Thorns and Roses

Episode 16

Who remembers where we left off last week? Lemme refresh our memory (yep, you and I cos I need to know where I ended last week to continue writing this week😎)

Eyram had an emotional fit after returning home from Jake’s end and promises never to go back but is contacted by Jake’s mum to come pick up Kojo from her house.

Jake is confused- what he wants to do, he does not do instead he does what he doesn’t want to do (hope you get that😂). Esi, on the other hand, is sad and troubled her husband has not bothered to check up on her since he dropped her off at the hospital the morning before… Now do me the honors of continuing from  below…

Barbara was confused. She didn’t know whether to hold Esi, pat her back or walk out of the ward so Esi could calm down on her own. Barbara blamed herself for not keeping her mouth shut.
‘I am sorry.’ she said remorsefully and moved to rub Esi’s back.

‘It’s not your fault…Maybe I shouldn’t have married him…I just…Just…’ Esi sobbed and cried harder.

Barbara didn’t want to ask or meddle in Esi’s matters. She already felt she was to blame for the tears.

‘Don’t worry.’Barbara continued to coax. She really wasn’t going to commit herself to become a counsellor.

‘I always thought our love would continue in its sweetness.’

Barbara rained silent and continued to pat Esi’s back.

‘Can I be alone please.’ Esi suddenly spoke up and raised her wet face.

Barbara nodded and began to walk away.

‘Wait…Can you please leave your phone so I make a call to my mother?’ Esi pleaded.

Barbara hesitated,took two steps backwards and placed the phone in Esi’s outstretched hand.

‘Thank you.’ Esi held onto the phone and watched the nurse walk out of her ward and shut the door.

She swyped it open and began to type her mother’s number in the dial section but stopped after the eighth digit. Her mother hadn’t been bothered when she had gone home complaining about Jake, would she be bothered about her being in the hospital?

Esi looked at the screen of the phone and thought hard. Seconds later her decision was made. She wasn’t going to call her mother but she will find out who the nurse had been speaking to. Opening the call log, her speculations were confirmed. The last received call on the cell phone was that of Jake. Her thumb tapped the number gently and she watched as the phone connected with Jakes.

—-*—-

Jake’s concentration on the legal documents before him was interrupted by the vibration of his phone. He frowned when he recognized the number belonged to the female he had spoken to from the hospital. Drumming his fingers lightly on his table, he watched the phone vibrate till it ended and shifted his attention back to the documents.

Not too long after, his phone began to vibrate again. In frustration, he picked up the call and answered.

‘Hello? Have you been able to go through her records yet? How much do I need to pay?’ he demanded over the phone.

His rant was met with silence from the caller.

‘Hello? Is anyone there?!’ Jake raised his voice.

The caller remianed silent.

Jake quickly ended the call and muttered under his breath.

He flipped through the documents and picked up his pen to sign the last page when the phone rang again. Without looking at the caller ID, Jake answered and shouted;

‘You can’t keep calling and remain silent. I need to work to make money to pay for her…’ His voice trailed off.

‘I am sorry… I guess this was the wrong time to call…’ Eyram squeaked over the phone.

‘Eyram?’ Jake forced a calm reply.

‘Yes please.’

‘I am sorry…I have been having prank calls and…’ Jake pleaded.

‘Don’t worry. Your mum asked me to pass by and pick up your son from her end.’ she said almost inaudibly.

Jake opened his mouth to speak but shut it. He knew exactly what his mother was up to.

‘Don’t send Kojo home, bring him to the office instead and leave him with my receptionist.’ 

—*—

A few hours later, Eyram’s thin heels clicked on the polished tiles leading to Jake’s receptionist’s desk. Inwardly, Eyram had been scolding herself for first of all picking Jake’s mother’s call, then calling Jake and finally agreeing to pick up his son! She had insulted herself so much it felt she had just beaten her emotions to a pulp. 

Eyram smiled sweetly at the receptionist and looked down at the young boy she had walked into the room with.

‘I am here to see his father please.’ she said.

The receptionist forced a smile and nodded her head stiffly. She had risen from her seat to peer at who Eyram was looking down at since her desk was high.

‘Have a seat please. I will inform him.’ her hand swung to the direction of  the blue visitors couch which was placed to her right.

‘Thank you.’ Eyram flashed her teeth before moving to the direction of  the seat, she sat and propped Kojo up. Eyram had noticed he was a quiet child. For a young boy his age, she had expected more energy from him but he had barely replied any of the simple questions she had asked him while she drove to his father’s office.

‘Your dad will be in soon ok.’ she whispered into his left ear and brushed an invisible particular from his cheek.

Kojo merely wobbled his head in response.

—*—

Jake had just finished signing off the last set of documents his receptionist had brought in when she called on the intercom.

‘A lady is here to see you sir. She came in with your son.’ 

Jake could clearly hear the dissatisfaction in his receptionist’s voice. She disliked having other women come to the office-she considered it her marked territory.

Jake remained silent as he thought of the appropriate response to give to her. He didn’t know whether to inform her to tell Eyram to leave Kojo there and go home? Or did he need to step out briefly to thank Eyram and take Kojo.

‘Sir?’ His receptionist’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

‘Tell them to come in.’ he said in a hesitant tone.

‘Yes Pl…’

‘No…Don’t Tell them anything…I will come out and speak to her.’ Jake quickly cut in.

The receptionist paused to show her displeasure and snapped;

‘Yes sir.’

Jake rose from his chair and tried straightening his pair black trousers by brushing over them with his hands. He had come to the office fully suited but had hanged the coat and rolled up his sleeve after his meetings for the day were done.

He sighed loudly and began to walk to his door.

—*—

‘Who is it?! Just enter and stop trying to break the ward door!’ Esi shouted at the perpetrator who knocked on her door hard.

She stared angrily at the door and watched Dr. Samuel enter. His presence lightened her angry mood but did not prevent her from lashing out at him.

‘Since when did doctor’s knock on ward doors? What haven’t you guys already seen on our bodies as women?’

Samuel shut the door and remained infront of it. He had been thrown off by Esi’s accusation.

‘Someone seems to be in a foul mood today.’ He smiled and moved forward.

‘When am I getting discharged?’ Esi demanded, ignoring Samuel’s comment.

‘Today is your second day…We are still running some tests..You need to calm down though..This mood..’ Dr Samuel began.

‘What mood?’ Esi demanded.

Samuel remained silent and watched her.

‘I am sorry…i am just not myself.’ Esi apologized while looking at her lap.

Dr. Samuel smiled and pulled the chair beside her bed closer so he could sit on it.

‘I am here to listen. Care to share?’ he sat and crossed his legs.

‘Don’t you have other patients to attend to?’ Esi raised her head and asked.

‘You are the only patient I ought to attend to.’ he grinned goofily.

‘Stop that, it’s scary.’ Esi said and broke into a loud laugh.

‘I wonder why you are laughing if it’s so scary.’ Samuel winked.

To be continued…

I know it’s late but I stuck to my promise! So tell me, What do you think is going to happen between Eyram and Jake? Samuel and Esi are beginning to look like suspects. Do you agree?

I will love to hear from you.

Leave a comment behind and don’t forget to like and share.

xoxo