Sisterhood episode 104

TITLE: SISTERHOOD

AUTHOR: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 104

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The Sisterhood was not the same with Nkem and Funke avoiding each other. When Nkem comments on the group, Funke bypasses it. It went on for some time. Nkem let Funke be because she understood how she felt. She needed her other sisters for sanity’s sake. Her life was centred around her husband and she didn’t mind. He tried to be around as much as possible.

Nkem got a call from Funke unexpectedly. Funke tried to sound calm but Nkem sensed there was an issue. She asked her what the problem was.

“Uloma is in town. She wants to see Elsie. Does she want to take her away from us?” Funke asked.

“Why would she want to do that? Your adoption was legal therefore she cannot. But, as a younger sister, she can visit you. Or how did she sound?”

“She didn’t sound forceful. She asked if it would be ok for her to visit Elsie since she is in Lagos with her family.”

“I didn’t know they were in Lagos. Her husband hardly comes home. As the only surviving son, his father wants him actively involved in the village. Maybe that is why they came back. I don’t think she would do such to you that did so much for her.”

“If you say so. I suspected you wanted to get back at me by taking Elsie away.”

“Funke, I can never do that. She is better off with you.”

“How is Uncle Tobi?”

“He is fine. He is doing well.”

“I hope you both are happy together. I am still upset you never came to me when it started; you should have confided in me.”

“And you would have asked me not to get involved with him. Funke, I fell in love with him. I am a different person when I am with him. We spend so much time together that it feels as though my life started all over when I was with him.”

“I heard the wife cleared him out for choosing you. For him to give up his wealth, he must feel something for you.”

“He does. I wish we could have a child together.”

“Why don’t you try?”

“He doesn’t want me to carry the pregnancy; he wants us to use your method.”

“Nkem, what did you put in your body that is making this man confused? Anyway, the lady that helped us then has a full-fledged surrogacy agency. I will send you her number so you can use her. I have referred many people to her.”

“Thank you, Nkem. My mother refused to help us. He wants us to have a love child, just one child and should be a daughter.”

“Don’t worry, she would help get someone and take it from there.”

Uloma came to visit Funke with her husband and the twins. Funke and Ebuka welcomed them to their home. She introduced her set of twins and Elsie to Uloma’s family. Iyke saw Elsie and was amazed. She looked so much like Nkem, he would have sworn Nkem bore her. Even Uloma couldn’t believe the resemblance.

Elsie was sweet and polite. She played with the children and attended to them nicely. Uloma and Iyke noticed she was very close with Ebuka. She went to him for every little thing and he attended to her. She was so precious.

Uloma broke down in tears for a while after visiting. She apologised to Ebuka and Funke for keeping away. She had told her husband the truth and he wanted to meet her. It was a good thing.

Iyke said to them, “We don’t want to take her from you that’s not what we want. But we will like to know her and your other children. Can they all come on holiday? The children can spend time with us. I promise you we will never reveal her true identity until you are ready to inform her. We want to love her and her siblings.”

Ebuka replied, “That’s not a problem, we can make it happen. They can visit and your children can visit here too. We don’t mind having them, we are still family. I’m proud of Uloma, she has transformed her life. Having you as a husband is a big positive for her. Thank you for taking good care of her and accepting her blessed mistake. We will always regard you as family.”

When Funke was telling Nkem what happened, she was teary. “I was so worried she would want to take her. I knew I had a right over her but she was so young when she decided to give her away. What if they insisted I took advantage of her? I am happy she wants to be in Elsie’s life. It will be easier and more comfortable to reveal to Elsie who her biological mother is. I am grateful.”

“What changed her mind to see Elsie?” Nkem asked.

“You changed her mind. She said your decision to put yourself first over what people will say made her decide to have Elsie in her life. She said people closest to you were against your relationship with Uncle Tobi but you didn’t end it. You followed your heart and she has never seen you this happy. Even when she lived with you and Demian, you were never this happy and vibrant. Her husband confirmed it. She had no choice but to accept your decision and she wants to be close to you again. Just like me. I want us to be friends again. You owe me full disclosure of what happened between Uncle Tobi and you. Do not leave out any details.” Their friendship was amended.

