Chapter Four

"I ran the tests as you requested, but nothing in it could have killed Bello. It's just a sex hormone enhancer not a poison," Tolu said.

"Well, I'm not a doctor but I learned there are awful side effects to these things. Why would Amanda keep such? You said it yourself that they weren't intimate anymore. Was she seeing someone else?"

"I guess you would have to ask her yourself Uju. You can't tell anyone about what I told you," Tolu pleaded slightly sobbing.

"Relax it's in my nature to be confidential. Where is the baby now?" Detective Uju asked.

"Dead. Bello would have killed me if he found out I was carrying another man's baby. I guess that's why God punished me by not giving me mine," Tolu said sobbing uncontrollably.

"Did Jude know it was his?" Uju asked again and Tolu nodded.

"I told him but he didn't take the news lightly," Tolu replied.

"I don't want to ask detailed questions about what happened but when did you tell him this?" Uju pressed.

Tolu hesitated and stared momentarily at nothing in particular before mumbling the word Thursday.

"He died on that same day. Is there something you aren't telling me Tolu?"

******

"How are you feeling?" Bello asked running the gel and probe round her bump. It was a cool intense feeling and she stared at the display screen where her baby floated about in the jelly amniotic fluid. "It is a girl," he said and she observed the kicking of the baby and giggled excitedly.

He indicated he was done with the scanning and she sat upright on the bed exhaling thankfully for the success. She noticed his meticulous nature of attending to his work and hoped probably the substance had no effect on him.

His office was a bit larger than Tolu's with the similarity being a pregnancy chart on the wall about dieting and healthy living. He had a mini globe on his office desk and a blue curtain separating his work area from the examination area. He had a large pencil drawn portrait of Tolu hang on his wall. His room was a bit cozy and cool as his air conditioner was left on sucking out all the congested heat.

Bello was a man of great build and was a lot bigger than when she had initially known him. He was dark and bald and wasn't really inclined to the affairs of this present time as regards to fashion. Probably due to being old fashioned or probably what being a doctor did to people. Either ways, she wasn't really sure. Although she still wondered what Tolu found in dating a way older man, she was glad her friend was with a man that loved her so much. She found a mini framed picture of the two of them on his desk and stretched her hand to pick the picture up. She stared at the joy and laughter they had shared in the picture and decided to speak up when she noticed how very quiet the room was as Bello ran some tests with her blood sample.

"Nice picture you got here," she said making him turn and put up a smile.

She had asked Okon for a remedy to what he had given her when she noticed that Bello must have probably drank from the cup so she could bring it to the hospital that day and help reverse everything but had an unlucky conversation with Okon.

"Maram why you make mistake na? Off button no dey that thing o!" He said.

"What do you mean by that? How can you give me something without having an antidote?"

"I no know say you go make mistake na," he had said with a worried expression.

"OK now that I've made the mistake, what do you think can be done? Come on! Think!" She paced about the living room holding her frail waist and clasping her hands round her head.

"Ehh e get good side and bad side Ma. Na im be the only thing wey I sabi," he said.

"What's the good side?" She asked impatiently.

"E no go work if the person no like you before."

"Then the bad side?" She chipped and he remained mute, the worry still drawn all over his face. "Okon what is the bad side?"

"Hey! Are you OK?" Bello asked snapping his fingers which apparently woke her up from her subconscious wandering mind and grabbing a seat beside her, he continued. "I've been calling your name for a while now. Is everything OK with you?"

"Me? Yes... I'm... I'm fine Bello. Can I ask you a question?" she said. "Do you feel anything strange like... You know, after the day at my house?"

"No... Why?" He calmly asked.

"You drank from the cup right? From one of the wine glass cups? I'm sorry there was something in it and I tried to stop it but then I...I..."

"It's OK and no. I drank from the bottle. It took you so long to come to the living room so I downed a beer instead and not the champagne. What was in it?"

"Nothing. I'm sorry I asked. This is so weird but I need to go home," she said and held on to the bed for support. While she rose up, she felt his hand forming a semi circle round her waist and slowly pushed him away. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Relax," he soothed patting her back still. "There's only the two of us in here. I see the way you look at me Amanda and we don't need to pretend to ourselves anymore. Don't say no," he said and she threw her hand across his face in a swift hand movement.

He held her hands and pinned her to the wall firmly pressing deeply into her jaw and while she still struggled to break free from his grip, he planted kisses on her face and neck. She stepped on his right foot covered with his shoe which made the impact a little less painful but she still did as that was her only free body part. He then placed his thumb into her mouth to stop her from shouting and gathering attention but she was fast enough to thrust her teeth inside his skin hard enough until he let go with a soft whimper.

"You are a disgusting pig," she said and picking her purse, she left the office. On her way down the stairs, she met Tolu going upwards presumably to her husband's office and how grateful she felt to God that she was already out of the office before that happened.

