Fierce

Episode 17

In April, the twins turned four and to celebrate them, she threw aThe Pirates of the Caribbeanthemed party.

She invited their friends from school and some of her close friends. She was dressed as calypso from the movie. Both Malik and Theodora wanted to be Jack Sparrow so she dressed them like that. Christian was dressed as Will Turner and she had no idea what Mani was wearing because it seemed she went to a pirate shop and picked everything.
“What on earth is she wearing?” Christian asked beside her. The she was Mani.
“I have no idea. I don’t think it’s any of the characters from the movie and I will know this because those kids make me watch that movie every day. And I have you to blame for that because you bought the movie” Ehi replied.
Raising his hands up “Hey, what I did? Those children of yours had me going to the cinema every other day. I felt it was cheaper to get the movie in DVD.” He had this serious look on his face, she burst into laughter.
“Was that supposed to be English? Lord your parents wasted their money paying for your tuition.” she said laughing.
“Yeah whatever… But let me ask, where is your certificate. Because the last time I checked I was the only one that went to school. You and Mani probably don’t know what a class room looks like. But it’s okay. I am not judging and if you want to see a classroom I will be kind enough to take you. Yes cos I’m generous like that.” She slapped him on his head.
“Ouch you are so rough. Let me go over to those cute ladies over there. It’s obvious they are dying for my attention unlike someone.”
“Should I remind you that this is a children’s party and not a place to pick up girls. But who are those ladies and who invited them?” she looked at Christian for support but what he did was wink at her and walked over to the said ladies.

She glanced around and everyone was having fun. There were kids in the pool and there were others doing justice to the cupcakes and ice-cream. She walked over to Nessa who had flown in for the birthday. It seemed time hadn’t been favourable because she looked older than her age and she had worry lines on her face. When Ehi had tried to talk to her she had brushed it off saying it was nothing.
“Are you enjoying the party?” she asked as she sat on the bench across from her.
“Yes, your children are marvelous. I don’t think I could swim when I was their age. I doubt I had even entered a swimming pool.” She said laughing.
“Trust me it wasn’t easy. They love being in water and I started taking them for lessons as soon as they turned one. I was so scared… In short I’m still scared but I can’t shield them for everything so I guess I can let them have this.” she sighed then continued “I didn’t know how to swim until I was a teenager and if I remember correctly you were the one who taught me. ” she said quietly.

“Yes I taught you that amongst other things and you always tell me how grateful you are but if you are really grateful then you will put all differences aside and call your mother. If you can’t do it for me then do it for little och—” she stopped talking and she had this look on her face as if she was about to spill a secret.
Shaking her head “No I am not going to do that. She might have given birth to me but she is everything but a mother. The last time you asked I decided to call just as you told me…” she paused fighting back tears “Do you know what she told me? She asked if I wanted to rub it in her face that I am famous and have more zeros in my account than her. She asked how many men I slept with before I was placed on a cover of a magazine. Tell me, what kind of mother says such to her child? What kind of mother behaves like that? I will always have respect for her that she didn’t abort me when she was preg… You know what? Scratch that because she told me when I was young, when I asked her to get me a Barbie doll for Christmas, that when she went for the abortion it was too expensive and that’s the only reason I am breathing right now. And that if she couldn’t spend much money on me when I was a fetus I shouldn’t expect her to do that now. After that she told me how I looked like my father and reminded me that he was a rapist. So tell me why should I call her? I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life and I sure as hell don’t want my kids around her.” she was fighting back tears as she finished.
Nessa leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her “Shh, don’t cry. You know what? Let’s not talk about it anymore. Just wipe your tears and then we can go and join the kids in the pool.” She used the back of her arms to wipe the tears from Ehi’s eyes. “Look it’s time to cut the cake. Get up… Get up… Just make sure I get a big piece.” She said and they both started laughing and she led the way to the others.

Days later…

The kids were playing with Christian in the sitting room when Ehi joined them.
“Hello people.” she said as she walked in and sat on a sofa. “What game are you playing with uncle Tistian?”
The children called Christian “Tistian “.
“Nothing much, just super hero stuff. It’s nothing that boring you will understand. Right kids?” Christian asked the kids who nodded in affirmative.

