HALIM
Christmas Eve. The street decorations, especially the ones on Ajose Adeogun, arrest my attention. I peer outside from the backseat of a cab, taking in the sights like a little girl. Yemi gazes at me. He is tickled that Iโm carried away by mere Christmas lights. He teases me about it when we get home a while later and Iโm undressing in my bedroom. He also teases me about my addiction for baby food. In retaliation, I playfully call him out on his clumsy habit of not being able to pour anything without spilling it. But he has more jabs for me, and seeing that Iโm going to lose, I push him to the bed and tickle him. I found out just a few days ago that he is ticklish. Straddling him, I torture him with my fingers, marveling at how he responds like a little child, laughing in a manner that also leaves me in fits. And weirdly, Iโm turned on.
So, I stop and kiss him. His lips are soft between mine. The room is suddenly silent. All we hear are the wet smacking sounds we make as we caress each otherโs lips. This is a distraction we now both know how to do, having lost ourselves to endless kisses over the past couple of weeks.
But tonight, I want to know more than those lips. After unending days of hankering for more, I donโt think I can stand the torture anymore. But I donโt need to communicate this to Yemi, as he responds to my need by turning me around and pinning my body beneath his. I become feverish under his touch. He unlocks the doors of my arousal without much effort as his hands explore places on and in my body he has never touched before. When he takes my clothes off and I do the same to him, Iโm already soaking in hunger. I think heโs the most handsome man Iโve seen in the nude; and no, Iโm not referring to anywhere above his waistline.
โDo you want to do this, Halim?โ he asks. I donโt answer his question. He drags me away to his room where he straps on a condom.
โI donโt make love,โ he says to me bluntly. I laugh. Famous lines from Fifty Shades of Grey. Yemi doesnโt need to break it down, I understand what he means and Iโm ready for him. I learned long ago that the slow, gentle thing that lovers do with a song in the background has never been my cup of tea. And itโs ironic that Yemi who canโt go a minute without listening to music decides to shake my world in our first sexual encounter with only the background sounds of the street outside us, our combined moans and the whining bed beneath us.
He unleashes on me four years of stored heat in phases. In each phase, my heart sinks deeper into him. And when I think I have had enough pleasure and canโt take in any more, he touches a spot on my body and Iโm off again. Itโs not an all-night affair, but it lasts long enough to leave me spent like I have been drugged out. We donโt sleep in each otherโs arms afterwards. Yemi leaves me to do some work on his laptop the moment my eyes shut.
I wake up sore and slightly limping in the morning, much to his entertainment. But this doesnโt stop us from having a go at each other on one of the sofas in the living room. We cuddle this time, and fall asleep, waking up at noon, hungry and tired. Yemi orders lunch while I shower. He joins me in the shower. Nothing beyond kisses occurs because weโre out of condoms.
Christmas is spent with Yemiโs friends, at some resort in Epe. My memories of this holiday would be filled with images of beachfronts, arching palm trees, boat rides, parties under the December sky, steamy sex sessions with the sights and sounds of the ocean, and of course, me telling Yemi I love him when heโs deep inside of me and driving me insane.
โDid you mean it?โ he asks me just a couple of hours before we return to Lagos. Weโre sitting out on the balcony of our hotel suite. The beach stretches out in front of us and Yemiโs friends are at the shoreline, playing a game of volleyball.
โDid I mean what?โ
โYou said you loved me. You want to say it again or look for some reason like when Iโm banging your ass or something?โ
I giggle and swivel my head from left to right at the same time. I donโt want to say it again. It was uttered in the heat of the moment, and I think Yemi realizes this. He doesnโt ask me about it again. But when we get back home we both know that our relationship has unlocked another new level. It begins to occur to us how serious weโre getting. This causes a sort of break in communication, mostly on Yemiโs side. He hides away to his bedroom to finish up on some work. I remain in mine too. After a warm shower, I fall asleep.
ENIOLA
Drab Christmas. The worst ever. Lekan is not home. Kolapo, our younger brother, who somehow managed to come into this world while Mommy was in the throes of hating Daddy, is also not in town. Daddy is with his friends in Abuja and Iโm alone at home, my only companion being Mommy who is mad at me. And what are her reasons?
