by I. Izegbuwa
‘I warned you to stay out of my affairs didn’t I?’ she said.
Steve walked towards Bibi, but he didn’t use force. There were a few people walking around so he tried to edge her gently but firmly towards the car. Bibi began to panic as she made a frantic attempt to dodge him.
‘Lord, please do something,’ she prayed desperately.
Steve caught hold of Bibi’s arm as Madam Ofilia stepped in front of her. ‘Which of my girls have you been talking to? What did they say?’
‘I don’t have their names.’ Bibi replied.
‘Liar, tell me the truth at once!’
As the tussle intensified, another car pulled up in front of the Benz and the door opened. Madam Ofilia groaned in exasperation when she saw a thick, wooden cane emerge from the black Honda. She was irked by Mrs. Briggs’ refusal to back down. At the same time, she needed to be civil now that she knew how influential the woman was. Even Madam had a bit of diplomacy in her. Forcing a smile, she motioned to Steve to release his grip on Bibi.
Mrs. Briggs had come to check up on the progress of the hotline. She knew the day’s session would have just ended and wanted to collect whatever information Bibi was able to garner. She was surprised at the scene that was playing out before her.
‘Is there a problem here?’ she asked as she approached the trio.
‘No, none at all’ Madam answered sweetly, ‘I’m just having a chat with your nosy little friend.’
‘Bibi, go into my car.’ Mrs. Briggs ordered.
Bibi didn’t need to be told twice. In a few quick steps, she was safely in the back seat. Heaving a sigh of relief, she shut the door firmly behind her.
Mrs. Briggs faced Madam Ofilia. ‘Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?’ she asked. ‘I’m the one who authorized her to take those calls. So, if you are looking for a scapegoat, here; take me instead.’
She put out her hands like one waiting to be handcuffed. The two women stared at each other eyeball to eyeball for a minute, neither one of them flinching. Madam Ofilia knew she had met her match. Finally, she turned to Steve. ‘Let’s go,’ she said. Together, they walked towards her car.
‘Your days in this school are numbered,’ Mrs. Briggs called out to her, ‘I won’t rest until I run you out of here.’ She beat her chest. ‘I, Mrs. Akasi Briggs, promise you that.’
Madam stopped in her tracks. Her chest tightened and she suddenly grew short of breath. Like a thunderbolt, it hit her; those eyes, that name, the twisted leg that caused her to limp on the wooden cane. Could it be? She swung round, her mouth agape and stared intently at Mrs. Briggs, who was still watching her.
Closing her eyes, Madam went back in time. All of a sudden, she was a little girl again, back in papa’s compound and running around with little infant strides. After a few steps, she paused and turned around. Limping right behind her, struggling to keep up in their games was Akasi Briggs, both of them just six years old. Ofilia grabbed her hand and they tumbled through the grass in a playful frenzy, their boisterous yells and laughter echoing through the air. They pranced around the yard tirelessly until mama came to call them in for dinner.
When she opened her eyes, Madam reached out and held unto Steve as the ground beneath her feet seemed to spin. Was it remotely possible that this woman was her sister Akasi, all grown up? She wanted to speak, but the words didn’t come out. Mrs. Briggs watched her questioningly, wondering what had suddenly come over her. She walked to her car and motioned to Bibi.
‘What’s the matter with her?’ she asked. Madam Ofilia looked quite ill. Bibi didn’t know what had happened and she didn’t care either. All she wanted was to get out of there.
‘Come on Ma,’ she urged. ‘Let’s just go.’
With a nod, Mrs. Briggs got into the car and drove away with Bibi. Madam Ofilia’s eyes followed the black car in a daze until it rounded a bend and disappeared from sight.
CHAPTER TEN
Inside the relaxed atmosphere of Mrs. Briggs car, Bibi bent her head against the soft headrest and closed her eyes. Breathing in the cool breeze from the air conditioner, she tried to calm her pounding nerves.
Mrs. Briggs looked at her, full of concern. ‘Are you alright?’
Bibi nodded. ‘She gave me quite a scare, but I’m fine.’
‘I’m pulling you out of this project immediately.’ Mrs. Briggs declared, much to Bibi’s dismay. ‘I can’t afford to let anything happen to you.’
