"Dear past, thank you for all the lessons. Dear future, I'm ready now."
Anonymous
ENITAN
Jameel pulled up outside the domestic terminal of the airport few minutes before ten.
Though it took time, Tanya had somehow managed to get Everest to take a walk down the beach. I still couldn't understand how she did it but I was so relieved to be out of the beach house-out of the Adakoles' lives and soon, out of Lagos for good. We were lucky to beat the morning traffic but I was running late for check-in and could only count on 'African time' to have a little chat with my father before boarding.
Jameel stepped out of the driver's seat, put on his dark Burberry sunshades and walked to the back of the red Toyota Camry. The light from the sun was blinding and the heat unbearable, it was hard to believe it had rained till the early mornings; Lagos weather was crazy and unpredictable like its inhabitants.
I adjusted my white tank top over yellow palazzo pants and joined Jameel at the back where he already had the trunk opened. He heaved the suitcase from the trunk and dropped it on the ground then waited for me to pick up the carry on backpack that contained my laptop, makeup and skin care products, when I was done he shut the trunk and turned to me.
"Are you ready?" He asked for maybe the tenth time this morning.
"Yup!" I replied, adjusting the multi-coloured shoulder bag and backpack over my right shoulder.
"Great, let's go." He had taken my news about moving away so well and was helping in every way that he could.
I walked behind while he pulled the trolley towards the automatic airport doors. Immediately we got into the busy ticketing hall, I rushed to the check-in desk for Jos travellers. Luckily, there were still about three people on the queue who were yet to print their boarding passes. Using the few extra minutes I had at the back of the line, I scanned the waiting area for any sign of my dad, he was a man who kept to time so I knew he had to be somewhere around.
I spotted him seating on one of the stainless steel chairs but he wasn't alone, he was sitting with my mom. My mood soiled immediate and I began to wish I'd not asked him to meet me before my flight. Three weeks ago he didn't want her around and I thought he'd finally moved on, but clearly the manipulative woman hadn't got back into his head. What did she want from me? I fumed on the line as I waited for my turn.
"Morning ma'am. Your ID card and booking reference number, please," The plump lady in a neatly ironed white shirt and blue tie asked.
"There!" I slammed the voters card and flight tickets against the counter.
"Thank you Ma'am." She gave a puzzled look then smiled politely and I felt stupid.
"I'm sorry, I'm a bit cranky today," I apologised.
"It's fine ma, trips can be nerve-wracking," she smiled politely.
No. Runaway mothers can be nerve-wracking. I corrected in my mind.
I waited as she inputted some details into her computer and printed out my boarding pass. "The Arik wing and your departure lounge is just on the first floor to your right." She pointed to the escalator to her left. "Please proceed immediately as the plane will begin boarding in twenty-five minutes."
"Thank you!"
I rushed back to Jameel who was now sitting with his AirPods on and sunshades hanging in front of his T-shirt, I tapped him on his back and he turned.
"I have only twenty-five minutes to pass through security. Got to go."
He stood up. "Whoa! Without a hug or proper goodbye?"
I smiled and cleared my throat. "My father is seated behind us and most likely has his four eyes on me."
I was grown but that didn't exempt me from my father's scolding. It was all thanks to the elevator accident and self guilt that I escaped a mighty chastisement for getting pregnant. But I was sure to get one if he caught me hugging or being pecked by a strange man at an airport terminal while I was pregnant for another man-one who was getting married this moment.
"Oh! Hands off then," he laughed. "Take care of you and my babies."
I smiled at his joke. "Sure."
"And I hope you let me visit soon, as a friend of course." He placed his hand on mine that held the trolley handle. "But then again, I hope you consider my request one day."
I swallowed and shifted from one foot to the other. I was hoping he wasn't going to mention his proposal. "Alright." I nodded and gave a brief smile.
He made no attempt to leave first, his eyes secretly pleaded for me to stay, his warm hands never left mine. It felt good to be needed, but I was done with this city.
"Got to say goodbye to my dad too."
"Yeah, sure!" He lifted his hand off me and chuckled nervously, "you do that. Bye." He placed both hands in the side pockets of his jeans and slowly turned to leave.
I pulled the suitcase and carry on bag to the other side of the sitting area while my dad stood up to meet me.
"Who's the fine young man," he asked, his gaze on Jameel's retreating figure.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes but I did it inwardly anyway. "An old friend."
"Ok." He captured me in a bear hug and I pouted like a little baby. "I don't understand why you're so adamant on leaving," he said not letting go.
I heaved a deep sigh. We'd argued over the phone about my leaving for days, nothing I said was going to make him feel good about it.
"I'm going to miss you too dad, but I'll see all of you when I'm settled." I freed myself from the long hug and began to pick my stuff, hoping to leave before he got the chance to mention my mum.
"Your mother, she's here to talk to you and if you don't listen, say goodbye." He pointed to our side where she sat with fidgeting hands and a bowed head.
