Noel’s Eve Episode 10

***
‘Where’s Korina? Isn’t she coming with us’? Onojo asked as Angel stepped
down from the car.
‘Uhmmm, she’s kind of busy, we could go without her’ Angel replied as
she came face to face with Korina’s friend who was to take her to the
love doctor.
‘Alright, remember all what I told you, you’ll need some money so you give
the shaman after consultation’ Onojo explained.
‘Sure, I came with some’ Angel nodded and slid back into the car.
‘So, tell me exactly how this works, Korina sounded so sure, very
convincing, I don’t believe in magic though but I am desperate to keep my
man’ Angel started the car.
‘You don’t believe in magic? Well, I can’t convince you, till you see with
your eyes, I was once like you but someone made me believe. I fell in
love with this man, and he wasn’t looking my way, so one of my friends
came up with the idea that we meet this Shaman, and when we did, this
man came running to me, he worships me’ Onojo explained.
‘Wow, you keep calling him Shaman, what’s that? His name or…’? Angel
rolled her eyes.
‘Kind of, he’s actually Indian, an Indian love doctor, he offers other
services too, can make one rich, anything you want but each go for a
price’ Onojo pointed at a signboard and Angel drove towards it.
‘Indian hmmm’she had already made up her mind, Dayo had to be hers.
‘So, take off your shoes and remember not to look into his eyes when he
is talking to you’ Onojo explained and she nodded in agreement.
They climbed a few steps before they reached a room whose door was
marked with a woman who wore a crown where serpents stuck out their
tongue viciously.
Angel suddenly felt afraid as she stared at the door, she hoped no
serpents could be found inside the room.
‘Are you sure about this? Once we enter that room,there’s no turning back,
is that clear’? Onojo asked.
‘Yes, I’m ready for this’ Angel breathed hard.
Onojo knocked thrice and they both stepped into the room. The interior
was painted red and blue with a dim candle lights illuminating the center
of the room where a table lay filled with more candles and a large mirror
hung on the wall.
‘Where is he’? Angel whispered.
‘You mean, “she”’ ? a woman stepped out from the adjacent room, dressed
in a red sari and a golden turban.
‘Master’ Onojo gasped and fell on her knees.
‘Kneel, Angel’ she ordered.
‘I thought the shaman was supposed to be a man’ Angel wondered.
‘That’s his wife’ Onojo glared daggers at her, why couldn’t she stop
talking.
‘It’s okay you two, rise on your feet’ the woman was a dark skinned Indian
but her accented English wouldn’t betray her heritage.
‘My husband has returned to New Delhi to face some business, I would be
working in his place for some time till he returns’ she said and began
quenching the candle flames with her fingers.
‘many blessings to you, Mother’ Onojo smiled and settled on the rugged
floor, Angel followed suit.
‘You have come because you are in love with a man’ the woman stopped
playing with the candles and faced them.
‘Yes, how did you know’? Angel was amazed.
‘Krishi, knows everything’ she referred to her goddess.
‘Please I need your help’ Angel said.
‘I know, but what if I tell you that you aren’t meant to marry this man?
There is another for you’ she stopped talking and stared at Angel.
‘What do you mean? You’re mistaken, there’s no other man for me,
besides we’re getting married soon’ Angel swallowed hard, hoping she
hadn’t come to get herself annoyed.
‘Really? Then since he’s marrying you, why do you need to cloud his mind
with a love portion’? the woman laughed mockingly.
‘I want him for myself alone’ Angel replied feeling more determined than
ever.
‘How much do you want this man? I’ve already told you he isn’t yours’?
the woman asked.
‘I love Dayo Peters with all my heart’ her eyes glazed.
‘Give me your palms’ the woman fetched a vial from the table and poured
some of the oil into Angel’s palms.
Angel felt a warm sensation in her palms and sparks of energy rise in her,
what was happening?
‘You really love this man, and you are ready to do anything for him’she
traced a line on Angel’s palms.
‘Yes I do’ Angel nodded.
‘Well, everything we fight for, we live for, we work for comes with a heavy
price, are you ready to pay this price’? the woman asked.
‘Yes, anything for Dayo’ Angel agreed.
‘Give me a second let me talk to Krishi’ the woman rose to her feet and
returned to the other room.
‘Drop the money on that table’ Onojo quickly instructed.
