12: The Warning
1022 Words
Amara Okafor gave her mother her medication gently.
Her condition was getting worse, and her medications were almost finished.
Amara sighed.
How long would she and her family keep living like this?
Her mother noticed her mood and immediately held her hand softly.
"Amara, it's going to be alright..." she said with a raspy voice.
Amara eyes got teary.
The weight of everything was really getting on her.
Coupled with the turmoil her heart had been through in the past weeks.
"What about that young man that was here the other night?" Her mother asked.
Amara sighed again.
But before she could answer her mother, her phone rang.
It was her manager at the hotel calling.
"Hello, ma'am." Amara greeted, the moment she picked up.
"I need you at the hotel, now."
"It's not time for my shift yet." Amara argued.
"If you still want your job, you better be here in the next thirty minutes." Her manager threatened and then ended the call abruptly.
---
Amara arrived at the hotel exactly thirty minutes later.
Then she hurried to her manager's office to see what this was all about.
She knocked gently at the door, as soon as she got to the office.
"Come in."
She heard her manager say.
Amara walked in, and met not just her manager, but also an older woman who was elegantly dressed.
"Good afternoon." Amara greeted.
"Is this her?" The older woman asked her manager, disgust laced in her tone.
Amara stood confused.
Her manager nodded.
"This is Amara Okafor."
The older woman looked at Amara from her head to her toes and then shook her head in disappointment.
"Leave us alone." She finally said to Amara's manager, who stood abruptly and left her office.
Amara swallowed.
What was going on?
"So, you're the gold digger my son got himself involved with?" The older woman asked, holding her gaze.
"Your son?" Amara asked to be sure she heard right.
"I am Margaret Lawson." She said simply, and Amara finally understood.
She was Jide's mother.
Oh no!
"I'm not a gold digger," Amara said firmly.
"The only reason you went after my son is because of his wealth."
"Point of correction, ma, your son came after me..." Amara retorted, she wasn't getting insulted over this issue again.
"I am not here to banter words with you," Margaret said, and then handed Amara a cheque.
Amara collected it, and the moment she looked at the amount, her eyes grew wide in shock.
"That's twenty-five million naira," Margaret continued, "It's all yours as long as you promise to stay away from my son forever."
"I already made it clear to your son that I want nothing to do with him."
"Well, this is just to make sure that you don't go back on your word," Margaret said coldly.
Amara looked at the amount written on the cheque again and still couldn't believe it.
Her fingers trembled slightly around it.
This could solve most of her family's problems.
But she had her self-dignity and respect to uphold.
Finally, she looked up, and dropped the cheque on the table, right in front of Mrs. Lawson.
"I don't need your money, or even your son," Amara said strongly.
Margaret laughed.
"All this to prove you're not a gold digger?"
Amara exhaled heavily.
Jide's mother was getting on her nerves.
"Amara, we both know you need this money."
Margaret got up and faced her.
"Your mother is very sick," she said, "Your pay here can't cover her operation, or even send your brother to school."
Amara looked at her with surprise.
How did she know all of that?
"You're surprised I know all about your poverty-stricken life?"
Amara sighed deeply, her heart boiling with anger.
"I did my findings. So quit the act and take the money," she demanded.
"You're never going to see such an amount in your life after today," Margaret added with a smirk.
"You have even more than that and yet, here you are begging a waitress to take your money," Amara snapped at her.
Margaret frowned.
They held each other’s gaze for a moment, then she picked up her designer handbag and headed for the door.
Once she grabbed the handle, she paused and turned to look at Amara again.
Then she opened her bag and brought out a card.
"Something tells me you'll be begging soon," Margaret said, and threw the card at Amara, then walked out immediately.
Amara bent down and picked up the card from the ground.
It had Margaret Lawson's personal contacts.
---
Jide Lawson was surrounded by his friends that afternoon.
They had all come to cheer him up.
But nothing could actually cheer him up, except having Amara back in his life.
"Guy, you look depressed." One of his friends said, "You need to snap out of this."
"Why didn't you ever tell us about your relationship with her?" Another one of his friends asked.
"Because I didn't want you guys to ruin it." Jide finally spoke.
"But you know it can't work bro," another friend said, "You're both from different worlds, plus you're engaged."
Jide rolled his eyes at him.
"I heard Lara is coming back to Lagos tomorrow," he added.
"So what?" Jide said disinterestedly.
"You can't pick her up from the airport looking like this."
Jide groaned loudly.
"What don't you guys understand?"
They all looked at him.
"It's Amara I want."
"But she doesn't want you?"
"She's just angry." Jide argued.
"No. She is smart enough to know nothing can work between you both." One of his friends countered.
Jide stared at him with anger.
"She blocked you everywhere," his friend continued, "She doesn't want to hear from you, what more does she have to do before you accept it?"
Jide sighed in resignation.
His friend was right.
Maybe he had truly lost Amara.
Their relationship never really stood a chance.
"You have a beautiful fiancée coming into the country tomorrow," his friend continued, "Let's help you get ready for her."
The others cheered in agreement.
Jide smiled for the first time that day.
"Okay... fine."
He agreed.
- Writer
