It’s been a while, fam. It feels good to be back. Enjoy this episode, and please, drop a comment. I always appreciate it.
Previously on The Scratch On Your ShoulderâŚ
- Cheta and Nero decided to fully go into the dating thing, and so far, it has been great.
- Ozzy showed up from nowhere, as usual, but he gave Gold and Ransome a shocker when he revealed that he was epileptic, due to a traumatic brain injury he suffered while in jail. He still wants his revenge on Hadiza. First, he asks Ransome for some money for business.
- Mazino and Hadiza went down memory lane, as things began to ease up between them, thanks to Baby Muhammed. They were all getting set to leave for Dubai for Muhammedâs treatment.
- Joy paid Nero an unannounced visit, seeking his help. Turned out she was a drug addict the whole time. Nero wasnât having all that drama. When he offered to take her to her sisterâs, she disappeared.
- Julius was still in Lagos, last we checked. He was worried about Beni and what she was doing with Cheta. He even had the guts to call Hadiza about it. Well, you trust Hadiza and her ways.
- Meanwhile, Hadiza called Cheta and revealed her grand plan for Julius. She wants Cheta to do a âSurviving Juliusâ documentary. Cheta is torn.
- Basim and Gold hooked up at Neroâs, and Basim made it clear that he wanted Gold back.
- Hadiza offered to give Gold a better life outside Nigeria if Gold walked away from Basimâs life. She gave her till mid-January to make up her mind.
- Gold was considering the offer, and she had plans to get knocked up by Basim since they didnât use protection during their thing at Neroâs.
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âAre you here with me?â
Ozzy stared past his friend to the lifeless clock on the wall behind him. The time was stuck on three minutes past three. It was only eight in the morning.
âAre you listening to me?â Ozzy took his eyes off the clock to focus on his friendâs stethoscope. He remembered how he had dreamt of becoming a doctor. But his mother told him he was too much of the devilâs child to heal anyone. She believed he would kill them if he tried. Armed robbery would be better for him, she held. At fourteen, she was already tired of him and was ready to abandon him at some evil forest somewhere.
âOswald Arran!â
Oswald found his friendâs eyes.
âFor a second, I thought I lost you there.â
âHow bad is it?â Ozzy asked.
âDo you want me to tell you the truth as your doctor or as your friend?â
To Ozzy, he was neither. Being here with him and having been treated by him for an entire week only happened because of fate. He had gotten a seizure one random evening and one of his neighbors was kind enough to rush him to the closest hospital. Once the doctors realized they couldnât handle his condition, they referred him to another hospital that had a neurosurgeon, who turned out to be his childhood friend. Ozzy hadnât seen the guy in two decades and wouldnât have cared much for him if he hadnât saved his life. There had to be a law that allowed for the erasure of years of friendship after a long passage of time, especially if the other party was doing well and went from looking like a toad to a Nigerian version of Doctor McDreamy. Ozzy wondered if his female patients feigned brain injuries just to come and see him.
âKuti, I dey hear you.â
âSo, based on what you just told meâyour history, I meanâI think youâre playing with your life.â
âAre you saying Iâm going to die? They told me I could live with fucking this thing.â
âWell, this fucking thing gave you back-to-back seizures for two days. I almost opened your head to fix you up. Why on earth would go off your meds?â
âEver heard the word âbrokeâ before? Those drugs arenât exactly five naira.â
âBut itâs your life.â
Ozzy was soon going to get tired of this conversation. He needed Kuti to discharge him, so that he could sort out a couple of important things. The first was his accommodation. The second was a woman he had worked hard to get. She had just texted him good news.
âStatus epilepticus is serious, Ozzy. Do you even know what it means?â
âFor fuckâs sake, Kuti.â
âNo, I need to break it down to you, so that you know how close to death you were. Status epilepticus is a prolonged seizure. Most seizures will stop on their own, but this one is multiple seizures, back-to-back, without full recovery of consciousness in-between. Itâs continuous abnormal brain activity with many brain cells firing at the same time. That was what you went throughâŚâ
âI know.â
âYou didnât have brain damage, but there is a risk.â
âI know. Now, can you just discharge me and let me get out of here?â
âFine.â Kuti sighed, pressing his lips. âThe billâŚ?â
âMy ex is on her way. I already told you sheâd handle everything.â
âCan she get you the drugs too?â
âYeah.â
âGood. She also needs to keep an eye on you. And I donât mean call you up or send you a text or something. At least, for a month, she needs to be around you, to watch you.â
Ozzy mused at the thought of Gold watching him. She hated his guts, at this point. She already made it clear that he was a burden on her the last time they spoke. This was because his landlady, having evicted him under the claims that he was demon-possessed, almost threw Gold out of her house when she went to beg on his behalf. Gold was then left with the stress of being responsible for his belongings while trying to raise funds for his hospital bill.
âCan you let her know how serious my condition is when she comes?â Ozzy requested of Kuti.
âI will.â
âNo, I mean, like serious, serious. She should feel like itâs a matter of life and death.â
Smiling naughtily, Kuti leaned on his table. âYou wan use sickness knack your ex, ehn? Bad guy!â
Again, Ozzy wondered why this person felt the need to be friendly with him. He smiled back, though, maintaining his âbad guyâ facade.
âIâll let her know, playaâ,â Kuti said. âItâs not a problem.â
Ozzy stood. He stayed still a few seconds to let the brief wave of motion headache he felt to pass. âThanks, man.â He shook hands with Kuti. âI suppose buy you drinks one of these days.â
âYou suppose.â Kuti nodded. âBefore then, do me a favor and take your meds. If not for yourself, for Momsi.â
Ozzyâs face went cold.
