Scars (Romola 2)

75: Sheep To Slaughter

Ajoke arrived at the hospital first. He thought Yetunde's mother would've arrived first.

Yetunde sat on the far end of the seat he sat on. She refused to look at him and she wouldn't let him touch her. All of this had gone too far? All he'd wanted was a simple answer to a question.

So far, she hadn't made any attempt to stop him from leaving the waiting room but ever so often, especially when he made sudden large movements, she would cast an accusatory look his way. Guilt did its job and kept him bound to the seat even when his legs begged for a stretch.

The number of people in the waiting room had dwindled as the sun had gone down. Outside, the last light from the golden sky gave way to purple clouds.

"Where is she? What happened?" Ajoke sat between him and Yetunde, turning from one party to the other.

"Sister Joke." Yetunde burst into another bout of tears as her head fell on Ajoke's shoulder. Ajoke placed her hand around Yetunde's shoulder and caressed the younger woman's arm.

"Talk to me. What happened?"

"Modupe... I told her not to go to the swing but Olumide insisted and now she has a huge cute."

"Which swing? You didn't explain things well on the phone."

Yetunde sniffed. "You know those rusty play things at the back. She went there."

"Why did you let her go there?" Ajoke shrieked.

"I didn't. It's Olumide's fault. I kept telling him, let's go home but he refused."

"Yetunde," Olumide cleared his throat. "That isn't the whole story."

"Shut up." Ajoke glared at him. "You shouldn't even say a word. See what you've done."

"But I didn't do anything. The swing hit the boy beside Modupe and he pushed her into the see saw. It was an accident. There is nothing I could have done to prevent it."

"Yes, there was." Yetunde's voice rose, adopting a higher pitch. "You could've listened to me when I spoke. I told you to let us go home. Now see. See what you've done."

"Yetunde, it's going to be fine."

Yetunde buried her head on Ajoke's shoulder, her own shoulders shaking as she sobbed.

Ajoke turned to hm. "Where's Modupe? What did the doctor say?"

"They took her to the emergency room. We're waiting for the doctor's report."

"You better pray that nothing happens to this girl, Mide. I don't know what you were looking for at her school."

"I just wanted to talk to Yetunde privately."

"Gbenu Soun. Shut up. Of all the places to talk. What was so important that it could not wait until you got home?

"Nothing."

Yetunde raised her head. "It's not nothing. He accused me of broadcasting that girl's photo."

"Which girl?"

"That his prostitute girlfriend."

"She's not a prostitute."

Ajoke blessed him with a hard glare. "So, that's the reason you put Modupe's life in danger. Olumide, you're engaged. Forget about that witch. God help you if anything happens to Modupe."

Olumide's mumbled. "Nothing will happen to her."

"I hope so, for your sake. Because mom and dad will finish you. We've not even talking about what her parents would do to you when they find out."

The nurse from the reception table walked into the room. Olumide flew off his chair like the seat was made of hot coals.

"How is she?"

"Thank God, the girl is out of major danger."

"Great." Olumide sighed.

"For now." The nurse added.

"What do you mean for now?" Ajoke rose.

"She suffered serious injuries to her sides and surface cuts to a few organs."

"Which ones?" Ajoke demanded.

Olumide felt the blood drain from his face. A cold feeling settled over his body and the water on his tongue vanished.

"You'll have to come with me to the doctor's office for more information."

Yetunde jumped to her feet and grabbed his hand. Her red eyes, larger than ever, pinned on his face. "You see. I told you. See. You want to kill Modupe for me."

The nurse turned to lead the way out of the waiting room and they followed, only to run into a party of two other people. An elderly dark-skinned man with a stern face and a robot-like walking pace, holding the arm of a fair skinned woman with more edges than curve. The woman's blouse was mismatched from the Ankara material used to form her skirt. Her scarf lay askew on her head.

"Yetunde?"

"Mummy." Yetunde ran into her mother's hand. The woman squeezed her tightly before they parted and stared at each other. "What took you so long?"

"It's traffic. Traffic my dear. Where's Modupe?"

"We're just going to the doctor's office." Ajoke patted Yetunde's back comfortably.

"G— Good evening." Olumide said under his breath, hoping they wouldn't say anything. This was his fault. He knew it. They knew it too. Yetunde had emphasized that in all of her conversations with everyone, including Dami. That was why he was yet to pick any of Dami's calls.

Yetunde's mother hissed. "What's good about the evening?"

Her father only nodded.

The nurse turned back to them. "Are all of you coming with me to the doctor's office?"

"Yes." The women chorused.

The nurse turned away and the group followed. Olumide slowed his footsteps until he fell behind and then he stopped and turned away. He didn't deserve to be in the room with others and if he was poison, as Romola had so rightly diagnosed, then he needed to stay as far away from them as possible. Maybe now, with all these people at Yetunde's side, he could search for Romola.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ajoke's question stopped him dead in his tracks.

He turned to her. "I want to use the toilet."

"And you didn't use it all the time before now?"

"There was nobody to sit with Yetunde. Besides, I was worried. We hadn't heard anything from the doctor."

"We still don't know the state Modupe is and if you think I'm going to let you walk away from this, the way you walked away from Muyi's bedside, you're wrong."

Ajoke stared him down with a look that he could not challenge. She was right. His place was with his family. Maybe the mystery of Romola was better unsolved. It had brought up enough complications.

He followed behind Ajoke, like a sheep following its Shepard to slaughter.