โYou went to Lagos to sell yourself cheap to that Nosakhare boy. This is not what we agreed that youโd go and do there. You went and lost focus. Shame on you, Eniola!โ
And I have been treated unkindly from that moment. Yet she calls me to oil and comb her hair, as if that is all Iโm good for.
She is silent at first, as I partition her thick, long, greying African roots to apply Shea butter to her scalp. I conclude that itโs going to be one of those silent sessions in which sheโll grunt all through. But she breaks into a long, sad sigh and starts to weep when I begin massaging her scalp.
I freeze. I have never seen her in tears before, apart from when Tope passed away. Before now, I always believed she was too much of a strong woman to cry.
โMommy?โ I remain standing, afraid to lower myself and look at her to see her weakness.
โYour father is leaving me,โ she cries. โHeโs divorcing me. After thirty-three years, iya mi. Heโs leaving your mother.โ
Her locks slip out of my hold as her head drops to the cradle of her palms. I sit on the bed beside her. I am stunned.
โWhy? What happened?โ
โHave you not seen the way he walks these days? His clothes? His liveliness?โ She gives her eyes a rub and wheezes at the same time. โHeโs always smiling at something only he knows about. Always with his phone! Heโs gone already, Eniola! Your father, theyโve taken him again!โ
She grabs a pillow and cries into it. Iโm looking at her, at her frailness and the brownish-grey in her hair. Iโm staring at how time has left its mark on her. I had always seen her as that woman who fought her way through life, whose stubbornness and anger made her everyoneโs enemy. I had thought there was a stony heart in there that couldnโt be smashed.
She takes out her inhaler from the pocket of her nightgown and holds it between her lips, pressing the nozzle a couple of times.
According to Kolapo, sheโs having more attacks than normal these days. We all know that the trigger is her emotional state, but no one has the guts to say that to her. I think in our own sick way, we donโt really care.
โI should have walked away when I was younger,โ she says huskily. โWhen I was still desirable. When you children were still babies. Now, that heโs leaving me, who will want me as I am?โ
She has stretches out her arms to look at herself. Her long nightgown which is reminiscent of something from a horror movie, like those ghosts that wear long robes haunting people, hides her frail figure but fails to conceal the wrinkles in her hands which I am just noticing. She has aged fast.
โThey will laugh at me. They will say, โTolulope, look at what youโve become, all because of a man!โ Ah! Dairo! God curse the day I met you! And God curse you too! Youโll never know peace! You will die a thousand deaths if you leave me! I gave you my virginity! I gave you my years! I gave you children! I stood by you when you were nothing! When you went mad like a man whom the gods had cursed! People said I should leave you then, that it was God punishing you for your sins! But I didnโt listen! I stayed by you and sweated to keep you alive! I fasted for months and my knees bruised because I knelt in prayer for you every night! I would have sold my soul for you, Dairo! Ah! You will never know peace! Your joy will be taken from you like the eagle snatches away the chick from its mother. You will see the evil day hovering over you but you will not be able to stop it! Ah! Dairo!โ
โMommy, itโs okay.โ I reach for her. โPlease, stopโฆโ
She shoves me away and glares at me like Iโm my father. โHow wonโt you tell me to stop?! Is he not your father?! You must support him in everything, whether bad or evil!โ
I exhale. I have no energy for her drama.
โYou better check your ways or you will end up being like him! A total failure!โ
I rise up, my pity for her disappearing fast. โMommy, Iโm going to bed.โ
โFinish combing my hair, my friend!โ she shouts.
I want to scream back and tell her all manner of things but Iโm afraid of the outcome. I pick the comb from the bed and begin the arduous job of stretching out her mane. When Iโm done, I leave her room drained. I return to mine in good time to find my phone ringing. Seeing Ebenโs name on the screen brightens my mood. I take his call.
โNini?โ
โHey.โ
โCan you step out of your house? Iโm outside.โ
โReally?โ My tummy whips in excitement.
โYeah. Iโm thinking I owe you a Christmas present.โ
โOkay.โ I giggle.
โWear something sexy. Weโre going to my place.โ
โAiit!โ
He hangs up. I quickly change into a dress that stops just after it covers my bum. I powder my face and apply some perfume. On a second thought, I pick one of my big handbags and toss in a few things for a sleepover. Itโs past 9 p.m. already.
