Sisterhood episode 29

TITLE: SISTERHOOD

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

PART 29

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The third year was over in a twinkle of an eye and then the final year stepped in. The break was only for three weeks before lectures began.

Funke spent a week with Ebuka in Abuja. She didn’t inform anyone she was travelling. It was a risk she was willing to take. They had grown even closer. Ebuka spent most of his time with her. He said he felt like he was married already. She kept the place tidy. She learnt how to cook some Igbo soups thanks to Nkem and this was an opportunity to put her lessons into practice. She did a great job. She cooked food he would eat when she was away so he didn’t need to buy food or eat at restaurants. She taught him how to make some swallows he can eat with the soups. He knew how to make eba and cook rice. He liked beans so she boiled beans and portioned them into containers for him. She taught him how to make it when he was ready to eat.

She remembered when Esther was doing all this for Jake. She believed Esther was wasting her wife privileges on Jake. Here she was doing the same. The difference was that they were not having sex. The discussion never came up again. Ebuka excused her whenever she went to take a bath. She liked the respect he gave her. She accorded him the same. He had said at the right time, it will happen. It won’t be planned.

She wanted to concentrate on her final year. He agreed they would only speak twice a day unless it was important. She wanted to graduate with first-class and Ebuka wanted the same for her.

Read – Pain of a blind girl prologue

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Bashir had kept in very close contact with Zainab. She was happy. He was friendly and free with her, no longer bossy. He praised her and her beauty. He said she was a goddess with her skin like milk. He made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. She loved it.

“I wish I could kiss you right now. Bury my tongue down your throat.”

“Bashir! Stop saying such things.”

“I’m speaking my mind. That’s what I want to do to you. Run my hands against your naked body….”

“Stop! Why are you talking like this? It is wrong.”

“It is wrong for a husband to desire his wife? His beautiful goddess? I don’t know where it is written that I can’t dream and share it with you. At least you are no longer shy with me. I like that. I can feel your smile”

“You know me very well.”

“Yes, I do. More than you know.”

She didn’t mind this discussion because he was far away from her. He was nice to her.

Lately, since she entered her final year, he had been telling her he adored her. What she didn’t know was he was preparing her for the slaughter. Immediately she drops her pen after her final examination, he was coming back to marry her. He wasn’t interested in a big ceremony he just wanted to be joined to her.

He informed his family to begin preparations for the wedding without informing Zainab’s family. He didn’t want it to come as a surprise. He was determined to make her his by every means possible. He had become obsessed with her.

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Esther resumed her final year a very happy person. She had seen some of her last session results and was very proud of herself. She knew she was destined for second-class upper at this rate. She wasn’t willing to be used by anyone. Jake had taken care of the previous levels and now she was using her head to move.

She stayed mainly in her new accommodation. She loved the privacy it provided. She also didn’t want to interact with anyone. She was happy being on her own.

The first semester had gone halfway when she had an unexpected visitor. She was in her room when she heard a knock on her door. She hardly ever had visitors except the children that ran errands for her. She opened the door to check who it was, it was Jake.

The Jake she saw, she could not recognise. She had to look very well before she could recognise him. It was almost a year since she saw him. She stepped outside to attend to him. Jake was dark, very skinny and looked unkempt.

“Jake, is this you?”

“Na me o. Esther, they have finished me.”

“What happened to you?”

“I don’t know. I can’t explain. I had to leave everything I had and run away to Benin so I can find respite. I would have sold my remaining car and all my businesses. I sold most of the furniture and electronics in my new house. I have only one car in my compound now. It has not been easy for me.”

“How could this have happened? You were doing fine when I left you. What could have happened?”

“A pastor told me to find you and beg you if I want to live.”

“You must be kidding. Beg me for what?”

“Esther, I have offended you please forgive me. You took a rash decision and it affected me. I messed up and since then, I have been going down. I beg you, please forgive me and take me back.”

“Take you back? I have forgiven you but the taking back is where the problem is; I can’t take you back. You don’t love me, you love only yourself. I don’t love you anymore, I’m in love with someone else. So please, I have forgiven you. Also, I am not behind your predicament. Go back to the person who asked you to beg me and let him know I have forgiven you.”