âIâll come in and check on you one last time before you leave.â
âCool. Oh, and⌠Momsiâs dead, by the way,â Ozzy said, walking out of Kutiâs office.
***
Gold bowed her head, releasing her breath, having held it in for long. She braced herself for Chetaâs full anger, but Cheta walked past her from her bedroom and went downstairs to the kitchen. Gold followed her.
âCheta,â she called.
âYes, my very dumb friend,â Cheta answered, reaching for her French Press coffeemaker.
âDid you just hear all I told you about Ozzy?â
âYes, I did, which was why I asked if you were mad.â Cheta poured the coffee she already made into a thermal cup. âBecause if you were sane, you wouldnât have asked me to let Ozzy come and stay with me.â She looked at Gold. âIn my house.â
âHeâs not staying with you. Heâs staying with me.â
âIn my house,â Cheta repeated.
Gold released a sigh and leaned on the kitchen counter. The strong aroma of coffee was getting to her, and she longed for some fresh air. No one told her morning sickness would hit this hard.
Yesterday, she confirmed her suspicions of being pregnant after running a test and a scan at a clinic nearby. First, it had occurred to her, before visiting the clinic, that the last time she had her period was on the last week of November. It had bothered her a little when it hadnât shown up in December, but she concluded that the stress from her breakup with Basim made her body act up. Not for a second did it click that she might be pregnant. She didnât even recall that she hadnât taken a pill after their first unprotected sex.
Of course, she had dabbled with thoughts of getting pregnant for Basim the last time they had sex, but she hadnât taken herself seriously. By then, she was already pregnant and she had no idea.
âCan I just explain Ozzyâs situation one more time?â she asked Cheta. âMaybe you didnât hear me well the first time.â
âGoldie, I heard you the first timeâŚâ
âLet me justâŚâ she sighed. âIâm all heâs gotâŚâ
Cheta took out some cake from the fridge. âTalk o.â
âLike I told you, Rans and I found out that he was epileptic that night Rans and I met up with him for drinks. The thing scared the hell out of me, walking into that lounge and seeing him on the floor like that, jerking andâŚâ
âYou didnât exactly tell me this part.â
âI did, but I think you spaced out while I was talking.â
âYeah, I did. I heard the maggotâs name and I switched off.â
âWell, that was what happened to him. He recovered and acted like it was nothing, but I could tell that he was disoriented. I was scared for him, Cheta. So, I kept up with him after that, just to know if he was okay. On one of those days, he told me that he had another seizure and it was becoming a thing. He sounded frustrated, saying it was messing his life up. Then, last week, I got a call from his doctor friend at Glade Hospital in Gbagada, and he told me to come over, that Ozzy had been admittedâŚâ
âAnd you went there, and the doctor informed you that they feared his condition would get worse if he didnât get back on medication. You were shocked that Ozzy was off his medication in the first place. When you asked him why, he said he was broke and couldnât afford the drugs, because they were expensive. Afterwards, you went to see his landlady whom you heard had thrown his things out, because she believes he is demon-possessed. She wasnât even his landlady, in the first place, as she had leased his house to a friend who is now out of the country. Hence, Ozzy has no place to stay. Of course, you asked Ransome if he could bunk with him, and Ransome said no. Then, you carried yourself and came here to ask me if he could stay with us.â
âPhew! You heard all that part.â
Cheta placed a piece of cake, wrapped in foil paper, into her handbag. âMy answer is still no. And my point is that itâs very dumb of you to think you have to be responsible for Ozzy. Heâs a grown ass man.â
âHe is sick.â
âWhatever.â
âAnyways, Rans sent me money to get him a place.â
âThen, go and get him the place.â
âIâm on it, but you know how hard it is to get a good apartment around here.â
âAround here?â
âThe doctor says I have to keep an eye on him nau. Look, accommodation wonât be a problem soon. Itâs not even a problem. His health is. He needs me, ChetaâŚâ
Cheta picked her handbag. âStill, no.â
Goldâs eyes dipped with tears.
âDonât do the tears, Goldie. You know thatâs my weakness.â
âIâm sorry.â
She wasnât trying to emotionally blackmail Cheta. The last thing she wanted was to make her friend uncomfortable. They had been in a good place since she moved back in from Ransomeâs house. Staying with Ransome had felt like living in a five-star hotel, but being with Cheta was more like home. The best part was that Naza, Kamharida, and Uncle Before-Before were gone. Things were now the way they used to be between both friends, even though Gold hardly saw Cheta these days. Cheta was always at her studio or on some set, shooting something.
Gold, on the other hand, still sold her baked goods on a small scale. She had Hadizaâs offer hanging over her head. She did not plan to rely on the womanâs deviousness, although she still wanted her money. The initial plan was to get pregnant and leave for some other country without letting Basim know. Now that she discovered she was truly pregnant, she wasnât sure anymore.
âBabe, I have to go,â Cheta said to her. âI have a meeting, and Iâm running late.â
Gold put on a smile. âYou look good, by the way,â she complimented.
âAww, thank you.â
Cheta made her way out of the house, with Gold following her. The moment they stepped outside, Cheta stopped moving. Ozzy was seated on the steps, head leaning on the wall. He looked as fragile as Gold had left him in the cab that brought them.
âOzzy?â Cheta called. He looked at her and mumbled something. She glared at Gold.
âOzzy, what happened with the cab nau?â Gold asked.
âHe left,â Ozzy answered, words coming out with difficulty. âHe-had-to-pick-some-one. Heâll-call-you.â
Gold gave Cheta an apologetic grin.
