Sisterhood episode 105 – finale

TITLE: SISTERHOOD

AUTHOR: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 105

They went on the trip together. Nkem hadn’t been away since they had the twins. She was happy to take a break and also spend quality time with her man. Uncle Tobi wanted to make good this business opportunity. He had to put his insecurities in check. His sister made fun of him. She said because he knew his antecedents that was why he was scared one small girl will use his head. Uncle Tobi didn’t mind giving Nkem everything he had. He knew he was obsessed with her and he didn’t know how to handle it before he ruins everything. He was worried if he confessed his feelings, she would use them against him.

They discussed their lives and where it was headed. They agreed Nkem would continue to work and build a career. They opened a trust account for the twins in case anything happened to either of them. Nkem asked him if he was interested in another lady and would like to be with her. He was surprised.”Why would I want another when I spend most of my time with you?”

“Then why are you always suspicious of me?”

“I fear you might not find me attractive anymore.”

“Why wouldn’t I? I think both of us have insecurity issues. Trust should be our watchword. We need to make money so we can retire early and enjoy the rest of our lives together. Can we focus on that? You sacrificed so much for us to be together, this is an opportunity to gain it back. What do I have to do to reassure you of my commitment to you.”

“Should I be honest? I will always have them. When you come back from work and I insist on making love to you, I am being selfish because I am scared you have been with someone. I have never felt like this with anyone before. It is consuming me. The bit you can do is reassure me that you are there for the long haul. Don’t threaten me with being with other men, it never leaves my head. I will never disrespect you again and I will respect the vows we took. Just don’t let me think you have been with someone else, it will just kill me.”

Nkem was deep in thought for some time and then she said to him, “This isn’t healthy; not for you and not for me. Maybe we should be apart for a while and you can wean me from your system. I love you and I would want to be with you. But I won’t die if you are no longer in love with me and I won’t kill you for wanting to be with someone else. What if your ex-wife thought like this? Where will we be now? We have two children and your only worry is if I sleep with another man? I feel terrible having this conversation with you. Our focus should be on building each other. I am aware your insecurities brought us here. You wanted me with you while you handled business. For how long will we continue like this? The twins you wanted to give the world will be deprived of the comfort your other children enjoy because you don’t trust their mother to keep her legs closed. I have only had three lovers in my life and I have been loyal to all of them. Why are you making me out to be a bad person? If you don’t cheat, I won’t ever do.”

“And if I do?”

“I will divorce you. I won’t cheat on you in retaliation but I will never accept your apology. I will leave you and everything connecting us. I will relocate and I will never be with you again. It is that simple. I divorced Demian for the same reason. It is not negotiable. I will give you sex when you want it and how you want it but if you seek another, move on. I am not your ex-wife.”

Uncle Tobi was quiet. He was in his fifties with no health condition but he was beginning to feel his life slip away gradually with his constant worry about Nkem. He knew it was an obsession and decided to seek medical help concerning it. What Nkem didn’t know was that he didn’t see other girls. He saw only her. “I will make amends, you will see them soon. I apologise for my behaviour. I am happy we had this conversation. I will do better. I will behave better. I promise you. I need your help though. I feel great when you do what you did when your mother came. You know, the striptease and the bathroom sex, it was amazing. If you do more of that I will feel better and more secure. And I will be encouraged to do things to make you happy. I want you to be always happy.” Nkem smiled at him and reached into her suitcase for the waist chain. “We need to add more to this, I saw some with balls. I want you to cook wearing only these. I will make love to you in the kitchen. I love you so much.”

There were evident changes in lives. That mini-vacation turned things around. Even though Uncle Tobi still had his insecurities, he controlled them. He didn’t ask her questions but allowed her to volunteer answers without knowing. Nkem was more open and talked about everything. She never mentioned being asked out (which happened more often than Uncle Tobi could imagine) because she knew what it would do to her husband. Every evening on her way home, she deleted unnecessary chats, phone calls and suggestive emails. She never passworded her phone at home and blocked those that chat her up every evening and over the weekend, on public holidays and when she was away with him. She avoided his phone completely.

Mama Nkem stayed for two months. It was a pleasure to have her in the home. She helped with the children and spent time with Nkem whenever she returned before Uncle Tobi or when he was not around. She saw the difference in Nkem. She radiated and told her constantly she was happy. She was glad she found the love of her life. Her mother was happy for her but she felt Nkem could have done better by marrying someone younger so they could grow old together. She was worried Nkem’s love will be tested with sickness or diseases related to old age. How would she cope?

