Twist Of Fate

Chapter 8

Enitan told Mrs Okawe about Dayo a week later,

It was the last week of September and soon they will be off to school,

So she decided it was best to tell her before she hears it from another person and might get the wrong information.

That evening,

She brought the cellphone and showed it to her,

"Who bought it for you?" Mrs Okawe asked,

The phone is quite expensive and she knows Enitan too well that she would've used her money to buy something like this.

"A friend of mine bought it for me."

The woman frowned immediately,

"A friend,

What friend?" Mrs Okawe asked,

Enitan doesn't keep friends,

Who's this friend she doesn't know about?

"I met him the day before we wrote Jamb,

He'd come with Folake,my neighbor and few of their friends,

They wanted me to help them with a few questions then....

His name is Dayo and we're just friends." Enitan explain ed to the unconvinced woman.

"A boy,

And he got you this,

What's it leading to?"

Enitan was skeptical to answer the question cause she didn't know whether the woman was asking her or herself.

"Ma,

Dayo is just a friend and I made it clear to him that were just friends and nothing more.

Dayo is irresponsible and very unserious,

I told him I would only be friends with him if he changes and become more serious and that's exactly what I want to do,

To see that he changes and we remain friends,

Nothing more." She explained to the woman.

"Enitan,

I trust you completely plus you're old enough to make certain decisions for yourself but who I don't trust is this Dayo,

I don't trust him neither do I trust any other young boy outside there cause they're something else"

"I know and that's why I would want you to meet him,

He's nice even though he'd let his father wealth spoil him but he's very nice and respectful,

Just see him this once." She pleaded with her,

Yes Dayo is her friend but Mrs Okawe is her family and she wouldn't want to lose the one family she has found to a friend.

"Okay,

I'll see him and one more thing I want us to talk about.

Enitan I want you to leave that house,

We've a spare room in this house,

You can move you things and bring them over,

I've talked to my husband about it and he's okay with it.

Why I'm doing this is that,

Soon you would be off to school and you won't be there much,

You can't be paying the rent there and still pay for hotel fees,

It would be too much for you.

So I decided,

Why don't you move your stuffs here,

You can stay here when you're on break instead of going there,

It would be better than paying the rent there when you don't stay there often."

Enitan was happy,

She'd thought of this before but she couldn't voice it out because it sounded somehow to her but now Mrs Okawe is offering,

She is more than happy.

"What do you think about it?" Mrs Okawe asked her,

She just stood up and hugged the woman,

"I take that as a yes." The woman whispered as she continued to pat her back.

Later on,

Enitan called Dayo and told him about Mrs Okawe wanting to see him,

He said he would come after work,

Enitan was surprised,

"You now work?" She asked him,

"Yes I do now,

Remember you said only when I become serious would I be your real friend,

So I started working so I would be your friend."

She chuckled,

"You amuse me a lot Dayo,

But it's an impressive start,

Congratulations."

She told him,

"Thanks,

You said tomorrow right?"

"Yes,tomorrow by one."

"Okay,I will be there."

They said other pleasantries and she hung up.

The next day,

Enitan sent Mrs Okawe's address to Dayo and in the next two hours,

He showed up at their door,

He was wearing a shirt that was nearly tucked into a black jean trouser,looking all responsible and smart.

"Oh Dayo,

Come in." She said to him,

She took the two bags he was holding and left him into the living room.

He has changed a lot in appearance unlike before,

His hair was nearly shaven and so was his beards,

He wasn't dressed in strippers jeans like before,

Now he looked more corporate and handsome.

"Good afternoon ma." He greeted Mrs Okawe who just came into the living room,

"Afternoon dear,

How're you?" She asked him as she sized him from up to down,

"I'm fine ma,

Hope you're doing well?" He asked,

She nodded and gestured him to sit down.

He took the bags from Enitan and handed it to Mrs Okawe,

"This is for the kids,

I'd to rushed out from work,so is little time to buy anything,

Just manage this ma."

Mrs Okawe took the bags from him,

Without opening it,

She smiled a thank you to him.

Mrs Okawe asked him questions about himself,his family and so many other things,

He told about his work in his father's filling station and how working there has made him become better,

Dayo answered like every other responsible guy would do,

Didn't talk out of line and made only good comments.

He ate lunch with Enitan and Mrs Okawe and even helped Enitan with the dishes,

Seeing him help Enitan,

Mrs Okawe was quite convinced that he's sincere and kind like Enitan told her.

He left quite early cause like he told them,

He'd to supervise the day's work and send report to the manager,

Then after that he would head home.

After he left,

Mrs Okawe brought out the bag Dayo gave to her,

Two big bowl of ice cream and several wraps of mince pies,

"Wow,

Thats so thoughtful of him.

Osayinde would love this,

That boy doesn’t joke with ice cream

She brought out one bowl and put some for Enitan,

Then some for herself,

She kept the other one for the kids.

With two mince pie each,

She and Enitan sat in the living room,eating and discussing till it was time for the kids to come back.

Dayo continued to take Enitan out and on each occasion,

He would buy gifts for Mrs Okawe's five children which Enitan sees as her siblings,

This went on and on till one day.