âOzzy, sorry about your health,â Cheta said. She drew Gold into the house. âI didnât know it was this bad.â
âHeâs not himself. Iâve never seen him like this. He canât even walk for a whole minute.â
âFine. He stays, but only for a week. Hurry and get him that apartment.â
Gold hugged her tightly. âThank you.â
âLet him take the room here. Heâs not allowed upstairs, and he doesnât touch anything in the house.â
âSure. Thank you.â
Cheta gave her a probing stare. âYouâre not still stuck on this idiot, are you?â
âNo.â
âAnd if Basim finds out?â
âHe wonât. Please, donât tell Nero.â
âIâll try.â
âBy the way, I have something to tell you.â
Cheta looked at her watch. âCan it wait? Iâm late for that meeting. Weâll talk when I get back.â
âOkay.â
Cheta hurried out of the house.
***
âYou did the right thing.â
Cheta stared into the rearview mirror and caught Lajaâs face. She caught his form too. He looked the same way he did when she last saw him on his hospital bed.
âHaba, Laja. You too?â
He laughed. âItâs called emotional blackmail. Thought I should rub it in.â
âI already said yes na.â
âBut youâre not sure he deserves your kindness.â
âHe doesnât.â
âButâŚ?â
âI donât want to lose another friend.â
When Cheta looked into the mirror again, she saw that Laja had gone back to his chubby self.
âYou know this is beyond just Ozzy. Iâm still dealing with Nero and his ex. Now, I have to deal with this too?â
âThe Joy girl bothers you, obviously. Why did you tell Nero she didnât?â
âLetâs not get into that.â
âYou brought it up.â
âAll Iâm saying is that everyone wants me to be benevolent. Itâs too much for me to handle.â
âWell, Hadiza doesnât want you to be benevolent. She wants violence.â
Cheta laughed. âDonât even get me started on Hadiza.â
âJust reminding you. Why havenât you given her an answer?â
âBecause my answer comes with me making a decision, no?â
âAnd youâre not ready?â
âNo.â Cheta kept her concentration on the road. âBut do you think Ozzy will get better?â
âThat bastard has nine lives. Heâll survive.â
âAbout the Hadiza thing…â
âMaybe you should talk to Nero about it?â
âNo.â
âYour mom?â
âNo.â
âTalk to someone, Cheta.â
âBut do you think I should do it?â
âItâs totally up to you, baby girl.â
âYouâre not helping.â
âIâm not supposed to help.â
âFuck off.â
âWith all pleasure.â
He vanished from the car. She exhaled. âI was only joking. Come back, Large.â
She saw less of him these days. He was beginning to fade away from her conscious thoughts.
âI miss you.â
The silence from him brought tears to her eyes.
âIâm selling off your buildings today and getting very rich from it. Iâll retain some shares, but majorly, Iâm cashing out from your buildings. I feel like an ass for it. Everyone, including your family members, says itâs okay, but I feel like Iâm betraying you. I know weâve talked about this before, but please, say something, Large. Show me a sign that youâre with me on this.â
The silence continued. Cheta wiped her eyes and kept on the road until she arrived at Laja Towers.
***
The first thing Nero wanted to do when his plane touched down in Lagos from Abuja was to go to Laja Towers. This morning, he canceled his trip to Lagos, but it hadnât been deliberate. This was Joyâs doing. He was presently hooked to her and her problems. From the moment he made the decision three weeks ago to ensure that she got into a treatment plan that would free her from her drug addiction, he knew he was diving deep into troubled waters. First, he had visited her sister who revealed that Joyâs dependence on amphetamines had progressed to crack cocaine and then to meth. Â
The amphetamines, he knew. But crack? Meth?
âHow did she get hooked on meth?â The news left him stunned. âDo we even have it in Nigeria?â
âClearly, youâve not been keeping up with the news. NDLEA has been raiding meth labs in Lagos for the past few years. Somebody went and brought in some demonic Mexicans and theyâre doing Breaking Bad in our backyard.â
âHow did Joy get into meth?â he asked, distressed.
âAre you asking me?â her sister retorted. âJoy cut everyone in our family off, especially me. She got fired at her job because she couldnât keep up.â
âShe got fired? She told me she quit.â
âNo, they fired her. She became incompetent. Sometimes, she didnât even show up at work. When she lost the job and didnât have money anymore, she started borrowing here and there. By then, her rent had expired and her landlord was threatening to throw her out. She went behind my back to my husband to ask for money, but he told me, and I confronted her over it. Nero, Joy told me to go fuck myself. Yes, in those same exact words.â
âI wish you had called me, Patience.â
âSo that youâd do what, Nero? She is beyond redemptionâŚâ
âDonât say that.â
Patience laughed. âClearly, you donât know how this addiction thing works.â
Nero knew quite well what addiction could do. He had been there with Joy before. It broke his heart that she was back in that hole again.
âShe sold off her car and went to live with a friend.â
âSo, her house didnât burn down?â
Patience hissed. âShe told you that nonsense story? Thatâs what she was telling people up and down and they were giving her money.â
âI gave her a car and two million naira.â
âYou shouldnât have. You were simply aiding her addiction. Do you know how much meth costs? A gram is about 100k, if not more than. And do you know what a gram looks like?â
âHalf a teaspoon,â Nero answered.
