Aunty Tee hasn't made a move, and her eyes still haven't left mum's body since dad walked out the door, and I really want to convince myself it was due to shock.
I slowly walked over to mum and for the first time noticed her eyes were a bit open, which made me more scared every passing second. She hasn't moved at all neither have I found a pulse since then. I've been checking every moment.
But then I remembered.
I raced up to their room, my eyes combing the entire wildly lit area, as they frantically searched for mum's phone. It wasn't there.
Frustrated, I turned to leave when my eyes caught hold of her black handbag sitting on the padded reading table by the window. I hurried over to it and almost ripped it open. My hands ransacked the entire bag but was disappointed when I found nothing. I hurried over to her other bags but found nothing in them all. I ran out again.
Aunty Tee was still standing as I left her. Transfixed.
I ran over to mum's side, my hands running over her body but saw nothing. Her black plain trouser had no front pocket but I guessed it might have behind. Her shirt had a shallow pocket slightly above the trim and they both had nothing in them. I tried moving mum over but couldn't, she must have weighed a tonne. I glanced up at aunt Tee but saw her as a helpless case. Her eyelids I believe haven't batted once since she became like this. She can't be of any help now.
Taking strong breaths, I grabbed mum by the shirt and pulled with all my strength. And she toppled over, her body coming down on my legs. I struggled defiantly until I freed my legs before crouching lightly above her. There, still stuck in that small back trouser pocket was her phone. It was exuding bright blue light which signaled a recent activity. I pulled it out to notice a crack on the screen.
Hopefully it doesn't affect the functionality.
Just a glance on the screen showed mum had missed eight calls, from no other person than aunty Mma.
How could I not have heard it ring?
Scared, I tapped on the missed call and her number popped up, the phone asking if it should redial. I clicked yes and watched as it went through.
"Hello? You scared me to death!...."
"Aunty, it's me Ada. Please...
"Where's your mum? She called and.. "
"My mum is....dead?" The last word sounded more like a question than a statement.
Pause.
"What?" She was calm. "Is this a wrong number or... "
"You need to come now... "
"Ada." She paused. "I'm already on your street. Come open the gate. And Hurry" She was cracking up. I could hear it.
I can't remember ending the call as I tossed the phone on mum's body, racing past aunt Tee like a breeze. She was still transfixed.
Aunt Mma didn't even wait for the gate to be fully open before racing in. Her door flying open as soon as the car came to a halt.
I turned to push the gate close but her command was sharp and unnerving.
"Leave. That. Gate. Open.!" She screamed racing up the stairs. I obeyed and followed behind.
Her ignition was still on with her door wide open. As I burst through the open door, I found her cradling mum and sobbing silently into her bosom.
Then she glanced up. "I can feel something." She announced, a streak of happiness appearing and quickly disappearing from her eyes. She rested her ears on mum's bosom again and smiled up. "I think I can hear something. Let's go!" She screamed standing up. Like a flash, she pulled and tossed her shoes off her legs and without another word scooped mum up.
Zara walked out. And began crying.
"Slap Tee so hard so she can behave. She needs to take care of Zara while we take your mum to the hospital" Aunty ordered, hurling mum out the door.
At first, slapping my aunt seemed odd but when rivers of all the atrocities she'd committed flooded back to my memory, I didn't waste another second to slap her.
Tawararara!
And she jerked back to life.
"We're taking mum to the hospital. Take care of Zara" I commanded walking over to my sister.
Angry, impatient and unending blares of horn blasted from below which forcefully quickened my steps. Kissing my sister, I ran off the sitting, out to the balcony and into the stairs. Aunty Tee was at the balcony looking out to see who was taking mum to the hospital. Zara was still crying.
*****
They said mum was in coma but thanks to aunty Mma's quick intervention, they believe she'd make it. Her doctor friend had said if we'd wasted another minute, we might have lost her before even getting to the hospital.
Hearing the doctors say such about mum was the scariest part of my life and watching my mum lay lifeless on the floor while dad drove out without care made me realize what aunty Mma had been saying all along.
Her fiancé was there to help but this time, he was fuming with anger. Everyone who heard mum's story was cursing dad, wondering if he'd ever loved her from the start.
Surprisingly dad never called nor visited her at the hospital. Aunty Mma had no option than to inform mum's family about the situation. They were there for their sister and rallied round for every cash needed for all her surgeries and everything.