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Nkem got the surrogate. She made the lady move to Abuja into the house when she was confirmed pregnant. They implanted four eggs comfortably into the surrogate. Nkem wanted her in the house so there would not be stories. She paid her well and ensured she was comfortable. She had her prenatal care when due. It was going well. Nkem didn’t want more than a child but she was stuck with four babies. This was a lot.

Uncle Tobi didn’t care. As long as they were their babies, he was happy. Quadruplets were a strange occurrence in his family. He said Nkem can pursue her career while he helped raise the children. She agreed. It was going to be an expensive venture after all and Uncle Tobi decided to double his efforts at making money. He was away more often but since Nkem was also busy, she didn’t mind. When he came back, they spent quality time together.

The surrogate went into labour earlier than expected. Uncle Tobi wanted them born in the US so they could share their nationality with their brother. It didn’t happen as planned. She was twenty-eight weeks gone when she went into premature labour. Nkem was at work while Uncle Tobi was out of state. He flew back immediately after he was informed.

The babies were underweight for the twenty-eight weeks. They were placed in incubators. It cost so much money. Two of them were doing well and after a month, they were removed from the incubator. The other two were not doing fine. They were still underdeveloped for their ages. They also had some complications. The doctors prepared them for the worse. In the end, only two babies survived, a girl and a boy.

Nkem was saddled with the responsibility of tending to two premature babies. She needed all the help and support she could get. Uncle Tobi hired nurses to take care of the babies but Nkem wanted to have a family member supervise them. She wished her mother could help. She called her and asked for her help but she claimed to be busy. Uncle Tobi put CCTV in the nursery so Nkem can watch the activities of the nurses when they were not around. What they saw scared them. Sometimes the nurses were overwhelmed and allowed their babies to cry for a long time. They shouted at them and refused to pick them up. It hurt Nkem that she sent them away and hired new nurses.

Funke called her mother to help Uncle Tobi with their children. She said the weight was taking on toll on their mental health. She begged her mother to step in. She did. She packed a bag and travelled for a month to help her brother and his wife. When she got there, the difference was clear. Uncle Tobi appreciated her kindness.

One of the nurses employed took Uncle Tobi’s kindness to mean he was interested in her. She tried to portray to him that she was available. She resented Nkem when he didn’t reciprocate the likeness and disrespected her. She was a good nurse and very good with the babies but she had her eyes on the owner of the house.

Funke’s mother observed the lady’s moves. When Uncle Tobi is watching a football match in the sitting room upstairs so he doesn’t disrupt Nkem’s sleep, she would join him there in skimpy nightwear and claim to like to watch football too. She tried to make small talk. Funke’s mother wondered if Uncle Tobi didn’t understand the lady’s motive. Or he was just ignoring it for the sake of the children?

She could see how close Uncle Tobi and Nkem were. Once she comes home, he would be waiting for her outside and they would hug and kiss before they entered the house together. She thought it was one-sided until her brother travelled. When he returned, Nkem was outside waiting for him. The way she jumped on him, she knew that night must have been magical. Immediately after dinner and putting the babies to bed, they didn’t come out again. Uncle Tobi comes out to watch a match or work in his library.

She couldn’t deny the love between them was on another level. They behaved like teenagers. Once Nkem is cooking in the kitchen, Uncle Tobi will be there. He wouldn’t help out but he made it interesting by gisting with her, holding her by the waist and kissing her, he made her laugh (to his family he wasn’t funny). They were in a world of their own when they were together. She loved to watch them.

Ireti was a good wife to Tobi. The problem was that she didn’t want to improve herself. She was content with where she was and only interested in wearing clothes and heavy jewellery. Her husband indulged her and she lacked nothing. The refusal of the family to accept her when Tobi presented her made her hate them. She showed no respect for them. She believed she was better than them because she wore better clothes and accessories. She carried her shoulders high but pretended to be humble when she saw outsiders. She refused to further her education so she could work with her husband. Now a small girl has taken over her husband.

Funke’s mother called her brother and asked him to discourage the nurse from sitting with him at night. He should not start what he can’t finish. It was obvious the girl wanted something.

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“What does she want? Nothing can happen between both of us. I am being polite because she takes care of the twins. Anything else, I am not interested.”

“Is that so? Nkem is not Ireti that will take nonsense. She likes to own what is hers and doesn’t share. If she finds you in an uncompromising position with that nurse, she will divorce you. The nurse is young and fine. You will be tempted but I will advise you to do it outside your home. Sack her before she ruins what you have built.”