âGood. Crack is cheaper.â Patience held up the upper part of her pinky. âA rock of it, as small as this, is ten thousand naira. Go and see how both drugs are finishing people in Lekki. That is what our Joy is doing. Me, Iâve left her to God. If she wants to kill herself, let her do so. Weâll jam in heavenâor hell.â
Nero was distraught. He remembered the first time Joy opened up to him about her addiction to Adderall and Dexedrine. She told him it began when she struggled with her studies in the university. As a chemical engineering student, it had been hard to keep up with her mates in school. Harder for her was the fact that she came from a family of brilliant minds. Her siblings had arranged for her to study abroad, and she was expected to return home with great grades, even though they knew she wasnât particularly interested in being a chemical engineer. Her dream of becoming a fashion designer was set aside to please her family. When the academic pressure became too much to handle, she looked to a friend who introduced her to Adderall to help her stay focused and alert. She went from taking a pill or two to popping them regularly. She admitted to Nero that the drugs helped with her studies, which she aced in the end; but by then she was already hooked.
He met her at the height of that addiction, unknown to him. She seemed so much fun to be with, as she never appeared to run out of energy. The sex was amazing too, and he soon found himself falling fast. In a short while, he became obsessed with her, never truly knowing who the real Joy was. Hence, when she began to crash and her personality started to unravel, he saw the ugly side of herâa side that Hadiza had seen long before he did. But it didnât diminish what he felt for her. Instead, he plunged himself into her life and vowed to do all he could to help her get better. From the beginning, he believed that her drug dependence was an illness she couldnât fight alone. She needed people. She needed him. He was the first person to successfully get her into rehab. Her siblings had tried in the past, but they had failed. It didnât discourage him when she relapsed a year after her first treatment. He was there for her again and a third time, even when they were apart and he got married to someone else.
Joy seemed fine for a while, but there came the depression, the long spells of silence when she didnât want to have anything to do with him, the repeated breakups and reconciliations. Slowly, his heart began to take a beating from her emotional abuse. But he had been too addicted to pull out. Each time he tried, she drew him back in, and this would have gone on, had they not lost their baby and she decided to disappear againâhad Cheta not reappeared in his life.
He hadnât been aware then that Joy had secretly been using Adderall the entire time. Whenever she vanished from his life, she went back to the drug. She had confessed this to him yesterday when he went to visit her at a rehab center in Abuja.
âI killed our baby, Nero,â she told him. âI couldnât live with myself.â
âThat should have been a breaking point for you, Joy. Why did you go back?â
âAre you seriously asking me? Adderall helped me get through school, through work, through my entire life!â
âNo, Joy. You did those all on your own.â
âYou can never understand. You never did. All you wanted was to see me as perfect as you were.â
âThatâs not true.â
âYou had the perfect life and all the support from your family. If I had half of what you had, you think Iâd have touched drugs? Iâd be a designer today, Nero.â
âYou can still be a designer, but you have to get better first, Joy.â
She shrugged. âItâs too late.â
Nero was exhausted. She had been this way for three weeks. The negativity was threatening to swallow him up. He needed to get back to Cheta to plug into her sweetness and forget this side of his life.
âWho even introduced you to crack and meth?â he asked. The question had burned in his mind since his initial discussion with Patience.
âIt was at a party. You know⌠you just walk in there and friends are offering you all sorts.â
Nero recalled how they didnât have the same friends. She had her circle, he had his, and she had maintained that both worlds never needed to come together. He wished he had made an effort to know her friends better.
âMeth gives you this buzz for the entire day, but itâs expensive. So, you go for crack, which is way cheaper, although the high doesnât last.â
âSo, you keep using and usingâŚâ
âBasically.â
They were seated on a couch that backed a large window, which gave an exterior view of one side of the rehab center. There was a wide stretch of green lawn, shadowed by towering trees and beautified by flowerbeds. With eyes that looked like they would break into tears any minute, Joy stared out the window, resting her chin on her arm.
âHow is your girlfriend?â she asked.
âChetaâs good,â Nero answered.
âShe treats you well?â
âYeah.â
Joy looked at Nero. âI think your visiting hour is over.â
He stared at his watch and nodded. She was still good with her internal clock.
âYouâve done roughly ten days here, and Iâm glad youâre looking better already. Will you promise to stay the course?â
She looked out the window again. âIâll try.â
He didnât believe her. The doctors informed him that she wasnât responding well to the treatment program. This was the second rehab center; the first had been in Lagos and she had escaped on her fourth night there. It had taken three days to find her and another two to bring her unconcerned family together to assure her that they were there for her. Armed with that guarantee, Nero flew her to Abuja to get the best care any rehab program could offer.
As he drove home to Hadizaâs, he prayed the doctors wouldnât call him with bad news. But when morning came, they did as he had feared. Joy had gotten into a physical exchange with another patient, resulting in an injury that needed treatment. The attending doctor explained that Joy hadnât thrown the first punch, but she had goaded her attacker and refused to fight back when the girl hit her.
âIt seems she really wants to get hurt. Thereâs a lot of passive aggression, which she wouldnât let us look into when in therapy.â
âWell, look hard into it. Youâre the experts.â
âOf course, behavioral therapy and anger management are part of her treatment program, but weâre considering putting her on suicide watch in the near future, if our psychoanalysis about her is true.â
âYou think sheâs suicidal?â
âNot yet, but we are beginning to see a pattern. Anyway, I just thought I should let you know. She lost a tooth from the fight, and weâre stitching her lip up right now. She also had a head injury and might be hospitalized for a couple of days.â
âIs it fine if I stopped over to see her?â
âI think your presence would uplift her.â
Nero moved his morning flight to the evening, abandoning the meeting he had with the investors who were taking over Laja Towers. He reached out to his lawyer but didnât put a call through to Cheta. He had sensed her displeasure over the entire Joy issue, although she hadnât said anything yet.
He visited Joy and stayed with her until she was lucid enough to acknowledge his presence.
âWhat are you doing here?â she asked in a frown when she woke up. âYouâre supposed to be in Lagos.â
âI just want to be sure youâre okay,â he responded.
