You mean when you and your husband kidnapped my son. Imade thought to herself. Aloud she said, ‘I’m really busy right now, so I can’t spare too much time.’
‘Dapo said he told you about my operation,’ Tara began. ‘I know what he did was irrational, but if it weren’t for...’ her voice quaked slightly and she stopped.
Imade sighed. ‘I empathize with you Tara. Sincerely I do, but that doesn’t justify what you and your husband did.’
‘Yeah, that’s why I need to get it off my chest,’ Tara cleared her throat and continued. ‘What Dapo told me, was that you agreed to let us take Ehis on a vacation so we could get to know him better. I was surprised the day we returned and were accosted by the police. The confrontation at the station got me thinking. After you left, I pestered my husband till he confessed that he took Ehis without your permission.’
She paused and looked at her well manicured nails while her host looked on, not sure whether to believe her. Was this another of Dapo’s schemes? Had he sent his wife here to try and delude her?
‘I just want you to know that I treated Ehis very well while he was with us,’ Tara concluded, ‘like I would my own son.’
Imade glared at her, her patience wearing thin. ‘Well, he’s not your son,’ she replied icily. ‘And I have to get back inside. Goodbye ma’am.’
She stepped towards the porch fence and opened it, motioning for Tara to leave. As she got up, Tara fished into the pocket of her jeans and brought out a piece of paper that had her name and phone number scribbled on it.
‘One day, you’ll realize that I never meant you any harm. Please give me a call whenever you can.’
Imade watched as her unwelcomed visitor placed the piece of paper on the chair and left.
Later that evening, she recounted the ordeal to her mother. ‘I’m not sure what to make of her,’ she said as she cleared the dinner table. ‘On one hand, she seemed so lost. But then again, something about her is not quite right.’
She carried the stack of used plates into the kitchen, with Iye following her. Ehis jumped down from his chair and came trailing behind them.
‘I must admit, I was a little harsh with her,’ she continued, emptying the scraps of food into the waste bin. ‘But I’m finding it difficult to trust her.’
‘The damage is not totally done,’ her mother replied. ‘Follow your heart and allow the peace from within to guide you in your dealings with her.’
Imade finished doing the dishes and put Ehis to bed before retiring to her room. As she returned to her work, her eyes fell on the bible lying on the night stand, where she had left it after Sunday’s service. She had been an ardent bible scholar once, when her fellowship with God was still strong; but that had been a long while ago. She picked it up and opened it.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
As she pored over the verse, she felt a tug on her heartstrings. She had been running from God, rather than to Him. It was time to pick her faith up where she left it. Kneeling down and clasping her hands together, she called out to her Maker and Father in a heartfelt prayer. Then God, who loved her unconditionally, answered her; filling the void in her soul that had persisted for so long.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Tara let out a sigh as she stepped through the gate. She knew she hadn’t been sincere. She wanted neither Imade’s forgiveness nor her friendship; but rather, she felt threatened by her. It seemed silly to feel this way; after all it was Tara whom Dapo chose as his wife. But now, the chosen one was childless and Imade had his son.
After the doctor told them that Tara couldn’t have children, Dapo began spending more time with Ehis. Each time he went to see the boy, Tara was left alone to fight her insecurities. Their relocation to Lagos did not help matters. Dapo was now closer to his son and consequently his son’s mother. She had incited him to abduct his own son, knowing it would aggravate the feud between him and the boy’s mother. Her plan worked well and had left Imade and Dapo at loggerheads. But instead of sweet victory, Tara felt her insecurities growing. It was only a matter of time before Dapo would be drawn to Ehis again and there was no telling what he would do to warm his way back to him. It was a bond she couldn’t break.
Her steps were sluggish, but her mind worked quickly as Imade’s spiteful words at the police station rang through her mind. Tara wasn’t sure how much she trusted the man she had married. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she couldn’t afford to take any chances. Having successfully absolved herself from all blame, the next thing would be to keep Imade at close range and ensure the battle line between her and Dapo remained drawn, with no opportunity for reconciliation.
