chapter 42

Bola screamed as soon as she stepped foot into the house and sighted her friend's huge belly and fat face.

"How can you not tell me about this?!"

"I honestly didn't want to disturb you. How is Canada?" Ifeoma questioned after hugging Bola and then sitting down. Since Ifeoma had packed out of her husband's house, she hadn't seen Bola for months because she had travelled to Canada to cool off as she put it. Too much had happened to her that she needed to get off her mind by stepping away from the whole environment that it happened.

Bola and Ifeoma spoke on phone regularly but Ifeoma didn't for once, mention the issues she was having to her nor did she even tell her that she was pregnant hence Bola's shock.

"Telling me that you left your husband is disturbing me? Telling me that you are pregnant is disturbing me? I'm pissed, I thought we are best-friends!" Bola snapped at her friend in annoyance.

"I'm so sorry, Bola. You know that I never keep things like that away from you, I just needed a whole lot of privacy and I thought you needed to get yourself together for now and not worry about my own issues. I'm sorry, babe." Ifeoma apologized. "I leave for what, Eight months? And I come back to a lot of soap opera? I can't believe that I'm going to have a goddaughter or godson soon!" Bola switched to excitement mood as she leaped for joy.

Ifeoma shook her head, 'Bipolar.' "Your mood swings, ehn!" She said and laughed.

"Don't mind me, babe. So you're how many months gone so that I can start preparing for my babyyyy?" Bola whistled happily.

"Seven months and a week."

"Whoohoo! Your tummy looks like it has this huge pot we use in cooking Jollof rice in it, it's so huge!" Bola joked making Ifeoma burst into laughter.

"I know right?" "But then jokes apart, what about Fikayo? Do you mean what you told me about him not visiting or even calling you since you left?" Bola questioned as she switched to serious mood.

"I mean every part of it. He never called, not even by mistake! I find it so hard to believe too, at a point in time, I started to hold my phone in my hands all the time, thinking that maybe he did call and I didn't just see it nor the missed call, dumb yet I still thought that way." Ifeoma said.

"Jeez! The fact that it's the same Sewa of all people is so annoying, how could he do that? That idiot that used to pick on you at the slightest issues yet acted like she liked you so much. She was such a snake."

"She still is."

"And you didn't even scratch out her eyes before you left? She deserves that!" Bola said.

"Maybe she does but what of my so called husband who asked her out, huh? His own eyes should be plucked out? I just can't believe that he'd do that to me, I honestly trusted him so much, too much. And you need to see the way he was so pissed when I acted like I actually slept with Adam. How do they do stuffs that they can't take, just how?!"

"Oh yea, that Adam issue! But really, Oma, you take certain things with levity. How can you not have arrested that idiot?! That's false accusation! I don't even understand this whole thing, why did you play along with it?" Bola questioned, looking confused.

Ifeoma sighed before she responded, "I was honestly just tired of the whole scenario, they were getting to me and I needed to act like they didn't. And at that moment, I don't think me denying or not denying would have mattered, he surely wouldn't believe me. And I'm sure Sewa is behind all that shvt."

"It's funny how you think your empty headed Fikayo understood that you were just joking. That guy doesn't even know what sarcasm is. I never liked that guy, jeez! He was such a dumb fellow, I knew that he'd be one who can't think for himself and needs someone to do it for him."Bola reminisced.

"Don't talk about him like that." Ifeoma warns sternly.

"Sorry o! Wife! That one that is probably enjoying couples life with Sewa! That lady always seemed to have him under her nails since way back. Is it the ass? I just hope that you don't go back to him, I really hope. He honestly doesn't deserve you, you deserve better, I hope you know that."

"I honestly still love him though so I can't promise anything. I just wish that he didn't do that to me, I could take his mother's shit but cheating and then bringing her in? That was just too much for me, he did too much. My parents are certain that he'll come begging and I'll go back to him though."

"Well, will you?" Bola questioned as she eyed her friend.

"I... I honestly don't know. I just want to give birth safely for now, I don't want to think about that. My boss even gave me a proposition."

"What's that?" "He wants me to go and head that branch in Canada. I turned him down before because Fikayo would never allow me take it, but now, I don't even know." Ifeoma explained.

Bola stared at her friend like she had her head screwed on wrongly before she finally spoke, "you are trying to tell me right now that you don't want to take a mouth watering offer like that? And I'm sure this is still about that Fikayo! Sis, when will you learn to not shrink yourself for a man to shine! He wouldn't do the same for you, he'd take that offer without even blinking! What's wrong with women and always wanting to sacrifice more in marriage?" Bola snapped.

"It's not like that, marriage is about sacrifices."

"What marriage! The fact that you're still thinking about going back to him is annoying enough! He can't take half of what he dished out to you, he can't! He's a mama's boy, an insecure man and to top it all off, he's a cheat too! How can you still think of even forgiving him? Jeez! He didn't even call to ask of your well-being, he's not even part of your pregnancy phase. He's with that whore! I'm not going to let marriage ruin you, Oma. I already lost one of my best friends to that institution and I can't lose another to it. It's not a do or die affair!" Bola lectured.

"So you expect her to give birth without a man? To have a baby in a broken marriage? Do you know how that affects kids?" Mrs Ogbonna who had been eavesdropping on their conversation contributed as she came down the stairs.

"Good afternoon, mom" Bola greeted.

"Afternoon, dear. How was your flight and all?"

"Fine, thank you ma"

"So about what I heard you say, do you want her to give birth to a child without a father? Do you want her to face the mockery, shame and all that? Do you?" Mrs Ogbonna questioned but Bola was ready with her response.

"I think that's better than facing depression, unhappiness and taking bullshvt from people who are undeserving. Its a matter of self worth, mom. She deserves better and you know it, I know that you're talking based on experience and all that but in all honesty mom, if not because you didn't want to be divorced and face the stigma, would you not have left while you faced all those struggles and took a lot of bullshvt that you took as you used to tell us? Do you want your daughter to keep facing the same thing? It's not marriage anymore if it's now situationship and just been in it to avoid being mocked." Mrs Ogbonna remained silent even after Bola was done talking and then she stared at her daughter for a while.

"Well, it all depends on her and what she wants at the end of the day. Whatever she chooses, I'm solidly behind her."

Ifeoma and Bola smiled.

"So that's that. Did I tell you that this guy I started dating five months ago or so proposed to me?" Bola decided to change the topic.

"What!!!! Is that the same Bioye or something?!" Oma exclaimed with excitement.

"Yes, I said no though." Bola replied nonchalantly as she looked through her nails.

Ifeoma's face held the 'What-the-hell' expression and it almost made Bola laugh.

"I'm not ready yet. And he did it like he was doing me a favour. I don't want that."

Ifeoma stared at her friend as she wondered how she was just so carefree about marriage issue despite pressures from her parents and even the disrespect from people around. She wished that she was that carefree.

TO BE CONTINUED...