âIâm fine. I can handle myself. Go home.â
He couldnât tell her that she wasnât fine, that all the times she was left alone to handle herself, she always got worse.
âSeriously, go.â
âOkay. Just donât get into any more fights.â
She touched his hand resting on the bed and stroked it as she spoke. âI donât want you to lose your present relationship like you did the last time. Cheta sounds⌠amazing. So, please⌠go home, Oghenero.â
He left the hospital, still worried about her. When he got home to Hadizaâs, he found her making lunch. She wanted to know where he had gone off to so early.
âWork,â he lied. He opened the fridge to take a bottle of water.
âHas it got anything to do with your crackhead ex?â
Nero slammed shut the fridge and faced his mom. âYou have to stop.â
âStop what?â
âSending people to follow me around.â
âIâm putting an eye on my children, to be sure they are safe.â
âThatâs not what youâre doing. Youâre being controlling, Mom, and you have to stop it.â
âNero, I canât afford to lose you or your siblings. So, get it into your coconut head that I will always keep an eye on you.â
âFine. Do whatever you want, but donât meddle in my life and relationships.â His voice was a little raised. He was irritated and exhausted. âIâm tired of having this conversation with you.â
âJoy will drain you again and again until you banish her from your life.â
âStop meddling!â He stormed out of the kitchen and went to his bedroom. After a shower, he got on the road to the airport where he waited five hours for his flight, sleeping in a VIP lounge.
***
Hey Domina, my flight just came in. Are you at home or the office?
Cheta took a break from her laptop and stared at Neroâs message. She replied:
Office
On my way to you
It was past seven and sheâd been working for two hours, following a six-hour session with a sound editor. The last thing she remembered eating was the slice of cake from her fridge this morning. She was hungry and needed a break, but the workload in front of her couldnât wait.
She went back to it, happy that today was Friday. She usually didnât do weekend breaks, but she would shut down until Monday. She needed to sleep in. Last night, she had crashed on a sofa, because she had been too lazy to climb upstairs. Gold had been kind enough to get her a blanket.
âHungry?â
Cheta looked up from her laptop. Grant was standing by the doorway.
âHi Grant.â
âI ordered a chicken salad for two. Thought you might like it, since you liked it the other day.â
âYeah, sure. Thank you.â
âCool.â He lingered by the doorway. âWhy didnât Nero show up today for the acquisition thing?â
âHeâs in Abuja, but he just got in.â
âOh.â
She gave Grant a second stare. He seemed to have lost some weight, and she didnât like it. She had found his chubbiness somewhat cute.
âAny reason youâre staring at me like that?â he asked.
âNo. Just wondering where all your beer gut went.â
He laughed. âIâm watching my weight,â he answered. â40+ and a penchant for high blood pressure. I donât do beer, by the way.â
âCool. You look good sha.â
âThanks. Let me do a few things in the office. Iâll be back with your salad.â
Cheta nodded, amused by his kindness. The man hadnât stopped wanting her since their harmless date. She enjoyed the company he offered whenever she worked late nights. Being that he lived in the building and was responsible for its management, it wasnât so much of a big deal that he was available at odd hours.
She focused on work until he reappeared with food packs of chicken salad.
âYay⌠food,â she said tiredly.
âHealthy food.â
He set the salad before her and pulled a chair towards her desk. They conversed like old friends as they ate. There was laughter in-between that took the edge of Chetaâs exhausting day, but her evening got better when Nero walked in towards the end of the meal. He didnât pause when he saw Grant. He went behind Chetaâs chair and put his arms around her, kissing her cheek and neck. They hadnât been together in a week.
âHi.â She stroked his beard. She had missed touching it. âHow was Abuja?â
âTiring.â Nero looked at Grant. âHey, man.â
âChairman,â Grant greeted, getting on his feet. âIâll let you two be.â
Nero released Cheta and leaned on her desk, facing her. âIs it me or youâre getting finer each day?â
âItâs me,â she answered, batting her eyelashes. She told him he looked good in joggers and a hoodie. âYou also look tired. âLetâs go home, snuggle on the couch, and eat ice-cream as we watch a horror movie.â
âSounds great.â
She didnât ask him about Joy until they got into her car and they shared a long kiss.
âSheâs okay.â
âYouâre sure?â
He fastened his seatbelt. âYeah, sheâs good.â
âDo you want to talkâŚ?â
âNo. Letâs go to your place.â He touched her cheek. âYour pillows are feathery. Your bed too. It smells so nice.â
âI thought you liked my bed because it squeaked whenever we fucked.â
He chuckled. âThat too.â
Cheta smiled as she started the car. With his eyes shut, Nero caressed her thigh all the way to her house. Once they got in, she picked a bottle of wine from the kitchen and led him upstairs to her bedroom. He helped her take off her clothes; then, he drew her body to his and kissed her as if they hadnât kissed in years. After that, he hugged her, resting his chin on her shoulder. He was silent and so was she. Cheta understood that she brought comfort to him in some way.
They stayed in each otherâs arms for a while before he released her. She looked up at him.
âAre you sure you donât want to talk about Joy?â
âNo, sheâs fine.â He kissed her forehead, resting a leg on the wall behind him. Cheta leaned further into him by placing her head on his chest. Doing so, she yawned.
âYouâre sleepy?â
âYes, but I have to wash off my makeup and pee.â
She didnât move immediately. Nero helped her undo her bra. He then escorted her to the bathroom. Once in there, she changed her mind about washing her face, going for a full shower. She returned to the bedroom and snuggled into bed with Nero and they picked a movie on Netflix. She slept off a few minutes into the movie but woke up hours later to use the bathroom. When she returned, she wasnât surprised to see Nero lying on his back, eyes wide open. His sleep cycle was unpredictable.