Uncle Tobi laughed and paid no heed to his sister. He didn’t see it as a big deal. It was just flattering that a young pretty girl would flaunt herself at him but he didn’t encourage it and he never made any advances towards her.

One night, Funke’s mum called Nkem aside and told her not to sleep, she would call her so she would see with her eyes what she had been observing. Nkem was surprised but she was determined to see what it was all about.

When she received the call, she came out to the sitting room only to see the nurse in her very short nightwear (which was a slip) sitting across from her husband. She stood there for a few minutes before she made her presence known.

“What are you doing here?” Nkem asked the nurse.

“I am watching television.”

“What happened to the television in your room?”

“The other nurse and the children are sleeping.”

“Why didn’t you go downstairs? This is a private area.”

“I have been watching television here for a long time, no one ever said it is a private area.”

At this point, Uncle Tobi left the sitting room for the bedroom. He could see Nkem was angry. He didn’t want to be there when she exploded. She had never exploded in his presence before but he could see it in her eyes, she was going to lose it if the nurse kept answering her. He knew he was also in trouble and the brain behind this was his sister. He thought they didn’t like Nkem so why were they doing all this?

Nkem came back into the room. He expected her to scold or shout but she was calm and she went to bed. The next morning, she left home very early. When she came back, she walked into the children’s room with two police officers, she gave the nurse money and asked the police officers to escort her out of the premises. Everyone was surprised even the nurse.

The nurse made a comment that triggered Nkem. She said Nkem was insecure and that she was not trying to snatch her husband but was watching a football match with him. It was not her fault that she and oga shared similar interests and he has never told her to leave the sitting room.

Uncle Tobi was shocked. He said to Nkem, “Isn’t this extreme? She just watched television with me.”

“You can go and watch television with her at home but I will not be disrespected in my own home by you or a hired help. It ends now. I had prepared myself for the fact you might not be faithful to me but if you bring the disrespect close to home, I won’t divorce you but I will have an affair too and guess what, you will never know when or with who. Try me!”

“Why would I want to have an affair with her right under your nose? Please let us clear this up, nothing ever happened between us and it didn’t cross my mind. If she was disrespectful to you, you never mentioned it to me. I didn’t see it as a big deal watching the match with someone who enjoys football.”

“I have told you how it will work. Do not allow me to suspect you, you wouldn’t like it. Are there any other hired hands you are cosy with here or at the office?”

Uncle Tobi ignored her and walked away. He was pissed. He felt she was taking it too far. He went to see his sister before he left for work. He told her what happened and the accusation Nkem levelled on him.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop encouraging the girl? What is bothering you is not that she saw both of you watching a match together but that she threatened to retaliate. Nkem is not Ireti, she will make good her threat. I like this girl, she has you where she wants you. That means you will not be travelling again. I will be leaving soon, I will discuss with your wife about a nanny for the twins instead of two nurses. Go well.”

Nkem was angry with Uncle Tobi. She saw how the nurse was dressed sitting opposite her husband. Nkem couldn’t believe Uncle Tobi didn’t encourage it. She knew the girl would call him. She was waiting for him to deny the call. She was upset but refused to embarrass him especially since his sister was there.

That night, when she returned from work, Funke’s mother advised her to get a nanny and a nurse. The nurse should work part-time and not full-time as they were doing. She offered to get her an experienced nanny to help her out and also keep an eye on the home while she worked. Nkem loved the suggestion and asked her to go ahead.

Two weeks later, the nanny resumed. She came with a heavy resume. She wanted to work for seven years with them and then retire from her nanny job. She was a widow with two daughters in the university. She was off once a month and spent time with her children whenever they were on holiday. Nkem agreed to her terms.

Funke’s mother stayed another week for Iya Abike to familiarise herself with the environment. She minded her business and her only focus was the children. Nkem asked the other nurse to come in once a week and she spent the night when Iya Abike goes off. Immediately after the twins clocked one year, Nkem no longer needed the services of a nurse, and Iya Abike could handle them easily.

Because of Nkem’s threat, Uncle Tobi hardly travelled for an extended period. He had a crucial takeover outside the country which would last for two weeks but he didn’t want to go. It was a huge deal but he told Nkem he didn’t feel like travelling. They had been losing opportunities because of this attitude and Nkem was no longer having it. He refused to tell her the reason why he didn’t want to travel. So she asked Funke to help her find out what the problem was.

