NKEM 14
"Ah, it is you. Welcome". She stood up and offered him her seat.
Gladys turned to see who her mother just welcomed. As soon as she saw him, all the bile in her stomach came to her mouth. Of all people, he was the one person she never wanted to see.
"See who is here to visit you", her mother announced with a contented smile.
Instead of looking at him, she hissed and turned away.
Her mother ignored her and turned to One who was biting his lips to subdue his anger.
"Welcome and thank you for coming".
"Don't mention, mama. I came as soon as I heard. I am sorry you have to go through all of these." He stole a look at Gladys who had closed her eyes as though fast asleep.
"Thank you, my son. If someone had listened to me and did what was right, this problem would have been avoided".
"That is true but it was meant to happen anyway. I think the young man has learned his lesson never to fool around".
"It is you who have not learned your lesson, Ibe. She thundered with the veins on her neck bulging. The weakness in her body miraculously vanished. She is now sitting upright, legs astride and pointing accusingly at Ibe. The latter nearly jumped from his seat as well as Gladys' mother.
"Gladys, what has come over you?" She asked before apologizing to Ibe.
A nurse rushed in as if somebody was about to die.
"What is going on here?" She asked looking from Ibe, to Gladys' mother and finally at Gladys.
"I want this man out of this room immediately, she announced. He is constituting a nuisance to me".
"But he just paid your bills", the nurse announced.
"I didn't ask for any help from anybody. Can't some people get that into their thick skull?"
"Gladys, what is wrong with you? Can't you see that Ibe has been what Nkem is not and will never be? You should be thanking him instead of shouting insults at him."
"Okay Okpara, thank you for wasting your money for nothing. She turned to her mother.
"Are you now satisfied, mama ?"
"How dare you talk to me like that!".
She moved to slap her but the nurse prevented her from doing so. She dragged her away from the bed while signaling Ibe to go in other to prevent further embarrassment.
Ibe was dumbfounded. He knew Gladys hated his guts but he never expected her to react in such a mean manner towards him. What he thought would give him easy inroad into her had simply aggravated her annoyance the more. He opened his mouth but could not close it. He stood for awhile at the lobby completely at a loss on what else to do. He couldn't go back to collect the 35,000 he paid as balance for her treatment. He thought paying the money would have earned him a good place in her heart.
Upon entering the hospital, he overheard two nurses discussing the way Gladys' mum chased Nkem away like a dog and then they talked about the balance left for Gladys to pay. He had cash in on that information with the hopes that he would enter into Gladys' good books. As it is, she had not only removed him from her books but she had also tore the books into irretrievable shreds.
Thank you for stopping by. There is more to come! I am Yours Truly,
Julius Topohozin.
She felt a satisfying contentment now that she had vented her anger. Her mother had prevented Nkem from seeing her. Okpara was unlucky enough to show his unwanted face at the hospital. The anger of not seeing Nkem, the anger of the hurt Nkem had forced her to experience and the loss of her pregnancy all combined to push the blame on Okpara.
"That would teach him a lesson to stay clear off me" she whispered aloud to herself.
