CHAPTER TWO

As a matter of fact, for not having sufficient credit, Nelly had gone to the public pay phone in the company of her elder brother, Chuka, to make the call.  So, when he saw Nelly's behaviour as the call progressed, he became alarmed at her sudden reactions, wondering if Dom was alright.  When she suddenly dropped off the line with the clouds that descended over her eyes, shaking her head and looking so tired as if she was about to collapse, Chuka rushed towards her and held her by the hand, leading her to a nearby seat.

'What's the matter?' he asked, still wondering what must have happened.

'Let's get out of here first,' Nelly replied, trying to get up from the seat.

'But you are trembling, Nelly.  What's all this?  You have to sit down for a while.  Pull yourself together and control yourself from within.  What is the matter?  I hope Dom is alright.'

Nelly remained silent, staring into nothing and looking so pale and flushed out.  At a point, she wanted to say something but was suffocated by grief as tears filled her eyes.

'Let's get out of here,' she suggested again as she struggled to her feet and Chuka led her out of the GSM call shop after paying the operators.

By the time they got home not far from there, Nelly had become so cold that she could scarcely talk to any person.  She sat alone in the bedroom, looking so bad and dejected that after asking her questions without getting any answers for some time, Chuka became very uncomfortable and almost impatient with her.

'What is it that is trying to strike you dumb?'  he asked her, trying to squeeze some information out of her sealed lips.

'I will tell you all,' she returned.  'But give me some time.  But please, give mum a call.  She must leave everything and come home right away, I am suffocating.'

'At least, you are not dumb,' Chuka said.  'But whatever the problem might be, you must try the best you can to hold yourself together so that you don't suffer a heart attack.'

Then, picking up his handset, he called their mother while Nelly's thoughts began to swim in so many things.  Was it not just the previous day that she was telling her mother she had not seen her menses since after Dom insisted they must sleep together to consummate their mutual promise to become husband and wife?  Did she not do everything she could to make him accept her desire to keep her virginity until both of them would meet in England?  Could it be that Dom had really tricked her all the way through?  If he did play tricks all the time, how about the fact that his parents were parts and parcels of the effort to bring them together as husband and wife?  Have they not already started carrying out the initial traditional marriage rights?  What was really happening to her?

As she sat there ruminating over her very difficult situation, Chuka drew a chair close to her and sat down.  Looking at her with the intention of asking further questions, he discovered that Nelly's face was completely flushed and colourless.  Then, she leaned upon a reading table close by and started weeping to herself.  So, Chuka decided to remain silent while waiting for their mum to come in.  In a short while, however, the bedroom door opened and Mrs. Aku entered looking thoroughly alarmed.  She was a tall, beautiful woman, dark in complexion and supple in character.

'Chuka,' she said as she entered, 'please, give us a few minutes.'

The young man stared at his mother as if to ask the question about what harm his presence had done to the present circumstance.  He, however, reluctantly rose on his feet and left the room, closing the door behind him.

'What is the matter?' Mrs. Aku asked, leaning over her daughter.

She was silent.

'I learnt you called Dom, am I right?'

Nelly nodded, raising her head.

'What then is the matter?'  She further asked.  'Is he alright?'

'I don't know how to start,' Nelly said to her mother, trying to stop her tears.  'I am finished.  Dom has raped my womanhood.'

'What are you talking about?' her mother asked.

Nelly was silent again.  Her mother tried to make her talk but tears and sorrows overwhelmed her.  She tried to pull herself together, to comport herself and behave as if nothing serious had happened after all, but the experience was too much for her to bear.  She suddenly burst into weeping and open lamentations.

'Cursed be the day I allowed Dom to touch me.  Cursed be the day I gave my whole self to him.  Cursed be the moment I allowed myself to be persuaded to sleep with that young man just to please him.  For everything has collapsed upon my head, leaving him safe and happy.  I do not think I can bear this.  O Lord, you will do me a favour to take my life before I terminate it myself.'

'What is the matter?' her mother asked, cuddling her with such emotion that she almost started weeping herself.

'Mother,' she said as she held her, 'Dom has raped everything I represent.  He has ruined my life.  Mother, if the Most High does not do me the favour of terminating this situation, blotting it out like a nightmare before down, then, I am not sure I will be able to stand it.'

