CHAPTER 8
Dr Afolabi; Derin’s psychiatrist did a great job at managing her condition. She was diagnosed of a type of mood disorder known as unipolar depression. He explained the full details of the condition to Sope and educated him on the best approach to her management. She was admitted for about a month in a rehabilitation home where she received both pharmacological and behavioral therapy. The road to recovery was not so smooth; the first few weeks of her admission were tough. It took a while before she started to interact with the other patients at the facility. Sope made it his duty to check on her twice everyday; in the morning and evening. She complained a lot about the environment and food that was served there. She had to be put on a special diet of her choice before her appetite improved. Bisola also came occasionally to visit her at the facility. Derin was however not friendly with her grandmother when she was initially admitted. In fact, she never gave her audience or spoke to her during that period. Dr Afolabi however advised Bisola to give her granddaughter sometime to heal. Apparently, Derin, still felt hurt by her previous actions.
“She would come around in no time,” he mentioned.
Derin moved back to Sope’s house after she was discharged. She was out of danger zone according to her managing physician. She gradually bounced back to her jovial self over time. At a point, she started to ask about Phozoid Pharmaceuticals. That gladdened Sope’s heart, it was evidence that she was close to full recovery.
The only bothersome issue was her sudden request to meet her paternal grandfather. She wanted to meet the man whose political ambition weighed more than his daughter’s health. That tendency to remain adamant over an avoidable issue was still one of Derin’s weaknesses. Sope waved her off and changed the subject the first time she spoke to him about it.
He planned to discuss her desire to visit her grandfather with Dr Afolabi privately on her next hospital visit. She had come to trust her doctor in a way he barely understood. He could almost say he had become jealous of their relationship, thankfully however, Dr Afolabi was married. Her psychotherapy sessions were usually the longest compared to the other patients. She trusted him enough to pour out her emotions and seek advice from him. That had always been Sope’s job but he was glad she was back to her usual self even if Dr Afolabi had to gain her trust in the process. She complained about her drastic weight gain attributed to her medications on one of her numerous visits. She suggested the newer generation drugs to him based on her experience as a pharmacist. He agreed with her suggestion as long as she could keep up with buying the newer generation medications since they were a bit more expensive.
A lot of people in Koje City and particularly in this part of the world have never really understood the concept of mental illness and its implications. The stigma attached to mental illness had been everlasting and no one was doing anything about it. Thankfully, Derin didn’t really care what anyone thought about her. Her profession as a pharmacist had given her foreknowledge about various types of mental illnesses ranging from Major depressive disorders, dysthymic disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia amongst others. During the pharmaceutical workshops, medical doctors were able to enlighten those present about some of these medical conditions.
Contrary to the general public’s belief especially in West Africa, people who have suffered from one form of mental illness or the other are not abnormal beings. They are also not condemned people who have offended God.
The scary aspect is when family members are confused and do not know the next line of action. Most of them either leave their wards to roam about the streets or take them to places where harmful solutions are proffered. It could be really appalling seeing some of these people in chains, beaten like animals and even most times neglected. These mentally challenged individuals’ in fact need utmost care and support. The combination of behavioral and pharmacological therapy helps them recover most times.
Sope drove her to her appointment early on a Monday morning. He had called earlier to inform his boss he would be late. They all gave him utmost respect at work. He was an officer any boss would love having on his team. Although he didn’t specify the nature of his recent appointments, his boss gave him the liberty to take time off occasionally when Sope informed him about his family emergencies.
Derin had to wait for about an hour before she was called in to see Dr Afolabi. Sope followed her into the outer consulting room initially to discuss some of the challenges he had faced while taking care of her. He however seized the opportunity to call the doctor aside when she went into the inner office for her psychotherapy session. He discussed Derin’s resolution to meet with her grandfather; who contributed to the circumstances under which her Dad was killed. He was more interested in being cautious to avert her slip back into depression. The doctor notwithstanding felt it might be helpful for her to relieve the burden of hate she carried. He also advised that either Sope or her grandmother should accompany her on such a visit.
They drove straight to the Cole’s residence after leaving the clinic. Although she had not completely moved back in with Bisola, their relationship was almost back to normal. Sope dropped her every morning on his way to work so she could spend time bonding with her grandmother instead of sleeping all day in his house. He also picked her up in the evening on his way back.
