Eka’s story - Season 1 - Episode 26

Episode 5 years ago

Eka’s story - Season 1 - Episode 26

All through that evening and late into the night the three of them sat before the television and talked about every conceivable subject; before Dr. Gerry went to bed he surprised Simbi who was to leave the next morning with a brand new Tecno phone. For Simbi, the feeling of getting a new phone felt like falling in love for the first time. Even after others had gone to bed, she still stayed up admiring her phone. Even though her sim card would not be active until late evening the next day, she still tried to make calls with it. She was happy that with she and Eka in possession of new phones, they won’t have to miss each other. By morning Simbi still woke up before everyone else even though she was the last to sleep and got very little sleep. She used the bathroom quickly and packed her small bag. Her heart pulsated with joy; she would humble all the boys on her street with her new phone. If not that she had to wait for Dr. Gerry and Eka to wake up before leaving, she would have left before they woke up. When Eka woke from sleep, she could tell her friend was still in high spirits over the phone she got. “It is only a phone you got and you are acting this way, what would happen when you get a car or a brand new house?” Eka asked her friend. “I would fly without wings,” Simbi replied.

After Dr. Gerry had got ready to leave for work, he gave Simbi five thousand Naira for transport back home. You should have seen Simbi at this point. She was excited she did some break-dance on the floor, leaving Eka and Dr. Gerry laughing hard. “I am going to invest this in my mother’s tomato selling business and make good profit,” Simbi announced. “What happened to managing my fashion label?” “I will still be doing that in-between my tomato business. We have phones now so managing your fashion label would not be a problem.” Dr. Gerry took the food Eka had prepared for him and left for work. Eka and Simbi talked a few more hours after Dr. Gerry had left and then Eka saw her off to the bus stop. When Eka, returned from seeing off her friend to the bus stop, she gave herself to sewing Mary’s clothes. When she got tired, she took a break to find something to eat. While she ate, she could not shake her mind off the name Dr. Gerry used to address her the previous day. She picked up her phone and sent him a text message, “ You called me ‘baby’ yesterday, and right now I can’t get my mind off it. I am thinking about you right now ‘baby’. Would you mind dropping by during your break time? I am missing you.” A few minutes later Eka’s phone buzzed, she knew the message had to be from Dr. Gerry. With a huge smile on her face she read the message, “ How I wish you didn’t send me that message, I hope I won’t kill any patient today. I can’t stop thinking about you right now. You won’t believe it; I have called four people ‘Eka’ since you sent that message to me.” Eka quickly typed, “Please instead you will kill any patient, make some excuse and come home and watch me sew. Or we can even enter the kitchen and cook up some wonder. I just can’t breathe anymore, the air I breathe is too far away from me, and that is you.”

With her heart beating very fast she waited for Dr. Gerry to reply. Then the message came screaming, “ Eka, PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE STOP! I JUST CALLED MY BOSS EKA! I JUST MIGHT GIVE MYSELF A PATIENT’S PRESCRIPTION IF YOU DON’T STOP! MY MIND IS FULL OF YOU AT THE MOMENT!” Eka laughed hilariously and typed quickly, “ I will only stop if you promise me you will come home during your break period. ” This time Dr. Gerry did not waste time to reply her, “ Okay, I promise.” Eka sent him the line, “ Yea! I love you! ” She tried to sew but her mind was still on him. She had to stay on her sewing all because there was nothing else to do. Every fifteen seconds she looked at the clock to know if it was time for Dr. Gerry to go on break. However back in her street, something unpleasant was shaping up. A flashy car pulled up in front of her parents’ apartment.

NK stepped out of the car in the company of a young man. The young man led the way and knocked on the door. Eka’s mother opened the door; wondering who those people were, asked, “Who are you looking for?” The young man replied with a greeting, “Mama good day. We are here to see you and papa, and we have come with good news.”

Eka’s mother livened up at the mention of ‘good news’ and asked, “Have you people seen Eka?” NK from behind the young man answered, “Yes mama, we have seen her and we bring good news about her.” Eka’s mother left the two young people at the door and dashed inside to call her husband. They could hear, Eka’s mother calling after her mother, “Papa Ekaette! Papa Ekaette! They have found Eka! Ekaette is alive! She is alive!” Her voice tailed off into a cry. Mr. Efiong, Ekaette’s father dashed to the door asking, “Where is Eka?! Where is she?!” With no sign of Ekaette, Mr. Efiong yelled, “Where is my daughter! Where is Ekaette!” “We know where she is and how to bring her home. Can we come in?” asked NK. “Yes! Come in please! Come in!” Mr. Efiong shouted repeatedly. Eka’s father could not wait to hear NK and the young man tell him and his wife where they saw Eka, how and when to bring her home. “Papa, Eka is living with a man in the city…” “Oh God! So this is how good you are?!”shouted Eka’s mother. “So she is not doing ashawo (harlotry) work?” she added. “No mama, but she is living with a man, and we can tell you that the man does not treat her well. We need you to come with us to a police station to report that the man abducted your daughter and has had carnal knowledge of her even though she is an underage girl.”

Eka’s parents froze in shock. “Who did you say you are? I don’t remember any of you telling me your names?” Eka’s father asked. Eka’s mother drew closer to NK and the young man in her company and looked at them with a frown on her face and as if she had not seen them before. Their reaction was not what NK and the young man had expected. Dryly NK said, “My name is NK Ezieshi.” “I am Michael Tohos,” said the young man. “Please Michael and NK, tell me, why should I tell a lie against the man my daughter is living with after what I and my wife did to her? You don’t know what Eka has gone through, do you?” asked Eka’s father. “Please NK and Michael, if you have truly seen our daughter take us to where she is that is all we want. We have done so much wrong to our daughter already, we cannot add to that. Please help us NK,” Eka’s mother said with tears flowing from her eyes. “Mama, Eka is in the city. But for you to see her you have to do what we tell you. Wait…” NK opened her bag and brought out a brown paper bag. Out of it she removed bundles of one thousand Naira notes and left the heap of them on the table. Eka’s parents stared at the money unbelievably, they had not seen that much money all their lives. With her voice low as if she was about to reveal a great secret, NK continued, “…your daughter is highly favoured. A lawmaker in our state wants to marry her. He has seen Eka and is pleased with her. But the poor young man who is living with Eka would not let Eka marry the man she loves, that is the problem. The lawmaker sent us to you with this money. To him this is not money; it is only chicken change,” NK concluded.
Eka’s mother cleared her throat and asked, “Please, do you mean that a lawmaker wants to marry my daughter and a poor man would not let him do so?” “Yes mama,” NK answered. “..and the lawmaker sent this money to acknowledge us as Eka’s parents, asking us to do the right thing which in this case is to invite the police into this matter?” “Yes, ma. In fact the lawmaker would have finished the poor man if not for his good heart. He wants you people to go to any police station around and report the matter and leave the rest to him,” Michael explained further. “How do I know what you people are saying is the truth? I have not heard from Eka, or from the young man she is living with or from the lawmaker. I have done much wrong to my daughter. I would hate to go to the police station to report this matter only to find out that it was all a lie. Can I speak with Eka?” Eka’s father asked. “You cannot do that papa. The man in whose house she lives would beat her to stupor if he hears she spoke with you people,” said NK. “What! He beats my daughter! While I cry every night over what I did to my daughter, a man beats her for fun!” Eka’s mother shouted and bolted off to a police station. Eka’s father went after her to stop her, but she was determined to incident the matter in a police station. NK and Michael packed the money, b@nged the door close and went after them.