‘I’m so grateful Onojo’ Angel was sure her plan would work.
‘Krishi accepts your gift and has agreed to make you one with Dayo…’ the
woman returned with a vial.
‘Thank you good mother’ Onojo bowed her head.
‘Have this, a gift from Krishi, put this in his food or drink, just once is
enough, then you wait and see the wonders of Krishi’ the woman handed
her the green vial.
‘Thank you very much’ Angel bowed her head.
***
A day had passed since they returned from Dayo’s office and Tola had
refused to take either food or water. She lay on the bare floor and cried
her eyes out.
‘You’re not helping yourself and the baby by starving, you need to eat
something Tola’ Nneka felt bad for her friend. What Dayo had done was
unthinkable, how could he have offered her some cash to disappear?
Didn’t he have a conscience?
‘He doesn’t care about me, he doesn’t care about this child, we do not
matter to him, what was I thinking sleeping with him’?Tola sobbed quietly.
She knew it was the end of the road for her, she had to abort the child
now it was still early, but she would never collect money from him. She
would never do something like that.
‘Tola, I know you made a mistake, but now that I’ve thought about it, I
regret our actions, maybe we should’ve collected the money from him
because the way I’m seeing it, Dayo would never come around, just look
at what he did to us, he didn’t hesitate to offer you money neither did he
hesitate to add more. So, we should reconsider the whole thing’ Nneka
knew they had no other option.
‘I can’t believe you Nneka, how could you say something like that? Are you
losing faith in me already? How I can I accept his money? If I do, I would
be selling the last shreds left of my destiny’ Tola replied tearfully.
‘Hey, hold on, I’m only suggesting the easiest way out, I saw the look in
his eyes Tola, if you want to consider forcing your way into his life, you’re
going to need a lot of strength to fight for that’ Nneka said.
‘I know this, don’t you think I thought about it? I know I’m going to put my
mother through hell, maybe I should abort and end it all’Tola was
confused.
‘No, you’ll never abort, you know I’ll stand by you through thick and thin,
but I’ll never stand by you, if you abort that baby’ Nwaneka replied
thoughtfully, still trying to figure out the best option.
‘So what do I do? Tell me Nneka’? Tola sat up and wiped her face.
‘We go back to his office, and tell him to reconsider or you’ll tell the
whole world about your baby’ Nneka suggested.
‘Isn’t that blackmail’? Tola wasn’t comfortable.
‘No honey, it’s the right thing to do’ Nneka replied.
‘It’s turn for my shift at the restaurant, I have to go’ Tola rose to her feet.
‘You haven’t had a thing to eat, I don’t like what you’re doing to yourself
and that baby’ Nneka frowned.
‘I’ll grab a burger on my way out. Do take care friend, I’ll be back’ she
wiped her face and fetched her back.
‘Yea, take care of yourself’ Nneka watched sadly as her friend left. Dayo
had to take responsibility for his actions and she was going to see to that.
She hadn’t walked far from the house when she noticed a cluster of guys
with the hottest guy on campus standing in their middle, she suddenly felt
afraid, as she noticed their eyes were fixed on her.
‘Nneka….’ She heard them call her friend’s name, she almost turned but
she quickened her steps.
Dave Shola was the most handsome guy on campus and it was rumored
he was the capon of the blood brothers fraternity, along his girlfriend
Korina, who was also the leader of a cult. How had he come to know
Nneka?
‘Dam he’s calling you’ she heard a gruff voice behind her but she wouldn’t
turn back.
‘Nneka, excuse me…’ she heard light footsteps behind her and she turned
and faced him. Truly, Dave Shola was handsome, but he lacked the
sensuality Dayo had. She was shocked she still could admire the devil that
had gotten her pregnant and had refused to own up.
‘Sorry about my friend, he’s like this when he takes weed’ Dave glared at
one of the boys who was with him. He hadn’t seen Piro throughout the
day, but he was grateful as his tip paid off. He’d given him the address of
his darling Nneka and he hadn’t wasted time coming to find her.
He noticed she was a bit shaky and he cursed himself, he hoped he hadn’t
frightened her.
‘Okay…’ Tola wondered why he wanted speaking to her, why did he call her
Nneka?
‘Good day, I’m Dave Shola and I saw you dancing at Korina’s party, you
are really talented I must say’ he offered her his hand.