Bisola’s never ending praises became routine every time he dropped her. She was extremely grateful for his help with her recovery. He always gave her feedback about the doctor’s report. She was especially excited to see her granddaughter that morning. It seemed like Derin had finally forgiven her for being economical with the truth about her father’s murder. The period of resentment was quite difficult for Bisola to deal with but she was glad it was now over. All they felt towards each other now was pure love. There was never really a feeling of hate towards her grandmother, her clinical condition at the time beclouded her judgment.
Sope pulled Bisola aside as soon as Derin entered into the house.
“Ma, I want to ask for your opinion about looking for Mr Opara. She keeps insisting that she wants to meet him. Dr Afolabi; her psychiatrist is of the opinion that it might be helpful.”
“That man is a very difficult person to talk to. I sincerely feel it’s not a good idea. If her doctor insists however, we can look for him but I suggest we follow her when we are able to schedule a meeting,” Bisola’s suggestion was followed with a sigh and a frown on her face.
“Ok ma. I am running late for work. We can discuss this later in the day.”
“No problem dear,” Bisola replied as she watched him walk to his vehicle.
“Why won’t Derin learn from her mistakes,” she muttered.
“How on earth are we supposed to get access to such an influential man,” the thought of talking to Mr Opara caused her stomach to churn.
It was a pleasant and fun day for them. They had both put aside their differences and chatted like there was never a problem. Derin complained about being idle all day. She also talked about missing her colleagues at work. Bisola was grateful she said nothing about meeting her grandfather.
Sope drove in to pick Derin up around 5pm, They had been eating out a lot since she got back from the hospital. That most likely contributed to her weight gain. She didn’t blame him though, considering the fact that most bachelors feed on junk food. Derin had suggested making dinner and gave Sope a shopping list for the ingredients. His bachelor degree was first grade! He had practically nothing in his refrigerator.
She hugged her Grandma and said goodbye before entering the car.
“Hello,” She greeted him with a smile.
“How was work today?”
“Work was fine thank you,” Sope replied casually as he started the engine.
“Did you get the foodstuffs,” she asked eagerly.
“Oh! Shoot I totally forgot,” Sope replied.
“I am so sorry. I guess we have to eat out again,” He gave an apologetic look.
“It’s fine, no problem,” she was apparently downcast.
“I am only kidding , I got them. It was hard work though whew!” He laughed.
Her face was suddenly lit with joy. She gave him a playful punch.
“You are so silly Sope.”
He took a quick glance at her while driving, there was something different about this look. It made her really uncomfortable, this particular look was different from any he had ever given her. He immediately put his eyes back on the road.
The past weeks Derin spent with Sope had been awesome. He pampered her to a fault, she actually felt like a princess. It wasn’t like her grandmother didn’t make her feel like royalty as well, it was expected of her. This was however different.
Sope had always been there for her at both the good and bad times. It was quite unfortunate he never saw her as more than a friend. He definitely made that clear when he asked her out for their Prom dinner back in secondary school. She could remember his hurtful words……..
“So Derin, I think you should be my date to prom.”
Her heart leaped with joy after he spoke, she was actually very happy with the idea of being a couple until he set things straight.
“Don’t worry there are no strings attached. You don’t have a date and I don’t either that’s why I asked. We can help each other in this time of need.” Those were the most demeaning words she had ever heard him utter.
Maybe she was just not his kind of woman. She had always wondered what his idea of a perfect woman was, but since she had known him, he never introduced her to any of his girlfriends.
Derin made her delicacy later that evening. She was glad her grandmother’s cooking skills rubbed off on her. Sope was overwhelmed with the tasty meal. He ate like he had never gotten an opportunity to eat a well prepared meal before.
“If only this could be permanent,” he sighed.
“How was the meal Sope?” She asked anxiously.
“It was superb, Thank you,” he smiled.
They sat down to watch one of her favorite telemundo series after dinner. It was surprising that she loved watching these series considering she didn’t have anyone with whom she was romantically involved. He wasn’t a big fan, he however had no choice but to indulge her, she was his guest after all.
She got emotional about a particular scene which was quite fascinating. It was actually hilarious when he caught her sobbing. Her tears made his shirt wet.
