IN THE WORLD OF 3 WOMEN – Episode 16

In The World Of 3 Women – Episode 16
© Kayode Odusanya

“Hey D!” Dupe said, as she headed towards Dapo.

Dapo looked up as Tosin tapped his arm. “Isn’t that that actress?”

“Yes it is.” Dapo answered. “I do not need you in my life right now, just go.” Dapo said to Dupe and moved to enter his car. She stood in front of him, not saying anything. “Okay, I didn’t mean it like that, but after I heard all that you have been up to…”

“Heard what I’ve been up to?”

“Mrs. Cole told me all that you have been doing.”

“That lying…wait, did she tell you how she came to me?”

“Don’t start; I don’t want to hear. Dupe, I got to go.”

“Just hear me out.”

“No. I don’t want to.” Dapo said and started getting to his car. She moved up to his door, determined to tell her side of the story. “Just listen to me.”

Just as Dapo was about to lose his composure and shout on her, his eyes caught the figure of someone coming out of the car Dupe had been driving, and he stopped. It was an elderly man; surely royalty, with beads hanging from his neck. He called out to Dupe. “What is happening there, Dupe?”

“Sorry dad, I’m just trying to set something right with him.” She said, as she hyperventilated.

“Young man, please listen to what she has to say, and let’s be out of here.”

Dupe and Dapo locked eyes and Dapo spoke. “Okay, you got two minutes.” He said and got out of the car.

“Before I start, do you trust me?”

“Just talk.”

“Okay. I didn’t tell you I knew Mrs. Cole because I thought it was a woman thing and I had to handle it my own way. I actually got to know her before I knew you. Her husband and my pop used to be members of the same country club and I met her one day at the club.” she said and paused to catch her breath.

“I didn’t even recognize her when I saw her at the mall, but she called me afterwards and reminded me that we had actually met before.” Dupe stopped again, wanting Dapo to sink it in. “Then she called me over to her house; saying she had something important to discuss with me. When I got there, she told me she needed me to mess up your life. She told me all about how you guys used to date and how you ruined her life.” A frown appeared on Dapo’s face from Dupe’s last sentence. “Well, that is how she put it.” Dupe said

“So what exactly did she want you to do?” Dapo asked.

“She wanted me to get pregnant for you.”

“What?”

“Yes, that is when I kept telling that you had to worry about her. She said she was still in love with you, that she was ready to go to any length to get you back.”

“So what happened?”

“I told her I couldn’t do any of the things she wanted done. I left there angry, feeling insulted. She actually wanted me to get pregnant, and then abort the baby after the scandal had successfully broken your home.”

“Your story sounds so clumsy; I don’t know what to believe.”

“I’m serious D, she even had some guys follow me around, that’s how she got those pictures of me and you, and she’s crazy over you. She even encouraged my brother to try and get your wife away from you.”

“What?”

“Yes, she kept coming to our place trying to parley us. And after she found out that my brother used to have a crush on your wife back in high school, she encouraged him to go after her.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. But, there is a little more to the story, which makes all her actions understandable.”

“Dupe we have to go.” her father called from the car.

“Just a second Dad.” dupe shouted back and faced dapo. “She’s schizo.”

“What?”

“After she kept persisting on me ruining your life, I did a little digging…I asked people at the Country Club.” Dupe was saying and paused for a minute to look in the direction of where her car was. “I found out Mrs. Cole actually suffered from Schizophrenia after she got pregnant for her boyfriend in 1998” Dupe looked up at Dapo waiting for what she had revealed to sink in.

“She had mental issues?”

“Yes. That’s the main reason why she never came back all those years.”

“Oh my God!”

“She is still on drugs till this day, and she blurs between sanity and insanity anytime she forgets to take them.”

“That explains a lot.”

“I got to go now.” She said and started running towards her car.

“Wait, so what is happening now with my wife and your brother?”

“He is not heartless. He actually made Mrs. Cole believe he was following through with her strategy. But we had a long talk last night after the outing, and we concluded that he was the only one that could make your wife change her mind.”

“Change her mind on what?”

“Your wife still believes…She thinks there is really something going on between us. So all she had been doing, getting close to me and all that was all a strategy. So my brother decided to meet her today, alone, so they could talk in private.”

“About what?”

“About me and you being just friends, and all Mrs. Coles devices.”

“You seem so sincere; so sure.” Dapo looked around before pulling her aside. “You k-ssed me today, remember? What was that about?”

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” she said covered her face with her palm. “I don’t know why I did it. It won’t happen again. Not to bruise your ego or anything, but I didn’t feel anything.”

“Hmm!”

“I’m glad I got that out of the way.” she said with a smile and hit him on the arm playfully. “Now, go and get your wife back and show her all the love and care she deserves.”