I tiptoe out of the house, locking the front door with a spare key. I find Eben parked at the entrance to our street. I walk all the way and get into the car. The familiar scent of his signature perfume takes me to a place of pleasant memories.
โHey, sexy.โ He rests his hand on my exposed thigh and reaches for my lips. โHow are you?โ
Iโm smiling like a virgin bride. I donโt know how to contain myself whenever Iโm around this man.
โIโm good. You?โ
โNever been better.โ
But he doesnโt look so. I still see the sadness in his eyes he had carried around upon his return to Lagos after his trip to see his parents with Halim. Eben had withdrawn from me then, hiding himself in work, spending the nights in his office. When we drove down to Abeokuta for the holidays, he made it clear that we were to go on a break.
โWeโll resume after the holidays,โ he had assured. โI need to spend time with my family.โ
I knew he was hurting over Halim. I was told that she had brought her new boyfriend to visit her mom not long after the family meeting she had with the Nosakhares. A friend had seen her and the guy about town. It hurt me then to know that Eben was still pining after her, and even now, I can still sense some residue of feelings he continues to have for her. I also notice heโs tipsy.
โHave you been drinking?โ I ask.
โA little.โ
โYou donโt mind if I drive, do you?โ
He doesnโt complain. We switch places, and as I drive, his fingers work up the folds of my most sensitive spot. When we get to his house, I return the gesture by going down on him. Afterwards, we pop open bottles of wine. Eben is practically wasted but not so much that he canโt make love to me. And he does so twice before passing out.
I stay awake a little longer, and when the sun comes up, I find that Iโm alone in bed, or so I think, until Eben slips in beside me, taking my breast in his hand and pressing his erection on my bum.
โWould this be a nice way to say good morning?โ His breath leaves goosebumps on my neck. I purr in response. It doesnโt take long for him to slip on a condom and find his way inside me. We engage in this slow, silent undertaking in a spooning position that lasts quite a while. Later, weโre stretched out in bed and heโs handing me a Michael Kors wristwatch.
โMerry Christmas.โ
I kiss him.
โIโm heading back to Lagos today,โ he notifies me. โIt would be nice if you came along.โ
โI canโt. We have this family prayer and fasting thing on the 30th and 31st before the New Yearโฆโ
I pause, wondering how things will go this year with Daddy wanting to leave Mommy.
โWell, Iโll be in Lagos,โ Eben reiterates. โIn case you change your mind.โ
โI just might.โ
โDress up, let me take you home.โ
I put on the spare outfit I have come with it, which is more conservative than the dress I had on last night. Eben uses a different vehicle from the one he had come to pick me with. This one is an SUV with tinted windows. He had bought it for his sisters but their father stopped them from using it because he was scared it would chase potential bachelors away.
Eben and I leave the house and start a slow drive down the street on which he lives. The estate is called Laderin Estate. Halim and her mom stay here too.
โDo you mind if I make a quick stop?โ he requests, reaching to pick a gift bag from his backseat. He then steers the car onto the next street as I wonder what he has in the gift bag and who it is for. It isnโt until after we stop outside Aunty Adaโs home that I realize that the gift is for her. Or maybe for Halim.
I try not to be annoyed. Some things are not worth the stress.
HALIM
โIโll miss you.โ
Yemiโs lips are on mine. In the back of a keke, we sit, holding hands.
โItโs just three days,โ he laughs. โIโll be back to count down to the New Year with you.โ
โStill, Iโll miss you.โ
I get a soft caress of his lips on my forehead before he steps out of the keke.
โMy love to your family!โ I say, above the noise in the motor park as he walks away, strapping on his backpack.
โMake we dey go?โ The keke rider revs up his engine.
โYes.โ
He puts the tricycle in motion and starts toward the exit of the motor park. I give him directions to the HCT center. We journey there with my mind still on Yemi and how the house is going to suck without him. I am tempted to travel to Abeokuta to be with Aunty Ada until he returns.
โNa here?โ the keke rider asks, slowing down at the gate of the center.
โYes.โ
He stops. I pay him and make my way in, following the wide pathway that leads me to the lab. The lady at the front desk greets me with a full smile. On her head is a Christmas hat with twinkling lights.