Her love was truly challenged not long after her conversation with her mother.

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Uncle Tobi was coming home from an international trip. The driver picked him up and as they were coming home, a truck lost control and swerved into their lane crashing four cars in all. Uncle Tobi’s vehicle was the first and he was trapped in the back seat where he was sat. They couldn’t bring him out. He spoke to the people trying to rescue him before he became unconscious. The driver secured his important items while they waited for the rescue team and ambulance, he called Nkem.

Nkem ran out of the office. She screamed the details to her secretary and asked her to call her driver as she rushed out. She knew where the place was and so she rushed there with her driver. They met terrible traffic. They were there for more than an hour until they heard an ambulance from the opposite direction. Uncle Tobi’s driver called again and informed her that he had been brought out and rushed to the hospital. He mentioned the hospital. She asked if the portion of the road had been cleared, and he confirmed. She told him to wait at the scene for her driver while she rushed to the hospital.

She came down from the vehicle, crossed to the other side, flagged down a moving vehicle and jumped in. She explained to the driver of the vehicle what happened and begged him to drop her off where she could get a taxi to the hospital. The owner of the vehicle drove her to the hospital, he couldn’t leave her in that state.

At the hospital, they had commenced treatment. His legs were compressed. They had to straighten them and also wake him up. The hospital invited an orthopaedic surgeon. The hospital needed a deposit of five million naira before they commenced treatment. Nkem didn’t have that amount in her account at that moment. She called Esther, and luckily she answered. “Please I need five million naira right now. I will return it later. I will explain everything to you.”

“Nkem, what is it?”

“Esther, my husband was in an accident and I am at the hospital. He is unconscious and his legs I suspect are broken. They have asked for a deposit of five million naira. I don’t have that amount unless I get to the bank. If you…”

“Send me the hospital’s account details. Nkem, don’t panic, he will be fine.”

Esther sent ten million naira to the account and sent evidence to Nkem. Nkem saw them and it was confirmed. The consultant came in with a team, they assessed the situation and decided they would have to operate. They agreed they would operate the following morning. Nkem was confused. She tried not to be hysterical. She spoke with the doctors and they assured her everything will be fine. They would have to take him for an x-ray before the surgery but for now, he was stable.

One of the nurses met up with her and asked, “Is there someone you can contact? Someone that can help you. You look lost.”

Nkem burst into tears. She said repeatedly, “Affliction shall not arise a second time.” The nurse helped her to a room and stayed with her. She took her phone from her and just then, she received a call. It was Zainab. The nurse answered it and directed her to where she was. When Nkem saw her, she hugged her.

“What is this again? Why did this happen to you?” Zainab asked.

“I don’t know. His driver is at the reception. Call Funke and let him give her the details. I don’t know what to say or do. I just want this to be over.”

Zainab took over. She informed Funke who in turn informed her family members. Zainab found Mama Nkem’s number and called her. She in turn called her children. Several calls came to Nkem’s phone which Zainab answered for her. Nkem went to see Uncle Tobi. She felt horrible. She couldn’t believe it was happening again. Zainab assured her the prognosis was good so far. She shouldn’t worry at all.

Uncle Tobi woke up in the middle of the night. He was in severe pain from his leg and injuries. Nkem calmed him down and called the nurse. He was given a painkiller. When he calmed down, he called out for Nkem. She was outside talking to the doctor and Zainab. She ran to answer him.

“What happened? I remembered being in an accident before I passed out.”

“You were in an accident. I am so glad you are alive. I was scared. We are on the issue right now.”

The doctor came in and asked questions. After the consultation, he was to be sedated. They asked Nkem to go home and return in the morning but she refused. She asked Zainab to go home with her driver and her husband’s driver. She gave her driver the key to their bedroom and asked him to bring a change of clothes for her. She collected Uncle Tobi’s phones and put them on the side stool.

After they left, Uncle Tobi insisted she must lie beside him before he is sedated. She did and he slept holding on to her. She cried as she prayed almost all through the night. She fell asleep in the early hours of the morning.

