Consequences

Chapter 41

Sitting opposite Kemi and looking defiantly at her, I thought about my life and the people surrounding me and how in their various ways they were influencing me. Kemi as I had come to realize, wasn't sincere with me right from the start.

And here I was sitting opposite her trying to figure out in what direction she was about to take me.

"Kemi, if I knew anything, I wouldn't be here looking for answers." I replied after the brief pause between us.

"So what made you finally conclude I am the one who had a child for him?"

"You tell me what you had with him. I've asked enough questions to know, I won't get  answers." She sighed in response and bent her head. I didn't remove my gaze from her and when she looked up again, she blinked.

"We met at a party years back. He had come with a woman whom I believe was his girlfriend back then. I was there alone. But from where he was sitting, he kept glancing at me." She blinked making me doubt her story a bit, but I listened as she talked.

"Later on while the party was in full swing, he came up to me and asked if I wanted to dance with him. I ignored him but after that day, we met again and he was alone. We talked a bit and that was when he asked if I would like to be his girlfriend."

"And you agreed, right?" I asked nodding. She didn't answer but only stared at me. Then she started talking.

"Yes, actually I agreed, but that was it. I mean, the relationship never took off. I kept wondering why, and that was when I found out that the same woman he came to the party with, was his girlfriend. And in fact, he had even planned on marrying her."

" You didn't ask questions before you accepted to get involved with, did you?"

"I mean I was attracted to him so much it never crossed my mind to ask."

"You gave in to his good looks, perhaps. So you didn't care much about asking questions." I said laughing.

"And what's so funny, Tola?"

"Here you are telling me, you want to know what made me decide to marry him. Now you have the answer." 

"Well I didn't go beyond simple friendship. You tied the knot with him." She said. I stopped laughing and gave her a serious look.

"So you then planned a revenge party which lead to his death, right?"

"Tola, even if I wanted too, I wouldn't have been able to do it. That's why I decided to leave the country."

"Yes but you came back."

"And so, what does that mean?

"You waited all these years to hatch out a decent foolproof plan."

"Tola, I am not a criminal. So stop painting me like one, okay?!" she shouted. 
"So what are you saying, that you came back when you heard he was with me? I mean surely you must have forgotten me after all these years." I asked.

"I should have but I never did. And that's because...," she paused again. "That woman in the picture, Nancy, and I became friends. Even when I traveled out we were still in touch."  At the mention of Nancy's name my eyes widened. So Nancy was there right from the beginning?  I asked myself. I was awestruck by this revelation.

"So Nancy knew about the two of you?" I asked still unable to digest the fact.

"Nancy and Ola are much like family. They grew up in the same area and both families were very good  friends. So Nancy knows more about Ola than any other person." I was worried as I couldn't quite understand the role Nancy played. But it led me to question her reason for traveling.