โIโm here for my results,โ I inform her.
โYes. They have been ready since. Just go in and see the lab technician.โ
โThank you.โ
I take the corridor to the technicianโs office. When I walk in, Iโm surprised to find him waiting. I apologize for not knocking.
โOh, itโs fine. Please sit.โ
I take the chair offered, now used to this whole process.
โHalimnye Diobi,โ he says, pronouncing my name without error.
โYep. Thatโs me.โ
He looks at me for a bit, as if searching for something on my body. Heโs a tall man with a playful air. Working with children would suit him better.
โYour results are ready.โ
โOkay.โ
โThe whole thing took a while because we conducted a third generation test. Weโre thorough with our process.โ
โI understand.โ
โWell, I have good news for you.โ
โLet me guess, my CD4 count is high and my viral load is low.โ
He lets out a laugh. โEven better.โ
โOkay?โ
โHalimnyeโฆโ
โJust Halim.โ
โHalim, following the tests I conducted personally, I announceโฆor should I say, gladly declare to you that you are HIV negative.โ
My brows shoot up and then down, coming to a furrow. โWhat did you just say?โ
โI conducted the test twice, Halim. I am not known to make mistakes. I used different methods of testing and it gave the same result. I had the test done in another facility we usually work with, just to be sure, and they brought the result to me yesterday. All negative.โ
โI donโt understand.โ I stare at him in confusion. โSomething is wrong.โ
โUnless youโre in the window period and the timing you gave me the last time concerning when you were infected was a lie.โ
โI was infected almost seven months ago. I am sure of that.โ
โWell, then it means whoever conducted the test for you misdiagnosed you.โ
I go weak. I still canโt comprehend what heโs saying.
โYou said you ran your first HIV test at Ako Diagnostic?โ
โYes.โ
โThey are reputable.โ
โThe test was done twice. The first one and then one western-somethingโฆโ
โWestern Blot.โ
โYes. And twice they confirmed that I have HIV. Are you sure you did the test well?โ
โYes, Halim,โ he replies patiently. โBut what we can do is run another instant test right now so that you can be sure. Iโm sure of my results. This is for your benefit.โ
I stick out my arm and this gets him laughing. But Iโm not amused.
He stands up and goes to his apparatus table. โCome over.โ
I walk to the table and sit on a plastic chair he offers. I stick out my arm again, ready to go through the process once more, but he takes only a pin prick of blood from my middle finger and draws it in a tiny plastic tube. He then pulls out an instant HIV test kit from a drawer, opens it and proceeds to drop the blood sample on a test card.
โHow long does it take?โ
โFive to ten minutes.โ
I sit in silence, waiting, while he busies himself with something on his table. Ten minutes go by and I alert him. He walks back to the table and pushes the test card towards me.
โSee that line? It means itโs non-reactive. You are still HIV negative. Double lines would have indicated that youโre positive.โ
โThis still doesnโt make sense to me.โ
โI suggest you return to Ako Diagnostic and demand answers. Thereโs probably a mix-up somewhere.โ
I rise up. โThank you.โ
He hands me the envelope with my test result. I leave the place in a cloud of confusion. I go home only to pack a few things I might need for my trip to Abeokuta. I need to see Eniola so that she can clarify this mess.
***
The crow of a cockerel welcomes me when I show up at the doorstep of the Adeoyes. Itโs a quiet house in a large compound, surrounded by shrubs and flowers of different colors. Aunty Tolu has always been one to pride in the way she keeps her house. I once overheard her brag to a woman at church about how much time she takes to cultivate her plants and the care she also gives to the interior of her house. In her words, โif a woman fails at home, she has failed in life.โ
Aunty Ada would laugh her ass off at statements like that. She has always put down housewives, especially those whose husbands blatantly engage in extramarital affairs while they perform wifely duties. Aunty Tolu is one of such women. It is rumored that when I was a child, while we still lived in Lagos, Aunty Ada was having an affair with Uncle Dairo. I have questioned Aunty Ada about this, but she has denied the claims, and I believe her. After all, she has openly confessed to the other affairs sheโs had. Why lie about this?
But clearly, Aunty Tolu thinks otherwise. She hates Aunty Ada and has transferred that hate to me. I was unfortunate to tag along with Eben to this same house some months ago. Letโs just say that pit of snakes would have made me feel more at home.