‘Thank you…’ although she knew who he was, anybody on campus had to
know Dave. He was one of the blue bloods.
‘So where are you heading to Nneka’? he rubbed his hands together.
‘Uhmmm, I am in a hurry, and my name isn’t Nneka’ she replied and was
about to walk away when the rude guy returned,that kept her glued to
where she stood.
***
‘Wow, easy, you don’t have to lie okay? I won’t harm you’ he could see
she was pallid with fear.
‘I am not lying’ Tola replied, had Korina realized that she was the girl
whom her brother had slept with? Had Dayo told her about the pregnancy?
Had she sent her boyfriend to beat her up or something?
‘Okay…so what’s your name’? Dayo wondered where Piro had gotten his
info from.
‘Omotola’ she replied still checking her watch, she knew what it meant to
go late for work.
‘It’s like you’re rushing somewhere, maybe I could drop you’ Dave noticed
she kept looking at her leather watch.
‘Yes I’m rushing somewhere, thanks for your offer, but I’ll prefer walking’
she licked her lips slightly.
‘No dear, I wouldn’t let you walk, you’re too beautiful to walk under this
sun’ he decided to tease her. She was very pretty and he liked her already,
nothing sexual about it, her aura was peaceful and pure and it drew him to
her. She seemed quite different from the girl he’d met at the club,that
woman was wild, she was unbroken, unafraid and was ready to explore but
the girl before him, had eyes filled with gloom, she was broken mare.
‘Please…’ she opened her mouth to speak but one word from the rude guy
shut her up.
‘Where are you headed’? he handed the keys to the rude guy.
‘Please don’t harm me, I promise I have nothing to do with Dayo, please’
she found the courage to speak when the other guy had left to fetch the
car.
‘Harm you? Why would I want to do that? And what business do I have
with Dayo’? she wasn’t making any sense.
‘Hmmm’ she saw he was being truthful, but why would someone like Dayo
offer a girl like her a ride?
‘Where are you headed’? he repeated.
‘S&R’ she replied.
‘Oh, you want to have lunch? We could do lunch together’? he suggested
feeling more excited.
‘No, I work there…’ she stuttered.
‘Wow nice, so you school and work’? Dave peered up at her. Korina was
calling, but this wasn’t the time.
‘Yes….’ She nodded, why was he asking her all these questions?
‘Good. Well, we’ll have lunch together once we get there’ Dave offered her
a smile.
‘It is not allowed, a worker having lunch with a client, it isn’t allowed’ she
found a way to wriggle out of his snare.
‘Really? Okay, I’ll drop you off and pick you tomorrow for lunch
somewhere else’ Dave suggested and she nodded vehemently.
***
He’d spent the evening wondering where Angel had gone, so many
thoughts went through his mind, she’d definitely seen the hair band he’d
planned to return to Tola, that’s why Korina had asked him about it.
As her name dropped in his thoughts, he decided to dwell on the situation.
She had to abort the baby, he would never risk his whole life and
reputation just because he felt to protect himself while having a one night
stand.
The door creaked and his mother walked in. He’d hope it was Angel, he
really missed her and had tried her numbers severally, but they weren’t
going through.
‘Dayo….’ She called him gently, he seemed deeply immersed in his
thoughts and his countenance bothered her greatly.
‘Mother…’ he turned and faced her.
‘You don’t look too well my dear, are you ill? What is it’? the woman sat on
the edge of the bed.
‘Uhmmm, nothing mum, I’m fine’ Dayo stuttered. No one could know about
his dilemma.
‘Are you sure? Where’s Angel’? the woman scanned the room wondering
where her daughter in-law was.
‘I don’t know, tried calling, her phones are switched off, do you have
anything for her’? Dayo decided to digress from being the subject.
‘Not really, I went visiting some old friend with your father today, we really
had fun’ the woman smiled.
‘Wow, happy for you mum’Dayo admired his parents greatly, their marriage
had always been a successful one.
‘You are not being honest with me Dayo, talk to me, what’s wrong?’ she
noticed his smile was forced.
‘I am fine mum’ he countered.
‘Okay, if you say so, I came to call you for dinner, table is set honey’ she
rose to her feet, she would find out later what was bothering her son.
‘After you mum’ he rose to his feet and they both left for the living room.