Palm lines - Episode 30

 

Erika's POV
I needed a break from this madness the whispers and the stare from students. I requested the week off but the principal refused.
"I just need to rest" "Just calm down Erika! You let things bother you way  too much, just take your mind off them"
"I heard Sharon's father propose and you said no. Is that it? Is that your problem?" He asked, he didn't even wait for me respond . " Wo Miss Erika, that one is not problem, you're pregnant and i don't see you married. Someone that left his wife is proposing to you and you're doing shakara. You're just dulling yourself"
I simply couldn't believe what he was saying. I wondered what the general opinion of everyone would be.
"How about two days break?"  I requested but he still refused.
"The only break you'll receive is after your birth; i'm not being heartless to your wellbeing as a pregnant woman, i'm only being a good administrator in the stead of Mr. Winston."
"Why isn't he back yet?"
"My sister, his wife is a very clingy person" he answered. 
"I should take my leave Sir"
"Dont think yourself to death sha, your state of mind is imperative to the baby." 
"Thanks" i answered and then i nodded walking out the office.
I didn't feel like going home so I went over to Mom's place. Ego opened the door for me, "Just the person I was about to call" she smiled and I wondered why she was so happy.
I walked in trying to think of reasons why she was happy

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/palm-lines

. Perhaps she has fixed a wedding date, I guessed.
"What's going on?" I asked, then  I saw Paul in the sitting room. "Hey Erika" he waved at me and I smiled. "I guess a wedding date has been set then" I assumed and Ego wrapped her arms around him.
"Yes.. we're getting married next month and it's not subject to postponement" she kissed Paul on the cheek. 
"Thanks sis" she walked up to me hugging me tightly. "Congrats dear" I whispered. 
 "God bless you sister Erika" she muttered and I nodded then she pulled away from me.
"Congrats Paul" I walked towards him then I hugged him. "Make my little sister happy" I whispered to his ears. "Always, and don't worry, you're next" 
"Technically, i'm the only one left" I answered and he laughed. "You're going to find him" he assured and I chorused "Amen oh". 
I was trying to hide the pain i was feeling because of David. Tears poured down my eyes, "See me, I'm getting emotional already" 
We heard a knock on the door then Ego rushed to get the door. Ada walked in with Tammie, she was surprise to see me.
Tammie greeted everyone in the room.
"Hey dear" Ada hugged me.
"How are you?" 
"I'm fine. What are you doing here?" I asked, "Did Ego call you?"
"Ego didn't call me," she turned towards her. "I was going to call you all but I wanted to inform Mom first then sister Erika came in." Ego paused dramatically.
"I fixed my wedding date, it's next month" she announced and Ada hugged her. "Oh my God! Congrats dear"
 "So aunty Ego will finally get married before Aunt Erika" Tammie commented and I scoffed.
"Shut up!" Ada yelled, "I'll just slap you, must you talk every time?" She asked and mom pressed Tammie's lips together.
"Why are you here?" I asked trying to hide the pleasure of seeing Tammie punished. 
"Shouldn't you be in your husband's house?" I joked and Ada smiled. "I haven't been feeling too well so I went to have a test done" "You didn't say anything about not feeling alright"
"Well i didn't want to alarm you guys. I went to get my test results after picking Tammie from school," She paused, "Mom is pregnant" Tammie announced and Ada glared at her. 
"I'm sorry" she mouthed.
"Are you serious?" I asked. After eight years, I felt so happy for her. Mom stood up dancing then she busted into an Igbo song. 
Then she hugged her, "God is good!" She knelt down waving her hands in the air to God.
I hugged Ada too. 
"I'm so happy for you" I cried, "Thank you" 
"This is exciting" Ego clapped her hands, "I mean when I'll get married, we'll all be pregnant. The Nwachukwu girls would be pregnant, we'll have a photoshoot"
"What if you get married and you don't give birth like Aunty Joy in church?" Tammie asked, "They've been married for five years" she added and Ego stood akimbo staring at her.
"It's official, whenever we're having a family meeting, don't bring her along cause I'll beat someone's child" she warned and I laughed. 
I've always thought I was alone on that thought.
"Tammie, haven't I warned you not..." She didn't complete her sentence when Ugo walked in.
We didn't even hear her knock. "What are you guys doing here? I knew i had to follow the beacon. I felt it in my spirit that I had to see Mama. Now my sisters are here.  What's going on? Someone should give me the latest update"
"Mom is pregnant and Aunt Ego is getting married next month" Tammie answered, "You guys are bad! You couldn't even let me know" "It's all a coincidence, there's miracle in the air."
Suddenly Mom busted into tears. "Won't this miracle reach Erika's side?" She blurted out leaving the sitting room. 
All eyes were now on me.