~~~~
Gaius, Uncle Marcus’ administrative manager, was very supportive; rendering Imade the much needed assistance as she set up Pro-Touch.
‘Our boys will give the office a good scrubbing,’ he offered. ‘So you won’t have to hire any cleaners.’
Imade was grateful for his assistance. She spent the morning overseeing the two boys as they dusted old furniture, swept out cobwebs and washed the windows to a shine. By early afternoon, everyone was fagged out. Imade took advantage of the break to place a call. Tara’s visit was still on her mind. She figured that it must have taken a lot for her to come to her home. The least Imade could do was to reciprocate the gesture.
‘I want to apologize,’ she said, when Tara answered her call. ‘I know I was rather rude when you came over. I really didn’t mean to sound so callous about your operation.’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Tara replied. ‘Does this mean that all is forgiven? I’m hoping we can get past this and be friends.’
Imade exhaled deeply. ‘Tara, you sounded sincere the other day and I really want to believe you are. But it would be unfortunate if what happened with Ehis repeats itself.’
‘It won’t,’ Tara promised. ‘Not as long as I have anything to do with it.’ She paused. ‘I heard about the retrenchment. Have you made any progress on your job search?’ She had been tracking Imade like a blood hound to make sure she didn’t pose a threat to her.
‘I’ve decided to launch out on my own,’ Imade replied. Trustingly, she explained her plans.
Tara was skeptical. ‘Event management is a far cry from the banking profession.’
‘Yeah, but there’s so much fallow ground that needs to be explored. The economic downturn has opened my eyes to some new opportunities.’
Much as she hated to admit it, Tara was intrigued. She wasn’t much of a self-starter and had been out of a job since relocating to Lagos with Dapo. Imade seemed to have something going and Tara decided to seize the opportunity. ‘Do you think I could come and work with you?’ she asked.
Imade hesitated. ‘I’m just starting out. I’m not sure I could pay you anything just yet.’
‘But you’ll need help,’ Tara pleaded. ‘You know what they say; two heads are better than one. Why don’t I do some marketing for you, and you could put me on a commission?’
Imade considered. Tara really needed a job, how could she refuse? ‘Why don’t you come over?’ She suggested. ‘Let’s talk about it.’
~~~~
Dapo jammed his hands into his pockets as he stood by the refrigerator watching Tara with a bemused look on his face. He tried to make sense of what she had just told him. Of all the jobs she could have gotten, why this one? He couldn’t imagine what had brought her and Imade together in the first place. It was an unlikely alliance. With her back turned to him, Tara bent over the gas cooker, busily tending to her meal. She crushed a bouillon cube into the pot and stirred the simmering red stew loaded with large cuts of assorted beef.
‘I’m uncomfortable with this arrangement,’ he declared.
Tara put a few drops of stew on her palm and tasted it before placing the lid on the pot. ‘And you have every reason to be,’ she replied, turning to face him. ‘We both know that Imade is very irrational, considering that she vowed never to let you see Ehis again.’ S
he paused and allowed her words to sink in, as Dapo’s face tightened in a frown. ‘But that’s beside the point; there are no other jobs out there and I’d rather do this than nothing at all.’
Dapo stood in deep thought as he considered her point. He knew his wife was hurting over her inability to conceive; he felt the pain as well. So many times he would wake up at odd hours of the night to find her side of the bed empty. She would be in the living room, sobbing in the dark. He hated how miserable she had become, yet was unable to control the tension that arose, ever so often, between them.
‘You know, a job isn’t going to fill the void,’ he said to her.
‘It will take my mind off things,’ she insisted. ‘At least during the day.’
The aroma of her cooking swept through the air and his stomach rumbled. ‘That smells good,’ he remarked.
Her face broke into a smile at his compliment, which had become few and far between. ‘I really want this,’ she continued. ‘You’re at work most of the day and I’m home all by myself. It’s driving me crazy.’
He shrugged. ‘Well, just until something else comes up.’