“You can’t be with another person. I won’t allow you to be with another person. Not being with you has ruined me. See, I am broke. I have closed down the restaurant. It is only the car wash that is operational and it brings only small money. Let us reconcile.”

“Shuo, which one be this now? Wait o, you believe as you broke I go take you back? I enter the house you buy? I drive inside the new motor you buy? Abeg, no involve me for your nonsense or I go change am for you. When I left you had money. Go and look for those girls you were cheating on me with.”

“I can’t believe you said this. Esther, na me Jake. I no believe say this life fit turn like this. I fuck up, I gree. Forgive me abeg. I want you and no one else.”

“I can’t be with you. You are broke and not looking fine. Go back to those girls, I am not available.”

“The tide will turn in my favour again. I will have money. I love you that is why I came looking for you.”

“If you love me, you will leave me alone. As you see me, I will never take you back. I have moved on. See once I graduate, I will get married. My guy doesn’t want to wait.”

“Which guy? Esther, let me enter your room.”

“To do what? You can’t enter. I don’t allow anyone to enter my room.”

‘There is a man inside. I want to see him. Move aside let me see what you are hiding.”

“I am not with you anymore. Please leave, you are embarrassing me and yourself.”

“Esther, you have forgotten who I am. I am coming back. I will kill the guy. I promise you, no other man can be with you except me.”

“Jake, be going. I know you. I will still not renew our dead relationship. It is over between us.”

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Jake was upset when he left her. Truly, he had suffered very terrible setbacks. Baba had warned him and now he was suffering the consequences. He lost everything; his fame and fortune. He was hanging on to straws. He knew he was getting to the point baba said he will become destitute. He didn’t want that. He would do anything not to go back there.

Read – Addicted to you prologue

Esther not considering him hurt him badly. He felt she owed it to him. Why would she keep her distance? What he had done for her, no one can ever do for her. He did it because she was his source. Why was she punishing him?

He was impressed with what he saw, she looked beautiful and fit. She had a young and innocent look. She also looked very ordinary. He wondered if she didn’t want the soft life. He had treated her to better. This new guy had no money to spoil her. He had to win her back but he didn’t know how. Since she had said she forgave him, he had to return to the pastor. He had assured him that he will bounce back if she forgives him.

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It didn’t work that way. Jake was still suffering. The car wash was almost closed. One of his friends talked to him about travelling. He considered it. He sold the remaining businesses and got a visa to travel abroad.

He came to see Esther again. Baba had told him to stop wasting his time and beg Esther instead of running around in circles. The pastor asked him to travel, he will be prosperous. He decided to believe the pastor over baba. He went with his friend to Thailand.

When they got there, he couldn’t believe what he experienced. The friend stole from him and before long he had nowhere else to go. He lived with a lady who was also barely surviving. His fraudulent business didn’t bring good fortune. He didn’t get to ‘pick’ any money.

The lady he lived with introduced him to some people who dealt with hard drugs. He transported the drugs all over the country. He made good money in the first round of delivery. He moved his woman to a more comfortable accommodation. He paid tithe to the pastor and gave his mother some money.

He was successful two more times. All the money he made, the lady kept in her account as she was a citizen and he wasn’t. They talked about getting married and filing papers for him. Then he started what he knew how to do best. He wasn’t into the lady he was with. He began to philander. With the cash in his pocket, he paid other women for sex. He got into a serious relationship with a beautiful young girl. He was in love with her.

The relationship blossomed. It became obvious to his live-in lover her man was no longer with her. She trailed him and found out who he was with. She felt insulted and used. Jake had bought an apartment he would live with the girl. She was only nineteen years old. His live-in lover set a trap for him.

During his next delivery, he was caught. Luckily, he wasn’t caught with any substance but he was seen on video delivering the substance. He called his live-in lover to hire a lawyer for him so he will get out of jail. She had most of his money in her account. She told him to ask his slut to hire a lawyer. He was shocked. Once again his waywardness had led to his destruction.

He called the nineteen-year-old. She had some money too. She got the lawyer and then she stopped talking to him. He realised he had been played. The lawyer met with him and asked for him to give information about the cartel he worked with, and get deported so he will safe. He knew better than that. They would come after him. He was arraigned and because they had no physical evidence, he was sentenced to two years imprisonment. Jake cried. All the ladies had abandoned him. Baba was right after all.

Tbc