"I don't have much time dad, I'll miss my flight if I stay back to talk." I stressed on the last word. "I'll let you know when I'm settled." I moved to hug him again but he moved backwards.
"It is important that you speak with her." Something about the final tone in his voice and the serious look in his eyes made my stomach churn.
He gestured with a wave of hand and she stood from the chair to join us. How long has it been? Six years?
She looked so much different-skinnier and three shades darker. Surprisingly, she wasn't wearing any expensive jewellery or flashy accessories, just a plain black jumpsuit and blue satin scarf.
"My baby," she smiled but the edges of her eyes wrinkled like in a frown. Her palms reach for my face and instinctively I jerked away.
"I'm not your baby."
A painful expression crossed her face but I wasn't going to fall for acting skills.
"Do you really have to go?"
"Like you have any right to ask that! What do you want?"
"Forgiveness." Did that word even exist in her dictionary? It didn't even sound nice rolling from her tongue.
"Wow! Such a perfect timing to ask for that." I folded my arms across my chest.
"I've been trying to reach out to you for some time now-"
"Stop running around in circles and tell me why you're really here." I was getting frustrated now.
She was always after something-money. After all that was the reason she left us without looking back.
"When Tolani told me you were pregnant, I knew I had to come see you and be there for my grandchild-"
I laughed, interrupting her. 'My grandchild.' This woman had some nerves.
"I'm dying, baby. End stage liver cirrhosis and carcinoma. And I want to be with my family, you and my grandchild in the little time I have left."
I laughed louder, attracting curious looks from few people close by. What! This woman would even claim terminal illness and death just to extort someone!
"Look, mum. I know Tolani told you I was pregnant for a very rich dude, but he's not involved in my life anymore. As you can see, there's no sign of money on me. In fact, all I have currently is what I intend to start a new life with. So if you're here playing tricks because you consider me your new gold mine, you've wasted your time."
"Enitan!" My father scolded. He'd been quiet all through our exchange I almost forgot he was still here.
"But it's true, dad! She leaves then comes back pretending to be sick just to gain pity and money from me. It's preposterous."
"She's not pretending!" There was a new fire in his eyes that hadn't been there, a new determination to make me see reason. "I've seen the medical reports and scans myself."
"You're not a doctor dad, you can't tell a fake."
"Here!" He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. "Read this and tell me if it looks like a fake!" He shoved it towards me.
I glanced at the a4 paper with a bold letter head of 'University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada' splashed in green colours. Refusing to take the medical report from his hand, I looked up to him.
"Dad, have you forgotten the pains she put us through. Letting me raise two teenage girls when I needed her to raise me. Making us subject of ridicule in church and at school, how could you forget!" I wiped a tear that sneaked out.
"It's my fault that all that happened, I can see it now."
"Stop it, dad!" I grunted. I was done taking his self-blame whenever things went wrong.
"No it's my fault," my mum interjected. "When the diagnosis had come back as hepatitis, I thought there was a way out, your father and I were handling it just fine."
She was once diagnosed with hepatitis and my father knew but never mentioned it? What if they planned this story to stop me from travelling.
"But it began to damage my liver about same time he'd lost his job, I couldn't bring myself to tell him because I knew he was going to go all out. So I left to cater for my health."
"You left to enjoy the good things of life! Don't you dare insult our family by giving a logical explanation to your actions!"
"Fine. I'm everything you say I am. But can you not leave, please! I just need this time with you so bad."
She was joking if she thought I'd cancel my trip for her sob story.
"Dad, I have to go now. I'll let you know when I land." I grabbed my luggage and stomped towards the escalator leading to my departure lounge without looking back once at my parents.
***
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Sandra Lay and I'm your chief flight attendant. On behalf of the captain and the entire crew, welcome aboard Arik airline, non-stop service from Lagos, Nigeria to Jos. Our flight time is one hour thirty minutes.
At this time, make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position and that your seat belt is correctly fastened. Ensure that your carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in an overhead bin.
Also, your portable electronic devices must be set to 'airplane' mode until an announcement is made. Thank you."
I lifted my head from the plane window as the flight attendant finished her announcement and the plane door was closed. I followed all take-off protocols the buckled my seat belt.
Since boarding, I'd been crying silently and dreading the choices I made. Not only was I leaving the only place I knew as home for twenty-four years, but I was leaving the man I loved and running away with his kids. And now, a possibly sick mother. What if I was wrong and she was really dying?
'No. She's fine and just trying to get to me.' I comforted myself. I was just having cold feet.
She wasn't going to get forgiveness or a dime from me so easily.
But what if she was really sick-she looked thinner and feeble unlike her former energetic self. My heart was literally breaking and I couldn't bear the thoughts.
Was I making a big mistake? In the attempt to loose my past would I loose my mother too?
Well well well. What do you think about this chapter? I love comments and feedbacks...I also love Instagram. So catch me on IG @Enechelsea.