'No my daughter, you don't talk that way.  For it has always been the lots of men to live in the midst of joy and sorrow.  God Almighty allows that.  And so must we learn to accept our lots with courage at all times, knowing that after sadness comes joy, just as sorrows may be at the heels of happiness.  Now, tell me all of what is the problem.'

'How could Dom do this to me?'  she further wept.  'I know all my intentions towards him were always pure and I wished him nothing but success in his plans and endeavours.  Why should he do this to me in conspiracy with his parents?  I had already made up my mind to be the best of wives to him, not because of wealth and riches but out of a simple volition to make the best out of whatever comes in contact with the woman I am.  But here I am deceived by one not more intelligent than myself, just because I am a woman who softens sooner or later to make the other person happy and confident.

'I have tried to blame myself after all.  But my reasons are not strong enough to blame myself.  Am I a victim of circumstances or have I made a mistake?  I do not know.  But one thing I know is that Dom has done all these most consciously, deliberately to cheat me because I was ignorant of the fact that such a young man was already married . . .'

'What?' Her mother shouted.  'Don't say that again lest anybody hear such a thing.'

'But that is true,' Nelly returned.  'That is the truth that is now hunting me.  I cannot understand why Dom chose me to be his victim.  I now know that the condom issue for which I told you we quarreled for the first time was an intentional act to put me in trouble.  Otherwise, what other reason had he to slip it off at the middle of the act only to claim it was an accident?  Oh, Dom, you have become a curse to me by singling me out in such a vicious manner.'

Mrs. Aku tried to calm down her daughter as she cuddled her so dearly without being able to do so.

'But are you sure there is not a mistake somewhere?'  she asked Nelly as she told her all about the voice on Dom's handset.  'We need to confirm the whole thing is not an empty drama before we will know what to do.'

Then, she called Chuka and told him he must go out and call Dom himself and hear from him.  She personally informed him about what the problem was and got him shocked to the bones.  When Chuka recovered from the shock, however, it did not take him much effort to understand the level of pain and embarrassment his sister felt, although he did not yet know about the aspect that concerned carrying Dom's baby.  It took him time to leave the room, however, but he tried to be a man and so soon left to make the call.  By this moment, it was getting close to evening.  So, he believed Dom may be the one to answer the phone this time around.  He hurried on, thinking of what to say to that young fellow he had come to develop so much love and regard for.  When he eventually called, however, it was the same lady that picked the telephone.

'Please, can I speak to Dom?' was his question.

'Well, who is speaking?' she asked in return.

'Oh, just a friend, Richard,' he replied.

'Richard from where?'

'Well, from Nigeria, Lagos to be precise.'

'Darling,' the lady called out, 'someone is calling from Lagos.  Richard by name,' handing over the telephone to Dom.

'Hello?' Dom responded from his own end.

'Is that Dom?' Chuka asked.

'Oh, is that you, Chuka, how's everything?  I was wondering who's Richard from Lagos.  Why try to hide your name?'

'No, no, no.  I was not hiding.  I didn't know who was on the line.  What's on?'

'Nnaa things are hard here O!'

'Dom, what is really happening between you and my sister?'

'I don't understand.  Is there any problem?'

'Well, come out straight, Dom.  Are you really married to some other girl over there?'

Dom was silent.

'Well, well, well.  Did any person tell you I have another wife here?'

'Dom.'

'Yes.'

'Please, come straight to the question so that we know how best to sort things out over here.'

'I don't understand.'

'Dom, who is the lady that answered the phone when my sister called some hours ago?'

'Well, I don't understand who you are talking about.'

'Okay, who's the lady that picked the phone now?'

'Well, why do you want to know.  If your sister and I were friends over there, don't I have the right to live my life the way I feel alright for myself here in this far, cold country?'

'But you were already decided on marriage?  Weren't you?'

'Listen to me, Chuka, is your sister ready to be my second wife?' Dom asked laughing as he did so.

'You must be joking!'

'Am not joking.  You know I am an only son.  So, my parents would even want me to marry as many wives as I am willing to have.  But you know that is not possible here in Great Britain.  If she accepts, therefore, we will run a distant marriage.  And I promise to come home regularly to maintain the relationship.'

Chuka was so chocked and angry that he involuntarily switched off the telephone as Dom was talking and laughing in a most mocking tone.

