HEAVEN’S GATE (EPISODE 1)
By Merit Gogo-fyneface
The dogs from the neighbouring flats barked incessantly. Adaobi could barely sleep. She wrapped her polka-dot, off-white silk robe, making her way into the living room to turn off the TV as the noise filtered into her room.
“You are up?”
“Sister! Good morning, sister.”
“Yea.”
“Why are you up so early?”
Amaka laughs and signals her to turn on the light.
“I just got off the phone with my boyfriend.”
“Jesus, sister!”
She relaxes into the sofa and stretches her legs on the other end. She looks even more beautiful than she was the last time Adaobi came around. She had caged her grey hair beneath an extension from @kims_haven. She looked more relaxed; it was difficult to tell she was in her early fifties.
There was hardly any time to catch up last night when Adaobi stopped by from the Polytechnic.
“What’s with the stare?” she asked.
“You said something about a hundred thousand naira when you called last week. What was that for?”
“Yes, Sister.”
“Bya, this girl, just call me Amaka. Leave all these titles.”
“Okay, sis… Amaka.”
The words felt heavy, especially as Amaka was over ten years older.
“It’s Laju.”
“Laju… okay, what about him?”
“You know he has been trying to get a job, but it’s just really difficult.”
“I still don’t get it.”
“Okay, he needs some money to start up a business… I’ll pay back, Amaka.”
Amaka laughs uncontrollably and she gets a grip, realizing it was barely 3:00 a.m.
She gets off the chair, places the back of her palm on Adaobi’s neck and moves to her forehead.
“Isi odi kwa gi nma?” she asks this time, not smiling.
Adaobi sits still.
“Is it this same Laju that gets you whining half the time? I mean, when he was working at what’s that oil servicing firm, what did he do for you?”
She snaps her fingers, staring into oblivion, but recalls nothing. Adaobi sits still, unwilling to help her ignorance.
“By the way, you should shut your room when next you are having a confidential convo.”
“We have plans, Amaka. He needs to get something sorted and I’ll pay back, I promise.”
“How? That’s not even the problem. Come.”
She pulls Adaobi along.
“Sit.”
Adaobi feels uneasy in Amaka’s bedroom. She perches her dark-skinned behind on a part of the large bed. She surveys the wallpapers; Amaka had gotten them installed by @chauntells_home_decor.
Her eyes fall on the neon duvet from @kloikish_beddings. She fixes her eyes now on the rack that holds over ten autogeles made by @whitneys_autogele.
“Jesus, sister!”
She rises now to feel the healing blisters on Amaka’s body.
“He has been hitting you?”
Adaobi is furious, wearing a vengeful countenance that makes it difficult to tell she was born again.
“Tschew.”
Amaka hisses, throws her robe over her full, flat breasts. She had nursed three: Ifeanyi, 15, Chelsea, 8, and Solange, 5.
She had traces of tears now. She wiped them off, swallowed hard and pulled Adaobi to sit beside her.
“I don’t want you to end up like me.”
She fills Adaobi in on how she had stood by her husband, did everything to help him; he had married her and turned into a parasite.
“See these marks. Whenever I complain about how he spends the money I make, I end up like this.”
“Adaobi, I’ve learnt. I don’t bother him anymore. It’s painful that he spends my money on women. Everything in this house is your sister’s sweat, Adaobi. I struggled to see myself through school. I’m here now, a Medical Doctor, working daily for an adult! A man!”
She places her hands over Amaka’s shoulders as Amaka cries silently.
“But he thinks I’m foolish, leaves me in this house to the world knows where. At least I have someone in my life now too.”
“Amaka, that’s not the way.”
“I see.”
“Laju is a good man. It’s just…”
“Look, Adaobi, I need you to be sure! Don’t tell me all the nice things about this Laju guy. Be sure he makes you happy and puts you first just the way you do. I’m your sister and I’ll tell you what those married friends of yours won’t say. It’s not all so rosy. No one wants to break the ice, so they don’t look bad or possibly offend you, but trust me, you don’t want to end up like me.
“You support a man who is into you as much as you are. A wife is a helpmeet. If you start like this, hmmm, Adaobi…”
She stops. Plugs in her headset and forces a smile as she takes Greg’s video call.
Adaobi attempts to leave the room; she signals her to hold on.
She walks around the bedroom now. She spots a photograph of Uncle Ajibola on the wall in his Doctorate attire. She wonders how he could be such a beast.
Above the gold-framed photo is a picture of Amaka and Uncle Ajibola in their wedding attire, in a different pose from the one in the living room.
Amaka hangs up, looking more cheerful now.
“But sister…”
Amaka’s stare forces her to address her casually.
“Amaka, having an affair doesn’t resolve it.”
“Professor of love, what does? I thought so too,” she said, seeing Adaobi speechless.
“We could find another way.”
“Adaobi, nature abhors a vacuum. Who wants to stay at home on Val’s Day just like that?”
She opens her wardrobe, scouting for clothes. She throws Adaobi a green midi gown.
“That should size you. Billie and Bloosom.”
She mentions it in a tone that says Adaobi should know the designer.
A car horn gets Amaka behind the curtains. Adaobi follows behind her.
“Haba, Amaka, you didn’t tell me you guys got a Range.”
“Which guys? I got that car from @cars45, Adaobi. See as e use one hand dey drive like who get motor. This man annoys me.”
Amaka draws the blue voile curtains and looks all moody.
“He is still your husband,” Adaobi said, holding her now.
“Helpmeet, understanding, soulmate, breadwinner — abi, is that one not in your Bible? Affection fix the rest abeg. Ajibola? Zero.”
“It’s okay, Amaka. It will be fine.”
“Now it isn’t. Si e ba puo, I have a date, girl!”
“Okay, see, let’s go shopping. Since you can’t sit at home on Val’s Day.”
“You know I don’t like flimsy clothes. Where are you taking me?”
“YOLS AND J’S CITY TOUR. They’ve got really nice clothes and fabrics. I was there yesterday. We could do movies afterwards.”
“Okay, sounds fun. I think I know that page, @yolsandjs, abi?”
“Yea.”
Ajibola slams the car door shut.
“I’ll go get dressed,” Adaobi says as she leaves the room.
Written by Merit Gogo-fyneface
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