Scars (Romola 2)

96: Silent Night

She sat up when she heard the knock at the door but she hadn't really been asleep.

Having lain in the darkness on the bed that she and Sunbo had shared when she still lived in the house, she had struggled to find some rest even though all of her body ached. Lolade lay beside her now. The little girl had cried herself to sleep.

Other than Lolade's tears, the house had remained silent that night. It was like the neighbours understood their wish to grieve silently. Romola had no doubt that the silence in the compound was ordered by Iya Nelson. Just the same way the older woman had arranged the joyful celebration of the passing on of her co-wife. Today the old tongues of the gossips didn't even wag. There wasn't even a whisper. Which was why it was out of the ordinary to hear someone knock on the door.

She sat still, listening. Maybe Jide had snuck out again but she heard his loud and steady snores coming through the window next to hers.

Or was it Maami?

Romola shook her head then lay back on the bed. She shut her eyes, trying to force herself to return to the illusion of peaceful sleep that she had put on for Lolade's sake but her sleep wasn't peaceful. It had been filled with images of today and the memories of time past. She'd seen Sunbo's face, smile, tears, pain, joy, laughter and aspirations. She had also relieved the final moments of her sister's death when Jide broke the news. And she'd recounted everything she'd seen today including Olumide's parents and their smug faces.

She had never hated anyone on sight more than she did them.

And it was funny because she was sure she had seen them at Olumide's house party. Her memory was returning now and with it, new depth to the feelings she had been harbouring. Feelings she had been trying to hide and ignore. Feelings concerning a certain well-fleshed man with smooth brown coloured skin.

She shook her head at the louder knock on the door. If everyone was in the house, who could be at the door?

The knock came again. Louder and more aggressive.

Romola's hair rose on the back of her neck. Her muscles tightened with fear. Only one person would knock the door like he had a right to the house. Had he come back to finish what he had started?

She hurried out of the room and into the back of the house where she pulled his instrument from behind the rusted tap that he refused to replace or fix. She gripped the handle of the machete, grateful that someone had thought to keep it in the right place, and then she opened the door.

Under the moonlight, she caught the silhouette of a man turning towards her as the door opened and then she brought the machete down. Hard.

The man ducked out of the way at the same time she heard Olumide yell, "Jesus."

Her hand loosened and the machete fell to the wooden floorboard underneath her feet.

"I know you hate me, but you don't have to kill me."

"I wasn't planning to... I was–" She shook her head, then swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "How did you find this place? What are you doing here?"

"Not trying to die."

"How did you find my house?"

"I want to fix us."

"Mide, are you out of your mind?"

With the moonlight coming from behind him, she couldn't tell what expressions he had on his face but the confidence in his voice was unshakable. After her mother had found her at Olumide's house, she'd fancied that he would come after her at some point but she had given up when she had seen him at the hotel with that man that was Bukky's customer.