Bibi shook her head vigorously. Helping with the hotline was the least she could do for her friends; Aima and Tosan. ‘No Ma, please don’t do that.’
Mrs. Briggs was insistent. Who knows what Madam Ofilia would have done if she hadn’t arrived when she did. ‘I can easily get one of our welfare workers at the church to take off from where you stopped.’ She sighed. ‘I might not be there to step in if she comes after you again. And there’s no telling what that woman is capable of.’
‘The Lord knows how to take care of His own.’ Bibi said. ‘Besides it’s just for a few more weeks. Let me continue manning the line. I assure you, I’ll be fine. And by the way, I got some more information this afternoon.’
‘I’ll give it some serious thought,’ Mrs. Briggs said eventually. ‘Meanwhile, you deserve a treat for your hard work. Let’s go out for a late lunch and some ice-cream afterwards.’
Lunch however, was the farthest thing from Madam Ofilia’s mind. The sun was setting in its horizon, producing a colorful orange glow across the sky. At a time when most residents of the town were retiring to their homes after a busy day, Madam Ofilia headed out of Adenizen for an urgent visit. Uncle D was surprised to see her at his door. She never came to see him unless it was extremely important.
‘To what do I owe this august visit?’ he asked. Without replying, she inched the door open and stepped inside. ‘Make yourself at home,’ he said in mock welcome.
Madam sank into a chair. ‘Dede, I think I’ve found my sister.’
Uncle D cocked his head, looking startled. ‘Akasi? The one you always talked about?’ He sat down beside her. ‘How could that be?’
‘She’s in Adenizen,’ she replied. ‘She’s the very same woman waging war against me right now.’
‘But, how do you know it’s her?’
‘It’s her.’ Madam Ofilia affirmed, her voice full of conviction. She could bet all the money she had ever made at The Hack, that this woman was her twin. She hadn’t realized it then, but something leapt within her the first day Mrs. Briggs limped into her Villa. She was sure that if the current situation hadn’t clouded her mind, Mrs. Briggs would have felt a stirring as well.
‘Did you say anything to her?’ Dede asked.
Madam Ofilia shook her head. What would she say? How would Mrs. Briggs take it that the woman who almost ruined her daughter’s life was her own sister?
‘I wasn’t even sure if she was still alive.’ She looked at Dede desperately. ‘What should I do? She hates my guts, and then there’s her daughter...’ She sighed wistfully. Who would have thought that Tosan, the first lady at The Hack to ever challenge her, was her own niece? What a small world!
Dede folded his hands across his laps. ‘What else is there to do? You have to tell her,’ he concluded. ‘You owe it to yourself and to your sister. Maybe the two of you will be able to find some common ground outside of this whole mess.’
Dede’s suggestion seemed like the most logical thing to do and after a lot of consideration, Madam Ofilia agreed to take his advice. It took her two whole days to gather the courage to go and see Mrs. Briggs. For someone who usually acted on the spur of the moment, it was an unusually long time. But eventually, late on Sunday morning, she summoned Steve. ‘Pull the car around,’ she instructed. ‘We’re going on a little trip.’
They drove to one of the neighboring towns and headed straight for The Sacred Cross Cathedral. The church environ was sparsely populated; the services had ended and most of the worshippers had left for home. A young woman, in a w
ine floral Sunday attire and matching hat, informed Madam that Mrs. Briggs was in the vestry, holding a meeting with some of the older women in the church. Madam Ofilia awkwardly sat in the pew, close to the huge wooden vestry door and waited. It was her second or third time of being inside a church.
She waited for an hour, before the women finally trooped out. Mrs. Briggs was the last to exit. She halted as soon as she saw Madam sitting in the pew.
‘Good afternoon,’ Madam Ofilia greeted, rising to her feet. ‘I came to apologize about the other day.’
‘Oh?’ Mrs. Briggs shifted her cane to the other hand and eyed her curiously. What was this woman up to now?
Madam Ofilia bit her lips ‘How is Tosan?’ she asked.
‘She’s on the road to recovery.’ Mrs. Briggs replied. She wondered why this old vixen all of a sudden seemed so subdued. ‘You came all the way here just to ask about her?’
