PUZZLED CONTINUATION CHAPTER ONE PART TWO

ADA NZERIBE

5:00PM, 15 APRIL 2014

BLOCK C, ROOM 26

No one really understands my life. Schooling in prestige would be one of the most confusing things about me. I am not a privileged child like the rest of the girls in my school. You see, walking the streets of prestige all you see are million dollar bills strolling to classes, the designers wristwatches, bags, tops, shirts, skirts and gowns, the expensive weaves, the designer lip sticks and eye brow fillers, the foreign accents and pin up attitudes and if cars were allowed within the school I wonder what will be expected from prestige student. I, Adaobi Nzeribe as a human lived and grew up in the belly of Lagos state in a two bedroom flat with my mother and my little sister, Uju. Life isn’t rehersal dinners or cocktail parties for me. Life is the hard struggle to put food on the table, see her fees paid and struggle to get paid for some pocket money for me.

My mom got pregnant for me out of wedlock to a married man, that was how I was procreated. A wise person would have stopped at one child, there was no how she was at a gain at that kind of relationship but no, five years later, there she was carrying Obianuju. She lived in secrecy from the rest of the world and his wife in particular while my mom and father continued the affair. She was disowned by her family, pushed aside by her friends but Chimamaka didn’t care as long as she had Folarin. Surprising what love can do to somebody. After eight years of my father preventing my mother from ever seeing any good in any man except him, he ended the affair. He confessed that it was breaking his family up and he wanted to be closer to his family. He promised to keep in touch and handle every financial issue and that promised died with time. My father really wanted nothing to do with us. my mom moved to a place with a cheaper rent rate to keep food on the table for I and Uju. Life became harder and harder for us with every passing day, the hardest time for me was when I was rejected admission my first trial to entering school, it broke me. I wanted to change the world for our family and drag my mom out of the situation she was in and not getting admission looked like it killed that dream, that was when my mom knew it was smart to contact my father. She made him take care of my tuition

“I want my daughter in Prestige” she stated. “I don’t care if your son goes there. She doesn’t know him and she won’t care. She just wants to study Pharmacy” she threatened without sentiments to tell his wife about us if he didn’t put me in school, my dad was about running for the house of representation so without hesitation, I entered school 12 th of September 2012

That was how I got into Prestige University. And just when I was about to see the light at the end of the tunnel, news reached us that my father was dead. It has been two month since his death, my mother never pictured this scenario

My room door burst open. I looked at my room mate Nicole from my laying position enter with her silly, over accessorized bimbos called friends; Aisha and Robin. Forget it that wasn’t her real name. They called her that because she was tiny and she was nothing like the character, Robin Hood, Robin Hood stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Her father did the opposite

“Bibi” Aisha said dryly, that was an idea of a greeting

“Aisha” I replied giving her the same attitude. What did these girls think they were; royalty?

“Bibi what sup?” Robin said jumping on my bed. She was the only one with at least a quarter of a heart among the white witches that strolled my room now and I was not kidding, three of them were light with Nicole carrying the crown. I looked at Robin weirdly and let out a small smile

“Your top looks nice this time, unlike the one you wore yesterday that had fake colorful drawings of chains on it”

“Fakesace” Aisha interrupted

“Exactly!” Robin continued excitedly. I rolled my eyes, really?

I noticed Nicole was quiet and was giving me repulsing stares. Not that that was strange but today, today’s own was weird.

I cleared my throat and adjusted my top “Nicole is everything ok” I asked.

She opened her mouth to talk but then my phone rang. It was my mom. I rose up my finger for a minute and excused myself out of the room. Opening the door, I picked up the call

“Mom” I called in an eager voice walking far away from my room. “Did the bank grant you the loan”

She sighed out “A good evening would do me a little good Adaobi”

I looked up and shook my head

“They didn’t give you”

There was a long pause. I sniffed in to stop tears from falling

“Adaobi”

“After the bank wasted your time for three months mom. How am I going to complete payment for my tuition”

“Bibi, be positive. Your exam is still two months away. I will get it. Trust me. I just wish your father agreed to pay the whole thing before he died but he didn’t now we have to deal with that. Be positive my Ada, I’ll pay it, I promise”

All the promises didn’t stop me from crying out. How was she going to raise four hundred and fifty thousand with her petty job as a manager of a feedmill and nothing else”

“Bibi I have to get back to work” she said ignoring my tears

“I’ll call you in the evening”

“Mommy. You’re gonna leave me like this”

“Adaobi don’t be dramatic about this. Just read your book and trust that I’ll take care of all expenses as your mother ehn? I’ll call you in the evening”

“Okay mom” I said sniffing it in and with that I ended the call. Life did have a way of upturning itself for bad. Maybe this was my challenge and the cross I had to carry for doing absolutely nothing. What did I do wrong, I went to church, said my rosary and I was a virgin and my room mate and her groupies who would have probably hit it with every Prestige dude had their fees completed.

“You didn’t take long” Nicole said as I opened the door and walked in

“don’t ask, they went to see Funmi” she continued talking about Robin and Aisha

“I wasn’t going to.”

