Sisterhood episode 97

TITLE: SISTERHOOD

AUTHOR: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 97

Funke came in from Lagos for the trip. Nkem had packed her possessions so that they are moved by the time she returned. She and Funke had a swell time catching up. They talked all evening intending to sleep on the flight. They talked about many things. Funke wanted to know how Dominic was doing so Nkem called him and Funke could see him. He loved his school. He told Funke his grandpa promised to give him his father’s car when he turns sixteen if his mother permits. He occupied his father’s old room and he loved it. They treated him well and although he misses his mother, he liked living with his grandparents.

“O, and Uncle Iyke comes around to check on me. He talks to me about my dad and how I am growing up to be just like him. He said I have my mum’s drive and intelligence. He is a funny guy. I have fun with him and his kids anytime he comes around.”

“What of your aunt Uloma?”

“She’s ok. She complains that Uncle Iyke pays more attention to me than their children. He is funny. He asked her, “Am I dead?” She didn’t find it funny at all. Everyone is fine. We are going on a cruise during the holiday, I can’t wait.”

“Dominic, I want to ask you something. Will it be ok if your mum starts dating?”

Nkem was taken aback by the question. She looked at Funke who completely ignored her. Dominic replied, “Hasn’t she?”

“She is scared you might not like it but she is lonely.”

“It doesn’t matter to me; I just want her to be happy. I am happy with my grandparents. Since I came, they have not been sad. Grandpa said Mum gave them a lifeline by allowing me to live with them. They appreciate it. I don’t think they would mind too.”

“I just wanted to be sure.” She ended the call with Dominic and then faced Nkem, “This trip, I want you to loosen up and allow yourself to have some fun. Don’t send men away, have conversations and let’s see where that leads.”

“I am not ready.”

“You need it, Nkem. You are still struggling. The Nkem I know would have slept off since 10 pm but it is 1 am and you are awake with me. You have lost sleep. You need a companion to make you feel whole again.”

“I am no longer grieving; I am fine. If I see a man that catches my fancy, I will allow it to see where it leads. If I don’t, I will wait until I find him.”

“He would be different from what you are used to, have that in mind.”

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Esther had left ahead of time for Seychelles. Nkem and Funke got to the airport by 7 am for the trip. Nkem had lost even more weight than before. It was one of the reasons Uncle Tobi had insisted on a psychologist. She looked better now but was still slim. Her clothes were big on her. Funke had asked Esther to shop for Nkem even though she refused to agree she was much slimmer.

The two ladies entered the Private Jet in excitement. It was their first time and they were ready to take pictures and make a fuss. Nkem tapped from Funke’s excitement and expressed her joy. This was going to be one hell of a vacation.

As they settled in, they were joined by a dashing gentleman. He was in his fifties but he looked so good. Nkem caught her breath. She had never been this close to such handsomeness, charisma and aura. She could feel it.

He introduced himself as Odion. He was the owner of the PJ and would be joining them in SA. He said they might come back together. This was music to Nkem’s ears because she was drawn to his masculinity. Funke was all chatty with Odion. He is an Accountant and he found talking with Funke about their field interesting. He came into the country five years ago and right now he was doing very well. He advised Funke to branch out of core accounting and try other businesses.

“How old are your children?” he asked.

“My last child is fifteen. She will finish secondary school this year. She and her siblings will spend a year in Nigeria for their A-levels then they are off to Canada. My mother doesn’t mind staying with them for at least three years while they stabilise there. I am free to do whatever I want, I don’t have babies.”

“Good. I will get your number and we can discuss business. What about your friend? What does she do?”

“She is an Economist. She doesn’t want to do business she wants to work with organisations that can improve the quality of life of her fellow Nigerians. She wants policies that will be more favourable to Nigeria and its economy. Don’t get her started.”

“Ok. I like that. She doesn’t look it though. She doesn’t look like a fighter.”