I went into what was formerly I and Ada's room and I busted into tears. My sisters followed me. "You don't have to cry," Ada said and I shook my head, I really needed to pour the tears out.
"I'm sorry I'm ruining your happy moments, I'm just one sad human being. You saw how I made Mom unhappy"
"Mom was just being emotional," Ugo sat close to me and Ego knelt before me holding my hands. "I'm having a really bad time in my life"
"Do you wanna share? We're your sisters. We'll help you in whatever way we can" Ada chipped in and I agreed. 
I revealed everything to them. There was no point hiding it. 
"What's your special request? Do you want us to kick his ass?" Ugo asked and I laughed. "Girls power" she tightened her fist.
 "I really thought maybe he could be an alternative for Feso"
"So if you're asked to make a choice, who you're most in love with" Ego paused, "Who will it be?" 
"I was in love with Feso"
"So you're now in love with David" "I like the both of them" I answered, "Feso is like a knight in shining armor, he's always there to save you when need arises. He's always right on time, just at the right time. David," I paused. 
"He's the most silly person I've ever met, he's funny, I mean very funny. He makes me laugh when I'm down" i chuckled softly. 
"He barely gets angry. He's patient, he's a lot of things, he has this amazing personality until I realized  what he did to me. Now I know he's fake!" I paused.
"If you ask me, I think you like David the more" Ada argued. 
"I think it's Feso" Ego argued. 
"I love a knight in shining armor" she added and Ugo scoffed. "It's David, see the way her eyes glowed while talking about him. Her eyes literally glowed"
"I hate him right now"
"He's still the father of your unborn babies. He's Richard's boss and Richard adores this man so much, he worships the ground he walks on. There must have been a reason he did what he did. Maybe you should listen to him"
"I swear I'll punch any one that says listen to him again. This is s*x we're talking about, not like a gun was pointed to his head."
"You don't know for certain" she answered and I glared at her. "I'm sorry but, this man practically sponsored my wedding."
"He did?" Ego asked, "Yes he did. He's a very good man" 
"You guys are supposed to be on my side"
"We're on your side Erika, you're our sister and we support you but I can't entirely judge the man if I don't hear his own side of the story"
"I'm the victim here oh"
"And you're also a horrible drunk, remember that day you drank wine and you almost kissed your own cousin?" She recalled and I rolled my eyes.
I have never believed in that tale. I didn't believe I would be so drunk enough to almost kiss my cousin. 
"I still think you guys are exaggerating the story" I snapped and Ego laughed.
"Sis, I still remember that day like it was yesterday"
"Why don't I?" I asked and they all laughed.
"The more reason to hear this man out, you might have been the one to initiate the whole thing" Ada explained and I folded my hands in thought.
I stood by the door of mom's room. I overheard her making a call. "Chioma na your voice be this? " She asked, "Wetin you born?" She asked then she waited for the caller to respond.
"Congrats" she added and I walked i Andy she turned to me.
"Erika sends her greetings" she lied, "No worry, I go come visit you" she added then hung up. 
 "Chioma has given birth oh" she announced,  "I heard" I answered then I climbed on the bed wrapping my arms across mom's neck. "I'm sorry for the headaches" I apologized.
"For the disappointments"
"When would you experience your own miracle?" She asked and I faked a smile. 
"Someday Mom; someday."

***
Something grey, something embarrassing, gifts. Sharon's assumption got me in serious thought. I thought of the different  circumstances in which I've met with David.
In order to satisfy my curiosity, I found myself at Mrs Reiner's house. I knocked on the door and she opened up. "What a coincidence" she blurted out and I wondered why she said so. 
"What do you mean?" I asked and she waved her hands at me, "Nothing" she answered. 
 "Can I come in?" I asked and she hissed playfully, "Don't ask crazy questions, feel free to come in" she invited me in.
 She closed the door behind me and I walked towards the couch and I sat on it. 
She soon joined me on the seat.
"You don't look happy"
"I'm pretty sure Tinu has given you a load down of everything" I guessed and she chuckled. 
"Well... She said something about you rejecting David's proposal in front of the whole school" she answered and I shook my head. 
"That wasn't what happened"
"He came asking for forgiveness and you bluntly refused in front of the whole student" she guessed and I wondered how in the world she knew.
"How....?" I asked, "Lucky guess" she smiled at me. 
"I came here because I'm hurt and I need you to help me out with my curiosity; I need you to help me sort out my feelings"
"What feelings?"
"Who am I supposed to end up with?" I asked, "I can't tell you, Erika I can't...too much information"
"Oh screw the too much information! I don't need the suspense."
"I can't obviously..."
"Give me clues then. Is it Feso or David or there's going to be someone else?" I asked and she smiled. 
"You want clues right? Remember I said you missed your soul mate as a result of your impatience "
I started to recall, my first discussion with Mrs. Reiner.
Suddenly i remembered the day I went over to vent my anger out in church and Dorcas asked that I go out with her alongside  her uncle who was waiting in his car but I bluntly refused to follow her. 
Mrs Reiner held my hands, "You asked God for a sign and he sent you one" "A married man? Even God is not that heartless and inconsiderate"
"You two were meant to be, you could have fallen in love that day. He could have fallen head over heels in love with you. Fate brought you both together again"
"Through r*pe?"
"I think you should talk to him"
"I don't, I really don't want to be with that kind of man" "It's your choice Erika. When life gives you lemons...." She stalled leaving my hands. 
"Our lives are in the palm of our hands, the ball is your court now. You can either make a decision or not"