She smiled and looked at me seriously

“what is it Nicole” I burst out frustrated

“Robin wants you to come to a party with us next week. And I don’t know if I want you there” she said in her cocky slim voice. I threw her a surprise look and scoffed

“Don’t get me wrong Bibi. I just don’t know if you will have the appropriate attire for a party”

“you know what Nikky, this isn’t the right time for Fakesace or D&F. I have some real shit going on in my life right now and I want you to leave me the hell alone okay”

She nodded in agreement and picking up her towel entered the bathroom

“Good” I thought because hell was gonna break loose if she continued

KEVWE ITAM

8:00PM

ST CHARLES HOSPITAL, IKEJA

My mind went blank as I rushed into St Charles hospital, ikeja. This particular case attracted the interest of the doctors of Lagos state. I wondered what my father did this time. He was always inflicting a new problem or the other in our family. I redialed Odiong, my brother’s number, he wasn’t picking as usual. He knew any call from me was a cry for help. I never called him. Well, I didn’t blame the guy, being born into the Itam family was enough trauma to deal with in life.

From the day I could interpret images into messages, my dad had an undying hobby of hitting my mother at every tiny opportunity he had. If the food was served late, he hit her. If she made as little as the mistake of sneezing beside him, that too. And if she made the mistake of ever challenging him, That was worse. At times I wondered why she stayed with him, she earned triple what he made, the society respected her. Well maybe the thought of what I, Odiong and Beatrice were going to go through as kids made her stay. It would have been better if she went. She knew we detested his attitude, his drinking habits, his lousy voice but still, she stayed with him and we acting like we were a happy family outside wasn’t the best for us at home. I didn’t like the way my mother was treated. At home, she was just a weakling my dad pounced on for his own leisure.

I hurried through the busy hospital crowd not looking at anyone to the receptionist. I didn’t care about anyone at that moment; I just wanted to see my mother

“Good evening sire” the receptionist said with a warm smile. I looked at the chubby stout happy lady over the counter and decided to maintain my cool. No one needed to know when I was panicked

“Evening ma. I am here to see my mother. Miss Edidiong Itam. She was admitted like two hours ago”

She pulled out a file and searched through for something

“Fill in your details in the book in front of you” she said firmly. I nodded in agreement, picked up my pen and filled in my details.

“She is in Ward B. the first turning to the left take the first staircase you see” she said describing with her finger. “She is in room 2”

“Okay” I replied and with no hesitation hurried towards the direction pointed out to me. As I climbed the stairs, I prayed. My mother had better been okay. I wondered how I would cope without her. The last time this happened I was six years old and I just sat down on the ground and cried as my father kicked my mother. She had a broken rib then. What was it this time around? As I walked down I saw familiar faces from my brother’s department, Prestige University. I wanted to turn back but I walked ahead anyway. This was my mother. I uncomfortably asked to be excused as I passed through the murmuring crowd. Why were they even here. Some people were crying while some were just conversing. No one seemed to have my time

“Kevwe” someone said grabbing my arm. Good someone knew me. I sighed and looked at the person

“You’re Odiong’s brother right” he continued. I nodded in agreement attracting some people’s attention

“Call him and tell him Vinc is in the hospital. He isn’t picking any of us calls”

I scoffed

“I wont make any difference Mr.” I said in a low tune

“I need to go see my mother I _”

“was that your mother” a girl interrupted. I ignored her. Great I had everyone’s attention now.

“the woman they wheeled to that room” she continued. I held my breath and looked at the guy who still had a grip on me to release me. He did.

“Oh my God!” another girl exclaimed “Was she robbed?”

Ok that was enough. I walked ahead with no reply. On getting to room 2, I saw the maid sitting on the chair and my sick dad standing beside my mother’s bed. I hurried in and ignoring Efe’s greeting went straight to look at my mother. It was bad, really bad. Her eyes were black, her face was swollen and hit blue black and she had a cut on her lwft arm. Her light skin was red all over. All I could think of was how long this went on.

“How long as she been sleeping” I asked Efe. Trying not to get angry. Efe stood up and hurried to me

“Na so she be when we bring her come hospital”

“She’s been like this since you were in the house”

She nodded timidly

I turned my gaze to my father and looked at him with rage

“Kevwe, you know I won’t just hit your mother out of the blues”

I ignored his comments

“She’s pregnant” I said to him looking straight into his eyes

“I know son, just relax and hear my side”

“She’s pregnant” I growled

“She’s pregnant. She’s five months pregnant. How long did this go on” I growled out

“Come on Kev_”

“How long did this”

I stopped. I was done talking. That was all I had been doing all this years. I picked up the stainless hospital flask on the table, hurried straight to him and used it to hit his head. We got physical. He resisted hitting me and just blocked my punches. Efe could do nothing than scream, attracting the attention of almost everyone on that block including my school mates. Two male doctors finally succeeded in pulling me away.

“what’s the meaning of all this” one of the doctors said. I looked away. Staring at my school mates who stared from the entrance of the room

‘I think he’s trying to hit his father” I heard one of them whisper

“Go home” he continued “before I discharge your mother”

I picked up my bag and my jacket and taking one last long stare at my father, walked out. The small crowd infront of my mother’s room gave way for me and no one tried to question. All I heard was murmurs and laughs.

They always said I was my father’s son; I was his height, I took his smile, his chin dimple, his laughter, his frown, that day I found out I took his dark side too