‘Well, I also came to...’ Madam Ofilia paused and stared hard at her, hoping for some form of recognition, but it was in vain. They had been too young and it was so long ago. Unable to contain herself any longer, she burst out. ‘Madam, doesn’t the name Ofilia mean anything to you?’
Mrs. Briggs looked startled. The muscles in her face tightened into a frown, ‘I had a sister,’ her words were so faint that Madam almost didn’t hear. ‘Many years ago... ’
‘Akasi,’ Madam cut in, pronouncing her name slowly. ‘This is your sister speaking to you right now.’
Mrs. Briggs eyes widened. ‘You? No, it’s impossible.’ she exclaimed, her face set in denial ‘Is this supposed to be a joke or something?’
‘It’s not a joke Akasi. I’m Ofilia, your twin. Do you remember the night Papa gave us away? We slept in the living room of the man and woman who took us from the compound. When I woke up the next morning, you were gone.’
Mrs. Briggs trembled violently as a wave of shock gripped her. She clasped her hands at the back of her head. ‘Oh my God!’ She cried, the blood draining from her face. It would never have struck her in a million years, that this could be her long lost twin sister.
‘Where have you been?’ Madam Ofilia asked softly.
Mrs. Briggs was too stunned to answer. Turning around, she walked back into the vestry. Madam Ofilia followed her. ‘Akasi, I don’t know what else to say,’ she said. ‘It was the limp in your right leg that first drew my attention, and then that day in front of Noble Hall, when you said your full name, I knew it was you.’
Maintaining a comfortable distance between herself and her sister, Mrs. Briggs placed her wooden cane on the long table and sat down. The joy of seeing Ofilia again was dampened by the realization that her only daughter had fallen prey to Madam’s schemes. She turned her face to the wall and wept. Madam Ofilia, torn between the need to hug Mrs. Briggs after all these years of separation and the reality of the circumstances under which they were reunited, cried too. It was a while before they were able to calm themselves down. Placing her head in her hands, Mrs. Briggs got up and faced the wall.
‘This is just too much for me to handle,’ she said.
Madam Ofilia nodded. ‘I know it’s a hard pill to swallow. Maybe I should go and give you some time to process this.’ She walked towards the door and then paused for a while. ‘I can’t believe I’m seeing you again.’
Mrs. Briggs didn’t turn around. Madam let herself out of the vestry, shutting the door quietly behind her.
~~~~
From all indications, it seemed Mrs. Briggs had abandoned her project and left Adenizen. Madam Ofilia got information from Steve that the hotline was switched off and Bibi, that little brat, had taken a break from manning the line. There hadn’t been any word from her over the last three weeks. So it was a great surprise when, four weeks later, the door bell rang and Madam Ofilia found Mrs. Briggs standing at her door.
‘May I come in?’ she asked.
‘Sure.’
Mrs. Briggs stepped into the living room, staring at the portraits of Madam Ofilia at a younger age, hung on the wall. Madam shut the door and came round to join her. They stood together awkwardly, neither one of them sure of what to say.
‘What happened to you that night Akasi?’ Madam asked eventually. ‘When you disappeared the next morning, the woman said you went back home.’
‘I never went home.’ Mrs. Briggs replied. Exhaling deeply, she sat down and told Madam Ofilia her story. ‘The morning after, the potbellied man woke me up very early, while you were still asleep and took me away to my new home. We travelled to another town, where he handed me over to another woman. Mamie, as I called her, told me I was now her daughter. But she was nothing like Mama. Over the years, I worked as her help. She beat me every time she felt like it, and her husband, who was meant to be my new dad, had his way with me at his whims.’ She paused as her voice quaked. ‘One day, Mamie flogged me so hard that I fainted. I woke up in the hospital, where she told them I fell and hit my head against the stove. I spent three days there and the nursing sister was so kind; she treated me like I was her daughter. That’s when I decided I wanted to become a nurse like her.’
Mrs. Briggs went on to say that whenever Mamie sent her on an errand, she would sneak to the hospital and watch the nursing sister at work. Mamie would always beat her for returning home late, but a fire had been ignited in her that could not be quenched. Her determination to be like this kind young woman grew stronger. She admitted that when she was fifteen years old, she stole the money she needed to pay for her nursing school application and textbooks from Mamie’s room while she was cleaning. ‘I took only what I needed; no more, no less,’ she said. ‘And I took it bit by bit so she wouldn’t notice.’
