Consequences

Chapter 28

I was going to start a new life alongside the man I loved, and I didn't know what to expect from it. After the wedding and the one week honeymoon we had in the city of Calabar, it was time to settle down to married life.

Ola had started work in one of the companies his father owned. I kept my job at the security firm. Life seemed to be going on smoothly and we were happy together. During the first few years of our marriage, we never had any problems with each other. As for Nancy, I rarely saw her but would occasionally call her up and talk to her.

She was also busy as she had started work in the Police force. This wasn't the Nancy that I knew who had said she wanted to make a career for herself before settling down. But I respected her choices and didn't argue with her. What mattered to me was that we were good friends. But that friendship was about to become more distant. I was at work one day when she called me.

" Tola, would you have time to see me at my house?"
"I hope there's no problem?" I asked her. She sighed
"No, but if you can come, better. I'll wait for you." I told her I would tell Ola first and she agreed. I got on the phone with him and told him I would go directly to Nancy's house after work. He agreed.

"But don't come too late, okay?" He asked me
"I won't." I replied smiling. When I hung up I was still thinking about why Nancy wanted to see me. And so when closing time came, I hurriedly got into my car and went straight to her house.

When I arrived and she opened the door, she was extremely happy to see me.
"Tola, welcome o." She greeted me. We embraced each other and I also greeted her.
"So what is this, 'see me Tola' that you were telling me about on the phone?" I asked, as we sat down. She took my hands and looked at me.

" Tola, I'll be going away for some time now." I felt cold shivers surrounding me. My best friend was about to go far away from me, and I couldn't believe it was about to happen.
"Wh... Where are you going?"
"UK. You know my parents live there. They've asked me to come over." I instantly removed my hands from hers and frowned.
"You don't have a choice do you, Nancy?"
"It's long I haven't seen them."
"Wow, Nancy. You leaving me? I'm not sure I can manage that."
"Tola, are you serious? When your husband, Ola is there?"
"Okay, before you tell me I'm married, I want you to know one thing."
"What?"
"He's my husband and you are my best friend. There's a difference."
"So?"
"Well, when I want to talk about something with a woman, who do I turn to?" Nancy nodded.
"So you already have secrets you want to keep away from him? She asked
"No. But sometimes you need to confide in a friend, and you were that friend. Now what do I do, who do I turn to?"
"Well once I get there I'll call you and give you my number so you can tell me the secrets of your marriage and how you manage it." I laughed.
"I will, but no Nancy, not all. I mean, not the juicy part."

"I wouldn't mind hearing about what goes on under the sheets." She said winking at me.

"Oh really? See you? Bad girl."

We laughed over it and after stay with her for a while, I got up ready to go home. Nancy led me to the door and opened it. We embraced each other and I asked her when she was leaving.
"In a few days from now." I was sad but I put up a  smile.
"Okay, in case you need to go to the airport, I may find time to see you off." Nancy nodded.
"I would like that." I left her and drove back home. When I got to the house Ola welcomed me and saw the look on my face.

"Hope everything's alright?" He asked as we kissed. I sighed.
"Nancy."
"What about her?"
"She's going to the UK in a few days. That's why she told me to come."
"Wow, and she couldn't tell me?" He asked staring at me.
"At least she told me. So now you know." He placed his hands around my shoulders and made me sit down.
"Your best friend is off to the UK."
"She was part of your group of friends, so she was more your friend than she was my friend." I said, placing my head on his shoulder. He held me tight, just the way I wanted. Like he knew I was going to miss her.

And in fact, I was beginning to miss her. She had been a great support in helping me in my relationship with Ola. She would always listen when I complained about him. Now who would I turn to? I asked myself.

There wasn't much I could do to keep her from going. But I needed a friend, someone who could replace her till she came back. I found that friend shortly after I left her at the airport.

When I took Nancy to the airport, it was in the afternoon. She was supposed to board an evening flight and so I had left work an hour earlier to pick her up. She didn't carry a lot of luggage; just a handbag and a small hand luggage.

After she had her ticket and passport checked, we embraced each other for the last time and I watched as she passed through the departure gate towards her flight. I then turned back smiling as I left the airport. I walked towards my car and was about to approach it when a woman stopped me.

"Excuse me." She said. I turned and faced her. She was tall, about my height and good looking. I must admit I was stunned when I saw her.
"Yes how can I help you?"
"You look like someone I know. I mean, I might be wrong, but I had this friend from my secondary school days called Tola. You look like her."

"My name is Tola but I don't seem to remember you."
"Tola and Kemi, remember? We were inseparable." I knew I had a friend called Kemi. Her name was Kemi Kolawole. She was my secondary school friend, comparable to Nancy.

Shortly after we finished secondary school, her parents sent her abroad for higher studies. It was the last time I saw her. Now it seemed, if it was truly her standing right in front of me, I was about to relive a bit of my past.

"Kemi Kolawole?"
"Aha baby, na your original twin sister Kemo."
"Kemo!" I shouted. We embraced each other and I was more than happy to see her. Finally I wasn't alone again. I looked up at the sky above the airport.

A plane had just taken off and I thought about Nancy. She was leaving and God knows when I'll see her again.

"Why are you looking up at the sky?" Kemi asked me.
"I had a friend, a very close friend. She's on her way to the UK."
"Well I've just come back. So if you are missing her, consider me her replacement." I looked at her and nodded. I finally found someone I could confide in. Someone who when things were hard, I could turn to.

"I just dropped her off. Now I'm going home. You?"

"I'm also going home, but my sister will come and pick me up." She replied.
"Kemi, are you sure?" I asked her.
"Tola you've started again o. You can never change. Always asking me if I am sure. Yes I am sure she is coming." We gave each other a high five and laughed.
"Tola look at you, na now your beauty come out."
"You mean am?" I asked her
"So who's making you shine, abi na still Fred?" My eyes widened when she mentioned that name. Fred was a guy I dated back in secondary school, who I discovered, was also dating my neighbor's daughter.

When I confronted him he denied it. But I soon found out and left him. And while I left him, we were still friends until we went our separate ways.

"Fred is a long forgotten issue."
"You don't mean it? I thought the two of you would end up getting married?"
"I'm married but not to him." I showed her the ring. She shook me. "And what about you?" I asked her.
"Me Kemi? Marriage is not for me o. I'm enjoying my life."
"Kemi, baby!"
"Yes that is me your original twin sister." She replied. "After the last man disappoint me, I don keep men for one corner. Now na just to look fresh, beautiful and chop their money."
"Kemi so one disappointment is enough to conclude that all men are the same?"
"My babe, when you see disappointment, you will be forced to bullshit dem o. Story dey, Tola but till we see sha. I dey Lagos. No worry as I don see you now, I go show you where e dey happen, where the big dudes dey hangout. The Alhajis them wey get the money."

"Ha see my twin sister, wey no dey fit talk too much for school."
"I don open eye o Tola. I don't take nonsense from any man o. See me now I just come back from travel. I will be out again in two weeks. This is my life now."

"Kemi the international traveler."
"Yes this is me o. You will not find two like me."
"Abi?" We shook hands again. I was about to relive my past. The fun life I lived back when we were both in secondary school. But this life now, was about to be played out in the real world.
In a world Kemi promised to show me. This was her world, the path she walked. A path filled with riches, luxury and glamour. Married to Ola, I knew my limits. But I was thrilled and needed to taste a piece of that life. With Kemi around, I knew it was going to happen.