I went back home, I noticed cars that looked like David and Feso's car outside. I went in only to find Feso sitting on a stairway leading to the door. He defintely waiting for me. 
I became convinced that it was just Feso alone.
 "What are you still doing here" 
"Erika I won't stop until I hear you say that you've forgiven me" he answered and I rolled my eyes. "I'm tired Feso, I just want to rest"
"Where were you?" Feso asked, "At mom's place" I answered. 
"Are you okay?" He moved close to me and I shook my head then I bursted into tears. 
"Please forgive me" he begged, "I know i was a a douchebag for sleeping with Lucy but I promise you that I'm here for you and here to stay" he promised kissing me on the lips. I gasped in surprise but I kissed him back anyways. 

David's POV
I made up my mind to go through a routine of stopping by at Erika's house every morning and night until she agrees to speak to me.
I stopped by only to meet Feso sitting on the tiled stairway in Erika's verandah. I rolled my eyes, "What are you doing here?" He asked, I ignored him and I knocked on the door.
"I asked a question"
"I'm not deaf, I'm obviously trying to ignore you." I answered and Dorcas opened up the door. 
"They won't let you in" Feso answered almost at the same time.
"Well I have a niece that loves me"
"I'm sorry Uncle, I can't let you in without Erika's permission" she answered, "I'm sorry" she apologized, then she closed the door against me.
I looked at where Feso sat and I noticed it was spacious enough for two.  I cleaned it with an handkerchief then clapped my hands before sitting on it then I hissed.
 "I wonder where she is" I said to myself. 
"How long have you been waiting?" I asked and he hissed.
"it's just a question na"
"And I'm also ignoring you or don't you know when someone's ignoring you?" He asked and and I smiled. "Touché, I never knew you had that sense of humor"
"You've only been waiting for two seconds and you're already tired" he complained.
"Five seconds actually"
"I stand uncorrected, two seconds.Did you also count the time you used in asking Dorcas to let you in?"
"No. I cleaned the floor before sitting and remember I clapped my hands too" I analysed.
"It was even more than five seconds, give or take, or fifteen seconds"
"You're a clown" he added and I laughed.
"Yes I'm a clown, I'd rather be a clown than a stuck up angry bull" I added. 
"I'd rather be a stuck up angry bull than a lying cheating, deceptive, beguiling son of a b*tch"
"You do realize you just added words of similar meaning together" I asked and he hissed.
"And you just said beguling" I smiled, "Do you know what the word means or you're just using it to sound in charge?" I asked and he rolled his eyes.
"Just say you don't know the word" he hissed again. I didn't understand why he kept in hissing like a woman.
"I'm a PHD holder you know"
"And i don't care. Can you just stay your own lane and i stay mine"
"We're actually sitting on the same floor, it's impossible to stay on my own when your ugly face is close to mine"
"Find your own place to seat"
"I don't see your name written here" I answered, "Do you have to...." He paused slapping his face.  "Do you have to make me talk like a baby?"
"Isn't that what you are?" I asked and he laughed sardonically. 
"You're always complaining like a whining baby" I brought out my phone checking my phone for the dictionary meaning of beguling. 
I smiled on seeing it. "Here's the meaning of beguling, it doesn't even sound like an insult" I cleared my throat before reading it out.
"Highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire" I read out loud laughing. "Thank you Feso, I've always known myself to be highly attractive"
"You know very well what I meant! You're a deceiver, a lair"
"An attractive one" I chipped in and he rose up. "If you're referring to the court case, you guys started it with helping him with more falsified documents"
"And the little game you played huh? Wasn't it deceptive?" He asked referring to when the lawyer asked my client to play badly injured. 
"If you want to know, whether you believe it or not I, i didn't support the idea but it was useful." I paused in thought.
"And I'm still sorry about your mom"
"I'll go stay elsewhere and wait" he stood up leaning on the wall. 
"So you're going to stand?" I asked and he ignored me. 
 I sat even more comfortable. 
"Thank God I have this place to myself"
"You're a shameless old man"
"And you're an egocentric  child. I already told you to respect the grey hairs on my head"
I suddenly saw him take back his seat; then he shoved me a bit and I laughed.
"You didn't even stand for a minute" I said and he hissed. 
"I don't see why I should let you take what belong to me"
I paused in thought; I read through what he said differently. "I guess what you evidently meant by that was you can't let me take Erika because she's yours" I  reckoned and he exhaled loudly.
"Erika's a gem" I smiled.
I saw him smile at me too, he agreed too. 
"She's the only woman I've been in lot with since my first wife"
"She's the one who I've loved since Ify" Feso confessed. 
 "Now you want to make her your third wife, your life is complicated" he added and I busted into laughter.
"How can I subject her to such a life?" He asked and I scoffed. "I'm not a bad person" 
"How long till you get tired of her and throw her out like you did your first and second wife"
"Oga!" I snapped, "Get your facts right, I didn't throw my first wife out. She died giving birth to what could have been my son. He died after she died" 
"I'm sorry" he said it so quickly, but it had no impact. I almost didn't hear it.
"The second wife was a family arrangement,  the containment was different from the package, but Erika...." I smiled.
"Erika is different, she's pure joy, the package is the same with it's content and the contents are nourishing"
"That's sounds s*xual" he stared at me repulsively and I scoffed. "That's because your mind is corrupt, I meant that 'nourishing' in a good way. Her mind is super mature, but she can complain. She doesn't complain more than my second wife though"
"I love Erika and I don't think you're right for her" Feso confessed and I nodded, not because I agreed with him, but I've come to see myself as undeserving of her. 
"You've hurt her a lot"
"You did too. Erika cried after you rejected her" 
"Technically, you caused it cause that wouldn't have happened if you didn't get her pregnant"
"I didn't get her pregnant, we just had s*x. The s*x resulted to pregnancy" 
"Point of correction, you had s*x with her"
"You didn't see what happened"
"I don't need to see it" he snapped, "I love Erika too, from the first day I met her, I knew she was special" I justified, "She's mine" Feso argued and I smiled stretching my hands at him. 
"May the best man win"  I said to him and he chuckled shaking my hands.
Soon we entered into the issue of politics, apparently we were in support of different political parties.
"This election period would rule in favor of Babalola as Governor" I declared and Feso hissed.
"When Jeremy Gbade Is there? When we talk about politics. We should consider certain attractive factors like the candidate's capability. Gbade is capable! In fact more than capable"
"What's this baby talking about?" I asked, "Gbade of yesterday? I don't know why you're being deceived oh, Gbade is just like my second wife, good package, zero content" I described and he laughed then hissed.
"Babalola had unfinished projects and would only leave unfinished projects.