She quickly rushed to her and blurted out, "Tolu we need to talk!"

"Suddenly you need to talk to the lady who has no children and knows nothing about marriages," Tolu replied sarcastically.

"Tolu I am sorry but please let's talk right now in your office. Honestly I am very sorry... I didn't know when I said those mean things to you please let's go," she pleaded the more to the sudden interest of Tolu and turned to take a step down when Bello walked out of his office.

"Sweetheart, I have this patient's report I'll like you to see. Like right now," he said.

"Uhmm babe can it wait? Amanda needs to tell me something very important." Tolu dressed Amanda's falling hair as she talked.

"No it can't wait. This is a matter of life and death not some chitchat," he added rather sternly.

"I'm sorry dear. I need to see the reports... We will talk later," Tolu said addressing Amanda and left her while the latter exchanged a rather unpleasant stare with Bello.

On her way back home, she ruminated on everything that had just transpired. Okon told her the drug wouldn't work if the person didn't love you already. According to him, it only rejuvenates a stale, cold love which was precisely what she was in with Jude and Bello had denied drinking from the cup. So whatever happened at the hospital, was solely Bello.

She drove in through the black gate which had architectural curves on it and the barbed wires gracing the fence like a crown would on a Queen. Jude was already back but this time around, she wasn't scared as she had always been. It was her routine checkup day meaning she could go out, but be home before 3:00 pm. She lived like a prisoner in her own home. She was too weak to defend herself... Too weak to argue. Whatever the time was, she didn't muster up courage to check it as fear crawled in. Her marriage was at the last string to ripping apart for good but she was just about to find that out.

"Amanda finally you are home," Jude said and his words were rather too strange coming from him.

"Yes...umm the scanning took longer than expected. I'm sorry," she apologized politely.

"No worries," he said.

"Are you sure?" She asked confused.

"Yes... In fact I have a surprise for you... Angel!" He called.

"Yes sweetheart," a feminine voice replied from his room and the light skinned lady sauntered as she walked gracefully down the stairs. She wrapped a white robe across her body. Her lips were full and stained blood red. Her hair was rolled into a bun. So that was it... A new woman in the house.

"Jude who is this? What is all this?" She asked.

"This is Angel my secretary and now my new girlfriend," he said.

"Girlfriend? You are a married man with a son and an expectant father too. How can you do this to me? After all we've been through," she said and broke into a trail of tears. That time around, she was emotionally damaged. She was willing to stand every form of ridicule and beating but that.

"I have the divorce papers ready."

"No! You wouldn't dare!" She said within light sniffles.

"I would! And I have already!. You can stay in the boy's quarters. Angel said your presence would be discomforting for her and the baby and I think she has a point."

"You have a baby with her? I never thought you would stoop so low. You know what? I'm done! This time for good. I'm done tolerating all of this and I'm not staying in the boy's quarters, I'm leaving this house and everything in it. Have fun!" Amanda said and walked out of the door slamming it shut.

"What did you do? I never said all that!" Angel confronted him when she sensed Amanda had gone out of sight.

"Shouldn't you be happy? The whole house is yours now," Jude replied falling to a seat and crossing his feet.

"That was never what I wanted. Do you know what you just did? She could sue you for domestic violence and she has evidence. Have you seen the bruises and marks you so generously planted on her skin?" Angel asked.

"I didn't think of it that way," Jude replied sitting up a bit more concerned of the whole issue.

"Go out there and fix things now! By the way, where's Junior?"

"Still at school," Jude replied.

"Oh... Good," she replied breaking into a smile.

******

The Royal International School was run by a private administration and had up to the tertiary institution. The Primary and Secondary blocks, were painted sky blue and a Royal blue shade on every wall and column. At the Primary section, boys were spotted on royal blue shorts and sky blue shirts while their female counterparts wore matching shirts with a royal blue pinafore. There was a large space at the entrance just after the gate with the National and School flag poles erected deep down into the concrete and the flags danced about to the soft breeze of the noon day.

The playground had children run and battle over who would take turns on the swing and seesaws but despite having all the children play around, Junior hardly played. Happiness was starting to seem impossible to him and despite all the cartoons and children comics Amanda had gotten for him to boost his reading and fun life, none was working as he was slowly going into depression at a very tender age.

Junior was in class one Orange as apparently, the classes were named after fruits and that particular day he had spent most of his time sleeping during the classes. His teacher Miss IJ as they fondly called her, took particular interest in him and requested he saw her after the class.

"Good afternoon ma," His weak voice said when he finally met her.

"Junior... It's short break. Why aren't you outside playing with the others? Are you sick? You slept all day."

"I'm sorry ma. I'm having a headache," he replied.

"Alright. Let me take you to the school clinic." His teacher rose to take him by the hand to the clinic but he had drowsily fallen heavily on the floor hitting his head on the wall then to the ground unconscious.