âGo back to sleep, Okiemute.â
He gave a weak smile as she crawled under the blanket beside him. The instant his body touched hers and he responded in an agreeable moan, Cheta knew they would be awake until daylight.
They began under the blanket but soon threw it off as their bodies heat up against each other.
âI missed this,â Nero murmured into Chetaâs ear after his second orgasm. âCan we do it every day?â
Cheta laughed. âYouâll get tired of me.â
âSays who?â
She tugged his beard. âThatâs how these things go.â
He rolled over and lay on his back. In silence, they watched daylight creep in.
âAre you on the pill?â he asked.
âI took a shot. It lasts three months.â
âThatâs good, but I donât mind you getting pregnant.â
âWhatâs it with you men and wanting to knock up your women?â
âItâs about territory, I guess. Wanting to own all of you.â
âWell, you have Obi already.â
They went quiet again. Soon, Cheta heard him snoring silently beside her. She left the bed to the bathroom for a shower. Then, she went downstairs to get some tea. Gold and Ozzy were in the kitchen. She paused in her movement, adjusting her mind to Ozzyâs presence in her personal space. Many things had changed about him, like the tattoos and the presence of a beard, which made him older and more handsome. She recalled how the girls in school used to go crazy for him then.
âGood morning,â he greeted. He was chewing a toast in the slowest manner she had ever seen an adult male chew anything. She felt some pity for him.
âHi, Ozzy.â
Gold, standing before the sink, turned around. âHey.â
Cheta smiled at her.
âI want to make breakfast,â Gold said. âWhat do you want to eat?â
âDonât worry about it. I came for tea first. Nero and I are going to his place in a bit.â
Gold dried her hands on a kitchen napkin and faced her. âWe need to talk.â
âOkay.â
Gold took Chetaâs hand and dragged her to the living room. She made her sit on a sofa.
âThis looks serious.â
Gold sat, facing her. âPlease, donât go off on me over what Iâm about to tell you.â
âI wonât. Just say it. I hate suspenseâŚâ
âIâm pregnant.â
Chetaâs brows slowly came together in a questioning frown as she stared at Goldâs tummy. âYouâre pregnant?â
âYeah.â
âAre you joking?â
âNo.â
Chetaâs face opened to a smile. âAm I allowed to be happy for you?â she asked.
âYes.â
âAww!â She hugged her. âWeâre having a baby.â
âKeep your voice down.â
Cheta put the brakes on her excitement. âWait⌠I hope Ozzy is not the father.â
âNo, heâs not. He used a condom when we had sex. He didnât even cum.â
âSo, the baby is Basimâs?â
âYes.â
âAww, Goldie. Congratulations.â Cheta hugged her again. âWeâre going to have a baby!â She did a dance. âIâm so happy for you! Do you know what this means? It means youâre carrying Obiâs cousin. Isnât that wild?â
Gold merely smiled. Cheta toned down her excitement.
âWait, why are you not happy?â
âI donât know. I justâŚâ Gold shrugged. âYouâre not asking me if Iâm going to tell Basim about it.â
Cheta was puzzled. âI donât follow. Thatâs standard nau. He has to know.â
âHis mom is offering me money to leave Naija for good.â
âHadiza?â
âYeah.â
Cheta frowned. âWhy is that woman always interfering?â
âWouldnât you interfere if Obi got involved with a nobody?â
âYouâre not a nobody, Goldie.â
âCheta, please, stop. Youâre speaking from a place of privilege. Itâs either youâre somebody or nobody in this Nigeria.â
âHow about potential somebodies?â
âThey donât count.â
âI hate the way you view yourself.â
âHere is the thing. I want this baby, so Iâm keeping it. But I donât want Basim to know that itâs hisâŚâ
âWhy?â
âBecause heâd want us to get involved in some way, and that means I have to constantly face Hadiza who hates my guts.â
âSo, whatâs your plan?â
âI thought about it all night⌠I couldnât even sleep.â She sighed. âI want to take her moneyâŚâ
âGoldâŚâ
âHear me out. I need that money. I need to disappear to some place and have my baby there. But the problem is that it makes me feel like a terrible person.â
âYouâre not, but trust me, you donât want your child growing up without their dad. Obi still resents me for what I did, even though he doesnât show it.â
âSo, what do you suggest I do?â
âTell Basim. He deserves to know.â
âAnd Hadiza?â
âFuck Hadiza and her impossible demands. Take money from Basim, instead. He will set you up for life. Didnât he already start doing that and you stopped him?â
âI donât knowâŚâ
âDo the right thing. Basim deserves to know heâs going to be a father. Heâs one of the good ones, Goldie.â
Gold groaned, throwing her weight backwards on the sofa. âI wanted this, but now that itâs happened, I feel so scared.â
âDonât be. Everythingâs going to be fine.â
She sat up. âI hope so. Meanwhile, morning sickness is killing me. And I have to go and look at apartments this morning.â
âDo it tomorrow. Iâll go with you.â
âYouâre so sweet.â
âI know.â Cheta stared at Goldâs tummy. âBut heads up. Iâm not a baby person like that.â
âYou have roughly eight months to change your mind.â
Cheta stood. âLet me go and drag that man out of bed. If you need anything, call me.â
âOkay.â
Cheta returned to the kitchen, made her cup of tea, and went back to her bedroom. Nero was awake when she got in, nursing an expression of worry on his face. It was something new to her, but she was getting used to it, learning not to ask what the problem was, because his answer would be the same. It was always nothing.
âHey.â She smiled at him as she got on the bed.
âMorning.â He smiled back. âI want to show you something.â
âOkay?â
He threw the blanket off his body, and out sprang a morning erection.