“I am so sorry,” she apologized as soon as she noticed she had soiled his shirt.
“I got carried away,” She made a laughable attempt to squeeze out the wet part.
“It’s fine Derin, please stop. You can drool all over me if you so desire, I have no problem with it.” He spoke almost inaudibly. Sope had a subtle moment of weakness, he felt like kissing those gorgeous lips of hers. It had always been his dream to do so. His body screamed ‘go ahead’ but common sense pulled him back.
Derin let her gaze slip lower to the rest of his body.
“What was she doing?” Sope was her best friend. She had seen him a thousand times before but he seemed utterly different today.
She propped herself up on one elbow and noticed he was starring at her. It made her self-conscious but she was unable to look away. Her heart started to pound, her mouth became dry and her head was spinning.
Derin yanked him towards herself and covered her mouth with his. He responded immediately, her mouth was so warm, the caress of her lips were softer than he could ever imagine. She opened her mouth with a low moan.
Suddenly, Sope pushed away as though he had been burnt.
“I am sorry Derin,” He spoke in a strangled voice.
“That wasn’t right,” He was about to burst with the desire he felt, at least he still had control over his head.
Derin however seemed to have lost it. She threw caution to the wind and started to undress him. He was powerless under her charms. He had waited so long to have her notice him this way. Sope simply returned the favour and undressed her as well. The sight of her breasts turned him on, it was nothing like he had ever seen. The two round molds on her chest were nothing short of gorgeous. He took them one after the other in his hands before caressing them with his lips. She seemed shocked with the rising bulge that hit her thighs. One could say this was all new to her, considering she was a bit stiff and shy initially. She however loosened up and relaxed with his gentle caresses. They made beautiful and sweet love. It was a simply magical experience.
It wasn’t until the end of the love making that Sope realized the foolish mistake they had just made.
“Oh! Derin we didn’t use protection.”
“I am sorry I pushed you into doing this. I accept full responsibilities for my actions,” she spoke with her head bowed in an attempt to hide from the shame that had started to consume her.
“No! No! Derin it’s our actions, you didn’t do this on your own,” he hugged her.
“Are you by any chance on your safe period?”
“When is my safe period,” she asked obviously embarrassed.
“It’s five days after menstruating and five days before the period.”
“I actually do not keep track of my menstrual cycle, I have never had any reason to.”
He was shocked by her statement….Wait a minute Derin, Is this your first time?”
“What does it matter to you? The important thing right now is that we had sex and forgot to use protection.”
He didn’t push it by questioning her further.
“Don’t worry we would get the morning after pill on Monday morning when we drive into town, there are no phamarcies close by. It is usually valid for a few days I think, so there is no need to panic. Why did I even bother explaining that?” he laughed to ease the brewing tension.
“You know better than I do, afterall, you are a well celebrated pharmacist”
“Yeah it’s it’s valid for 72 hours after sex” she replied as she let her imagination run wild on the number of ladies he had gotten the morning after pill for in the past.
They couldn’t both help but reminisce all through the night about their love making. As much as it was a mistake, it was also a breathtaking experience.
The weekend was longer than usual, they both felt very awkward and tried so hard to pretend about the events of the previous night.
Sope drove to the pharmacy very early on Monday morning to get the pill before he dropped her off at her grandmother’s place. He handed her the pill in the vehicle but forgot to get a bottle of water.
“Shoot! I forgot about water,” He had opened the door of the driver’s seat in an attempt to rush back into the pharmacy.
Derin however pulled him back.
“I would take it when I get to Nana’s place. You are already running late for work.”
“Ok, please don’t forget to take it dear.”
“I wouldn’t,” she replied.
The hectic traffic that morning made it impossible for him to greet her grandmother.
“Please say hi to Nana for me,” He begged.
“I will, have a lovely day ahead. Bye,” She waved to him before he drove off.
Bisola had noticed she was around, she saw Sope drop her off from her window upstairs. She immediately rushed down in her pyjamas. She was happy to see her granddaughter as always.
“How is Sope? I hope there is no problem, he didn’t come in to greet me today.”
“He is actually late for work ma. He asked me to send his regards,” Derin replied.
“Oh ok no problem dear. So what gist do you have for me today?”