Uncle Tobi’s brother was the first to arrive early in the morning. He saw them together on the hospital bed. He shook his head and sat down waiting for them to awaken. Not long after, a nurse came in to clean up Uncle Tobi. That was when Nkem saw her brother-in-law. She had hardly ever related with him. She greeted him. He could see her eyes were swollen. He asked her about the latest development. They went outside while they cleaned Uncle Tobi. He woke up and asked for Nkem. She had to leave his brother to attend to her husband. Uncle Tobi held her hand.

The ambulance took them for an x-ray to determine how badly damaged the legs were. He could still wriggle his toes but couldn’t move his legs and they were swollen. The orthopaedic surgeon reviewed the X-ray and requested more digital imaging.

Before the commencement of the surgery, Funke, her mother, Nkem’s mother and Obinna were at the hospital. Uncle Tobi held onto Nkem while she prayed for him and a successful surgery. She hugged and kissed him and then whispered to him, “Don’t you dare die on me. Please, don’t leave me. Promise me you will come out alive.”

“I will. Will you be waiting for me?”

“I am not leaving here. I love you. Please don’t leave me.” She went with him to the entrance of the theatre and couldn’t go further. She had tears in her eyes. Zainab joined them after he had been rolled into the theatre.

Funke stayed with Nkem while she took a bath and changed her outfit. She was offered food but Nkem rejected the food. She asked the driver to take her mother back home so she could be there with the children but she refused. She excused them and went to the chapel to pray. Uncle Tobi was not much of a believer just like Demian but Nkem tried to keep her faith. It wasn’t easy with all the temptations but she tried. She went to regular confessions and tried to live a decent life.

This was a big cross for her to bear. She refused to listen as they spoke about his spine and confinement. She just wanted her husband back. She told God she didn’t care if he couldn’t walk but he should return him to her. She wanted her husband back.

The surgery took many hours but finally, he was wheeled out. It was going to be a long recovery process. Nkem only heard he was still alive and she was jubilating. She was not interested in hearing anything else for now. Her man was alive and well. She stayed by his side until he finally woke up. When he opened his eyes, the first face he saw was Nkem’s face. She was so happy that she could not contain her joy. She hugged him gently. It was like there was no other person in the room.

Uncle Tobi spent two weeks in the hospital and then he had another six weeks to recover from his surgery. He was in a wheelchair. His wife, Nkem, moved him around. She took time off work to tend to her husband. She would have resigned completely but her employers refused to let her go. She worked from home and she gave her job as much attention as it required.

One of the reasons she worked from home was that Uncle Tobi didn’t want to let her out of his sight. When she goes out, she had to keep in contact with him. She was thinking it was his insecurities and it was beginning to upset her. But when she spoke with the doctor about it, they referred Uncle Tobi for a psychiatric evaluation. It was then the therapist requested a meeting with Nkem.

“Your husband is scared. He is afraid he has nothing left in this world except you. He has children but he is focused on you. He wants to ensure you are fine. He told me he has taken care of you for many years and he doesn’t want to ever be unable to do that. He wants you safe always, that is why he calls. These are all natural feelings. He believes you wouldn’t cheat on him because of his condition, he trusts you. I have told him to relax and allow you to take care of him for a change. I know he feels inadequate but it is not because he feels you are sleeping around, far from it. He even said if he is permanently confined to the wheelchair and his manhood doesn’t work, he will arrange for you to have sexual pleasures because you are too young to stay without it. He will never blame you if you do.”

Nkem understood Uncle Tobi’s fears and she had to find a way to make him understand she was more interested in his recovery than any sexual pleasures. She wanted to be with him. She couldn’t wait until he could use clutches so he could feel like himself again. She had to snap him out of his depression quickly.

Read – Sisterhood episode 90

She took her time for some weeks and then she told him, “You haven’t changed my phone and laptop; they have been due.”

“That’s correct. I will arrange that.”

“Why are you arranging that? You have a meeting with Pous Group, when you attend the meeting, you can change them.”

“I am not attending.”

“Why? Because you are in a wheelchair? You were involved in an accident and you survived. You have the scars to prove it. The keyword is: YOU SURVIVED. I asked God to bring you back to me. I didn’t care if you had legs or not, I want my love back. He answered me. He brought you back with a sound mind. Now you want to hide away in shame? You that survived such an ordeal? You are travelling. I will arrange for the team that will go with you. The twins must get their inheritance from their father.”