“Don’t try her, trust me, you will argue until you get to your destination. She stores facts and figures in her head. She has all the statistics and indexes used to calculate whatever. She is a brilliant mind.”

“Yeah. Such people don’t work for the money but for their passion. I like that about them. They can never be like us with insatiable wants.” They both laughed and continued their conversation.

Nkem’s insecurities came to the surface again. She felt less as Funke flowed with Odion. She felt less confident. She sat quietly looking at her phone. She paid no attention to them for a while and got engrossed with work. Since she wasn’t sleepy, she could at least work.

She was oblivious to her surroundings until his fragrance tantalised her nostrils. It was then she realised he was close but didn’t know how close. He was right beside her looking into her tablet. He said, “You have been quiet. Hope we didn’t offend you.”

“No. I am fine. I had work to do.”

“Interesting. Why don’t you want to work in the private sector where your skills will be better appreciated?”

“I would rather work with a wider index, a company is too small for my scope.”

“I get you. You have such pretty eyes, has anyone ever told you? They are light brown. They are not obvious from a distance but when you come close, you can see them. I mean really close.” And he came very close to her. She cleared her throat to bring him back.

“Where is Funke?”

‘She’s asleep. I was bored and I was supposed to give you something from my friend.”

“Ok. What is it?”

Odion gave her an envelope. Then he asked, “Are you involved with Tobi?”

“Involved? I don’t understand.”

“I’m just asking if there is anything between the two of you.”

“Why do you want to know?”

“So I don’t overstep my boundary. I like you. You don’t talk too much and you are very smart.”

Nkem was losing interest in him as the conversation progressed. What concerned Uncle Tobi with their conversation? He didn’t know her enough to draw some conclusions. He noticed she went back to her work and then he said, “Ok, I started wrong. You are beautiful and I wanted to be sure we could be friends. Tobi was particular about you. He asked me not to ‘bother’ you. I found it strange because he never does that. There must be a reason.”

“I am a widow and this getaway is to make me feel better and not pick up men.” Nkem caught herself and apologised, “I am sorry I snapped. It is still a touchy topic for me.”

“I understand perfectly. I apologise. Let me leave you alone for now. But, I will come to Seychelles and I would love to have dinner with you. I want to know more about you and I want you to get to know me too. I can be your bodyguard for that night because the men would want to eat you up. You are beautiful.”

Nkem laughed. He was good with words. He knew when to be serious, throw in humour and also flirt. It was better than being cheesy. She said she would think about it. He asked for her number and she gave him. He punched his on her phone and saved the name with a heart emoji. Nkem found it funny. He went to sit down and work while Nkem continued what she was doing.

Odion disembarked at the SA airport. The plane took them to Seychelles. Esther was waiting for them. They were so excited. It was time to have fun. For the first two days, Nkem slept very well. Her friends allowed her to rest. She felt energised and was ready to explore. They went to Victoria and explored the city. They enjoyed the beaches and encountered the island’s colourful birds and humongous tortoises. They went to La Digue where they took bicycle rides around. It was fun.

### read – Sisterhood episode 96

Nkem updated her vacation videos and photos on her social media. Uloma saw them and showed them to Iyke.

“I have seen them. I’m glad she is having a good time.”

“Having a good time? She is a widow for God’s sake. Why would she go on vacation and even post it? What will people say about her?”

“Uloma, Demian is dead and the marriage ended after he took his last breath. We saw how she mourned him. Would she mourn him forever? She has to get her life together and I believe she is taking steps to do that.”

“I can’t believe you said that. I can’t believe you support the nonsense she has done. Why would she post it for the world to see? She is wearing a bikini in one of these pictures. She is advertising herself? She can go on vacation but she doesn’t need to expose it. Your parents will see it and call her names.”

“Uloma, Nkem and Demian have posted pictures of Nkem in a bikini many times, why is this different? Do you have issues with your sister? Don’t you want her to be happy? Why do you always castigate her? Everyone loves her but you never have anything nice to say about her. You complain when I hang out with her son, your nephew. There is something.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about. When she does something wrong, I cannot criticise her? You worship her, I don’t know why. She was out to cause problems in my family, how can I support her?”