Derin quickly hid the pill from her grandmother, there was no point in letting her find out about her reckless friday night adventure. She made a mental note to use the pill when her grandmother was not watching her closely.
“I think it is high time I moved back in, Nana. I am now fully recovered. Trust me, I would like to get back to work and my normal life.”
Bisola was pleasantly surprised by her granddaughter’s statement. She had been itching to make this same suggestion but decided to give it sometime before asking.
“I agree dear I have really missed you. I think we should go out today to have fun before you resume back to work. We should see a movie too.”
“What kind of movie would I see with an old woman like you?” Derin responded and then burst into laughter.
“I tell you every time, age is nothing but a number. You would be surprised about how cool I am,” Bisola winked.
“I am going to get dressed for the occasion, I would be back in a few minutes.”
Derin watched her grandmother rush up the stairs to prepare for their outing. It was the perfect opportunity for her to get a glass of water to use the pill. She realized the zip of her bag was open when she reached into it for the pill.
“Where on earth is this pill,” She screamed in frustration and emptied the contents of her bag onto the sofa.
“What are you looking for?” Bisola asked when she got downstairs. Derin did not notice her grandmother come down.
“It’s nothing ma, I already found it,” She quickly replied.
It was indeed a fun day for both of them, Bisola wasn’t joking when she mentioned she was young at heart. She was practically jumping from one store to another when they went shopping, even Derin was already tired of walking around, she had totally forgotten about her misplaced pill.
Sope was waiting to pick her up when they got back.
“Good evening ma,” he greeted as soon as they walked into the living room.
“Good evening Sope, I am so sorry for keeping her out for so long. We had our grandmother and granddaughter bonding moments today. It was so much fun.”
“I am glad you both had fun ma,” he smiled.
Bisola saw them off to the car.
“See you tomorrow dear.”
“Definitely ma,” She hugged her grandmother before getting into the car.
“How was your day Sope,” she asked to break the silence.
“My day was fine thank you dear.”
He really wanted to discuss the events of that beautiful night. They had both been pretending like it was nothing when it meant so much to him.
“So did you use the pill?” He asked.
She panicked just before she replied.
“Yes I did Sope,” she immediately changed the subject in order to conceal her guilt.
“I would like to move back in with my grandmother. I would be starting work next week and the mansion is closer to my work place. Thank you so much for accommodating me all this while. Your efforts have given me another chance at life.”
“It was a pleasure Derin, should we settle for noodles this evening. It’s too late to go all out with dinner except you don’t mind eating out today.”
“Noodles would be just fine for me,” she replied.
It was a long and quiet ride back to Sope’s residence as they both thought about their feelings for each other.
CHAPTER 9
It was a bit difficult for Derin to get back to her regular lifestyle, she slept most times during working hours and ate excessively as well. She had also started feeling nauseous and irritable in the past weeks.
“I really should make a complaint about this excessive sleep as well as the increased appetite to Dr Afolabi on my next visit.” She mentioned to Bisola on one of their numerous outings. It was actually strange considering she had been using these same drugs before she started work but had never felt this way. She had moved back to the mansion, Mr Bode; the family driver dropped her at work each morning and picked her up in the afternoon. Her colleagues at work were happy to see her. They had apparently all signed a gigantic ‘get well soon’ card which was not delivered because her grandmother refused to disclose her location or the nature of her illness. Derin was treated like a fragile cargo at work, she was always given the least workload even on busy days.
Bisola was also happy to have her only companion back and in good health. As much as Derin loved being around her grandmother, she also missed Sope a lot. She had not seen him for a while due to a major project he had been assigned to at work.
It was strange going for her hospital appointments without Sope. Bisola however accompanied her on this particular visit. Derin informed Dr Afolabi about her increased appetite and excessive sleep. He listened carefully before he carried out his examinations. She was pale from his findings.
“When last did you see your period dear?” He asked.
It has actually been over two months Doctor but sometimes it is delayed when I am stressed.” Derin replied.
“Can you remember the exact date?”
“No I can’t. Any problem?”
The doctor urged Bisola to leave the consulting room, he then proceeded with his assessment immediately her grandmother stepped out.
“Did you have unprotected sex lately Derin?”
“Well, yes I did and I forgot to use the emergency contraceptive pill. Do you think I am pregnant?”
