CHAPTER 10 : RECONCILIATION

I went to his house ,l prayed he hasn't left Calabar.l entered his house the compound and his door were not locked .I seated on one of his furniture. Emeka came out and saw me in his house.

"Ebere,what are you doing here?,who.....how did you get in? ".he asked very surprised.

"Your door was not locked ,Emeka ,am sorry for everything I said, I didn't think it through,l just talked out of annoyance not minding how you'll feel ,am so sorry, very sorry ."l said.

"Before you came , didn't you think I wouldn't accept your apology?"he asked with no smile on his face.

"I did but I wanted to try ?"I said.

"Then your parents , can't you try ?" he asked.

"Emeka,please don't go there ".l said.

"I'm going there ,if you could gather courage to apologize,you can to them ".he said.

"Emeka,the gravity of the sin I committed to them is greater than what I did to you please."I said.

"No, your parents loves you and they miss you" he explained.

"Let's forget about them for now ,Emeka please have you forgiven me .l asked trying to digress from the topic.

"Ebere ,stop digressing "Emeka said.

"Please am very sorry , forgive me ,l didn't mean to say all that,please forgive me ,l didn't mean any of those things" I said apologized still digressing.

"Ebere, you won't succeed in digressing ok,so just give up "he told me.

"Emeka,you don't know how they spoke to me ,how they .....l can't have anymore of that please" I said.

Emeka came closer to me , he pointed at the door.

That's the door,I will suggest you use it since you can't say anything useful.he said and took his phone with him to the room. As he was going, I called out to him severally but he ignored me .l had no choice but to go back home.l came back the next day unfortunately his door was locked this time but how car was outside.l knocked his door and he screamed from inside "who is that " he peeped and saw it was me . He stayed mute .

" Emeka, I know you are in there,l heard your voice ,please open up ,"l shouted .he didn't answer me .

" Ok,you know what , I don't have any work to do ,I will stay here and wait for the to come out ".l threatened . I sat on his verandah floor and drifted off to sleep.l opened my eyes and saw sprinkling water on me laying on his sofa .

"Hello,sleepy head."he said as I faintly opened my eyes.

"Emeka ,how long have l been sleeping"I said yawning almost this same time.

"For about 4 hours,you meant your threat, didn't you?"He asked rhetorically.

"Oh my God ! 4hours. Jesus Christ.!" l screamed.

"Yes ,must have been very tired ,right?he said.

"Yes , I've been busy all night ,cutting materials, sewing,

So l can really have time to talk to you ."l said .

"But what time is it now? "l asked.

"7.45 pm "he said

"7.what!!!, it's already evening ,l need to go , where's my sandals, where's my hand bag" .l asked rushing to find them .

"I kept them , because there's a curfew and no going in or out of this street after six." He explained.

"No wonder,l saw a vigilante vehicle.l said.

"So I'm going to spending the night here". I asked

"Yes,where else ?he asked rhetorically.

"So does it mean , you've forgiven me "I asked.

"Ebere, I don't like what you said but I won't hold on to it either" he said sitting close to me.

"Oh,thank you"

"On one condition"

"What condition?

"You see your parents"

"Emeka,we've been through this ,I can't"

"Here's a deal"

"Deal?"

"Yes deal ,you see your parents and I'll let you sleep here and I'll forgive you ."he stated.

"That's not a deal, it's cheap blackmail, I retorted.

"Call it what you want, it's your words not mine."he said.

"But l can't" l said.

"You can ,l know you can"He said looking in my eyes.

"But if I say no,you won't push me out this night ,would you ?" I asked.

"I'm not heartless, I can't do that .but I won't forgive you "He threatened.

"Then, I'll try but you"ll come with me please"I said.

"Of course,why not ? He said .

"Thanks,so where am l sleeping ?l asked.

"In my room,while I'll sleeping in the coach" ,he replied.

"What? you are kidding?"l asked.

"No, I sleep in the coach you sleep in your room".l said.

"Like they say,ladies first ,take the room "he insisted

"You are so kind and caring."I complimented him .

*. *. *

The next morning, I woke up rather late around 8:35am , I saw Emeka in the sitting room typing with his phone.

" Good morning, I greeted Emeka.

"Morning dear,are you ready?

He asked.

"For what?" I asked.

"For traveling to your parents home,pack the few things you may need when I take you to your apartment before we travel."he planned.

"Emeka , I need to put my thoughts together first "I explained.

"Ebere,you said you'll try "he said.

"But not today , give me some time please"I said.

"For how long, you've been on your own without your parents for up to two months now ,how long more you want to put your parents in worry.l've been ignoring their calls for two weeks now. how much longer?" he asked.

"Please more time "I pleaded.

"Fine, two days and it's final".he declared with an air of authority.

