Anike
Episode 37
We had the court wedding with just few family members and friends. We were not up to 20 in attendance. No honey moon because of my condition. The early stage pregnancy symptoms was really getting at me. I can’t eat and I vomits the little liquid food I manage to eat. I was lean and pale. I moved in with Prince and that was how marriage life began. After the wedding my husband treated me as if he never had a pregnant wife before, true to his words we nurtured the pregnancy together. His joy knows no bound when scan revealed I was carrying twins. I was very happy too, I had taught I’ll have just one child in my life but God gave me two instead. My husband’s children, sorry I found it difficult to call them step children. They decided to spend some time in Nigeria before they leave. Mirabel his daughter hated me with pas-sion, in fact she did not hide it, but who will blame her she’ll think I c@m£ for the money since we are practically age mate. Henry the younger one was so nice to me. He really took after his father, he was so caring. He sees me like his elder sister. I remember one conversation we had when he was still around. “Thank you for loving my Dad” he said to me while we were gisting. “How do you know I love your dad?” I asked him. It’s so obvious, I see the way you look at him when you are with him. You adore him so much that I envy my dad for finding true love at his age” he said. “But many people will think otherwise.” “Sure, but if they live un-der this roof for just few days, they’ll see what I’m seeing.” “Your sister hate me” I said. “You are a woman you could do the same when you are in her shoes. That’s women for you, always complicate simple things” Henry said. “I get it, but I wish she un-derstand me.” “My dad is happy and that is all that matters to me. There’s this aura of peace around him. No wonder he saved your number with ‘He gives me peace.” “Are you stalking your Dad?” “Not at all, I saw it the caller ID the day you called him at the office. I was with him.” Then his father’s call c@m£ in and my phone was right in front of him. “Wow! You saved his name with ‘He gives me Joy.’ I just smiled and picked the call. “Hello my husband” I said and win-ked at Henry, who in turn smiled. My mum c@m£ over and start complaining about the way my husband is treating me. “Prince you won’t allow this girl to br@zen up and put herself together with the way you are handling her” My mum said. “Did I do anything wrong?” He asked her. “Yes, the pampering is too much, if you continue this way, she’ll be like this till she gives birth.” “But that is what she nee-ds right now.” “Let her be, in fact travel, she’s lazing around because she sees you, haba she’s five months gone now.” I will try ma” he said but didn’t mean it. Though I’m not having the baby in Nigeria, but still the nursery had alre-ady been set up. I was to travel with him to the US to have the babies. Mirabel later decided to stay back as she fell in love with Nigerian’s p@rtying and owambe things. We all stay together in the same building. My husband asked if I was OK with her staying with us and I told him it’s fine. But things were not actually fine in the house. Mirabel tortured me emotionally. And she does all this without her father’s knowledge, infact he behaves like an angel when her father is around. Mirabel is a snake and I wondered who she took after, I don’t know her mother so I can’t judge. I kept all this to myself, I don’t want to soil the relationsh!pbetween father and daughter. My only consolation is that I’ll be leaving the house for her in a month’s time at least I won’t have to worry about her when I’m out of the country. I was 30weeks gone and I had just two weeks to leave the country. My husband was preparing for working in the morning. I went to the kitchen to make a light breakfast for him. I went to our be-droom to ask if he was set and I met him ransacking the whole room, he had turned the room upside down. “Why did you scatter everywhere, what are you looking for?” “I kept some vital do¢v-ments in my safe and I couldn’t find it. And the marine…nee-ds it today. “Are you sure you put it in the safe?” “Is it my first time of keeping do¢v-ments there?” he replied angrily. “Maybe you kept it in the safe at the office.” “Anike, I know what I’m saying, I kept them inside that safe. Did you open the safe?” “What business do I have with your personal things. I never opened it before.” “Anike, if you are joking plea-se st©p, I don’t have time for pranks. They are federal governments property. Where are the do¢v-ments?” “Pranks! Prince just leave me out of this I have things to do. My baby shower is in two days, my mum and Tinuke are alre-ady on their way and I have to put some things in place before their arrival.” “I’m talking of vital do¢v-ments, you are talking about baby shower. Anike where are the do¢v-ments, the informations in those do¢v-ments are vital, it must not get out into the wrong hands.” “Are you seriously accusing me of theft?” “Anike! You know the code to the safe it’s your d@t£ of birth, so produce the do¢v-ments now that I ask nicely.” “Anyb©dy