The world is moving.
 

Tem years had gone by just like that.

I am grateful to God.
 

But still couldn't have another child despite treatments in Nigeria and abroad. I and Chuks had come to terms with it.

Chioma is seventeen years old and schooling in Oxford university.

On this fateful day, hubby had gone for a welcome party organised for one of his colleagues while at UPTH who just got back from the United States.

"Hello sweetie." Thank God he's back.

"Hey you. It took you long enough." I'm feigning anger.

"Sorry babe. The party was fun. But most importantly, there's serious hot gist."
Now, that's unusual.

Chukwudi Williams, bringing hot sizzling gist to me.

I must be losing touch.

It's been almost twenty years of friendship and eighteen years of marriage, now Chuks wakes up one day and decides to beat me at my own game?

He wants to gist me!
 

Hian!
 

"This has got to be good." I couldn't help but think aloud.

"You know, lots of my colleagues, old and new were invited to this party. Imagine my surprise when I saw an old friend from UniCal. In fact, Phillip was my roommate for two years. But we lost touch after graduation."

"Wow." I try to keep calm and allow him get to the main gist. I'm sure the gist is not about his old friend he met. I'm soooo impatient.
 

"So, we got talking and all. In the course of our discussions, as expected we started asking about old friends and acquaintances. That's when I told him about Toba. I told him I hadn't heard from him for over a decade. 

You know, telecommunication wasn't what it is now ten years ago." He digresses.
"Ehn ehn " I know.

"You're getting impatient. I need something to quench this thirst before I can proceed. " He teases.

"Hold your gist abeg. Goodnight." I try to sound uninterested but I'm curious.

"It's about your friend o."

"Which of my friends?"

"Your European friend na".

"Dani????" I shout with my eyes popping.

"Yes na", he says non challantly.

I sat up immediately on the sofa, facing him squarely.

"CHUKWUDI HEZEKIAH WILLIAMS, talk now!
 

I'm sure my stare by then looked murderous.
 

He started spilling.

"So Phillip said, he has been in Switzerland, that he and Toba have been in touch. I was surprised. Since your friend said they were relocating to England . But I didn't tell Phillip."

"Ook."

"He proceeded to tell me why Toba refused to come back home. He told me how Toba was married to this uneducated promiscuous woman, who did nothing but disgrace him here in Nigeria. 

Toba knew of all her sexcapades but being a gentleman, he didn't want to react. Phillip believes Toba actually blames himself for her philandering since he was rarely around.

But then, it became unbearable when one of his younger cousins who was studying at Uniport at the time, came to the house unannounced one day and saw the wife with their neighbour, a young bachelor. She had put to bed barely two months prior to this time and Toba just went back to Switzerland."

"That must have been Mukthar, Aisha's fiance then." I jumped up. It was as if I was watching a movie.

"The adulterers didn't see the young man, but he reported to Toba's family, who consequently informed him. 

This led to Toba having high blood pressure, in fact it was God that saved him."

"Hehehe. Odiegwu!" I shout.

"After Toba recovered, his family and friends, Phillip inclusive adviced him to forget her and move on. He said he had already washed his hands off her as he wasn't even sure the children were his."

"Hian. I hear wetin pass me today."

"Luckily for Toba, he never married her in the court of law so he didn't have to file formally for divorce. He got himself a fine, Swiss lady who has two kids for him now."

"Chineke!!!"

"That is not all. All these had happened before Dani's insistence on relocation remember?

"I was about to say that, because I remember Chioma was over five years old when she "relocated" and came back unexpectedly. I said not knowing what could still be in store.

"Good. Apparently, Toba's allowing her come over to Switzerland was just payback."

"Ehn?"

"Yes, he just wanted her to know he was aware of all her promiscuity and he had paid her back in her own coin and moved on."

Now I was sitting on the tiled floor. I was feeling hot despite the fact that the A.C. was on.
Someone should wake me up.

"Apparently, she got to Switzerland, Toba didn't pick them up from the airport, but she and the kids found their way by public transport to his home address"

"Abi na wrong address?"" I interjected.

"No o. It was the right one, but it was the white woman that opened door. She introduced herself and the children, then demanded to see Toba. Toba comes out and guess what?"

"Wooti" I respond like a market woman.

"He denied them! In Phillip' s words, Toba told his wife he had never seen Daniella and the children all his life."

"Haaaa". I covered my face in shame on Dani's behalf.

"But the children kept crying and calling him Daddy. The Swiss woman knew without any doubt that Toba was lying.
 

According to Phillip, Toba had once told the oyibo that he had kids by a baby mama but he wasn't sure they were his. So, the woman was not surprised. She suggested they do a DNA test to confirm the paternity of the children."

Now, I am speechless. I'm just staring at my husband.

"The test was conducted and only the second child was confirmed to be Toba's son. He collected the boy from her and sent her packing with the other two."

"Chaiiiiiii! Daniella eventually finished her life even while alive."

"Exactly. Phillip said it was one of her distant cousins who also lives in Switzerland that housed her for six months or there about. She spent that time working like three jobs thinking she could cope. 

But since she had no educational qualifications nor understood any of the languages being spoken there, she did the lowliest of jobs. From sweeping the roads to washing dishes in restaurants, she did all.
 

It was the little she gathered from these odd jobs that she used in securing return tickets for she and her children."

"Hmmmm."
 

I could only sigh.
 

There were no words.
 

I was in tears.
 

I cried for my friend.
 

I blamed myself for not getting close to her.
 

Maybe I could have done something.

"Like what?" Chuks asked.
 

"We all are responsible for the choices we make, and we must live with the consequences. " My darling, I need a massage after all this story. My jaws ache.

I was dumbfounded.
 

I couldn't move.
 

I must have sat there immobile for hours.
 

Replaying events.
 

It all made sense now.

The abrupt come back.
 

The job she got. No one was sending hard currency for her to squander anymore.
 

No wonder she got herself a rich man.

It means there's an element of truth in what I heard. I heard her going to England was all thanks to Chief Amaechi.
 

She needed an escape.
 

That was her escape.
 

Or was it?
 

What became of her?
 

And the two children with her?
 

She had it all
 

But she threw it all away.
 

#fiction
#friendship
#girlchild

All rights reserved
Written By Tolulope Fakayode-Faniran

June 15, 2017