'I thought this Young man was a human being,' he said to himself as he paid the operator and left with his mind swimming in so many things.  'If that young man were here,' he further said to himself, 'I would have made him to understand that Nelly is somebody's daughter.  Yet, I don't think I will allow him to get away with this wickedness.'

By the time he got home, however, his father and his younger brother were all back home with the exception of the youngest who was still in school on extension lessons.  When he told his mother and Nelly what discussion he had with Dom, they were all dumbfounded.

'I am going to make sure that that young man is repatriated to this country as a punishment,' he concluded.  'I am going to inform the British High Commission and his school over there about his cult records in this country,.  Perhaps, he thinks he will get away with this.'

When Chuka heard that his sister was also pregnant for Dom, he became so angry that he wished it were possible to see him face to face this moment.

'I'll kill that Young man,' he said, 'if I were to get at him.'

'Take it easy,' his father said.  'It hasn't come to that yet.  After all, it is your sister we should blame for falling prey to all his whims and caprices.  I have always told young people that going on courtship is not a license to start living as husband and wife.  It is not all about having a bed mate.  Instead, it is a time to study the other person to know if one could get on with his or her weaknesses or even live happily with everything he or she stands for.

'Well, darling,' Mrs. Aku said to her husband, 'I think Nelly is simply a victim of circumstances.  I have never known her to be a careless girl.  And I believe she took all the necessary precautions as a young girl.  Even if it is a mistake, it has already occurred.  So, I think what we need to do now is to see how we can sort out the matter and save the family's face and the future of our daughter.  If my conclusion were such that I wholly blame her as a woman, I will be the first person to step out of her side so that she will see and feel the consequences of living unscrupulously.  After all, they had already started with the traditional formalities toward legitimate marital union.  I think we have to see his parents, hear their opinions and then make sure they take care of Nelly until the baby is born.'

'Which baby?'  Nelly retorted.  'I can't have this baby outside marriage.'

‘Keep quiet!' Mr. Aku shouted at his daughter.  'Look, I don't want to hear your voice now.  So, you knew you were not yet married to that young fellow before going to sleep with him?  Alright, I will teach you a serious lesson right away,' getting up from his seat to hit the girl only to be restrained by his wife.

'Look, darling,' his wife said to him in a low voice, 'please, for heaven’s sake, calm down yourself.  Let's be a little more objective and mature in this matter.'

'What are you talking about being objective and mature? So, I am not being objective, eh?  And you and your daughter are the ones who are mature and objective.  Is that what you are saying?'  Mr. Aku railed at his wife.

'No, darling, that's not what I mean.  You know as much as I do that this is a very sensitive issue that requires careful handling so that we do not make a mistake over a mistake, if we must see the whole thing that way.'

'Well, you try to sort that out with Nelly and whoever may be concerned.  I don't know how you will drag me into such a mess.  As a matter of fact, that's not what I bargained for.  I never expected Nelly to be so loose as to allow this type of story about her and the family.  After all, if she had not messed up herself, we would simply forget all about that boy and his parents.  After all, how old is she, only about twenty three.'

Mrs. Aku tried once again to calm down her husband as the man got up.  And picking up his car key, he left the house and soon drove out in his old Land Rover jeep.  As he left without telling any person where he was going to, his wife was not happy in the least about the present situation of things.  She thought about what was going to be their best option.  But nothing concrete and rewarding came into her mind.  As she had said, she did not want to make a mistake in the process of trying to solve this problem.  So, she was rather very deep in thoughts about how best to advise her husband when he eventually came home.

Meanwhile, Mr. Aku had left to Trans-Ekulu to see Dom's parents.  When he got there, however, the cold expression Mrs. Wuba, Dom's mother showed towards him made him to jump to the conclusion that whatever Dom was doing presently, he must be doing it in complicity with his parents.  Then, when he decided to open a discussion between himself and the couple, he discovered that the woman in particular was in support of everything her son had done, claiming that as their only son, they would want him to have at least two wives in order to populate their family quick enough.  Her husband was however initially silent about the whole issue; but later blamed his wife for anything that might go wrong in the whole game she and Dom were playing.  Mrs. Wuba however said Mr. Aku and his wife must take care of their daughter until the baby was born since according to her, Dom never really told her he was expecting a baby from Nelly.  Moreover, she suggested she may not accept any responsibility in that direction until she had personally discussed with Dom when she hoped to be in Britain within the next three months.

