After the storm (22 page)

"Beautiful girl," Sesan replied, looking at Aleena. "Just
like her mum." He waved at Akeem. "How old is she?"

"Three."
It still surprised her how fast time had flown. She wished Aleena's
sibling would hurry along. She had carried out some tests some
months ago, and the results came out all clear. The specialist she
was seeing had told her to reduce her stress levels and to see him
in another six months, but she was planning to ask for medication
to boost her fertility if nothing had happened by her next
appointment.

Sesan
was surprised when he learnt that she was not working but didn't
say much. Yemi invited him to dinner at her house and was
disappointed when he turned down the invitation. "Aww, c'mon, Shez!
We've not seen each other for over four years. Don't tell me that
you're not even going to come to my place at all before you go back
to the UK."

He
smiled ruefully. "I'm sorry, but my schedule is a bit tight, plus I
have an invitation to attend a programme at a church that
particular evening."

She shot
him a quick look. "That reminds me. I heard that you're now almost
a bishop?"

He
grinned. "That's not true."

"But
you're now very religious; born again and all that, aren't
you?"

"Who
have you been talking to?"

Yemi
smirked. "I'm still a very connected lady, you know. But anyway,
pray for me during your programme."

"I
will." 

"I'm
serious!" 

"Noted.
Any particular thing you want me to pray about?"

Yemi
looked at him, and she realized how much she had missed talking to
him. He used to be such a good sounding board for her. "I want
another baby, hopefully a boy this time."

"Why a
boy?"

She
shrugged. "I already have a girl, and Akeem would love a boy." She
grinned. "I also learnt that boys prefer their mums, so the little
man may just even things up a bit. My daughter's just too stuck on
her dad!"

Sesan
smiled. "I'll pray, and I believe that you'll have what you
desire."

They
were able to meet for lunch before Sesan left to go back to the UK.
Yemi teased him about joining the "saved" bandwagon and reminded
him of how they both used to think that Teju was weird.
Nevertheless, she had to admit that there was something different
about him, some sort of quiet confidence and peace. That was
something she wouldn't mind having; maybe that would stop her
fretting over her mother-in-law and her evil plans.

She was
surrounded by confident people: Abby, Teju, and now Sesan. They
attributed it to their being "saved." Then, of course, there was
her super-confident husband, who believed nothing could stop him,
and nothing did, not even Sonakson. He had signed on with Ericsson
and restrategized to make up for lost time. Ka-Tell was still in
its early stages, but things were growing steadier by the
day.

Maybe it
was high time that she also stepped up her game and found her own
confidence mantra.

∞∞∞

"Honey,
when are you coming back home?"

"I
should be done in another two hours."

Yemi
sighed. "Two whole hours? It's already eight
thirty." 

"I can't
help it." Akeem's voice sounded terse over the phone. "I'm right in
the middle of a meeting. I'll leave as soon as I can, but it may
take up to two hours."

"Okay.
I'll wait up for you."

"You
don't have to do that. Try and get some sleep."

She put
down the phone slowly after they had talked for a few more minutes.
It had been like this for the past few weeks. Akeem worked late
every night and came home tired, and it didn't seem like his
schedule would lessen any time soon.

She was
not feeling sleepy and decided to watch a Tyler Perry movie; she
was still on it when Akeem came home around midnight.

"Hey,"
he said when he entered their bedroom. "Still awake?"

"I was
not feeling sleepy," Yemi paused the movie. "The meeting lasted
longer than you expected?"

"Yeah!"
he said wearily, sitting down to take off his shoes. "I had some
things to iron out, and I wanted it all sorted out tonight." He
took some documents from his briefcase and gave them to
her.

"What's
this?" Yemi asked, looking at the printout, and then her eyes
widened with delight. "Tickets to Portugal for next week!" She got
up excitedly and hugged him. "That's so cool!"

"I had
my secretary book them this afternoon, but I wanted to surprise
you."

"I can't
wait to go! Just me, my husband, and my daughter for a whole week!"
She sighed happily. "Pure bliss!"

"I guess
I'll see less of those gloomy looks that I've been getting in this
house of late."

Yemi
made a face at him. "I haven't been making gloomy
faces." 

"There's
that face again!" Akeem teased, and Yemi pulled another one at him.
"I should take a picture and put it on my desk at the
office."

"Go
ahead!" Yemi laughed. "But honestly, honey, I'm so thrilled! When
do we leave?"

"Monday
morning."

∞∞∞

They
spent an idyllic week at the Algarve in Portugal. Akeem gave them
his full attention and tried to reduce the number of calls he made
to KH. They visited the beaches, went dolphin watching by boat, and
sampled the local delicacies. By the time their holiday was up,
even Akeem admitted that he had had a wonderful time.

To her
delight, Yemi found out that she was pregnant a few weeks after
their return. The news of the impending baby added excitement to
their household, and Akeem teased her that he would make sure he
took her to Portugal every year.

They
were both thrilled when they found out it was going to be a boy. A
few weeks after they got to know the sex of the baby, Akeem had to
attend an important meeting in the office, which he told her would
go late into the night. He had made an effort to reduce his late
meetings since Yemi got pregnant, so she
understood. 

She put
Aleena to bed early and was in her bedroom when she was informed
that Dotun had stopped by for a visit. She smiled to herself. Laide
was away on official duty, and she knew that Dotun must be missing
her.

"You got
it right." he confirmed when she teased him about it. "The house
seemed so empty, and I didn't fancy staying there all
alone."

She
laughed. "That makes two of us. Akeem's having a meeting at the
office, but at least I'm an old hand at this now. Have you had
dinner?"

