JAGUNLABI✔

CHAPTER SIX

Niyi squeezed my hand and gave me a discrete look with pursed lips. I knew what it meant. Teniola, ni suru...agidi ti poju. Teniola, be patient...you are too stubborn.

Niyi and I looked into each others eyes. He smirked and shook his head. I rolled my eyes and decided to listen to his non-verbal advice. The way he read my face and mind so accurately was scary. His ability to touch the right spot, in every way possible increased my concern. Kind enough to tolerate my hard head. Firm enough to call me to order when I was wrong.

He deserved much more love than I was giving to him. Even though I felt such a deep connection to him, I knew it was not enough. He had broken the walls I had built around my heart. Daddy issues met with abandonment issues, forming a barrier between Niyi and I.

The doctor faced me squarely. "E kaaro. Bawo lara yin? Good morning, how are you feeling?"

"Ara n ro mi die. I have slight body aches."

He looked at Niyi. "E je ki a rira ninu office mi. Let us meet in our office."

I put my hands on hips. "Dokita, kilo n sele gaan? Mi o kin se omode. Ohun to ba sele ni ki e so.
Doctor, what exactly is happening? I am not a child. Say exactly what happened."

He looked at Niyi for confirmation. I closed my eyes to prevent an epic eye roll.

"Doctor Ogbeide, go ahead and talk to us," Niyi insisted.

Pin drop silence fell upon the room.

"In my ten years of practice," he said as he tapped his shiny, bald head. "I have never seen a case like yours before, Miss Teniola."

I nodded.

"You were brought in by Mr Niyi, three days ago. After he claimed that you collapsed in his home."

I gasped. So I had been out for three days?

"All your vital signs were monitored for abnormalities. None were detected."

I trembled.

"You remained in a borderline between sleep and coma. Yet, all brain activity monitored revealed no sign of trauma."

My heart beat like the drums that heralded the arrival of Jagunlabi. A cold gust of air chilled my bones. Strangely, the breeze was laced with a fragrance which I clearly remembered to be Maxine's. It was custom made at one meditation camp she attended while we were at NYU. I fought back tears. Maxine was a million miles away in New York. If I could smell her perfume I was definitely losing my mind.

The doctor frowned and stroked his clean shaven jaw. His light skin looked even whiter, and he paused. His bulky stature and medium height looked smaller for a moment. Though he had undergone a lot of training to remain calm and level headed. I could see fear in his eyes.

"Mr Niyi tried to contact your mother, but she was not reachable on her phone."

I huffed. Mum was probably at one of those campfire youth retreats.

Niyi interrupted softly. "I know you have a diplomatic relationship with your father's family, but I thought they should know about your condition."

I shrugged. "So why did you not tell them?"

"I called all the Obashola based contacts on your phone and their phones were switched off," he replied.

"Why did you not drive there? Obashola is just one hour from Ibadan by road." I enquired.

"My car that was in perfect working condition, broke down on the way. I got it towed back to Ibadan, and it worked perfectly...without repairs."

I sat up straighter. I did not want to ask why he did not board a public bus.

"Just in case you were wondering, I boarded a bus, but two back tyres burst while the vehicle was in motion. We narrowly escaped with our lives."

"What?" My hand flew to my mouth.

"In fact, I was just coming back to the hospital when I heard you screaming," Niyi concluded.

"Jagunlabi is trying to kill me," I whispered.

"Who is Jagunlabi?" Niyi asked.

"What? You were with me the whole time. He called you—" I paused when I remembered that Dr. Ogbeide was still in the room. It probably was not my place to reveal what Jagunlabi said about him. All the memories rushed back and spun my thoughts like a hurricane.

Dr. Ogbeide cleared his throat. "Mr Niyi, omo Yoruba gidi ni yin. Oro Miss Teniola o kin se oro hospital. Mr Niyi, you are an authentic, Yoruba man. Miss Teniola's matter can not be treated in a hospital."

Dr Ogbeide turned to leave, not before saying a curt 'Good day'.

I had an idea what Dr Ogbeide meant, but was still in denial.

"Niyi, what does—"

"Dokita ni ki a lo fi ese ile to oro re. The doctor said we should seek an alternative solution to your matter."

"No he did not," I retorted.

"He did not have to, Teniola," Niyi replied. "Have you forgotten what our elders say?"

I kept silent.

"Abo oro ni won so fun omoluabi, to ba de inu e, a di odidi. A wise person only needs a few words, in his mind he will get the full meaning."

Forces beyond ordinary comprehension were clearly at work. Strangely, Niyi claimed to be ignorant of our encounter with the spirit world. Could a nightmare have been so vivid? Could a mere hallucination, not induced by drugs, have landed me in the hospital? I had seen people get hospitalized after substance abuse when I was in college. However, I never took drugs or drank alcohol. Could I have been tripping on ipekere— plaintain chips?

I ought to have prayed for deliverance but my conscience condemned me. Ecclesiastes chapter ten, verse five stated in plain terms my message for the moment. Sadly, all thoughts about how I deserved a chance for redemption flew out the window.

How could I have gotten myself entangled in such a bizzare predicament? My head fell back into my pillow with a thud.

"I know someone we can speak to about this matter," Niyi said.

I shook my head in dismay.

Alas, my situation could be described with the saying of our elders. Laba laba to n fi ara we eye. A butterfly trying to be like a bird. They both have wings, but the heights at which they fly are different.

The battle had just begun.