“If you are talking about her issues with Demian then I must say, both of them were wrong. I told Demian he shouldn’t have divorced Nkem because I know he loved her. Do you know how long he waited for her? Nkem wouldn’t have divorced him but he betrayed her with the girl my mother brought to Demian. When Nkem left, he stopped sleeping with her. See, Nkem is no saint but she is the closest to one I have seen. She remarried my brother. I told him she genuinely loved him. The last time he was sick, I asked him if he would want Nkem to move on after he is gone, and he said he would. He wanted her to be with someone who will love her more than he did. She deserves it. She is living her best life without her man. I would expect you to move on too.”

“So if I am no more, you will remarry and move on?”

“Sure, why not? I expect you to do the same. Why would I tie you down in death? My parents know Nkem will marry someone else. She is beautiful and men will want her. Why won’t she be happy? Uloma, purge yourself of hate. You pray every day and you are a good person. But when it comes to your sister, you show total dislike. It is wrong.”

Uloma’s dislike for Nkem was because she was loved even when she was perceived to be wrong. Her mother-in-law was hounded for making Demian divorce Nkem and replaced her with someone she handpicked. Even Demian loved Nkem so much that he stopped having intercourse with the lady when Nkem was out of the picture. What she couldn’t wrap her head around was the fact that Demian secretly remarried Nkem. Why was Nkem loved by everyone? But she, Uloma, wasn’t. They chose Nkem over her. Even her mother-in-law chose Nkem’s son over her twins. Her husband did the same. She was jealous of her sister and just couldn’t hide it.

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Odion came to Seychelles to take Nkem out for a dinner date. Nkem was surprised he came. Her sisters were excited about it. Esther fished out a beautiful dress. They organised a makeup artist. She wore a beautiful wig and had her nails done. The ladies were out to make the date special for her. Well, it was after they had met Odion that they pulled out their game. He was too goodlooking to have a mediocre dinner with a delectable lady.

He picked Nkem up and truly she took his breath away. She was gorgeous. He had to let her know. He flew her to Sun City in his private jet. They had a beautiful dinner. It wasn’t something Nkem was used to. She allowed him to place the orders as she had always done with Demian. He asked what she liked and he placed the order for her. She didn’t want wine so he got her freshly squeezed exotic fruits.

They had beautiful conversations. He complimented her most of the time. He sounded as though he was blown away. They talked about his work and hers. He noticed the passion with which she spoke about what she does. He asked if she was open to a change of job and she said once her contract was over that year, she was. “But,” she added, “You have to go through Uncle Tobi.”

“Why?”

“He is my mentor and will decide for me if I should take the job or not.”

“Do you give such powers to a fellow human being?”

“No, I give them only to one person and he has never failed me.”

“Hmm. You are pretty close?”

“He is my mentor. That’s all.”

“Are you sure? Why did he give me that card for you?”

“He is sponsoring the entire trip. Funke is his niece and I have known Uncle Tobi since I was a teenager.”

“Did you tell him about this dinner?”

“No, I didn’t. But I will. He is will get to hear about it whether I tell him or not.”

“He monitors you?”

“He is worried about me. I have been fragile since my husband died. It was devastating for me. He helped me get better. Here I am today.”

“Thanks to him, I get to meet you. I have not disguised my feelings or my attention towards you. I want us to be more than friends. I don’t mind being your mentor.”

“Let me think about it and get back to you.”

“Have you ever been in a casino?”

“No.”

“Today is your lucky day.”

They went to the casino and spent money gambling before he brought Nkem back to Seychelles at past midnight. She had a splendid night. As he dropped her off he kissed her gently on the lips. He told her he wouldn’t be travelling with her to Abuja but the plane would take her back. He said goodnight and he left.

