Scars (Romola 2)

94: Results

Romola watched Yetunde's father comfort her with whispers to her ears. If she had a father that cared even half of the way Yetunde's father did, she would not be here. Maybe Sunbo would still be alive. Maybe she would still be in school.

Instead, she had the unfortunate pleasure of watching Yetunde's theatrics.

Something had changed in the few minutes that Yetunde had gone from begging her to crying. Yetunde was scheming. But how would her nemesis lie her way out of the fact that the man she had implicated was not Modupe's biological father?

The test results would show.

Unless...

Unless Yetunde had also lied when she told the 'truth' about Modupe's parentage. Or unless they had hunted down the real man that fathered Modupe.

Romola shifted in her seat and tried to catch Yetunde's gaze. All she got was the seething stare of the adults in the room. Thankfully, they left her to herself and Ayo had taken the space beside her on the chair.

Even with that, she would stand by the resolution that she had made. Yetunde had escaped with far too much. That same Yetunde would have to determine if she was willing to sacrifice her daughter on her altar of lies.

The door swung open. Romola's heart pounded higher in her chest as she expected Olumide to walk into the room but the female doctor that had tried to convince her to give blood, hurried into the room clutching her stethoscope. Olumide and his sister followed closely behind.

Olumide's eyes met hers briefly. He was curious. Just like the rest of them but beyond curiosity, there was something else to his look. Something deeper and more stable and trusting than any way he had looked at her before. Now, he looked at her like she was the only marvel in creation

"Doctor?"

"Any news?"

The doctor stood in the centre of the room, announcing with a booming voice. "I'm afraid I have some news. Two actually."

"Ah. I said it. You've killed me. You've killed me." Yetunde's mother screamed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Calm down woman," Yetunde's father said.

"Don't tell me to calm down. Shebi, I was saying that we should not listen to this girl and you kept insisting that we should be patient." Yetunde's mother pointed at her husband.

Yetunde's father ignored his wife's accusations. "Doctor, go on."

Doctor Sammy looked around the room before her eyes settled on Romola. "Thank you."

Romola nodded. The look in Doctor Sammy's eyes was an assurance.

"What are you thanking her for?" Olumide's father asked. "She put this little girl's life in danger."

"She did not put anyone in danger. In fact, you all ought to be on your knees right now thanking her. But before that, let's get to the fact of the matter." Doctor Sammy began, "Where is the father of the child."

"We've been through this already." Yetunde said through tears.

Romola's face squeezed. How sick did Yetunde have to be to keep up this kind lie? Was Modupe that dispensable to her? Was there no one she cared for more than herself?

"That man is in no way related to the child."

Even though Romola had expected it, it still came as a shock to her. Maybe because she had doubted her plan a few minutes before. Or maybe because she could not believe that Yetunde could live freely after telling such a lie.