Mum was in complete coma for two weeks, and by the third week began drifting in and out of consciousness. By the fourth week, she was fully conscious of things and people around her.
A day after mum regained consciousness, dad majestically appeared in the hospital with Zara tagging along. Aunty Mma had left earlier to work and mum's siblings had gone back to their different abode leaving just grandma and I behind. I guess dad timed his arrival pretty well.
As he walked in, I could feel my anger burning inside, my hand forming into a fist as I cursed myself for being too small to fight him. I was willing to call the security if he tries anything stupid.
Grandma only smiled up to dad as he walked into the room, but for all the times he was there, her eyes couldn't stop searching frantically for an inexistent object on the floor.
Mum was quiet. No words, no expressions. Even beneath her silence, I still could decipher what she desperately needed from him. An apology. That's all it would take for her to go back to his den, and this time might be very unlucky making it out alive.
Well dad didn't come for that.
"I asked the nurses and they showed me in" He began nonchalantly.
I shook my head. Mum nodded.
"I'm assigned to a trip outside Portharcourt which will last for over a week" He paused. "I can't take Zara along and Tee wouldn't be around to cater for her, so she'll be here with you both till when I'm back" He finished, staring at mum.
He hasn't spared me a glance since he arrived and I wasn't ready to give him what he so desired. A smile.
Without remorse or a sign of care, he dropped her and stood up to leave. At the door he turned around "Oh, I'm glad you're okay" And with that, he was gone.
Grandma was very heartbroken with dad's attitude but still stood firm that it was the devil trying to destroy mum's home. She went on about how mum should fight it with her knees. She was urging mum to go back and fight for her home once she recovers even though it was very glaring that mum was still fighting for her life.
For the first time, mum ordered grandma out of her room. Grandma was surprised but still respected mum's orders. She slowly stood up and went to sit at the corridor. I was pleased, at least this time the scales have fallen off mum's eyes.
The next morning, Dr. Ken went for his routine ward round, he was very kind to mum and gave her an expected preferential treatment. When he left her bedside, mum beckoned on one of the accompanying nurses to come.
"Please nurse, I have been looking for a very kind nurse that attended to me during my last visit" mum said.
"What's her name?" she asked. Mum shook her head
"I didn't ask her or maybe I can't remember again. She is a bit fair, averaged height...
"We have many nurses here with same description" The nurse replied impatiently.
"Yes!" Mum gasped as though a spark lighted up her brain. "She has this huge deep scar on her elbow" mum smiled "I can remember" mum said excitedly.
"Oh! You mean Nurse Uju." The nurse answered sadly.
"Please, is there any problem?" Mum asked, fears present in her eyes. The nurse gave a weak smile.
"She died!" Her response was slow and cold.
Mum robbed her hands slowly up her arms. I stared at her arms and could see the visible goose pimples sprouting everywhere. She couldn't believe what she just heard. I couldn't it either.
"What happened?" Mum asked. Tears were trailing her cheeks now.
"Her husband happened" The nurse smiled sadly. "Her husband mistakenly hit her with a bottle, lodging a piece into her skull....."
Mum was angry. "You said mistakenly?"
"At least that's what he claimed. Oh! He also said it was self defence" She laughed. A sad laughter. "The most painful part is she died like a chicken, leaving six children motherless!" She paused. "I warned her severally, but she believed in bringing out the best even in the worst animal. No man is worth dying for. Leave when you still can. Its better I be a living Miss than a late Mrs" She replied and excused herself.
Mum was weak. And I watched as grandma trotted back into the room.
"She had a sad fate, it was a fate destined by God and nature. Not everyone would end up like that. Some people fought and endured and are reaping the fruit of their labor today." Grandma insisted.
Mum was very quiet. I knew she was thinking of what's next for her.
******
Hello and good morning.
Happy Sunday.
So did this chapter satisfy your urge? Your quests?
What do you think Nneka will do now?
Will she go back home?
Or leave from the hospital to start her life afresh?
In just a sentence describe how you see Emy.
PS: Due to how busy I suddenly am, please bear with me as I'll reschedule the updates. For now, it'll be Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Four times a week. But I'll still update in days I'm less busy. You know I love updating and love you guys much.
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Till tomorrow 😘