Adéniké - Episode 2

 

 23, March 2011.

Maitama, Abuja Nigeria.

The clouds were pregnant with rain. One could hear the violent whispers of the blowing wind. 

Adenike lay on the bed in her massive room, still trying to get her head around her new environment. Uncle Femi had informed her after they arrived home, that one of his friends would be visiting. By the time he arrived, she was too tired and somewhat shy to meet him. She promised to greet him some other time. 

She could hear uncle Femi and his friend, Ahmed, chattering heartily to each other, although she couldn't tell what the subject of their discussion was. 

Eventually, she drifted off to sleep.

Femi sat, facing his friend in his largely decorated living room. His master chair stood massively at an integral part of the room. A tray of Pure Heaven and two wine glasses rested on the glass stool that was between them.

"Where is she?" Ahmed, asked, darting his eyes around the room. 

"Over there." Femi replied, pointing to a room that was opposite them. Adenike had left the door ajar. 

Ahmed glanced at the slightly open room and saw the faint figure of Adenike on the bed. She appeared so frail and fragile. With a smirk on his face, he wondered if she was really as soft as she looked. One could easily split her into two, like a pencil. He thought.

"What are you going to do with her though?" Ahmed asked, turning to Femi. 

"I don't know." Femi answered, staring at the ceramic floor tiles. 

He peeped at the room again and wondered why he had agreed to bring her with him to Abuja. Although he was unsure of what to do, he knew he was already having a fondness for her. "There was just something about her that endeared him to her." 

Ahmed studied his friend's face. He was very intimate with him. Although he could do well with anything, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle some little girl.

"I know a training school for girls. She could learn some skills there." Ahmed uttered, looking straight at him.

Femi placed his hands on his chin, slightly rubbing it. That option might be handful, he imagined.

"I will see you tomorrow, Femi." Ahmed stood up to take his leave. 

Femi walked him to his car and they bade each other goodbye.

...

Femi's right hand shook slightly as he stretched out his hand to take a book, from one of his library shelves. This was a week later. 

He struggled with the news he had received that morning from the doctor. For the past five years, he had been on treatment in an hospital where he was diagnosed with PTSD - Post-traumatic stress disorder. He recently went to another hospital, when there were no signs of improvement. 

He recalled the doctor's words. "You have carcinoma; stage iv lung cancer, Mr Femi." He couldn't believe his ears when the doctor informed him of the diagnosis.

"But...but doctor, I was diagnosed with PTSD." He had indicated to the doctor.

"Mr Femi, at that time you must have been down with stage1 lung cancer. Over the years, it had grown to stage IV." 

Hearing the doctor telling him he was diagnosed wrongly, made him dumbstruck. 

He stared at him, "How much time do I have left?"

With pity filled eyes, the doctor replied. "One month at most."

Femi could not comprehend it all. He felt devastated and helpless. How could that happen to him? What did he do wrong? More questions flooded his mind. First, it was his mother who had died. Now, it was his turn to die. Tears gave way, as he sat helplessly in front of the doctor. 

He stared blankly at the book in his hands. This was his life now. He had to accept it. He thought.

A loud sound from the kitchen jolted him back to life. "Adenike", he called worriedly. A new set of worry lines laid on his face. How would he handle her welfare during these last days of his life? 

As if his thoughts conjured her, there was a knock on the door. Before he could reply, Adenike was standing in front of him with a plate of food in her hands. She placed the plate on the table and stared at her uncle. She was having the same feeling she had at the village.

The past few days had been the best days of her life. Though she wasn't  so much acquainted to city life, her uncle had made her feel welcome. She now wholeheartedly looked forward to enjoying her new life there.

However, as she stared at him, that feeling came again. It was like a pinch in her skin. 

Something must be wrong with her uncle. She thought.

Studying his face, she saw two new lines that weren't there the previous day. "Uncle Femi, are you all right?" She asked with concern reeking from her tone.