“Oh so I am the boring one. Well my boring self is not taking anyone ice skating tonight. I’m going to tuck my boring self in bed and sleep.” she replied.
“Uncle Tistian will take us.” Theodora replied with all the confidence in this world. She looked up at Christian waiting for a response.
“Sure. And with me you are both going to have the time of your lives.” he said cheerfully to them but his eyes were shooting daggers at Ehi.

She laughed and ignore because she knows the reason he was mad was because he had a date with a pop singer. She knew he will be forced to cancel the date because there was an agreement between them that they didn’t bring people who were not close friends around the children. She stood up laughing at him.

“Hey, let me be on my way before someone kills me with his eyes. But have you seen Mani today? I haven’t seen her since last night after the show.”
“She is upstairs, she came back not too long ago. She was saying something like she needed to rest or so… I didn’t really get her.” he replied.
“That’s super nice. Let me go find some trouble and wake her up.”
“She is going to have your head. If you know what’s good for you just sit down here like the rest of us.”
“Hell no. What are friends for if not for making you mad and angry?” She climbed the stairs two at a time.
When she got to Mani’s room, she didn’t knock she just walked in. She found the bed empty. It didn’t even look like someone had slept on it. “Mani.” she called out. “Are you in bathroom?” she asked but she knew it was a foolish question seeing how the shower was running. She decided to check the bathroom out anyway, Maybe Mani was just toying with her. She walked over to the bathroom and opened the door and then she found Mani on the floor unconscious with a whitish substance rolling out of her mouth. She screamed on the top of her lungs until Christian ran into the room. He quickly went over to Mani and felt her pulse. He bent over her and was doing something Ehi couldn’t see because of the angle. She turned around and she saw the children running into the room. She quickly went over and picked them up and left for their room.

She placed them on their beds and promised an extra glass of juice to whoever slept first. Immediately the children shut their eyes trying to force themselves to sleep. Her hands were shaking as she tucked them in. She stayed for a few more minutes to be certain they were not going to follow her before she left and went to join Christian in the other room.

She found Christian sitting beside a still unconscious Mani.

“Why are you just sitting down there? Shouldn’t we call the police?” she reached into her pocket and brought out her phone. Just as she was dialing the police number Christian snatched the phone from her hands.
“What do you think you are doing?”
“Trying to get medical help for my best friend. What do you think I am doing?” she screamed.
“She is my best friend too and calling the cops won’t help because once you call the cops it’s going to land on TMZ now tell me what good would that do?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Trish walked in with three men she had never seen before. They walked over to Mani and carried her to the bed.

Immediately the older man requested for them to leave the room and they all did. She was too dumbfounded to say anything. She went to the sitting room and was pacing. Christian was seated on the sofa at the edge and Trish sat on the floor.

“I thought you told me she was now clean?” she heard Trish say.

“That was what she told me.” Christian replied.

“Jesus Christ! Are you for real? Would a junkie ever tell you they are still hooked on drugs? You were supposed to investigate, check out the places she hid her supplies.” she said in an annoyed tone.

“I checked all those things out and that’s why I believed her. She probably changed her hiding spots.” he stood up and walked across to the window and stared down on the street.
Ehi kept pacing and couldn’t tell how much time had passed. She just kept wondering how she never suspected that her friend was hooked on drugs.

Why hadn’t she seen the signs? It was always there in front of her but she had been so caught up with her life that she hadn’t checked on her friend. She walked over to Christian and asked “Who were those men that came in with Trish?”

“They are doctors on her payroll.” She nodded her head and continued “Okay, do you think they are any good?”
“Sure. I doubt they will be on her payroll if they weren’t any good. Plus they treated her the last two times so you shouldn’t worry about anything. Why don’t you go upstairs and rest, I will wake you if anything serious comes up.” he suggested in a fatherly tone.
“No, I doubt I would even be able to sleep. I will probably just make myself sick with anxiety.” she took a deep breath and released it “let me be here for now but I will probably try and get some sleep because once the babies wake up I doubt anyone would be able to sleep again.” she said laughing.
He chuckled a bit “those are not children that’s a grown man and a woman right there. Imagine Lik Lik telling me he was going to marry a girl that looks like Mani when he grows up. I mean when I was their age I was interested in cartoons and food and here he is telling me about marriage. Shtt I am not even married myself.” he laughed out loud and she joined him.

“Alright young lady it’s time you get some sleep.”
“You just told me that two minutes ago.”
“I know but I am the boss here. Now off you go.” even though she didn’t want to but she knew she needed her sleep and bade him goodnight before retiring.