I looked over my shoulders trying guess what had attracted Nancy's attention so much. She had asked me to continue driving. And while I did so, she focused her entire attention on what was going on outside the restaurant.
Just outside the restaurant were a few people, and it was probably they that she was looking at. Throughout the time I was driving and she held the card I gave her, she looked at it as if the name on the card was a name quite familiar to her. I stopped the car.
"How did you get this card?" She suddenly asked me. My eyes widened in response like I had done something wrong.
"Tola, how did you get this card?" She asked for the second time.
"Well, I went to see Kemi and her cousin gave it to me."
"What?!" She suddenly shouted.
"I hope there's nothing wrong, Nancy?"
"There's a lot of things wrong with what you did." I gulped my surprise at hearing this and wondered what the problem was.
"Tola, the police are still keeping an eye on Kemi."
"I didn't know. I mean...,"
"Yes, I know. As usual you went looking for answers. And maybe you also wanted to know if she had an affair with Ola." She interrupted. I bent my head on the steering wheel thinking of what she had just said.
"Tola, when will you stop looking for answers?" She asked. I sighed. I had told myself I would only find peace when I knew the whole truth about what happened.
"Nancy, giving up is not part of who I am. I really am fed up finding answers, but I've come a long way. I want to see the end." She looked outside when I said that probably because she didn't like the idea of seeing me get hurt.
"Tola, I'm aware of what you want. But you may also risk losing your life without even finding anything."
"Nancy, it's too late. I'm going to see the end of this story. I have to." Just then a car was coming in our direction with full speed and the headlights were on. Looking through the rear view mirror I saw the menacing speed at which it was coming.
"Nancy there's a car coming full speed towards us." Nancy turned and looked back. As the car approached us the driver of the car came very close to hitting my car but brushed passed it, causing a heap of dust to rise up in the air. I closed my eyes and Nancy did the same too. I heard a thud and immediately opened my eyes.
"Tola what was that noise?" Nancy asked as she looked outside. I looked out and saw a body lying still on the road. It was a man, he looked lifeless.
"Nancy look. " I said pointing to the body. Nancy opened her eyes wide as she saw it.
"Tola, make we commot for here quick, quick." I was shocked. A man was lying lifeless and she wanted us to leave?
"Nancy let's call for help." I said staring at the body on the road. The man wasn't dead yet. There were signs of life in him as he struggled on the road. I looked closer and thought I recognized who it was. I blinked unable to believe my eyes. There lying on the road was Ola.
"Ola!" I shouted. Nancy recognized him too.
"Tola, let us go, it could be a trap!"
"Nancy, no we have got to help him." I said moving my car and stopping next to him. I quickly jumped down and went round and saw him. He was still breathing.
"Nancy, let's take him to the hospital, please."
"Tola, let us leave him and go!"
"Why, Nancy?"
"Because we may never have another chance to get out of here." I was weak when she said that. I looked at her and then looked at Ola. I had to take a decision.
"Nancy, help me put him in the car." Nancy shook her head, but reluctantly came forward when she saw tears fill my eyes. We put him in the back seat of the car and I drove as fast as I could to the nearest hospital.
Once at the hospital Nancy used her authority as a senior police officer to get the attention Ola needed to be taken in. Soon some nurses came out and put him on a stretcher. They moved as fast as they could to the emergency unit.
A doctor was called and he came rushing out of his office. The moment he came out Nancy greeted him and presented herself. I saw the doctor nod to every word Nancy was telling him. He quickly rushed into the emergency ward and checked Ola.
"He's been shot. He needs to be operated urgently." He said when he came out. "But there must be a family member to sign should things go wrong." Nancy and I both looked at each other. I have to do this I told myself.
"I'll sign." I told the doctor. Nancy stared at me and when the doctor left briefly, Nancy called me aside.
"Babe no sign this paper."
"Nancy, like I told you I have come a long way. The end of my search is near. Let me do it." Nancy walked away from me shaking her head.
"Ha Tola, so upon say man dey dribble you, you still dey die put?" I closed my eyes and sighed. She was in a way right. But I had to do what was necessary to save him.
"Nancy I am still his wife. Let me play this role now. Please?" Nancy rolled her eyes and looked away. Then when she turned to look at me she said the one thing I least expected.
"I know you've missed him a lot."
"Now you understand why." The doctor called us and we went into his office and I signed the papers. Soon Ola was operated. It took two hours before the doctor came out.
"He's okay, his condition is stable so he'll survive it." I was extremely happy he had survived. I heaved a sigh of relief that finally I had saved his life. Nancy and I went to see the doctor in his office after which we left the hospital. I dropped Nancy off at her place and went home. When I entered the house I greeted my parents. My mother got up and came to hug me.
"Tola come and sit down my daughter." I was tired but seeing my father I sat down with them.
"My daughter, since when did you start going around with a gun?" I sighed when she asked me that question.
"I may have exaggerated but I only wanted answers?"
"And what more are you looking for. Your father and I have told you to leave everything behind and live your life. How hard is that, my daughter?"
"Quite hard."
"Tola, as your father, I understand you are strong and don't want to give up. But there always comes a time when you have to end something that is not favorable to you." My father perhaps knew much better what I was going through.
As for my mother even if she was aware of my struggles, for her, I had to continue with my life like nothing ever happened. But it was hard for me to do so without knowing what the outcome of the story would be.
After I talked to them I went into my room and relaxed myself. Knowing Ola was in the hospital had put my mind to rest. I had longed for the moment in which I would finally know what really happened. But surprisingly things went in a different direction.
A few days after I and Nancy took Ola to the hospital, I didn't set foot there again. I was only communicating with Nancy on the phone. She told me that he had regained conscious.
This to me meant I could finally talk to him. I decided to pay him a visit and told Nancy. We agreed to meet at the hospital. On getting there we went to see the doctor. He told us we could see him briefly.
We got to the ward where he was kept and when I saw him, I could see that he was in pain. He had closed his eyes. I moved close to the bed and took hold of his left hand.
His right arm was bandaged and it seemed the nurses took turns to change the bandage. We were there when one of the nurses came in with a tray and some medical scissors. She left the them on top of the side drawer and immediately responded to an emergency. I held his hand and looked at him.
"Don't worry, I'm here now. You'll be alright." Nancy stood beside me and looked at him. She then looked at me and nodded. Suddenly he moved his hands and I nudged Nancy. We both looked down at him and saw him open his eyes. He looked at me and then briefly closed his eyes again. When he opened them again, he began to speak.
"Karen? Karen, where are you?" I was weak. Here I was standing beside him and he was calling the name of another woman. A sudden wave of anger flowed through my veins. In that moment, my attention quickly went to the tray that was beside the bed. There was enough instruments in it to do harm. And I was about to do the unthinkable.
I thought about the struggles I had made just to get answers. And he was my last hope of ever knowing what really happened. Yet, even in his weakest moment, he decided it wasn't me he needed.
I had tears roll down my eyes as I looked at him. I knew it was better not to face this humiliation anymore. I slowly moved my hands towards the tray. I had to put a stop to all of this drama. I had to end this humiliation.
Yes, enough is enough. And I had had enough of running around looking for answers. I had to end this right now and get on with my life.