Burning Coles - Episode 5

She quickly turned her face away “Goke, please stop it. I need time. I’ll have to think about this and get back to you” she told him.

He moved away and sat back in his seat “I totally understand. I’m sorry if I rushed you. It’s not my nature, I just really like you and was expressing my feelings that’s all” he explained.

Seyi remained quiet. She was beginning to wonder if sneaking out and lying to her mum so she could see Goke was worth it. She began to feel so uneasy and uncomfortable. She didn’t feel free around him anymore. Deep down, she wanted to go back home but didn’t know how to tell him. “What have I gotten myself into?” she asked herself.

Just as the thoughts were running through her mind, she began to feel her tummy churn. “Goke I’m not feeling too good” she told him. “I think I need to use the toilet, my tummy is rumbling” she placed her hand on her tummy and began to retch bending over ready to vomit.

“What is the problem?” he asked with so much concern. “Will you use the toilet at the eatery?” he placed his hand on her shoulder.

“No. I think I’ll just go back home. I won’t be able to make it to the eatery. Please can you take me back home?” she asked looking so unwell.

“Okay if that’s the only choice we have, then let me drop you” he started the car and quickly turned around. He drove pretty fast, looking at her from time to time to ensure she was okay.

When he got to the gate leading to her estate, he asked “where is your house?”

Seyi pointed straight “just keep going”.

He drove a few meters.

“You can stop now, thank you” she said still holding her tummy and bending over. “I’m sorry, I spoilt our plans, we will have to reschedule. I’m really sorry” she explained as she came down.

“It’s okay, I’m glad I was able to see you again. Please think about all I said, take care of yourself.”

“Okay bye” she shut the door and rushed towards the gate. Thankfully, she had a copy of the key to the gate and didn’t need to wait for anyone to open the gate for her. She ran through the kitchen door and went straight to the toilet. It was in between her room and Bayo’s room. The two rooms shared a toilet and bathroom. Everyone but Mr. Cole, who was in the sitting room watching TV, were in their rooms.

When she was done using the toilet, she went to her room.

“Sister Seyi, what happened?” Bolu asked. “I thought you went out.”

“I’m back” Seyi said as she dropped her bag on the floor and threw herself on the bed.

“What happened?” Bolu was both curious and inquisitive.

“I wasn’t feeling too good” Seyi answered hoping that was sufficient enough to quench Bolu’s thirst for information.

“Sorry, how are you feeling now?” she asked with concern.

“Much better, strangely” Seyi herself couldn’t explain what just happened. One moment she was fine, the next moment she was so uneasy so much so her tummy began to rumble.

She thought of either calling or sending a text to Goke but as she brought her phone out of her bag, she got disinterested and instead flung it on the bed.

“What did you eat?” Seyi asked Bolu. Hunger pangs were beginning to set in. The feeling of excitement had masked the hunger all along.

“Jollof rice and chicken. Mummy left yours in the warmer” Bolu told her.

Seyi stood up to change her cloth before going to the kitchen. As she was about walking out of the room, she took a closer look at Bolu. “Is that makeup on your face?”

Bolu giggled.

“It’s not funny Bolu, what are you doing with my make up?”

“It was mummy’s own, not your own” Bolu immediately became defensive. “Is it only you that has make up?”

“That’s your business, just don’t touch my things. Did mummy allow you use her make up?”

“She is sleeping” Bolu said and stuck out her tongue.

“I pity you, let her catch you. How old are you that you are using make up?” Seyi hissed and left the room.

“Leave me alone” Bolu said rudely.

Seyi went to the kitchen and found the warmer on the tiled kitchen counter beside the microwave. She dished the rice into a ceramic plate and took a piece of chicken from the pot then went to the dining to devour the meal.

As she took the first spoon, her phone rang, it was Goke. She picked it after the second ring.

“Hi Goke” she said.

“Hello Seyi, how are you feeling?”

“I’m better, I’m really sorry I messed everything up” she told him.

