Scars (Romola 2)

73: Olumide's Feelings

"Olumide!"

Yetunde's voice in his ears was like ice water to his skin. He jumped away from Romola and turned to her. She stomped towards him, pointing at his face.

"This is all your fault. All your fault. You told her to play on that stupid slide."

"Yetunde, calm down. Please."

It was volatile to have the two women in the same room. Not when Yetunde's emotions were high and Romola had mentioned something about her sister dying. Was that truly Romola?

Yes. It was. He'd held her in his arms. Just like before but she was much slimmer now. The blood. He could still smell the blood on her. He turned back to face her but she was gone. She was nowhere around him. Gone. But gone where? Had she been here or was his eyes playing games on him. It had to be. It had to be an illusion brought about by the sight of blood gushing out of Modupe's sides. He'd never seen so much blood before. Not once.

But he'd felt Romola in his hands.

Yetunde slapped him across the face. "Don't tell me to calm down. You told her to go to the slide. Now, look what happened."

"It was the swing. The swing pushed the boy."

"I don't care."

"Modupe will be fine." Olumide said.

She had to be... but by the time the ambulance arrived, she was nearly unconscious. There was no name and no insult that Yetunde had spared him from on the ride from the school till here. He didn't stop her. He deserved every word of that and more. Because of him, Modupe was hurt. Just like Muyi. He had directly put someone he loved in harm's path.

"Instead of you to follow her, you came here."

He waited for her to mention Romola but she didn't. Maybe he hadn't seen Romola, after all.

"I'll never forgive you if I don't see Modupe again."

"She'll be fine." His voice was lower this time.

Did he really believe that she would be fine? She had to be. The ambulance driver had said this was the best and most functional blood transfusion centre in Lagos. It's not like they could afford to fly Modupe to Abuja. He had the money though, if it ever came to that but it was unlikely that she would survive a trip from the here to Abuja.

"Let's just get this sorted out."

"Get what sorted out? You've killed me, Mide. Finished me." She threw her arm over her head.

Olumide turned back to the counter. He caught the nurses' eyes as one of them leaned across the table and beaconed to him. He wanted to ask about Romola but he could not do so while Yetunde was practically falling apart behind him. Not while Modupe's life was on the line. It would be incredibly selfish of him to do so.

"Good evening, sir."

"Good evening." Olumide nodded. "I was asked to come here for the registration."

"Alright. You will need to fill this record. You're with the little girl that was just brought in, right?"

"Yes." Olumide nodded. "Just tell me everything I need to do. I'll do it."

"Don't worry sir. Your daughter is in good hands."

"She's not his daughter." Yetunde screamed, pushing him aside, so that she stood in front of the reception desk. "He's not fit to be a father."

Yetunde's words cut him deep but he looked to the ceiling and inhaled deeply. Maybe he wasn't.

"Give me the card. Give it to me." Yetunde pulled the card, from the nurse's hand, as well as the pen and she began to fill in the details.