“I strongly feel you might be dear. We would have to run a serum pregnancy test to confirm. It might be difficult using some of your medications while pregnant. Some of these drugs may cause some harm to the developing foetus. I expect you to know this though since you are a pharmacist and you know more about drugs.”
Derin eventually got a pregnancy test done the next day and the result came out positive. At that moment she felt very ashamed of herself.
“The one time I finally decide to have sex and it ends in conception. I am carrying the baby of a man who doesn’t love me but sees me as nothing more than a friend.” She lamented.
Derin was sad when she reasoned that her first fruit would be born out of wedlock. She couldn’t hide the news of her pregnancy from her grandmother for too long. She narrated the full story to her.
“You should tell him dear,” Bisola persuaded her granddaughter.
“Sope seems like a reasonable and responsible young man. He would surely accept his baby”
“Don’t you understand Nana this happened because of me, I initiated the whole thing. Worse still, I forgot to take the emergency pill,” Derin screamed at her.
“I hope you are not thinking of terminating this pregnancy?” Bisola asked.
“What if I am?” she replied.
“’Not under my roof, I would not support this unreasonable decision,” Her grandmother left in anger.
Once again Derin’s world had come crashing down on her.
“Why is this happening when I am trying to get my life back together,” she cried.
Bisola sure was not joking when she mentioned she would not stand for an abortion. She called Sope that night before going to bed. He showed up at their doorstep very early the next morning. He was furious when he heard what she planned to do to his baby.
“Please talk some sense into the head of this stubborn child of mine,” Bisola pleaded with him before excusing herself.
Derin was seating in the living room. She picked up her phone and pretended she was about to receive a phone call when she saw Sope walk in. He snatched the phone from her and dropped it on the centre table.
“What the heck is wrong with you! The baby might be in your womb but it’s ours. You have no right to harm this baby.” He scolded.
“I didn’t plan to have any child out of wedlock especially when the baby’s parents don’t even love each other,” she spoke with a bitter tone.
Sope was actually hurt by her statement, she was only speaking for herself. He loved her dearly, more than she could ever imagine.
“So you would rather risk your life and take an innocent life as well?”
She remained silent.
“You know what Derin, we could get married as soon as possible. We would have a court wedding and then a full ceremony after the baby is born.”
“You don’t have to do this Sope, I take full responsibility for this pregnancy. After all, I was the one who refused to use the pill. I don’t want to entrap you into a union that is devoid of love.”
“Would you stop and just listen for once! It would be an honor to call you my wife. I really do not understand these ridiculous statements you are making.” Sope spoke with obvious frustration.
Bisola was in full support of the court wedding, it was an answer to her frequent prayers for her granddaughter. They were married in less than a month. She thought she could work effectively with the pregnancy, the morning sickness however grew worse. She sometimes could not make it to work.
Derin was being co managed by her Psychiatrist; Dr Afolabi and her obstetrician; Dr Funsho. Dr Afolabi had tailed down the antidepressants but she was still seen regularly for her psychotherapy sessions. The experience was totally new to her. She had difficulties with her sleeping position as the pregnancy progressed.
Sope had been totally supportive, he accompanied her to every one of her hospital visits no matter how busy his schedule was. Bisola visited her constantly and brought her cook from the mansion to help with the meals. Derin had terrible cravings for chocolates and sweet things in general. When she as much as whispered the need for anything, her husband immediately provided it.
“He must really need this child,” she had reasoned occasionally.
Pregnancy did not stop her quest to meet with her grandfather, she had gotten some information from her private investigator about his whereabouts. Mr Opara had travelled out of town for one of his political meetings. She had been stalking him for weeks, he lived in a neighboring city not too far from Koje called Ado. It was an hour’s drive from Koje.
Derin decided not to tell Bisola or Sope about her plans to ambush her grandfather. They had not seemed to be interested in her decison to meet him. She just had to figure out how to go about it without Sope’s knowledge. He had constantly stuck to her like a magnet ever since they got married. He called every two hours to check on her while at work. He also usually left work early so he could come back to attend to her every need. This would have been perfect ever after for her if he did all this even without the pregnancy.
She was constantly bothered that she forced him into getting married to her. He had been sent on another assignment at work. This trip was however going to be a short one, he was to be gone for three days the following week.
