Unfulfilled promises 51

Unfulfilled Promises

Written by Audrey Timms

Episode 51

“I was in Calabar. My mum woke up one day and told me to get ready for Calabar. I was glad at that particular time to change my abode but she seized my phone and my laptop. So I couldn’t contact you guys to tell you I was leaving. I wanted to come back before now but she wouldn’t hear of it. But now that I have graduated and no long under her wings, I decided to come back here to look for you all.”

“Calabar. Who would have thought you were so close yet so far?…Oleng, what happened to the pregnancy? Did you abort the baby?”

“No.” she shook her head sadly but later smiled. “I gave birth to him. You should have seen him, Zinny. He was so beautiful. I couldn’t help loving him even though he brought me a lot of sorrows. You would have loved him too. He looked exactly like Eric.”

“Where’s he now? Did you bring him along with you? I want to see him!” she said with excitement.

 

Olengshook her head slowly. “He died a few hours after I gave birth to him. The doctor said a complication of some sort. They killed my baby.”

Zinny held her until she heard her name.

“Zinny.Zinny. Where are you? I don’t have time for your childish games.” Marvy shouted, looking for her at the back of the sofa.

“I dey kitchen.” Zinny said hoarsely and wiped away her tears.

“What are you doing in the kitchen? Didn’t you tell me that…Jesus Christ!…Oleng!” Marvy screamed as Oleng stood up. After her shock, Marvy ran to embrace her long lost friend.

“Oleng! Oleng! Is this really you?” she yelled.

“Yes. In flesh and blood.” she said smiling.

“Really? My God! We all thought you were dead. Oh! Thank God. Oleng!” she called again in amazement. “Zinny, see Oleng.” she told her friend who had gone to the fridge to bring out eggs.

Zinny chuckled. “I’ve seen her. That was why I called you to come and see her also.”

“This is unbelievable. What a pleasant surprise. Tell me, what happened to you.”

Oleng shrugged and began her story again to the point where she had stopped with Zinny.

“Oh! I’m so sorry.” Marvy shook her head sorrowfully.

Zinny who had finished frying the eggs and was now toasting some slices of bread shook her head also.

“I got my acts together, took external exams and got into the university. I finished some weeks ago.”

 

“Congratulations. Ours is in a few months from now. You know both nursing and pharmacy departments don’t share the same time table with other departments…I’m so happy to see you. Promise me you’ll never leave us again.” Marvy held her hand smiling.

“I promise.” she replied smiling and they hugged again.

“Sorry to ask this question Oleng but what about Eric. Didn’t you tell him about the baby?”

Oleng looked down at her feet. “I told him. I sent messages to his box and phone but he didn’t reply. He was forever offline and his phone was forever switched off or off service area. Then he finally sent me a message to terminate the pregnancy; that’s if it was his, he didn’t want to be saddled with an unwanted baby because he had a bright future ahead of him and to forget about him. He abandoned me.” she narrated with much pain.

She smiled at the look of shock on their faces. Marvy actually had her mouth open.

“Na lie! Eric couldn’t have done that.” Zinny was bamboozled.

“Well, he did.” she said as a matter of fact. “There’s no cause for alarm right now because I’ve moved on. I’ve forgotten about him and the baby and moved on.” she shrugged in a manner of indifference.

“But Eddy said you were the one who broke up with him. Eric told him so.” Zinny informed her.

“Borrowing your phrase, it’s a lie. He probably said that to hide his guilt. Anyway, I don’t care. Let’s forget about him. I have…so tell me, what have you girls been up to? Should I start getting ready to be a maid of honor?” She grinned.

“Indeed!” Marvy laughed. “Are you not the one who has finished school? Shouldn’t we be looking up to you?”

“Me? No way. I still have to get my masters degree and a good job.”

“I wonder what you want us who are still in school to do.”

“Before una start to argue about who go first marry, make we chop.” Zinny admonished them.

“Coming out from the mouth of the person who will marry first, what with her ‘Mr. Oil Company’ worker and all.” Marvy teased.

“Marvy!” Zinny chided with a warning finger.

“Don’t tell me you and Eddy are still going out?” Oleng asked taking from the pile of toast.

“They’ve broken up twice but they’re back together again. I dare say that this time around they’ll end up at the altar.” Marvy continued after taking a slice of toast.

“Na you get your mouth.” Zinny simply told her but she was grinning. “By the way Oleng, how did you know she was referring to Eddy?”

“I saw Dave in Calabar some months ago.”

“Dave!” they both screamed.

“I haven’t seen that cool guy in ages.”

“How’s he?”

“He was posted to Calabar. We didn’t see each other until it was just two months for him to leave. We spent those months together and he told me about you all. Luckily for him, he was retained by the company he served in.”

“That’s wonderful. He’ll be a big boy by now.”

“Nah! Dave is still the same cool and quiet guy though he has loosened up a lot. He’s much more fun to be with now.”

Zinny turned to look at Marvy in the spacious kitchen. “Tell me Marvy, do you hear wedding bells ringing?” She asked her friend smiling with mischief.

 

“I certainly do. Dave weds Oleng.” Marvy made a motion with her hands as if she was capturing a headline.

“Stop it you two. Me and Dave? I can’t imagine.” She looked scandalized.

“Ehen? What’s wrong with you and Dave getting married? E make sense die!” Zinny countered.

“Dave is like a brother to me. Like a good friend but certainly not a husband. Moreover, I don’t think he feels that way towards me.”

“Akwuko.” Zinny replied, taking a sip from her tea. “Dave wey dey trip for you that time?”

“Really?” Oleng was surprised.

“Of course. He hid it very well but we caught him a number of times staring at you when you weren’t looking.” Marvy put in.

“A lot of people stared at me then.” she reminded them with a nonchalant shrug.

“Yes. He stared at you the same way. With longing.” Zinny interjected.

“Yeah.” Marvy concurred.

“I never knew.” Oleng remained surprised.

“That’s because you had eyes for only Eric then.” Zinny observed.

Oleng shook her head sadly. “Well, that’s no longer the case. But shouldn’t I have noticed it by now since we have spent so much time in each other’s company?”

“Knowing you, I’d say no. Because you see him as a brother, you would also think he sees you as a sister.”

“O God! I don’t feel anything for him. He’s just a good friend to me. I don’t want to hurt him by not reciprocating his feelings.” She sounded confused.

“He’s a big boy. He ought to understand that you still love Eric.” Zinny told her smiling.

“What?” Oleng couldn’t believe her ears. “Me? Still in love with Eric? You’re not serious. I don’t love Eric anymore. I admit I used to but after what he did to me? Certainly not! In fact, I hate him with a passion now.” she passionately acclaimed to their surprise.

“Please can we maintain something here,” she continued. “Please, can we never mention that name whenever I’m around? Please. You girls can discuss about him when I’m not around but please don’t mention him near me ever again. I don’t even want to know if he’s even in the country. Please.”

Silence took over the atmosphere after her outburst. After awhile, Zinny dropped her mug and went to hold her friend’s hands.

“It’s okay, Oleng. I’m sorry I mentioned him. I was just trying to pull your legs. Don’t worry, Marvy and I won’t mention his name near you ever again. Abi Marvy?” Zinny asked her other friend grinning.

“Sure. I promise never to mention him near you again.” Marvy concurred smiling also and they all hugged.

Oleng and Marvy stayed there till Zinny’s siblings came back home. Oleng marveled at how big they had become. Only one of them recognized her. She bade goodbye to her friends and they promised to come to her house the following day; that was after she had assured them that her mum wouldn’t dare to throw them out if she didn’t want the history of her life to be told. They laughed at that.

To be continued