A Story Of Deceit

Episode 33

‘Your mum?’, how come it’s your mum?’, my uncle asked. ‘She dropped it on the floor mistakenly’, she replied staring at her mother. ‘Dear, how did this happen?’,my uncle asked. ‘It was a mistake’, she said abruptly. ‘Hmmm’, he sighed. ‘You’re lucky, it’s your mother, if not, you’d manage that phone. I will get you another one, before the month ends’, he assured her. ‘Thank you sir, thank you daddy’, she said. Her mother had nothing to do with the phone that got damaged, how come she was able to just lie that way to defend her daughter and why didn’t Stella tell her father it was I who caused the severe cracks on the screen?.

It didn’t matter to me, I took it that, she didn’t want to raise any questions from her father in regards to the phone.

‘So, Uwa, what have you concluded concerning your future?’, my uncle asked. ‘Fashion designing, sir, I will learn fashion’, I replied. I didn’t make that decision because, I wanted to please my mum but, I thought about it and it was the path, I wanted to take. ‘Is that what you really want?’, he asked. ‘Yes sir’, I replied. ‘Okay, then in two weeks, you’re going to fashion school’. He said. The sound of that made me elated.

It was not just one birthday gift, but two birthday gifts. My phone and a promise to send me to fashion school. My mum’s joy knew no bounds as she thanked my uncle continuously. ‘Ehen, what about Stella?’, my mum asked. ‘Stella?, she will make a decision now, a trade or she’ll continue to sit for WAEC’, he informed. ‘She’ll resit for WAEC, I promise, this time, she’ll pass’, Mrs. Martins said’. ‘I didn’t ask you, I want her to make her decision by herself’, my uncle said. ‘Errrm, daddy, I’ve not made any decisions yet’, Stella replied. I thought he’d yell, but he said calmly, ‘don’t think, time is on your side. Well, anytime you make your decision, you let me know’, My uncle said. ‘Yes sir’, she replied. I didn’t notice the usual jealousy countenance on Stella’s face, she had sadness written all over her face. Stella left for her room and her mother aggressively followed suit, probably to scold her.

Ngozi said she was happy for me and that, if I left for school, I shouldn’t focus on anything besides learning every single thing. My mum also started saying stuffs about being a good girl for a trip, I’d go for in two weeks.

I finally left them both for my room and started exploring my new phone, my new phone had several features which enabled me to chat on several social networks.

David didn’t call me all through the day, I didn’t call him too as I was really provoked. I decided to forget about David, afterall, I didn’t come to the world for him, if he decided that, he didn’t need me in his life anymore, then I had to move on without him, there was no need to tell him about fashion school.

At long last, it was almost dark, there was still no phone calls from anyone.

Through guesses, I was able to open an account on some of the social networks.

They were inbuilt on the phone, which made it easier. I was just so excited, I decided to call Yemisi. I wanted to inform her about the things that had been going on. I was about dialing her phone number, when a call came in from the least person, I had expected to call. ‘Hello Dayo’, I said. ‘Hello Uwa’, he said softly. ‘Happy birthday’, he said. ‘Oh, thank you!’, I said. ‘You’re welcome, I would have called since morning but I wasn’t sure, you’d pick up’, he said. I wanted to ask him about David but, I changed my mind. I thanked him for his call, I was grateful that he cared enough to call and wish me a happy birthday.

After our call, I still dialled Yemisi’s number. ‘Hello, Uwa’, she said enthusiastically. ‘Hello, Yemisi, you seem happy today’, I said. ‘Yes, I’m extremely happy, more than happy, over excited’, she said. ‘why what happened?’, I asked. ‘Though, I’m in the hospital now, I was just given my phone today, I’ve been in the hospital for the past one week’, she informed. ‘Wow, one week?, and you’re happy, that means you’ve given birth, I thought you weren’t due, till next week’, I asked delightedly. ‘No, no be only give birth, I feel drastically from the hospital’s staircase and I had a miscarriage’, she said. ‘What!, a miscarriage, as in you lost the baby?, I’m really sorry Yemisi , I’m so sorry’, I said remorsefully. ‘Uwanah, why are you saying sorry?, I said I’m happy about it, can’t you see, I won’t have to spend any more minute in this stupid village. Once, I leave this hospital, I’ll start packing my things and leave with my mum’, she said. ‘Oh, okay’, I said. ‘Are you not happy for me?’, she asked. Now this question was awkward, why would I be happy about her having a miscarriage?. ‘Or, you wanted me to give birth?’, she questioned. Now, this was another awkward question, why wouldn’t I want her to give birth?. ‘No, It’s cool dear, it’s good, you can face your life’, I said chuckling. ‘Hmmmm, okay ooo, Uwa, how far na?’, she asked. ‘Hmm, my uncle said, he wants to take me to fashion school ooo, he even got me a new phone’, I informed her. ‘Really, that’s great, at least, we’d be able to chat very well, hope it’s a phone you can use for social networks?’, she asked. ‘Yes of course’, I said. ‘Okay, I’m really happy for you ooo, how’s your mum?’, she asked. ‘She’s fine and your parents?’, I asked. ‘They are both fine’, she replied. ‘Okay, talk to you later, bye ‘, she said. ‘Okay, you too, bye’, I replied and ended the call.