in this house can guess the safe’s code, why I’m I the only suspect here?” “Are you telling me the staff knows your d@t£ of birth?” “Is it only the staff that’s living in this house?” “Are you saying Mirabel took it?” “I didn’t say that, but there is every possibility that she took it.” “Anike, what do you want to achieve by framing my daughter?” “Dad, she never liked me and she told me yesterday that she’ll make sure I leave this house” Mirabel cut in, crawling into us from God’s knows where. “Is that true, didn’t I ask you if you want her here or not?” “I even c@m£ to tell you that I’ll be leaving today” she added. “Anike!” “She’s lying Prince.” “She’s lying! Anike how could you?” “It’s her word against mine right? Fine! Mirabel, enjoy your father’s house, I’ll leave for you. That’s what you’ve always wanted.” I started packing few things into a box. “Where do you think you are going?” “Alawode it’s none of your business. I’ll leave the house for your precious daughter.” I pushed the box with my heavy tommy and made for the door, he yanked the box from me. “Anike you nee-d to work on your temperament, is leaving the house the solution?” “Fine, take it, you can seize the box but you can’t seize me” I took my car key and left. I drove out of the house, I don’t have a bearing. I was on the high way. I decided to park and think first. I applied the br@kes but it didn’t response. What’s going on I asked myself as I stepped ha-rder on the br@kes. A trailer was in front of me, I was so closed but I couldn’t apply br@kes. I crashed into the trailer who was moving at her very slow speed. “God have mercy on me, plea-se save my babies” that was all I said as I started hearing voices. “She’s a woman…. “She’s pregnant…. “There’s a hospital nearby…..that was the last I heard. I remembered the message the little girl at the orphanage gave me. I did not pray before marriage. Eveything bec@m£ black and I pas-sed out. ★★★★ Doctor’s POV. I was on call when a woman was rushed into the emergency. I noticed she was pregnant on, so I paged Obgyn. She nee-ded to be operated and we commenced surgery immediately in order to save her life and that of the baby. The obgyn doctor took an ultrasound and we discovered she’s carrying twins. “Nurse did the rescuers brou-ght her phone from the accident scene” I asked one of the nurses. “Yes, it’s with one of the nurses.” plea-se get the phone and contact her people” I ordered. “Yes doctor” the nurse replied. ★★★★ Tinuke’s POV We got to the airport, myself and Anike’s mum. She was suppose to s£nd a driver to pick us up. I called to inform her that we are alre-ady at the airport. “Hello Anike.” “Hello this is not Anike, I’m nurse Aisha from National hospital Abuja. I was about to use the phone to place some calls before your call c@m£ in.” “Where is the owner of this phone, did she misplaced it?” “Calm down ma, plea-se what’s your relationsh!pwith her?” “She’s my best friend and her mum is standing right next to me.” “She’s in surgery right now, she got into an accident. “Accident! National hospital right?” “Yes.” “Thanks. We are on our way right now.” “What’s going on, who had an accident?” Anime mum asked. “Mummy hold on I nee-d to confirm something” I said and asked Anike’s mum to give me Admiral Alawode’s number. “Hello, good morning sir, plea-se where is Anike as we speak?” “We had an argument and she left the house an hour ago. I’m about to call her too before your call c@m£ in. “Jesus! so she’s not in the house!” “What is it?” “Anike is in the hospital as we speak, she had an accident.” “Accident! she left the house an hour ago. I called her immediately, she left but her line was switched off. Then I decided to try again, I decided then to try again before your call throu-gh” Admiral said in a shaky voice. “A nurse who picked her call told me she’s from the National hospital and said she’s in surgery” I informed him. “I’ll meet you there” he said and hang up immediately. Anike’s mom was alre-ady sitting on the floor crying. I pu-ll-ed her up. “We nee-d to go to the hospital now, she nee-d your prayer plea-se be strong for her.” “I’m finished, I was told not to allow her marry Alawode o, I told Anike but she said it’s too late that she was alre-ady pregnant. I hope I haven’t use my own hands to destroy my life” Anime mum’s wailed. “All will be well ma, let’s go.” I remembered Anike told me about a little girl who gave her a message at the orphanage but Admiral was too good to be true. We all believed Anike can never have a problem in her marriage. Admiral is a perfect man any woman could ask for. I silently pray to God to keep her and her babies safe. We got to the hospital and met Prince Alawode pacing up and down the hallway. “What happened? Why did she leave the house this morning this is just past 10? Where is she going?” Anime’s mum questioned. “I shouldn’t have let her leave the house, this is all my fault. I should have st©pped her. But you all know when she’s angry she never listen to anyone. That’s why I let her go.” “Anike and her anger issue” I said to myself. “What happened exactly” I asked Admiral. “I was searching for some