“Haba, it’s okay. I’m glad you are better now. We can always meet some other time. Make sure you rest well” he sounded very caring.

“Thank you, I will”

“You are welcome dear”

There was silence.

“I love you” Goke said without mincing words.

Seyi didn’t know what to say. She didn’t feel it was right to tell him she loved him too when they were not dating. More so, she believed “love” was a strong word to use just anyhow and she wondered if what she felt for him was love of something else. She felt a strange and entirely new feeling she had never experienced before. She was both excited and uneasy at the same time. She wasn’t just settled deep within her.

“Thank you” she mumbled and immediately ended the call. Her appetite was gone, she managed to finish the food.

She couldn’t keep it to herself any more. She needed to talk to someone and the only person that came to her mind was Sope. She sent a WhatsApp message to her but noticed it didn’t deliver.

“What could be wrong?” she wondered. “I hope my data has not finished?” she said as she quickly checked her data balance. “Oh no, the useless thing didn’t even last two weeks” she was annoyed as she took her plate to the kitchen, washed it and went to her room.

On her way to her room, she decided to check on Bayo. His room was directly opposite hers. As she tried opening the door, she realized it was locked.

She knocked “Bayo open the door” she said and waited for his response.

“I’m coming.”

“Why are you always locking your door, only God knows what you are always doing” Seyi was getting tired of waiting.

“Didn’t I say I’m coming?” Bayo repeated himself as he opened the door.

“Sorry sir, I didn’t know we had to have special IV before we can enter your room now” Seyi said sarcastically as she walked into his room.

“Sorry, that’s not what I meant” Bayo apologized.

As Seyi walked into the room, she spotted their mother’s internet modem on the bed. “What is mummy’s modem doing here? You know she mustn’t know, she has warned you not to use it because it’s for her work” Seyi was referred to as ‘small Police’. Bayo hated when she snooped around looking for loop holes with which she threatened him and Bolu.

“It was just this afternoon I took it, I wanted to watch something on YouTube, please don’t tell mummy” he begged.

“On one condition” Seyi said with a mischievous smile as she sat on the bed.

“What condition?” Bayo asked already nervous.

“Share Hot spot with me, my data just finished” Seyi was smart and always had a way of making her younger siblings do whatever she wanted.

“But mine isn’t much, that was why I took mummy’s modem” he told her hoping she’ll understand.

“Then mummy will know you took her modem” Seyi said cunningly.

“Fine, only little.”

“Deal” Seyi replied. “Where is your phone?” She asked.

“Beside you” he said reluctantly.

Seyi turned to her right and saw his phone close to the pillow. She picked it and handed it over to him “type your password.”

Bayo did and quickly closed the YouTube app.

“Is it on?” she asked.

“Is what on?” Bayo was distracted by the app he was closing.

“The Hot spot of course, what else?”

“Oh,” he turned it on “it’s on. I’ll have to put my password on your phone” he informed her.

“This is not the first time I’m using your wi-fi, I don’t need the password,” Seyi was so confident of that.

“Well you do because I changed it” Bayo smirked, glad to have faulted her smart mouth. He stretched his hand to collect her phone then he typed the password. Immediately he did, a WhatsApp message from Goke entered her phone. Bayo wasn’t the inquisitive type but for reasons, he clicked the notification and opened the chat. “Who is Goke?” he asked, still looking through her phone.

“Give me my phone” Seyi struggled with Bayo to collect it.

“Chill I know him” Bayo said as he enlarged his profile picture. “This is Feyikemi’s boyfriend” Bayo said still stirring at the picture.

“What? Who is Feyikemi?” Seyi was dumbfounded.

“Sijuade’s senior sister” Bayo replied and added “how do you know him? I heard he is a very bad guy. He knows how to get any girl, as in he is that bad” Bayo emphasized.

“Who told you all these things? Who is Sijuade?” Seyi could not believe her ears.

“My classmate. We just started talking some weeks ago. She was even telling me how she is so concerned about her sister because of the guy she is dating and that she is always with him” Bayo told her.