Read " Dysfunctional " by the same author ( Essien Eno )

. He will only win base on electoral malpractice" he concluded.
"We'll see, and after the election, don't worry I'll rub it on your face like salt to your injury" I commented, "It will be  like pepper to your face" he also added and we both laughed. 
"Deal. We'll both rub it on our faces" I agreed.
I heard the door open behind and Dorcas cane out. 
"Uncle"
"You're not license to call me that" I snapped at her, "Awwn" Dorcas smiled hugging me from behind. "Stop trying to seduce me I'm not your boyfriend" I added and I saw Feso chuckle softly.
"I'm trying not to invoke Erika's anger here" she answered and I remembered when she poured water on Feel and I.
"The worst thing that can happen is Erika coming back to pour water on us again" I said and Feso busted out in laughter.
"Mehn I didn't expect that thing" he answered and I sighed after laughing.
"You're still on suit"
"You go soak die, me I came on polo oh, I even came with extras" I added. 
"Were you guys really talking a while ago?" She asked, "I don't even have answer for you" I answered, "Are you both still waiting for Erika?" She asked again and i scoffed.
"No we're waiting for Angela" I answered and Dorcas laughed. "Uncle you're taking this really personal" she laughed.
"I want to get something from the pharmacy closes by, it's kinda late so I was hoping you'd follow me"
"What do you want to get?" I asked giving her a familiar look. 
"Postnor two?"  I asked and she opened her mouth in shock. Then she held my hands ready to take me away.
"What if Erika comes and meet this ugly head and not me?" I asked and Feso scoffed, "What happened to let the best man win?" He asked.
"Let's go real quick" I said to Dorcas and we went over to the pharmacy. She had headaches so she got herself pain killers. 
On our way back, we walked into Erika kissing Feso. She didn't even notice the gate open. I went out of the gate and Dorcas followed me. 
"I have to go" I said and I notice Dorcas felt bad. "Maybe later you'd" she added. 
"Yeah maybe but... She's still in love with him even when she's supposed to be mine"
"Now you sound weird" Dorcas answered and I scoffed. She didn't understand why I said it. 
"Good night dear" I touched her cheeks, "Your drugs and a good night sleep should suppress the headaches" I advised then I entered into the car with a breaking heart. 
"Let the best man win" I muttered to myself driving off.