He smiled. "Yes, my queen. I am fine." 

He made a funny face at her, his mouth twisting upwards. "See who is looking pretty today." He said, laughing heartily.

There, Femi decided that he was going to take as many supplement as he could take. He would be a strong sick man for the beautiful girl, in front of him. He would steward his last days making her happy.

And that was it. In the next few weeks, Adenike had the time of her life. Sometimes she wondered if it were real. Yet, she thanked Jesus for her brand new life.

She didn't know why Jesus took her maami but at least He brought uncle Femi, as a substitute and she was so grateful for that.

Humming, she finished cleaning the kitchen and walked happily to her uncle's room like someone who just won a visa lottery. 

It was past his usual wake up time.

"Someone is still sleeping by this time." Smiling Adenike tapped her uncle. "Uncle Femi, it's past 7am. You would be late." She mentioned.

Suddenly, like someone hit by a volcano, she freezed with her mouth agape. She touched him again and examined him strangely. 

Her mind screamed, "not again."

A dark aura hovered around the room and she felt it wrapping her up. "Take me! Take me too! Don't just stand there, take me!" Tears ran down her face. She had began to scream. "How dare you take him?" She said, letting out a terrible shriek.

She staggered backwards, bumped into the wall, before slopping downwards. 

She wanted to say more but could not. The words clogged her throat but they would not come out. Her head spinned as she gave way to the darkness that had enveloped her.

...

5th May, 2011

Wuse, Abuja Nigeria.

Adenike walked like a zombie, caring for nothing, as she followed Ahmed. She cared less about where they were going. In fact, she cared less about her existence. She simply didn't care about anything.

Though her eyes still glowed before that time, they were now empty and very faraway.

Ahmed held her firmly as they walked. She hadn't said a thing since his friend, Femi passed away. He felt pity for her. Hopefully, her new life would toughen and help her heal. Life is not for the weak. Everyone must at some point, face its reality. He thought.

Stepping into a massive white building, he looked impressed. He never imagined the place would be that large and classy. 

Registering his surrounding, his eyes fell on the receptionist. He grinned while she greeted him. She appeared nice and classy. The red peplum blouse she wore rested so well on her, accentuating her chest region. She wore a pair of six-inch white silhouettes heels and silver drop earrings, which helped to compliment the look. Ahmed couldn't help but notice her plump bossom, staring right at him. 

He cleared his throat, having remembered why he was there. "I have an appointment with Bob Murdock." He said, still admiring her.

Scanning through her computer, she glanced up at him for the first time. "He is waiting for you at the visit chamber, the first room by your right with a maroon door." 

As soon as the door opened, Adenike gaped at the man standing before them. To her, he looked like a "hairy giant man beast." It was one of those descriptions she had read in a novel.

She resolved almost immediately that she didn't like him.

Uncle Ahmed spoke with him in hush tones. So, she couldn't make out what they were saying but they kept peeping at her, every now and then.

Adenike became visibly frightened when the "hairy giant man beast" walked towards her. She had wanted to run away but he had reached her, before she could move.

He grinned as his eyes fell on her. He placed his hands on her face and turned it sideways, checking for something Adenike couldn't figure out.

"She would do!" The man exclaimed. Almost immediately, he clapped his hands and two girls rushed to him. Adenike was taken away and was being led to an inner chamber.

While she was being led away, she turned backwards, expecting uncle Ahmed to stop them, say something or better still, take her back home. 

To her horror, he stood there with a mix of pity and victory in his eyes, which confused her. But, then, she had resolved not to care about anything. So, she followed them without restraint.

Stepping into the huge chamber, her young eyes beheld the unimaginable. Till then, she had thought she had seen it all. Dumbstruck, she couldn't imagine what she saw...

*****

Episode 3 coming up next week Wednesday.

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Thank you for continuing this journey with me. Kindly comment your thoughts below.

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Click to read Episode 3