Faith’s Pregnancy Diary 71: A Cancelled Wedding and a Kept Woman

April 11^th, 2013

I tossed and turned the whole night. And by 4am, I was already wide awake…And for the first time since I have been pregnant, it wasn’t the thought that I am entering a new pregnancy week today (week 25) that filled my heart. It wasn’t even all the drama with Phillip/Akunna/Diana/Idara, or even anything to do with Diana’s recent miscarriage scare.

I just couldn’t get Ebika’s tearful face out of my head.

The guilt sat on my chest like a 1,000kg elephant. I was revolted about the way I had embarrassed her. That girl has been nothing but good to me, but I have only treated her with disdain and contempt for as long as I’ve known her. No matter what kind of day I was having yesterday, she didn’t deserve that kind of treatment from me!

With Patrick off work today, I had no choice but to drive myself to work. Luckily, traffic was tolerable, and I made it to work in one piece.

I kept an open eye for Ebika all day, but she was nowhere to be found. I even went down to her floor, but from the look of her work station, it was obvious she hadn’t been to work. This just made me feel even worse.

And then, the icing on the cake of my God-awful week! Diana’s doctor has put her on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy!

“What do you mean bed rest?!” I hollered at Phillip, over the phone. How could a woman getting married in about a month be on bed rest?!

“Her doctor says her cervix looks weak. It doesn’t help that she’s only 12 weeks gone, which pretty much means there is enough time for anything to go wrong…” a somber Phillip replied me.

“But…but what about the wedding???!!” I shrieked.

Phillip gave a deep sigh. “Nothing can happen till after the baby. She’s not even allowed to rest at home. She’s going to be in the hospital the entire time!”

What kind of temptation is this?! Why hadn’t Diana just sat her ass down, here in Nigeria, instead of hopping on a plane to go wedding shopping?! Now, see what has happened! The wedding she was in such a hurry to shop for now won’t happen!

“But you know what? It might actually not be such a bad thing. Maybe being under her doctor’s watch will eliminate the possibility of any miscarriage?” Phillip said, trying to hang on to any hope he could.

Well, if that is one good thing that will come out of this, then so be it!

By the close of work, my spirit was so low, that I knew there was only one thing I could do to make things better.

So, I found myself driving to Ikoyi, to the Ebika’s BQ apartment. The closer I approached the street, the more ashamed I was that had never been here, not even once. In fact, that I even still have the address is a miracle in itself!

Finding the house wasn’t hard. In fact, if I had been asked to imagine were Ebika was living, I probably would have imagine this. Beside a very imposing mansion, was the narrow gate that led to the BQ chalet she was renting from the house owners. It even had its own driveway. Not bad. Not bad at all.

I was relieved to see her car, as there were no guarantees I would meet her at home. I was even more relieved that there weren’t any other cars. The last thing I wanted was to interrupt any love session.

With my heart in my mouth, I knocked on the door, and waited, praying she wouldn’t bang the door in my face…even though that was what I deserved.

When she opened the door, she first of all looked shocked, and then pissed as hell!

“What are you doing here?” she scowled.

“Ebika, I’m so so sorry!” I said, with a tremble in my voice that wasn’t even fake. “I acted unforgivably yesterday. I had no right to shout like that! Please…please forgive me!”

She glared at me for a while, before holding the door open for me to enter the house. Inside the mini flat, Ebika’s personality was stamped all over the place, with the white, red, and black décor, comprising patterns and textures, ranging from zebra print to faux fur.

“Sit down,” she said, her voice still flat, while she herself took her seat.

I then proceeded to apologize all over again, lamenting about the week I’d had, and even telling her all about the drama surrounding my brother and his many women. And when I saw her beginning to soften, I told her exactly what had happened when I ran into Oyinkan.

“But that’s not what she’s saying,” Ebika muttered. “She’s telling anyone with ears how you were raving and ranting about what a disgrace I am!”

“Ebika, I swear to you, I said no such thing!” I exclaimed. “I told her I didn’t want to be involved!”

Ebika stared at me for a few minutes, before a small smile broke on her face. “I knew it didn’t sound like you to say so much to someone you barely know!”

I felt sick with relief, and reached over to hug her. I was even more elated when she hugged me back.

“Now I know you love me! For you to have come to my house…on a weekday for that matter!” Ebika said, giving me a playful punch.

We then proceeded to have a heart-to-heart talk. I scolded her for her recent arrogant, nose-in-the-air behavior, and she lamented how being Demola’s official woman isn’t all it was cracked up to be. She doesn’t see him as often as she’d like, and she has heard rumours of him seeing someone else. But when I asked her why she insists on staying with him, she told me that he is the only man she wants, and if it means having only a piece of him, then that is fine with her. Her next project is to get pregnant, and have him move her to a more suitable abode.

You know what? Who am I to condescend on her life choices? My own brother has showed even less decorum than the Demola guy.

From now on, I will just respect her choices, as my friend, and support her how I can.

“But wait oh!” Ebika exclaimed, as if just realizing what I had said earlier. “That your Idara friend and your brother??!”

I hissed. “My dear oh!!!”

And that was how the gist continued, until darkness forced me to hit the road, back to my own house, feeling way lighter and happier than I have felt this week!