Indigo (Shade of a golden heart) - Season 1 - Episode 6

5 years ago

Indigo (Shade of a golden heart) - Season 1 - Episode 6

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She almost bumped into his younger sister who was breezing through the corridor that led to Phillip’s office.

‘Moremi!’ Chalya was surprised to see her, she didn’t remember fixing any appointment today for her brother’s lawyer.

‘I would prefer it if you address me formally, Barrister Shola.’ Moremi eyed her disgustedly and strolled away before Chalya could say a word.

Chalya had expected this, ‘Typical.’ Chalya listened to the tapping sounds of Moremi’s heels and wondered why her brother had brought the devil back into their lives.

She stormed angrily into his office, ‘Why are you even working with her? I don’t like her around you, she is so rude and full of herself.’
Without further explanation from his sister, he could tell that Moremi was the subject of her complain. The two just never got along and he knew why.

The truth was this; he liked Moremi as a person, she had a beautiful heart but her soul was easily embittered and her mind was filled with jealousy. He couldn’t have that, he couldn’t be around that.

Moremi had failed to understand how important his baby sister was to him, she had no mother and he tried the best he could, so Chalya wouldn’t feel that void. But Moremi hated that, she wanted to have him all by herself and that was not possible.

‘I know you two had a brawl, but I am not interested. You’re grown now, you should learn to ignore certain things. She is a very good lawyer Chalya, I know you may not believe that. I will never choose pleasure before business. Moremi is great at her work and you have to be patient, till all these is over.’ He advised, but Chalya wasn’t surprised anyway.
‘Why was she even here before her appointment?’ She snorted.

Phillip shrugged, he had been surprised to see her too.

‘I told her about the rent for when the renovation is over, she wants to do a research on the building and the tenants first, so she could advise me better.’ He replied.

Phillip had expected his sister to say something in return or to ask more questions as she was very inquisitive.

He could see the corners of her mouth tightening, she did this anytime she was worried.
‘What is it Chalya?’
Chalya had never been comfortable around Moremi, she always felt Moremi was a pretender and had this perfect demeanor whenever Phillip was around.

‘I don’t like her for this job, I don’t trust her. But if you insist on using her, fine! I will be supportive.’ Chalya answered, she had a plan of her own. This project was not Phillip’s, it was their father’s and she needed to be a huge part of it.
‘How much is the rent?’ Chalya asked her brother.

He offered her a laconic reply, ‘Half a million.’
Blood pumped in her ears, maybe she had not heard her brother right. Wasn’t this supposed to be a low-cost building? She felt uncomfortable arguing with him and she couldn’t tell their father about it, that would make Phillip mad.
‘It’s fair, don’t you think?’ He had a feeling his sister didn’t like the sound of that.
‘Yes, it is fair.’ She grinned, but deep down she cringed that her brother would offer the houses at such a high price for low income earners. Where was his empathy?

Indigo had returned home with her grandfather who was better than she had met him at the hospital. The doctor had given him some drugs that would offer him relief for a few days, before the shortness of breath returned. She was restless. Indigo was distraught by the thoughts that plagued her mind and numbed her bones.
If each inhaler costed a hundred thousand Naira? In a year, her grandfather needed about a million and two thousand Naira to survive. Where would she get that sort of money from?

She had lost her job and she was just in her third year in school. Everything was taking a wrong turn and she felt afraid of what the future would look like.

‘You have been quiet my child since we returned from the Hospital, you have not told me what the doctor said to you.’ The old man dropped the spoon with which he swallowed the hot pepper soup that his granddaughter had prepared for him.

She couldn’t tell him the truth, the doctor had advised her to let him know about his medical condition, but she was not ready to tell him yet, not now, till he was fully recovered.

She leaned against the table and touched his wrinkled arm, ‘Papa, the doctor says you will be fine in no time. He just asked me about your wife, and I explained to him that grandmother died some years ago.’ She lied.

The old man grabbed his spoon and stared into her eyes, she had never lied to him before, ‘Why was he concerned about my wife?’
‘Erm, Papa, he knows that I am a student. He was worried that you will have no one to take care of you.’ She smiled.

He wanted to believe her. By God, he really tried, but he knew Indigo more than he knew herself, so he let her wallow in her deceit. He knew he wasn’t alright, but he just couldn’t say what it was that troubled his system.
‘Your soup tastes nice, you cook like your mother.’ He rubbed her palms and returned her smile.

Indigo loved it whenever she complimented him, ‘We have never really talked about her, even about my own father.’ She pulled her hands away and crossed them against her chest.
Though she had seen them in pictures, she had always wondered what they were like in character.

‘Not tonight Indi,’ the old man suddenly lost his appetite and got up from the table.
‘Did I upset you Papa?’ he had never acted this way.

He shook his head firmly and marched steadily till he reached his bedroom.

Indigo felt unhappy seeing that he had not eaten half of the soup or chewed the meat in it, she had a strong feeling that she had said something to upset her grandfather. What if he had sensed that she had told him lies?

‘God please take this cup away from me.’ She prayed and gathered the dishes on the table.
So many things went through her mind as she packed the plates. If she couldn’t find herself a job soon enough, her grandfather would get to know she had lost the job at the Shola residence and that alone could plunge him into bad health.

Then there was expensive inhaler, there was no way to afford it. But she was ready not to let her grandfather die.

Indi tossed the plates aside and sank into the chair. Tears soaked her face, worry ate at her heart. She was in dire need of help, but everything seemed to work against her.

She quickly wiped her face when she heard a knock on the door. She was not expecting anyone, so she guessed her neighbor had called to see how her Papa was doing.

She cleared her throat and asked in a sweet voice, ‘Who is there?’
‘Open up, it’s Annabel, I’ve got good news.’