do¢v-ments, she said she didn’t take it and accused Mirabel instead. Mirabel c@m£ in and said Anike had alre-ady threngthened her that she’ll make her leave the house. I was shocked I thought they had good ra-pore… “Good ra-pore! Mirabel never liked her, she only pretend to like her when you are around” I explained. “That’s not possible.” “You can call your son and asked he knows everything.” “Prince Alawode called his son and he confirmed what I just told him. He also told his son the pres£nt situation. Two hours later, the doctors c@m£ out. “Nurse Aisha where are the patient’s relative” one of them asked. “Over here” she said and signaled to us. We all ran towards the doctor. “Are you her relatives” he asked. “Yes” we all chorused. “She was rushed in this morning, auto accidents with head injury, open wound fracture of the tibia…” the doctor tried to explain but Prince cut in. “Doctor how is she, I could have her transferred abroad right now.” “That’s too late sir, we tried all her possible best but we lost her, the twins are in the ICU as we speak, they are also incubated bcos they are prematured. I’m so sorry for your loss” he sympathized. “Anike’s mum fainted immediately, while Prince held his che-st in pain. “Anike! Anike!!” Prince called out. He had a cardiac arrest and slump. I and the doctor rushed to him trying to resuscitate him. “Are you a doctor” the doctor asked me. “Yes, I’m a doctor” We rushed him into the ER, but he died before we even placed him on the operating table. “Prince! I screamed. My legs couldn’t stand any longer and I sat on the floor. I was running mad myself. “What kind of a doom is this for God sake” I said crying my heart out. This is so unfair, Anike and Prince did not live to even see or hold their own children.” There b©dy was transferred to the morgue. I called Prince Alawode’s son with Admiral’s phone and broke the news to him, he said he’s coming right away. We went back to the house and met the animal in human form Mirabel, she was even eating. “Congratulations Mirabel, you just lost your father who died after receiving the news of Anike’s death. “What! My father is dead!” “You can confirm at the mogue, you this snake. You should pop champagne your enemy died with your father” I barked at her. She left the house immediately, maybe going to the mogue, I don’t care. ★★★★ The policemen investigating Anike’s accident c@m£ to Admiral’s house. They said the accident was caused by br@ke failure. “How is that possible, her husband bought her the car last month” I said. “A new car? Then something is fishy” one the police officers said. “My point exactly” I replied. “If it’s a new car then there’s every possibilities that someone tampered with her br@kes.” “I’m very sure of that, someone did” I said. “Can you think of anyone who want her dead?” The police man asked. “I don’t know if the person want her dead. But the only hater Anike had was her step daughter Mirabel.” “Where is she now?” he asked. “I don’t know, looking for her father, I guess.” “We’ll come back tomorrow to carry on on our investigations. We’ll have to question her too” he said and they left. I went back to the room consoling Anike’s mum. She kept on lamenting that she should have st©pped Anime from marrying Prince. I told her we are all at fault we were carried away by their blissful and beautiful relationsh!pand forget to pray. She had call her two other children who are on their way to Abuja. I informed Jedidiah too who was shocked to the bone. He said he regretted not telling her how he felt about her, maybe she would have changed her mind about marrying. de-ep down in me, I know Anike can never love another man. He loved Admiral. Jedidiah promised to come to Abuja for the burial. I also told Olamilekan via smiled. He was shedding tears when he heard the news. He said he’ll come for the burial too. I took Anike’s mum to my parent’s house here in Abuja to pas-s the night. My parents also help in consoling her. My mum shared the same room with her, so she won’t be left all alone. She kept on blaming herself for her daughter’s death. Everyone is guilty. The next morning, my parents advice she stay back in our house till she leaves Abuja. I reason with them, it’s better to stay with us than to stay in the house with that Mirabel. Admiral Alawode’s son Henry arrived the next day. And we started ma-king burial arrangements. That week Anike and her husband was buried. Henry insisted they bury them side by side because that’s what his father would have wanted. Family members were pres£nt at the burial. Anike’s family: Her mum, Adekemi, Okiki, Jedidiah, Olamilekan was also pres£nt including PA, he was the one consoling Adekemi before now but he couldn’t put himself together at the burial. I was told Prince was like a father to him. They both loss their dear ones. I c@m£ for my friend’s baby shower but instead I was at my friend’s burial that same day. Yes that was the d@t£ for her baby shower. I wish they are alive to raise their babies, to shower them with all the love and care the two of them shared. The police called Mirabel in for questioning. The police c@m£ to the house