“Are you sure about this, Bayo?” Seyi’s head was spinning.

“Very serious.”

“I swear guys are useless” Seyi said, stood up and walked towards the door still shocked about the news she had just heard. She was so lost in thoughts, she forgot her phone.

“Your phone” Bayo picked her phone and stretched it to her.

Seyi turned back and collected it.

“Do you still need the Hot Spot?” Bayo asked.

Seyi continued walking out of the room without even realizing Bayo was talking to her.

“That’s weird” Bayo said wondering what was wrong with his sister. “Let me quickly return mummy’s modem before she wakes up” he turned it off and went to his mum’s room to return it, praying and hoping she was still sleeping.

Alas, as he opened the door leading to her, he saw her wide awake. She was sitting up in bed wearing her glasses about opening her bag. He froze.

“What is it?” Mrs. Cole asked wondering why he looked so dazed.

“Nothing ma” he said, his response obviously contrasting his fearful appearance.

“Is your sister back?” Mrs. Cole asked. She wasn’t ready for Bayo’s drama.

“Yes ma, I think she is in her room” he said. “Should I call her for you?” He added, trying to get out of the room as soon as possible.

“No don’t worry” she said as she opened her bag searching for something. “Where is this modem again?” She asked already getting upset.

“Your modem?” Bayo asked.

“Yes I can’t find it and I want to use it”. She said without looking up as she kept searching the bag.

“Wait, I think I saw it on the dining table” Bayo lied, let me go and check. He left the room without waiting for a response from his mum.

He lingered in front of the door for some minutes and knocked on the door.

“Come in” Mrs. Cole said.

Bayo opened the door “this is it” he stretched it to her.

“Mrs Cole collected it “why is it hot?” she asked him, looking at him above her glasses.

Bayo had been caught red handed and he knew it. “Em…em” he stammered. “I’m sorry ma” he apologized.

“That’s what you always say. I know what I’ll do to you. When you don’t have money to buy anything tomorrow during break time in school and when you don’t have and money for credit and data, you will know you are sorry.” His mum meant every single word she had just uttered.

“Mummy please it won’t happen again, I promise” he begged.

“My friend will you get out of my room” she shouted at him. “What you did is called stealing and lying, in case you didn’t know.” she hissed.

Bayo left the room feeling bad.

Mrs. Cole brought out her laptop to work. She turned it on and waited for it to boot. As she did, her mind went to Emeka again. “What is wrong with me? Emeka and I are both married. The past is in the past” she tried convincing herself.

She picked the complementary card he gave her and looked at it again. “He must be well to do” she said as she replayed in her mind the 15 minutes she had with him some hours ago. “Who says I cannot call him? It wasn’t like I asked for the card, he gave me” she told herself as she picked her phone and before any opposing thought came, she was already dialing his number.

Unfortunately, he didn’t pick the call.

Mrs. Cole dropped the phone, disappointed. “I don’t know what I was thinking. Am I a child?” She reasoned.

She decided to focus on her work, she had a presentation the next day at work and had not finished preparing the PowerPoint slides. As soon as she opened the document she was about to work on, her phone rang. It was Emeka. Her heart began to race, her fingers trembled as she reached for the phone and picked the call.

“Hello” the male voice which brought back old memories said.

She was speechless.

“Hello?” he repeated himself this time around in a questioning tone. “Please who is on the line?” he asked politely.

“Hi, it’s Funke” she managed to gather some words. “Is this Emeka?” she asked even though she could bet her next month’s salary, it was him.

“Hey Funke, so good to hear from you. You won’t believe it, I was just thinking about you. I was saying to myself “why didn’t I collect your number?” I’m so glad you called” he sounded excited.

“Really? That’s interesting. I was hoping my call wasn’t too early” Mrs Cole confessed.

“Early? Of course not. The timing was just perfect” he said. “So how are you doing?”

Mrs. Cole knew that her life took a down turn when she made that decision that day in her father’s house. She wished more than anything that she was Mrs. Nwafor not Mrs. Cole.

To be continued...