Derin was happy when he informed her about the trip. It was her opportunity to visit Mr Opara; her grandfather. It was rather coincidental however that his trip was going to be to Ado city as well. She thought deeply about how to transport herself there easily considering her pregnancy; she was already six months gone. The easier option would have been to get Sope to drive her there himself but she was so sure he would refuse. She however decided to use one of the Taxi services.
Sope was not settled about being apart from Derin but he had to perform his work duties. It was consoling however, to know that Bisola would be coming over to check on her.
“Your grandma would be here soon dear. Remember, if there is anything you would like to talk about, I am just a phone call away,” Sope mentioned before placing a kiss on her forehead.
“I should give him some head start before calling the cab guy,” she muttered to herself.
The Taxi Company with which she had booked was very particular about the fact that she was pregnant. They asked for two contact details in case of any emergencies. She readily gave them Sope and Bisola’s phone numbers.
“They wouldn’t need to call either of them anyway,” she concluded.
Derin gave her husband a thirty minutes head start before calling the driver.
“I have to leave before Nana gets here in the afternoon, I should be back in no time,” she thought.
The driver was very efficient with his timing; he got there within fifteen minutes just as he promised. He also helped her into the back seat of the vehicle like she was an invalid.
“I am only pregnant for goodness sake not ill,” Derin mentioned to the driver.
She smiled when she remembered how the driver began to fidget on seeing her huge abdomen.
“Are you Ok ma,” he asked occasionally.
“If there is any problem, please let me know.”
“Am fine, no problem at all,” she replied laughing.
He was quite the chatty type, he tried to make long conversations with her in a bid to get acquainted but she was really not interested. Derin tried as much as possible to respond to his questions so as not to come across as rude though she was tired. Her plan was not quite complete; she started to feel like it was not well thought out.
“It isn’t like he is actually expecting me,” she muttered.
“What did you say m’aam?” The driver asked.
“I wasn’t speaking to you, please carry on.”
It was a challenge locating her grandfather’s compound when they eventually arrived at Ado City. They asked for directions from several residents before they found the compound.
It was a huge house, nothing short of luxurious. Derin instructed the driver to park a distance away from the house. She alighted from the vehicle this time without the driver’s help. He however kept his eyes on her every step.
“Please be careful m’aam” he mentioned repeatedly.
“Are you going to stay long in there ma?”
“I don’t think so, just in case I take more than an hour in there, please call any of my emergency contacts.”
The driver started to get scared with her comment. He wondered whose house it was and what kind of danger his pregnant passenger was getting herself into. Derin sensed the fear in his countenance after she spoke.
“I am only kidding, don’t worry I would be back soon,” she laughed.
As far as the driver was concerned, she meant her initial statement. He made a mental note to keep track of the time she entered into the premises. If he had his way he would have prevented her entry into the compound. She was however a client and it had always been repeated at the company that ‘the client is always right’.
He watched her walk into the compound like it was the Lion’s den. The gate was heavily guarded. She was first told to wait outside in the scorching sun before she was eventually let into the premises.
“Such terrible beings! They do not even have any form of regard or sympathy for pregnant women” he lamented.
Derin looked around the compound as she was ushered into the main building to see her grandfather. She had told them at the gate that she had a message from Mrs Bisola Cole. It seemed like he was a boss every one feared. She was kept waiting in the visitor’s sitting room. While she was there, she started to get a little jittery.
“Is this really a good idea?” she asked herself.
It was however too late to back down since she had come that far. The almighty Mr Opara finally graced her with his presence after keeping her waiting for about forty minutes. He had a frown on his face and looked like he had been sleeping all morning.
He was actually quite good looking for his age. He was fair in complexion, had a chiseled jaw, slightly weathered skin and two piercing eyes. He scrutinized her thoroughly before addressing her with his callous lips.
“Good morning Madam, I heard you have a message for me from Mrs Bisola Cole?”
“Yes Sir, She told me to inform you that her granddaughter whose mother you took away years ago is in need of your help financially. She has a medical condition that requires a transplant which cannot be done in the country,” Derin explained.
“I thought the members of the Cole Family were always paraded as wealthy citizens of the country, why do they need my help? Besides, she should have come herself instead of sending a pregnant messenger. Tell her I have no funds to waste on a ‘mad woman’s daughter.’ It’s a relief knowing I no longer have the burden of taking care of that mistake of a child; Bola.” His statement was followed by laughter.