“You believe I should go?”

“Yes, my love. You should go back to work so you don’t get depressed sitting around here doing nothing.”

“Ok. I wish you would come with me.”

“You know I have a conference but I will be right there with you in spirit. I will never do anything to harm or frustrate you. I love you and I am all yours. I observed you seem to like the female nurse bathing you more than the male nurse.”

“Don’t start!” he said laughing.

She kissed her husband and said, “We will always face challenges but it is what we make of them that matters the most. I want you to see yourself more as the man you have always been than someone who can’t walk. My husband and my lover that’s who you will always be to me.”

“I know. Thank you for ensuring I don’t fall. You’ve got me, you’ve always got me.”

Nkem sent the male nurse, his driver and one of his staff with him on the trip. She encouraged him on the morning of the meeting to downplay the effect of the accident and let them see his mind was still very sharp. It worked. He won the partnership with them. It was a big deal. They signed all the required documents and he came back.

Uncle Tobi stayed for an extra two weeks for the factory tour and engineering design meetings. It was interesting. He told Nkem all about it after their outing. She was excited but she missed him so much. She told him and he assured her he felt the same. She did most of the calling for him to be comfortable. She also invited one of his sisters to stay in the house with the twins so her mother could have a two-week break to harvest her crops in the village. She got closer to his family this way.

Uncle Tobi came back to Nigeria a happy man. He had been dejected after the accident because of his condition but he was a different man now. Pous Group’s alliance with his company was the game changer and would rake him good money. He had been on them for years. With the change in new management, they considered investing in Africa. He went back to them. It was on the trip he returned from that he had the accident. He had a feeling something wasn’t right. There were contenders in Nigeria and other African countries. Why did this accident have to happen when he was negotiating with them? Nkem made him travel to sit with them and have the final agreement. He went in a wheelchair and he got the partnership which covers Africa but starts with Nigeria. What if he hadn’t gone? He believed the transaction was jinxed but Nkem thought otherwise. He smiled to himself as he thought about it.

Nkem came back from work to meet her husband back home from his trip. Her mother and Uncle Tobi’s sister were with him when she returned. She came to him and kissed him in their presence. “I have missed you,” she said to him. The kiss got deeper and then he stopped her because of the people with them. She went to freshen up and have dinner with him and the twins. He was excited he had his family with him. He read them their bedtime stories while Nkem tucked them in.

They went to their bedroom. They always slept together. Nkem told Uncle Tobi to his face, “You are not the first man to be in a wheelchair. Many guys in the same condition even if it is permanent have healthy sex lives. It is time to stop feeling sorry for yourself or embarrassed. I don’t need your legs to get what I want. I have tried for four months now. I am human. How can I have you and be living as a nun?”

“Nkem I have terrible scars. I don’t even know if I can have an erection. Please let the legs be stronger before we do this.”

“I want to see the scars you hide from me. The scars that brought you back to me. You are still here.” She took off his trousers and saw the scars. They had healed nicely. She kissed the scars. Uncle Tobi was shocked as she dropped kisses on the length of the scars on each leg. She was surprised his body reacted to kisses. She saw he was excited and went down on him. He tried to stop her but the pleasures hit him differently. She stopped and stripped off her nightwear. She came on top of him and rode her way to ecstasy.

Uncle Tobi was in shock at her boldness. This was what he had always wanted. She took charge and he enjoyed the fact she took her pleasures first. He loved that she was a bit selfish before she made him cum. He was convinced she wasn’t going anywhere. She was just the way he wanted her; she was perfect.

She kissed him and asked, “Did you enjoy it?”

“Very much. Are there more tricks where this came from because we are back in business?”

“Ashawo man! I knew once you knew we could do this, you will not allow me to rest. There are plenty more where that came from, when there is a will there is a way.”

“I can’t wait.”

CONCLUSION

Funke and Ebuka had the most peaceful marriage. They had known each other for so long and being married to each other was like siblings hooking up. They were comfortable with each other and could talk about anything. It may be because they were closer in age and had similar characters but their love was solid from the get-go and continued to be.

Ebuka’s father retired and handed over the business to Ebuka. Ebuka was surprised when he made the announcement. His father remained the chairman but he stopped coming to the office. It took a long time, but finally, Ebuka stepped into big shoes and had the owner of the shoes guide him.