Dotun
shook his head.

"Let me
get you something to eat, then."

"I've
got a better idea," Dotun replied. "Why don't we go out? There is
this lovely new restaurant that just opened, and everyone at the
office is raving about it."

"Am I
really in the mood to go out?" Yemi wrinkled her nose as she looked
down at her bump. "I feel like a baby elephant."

"A
beautiful baby elephant."

Yemi
looked at him reproachfully. "You should have said I don't look
like an elephant, baby or otherwise," she scolded. "You have to
learn these things so you'll know how to respond to Laide when she
gets pregnant. It's a very emotional period, you know."

Dotun
rolled his eyes. "Oh brother!" 

"You'll
learn, but let me go and get dressed so you'll see that your sister
is still quite hot."

She
tried to call Akeem to inform him about her whereabouts, but his
phone just kept ringing. She knew it was probably on silent. She
was still likely going to be back home before him
anyway.

The
restaurant was about thirty minutes away, but there was hardly any
traffic on the road, so their journey was relatively fast and easy.
It was located in a hidden area of town, which made Yemi wonder how
they attracted their clientele. She voiced her thoughts aloud as
she and Dotun were shown to their seats.

"Their
services are quite expensive, so I guess it's not for everybody,"
Dotun replied.

"I hope
I don't dent your pocket, then."

He
smiled. "I know you're used to stylish things, but if the bill is
too high, I shall forward half of it to your husband."

"No way!
This one is on you, and remember that I'm eating for
two!"

"Is it
too late to change my mind?"

"Much
too late! I'm here now, so let's enjoy some of those bonuses you
get at your bank."

They
ordered their food, and Dotun soon had Yemi in stitches with his
jokes. He was in the middle of telling her another joke when her
gaze came to rest on a couple seated a few tables away from them.
The man's shirt was the first thing that caught her
attention. He had his back towards them, but she would
recognise those broad shoulders anywhere. She could see the woman's
face but knew she had not seen her before. She craned her neck a
little farther, trying to get a clearer look. The man leaned
forward slightly and tapped the woman's nose with his finger, and
she smiled at him.

Yemi's
heart froze. Akeem did that to her so often. But this couldn't be
Akeem! Akeem was in KH headquarters in Victoria Island, having a
business meeting!

Dotun
noticed her countenance and followed her gaze. Just then, the woman
took the man's hand in hers. The man did not pull back. Instead, he
leaned towards her and continued talking with her.

Yemi did
not know when she got up and walked towards their table. Her heart
thudded as her eyes confirmed that the man was indeed her husband.
The startled expression of guilt on Akeem's face as he withdrew his
hands from the woman's was enough confirmation for her. Yemi felt
as if the room was closing in on her, and she couldn't breathe
properly. She had to get out of there.

She
could not bear to wait for the lift, and tears blinded her as she
rushed out of the door and descended the flight of stairs leading
out to the ground floor. In her hasty exit, she did not know when
she missed a step. She tottered crazily, trying to hold on to the
railing, but it was too late, and she heard Dotun's agonized scream
as she tumbled down the stairs.

She felt
like she was floating, and she tried to clutch at her belly with
her hands, but they would not obey her. She couldn't understand the
pounding pain in her pelvis. Her vision clouded. She could hear
voices and saw Akeem's and Dotun's alarmed faces blurrily. The pain
was getting worse. She stopped struggling as the fog thickened over
her mind, and she slipped into blissful oblivion.

∞∞∞

Yemi's
mother adjusted the light in the hospital room. "Is that better,
dear?" she asked, looking at her daughter's face.

Yemi
focused her eyes on her for a moment before looking away.
"Yes."

Her
mother stood there, looking down at her, before she sat down by her
bedside again. Yemi tried to muster up a reassuring smile but could
not. Her mother had kept vigil by her bedside since the incident a
week earlier. Yemi's silence worried her, and she had tried to
encourage her to cry it all out, but the tears wouldn't come. She
felt like she was locked up in a private hell where nothing and no
one could reach her.

Yemi
glanced down at her belly, and a fresh surge of pain overwhelmed
her. The doctors had done everything they could, but had been
unable to save her baby.

Akeem
had wanted to stay with her at the hospital, but she had refused.
She could hardly bear to look at him. She had had only one question
for him after she had been induced to deliver her son: "Are you
having an affair with that woman?" A tiny fragment of her heart had
still been hoping that she had misread what she had seen and had
overreacted.

He had
exhaled deeply. "No."

She had
stared at him. "Have you ever had anything to do with her since we
got married?"

He did
not look away. "Yes."

It had
felt like someone was turning a knife around in her heart, and the
pain was excruciating. She closed her eyes and asked him to
leave.

∞∞∞

Akeem
took her home when she was discharged from the hospital some days
later. He didn't appear to have shaven since the night of the
incident, and his eyes were constantly bloodshot, but she couldn't
care less.

"Welcome
back, Ma." Kufre greeted her at the door.

Yemi saw
that she was trying to avoid looking at her midsection. "Thanks,"
she replied. "Where is Bassey?"

"I sent
him to get some things from the store," Akeem answered. "He went
with the driver. They will pick up Aleena from preschool on their
way back."

Yemi
looked around her bedroom when she got there. It was amazing how
her life had changed so dramatically in just a few days. She felt
the pain of Akeem's betrayal even more keenly because she could not
grieve privately. Her parents and siblings knew about it. Dotun had
been distraught and blamed himself for taking her out that night.
He told her that he would not tell anyone else, but she had refused
to hold him to such a promise and had told their mum
herself.