Every little time she had to herself, Akasi would hide in an obscure corner of the house and study, sometimes reading late into the night. She wrote the qualifying examination twice but eventually she got in.
‘When I got admitted into the nursing program at the Starlight Teaching hospital, I packed my things and ran away.’ Her eyes had a distant gaze. ‘Ten miserable years at Mamie’s house but I was finally free.’
‘But how did you survive?’ Madam Ofilia asked.
Mrs. Briggs pursed her lips together and shrugged. ‘Not easily, I can tell you,’ she said. ‘But the Lord took me up.’
The teaching college became her permanent home. She stayed there during every holiday, offering herself as an apprentice in the hospital to pay her way through the nursing program. She put food on her table by doing odd jobs that ranged from cleaning homes and doing laundry, to running all sorts of errands. It was a mad world. There weren’t enough hours in the day for Akasi to meet up with her schedule. She lost count of how many times she broke down and found herself on admission at the same hospital where she was in training. But a few days of respite on the hospital bed and she was back on her feet again, fighting against the odds. She smiled faintly at Madam Ofilia through her reminiscence. ‘Many times I would lie on my bed at night, just thinking about you and hoping that you were faring better than me.’
‘The meager jobs that earned me my daily bread weren’t always forthcoming,’ she continued. ‘Sometimes people would offer me money out of pity, other times I would just go hungry. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure I would make it. On one occasion, the doctor told me that he was worried because my blood pressure was dangerously high. Then I made a vow to God while on the hospital bed, that if I made it out of nursing school alive, I would dedicate my life to His service.’
‘God heard me,’ Mrs. Briggs sniffled. ‘It was tough, but I made it. The nursing apprenticeship paid off because it helped me learn quickly and before I knew it, I was a registered nurse. Since then, I haven’t rested on my oars. I joined the hospital staff immediately.’
A sparkle came to her eyes. ‘It’s the most fulfilling job in the world,’ she declared. ‘We offer a lot of help to disadvantaged folks in the community. It was on one of such projects, twenty five years ago, that I met my husband. He was a sem
inary student at that time.’
Mrs. Briggs took her cane and rose to her feet. ‘That’s my life in a nutshell. I’ve been working at the hospital for the past twenty seven years, helping to save people’s lives; not destroying them.’ She looked at her sister, her eyes burning and her tone accusing. ‘Why, Ofilia? Why are you doing all this?’
Madam Ofilia sighed heavily and turned away from her piercing gaze. ‘If I had known Tosan was my own flesh and blood, I would never ...’ her voice faltered.
‘You regret hurting Tosan because she’s my daughter, but what about the other girls?’
Madam snickered; she wasn’t interested in the other girls. They were worth as much to her as she and Akasi had been to Papa: a few wads of cash.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Aima’s first stop on her arrival home was at Adenizen. She came to settle scores with Madam Ofilia and her visit would be brief. The entire school was a beehive of activities. A long queue of cars filed slowly through the main gate as visitors trouped into campus for some sort of celebration. Canopies had been erected at various spots and a mixture of local and foreign music could be heard blaring from all sides.
‘What’s going on?’ she asked a passerby.
He looked at her in surprise. ‘I take it that you’re a stranger here? It’s graduation day of course!’
Aima gulped. Bibi had mentioned it in her mails, but she was too caught up in her troubles to remember. As she made her way past Noble Hall, she heard excited shrieks erupting at regular intervals from within the girls’ rooms. The outer lawn swarmed with students in their flowing graduation robes, plunging the premises into a sea of deep dark blue. The girls gathered in small groups, looking sophisticated and offering hearty congratulations to one another.
The festivities only darkened the cloud that already hung over Aima. At the end of her first year in Adenizen, Bibi asked her to hold on a while longer before leaving for Injayra because, before they knew it, they would be graduating. It seemed light years away then, but that moment had finally come and now, she could only stand at a distance, watching but not participating in the jubilation. She didn’t see Bibi, but she knew she was somewhere among the graduands.