He was definitely the monster that had been described to her, he felt no remorse whatsoever for his terrible actions.
“If that would be all, you can show yourself out,” He spoke and then turned to leave.
Derin was furious, she had never seen this kind of first class wickedness, the man she stood before was the definition of pure evil.
“What sort of man says nasty things about his daughter and granddaughter? You are really as wicked as you have been described. First, you denied an innocent young woman of the right to good treatment for her medical condition and now you are thankful she committed suicide.”
His face turned red in anger. Derin however shunned him before he could speak.
“What do you have to say for yourself? You never even cared that your daughter could cause harm to herself and to other people around her without proper medical care. All you were interested in was your stupid political ambition. You were the one that influenced the commissioner of police to abandon my Dad’s homicide case, Weren’t you? What a disgraceful man you are, I am devastated by the fact that we share the same blood. May you die a painful death.”
She was about to walk out of the visitor’s waiting room after her speech, she was not aware that Mr Opara had picked up one of the flower vases in anger. She fell flat on her abdomen and lost consciousness after he threw the vase at her. There was a slight cut on her fore head where the vase had hit her. The problem however, was that she had also started bleeding following the trauma to her abdomen, her lower body was soaked. It was then he realized what he had done.
“Where in the world did this devil of a grandchild surface from?”
He quickly called the security on the intercom to find out if anyone accompanied her. They did not realize there was a driver waiting for her outside.
The driver had actually started to get worried, it had been over an hour since she left.
“O Lord, it’s almost two hours since this woman has been gone, I have a strange feeling about this vicinity,” he mumbled.
The security men kept opening the gate as though they were looking to cross check something. “If anything happens to this woman, nobody would believe I had nothing to do with it. I have to do something.”
The driver dialed the first emergency contact Derin had given the company but the line was switched off. He then dialed the second number and thankfully, Sope picked immediately.
“Hello Sir, I am one of the drivers from Arrive-safe Taxi services, a certain pregnant woman; Mrs Derinsola Bello dropped your number as her emergency contact.”
Sope was shocked, he couldn’t believe his ears. Derin had not mentioned she was going anywhere today. The plan was for her grandmother to stay at home with her for the days he would be gone.
“Sir, are you still on the line?” The driver beckoned.
“Yes I am, she is my wife. How may I help you?”
“Sir, I was hired to drive her to a particular house at a residential area in Ado city, I parked a distance from the building according to her instructions. She has been gone for about 2 hours now, but before she left, I was instructed to call any of her emergency contacts if it took more than an hour for her to come out of the supposed building. I must confess Sir, there are some really strange men that keep looking out of the gate. There is this strong feeling I have that her life is in danger.”
“Ado city!” he exclaimed.
“What the heck is this woman of mine doing in Ado?” Sope was distraught, the only consolation he had was that she was close to his location.
“Please can you text the full address to me,” he pleaded.
The driver responded immediately with the text after their phone conversation. Sope dialed Bisola repeatedly but was unable to get through.
“Where in the world is Mrs B,” he screamed in frustration.
“She was supposed to make sure this sort of thing never happened.”
He explained the whole situation to his co team members and they all volunteered to accompany him to save his woman. Sope drove like his life depended on it. He was quite familiar with the terrain of the address the driver sent to him. The area had always been reserved only for high and mighty in the society. He pondered back and forth on who she might have gone to visit in the area and the only person that came to his mind was her grandfather.
“Derin is sure going to lead me to my early grave,” he lamented.
“I just pray both her and the baby are fine. God please keep her safe for me,” He prayed as he sped past a traffic light. Disobeying the traffic light did not matter much to him at that moment, considering he was driving an official vehicle. He had even put the siren on to ensure preferential treatment on the road.
Sope almost shed tears as he drove but he tried to comport himself.
“When would this woman realize that she means the world to me,” he spoke in a muffled tone.
He had no inclination of what he was going to meet at his destination, all he knew was that he had to leave that place with Derin and his unborn child in good health. He did not care about any other thing thereafter.
