Away With The Wind

CHAPTER TWO

Emeka sprung up from the bed, he was not one to wake up early. The baby’s wailing intruded into his dreams; it would be death not to wake up. Emeka pressed his hands to his ears and picked her up. His friends were up already, they looked at him with pity. Emeka had a thing for sleeping well; anyone who tried to wake him up will face his full-grown wrath. The same Emeka was rocking a baby in his hands at five AM in the morning.

Emeka paced back and forth, glancing through the baby stuffs and wondering which will go first. He yawned, he knew he needed his sleep but the baby’s need came before his. Bathing should be the first thing he should do; he pressed his lips together in a grim line. He got fed up; his friends were still gawking at him without attempting to help. The baby wailed again and he felt the cells in his head dying. Emeka suddenly felt rage raw, rage that made his body itch like there were a thousand and one rashes spread over the surface.

“What are you guys gawking at, huh?” Emeka spat in irritation, one hand held akimbo. Daniel and Allan kept gawking, the rash spreading still all over Emeka’s body, he felt like shouting at them and hitting them but he knew better; he knew they were not worth it. Allan cleared his throat and made to speak.

“If what you are going to say will not help solve matters, just save it,” Emeka scowled, his right hand directing Allan to stop talking.

“Emeka I…” Allan muttered, trying to speak.

“For the last time if what you’re going to say will not help matters, save it. Allan snorted, irritation evident in his features,

“Why don’t you hear me out?” Emeka glared at him like he would do anything to rip his head off,

“You… Say something meaningful, God would have surely sent his angels down to perform some kind of surgery on you”

“This is it… I am going out. Whenever you are ready to hear me out, I will tell you the things you should do and how to do it.” Allan grimaced, walking out the door and slamming it behind him.

Daniel glared at Emeka, disappointment in his eyes, he ran after Allan not before giving Emeka the middle finger. Emeka mentally slapped himself; he didn’t understand why he acted that way. His friends were probably mesmerized by the new him; the new him that woke up at Five AM, the new him that missed his morning jog. “But they could at least have helped me, he muttered under his breath, Ugh… Just shut up” he berated himself. Daniel returned with Allan who gave Emeka the stink eye from the door way. “Allan I am...”

“Save it, Allan scowled at him, Daniel made me come back” Allan took the child from Emeka, gently rocking her till she fell asleep.

“Wow! You have magic hands” Emeka teased. Allan ignored him, sauntering towards the kitchen, Emeka and Daniel followed wherever he went like a goat and its horns.

“Bring the milk,” Allan gave a pointed look to where the baby things were kept.

“Here, Daniel muttered softly, stretching it out to Allan. “ Don’t make the milk too warm, just tepid.” He mused, Emeka watched his friends do things for the baby and telling him what to do. He had not informed them he wanted to drop the baby at his mother’s place; they would probably skin him alive. Emeka spoke up, ignoring his thoughts.

“Guys… I am taking her to my mom’s place” Allan stopped in the act of making the baby’s food and stared at him.

“Huh?” Emeka shrugged, his eyes crinkling in excitement. “To think I was actually thinking of getting a nanny for her,” Daniel scoffed at him, walking out of the kitchen. Emeka glanced at Allan for help. “He will get over it…Why do you want to drop her at your mother’s place? Won’t it be like you’re disturbing her? Are you sure you want her to know?” Allan gabbled on. “It will be inconvenient for you guys…"

Allan raised an eyebrow, “Are you being serious here… Inconvenient?” Emeka frowned slightly.

“My mom isn’t like that?” Allan rolled his eyes,

“Here we go again… My mom this, my mom that.

“I am serious…She would not act like that.” Allan held his hands up in mock surrender. “Alright…Alright” Allan snorted, smirking at Emeka.

“Allan!” Emeka gave him the stink eye, Allan wriggled his eyebrows knowingly. “What?

Emeka glared at Allan. Allan called Emeka “mommy’s boy” sometime ago; he had stopped it when Emeka fought him over it. He didn’t need to say it before Emeka gets a whiff of what he wanted to say. “Don’t you say that” Allan looked at him, an innocent look on his face, “Mommy’s boy?” Emeka walked out of the kitchen fuming, he liked the way his mother dotted over him but he didn’t like the fact that he relied on her for everything.

He wasn’t hurt because he got his mother’s affection; he was hurt because it was true that he relied on her.

“Emeka come see the baby!” Emeka ran to the kitchen, almost stumbling. “What… What is it?” Allan guffawed at the look on his Emeka’s face. “You should have seen your face” he said amidst fits of laughter. Emeka glared at him, he was not even in his right mind when he ran to the kitchen; his mind screamed “the baby”.

“What was that?” Daniel spoke up from the door way, rubbing his eyes. Allan and Emeka laughed at Daniel earning a glare from the still Daniel.

“When are you going?” Allan muttered; his laughter dissipated. “Today”

“Today?” Allan’s eyes widened “And why are you still here, go prepare, I will clean her up. Allan shoved Emeka out of the kitchen and waltzed into bathroom. Emeka smiled absentmindedly, he suddenly wished he was not handing her over. Emeka wished he could reach out to Rachael; she left him so there certainly was no reason for him to go searching for her. She would probably behave as though she has not met him once. Emeka sighed and held his head willing the thoughts to go away.