I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about Yemisi’s miscarriage. No matter, how I thought about it, I still felt guilty about the loss of that child. If I had warned her about Dayo earlier, she probably would have not gone through all that. I decided to tell her the truth, even if it could cost our friendship, it was better she discovered the truth soon enough. I eventually started chatting with Yemisi and a few other people on social media. I was exposed to a different life, I saw different things and images that I began to feel that more than half of the people on social media, were all crazy. I checked for David on whatsapp and he hadn’t been online in a long while. I had just five names on my contact list. David’s, Yemisi’s, Dayo’s, my mum’s and my uncle’s. I couldn’t chat with my uncle, David hadn’t been online and my mum was satisfied with her little phone, the only available people were Yemisi and Dayo.

Everytime, I came online, I would see Dayo online. I was tempted to ask him of David’s welfare, this lingered on until after a week, when I decided to send a message. It started with a simple, “hi” and it ended up with Dayo, still professing his undying love towards me. He didn’t let me breathe, sometimes I avoided his phone calls just to discourage him from calling, sometimes, I dismissed him rudely, just to push him away from him. He finally told me of David’s whereabouts, he said David no longer stayed in the house anymore and with David out of his way, he wouldn’t let go. Apart from the fact, that I’d never accept him, because of his deeds to Yemisi, I had feelings for David and not him anymore, so, I was totally strong willed.

My uncle, informed me that I would go in two days. He said, the school didn’t require my SSCE results as it was a small fashion school.
He admonished me to take everything about fashion school very serious. He also gave me, a huge amount of money to buy new clothes and any other thing, I needed. I couldn’t express my gratitude enough. I just came to a resolve, that there was no way, I would ever let him down. Stella didn’t make any decision yet, she was practically very confused. Each time, her father asked her about the issue, she’d still give excuses.

Dayo was becoming an absolute thorn in the flesh. His profession of love towards me only imputed hatred in my heart towards him. I saw him as a liar who told white fibs every time. Each time, I brought up the issue of him apologizing to Yemisi about his mischief, he’d deny that he was never responsible for the pregnancy. ‘Then who is responsible?’, I would ask. ‘I don’t know, someone else’, he would say. ‘Besides you, no other guy, visited Yemisi, so stop lying, if you call Yemisi and apologize’, you should just let me know’, I would inform him and end the call.

Going to school, was just two days away and I had not seen David, much more, inform him of the good news. He had gotten a new job and a new house, I didn’t know of. I wondered if he was already making enough money and mixing up with other important people that he had forgotten I even existed. All the anger I had against him had dissolved, I only blamed myself for our severed communication. ‘Uwanah, Uwanah, Uwanah’, Ngozi yelled. ‘Yes’, I replied. ‘The gateman said, someone is outside the gate, looking for you’, she informed. ‘Looking for me?’, I asked. ‘Yes, looking for you’, she said. ‘Doesn’t the person have a name?’, I asked. ‘I don’t know, go and ask the gateman na’, she said. ‘Hmmmm’, I sighed and went out to the gate. ‘Good afternoon sir, please who is looking for me?’, I asked. ‘Ah, the person set make I no tell you im name’, he said. ‘What’s the meaning of that, if the person doesn’t have a name, then I’m going inside’. I said. For all I knew, it could be Dayo trying to lure me outside. ‘Okay, oya, no vex, na David’, he said.

My eyes widened with surprise. ‘David?’, I asked. ‘Yes’, he said. I rushed outside immediately. David looked different, like really different from how I saw him two weeks ago. ‘David’, I called. ‘Uwanah’, he said. ‘Are you busy?’, he asked. ‘No, not really’, I asked. He held me, dragged me to the bustop and asked me to get into a car. ‘David, whose car is this?’, I yelled. ‘It’s mine’, he said smiling. I laughed uncontrollably. ‘Your car?’, I asked. ‘Yes, my car’, he replied looking so serious. I was confounded, where on earth did David get a car from?.