The spelling competition got tougher in the next couple of days. Most of the top contending schools , the elite schools in the competition lost their chances to get to the finale. But Ivie was still standing her ground she managed to push through the tough semi final elimination round and qualified for the National spelling bee competition finale.
It was an unbelievable tryouts and Ivie gave her best. The finale was on Friday so on Thursday there had a break. The kids have been battling out on stage for days and the last 4 schools that qualified for finals from Abuja, Delta, kogi and Lagos.
So on Thursday Mrs Erabor asked osas if it was okay for Ivie to go the hospital to finally get her samples taken for the DNA test.
Osas was in a really good mood so she agreed to it, they just better get it done and over with so everyone can get back to their lives. they took Ivie to the hospital
Ivie wasn't sure why she was taken to the hospital it's not like she was feeling sick so when she asked. Helen has to tell her it was a regular procedure for kids her age to get vaccinated and tested for all round medical checkup. Ivie hates going to the hospital
Tough lie for a smart kid but she didn't question it, her aunt is here and it's not like she's going to let anything bad happen to her and she really like Mrs Erabor and so she trusted her
The doctor called her into his office to take the cheek swap and asked her how she was doing. When she returned back to the waiting lobby. Raphael was sitting outside waiting for his turn. He wasn't expecting to see Ivie here, his mom had told him that the doctor had booked an appointment for him today at this time but she didn't mention that Ivie was going to be here as well
Which makes him wonder if it was really the doctor that booked the appointment or his mom did.
When Ivie walked out of the doctor's office wearing her blue sweatshirt and pants. Raphael's heart went zigzag for a moment.
he noticed she was looking everywhere for a familiar face so he cleared his throat and said to her
"Hey! You can take a seat am sure your mom will be here soon"
She rolled her eyes and reluctantly sat next to him on the bench. After about 60seconds she finally looked at him
"Sir may I use your phone please, I'd like to call my aunt pls "
"Ohhh okay!" While he was pulling out his phone from his pocket
Helen and osas showed up with soda
"Ohh here they are"
Helen was happy seeing her son and his daughter sitting next to each other, she would have loved to frame this moment
"You didn't tell me he was going to be here" Osas said definitely not as happy as Helen
"Aunty osas! " Ivie called jumping out of the seat to meet her
"Hey! How are you, are you feeling pain anywhere. Did the doctor use a needle"
"No! They just took something from my teeth, I think the dr thinks I have toothache. Who is going to hell him that I don't"
"Oh don't worry about it dear. He is going to run a comprehensive test " Mrs Erabor answered
She turned to Raphael
"Ohhh Ivie! I want to introduce you to my son. My first born his name is Raphael Edafe" Helen points at Raphael who was probably icing out of the conversation
"Oh Good morning sir" Ivie said smiling at him
Raphael couldn't get the response out
He was staring at her and how identical they look, this is the closest he has ever been to her , his mom is right the resemblance is uncanny. The DNA test is just secondary at this point right here, right now he has the answers that he needs.
The nurse called out next' twice before Raphael realized it was his turn and stood up from the bench. Took a long glance at Ivie before making his way into the doctor's office
"Is your son feeling sick ma?" Ivie asked
"Oh no he is just here for checkup too"
"Ohhh OOK " she nodded.
"Aunty osas are you doing check up too"
"No Ivie have done my own"
After the hospital osas didn't want to head back home and by home that means Mrs Erabor's house, she didn't like that Raphael was invited to the hospital and he was sitting next to Ivie. That gave her cramps. Everything is not going to be okay just because he showed up at the hospital. They are doing this whole DNA thing because he doubted her so going back to the house will make her get more upset
she didn't want to stay at the hotel either., Ivie needs to get back to studying for her big day tomorrow so they dropped Ivie at the hotel and then osas went to see Joyce in her newly acquired apartment
Joyce was so happy to see osas, the last time they saw each other was when osas left the house after the whole disagreement with ejiro
"Joyce baby..., this your bobo house is fine o. So Yoruba demon don finally go yankee"
"Abi o? Bobo don finally leave me for Naija"
"But do you still hear from him. I hope you guys still talk regularly "
"At least once a day we must talk although we are still trying to figure out the time difference and how to adjust to it. He just got a job and he's planning to get another one that fits into it schedule "
"He is really putting in the effort o"
"Yes o Infact I use to feel for him whenever we talk on the phone he is always so exhausted. But I no go lie I don miss my bobo... e get as my body just dey do me somehow "
"See this one, love in the air. When your bobo dey here your body no do you anyhow nah now when he don go abroad nah hin you kan dey Miss am"
"Abi o, But come Osas, you are shinning ooo, this your madam that is really taking care of you"
"Yes ooo. That woman is a blessing to my life. I honestly don't know what u would have done if she had not showed up in my life at the time she did."