This is why my heart thumps as my fist raps on the door. Iโm praying to God that itโs not her that steps out.
Fortunately for me, Eniola opens the door.
โHalim,โ she says, surprise in her tone. โWhat are you doing here?โ
โHi Eni. First of all, Merry Christmas.โ
โMerry Christmas, jare. Pardon my manners. So, whatโs up? To what do we owe this visit?โ
โCan you wear your slippers so that we can talk outside?โ
โOkay.โ
She retreats into the house and comes back wearing a pair of fancy flip-flops.
โLetโs stroll,โ she says, walking hurriedly away from the house. I know she doesnโt want her mom to know Iโm here.
We leave the house and begin a short stroll down her street.
โEni, I came because of the HIV tests you ran on me.โ
โOkay?โ
โI ran other tests in a HCT center in Lagos and they all came out negative.โ
Eniola stops. Her face is squeezed in a frown. โCome again.โ
โI am HIV negative.โ
โIโm confused.โ
โMe too. Thatโs why I came to ask if you ran the tests yourself.โ
โI did. I ran both tests.โ
โThen how come there are conflicting results?โ
โThatโs what is baffling me. Are you sure they did the test accurately there?โ
I take out the result sheet from my handbag and hand it to her. She goes through it. โThis seems legit.โ
โSo, what do you think the problem is?โ
โHalim, I have no idea. I am shocked as we speak. I have never misdiagnosed anyone, let alone a good friend. You and Eben are like family to me. Why would I play with such a thing?โ
โThatโs what I kept asking myself. Maybe you took our blood samples and kept them in the lab and someone mixed them?โ
Eniola goes into thought. โIt could beโฆโ
โBut how do we explain that happening twice?โ
โI donโt know, Halim. All I know is that I ran both tests and the results were the same.โ
I sigh. This is getting more confusing. I have traveled all the way, hoping that Eniola would have some answer for me but Iโm left more perplexed.
โIโll have to go back to the clinic and run one last one,โ I tell her.
โWhat clinic? Ako or the one in Lagos?โ
โAko.โ
โWhere I used to work?โ
โYes.โ
โEmโฆwhy donโt I join you? That way, Iโll try and figure out what happened, because this is really strange to me. Wait here.โ
She runs back to the house, and soon, I see a car driving out of their compound. It stops beside me.
โEnter,โ Eniola says. I take the passenger seat. We chat a little on our way to the hospital. She wants to hear about my new boyfriend. I tell her little about Yemi, not because I donโt trust her, but because Iโm still on nerves over the HIV thing.
We get to Ako Diagnostic Center and Clinic, and luckily for me, the owner of the place, Pastor Love, is at the reception. Sheโs the wife of our late Pastor who was a doctor and co-owner of the clinic. He passed away two years ago and she has been in charge of the place.
I rush into her arms to hug her. I havenโt seen her in ages.
โHalimnye!โ She looks at me with a loving smile. โYou have gone back to your old looks.โ
โYes, ma.โ
โHow is Lagos treating you, my dear?โ
โGood.โ
She turns her eyes on Eniola.
โThis my runaway staff sef. Na wa for you o. You donโt use to call people again as per sisi eko.โ
We all laugh. Pastor Love returns to me. โHow are you, Halim?โ
I catch the meaning in her question. โIโm good. Never felt better.โ
โGreat. So, why are you here?โ
โEmโฆfunny story. Maybe a miracle, I donโt know.โ I chuckle. I catch Eniola giving me a disapproving look but I donโt grasp it until I take my test results out of my handbag and show Pastor Love. Only then do I realize that I might be putting Eniola in trouble.
โIs this yours?โ Pastor Love asks, studying the contents of the paper.
โYes.โ
โYouโre non-reactive in all the tests done here,โ she says, eyes on the paper. โHIV negative?โ
I nod. She looks around. โWe canโt have this talk here. Follow me to my office and explain this confusion to me.โ
She leads the way as Eniola pulls me aside. โYou shouldnโt have told her.โ
โI wasnโt thinking. Iโm sorry.โ
Inside Pastor Loveโs office, I give details of the situation as the woman sits in rapt attention, staring at me, chin resting on her hand.