Mr. Aku returned home hours later to find the entire family in a very sad mood.  His wife, after trying to comfort Nelly for some time, had left her in the company of her son, Chuka, while she went into the kitchen to prepare supper for the family.  Chuka had left the room for a while to attend to something outside.  And by the time he returned, he found Nelly lying on the floor beside her bed, virtually unconscious.  Found beside her bed was a sachet containing some sleeping tablets.  He, suspecting she must have attempted to poison herself quickly rushed to their mother and alerted her about the situation.  They were still battling with the situation when one of their most beloved relations, uncle Chuks, came in, having quietly parked his car at the front of the building unnoticed.  As soon as uncle Chuks came in and saw what was happening, on learning about the suspicion that Nelly may have tried to poison herself with sleeping drugs, immediately called for some coconut fruits.  Indeed, there was none inside the house and so someone had to rush down the street to buy some from a nearby grocery.  In a short while, two of such fruits were cracked and their water poured into a large stainless cup.  They were still trying to force the coconut water into her mouth when Mr. Aku returned home.

It was really a very desperate situation.  And when a reasonable portion of the coconut fluid had gone into her stomach, they rushed her into uncle Chuk's car and off he zoomed with her, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Aku and their eldest son, Chuka, directly to a private hospital at Robbinson Street there in Uwani.  She was admitted immediately while her panic stricken mother prayed for help from above.  As the medical director of the hospital, Dr. Zaki, had been the family doctor of the Aku family for several years running, it was not difficult for her to get the required attention from the nurses of Solace Hospital before the doctor was sent for.  On his arrival, however, he asked Mr. and Mrs. Aku so many questions which they tried to answer as frankly as they could.

He, however, told them he was going to do the best in his power to save both the young lady and the baby; although he said her condition was critical and so, unpredictable.  Being their family doctor, Dr. Zaki knew the fact that Mr. Aku was just managing to maintain his family without outsiders knowing the size of his wallet.  He knew how difficult it was for him to settle the last portion of his late father's medical bill who he had handled his case during his last days before he departed this life.  The old man had had a urinary track infection which prevented him from passing urine very easily whenever it got bad.  And that had drained Mr. Aku's purse, especially shortly before he passed on.  So, Dr. Zaki was careful about asking for a large sum of money for advance, knowing that he would always make the efforts to pay his hospital bills.  Moreover, having so much regard for human life, he immediately swung into action while Mr. Aku left the hospital, conveyed by uncle Chuks to collect some little money he had at home.  For that was a weekend.  Mrs. Aku and her first son waited in the hospital until her husband returned to make a deposit of eight thousand naira.  At the end of the outing, Mrs. Aku was left behind while the rest returned home, although the doctor had urged all of them to go and perhaps come back the following day.  For she was seriously attached to her daughter in such a family bond that seemed to bind them together as if they would ever remain mother and child.

Two days later, Dr. Zaki thought he was going to lose the battle to save Nelly and so urged Mrs. Aku to go home in order to leave Nelly solely to the care of the hospital.  So, that morning, everyone had left the ward where she was lying critically in coma, leaving her with an experienced staff nurse.  The doctor had worked so hard the previous night, not only on Nelly's case but also on a pregnant patient whose baby had to be delivered through ceaserian section.  So, he too had left for home only that morning after making sure Mrs. Aku had gone home, urged to come back only later that day.  He had only succeeded in taking his bath and was just taking his breakfast when the telephone rang.  He looked at his handset beside his food and noted it was from his hospital.

'Hellow?' he said, listening attentively.

'Yes, doctor,' the voice said, 'staff nurse Mary on the line.'

'Yes.  Go on.'

'Nelly has regained consciousness.'

'Sure?'

'Certainly, doctor.  She wanted to know where she is.'

'I thank God Almighty for that.  I'll be with you shortly,' Dr. Zaki said, nodding his head as he switched off to continue with his meal.

'Take your time and eat your food,' someone sitting by said to him; it was his wife, Mrs. Zaki.

'Yes, I know that; thank you.'

Dr. Zaki was a very hard working man, kind hearted and understanding.  Often than not, he would jump out of the house, leaving his food to attend to an emergency.