âWow.â Cheta sipped her tea. âJust look at all that straining aggression.â
âDo you want to…?â
âOh, fuck yes.â Nero laughed as she put her teacup aside and climbed the bed to sit on him.
***
Hadiza heard the doorbell go off in her head before she heard it ring. She had seen Mazinoâs car pull up into the compound seconds earlier.
She stared at the night robe she was wearing. It was transparent, and she knew Mazinoâs eyes would lust after her body in the manner they had done during their stay in Dubai. The man was shameless in his thirst for her. Dubai had been a reminder of the early days in their relationship when he had done everything to win her heart over. She hadnât been into him as he had been into her back then. Mazino came as a distraction, an unnecessary one, at first. But he soon crept into her, starting from her mind. In a little while, her heart met him halfwayâthis was after their bodies had known each other in many intimate ways. He never seemed to be satisfied with just having enough of her; he always hankered for more. Decades later, and he still had that look in his eyes.
She opened the door for him.
âGood morning,â he greeted and slowly let his eyes adore her body.
âGood morning.â
Mazino walked into the house, staring in the direction of the hallway that led to the bedrooms. âHajara! Come out here now!â
âSheâs gone.â Hadiza shut the door.
âGone where?â Mazino demanded.
âI asked her to wait for you, but you know her⌠She just took her things and left to the airport.â
âWhere is she off to?â
âLagos. To Basimâs.â Hadiza moved further into the living room. âSee, Iâm done with Hajara. Done.â
âLet me get you straight. She told you that they fired her at work?â
âYes. She was supposed to go back when we traveled to Dubai, but she didnât, as we all know. Well, they fired her.â
Mazino hissed.
âI told her she could still go back and get another job, but she said she was not interested in going back. She wants to stay here.â
âHmmmâŚâ Mazino crossed his arms. âI think I agree with herâŚâ
âOf course, you do.â
âCalm down, Diza. I agree that Nigeria is the best place for her right now. She will stay here and do the right thing by getting married.â
âFor Godâs sake, Zino.â Hadiza sat.
âSheâs twenty-seven. Her mates have kids and are happy in their matrimonial homes, not clubbing all night and getting pregnant for strange men.â
âMarriage is not the answer to Hajaraâs issues.â
âBut it will make her responsible for once in her life.â
âShe needs to pursue a career, first.â
âNo, she needs stability, which would come with marriage and children. I will have a talk with Basim about this. He can speak sense into her. Meanwhile, we have to start looking for a suitor.â
âSuitor? Mazino, are you listening to yourself? I will not push my daughter into a situation she doesnât want.â
âBut thatâs what youâre doing right now. Youâre pushing her into becoming a career woman, and she doesnât want that.â
âHow can she not want that? It makes her independent and non-reliant on any man for finances.â
âFinances?â Mazino scoffed. âOur daughter has everything she needs. No child of mine would ever rely on anyone for anything.â
âAll Iâm saying is that marriage isnât what she needs, Mazino.â
âIt is what will cure her restless feet. I will make some phone calls. We have friends with responsible sons.â
Hadiza gave up. On issues like this, she and Mazino could never agree. He was traditional in his ways, and nothing could change him. Secondly, he could be quite persuasive with Hajara, if he wanted to. Hadizaâs only option right now was to make nice with Basim and ask him to guide Hajara back into the path of being productive, even if it means settling for a job in Lagos.
âConsider the matter settled,â Mazino added. She noticed that he hadnât sat.
âDo you want to have breakfast?â she offered.
Again, his eyes washed over her body. âThat would be fine.â
She got off the sofa, and when she made to walk past him, he stopped her, taking her hand.
âHaja will be fine.â
She took her hand away from his and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. They ate in her garden, talking like old friends. These days, all they seemed to do in each otherâs company was to talk about the past. There was something Hadiza loved about going into her memories, although there was always that part of her past she preferred to leave buried. Nnedinma haunted that place.
âI should head back home,â Mazino said after breakfast. âThanks for the meal.â
âYouâre welcome.â
âMaybe we can do this often?â
âMaybe not.â
She walked him to his car and accepted the peck he placed on her cheek. As his car turned towards the gate, she made back for the house. In her bedroom, she undressed and dialed Abeniâs number, seeing that she missed seven calls from her.
âWhatâs the problem?â she asked as Abeni answered her call.
âMa, itâs Julius o.â
âTalk to me.â
âHe sent someone to pick Enekole up.â
âEnekole Abu?â
âYes, and she told the person that we asked her if she could go on record to expose Julius on camera.â
Hadiza was instantly annoyed. âDidnât she sign the NDA?â
âShe did, butâŚâ
Hadiza swore silently.
âBut not to worry, I recorded my phone call with her. She told me that they were offering her a million naira not to go on camera.â
âSheâs going to take the money.â Hadiza swore again. Julius was closing in on them. It was only a matter of time before he got to the other women who had agreed to tell their stories. If only Cheta had made up her mind and swung into action before now!
âOkay, hereâs what you should do. Reach out to the other women and assure them that weâre still on track. Donât warn them about Julius coming for them or theyâll be spooked and back out. We just need to make sure they keep to their word.â
âYes, ma.â
âGood job, Beni. Keep me posted, please.â
âI will.â
Hadiza hung up and went into the bathroom. As cold water washed over her body, she thought about her Plan B and perfected it in her head. The moment she stepped out of the bathroom, she put a call through to a contact.
âHajiya, good morning.â
âGood morning. Itâs time for us to move. You still have everything ready?â
âYes.â
âI want you on standby for my call.â
âNo problem, Hajiya.â
She terminated the call and sent Kadiri a text. A couple of minutes later, he was in her bedroom. She passed her body lotion to him and sat before her dressing mirror. As he creamed her back, she massaged her breasts with olive oil.