“Thanks.” Dapo said and stood there as she ran off.

“That was an episode back there, I’m still looking for the cameras, where are they hidden?” Tosin said as they got into Dapo’s car.

“That’s very funny.”

“So what’s the story?”

“It’s a long story.”

“It’s a long drive; just start at the very beginning.”

___

“That’s one hell of a story. I think I really feel for Kike, probably because she is the only one of your girlfriends that I really got to know. Hell, I don’t even know your wife.”

“You’ll get to meet her soon. I think we should make that this weekend.” He said and there was silence the rest of the journey.

People were already outside waiting for Tosin when Dapo dropped her off at her in-law’s place.

“What you need to do right now is head on straight to your wife.” Tosin said after they got the last box out of Dapo’s car.

“Thanks.”

“No; thank you! Now, go on home…” she stopped and got close enough to whisper “…make some good loving to her.”

Dapo just smiled and got in his car.

“I’ll call to see how you are doing, and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.” Dapo said before firing up the engine.

“You’ve done enough, just go home.” she said and winked at him.

Lola was on a wooden chair outside the house as he entered the compound. She smiled when she saw him. Without a word, she got off the chair and led him into the house.

“I’m sorry I’ve not been as supportive and understanding as I’m meant to be. Maybe it’s all this hormones.” she said as tears rolled down her eyes. “I love you.” she said and he held her in a tight embrace. She sobbed for a while, and Dapo just let her exercise that right.

“I heard the wh0le story from Dupe’s brother; so what do we do now? She’s never going to let you go. I think we should re-locate to another country.”

“No, we are not running away for any reason. As long as you understand everything now, it will be easier to fend her off.”

Dapo spent the rest of the day in-door with his wife and was awoken around 5.00a.m the next day by a familiar voice on the phone.

“Hello?”

“My mom…” the sobbing voice was saying.

“What is wrong with your mom?”

“Uncle D, you need to come over. Please, my mom is very sick.”

“Sick? What exactly is wrong?” Dapo said and started getting out of bed. He knew it had to be serious for Anu to have called at this time of the day, but he wanted to sound re-assuring on the phone, so he asked her a few out of the way questions to cool her down.

“Please come; hurry.”

“Okay, I’m on my way.” He hurried off the bed after the line was disconnected. Lola rolled over with sleepy eyes, wondering what was going on.

“I’m sorry darling, but I have to go this one time. I think there is some sort of emergency at the Cole’s.”

Lola sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. “I hope it’s not that serious? Just drive carefully.” Lola said with sleepy eyes.

“Thanks, I’ll call you when I get there.” he k-ssed her on the fore-head before rushing out.

The Cole’s home was so silent when he got there that he wondered if it had been a joke; but he knew Anu couldn’t have been pretending. The gate was wide open like a car drove out and there had not been time to close it. He drove in, and still nobody approached him. He got out of his car and walked fast to the main entrance of the house, his heart was beating fast all the while. Kate, the maid was squatted at the corner of the living room as he entered. She got up in a hurry when she saw him.

“Uncle D!” Anu shouted and ran up to Dapo. “I don’t want my mother to die.” she said, in tears.

“What are you talking about? She’s going to be alright.” he said, still trying to re-assure her. He searched the maid’s eyes for some answers, and he didn’t like what he saw.

“Madam don go hospital…oga! kai!” she said in broken English and started to cry.

“What happened?” Dapo asked.

“I no know; Jimoh don take am go hospital.”

Anu held Dapo so tight like her life depended on that hold. After a while, he noticed that she had fallen asleep, and he carried her as he headed for the stairs. He dropped her off in a room he believed to be hers’. He was heading towards the stairs till he noticed an opened door, and decided to check it out. The first thing that caught his eye was a glass cup on the dressing table. There was a note underneath it; he walked into the room, and picked it up. Kike’s hand writing had not changed all this years, so he knew she had written it. Tears rolled down his eyes as he read the content of the note.

To Whom It May Concern, I have taken an overdose of sleeping pills, and would be dead in a matter of minutes. I feel there is no life worth more for me to live. I do not want to live a miserable life which would in turn affect my daughter, Anu.

I know Anu’s father and his wife would take good care of her. And since I would be an obstacle in their lives, I decided to end mine.

P.S

Dapo, I loved you till death.

He lay on her bed for some minutes, and genuine tears rolled down his eyes. In a flash, all the memories he had shared with Kike while in college came back in bits. He sprang up all of a sudden thinking maybe she could still be alive. He ran down the stairs and went in search of the maid.

“Which hospital did they go?” he asked her.

“Saint Michael.”

“Saint Michael?” Dapo repeated to confirm, and she nodded.

It was already dawn by the time he drove out of the Cole’s mansion.

To be continued

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