"I mean people like that are very rare. How did you even meet that kind of woman, she looks very rich and high class I mean when you showed me your room .... Girl! I was tripping and if I were in your shoes I won't leave that kind of house to come and stay in this my self contain cubicle with me "
"Oh Joyce, you know it's not like that. We lived in small room together and I even slept on the bare floor for almost a month, cmon you know this story. Ahhh Omo I don suffer gan for this Lagos "
"Ahhah it's not that bad nah"
"Girl don't even get me started. If I had started in a fancy apartment like yours and I didn't have to trek miles to fetch water maybe it would have been bearable but that Ajegunle nah real ghetto"
"I swear I was afraid of staying in this house all by myself and when you told me you've started working and you won't be coming. I was almost tempted to ask Ejiro to move in with me. I mean we've been friends since university days, ify and I don't really see eye to eye and I got to know ify through Ejiro. So it only makes sense that I invite ejiro and I know she would really like an upgrade But her lifestyle scared me away , the lies, the fake life. Ahhh No I can't deal. She's my friend and I truly care for her but I've never been about that life. She is not even measuring her lies in bits she can forge a whole other life for herself. I mean before it use to be funny and we'll just laugh about it but now I know she can't help it. It's a part of who she is now"
"Na so this girl go use lie pursue all her helpers. I swear she no get sense. You need to see how she use to belittle us at every chance she got. Coz she's the one that went to university and graduate amongst our age group from her mother's side ... she no go let us hear word. My other cousin Justina almost suffered depression because of her big bags of lies. Only for me to come here and see the state that she's living in . Ah No! That's too bad.
Me wey I drop out for Ss1 I no dey suffer this bad for Warri. I don already commot corporate job for my head. So I know if am ever going to make it am going to work twice as hard. Do better. Not to be lying upandan like am possessed"
"Yeah! And you have done so well for yourself. You are very fluent and I've heard you blow some kain big big grammar wey person wey finish school sef no sabi and you know how to use your words.
I swear until you tell someone that you dropped out of secondary school they will actually believe you are a graduate "
"Ohhh really!" Osas blushed
"This is all thanks to my best friend Ese and my baby girl Ivie. They have help shape me to this grammarian "
"You are so fond of this your baby sister, you are always talking about her"
"Yeah she is my rock. That girl has given me purpose. She's actually in Lagos at the moment, she came to represent her school no infact the state in a national spelling bee competition "
"National spelling bee"
"Yeah! And you should definitely show up tomorrow for the finale. It's at the Raystar hotel, come and see my baby girl do her thing "
"This is huge Wow! I'll try and make out time to be there, you know I have work tomorrow "
"Tomorrow is Friday, school will close early so just try and be there "
"I will, you must be so proud and excited "
"Super proud! " osas gulp her juice
"Joyce don't you have anything stronger like Dry gin or beer which one is this one that you are giving me. All these sugar sugar no go do am"
"I don't stock beer in my house. I'm not a beer parlor but if I go out to buy you chilled cold beer you must make sure that you spill whatever it is that you are brooding about "
"Do I look sad to you"
"Beneath all those smiles and laughter I can tell there are rough patches fighting to stay hidden"
"Wow! You should add psychology to your resume "
"So do we have a deal...."
"Fine Deal! Just make sure you buy more than one o"
When the beer arrived Osas was finally ready to loosen up and just share her hugging story with someone before she looses her mind
"Joyce do you remember the Prince Charming I told you I fell in love with when I was a teenager "
"Hmm hmm!"
"I found him....."
"Ohhh really !"
"Yeah! After 12years I finally found the boy who stole my heart and ran away with it"
"Wow! That's great news right...."
"Yes it's amazing news except the boy doesn't care that I waited so long for him or that I've spent the last decade reliving the short memory that I have of him"
"He is no longer in love with you"
"Never was! I don't know what I was thinking when I gave such a person the right to completely own my heart and engrave his name on it"
"Is he married now?"
"About to wed. And he is also so in love with someone that is not me. Damn! That shit hurts like crazy"
She scoffs and gulp her beer
"Have been trying to act like it's all cool, am a tough girl I can handle it but the truth is I can't.... I'm tried to convince myself that he is not worth it and I overhyped him too much but am afraid it's too late for any redemption "
"Twelve years is actually a long time "
"I know right, my best friend Ese and I use to argue about this all day long, she doesn't get why am still so hung up on him for so long. It caused a big quarrel between us that and the fact that she wanted me to go back to school. Do my ssce and try to further my education. She's always been so thoughtful but I told her she can't plan my life for me just because her own seem perfect. I can't believe I said such horrible things to my friend who has been there for me through thick and thin because of a man. A man that can not stand my guts, he is always so irritated by presence and thinks am a gold digger " she scoffs
"Is he the one that picked you up from the house that night" I nodded
"He sure looks very handsome and rich"
"I thought he was different, he was so sweet and kind while we were kids though we did not spend so much time together but he fits perfectly into my ideology of perfect gentleman, a perfect partner, a perfect husband. Do you know I've not been able to give another man a chance to wander round my heart because to me it feels like am cheating on my fantasy. I know it sounds crazy"
"Trust me it doesn't sound crazy "
"It actually does because why will someone like me who doesn't take bullshit be living with kind of dilemma for far too long "
"So what do you plan on doing now"
"I don't know, when the test results is out, he is going to figure out that am not lying and we are going to be part of each other's life moving forward although it's not like this is going to change his feelings about me but at least it will prepare him for what's coming"
"Wait! Slow down. What are you talking about? What test result"
She sighed heavily
"We have a child together " osas said pressing her lips together
Joyce gasped unsure if what she just heard is true