Enitan came back to her house to take a few things,

She was leaving when she saw Folake and two other girls,

The two girls she identified immediately as the girls that came with Dayo and his friend Josh to visit Folake.

"Enitan come here." Folake said to her as she headed for the gate,

She turned and looked at them,

Their facial looks told her something was really off but she didn't mind,

It has nothing to do with her.

She went to them,

"Enitan what did I tell you about Dayo?" Folake asked her,

Enitan just cringed her face at the unexpected question,

"And what's my concern with that?" She asked Folake,

The girls got angry at Enitan's questions and they stood up.

"Didn't I tell you Dayo is my boyfriend?

Didn't I?"

"Boyfriend snatcher!" One of the girls called Enitan,

“That’s how you’ll go around sleeping with people’s boyfriend,

Then you come here pretending to be Virgin Mary.” She spat with disgust,

Folake's words pierced Enitan's chest like a sword,

She wanted the ground to open and swallow her.

She sleeping with Dayo,

Why would Folake think of such?

"Folake you're getting it wrong,

Dayo is just my friend and nothing mo..."

"Yes we all know he's your friend,

After all that's what he said to us before f*****g us.

I pity you Enitan,

You think by sleeping with him you'll become rich overnight?

Sorry cause Dayo would just use you,tell his friends and he'll dump you.

See all of us,

Dayo has f****d us and he won't stop with you,

So stop deceiving yourself." Folake shouted at her.

Enitan was so embarrassed cause because of their shouting,

A few of the neighbors had come out and they were just watching,

She couldn't defend herself even though she did nothing and there was absolutely nothing going on between her and Dayo.

It was aunty Dorothy who finally came out and stopped the girls,

"Folake what’s wrong with you?" The lady asked Folake in anger and the girls stopped ranting,

“Why don’t you act like an adult you’re?

Just see how you’re disgracing yourself,spreading your dirty linen in public.

If the boy had f****d your life up,

Do you have to say it out?

Don’t you have any shame left in you?” The lady asked angrily,

Having enough of the girl’s ranting.

Folake didn't say anything to her,

She dare not mess with Dorothy cause the lady knew all her dirty secrets and won’t hesitate to spill them out if she proves her.

“The boy in question,Dayo or whatever his names I,

He has been here a few times and he comes to look for you and not Enitan.

I’d encounter him with Enitan once and if I could vividly remember,

She was asking him to leave her house,

So why are you turning the whole story upside down?” She asked Folake,

“You better be careful in what you’re saying if you don’t want me to start spilling your message now.” She warned her then turned to the crying Enitan.

"Enitan stop crying okay,

You should learn to fight for yourself in false accusations and not cry like a five year old.” She reprimanded,

“It’s okay,

Stop crying and go inside,

You shouldn’t pay heed to these waywards girls.”

Enitan dried her teary eyes and picked her bag then she left hurriedly while Dorothy went back into her house.

When she was leaving,

Folake's dad walked in,

Seeing the crowd,

He asked what happened and one of the neighbors Mama Rashida,

The gossip monger gave him full details and even added her own spice,

The man was so disappointed he slapped his daughter in front of everyone then he dismissed the other two girls.

He dragged Folake inside and gave her the beating of her life,

Telling her instead of her to be worried she failed woefully in her Jamb exam,

She's busy looking for man.

After the beating Folake didn't come out of the house for one week but that one week has caused a strain in Dayo and Enitan's friendship.

Enitan didn't tell Mrs Okawe of what happened but she ignored Dayo,

Didn't take his calls and didn't reply his texts and that got him worried.

So one day,

He left work early and came to Mrs Okawe's house since that was where she was leaving now.

He requested to see Enitan and Adesua ran to call Enitan,

Telling her someone was looking for her.

Enitan begrudgingly stood up from the bed and went outside to see who was calling her,

When she saw Dayo,

She sighed and went back inside.

"Enitan,

What happened?

You aren't picking my calls,

Please talk to me."

Dayo rushed and held her back,

She looked at him and said,

"Go and ask your girlfriend Folake." She took her hand from his and went inside the house,

Slamming the door hard.

Thereafter she told the children that if he ever comes here to look for her,

They should tell him she isn't around,

Everyone agreed except Osayinde,

How would he lie to the one person that always bought him ice cream?

He wouldn't.

Mrs Okawe was in her room when Dayo came,

She didn't come out cause she suspected something was wrong with Enitan,

So after the kids went to their rooms,

She called Enitan to hers.

There with tears in her eyes,

Enitan told her everything that happened between her and Folake with her friends,

The woman wasn't surprised but mad that Enitan would allow such incident disturb her peace.

She told Enitan that if she continue to be this way,

Then there was no how she would be able to face any challenge in life,

She made it clear to her that things like this happen and all you've told do is move on.

They went on and on till Enitan told her of what she’d resolved to do,

She said it was clear Dayo is a changed person and she'd done her work in his life,

She would stop seeing him and would stop talking to him.

Mrs Okawe didn't see that as a wise decision but since it was her choice,

She just had to respect it.