She switched off the cooker and nodded to herself. ‘Yeah,’ she replied. ‘Just until then.’
~~~~
Pro-Touch provided Imade with the much needed bounce back following her retrenchment from Avery. Starting out was more demanding than she anticipated, but the time flexibility was invaluable. In between it all, she was spending more time with Ehis and both of them were glad for it. Sometimes he came to her office after school and hung around while his mother worked.
On Imade’s invitation, Tara came over to see what possibilities Pro-Touch held for her. ‘This is the place I told you about,’ Imade explained, running her fingers over the dirt-stained walls. ‘It’s just a small room, but at least it’s rent-free. Maybe you could start out by doing something about the aesthetics.’
Tara was not looking at the office. Her attention was drawn to the corner where Ehis was playing video games with a friend. She sank into an office chair, which Imade had salvaged from the junk heap. It creaked so loudly, she thought it would give way. ‘It will be good to have a job to come to everyday,’ she remarked. ‘Sitting at home alone is really depressing.’
The faraway look in her eyes told Imade what she was thinking. ‘Tara, have you ever considered adoption?’ she asked.
Tara thought for a while and shook her head. ‘It hasn’t crossed my mind.’
‘Child adoption isn’t new around these parts. Quite a few couples go for it.’
‘I’m not sure if Dapo would buy into the idea.’ Tara replied, looking doubtful.
‘But why? You have so much love to give and there are lots of children who need a home.’
‘Oh?’
‘Sure. We have an orphan-care group at church. You could consider visiting an orphanage with us, just once.’
‘Orphanage?’ Tara tilted her head. ‘I’ve never been to one. I prefer to just go out and unwind at the club.’
Imade had an idea. ‘Hey. Why don’t you come to church one of these Sundays and learn more about the group.’
‘Um, I don’t know. Dapo and I prefer to spend our Sunday mornings at home. It’s about the only day in the week he gets to sleep in late.’
‘Well,’ Imade said, pulling out a pen. ‘I’ll write down the address for you in case you change your mind.’
Tara watched her, lost in thought as Imade scribbled into a notepad. Things had worked out better than she expected. Not only did she now have her rival at close range, but she also had Imade paying her as well. Yet, she still had no peace and a sinking feeling crept over her.
Dapo had not seen Ehis for a while, because Imade no longer allowed him anywhere near the boy. Tara knew he ached for his son. She had feared he would walk away from their marriage, since the problem of conception wasn’t his. But up till now, he had shown no intention of leaving her. His attitude towards her, however, left her confused. He was civil but distant and she longed for the tenderness they once shared. Folding the piece of paper with the church address, she slipped it into her handbag and turned away with a sigh. Imade wasn’t her problem and she knew it.
~~~~
It was early on Sunday morning and Dapo snored lightly. Tara yawned and threw aside the covers. Dragging herself out of bed, she pulled open the top drawer of her vanity table and fished out a slightly crumpled sheet of paper. Twice, she put it back into the drawer and then pulled it out again. Finally, she straightened it out and read the scribbling silently before hurrying to the bathroom to get ready. She hadn’t given it much thought, when Imade extended the invitation to her three weeks ago. But today, she was restless and wanted to do something new. Dapo grunted and turned over when she tapped him to say she was headed out.
The atmosphere inside the church was exhilarating and the band played the most uplifting songs she had ever heard. Tara never knew that they enjoyed such good music in the church, but was glad to discover that they did. She hadn’t found much to celebrate about in a while but today, she momentarily forgot her troubles and danced with the rest of the congregation.
She had to admit though, that some of their mannerisms were strange. The man beside her lifted his hands in the air intermittently. His eyes were shut and he seemed to be in a faraway place. It wasn’t just about the groovy beat of the drums or the sonorous voices of the singers, he was enjoying something deeper and she wondered what it was.
From the opposite end of the auditorium, Imade’s keen eyes caught sight of her and she was pleasantly surprised. She had spent her entire service year as a Youth Corp member, trying to convince Dapo to come to church but he never did. She hadn’t expected Tara to show up when she invited her either. After the service, she hurried over, being careful not to lose sight of her in the crowd.