โThis is interesting.โ She faces Eniola. โEni, you conducted both tests?โ
Eniola nods.
โIs there any chance that you made a mistake?โ
โNoโฆ I donโt know.โ
โMaybe you switched blood samples?โ
Pastor Loveโs words set my heart racing. โSwitch blood samples? You mean, switch mine with Ebenโs?โ
โMaybe,โ she responds. โThat seems the only logical explanation. Eniola was one of our best here. She has never made that type of dangerous mistake before.โ
โNo. Eben is notโฆ Itโs not possible.โ
โEniola,โ Pastor Love calls again. โThink really well, my dear. Did you switch the samples?โ
Eniola looks on the verge of tears. Pastor Love glances my way. โHalim, excuse us for a bit.โ
I do as she orders. Outside the office, I pick a chair and sit in restlessness. The new twist to the story makes my chest hurt with as much pain it did when I was first diagnosed with HIV. Eben and I may not be together but he is someone that is still dear to my heart, and the fact that he didnโt throw me away when he discovered I was infected makes me respect him even more. If Eniola has made this terrible blunder of switching the blood samples, I will not forgive her. The first test might have been a mistake, but I donโt think the second was. Something doesnโt smell right here.
Pastor Love pokes out her head from her office. โHalim, come in.โ
I hurry into the office and halt in my steps when I see Eniola weeping.
โHalim, your friend has something she wants to tell you.โ
My racing heart slows at the sight of Eniolaโs tears, but it begins to race again when she opens her mouth and starts to utter words that cut right through me.
Hereโs what she reveals: She deliberately misdiagnosed me with HIV, switching my blood sample with someone elseโs that was infected.
โWhy?โ My voice cracks.
โI didnโt want you to marry Eben,โ she weeps. โI was in love with him.โ
My hands go weak and my handbag falls to the floor. โEni,โ I whisper. โYou gave me HIV because you wanted my man?โ
Eniola goes on her knees and starts to beg.
โIโm trying to understand this but I canโt.โ
โIโm sorry!โ
โYou gave me HIV and when I broke down from the news, you hugged me and patted my back and told me things would be fine?โ
โHalim, Iโm so sorry. I was desperate.โ
โAll to get a man who has no feelings for you? Eni, so youโre this heartless?โ
โApparently,โ Pastor Love mutters.
โIโฆ I donโt understand. What did I do to deserve this wickedness?โ
โIโm sorry, Halim. Iโm sorry. Pastor Love, help me beg her! Please, donโt tell Eben! Iโm sorry!โ
I am too shaken to speak further. I pick my handbag from the floor and turn around. She calls after me, as does Pastor Love, but I canโt hear a thing. Outside the office, Pastor Love charges in front of me and stops me.
โYouโre in shock, Halim. Youโre not thinking straight right now and I canโt let you go home to your mom like this. We canโt have Aunty Adaโs wrath on anyone right now. She will literally kill Eniola and every Adeoye that comes in her path. Iโll take you to my house and youโll stay there until I get you back to your functioning mind. Okay?โ
I nod several times like a robot whose battery is running out. Pastor Love has to put her finger beneath my chin to stop me. She dashes back to her office. When she returns, Eniola is with her, sobbing and seeking my forgiveness, but Iโm deaf to her cries. I follow Pastor Love to her car and together we leave to her house.
It takes almost an hour for the shock to leave me. But I continue to sit like a zombie, staring at the sparkling white walls in Pastor Loveโs living room. When Eben enters the house, I donโt acknowledge his presence. Pastor Love takes him to a corner and explains things to him in hushed tones. In his usual mode of reacting to any situation, he remains passive. All I can hear him say is โI understandโ and โthank you.โ He then comes over to where Iโm seated, pulls a side stool before me and grasps my hands.
โI am so sorry, Hali. I was on my way to Lagos when Pastor Love called. I had to turn back and come here and hear thisโฆโ He shakes his head. โI am so sorry for all you went through. So, so sorry. I canโt believe Eni would do a thing like that. Iโm justโฆ I donโt have words.โ
โAll because of you.โ
โAnd that scares the hell out of me.โ
He goes quiet for a spell, head bowed, releasing heavy sighs.
