FAMILIAR ENEMY (EPISODE 11) Written by Glorie Adepoju
Some days later, Juliet called for me.
“Eki, I don’t know, I just feel restless.” She said. Juliet was very free spirited and related with me very cordially.
“We can take a stroll; will that make you feel better?” I asked, I didn’t know how I came about such suggestion, it just jumped out of my mouth.
“Excellent! I didn’t think of that! I’m ready when you are!” she sounded enthusiastic about it.
The breeze was cool, and calming, she seemed more relaxed as walked through the estate.
“The date of delivery is approaching, I’m nervous and excited at the same time.” she said giggling like a little child.
“Who would have thought that I would keep a pregnancy in my life, I have aborted severally o. Maybe if I had known this is how pregnancy would feel like, I would have kept at least one child for myself.” she said so casually, but I could hear a tinge of regret in her tone.
“I have lived a messed-up life, I hope this child is nothing like me.”
“Jesus can make you brand new, all you have to do is accept Him into your life.” I chipped in.
“Brand new? That’s impossible, not for the likes of me.”
“But Jesus loves you, He wants to give you a new life.”
“Don’t bother yourself about me. I have done many terrible things, I dare not hope for a new life, but this innocent one.” she rubbed her protruding belly softly.
“Maybe this innocent soul would know Jesus and be a better person. That would be my greatest wish, I wish Jesus can do that for me.”
My eyes caught the gate at the end of the street, it was wide open, a statement Aunty BB made about Juliet when she was drunk that night, suddenly flashed through my mind.
“I will deal with you before you grow wings!”
At the sight of the estate entrance and exit gate, a heard a voice in my spirit;
“HER LIFE IS IN DANGER; SHE MUST LEAVE NOW. DON’T LET HER RETURN TO THAT HOUSE.”
I tried to make sense out of the words, but I couldn’t, I had never heard anything so ridiculous.
I concluded it was just my mind playing tricks, and thus I dismissed it.
Reaching the estate gate, Juliet looked ahead, past the gate, for a split second and then we changed direction to return to the house. I felt another strong nudging, I suppressed it and we slowly strolled back home.
The next afternoon, Juliet delivered a bouncing baby boy. Aunty BB was elated. The second day after her successful delivery, Aunty BB asked me to leave the hospital and go home and prepare something delicious, herself and Juliet were to arrive from the hospital later in the day.
Late that night, Aunty BB returned just when I was getting worried.
“Where is Juliet?” I asked when I saw no sign of her, only Aunty BB and the Babyboy peacefully sleeping.
“Something terrible has happened Eki.” Aunty BB said
“What is it?”
“Juliet developed some complications. She suddenly started bleeding seriously, the doctors tried to save her, but all to no avail. We lost her.”
“Oh Lord!” I exclaimed, both hands on my head.
“It’s so sudden, I don’t understand it” something about her tone, forced me to look at her. I couldn’t explain it, but deep down in my spirit, I felt Aunty BB had something to do with it.
I didn’t want to believe it but it was written all over her in a way I couldn’t define.
…to be continued…
pEn&pApEr
GLORIEADEPOJU