Funke came to Abuja and used that opportunity to see Uncle Tobi physically. She asked him if he was enjoying his marriage, and he said he was. She asked him if he had any issues with Nkem. He didn’t. She asked him why he had lost interest in his business. When his ex-wife was still with him, his businesses boomed but with Nkem, she observed it had been slow. She wanted to know what the problem was.

“I looked for trouble. I’m scared she might cheat on me. I don’t want her to, I might not be able to survive it.”

Funke was shocked. What did he mean by he might not be able to survive it? She was worried. Was Nkem showing interest in other men? Had Nkem changed from whom she knew? Had her relationship with Uncle Tobi awakened something in her? So she asked him why he believed she might cheat on him. He told her it was a long story and he had a meeting.

Funke didn’t waste any time. She asked Nkem to meet her at Zainab’s house after work. When Funke related to Nkem the conversation she had with Uncle Tobi, she was shocked. She assured Funke she wasn’t cheating and had no intention of cheating. She threatened him so he could put himself in check not that she would do it. She told her the story of the nurse and added that her mother knew about it.

Funke called her mother and told her what was going on. Her mother laughed and replied, “I have told him Nkem is not Ireti. He married a very beautiful woman, what did he expect would happen? She was loyal to him meanwhile he was frolicking with the help. I knew he would not take the heat if Nkem should turn it on. She just threatened not that he ever caught her with a man and he has left his work to police her. He has not started. He gave all his money to Ireti so he can marry Nkem, when he is broke, won’t she look for a man to take care of her? She is accustomed to the good life, she won’t settle for less.”

This conversation was important to have with Uncle Tobi. She repeated word for word what her mother said. Uncle Tobi was sober. Funke had made a valid point. He liked Iya Abike staying with the children but she needed a family member who Nkem will be comfortable with to stay with the twins while he travels for the week with Nkem. He needed to talk to her and spend time with her away from home. They haven’t been able to do that since the twins came.

He travelled to Mbaise to meet Nkem’s mother. He sat with her and opened up to her. “I have always loved Nkem but I thought it was infatuation and kept my distance. It didn’t stop. Ask your friend (my ex-wife), why we got divorced. I am no saint but Nkem was not the main reason. Ireti chose money over our marriage and I gave her the money. I told her to choose between our marriage and all the money I had in an account. I thought she would choose our marriage but without blinking, she chose the money in that account. She made her choice and I gave her what she wanted. I would still have divorced her if Nkem had continued to insist but I was giving us a chance and she made her choice. We need your help with the twins. I want to take Nkem away for a week. We need eyes to watch over them otherwise Nkem will not travel. I am begging you to reconsider and come with me.”

“My son, I am no longer angry with you and Nkem. People that heard she had remarried to divorce did not make a fuss about it. My biggest problem is your family. How do I face them? It looks like my daughter snatched you from your wife.”

“They have moved past that. They know what transpired and are with me. They all know I love Nkem and that’s all that matters. Come with me so you can watch over your grandchildren.”

Nkem’s mother asked for some days to think about coming over but Uncle Tobi was not having it. He insisted they leave the same day. After much pestering, she agreed and came back to Abuja with him.

Nkem came back from work to meet her mother with her children. She flung her bag and ran to her mother. She cried as she held onto her. Mama Nkem could see her daughter had missed her. She was glad Uncle Tobi insisted on her coming with him. There was a lot to catch up on.

“I cooked ukwa for you. Go and freshen up while I serve the food. We will talk later.”

In the bedroom, Nkem jumped on her husband. She knew it was his handwork. She kissed him and told him she loved him. He smiled at her. Whenever she was happy, she glowed. She stood up and stripped off her clothes one piece at a time. When she was almost naked, she went to the wardrobe and brought out her waist chain, Uncle Tobi’s favourite. He inhaled deeply. She stripped and stood completely naked before him. Then she walked into the bathroom and asked, “Are you joining me?”

They had never bathed together before. Nkem made it known it wouldn’t happen but she rewarded him with it because he brought her mother to her. He said to himself, “This girl won’t kill me” as he stripped off his clothes and ran into the bathroom to join her.