to inform us that the case will be close since there’s no evidence that claimed that the br@kes was tampered with. “Who gave you permission to close the case” I asked rudely. “We can’t find any concrete proof to proof that the deceased car br@kes was tampered with. We have interrogated Miss Mirabel and all the staff. “If someone tampered with the br@kes then the tampering was done inside this compound” said Henry. “Yes you are right” the police officer replied. “There’s a CCTV c@m£ra in the house let’s check the footage” Henry informed us. “Where can we watch the footage” the police man asked. “In my father’s study” he replied. “plea-se take us there.” We all followed Henry. He got to the door and the pas-sword st©pped us. He tried three times but the code didn’t work. “Think” the police officer told him.”The code had to be something important to your father. “Tinuke what’s her d@t£ of birth?” I told him, he entered it but the door did not open. “Try their wedding d@t£” I said. He tried it and lo and behold the door was open before us. We entered and started checking the footage for the past one week. Then we saw the devil, Mirabel was standing beside Anike’s car. Then after some minutes she was un-der the car. Henry put her two hands on her head with his mouth wi-de opened. I was surprised too, I know she didn’t like Anike but not to the heights of attempting to take three lives because I’m very sure she’s aware Anike is carrying twins. “plea-se where can we find her?” “She should be in her room” Henry replied. “So she’s inside this house and never showed up since we got here?” the police officer said. We got to her room and met her dead. She had commited suicide. Henry picked up the note and re-ad… Henry I’m sorry…. Henry wept “In one week I lost three people who are dear to me” he cried. “Just take it easy” I said. I pity Mirabel because she just made the worst mistake of her life. Many people don’t know that committing suicide is a ticket straight to hell. Because suicide is murdering oneself and no murderer can inherit the kingdom of God. The police men took the b©dy to the mogue. I called Anike’s mum she was in the hospital with the twins. I told her everything, she wept. I consoled her before ending the call. Henry called her Mum and told her about her sister’s death. She was buried when his mum arrived. EPILOGUE: The lawyer c@m£ to re-ad Prince Alawode’s will. The will says: All his property should be shared equally between Anike and his two children. He wrote the will before the twins were conceived. He never knew he wouldn’t live to see the twins. “Henry stood up to talk. “Since my sister is no more as the only surving child of the family. I transferred all Mirabel’s shares to the twins” he stated. A month later, the twins were discharged and Anike’s mum took them back to Lagos. I’m suppose to have my wedding in three month’s time. I wanted to postponed it but Anike’s mum disagree. Instead I had a low key wedding, just court and church. We packaged the food and drinks with the souvenirs and gave our guests. No reception. Olamilekan and I had to honour Anike with that. I had to mourn my friend, she’s my sister from another mother. Adekemi later bec@m£ a naval officer. She got engaged to Tunmise aka PA who is now the President’s chief of staff. Anike’s Uncle, Uncle Friday had stro-ke. He asked for forgiveness and returned all their Father’s properties before he died. …THE END! ***************************************** Don’t break the marital vow, the end is disastrous… VITAL MESSAGES FROM THIS STORY: Commit your ways into His hand and He will direct your path. Do not not be wise in your eyes, He knows the end right from the beginning, let Him guide you in your journey in life. Renew your relationsh!pwith God, tomorrow may be too late. His thought for you is good & not evil to give you an expected end. Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call upon Him while He is near. Don’t receive God’s grace in vain, work on the second chance, not everyone get it. Don’t be too much for God. Hummmmmmmm!!! Little did I know, it will end this way for Anike and Prince! God knows the inner core, the heart of every person, and examines it to see its true devotion. We as God’s people ought to pray for God to take a close look at our hearts, so that he may cut out any evil that lingers there, without God’s grace, the human heart is wicked and produces all sorts of evil actions… Don’t break the marital vow, the end is disastrous! There is a way that seems right to a man but the end thereof is destruction. No matter what you acquire in life, any effort without Jesus is a fruitless effort. Seek His face before taken any step, let Him lead you, He knows better. To We Parents: To whom much is given, much is expected.I Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not dep@rt from it. Don’t condone the excess of your children. Correct them in love, and use cane where necessary. Stubbornness leads to destruction, because it is the daughter of destruction. Don’t be stubborn, it destroys! Anike, finally, finally, your stubbornness destroyed your God-given home.
Tbc