Episode 36
Abena walked slowly while looking at the different maternity dresses. Her clothes were getting small again, and she was too angry at Tobi to ask him to tag along.
She frowned again, thinking of the argument they had had the night before.
How could he be so nonchalant about what the press was saying about her?
About the both of them?
…
“This isn’t funny Tobi. Can you hear what they’re saying? Nobody cares about what we look like!” Abena shouted.
“Calm down Abena. After a while, they’ll just forget about it and move to a new story.” He replied, visibly frustrated.
“They’re calling me your baby mama! They say the pregnancy might not even be yours because apparently, Tobi Ademi can’t make such a ‘mistake’.” She snapped.
“But you know it’s my baby!” Tobi cried in exasperation. “Why do you care about what they say?”
“Because!” She sighed.
He looked at her expectantly, waiting for further explanations.
“I don’t know! I just don’t like it. Look at all the horrible things they’re saying about me! And it’s true.” Abena finally said. “Who cares what they say?” Tobi asked again.
“Me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m pregnant! When I’m happy, I’m elated. When I’m sad, I’m f—–g
depressed!” Tobi winced at the sound of her swearing.
“Abena. What they say doesn’t matter. You and I, that’s all that matters.” He held her shoulders and looked at her. She looked away from him, averting her eyes to anywhere but his inviting gaze.
“Look at me, ife mi.” He whispered.
Her heart beat quickened at the sound of the new nickname.
“Please, stop them from saying all those things about me. I don’t want to be seen as that girl.” She replied, her lips quivering as she spoke.
“Okay.” He replied and pulled her into a hug that she happily accepted. …
Although they had resolved it, Abena couldn’t shake off a feeling, that someone was setting them up to fail.
She pulled out another dress and took them all to the dressing room to try them on. Although she was in love with her unborn children, she hated the fact that she was pregnant.
Or fat, as she called herself sometimes.
She wished she had accepted Tobi’s offer when he wanted to accompany her to the mall, but she wanted some time to think.
They were both from two separate worlds, and someone was trying to make that fact known to her.
…
After trying all the dresses, and hating each one, Abena walked out of Mr. Price and decided to go to Shoprite to get herself ice cream. She had finished every single tub at home and although she loved ice cream, she hated the fact that she was eating like a pig.
She picked two large chocolate ice cream tubs and dropped them in the trolley. She wondered why she had decided to take a trolley when she wasn’t buying much, but after inhaling the scent from the Shoprite bakery, she couldn’t help but follow it and forget about every other thing.
As she made her way to the bakery, someone stopped her; a woman who was a few inches taller than her. The only thing Abena noticed, was her blazing red lipstick, which clashed badly with her very dark skin.
“Hey! I know you!”
Abena froze in her spot and thought of whether to turn around or keep walking.
Before she could decide, the woman, accompanied by three other women that
Abena just noticed walked up to Abena and smiled at her.
But it wasn’t a warm smile. Instead it was intimidating, threatning.
“I told you she looked familiar!” One of the girls hissed to the other.
Abena stared at them, not sure of what they wanted. All that was going through her head was the thought bakery on the other side and the four strangers that were blocking her way.
“I saw you on t.v. You’re Tobi Ademi’s baby mama aren’t you?” The woman with the red lipstick asked, giving her a disgusted sneer.
“Tobi Ademi! You mean the billionaire! Lucky girl. I thought he doesn’t date?” Another girl asked, feigning innocence.
Abena’s heart was thumping now, against her chest. She had never been confronted this way before, and she hated the way they looked at her. They looked at her like she was cheap. A s–t.
“I heard that the baby might not even be his.” ‘Red Lipstick’ said, talking as though Abena was not there, and all Abena wanted to do was wrap her hands around her neck and choke her out of anger, but she clenched her fists and watched quietly.
“Yeah, this isn’t the first time someone would claim to be pregnant for him, but when paternity tests are done, you’ll find out that the girl was just lying.” A girl wearing a cap said.
Abena’s eyes widened at the statement. She never knew that Tobi had had other women lying about being pregnant for him, and now they were so sure that she was just like that.
They had cornered her now, and the mall was so crowded that nobody noticed the interaction between them. A few people looked at them with suspicions, but nobody bothered to intervene.
“Yeah that can be true. Gold diggers are everywhere nowadays.” A girl said, chewing her gum noisily.
“Can you please excuse me? I need to leave.” Abena finally spoke up, anger flowing through her veins.
“Is that child for Tobi Ademi?” ‘Red Lipstick’ asked. “Or is it just another b—–
d?”
Abena gave her a resounding slap on her cheek, which caused heads to turn and other people finally stopped to watch the drama that they hoped would unfold. Some already had their phones ready to catch every second on video.
“How dare you?” Abena heard the ugly black girl snarl.
‘Red Lipstick’ raised a hand to slap Abena back but surprisingly, Abena held her hand back and glared at her. She gave her another slap, feeling good with herself.
“Don’t you ever, ever in your miserable life, call my children that name.”
Abena grabbed her trolley and stormed over to the bakery, now feeling embarrassed because of the attention that she had attracted.
She couldn’t help but wish Tobi had come with her.
Not only would she have found the right dresses, but if he was with her, the rest of the world would finally believe her.
…
Abena lay down on the couch, watching a comedy show and sipping Orange juice lazily. Tobi had gone to Ibadan, and wouldn’t be back till the next day.
Tbc…
BARGAIN