'This time,' he said to her, 'it is a good news.  So, I'll take my time to eat my food.  But I must see that girl immediately because, two lives are involved.'

And so, shortly afterwards, the doctor left his house and soon arrived at Solace Hospital.  He walked straight to the ward harbouring Nelly, full of hope to speak to her one or two words of encouragement.  But by the time he got there, the young lady was asleep.  He discovered her breathing had improved rather tremendously while some light had started playing on her still countenance.  After having a close look at her, he asked the nurse to call him as soon as she woke up but should avoid making her to talk against her wish while he left immediately to the maternity ward.

Four days after Nelly regained consciousness, she became strong enough to discuss her problems with Dr. Zaki over certain very important and very sensitive aspects of her present predicaments.

'It is as if we have forced you back to this life,' Dr. Zaki said to Nelly who was for the first time since her admission, sitting before the doctor in his office.  'It is at the same time clear that you wanted to terminate your life.  That is not only a crime against the laws of the land but also a crime against the Almighty Creator.  You have also insisted on not wanting to have this baby for reasons I understand.  Your parents have spoken to you on this vital issue, everybody has reassured you of standing by your side until you have your baby.  But your heart is still very heavy against yourself.  Now, Nelly, I will want you to bear one thing in mind.  No one on earth is above a mistake.  But it is better to experience hard times and to make amends for the wrongs of the past than to try to wipe an error with a fresh error.  It does not work out well no matter how we look at it.  And among the sins man could commit against his Creator, taking of one's life or any other person's life is the most difficult to redeem.

'So, why not make up your mind and pretend as if Dom did not exist and that this baby is just a trial facing you as a person?'

Nelly remained silent, unable to open her mouth, still overwhelmed by the whole experience.

'I don't think I will live to have this baby, doctor,' she said in a very low voice.  Everything around me spells sadness and pains.  Now, I do not blame anybody but myself for all that stare at my face in such a frightful manner.  I do not even blame Dom anymore for all these.  All are my own faults.  And I pray God Almighty to take me away from here either as a punishment or as a reward.'

'Now, Nelly,' the doctor said, 'you know I have known your family for so long.  And I will do whatever I can to make this situation lighter for you: at least because I am now convinced that you have not acted foolishly given the situations in which you found yourself.  I want to know.  What are you really afraid of?'

Nelly was silent.

'Are you afraid of who will bring up the baby?  Who will be its father, the issue of going back to school, the possibilities of not marrying the type of man you may think you deserve because of the social stigma attached to this type of situation or what?'

'All of them,' Nelly said. 'All of them and more.'

'Alright, those problems could be solved, one after the other, in the order they come in terms of maturity and convenience.  For example, I have an education foundation.  If you listen to me and allow me to help you solve this problem, I promise you my education foundation will give you a scholarship to pursue your chosen course of study after you've safely had your baby.  If this is acceptable to you, and also, if your parents won't want to keep the baby for one reason or the other, I will arrange for an adoption through the social welfare services.'

With these words, for the first time, Nelly looked up and fixed her eyes on the doctor's face.

'Adopt the baby?' she asked, sounding confused, unbelieving and bewildered.

'Yes,' Dr. Zaki replied.  'That is where no one is willing to take care of the baby.  But that is not the point for now.  Let us first try to understand each other.  Then some of these things would find solutions'

'Doc, do you really mean you have an education foundation?'

'Yes, I do.'

'And you think you can guarantee my university education?'

'Of course, by the grace of God Almighty, I can.'

'Well, I will think about the whole thing.  But the issue of adoption, who will take care of the baby and many more, I do not know what to say for now.'

'I don't expect you to give me every answer to the problem right away.  The important thing is for you to get better and fully recovered.  When your parents come around, especially your mum, tell them to get in touch with me.  You can now return to your ward.'

The doctor pressed a bell.  A nurse answered.

'Take Nelly back to her ward,' he said to the nurse.  'She is not yet very strong.'

Nelly rose on her feet.  And followed closely by the nurse, she returned to her ward, still thinking about so many things.  What really was happening to her?  Was all that a dream?  But her father, though not very rich, had not yet said he would no longer train her in school.  Questions surged endlessly around her.  Yet, none came along with a definite answer.