The sisters wanted to hear all about her outing and she gave them the lowdown. They asked Nkem what she felt about him. She said she was attracted to him. She wasn’t in a hurry to be an item with him. She needed to take baby steps with this relationship thing and also plan her life well. She felt it was too soon after Demian so she would take it slow. They agreed but told her not to lose a good man because she was grieving.

They all came back to Nigeria on the PJ a few days later. Esther wanted to see her parents and check up on her investments. Zainab and Nkem returned to Abuja after dropping off Funke and Esther.

Zainab told Nkem to make up her mind about the relationship. She told her she deserved to be loved again. She needed companionship. She shouldn’t rush into marriage but have someone she can call her own. She said she was very religious, where did that lead her? She is grateful for her second marriage but the first almost took her life. Meanwhile, her cousin who was very wayward and had sex with her husband several times before they got married is still married to him. The man respects her and pampers her. He has not married a second wife.

“But that is what Usman is doing too. He loves and respects you.”

“He wants another child. He has said it in passing twice. I don’t want to have another child that will compete with the ones we have. And, based solely on his salary, we can’t afford the kind of lifestyle I have envisaged for us. We travel and go on vacations but not on his bill. He is straightforward and wouldn’t take bribes. I respect that but if we have more children it will impact our finances.”

“Talk to him about not having more children. Two are enough. If he wants more he should work on making more income.”

“I feel he has set his eyes on someone he wants to marry. I want to tell him I would not have more children and he can have with another woman. The only condition is that we do not live together. I won’t openly share him with another woman.”

“Why would you agree to that? If he marries another woman, divorce him. You are still beautiful…”

“That would mean I have been divorced twice. It is not good for me.”

“I don’t see Usman as that kind of person. Has anything changed at home?”

“Not really. It is just the talk of more children.”

“Give him the benefit of the doubt. Ask him directly if he has seen anyone he wants to have children with. Whatever answer he gives, you can take it from there. But I believe he will have a good reply. Your man doesn’t appear to me as a man who can betray you like that.”

When they parted ways, Nkem thought about her conversation with Zainab. Truly Usman didn’t strike her as one who will womanise but so did Demian. He fell for Ndidi with her hips and full bosom. Men are visual. She believed if she wasn’t beautiful facially, no one would want her because she couldn’t boast of what most men want. It was her face and slender stature that was a turn-on. But with childbearing and weight loss, it would be a disaster to show off her stretch marks. She was too conscious although her friends claim not to see them.

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Odion sent her messages. She responded to them. He called her whenever he could. Whenever he apologised for not calling sooner, she responded by saying she understood and was also occupied. He liked that about her.

Uncle Tobi had travelled to Canada before Nkem returned from her trip. She sent him a message informing him she was back and hoped he was enjoying his vacation. She got a response which shocked her. She knew it wasn’t from Uncle Tobi.

Leave me to concentrate on my family.
I didn’t kill your husband; why are you so dependent on me?
I have a wife and children I love and support.
Face your own life.

When she tried to respond she realised she had been blocked from contacting the number. She didn’t know who sent the message and why. She was hurt by the message. She waited some hours and sent a text message asking Uncle Tobi to please call her, it was urgent. She was blocked again. She was tempted to call Funke about it but she changed her mind. Funke would think it was more than that. She kept mute and waited for Uncle Tobi to return as she couldn’t reach him.

It took weeks that dragged into a month. She tried reaching Uncle Tobi but she couldn’t. So she asked Odion to please tell him to call her. Odion wondered why but Nkem was worried. She told Odion she has been unable to reach him.

“I will let him know. I will be in Abuja tomorrow. Would you be free to have dinner?”

“I should be. What time?”

“I can pick you up by 7 pm.”

“Can we meet at the venue?”

“You don’t want me to pick you up?”

“I will meet you.”

“That means you don’t trust me. I will pick you up and bring you back. I understand we are not in a rush.”

Expect CHAPTER 97 soon