Funke’s firm had grown bigger than she ever expected. She was pulling her weight financially. Her children were doing very well. She insisted they attended a university in Nigeria and then a Master’s degree abroad. Ebuka thought otherwise but she insisted. The three of them gained admission at the time.

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Zainab was blessed with her second choice in marriage. They had three children eventually; Usman agreed to have another child through surrogacy. He was happy, Zainab had another baby to tend to. She no longer had fears of sharing her husband with another woman. He hadn’t given her cause to doubt him but she had resigned herself to fate and prepared herself for the worst.

Her father-in-law died and she did what he had requested of her. She tried to move the precious stones out of Nigeria to sell them but it proved difficult. Nkem told Uncle Tobi about it. He got people to buy the stones at international rates in Nigeria. Zainab was grateful. Her fellow wives worshipped her. They all depended on her for everything and she was always available to help.

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Esther was living the best life. She married a man, Efe who would do anything to be with her and he was so wealthy. His life revolved around work, Esther and their family. She was having the time of her life and was very content.

She knew Jake would be out soon but she had no fears. She was settled and when he is eventually out, the children who are no longer minors will decide if they want to have him in their lives or not. She never castigated him in their presence or spoke ill about him but she told them the truth and left them to decide.

Esther was successful and extremely generous. Everyone loved her for her kindness.

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Nkem was the last to get married and the last to find true love and happiness. It was not in the conventional way or the way she was used to but she held unto it and never let it go. She found love in a hopeless place and turned it into a gold mine. She continually inspired her husband to do what he was extremely good at.

Their families and friends confessed that they were truly meant for each other. Their lives transformed and they adapted to the changes life brought.

Uncle Tobi got better with time. He was able to walk with the aid of clutches for some time. This was until he met a German who told him about a doctor that could help him regain full mobility. He had the surgery and in less than a year he could walk unaided. It wasn’t like before but at least he could walk. It gave him some of his pride back. Nkem supported him during the journey.

Dominic visited Lagos more often than he did in the past because of Uncle Tobi. He helped out with his siblings when he was around. They had a bond. He had the same bond with Uncle Tobi and Iyke. Dominic didn’t miss out on the death of his father, he gained many father figures.

He loved his mother and he never ceased to tell her how much. He was happy to see how beautiful her life was. He reminded her always to be happy. He was proud to call her mom. She didn’t miss out on any milestones, the entire family attended. He was a happy child.

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The sisters agreed that if any one of them is doing something wrong but believes what she is doing is right, they would support the person outside but scold the person in the group. And they also agreed on no more secrets. They asked everyone to confess all their hidden secrets before they moved on.

Funke talked about her sexcapade with Ebuka and her abortion. Zainab and Esther were in shock. They believed Funke was a saint but then this?

Zainab told them about her first marriage and what Bashir did to her. They all cried as she related the story. They couldn’t believe she went through this alone. She didn’t share with anyone. She explained that she was too ashamed to tell anyone about it.

Esther talked about being lovers with Efe while she was with Jake. She told them she even paid him to have sex with her. They found it funny. Then she talked about knowing about Jake’s involvement in illicit trade even before they got married and the agreement that he would stop after that trip. She told them about having an affair with Efe while still married to Jake. She confessed Nkem knew about it. She talked about Jake’s philandering and continuously infecting her. Then she told them about Baba. That was the scary part. She couldn’t understand why they were scared. She said he was an old man Jake used. She told them all Baba asked her to do to save Jake from death but now she was free. She confessed she found Efe and went after him after Jake was incarcerated. It was a shocking story.

Nkem claimed not to have any secret but they refused to believe her. Finally, she said, “Uncle Tobi would have been my first lover but he stopped himself before he disvirgined me.” They were all shocked. She told them the story and why she agreed to give her virginity to Demian. She knew from years before she was defenceless where Uncle Tobi was. He could have had his way with her anytime when he knew he could do with her whatever he willed but he didn’t. That was why she loved him so much because he genuinely loved her all those years.

That was a staggering confession by all of them. The most shocking was Esther’s followed by Zainab’s. They agreed they would have a bond, meet once in a quarter and vacation once a year. They had to keep their sisterhood alive and close to their chest. It was important they would be there for each other no matter what.

In Sisterhood they shall stand.

The End.

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