โEben, did you cheat on me with her?โ
โGod, no.โ He raises his head. โNot even with a casual glance.โ
โHow about now? Are you dating her?โ
I see regret in his eyes. โJust sex.โ
โSo it worked. Her plans worked.โ
I donโt know why this makes me sad, but this is where I start to cry. Eben takes the space beside me and enfolds me in his arms.
โEverythingโs going to be fine, Hali,โ he assures me, rocking me.
I should believe him. I shouldnโt let this get to me. Being diagnosed wrongly is a blessing in the end. It has led me to Yemi and helped me find myself, saving me from a marriage to Eben that would probably have ended badly.
But getting an accurate diagnosis is also a blessing. It should make me happy, however it doesnโt. Instead, I feel sad and afraid. I fear that something worse may come. Is there a way I can go back to being HIV positive again?
ยฉSally@moskedapages
Ds is deep….things we do for love, no one can imagine it
I knew Eni was behind all the fake results,only pastor love could have made her confess considering how devious she is. Awww ,so pastor ….*(iv forgotten his name )is dead **sobs**.Anyways,thank u so much Sally for this beautiful episode.waiting for so many things to unfold cuz it seems the real story is about to begin.
It’s her late husband that is been referred to here. Pst. Ako, the gay one o. This story is dating back to when she was still in Abdokuta before she married Papa’s Son.
I knew Eni was behind all the fake results,only pastor love could have made her confess considering how devious she is . Anyways,thank u so much Sally for this beautiful episode.waiting for so many things to unfold cuz it seems the real story is about to begin.
Finally, the truth is out. I know this is just the beginning. What will now happen to Yemi and Halim? But most importantly, I am happy Eni’s true personality has been revealed and I know she won’t relent in her wicked ways.
Sally Dearest, thanks for this early morning breakfast, it indeed made my day.
Have a wonderful weekend
It’s true that crazy tinz can be done for a man u’re infatuated with. I really pity eniola because i feel she’s a victim of circumstances. I hope with this she’ll realise all her efforts were in vain and find herself. Halim and yemi….hmmmmm. eben should please take several seats(am not a fan of his).
Finally, the truth about Halim’s status is out and Eniola’s wicked ways. Waiting to see how things unfold from here.
Thanks Sally for this beautiful story. How do you do it? I was happy to see Pastor Love again.
Drama! I just knew that Eniola gave her HIV. This struggle for man is real…
Biko let me sit down here with my popcorn and soda while I wait for the next episode.
I’ve looked forward to this day since the beginning. I wish she had conducted a third test somewhere else. I really wanted her to end up with Eben. But its all good, when there’s life,there’s hope. Thanks Sally, God bless you.
This is so deep! First, I’m so glad for Halim, that she’s negative. But I hope she continues what she has with Yemi; they seem to be truly happy with each other.
Eni is much more evil than I thought. And to think I started feeling pity for her. Babe can kill o. I hope Eben frees himself from her shackles. She needs to be cleared of her obsession real quick.
Great episode Sally!
that’s too bad Eni, poor Hali, poor Eben
This episode is nice,d only person going to suffer is eben. He might be tinking he has a chance now,I feel deir is something deep going btw yemi and halim. Wld love eben and halim combo but it all depends on sally great mind.
I couldn’t have been happier, that the truth about Halim hiv status is revealed. I knew that eni was all shades of evil. Poor her though, with a mother like that it’s to be expected.
So happy for Halim though, seeing that I have the hots for bad guys I want Eben with Halim.
Thanks Sally u just made my weekend . Love u boo
Uhmmmmm
And now my suspicions came true.
In this line of work,I fear for those diagnosed positive more. Needless to say when a patient is positive, I run the tests repeatedly if need be,I call the patient for a fresh sample before releasing the result…
The way this story unfolds is giving me some jitters I can’t explain
Sally the great weaver,I love you more and thank you for always delivering beyond expectations.
More ink and abundant inspiration to your mind.
Thank you Sally๐. Eniola is a terrible person. But what will happen with Halim and Yemi now?
The lengths to which people go to secure so-called love, quite amazing! Eniola acted like a true friend right until the final moments when Pastor Love broke her down. That’s the real Snake In the Monkey Shadow! LOL.
I knew it!
