Chapter 16: Let's not talk about Ifada

Ifada went to one of his friends' house in Ubiaja to freshen up; when he was done he went straight to the hospital to see Doctor Uwaifo. "Itoya is awake and she is responding to treatment" Doctor Uwaifo said looking at his friend"Can I see her?" he asked hoping to see his wife after weeks "No I don't think your mother in law wants to see you because she did not ask after you for once since you left yesterday and Itoya will probably still be asleep""Mama Itoya is a very tough woman don't you think she will not make things difficult for you and Itoya" he continuedIfada did not answer him because the matter on his mind is more weightier then what his friend is talking about , his heart was so heavy , he felt what he had done if far worse than what Itoya did Ifada sat on his seat looking at one direction shot of words , after staying like that for some time Doctor Uwaifo was forced to ask him what the problem was but Ifada was not ready to say anything, not wanting to go into what his friend is friend is holding strong in his heart ,all he has to do is to voice out his opinion, so he had no choice other than to tell Ifada that he does not think that his presence is needed in the hospital anymore because mama Itoya does not seen happy with her daughter condition and she feel that you are responsible for hospitalization"Ok I will go; I need to give myself break" standing up to leave"are you sure you don't have anything that you want to share with me apart from the state of your wife" he said hoping that his friend will be ready to tell him all that was going through his mind apart from Itoya matter but to his disappointment Ifada said"am not in the right state of mind to narrate all that is disturbing me now, nest time we will talk, keep me updated on what my wife and her mother will need and also her health, I will have to give them space for now. And one more thing please, mama Itoya must not know that her daughter will never be able to get pregnant again. Thanks!" he said all in one breath and zoomed off while his friend watches him leave.In the ward Itoya had just woken up from her sleep, the nurse helped her to clean up and feed her, gave her drugs before leaving the ward, while her mother sat beside her all along. After about three hours when Itoya did not see her husband or any sign that he would arrived soon, she was forced to ask her mother about Ifada "Please mama since I woke up yesterday, I have not seen my husband do you have anything to do with my husband running away from me" she asked pleadingly "Let's not talk about Ifada now this is not the right time, what you should focus on now is your recovery" "But mama there is something that I need to discuss with him" Itoya said sadly"I am saying that that discussion can wait" she said angrily She felt her daughter had suffered enough in her marriage with Ifada, if she have to go through all of this now what about the future if she is not able to give birth to a male child just like her case what will they do, if after giving birth to a female child not even up to a year they still want her to have another child as if test running her, the best thing to do now is to claim her child back. Back then she only agreed to the marriage because she lost her husband prematurely, as a woman she could not cultivate enough farm land that will be enough to take care of her two daughters, she managed to send her senior daughter to teacher training college although it was not easy for her, she is currently a civil servant so mama Itoya is arrogant as a result of her daughter current status.That morning Itoya asked a nurse about her daughter and was told her child died before they got the hospital, but she did not tell her that she will not be able to give birth again. She was sad all through the day; she was not able to cry because her grief was more than tears.When Ifada got to his house he felt that some changes had occurred in his house but could not figure it out, he was so weak that the only thing in his mind at that very moment was to sleep he went to his room and slept off without eating, he only woke when he was hungry he could smell a sweet smell of garden egg source and fresh cooked water yam he wondered where the sweet aroma could be coming from because the last time he ate such food was when he was young and was writing his junior secondary school certificate examination, at that time his parents travelled to the city with his younger sisters for a wedding ceremony because he could not travel with his parents so as not to miss his examination he was asked to stay with Omo mama Ifada best friend and mother of Itohan the girl that his parent had eyes on to be their future daughter in law. Who could be doing this at this hour that the worms in his stomach are fighting, how I wish Itoya and Eseiwi will be at home with me not, he thought to himself, he looked out of the window and started salivating, I don't want to ask my neighbors for food let me cook for myself he said to himself and left his room , on getting to his kitchen he was shocked to see a woman in his kitchen dishing food into a set of plate arranged on a tray, he watched her silently as she dish the food neatly and cover the food with tea towel, putting a napkin on the same tray.