‘Hey, you came!’ she exclaimed.
Tara nodded. ‘I had a great time. I’ve been thinking about that orphan-care group you talked about. Maybe you could tell me more.’
Imade smiled. ‘Let’s go and talk to Ottie. She’s the one in charge.’
~~~~
Haven was a small orphanage that housed fifteen children. Tara went with the orphan-care group on their next visit.
‘They are like one big family here,’ Imade explained. ‘It’s the only home some of them know.’
The children seemed fascinated by their guests. They huddled together in small groups and watched them shyly.
‘Why would anyone abandon such innocent children?’ Tara asked. ‘They are so adorable.’
The group had brought gifts and the children crowded round with eager outstretched hands as Tara shared them out. Before long, the whole room had turned into a noisy playground. The once shy children roared in delight, bouncing rubber balls in the air and rolling toys across the floor as they chased one another in a playful frenzy.
One little boy tripped over a toy truck and fell with a loud thud. His wails immediately rent the air. Instinctively, Tara rushed to pick him up. Setting him on her lap, she soothed him till his cries became less deafening. The boy soon calmed down and stared up at her with bulgy eyes.
‘You were right,’ she said. ‘I have a lot of love to give. Did you see their faces when we gave them the gifts?’
‘Yes. Which reminds me, I have something for you as well,’ Imade replied, pulling out a cardboard case.
‘What’s this?’ Tara asked, looking surprised.
Imade smiled. ‘It’s a bible. I figured out you’ll need it when next you visit the church, and probably afterwards.’
The little boy, having forgotten his woes, reached out curiously to take the unexpected gift.
‘It’s not a toy,’ Tara laughed, retrieving it from him. She shoved the leather bound book deep down into her handbag.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The grad school alumni in the United Kingdom were holding their annual reunion. Pro-Touch was in its tenth month when Imade received the invitati
on to attend the event. She was thrilled at the thought.
‘I think I can afford the trip,’ she told Tara. ‘It would be good to catch up with my old classmates and I can use the opportunity to look out for new interior decorations for Pro-Touch. Do you think you could take charge while I’m away?’
‘Of course,’ Tara replied. ‘I could even keep any eye on Ehis for you.’
The thought alarmed Imade. ‘No!’ she replied, before realizing that she had snapped. Allowing Tara near Ehis in her absence meant Dapo would have access to him as well and she couldn’t let that happen. Sure, Ehis got to be around Tara whenever he was at the office, but only under his mother’s watchful eye; Imade wouldn’t have it any other way. ‘I mean, you don’t have to do that. My mum will take care of him.’
‘I only wanted to help,’ Tara said quietly.
Imade pouted. Any assistance Tara had to render should be directed at Pro-Touch and not at her son. While she was away, she would keep her business venture in Tara’s care and her son in Iye’s care, being careful not to mix the two. ‘I know you do,’ she replied. ‘Thank you, but I already made other plans for him.’
Tara bit her lip and looked at her queerly. It was obvious that Imade hadn’t let go of all the resentment she harbored against Dapo. That was a good thing, wasn’t it?
‘Go ahead and enjoy yourself,’ she said. ‘Pro-Touch is in good hands.’
~~~~
Imade hadn’t had so much fun in a long time. The alumni committee gave her a fifteen minute slot to speak at the reunion. Representing Uncle Marcus’ thoughts, she modestly explained how Pro-Touch came to be and urged those still struggling to find jobs to start out with something, no matter how small.
‘It’s amazing how doors open when you put your hands to the plough,’ she concluded. Her audience was impressed and by the time she finished speaking, she was standing tall.
Back home, Tara held the fort. The ‘ember’ months ushered in a festive season as well as an upsurge in demand for their services. The high rate of bookings was a good sign and her hands were kept full. When Imade arrived in the country a month later, she was surprised at the progress Tara had made. She was even more surprised to find a new hire at the office.