I have always had this strong belief that Halim isn’t HIV positive and it must have been the work of Eniola.
I’m so overwhelmed.
Yipee!
Thanks Sally. Now my weekend is awesome.
The heart of man is deceitful above all…Jeremiah 17:9.
The story has just began….
Thanks Sally, spellbinding as usual. God bless you.
Awww, I am sad!!
so happy that Halim isn’t Hiv positive…thank God they saw pastor Love, I wonder the stunt Eniola w
now the coast seems clear for my no1 sharp guy,,forget that he atimes acts dumb…. Eben n Halimnye…..for ye all who keeps yearning for Oga Yemi n Halimnye pls pack well… the virus to some extent bind them or so I think… hence the I love you Halimnye says only when she’s receiving anointing…. Yes Yemi s a cool guy,,,I erm like him n perhaps pity him for what he’s gone through.. he will surely travel n move on with his life… as always n leave Halimnye….for my Eben…. as for aunty Eni kontinnnnuuuuuu with your ways…..Thanks Mama Kayla…Godbless โ
I’m very sad. What will happen to Halim and Yemi Now? I feel just the same way she does like something big is coming and I don’t know what it is.
Thank you Sally for another amazing episode.
I’m afraid for Yemi, the relationship with Halim is no longer balanced. I am afraid it was the HIV that kept them together. Eni is definitely gonna get what is coming, she just start.
I knew it, I smelt the rat (Eniola) from the start. Anyways, I trust Halim to stand by Yemi except if he’s petty to stay with Halim. Madam Sally ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐
Wow! Obsession can be really bad. Itโs not like Nini is not more than the average beautiful girl (as described by Sally) plus she even had a marriage proposal prior her schemes to get Eben. Now sheโll end up losing everything, giving Eben then perfect way out.
I feel Halim will be torn between staying with Yemi(seeing as the possibility of getting infected will always be on her mind when they make love err…have sex) and moving on; not necessarily moving on to Eben if you ask me.
Yay pastor Love… she is the only person Eniola obviously canโt lie to… baddieBae
Thanks Sister Sally, mwah!
I said it, I freaking saidddddddddd it. I had a gut feeling she was not HIV positive. Yaaaaassssssss. My psychic skill is badddddd ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ
I just realized that this story was connected to in the name of papa. So interesting
It’s not like Halim is a saint o, she slept with that Paul guy too. Anyway I like her and Temi together, I hope she does not break his heart. As twisted as Eniola is I like her. Thank you Sally for this episode
I just knew that Eniola girl was devilish ๐ Iโm so happy the truth is finally unfolding ๐God bless you Aunt Sally ๐๐
Finally, the truth is out. It always seemed that Eni would do that because she wanted to have Eben. Amazingly, it led to a chain of other happenings. Halim got to embark on a journey of self-discovery and landed at Yemi’s. Whether that was because of the HIV bond remains to be seen.
Viewing Eni with another lens, she’s been twisted from childhood. That explains why she would go to any extent to get whatever she wants. Not a defence for her unprofessional act that robbed Halim for her life though. I’m just pointing out what many of us know about growing up in different circumstances and conditions.
That drama between Eniola and her mom though. The woman na something else.
There should be a professional punishment for Eniola for intentionally giving Halim a wrong result. If the poor girl is one of those who lose hope and just commit suicide nko?
Thank you Sally. This series brings different issues to the fore. Can’t wait to read the next
Eniola is definitely more disturbed than I thought. She needs therapy.
Yaay! My name and surname has entered character๐ Beautiful piece as usual. But please, whatever happens, Yemi shouldn’t be HIV negative too. (Something nollywood would do). Happy for Halim tho. Things jealous/envy will/can cause๐!
This is where the main story started.
Eniola should get a help cos she needs it. I just hope everybody will not run away from her.
Eben needs to be alone for the time being.
Sally I’m sure you’ve heard of “Magnetic couples”, HIV is not the end of the world. We need to stop discrimination and stigmatization.
Halima and Yemi can still happen, but everything is on you.
Weldone Sally, you’re the best.
Lemme wait and enjoy.
Great job Sally! but pls Yemi should not die yet cos I sense he might not return from this his journey
You read my mind about Yemi. Then Paul turns up alive and happens to be Yemis cousin…Sally is bad like that!