"Two days?!! it's not enough"I protested.

"2 days is enough for you to search the dictionary for words that will explain your apology"he said with finality.

"And who said you could dictate for me "I said in my mind but I thought it would wise .if I didn't say it out .

*. * *.

Emeka and I was in his car travelling to the village,Emeka and I was in the front seat .he shot one look at me when he noticed l didn't talk and l was moody .

"Ebere what is it ,?you are not bright ."he asked looking ahead.

"Really? I'm not bright maybe it's weather".l said pretending,I force a smile which must have appeared dry .

" Ebere, I don't know you very well but I know you to know when you're not happy ". Emeka said .

He caught me even with my forced smile.l must be very poor at acting.

I didn't reply.

" Ebere,is about your parents right?"he asked .l couldn't find the right words so I kept looking at the road.

" But we talked about this ,I did not force you to do this ,you said you'll try then why are you moody?" he asked looking at me.

"Emeka ,you kinda forced me you know you blackmailed me when you saw how desperate I was for your forgiveness.you took advantage of my apologetic attitude. "I said.

" We've been through this before and if you have apologetic attitude why do you find it hard to apologise to your parents".he said looking at me paying less attention to the road.

"Emeka, I told you l wasn't ready, instead chose for me.you have an attitude of living your life and others,is annoying." I said out of irritation and provocation

"Excuse me?are you referring to me as a nose poker? Ebere are you calling me a nose poker?" he asked rhetorically,he actually shouted.

"I didn't say such ,l just told you the truth ,who you are".l said out of annoyance .

"Ebere ,you are insulting me and it's really getting me angry ."Emeka said with anger in his eye.

"It's getting you angry , telling you what you are is getting you angry. Is indeed a fact that humans hate to be called for who they are when it's bad "I said eyeing him.

"I can't spend one more second with this girl"He said talking to no one in particular.

"Neither can I "I snapped

"You know what , let's keep silent ,like we were ",He said angrily.

"I was silent before you started it"I retorted.

"What's wrong with you?"he asked looking at me.

"Is also wrong with you "I snapped.

"Ebere have you lost your mind ? " he asked.

" No, I haven't maybe you have" I retorted.

"Ebere you are pushing it too far ".l said.

"Too far to where ?l asked .

"Ebere , you know what?come down "he said trying to stop the car .

"I won't, force me "I challenged.

"Don't get me mad ,stop challenging me "he said

"Emeka if I come down when will l go ?,abeg drive your car "I said.

"Ebere,come down," Emeka was boiling in anger .His car was still in motion ,he was obviously finding to stop the car maybe the engine but he wanted me out of his car by all costs .

"Make me "I challenged again.

He tried forcing me out ,we were struggling. Emeka was trying to force me out ,I tried to resist him. BOOM!!!!!! ,our car hit a tanker . We exploded. JESUS! l screamed and woke up .

I was in the back seat of Emeka's car.

"What is it ? Emeka asked concerned from my screams .

"Just a dream, don't remove your eyes from the road ,just concentrate"I warned .

"I am a careful driver, I'm not reckless"He assured.

"Just be a more careful driver"I cautioned .

"Alright, first lady of instructions,l am at your services"he teased.

"Stop teasing me. concentrate.!"l said .

After a while , I saw the same tanker,l saw in my dream trying to overtake us.

"Emeka park now "I screamed .

"The road is wide enou...." l interrupted him.

"Emeka park now!!!" I instructed.

"Ok,ok, I will,"he obeyed.

He parked and we waited for the tanker to drive pass.when he kicked the engine,he asked me why insisted on parking .l replied him saying it was dangerous.

When we reached my parents' street ,I got a little tender Emeka must have noticed it .

" It's ok,they are your parents ,they can't forsake you ."Emeka assured.

He pulled over at my parents house. We went to their apartment.l saw mom washing

clothes on the front.

The moment mom saw me ,she stood up moved forward to me .l fell on my knees.

"Mom,am so sorry, I put you guys on suspense and worry ,am sorry ,biko payarim (please forgive me ) I let you ,dad and Afufumagu down.I'm so sorry , I'm a terrible coward.l let my past rule my present. I'm so sorry "I said in tears.l felt a hand on my shoulders,l looked up .it was mom.she helped me up and said :

"It's hurt to lose my only grandchild but losing my only child it's more painful,Ebere please forgive me for causing you emotional trauma ".she said and hugged me.we were both in emotions.her tears dropped on my clothes and so did mine. We reconciled , dad , mom, me ,and Ijeoma were back in food terms ,all thanks to Emeka who persuaded me.l must have been blind to think this caring and kind hearted person raped me.

Two days,later l saw in my phone news that the same tanker that was in my dream exploded with a man and woman seating in the front seat ,l thanked God for the revelation.