They eventually arrived at the residential area, it took a while to gain access into the premises. The security men were reluctant to let them in but complied after they were threatened. He couldn’t decide which room to enter first, the house was a very big one with numerous rooms. After barging into two rooms with his men, he eventually found his wife on the floor lying unconscious in a pool of blood. The culprit was nowhere to be found.
One of his colleagues immediately called the ambulance and within a few minutes, the paramedics arrived. Her pulse was feeble but she was definitely still alive, the only problem was they were not sure of the baby’s condition.
Sope was in a very bad state; as much as he tried to be strong he couldn’t stand the thought of losing his wife and child. Mr Opara had tried to escape before the paramedics arrived but the police officers who were standing at the gate arrested him before he could escape.
Sope watched as the doctors struggled to stabilize her, they first gained intravenous access and then collected her blood sample for typing and cross matching. Another doctor was stationed with Sope to get information about her pregnancy, he could not think straight but he struggled to give as much information as he could.
It was almost an hour since the doctors wheeled his wife away, nobody had come out to give him any useful information about her condition. He almost lost his mind as he waited.
Bisola eventually switched on her phone when she realized that her granddaughter was not at home as expected. She dialed Derin’s phone number but there was no answer. She was shocked when she called Sope and he was practically sobbing.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“I can’t find Derin…..”
“That is because she is here with me in Ado, she is just so disobedient, always throwing caution to the wind,” Sope lamented.
“Calm down dear, what happened?” she asked hurriedly and she tried to understand the whole scenario.
“I think she came to confront her grandfather; Mr Opara and in the process he threw an object at her. She is currently lying unconscious at the University teaching hospital in Ado.”
“What!” Bisola exclaimed and imagined the worst.
“That man has no human feelings I had warned her severally to desist from her plan to meet up with him.”
She struggled to wipe off her tears and get the full address of the hospital. Derin was all she had left!
It took her an hour to arrive at the hospital. She looked really scattered and hysterical. Sope was glad to see her, he needed the support so badly. She hugged him after walking up to him in the reception area. One of the doctors eventually asked to speak with the patient’s relative preferably her husband.
Sope left her in the waiting area and followed the doctor to his office to discuss his wife’s condition.
“Good afternoon Sir,” the doctor greeted.
“I am the medical officer who attended to your wife when she was rushed in.”
“Ok,” Sope responded as calmly as he could though he was petrified.
“Your wife has been stabilized, her vitals are now within acceptable range. She sustained a laceration on her fore head which has been properly stitched. The problem however is with the baby.”
Sope’s heart skipped a beat; this was exactly why he was scared.
“What is wrong with the baby?”
“I strongly believe there was trauma to your wife’s abdomen when she fell, evidenced by the history you gave about the position in which you found her. This has led to a separation of the normally sited placenta; a condition known as Abruptio placentae.
I am sorry to say Sir that there has most likely been a fetal death. We would work in conjunction with the obstetrician to manage her effectively. The plan is to induce labor and bring out the dead baby, if that fails, we might need to carry out a caesarian section but that would be only after you have signed the consent form.”
The worst had finally happened; the precious baby that had brought him closer to the love of his life was gone. Sope; a full grown man cried his eyes out as he broke the terrible news to Derin’s grandmother. He also managed to call Dr Funsho, her managing obstetrician to inform him about the latest development.
Derin was induced later that day and the dead baby was successfully removed from the womb. She was admitted in the hospital for three days before she was discharged. He never for once left her side in those days despite how upset he was.
Derin definitely knew she had messed up.
“Was the revenge really worth losing my baby?” she constantly questioned herself and wept profusely while on admission. Anyone would expect Sope to leave and not want to have anything to do with her, he was however still supportive through it all.
Derin did not want to deceive herself; he was only being a gentleman because it was his nature. She decided to suggest the divorce first before he hurt her with his rejection. She was placed on bed rest at home, Sope and Bisola took turns to care for her.
The news of her grandfather’s incarceration was all over the state. He apparently had other criminal attributes which he had used his affluence to sweep under the carpet. If the situation was different she would have been ecstatic about her victory, she however lost something precious in the process.
Sope poured out his frustration on Dr Funsho when he called to find out about Derin’s condition.
“Take heart man, you have to forgive her. The important thing is that she is alive and she is still your wife. The two of you can always have more children when you are ready,” Funsho had advised. He however could not come around to accepting what had just happened.