âI think we have our eye on the wrong target, Kad.â
âWhat are you talking about?â
âSend your person to follow Jonah, instead. Julius is not whom our eyes should be on.â
Kadiri ran his fingers up her neck and delivered a steady massage on both sides.
âI want his every move reported to me. Nothing should be missed.â
âYes, maâam.â He allowed his hands roam down her neck, towards her chest, and down to her breasts. She stopped him before he reached his target but held his hand.
âGet us flight tickets to Lagos this evening.â
âReturn tickets?â
âIâm not sure when I want to get back. So, just one way.â
In the living room, the doorbell rang.
âPass my robe.â
Kadiri reached for a thicker robe than the one she wore earlier. She put it on, annoyed that she had to answer the door herself. Her housekeeper had gone into town to shop for groceries.
The bell rang again as she entered the living room. She stopped at the door, snuck a look into the peephole, and took a step backwards, gasping. She stood still for a few seconds, her heart pounding.
The bell rang for the third time.
Bracing herself, she unlocked the door and opened it with the straightest of faces.
âHadiza,â the woman in front of her called.
âNnedinma,â she answered, and then, she was lost for words. She couldnât believe the moment was real. There was no way the woman she once loved was standing before her in a beautiful red dress that stripped years off her age. For a moment, time refused to move. Both women stood, staring at each other. Hadiza could feel her heart hitting wildly against her chest. Four decades had passed and this woman still had the power to make her feel this way. She was still beautiful too, even with the wrinkles on her face that should not be there.
Hadiza knew that no matter what Nnedinma had come to say, she was already forgiven. She stopped bearing a grudge against her years ago. In fact, she had thought about her a lot in Dubai, and when she returned, she put a framed photo of her in the living room. She added it to the collection of photos on a wall, dedicated to the people in her life. Mazino saw it and put up a tantrum about it. He wanted to know why his own photo wasnât gracing the wall. The following day, she had him up there as well.
âMay I come in?â Nnedinma held on to her purse, squeezing it tightly.
Hadiza saw how nervous she was. She moved away from the door and let her in. She watched how her eyes took in the living room. They stopped on the photo wall.
âYour house is so beautiful,â she commented.
Hadiza shut the door. âWhat do you want?â she asked.
âHow are you?â Nnedinma inquired in her usual calmness, as if she had not heard the harshness in Hadizaâs voice.
âWhat do you want, Dinma?â
âHadiza⌠I owe you years of apology. I hurt you andâŚâ She paused, staring away. âIâm sorry,â she muttered faintly. She tried to speak again, but her words would not make it out. At first, she took deep breaths. Then, she began to gasp as tears filled her eyes.
âDinma, youâre hyperventilating.â
âYes, I know.â She fanned herself. âI think itâs hot in here.â
Hadiza switched on the air conditioner. âYou should sit.â
âNo, no. I⌠Iâm sorry, Diza.â She wiped her perspiring face. âThis is a mistake. I shouldnât have come here. Iâm sorry, I have to go.â
âNo, stay.â
âYou donât understand.â She sniffled. âJulius sent me to you, to⌠To talk to you, to do everything to make sure you stop going after him⌠I shouldnât be here.â She made for the door, but Hadiza stood in her way. âPlease, let me go.â
âYou have to explain to me why, Dinma.â Hadiza felt a nob in her throat. Her eyes were smarting from tears that suddenly filled them. âYou owe me decades of explanation. I want to know why. Why did you choose him over me? Why did you walk away from us?â
âIâm sorryââ
âSorry is not enough, Nnedinma!â She held back a sob, but it choked her, and she gave in. âItâs not! You donât do that to someone who loves you, Dinma! Sorry is not enoughâŚâ She stopped, unable to speak any further.
âPlease, let me go.â
âSit down, Nnedinma.â Hadiza rubbed her eyes and drew in her breath.
âIâŚâ
âSit down.â
Nnedinma chose the sofa closest to her and sat on its edge. Hadiza picked another sofa that was adjacent to Nnedinmaâs. Facing her, she stared at her for an awkward stretch of time.
âPlease, talk,â Nnedinma pleaded.
âDid you get my letters?â
âI did.â
âAnd you never replied any of them? Why?â
âYou know why Diza. What we did was wrong. I repented of my sins and never looked back.â
âForget religion for once, Nnedinma. Didnât you feel something? Tell me I was the only one who was in love.â
âPlease, I canât do this.â Nnedinma lifted her body off the sofa, but Hadiza stopped her.
âIâm sorry, Iâll stop with the questions. Please, sit.â
Nnedinma clutched her purse again. âSo, Cheta and Oghenero⌠Did you in any way orchestrate that?â
âDinma, Iâm not God. I found out about Obi only last year.â
âGod isâŚâ Nnedinma smiled. âHe has a wicked sense of humor.â
âI agree.â Hadiza laughed a little. âWe both share a grandchild. I would have never imagined it would turn out that way.â
âWell, thatâs life for you.â
âI do hope you gave them your blessing?â
âI didnât, at first. But Cheta loves your son.â
âHe loves her insanely. I want them together so badly.â
Nnedinma looked up at her photo on the wall and Hadiza stared at it.
âDo you remember how you were scared to wear that top because it was sleeveless?â
Nnedinma laughed. âYou wanted me to take off the scarf too.â
âYeah. But look at you today. All grown.â
âYouâre not doing bad yourself.â
They laughed together and Hadiza pulled towards her. âDinma, Iâm so happy you came. I have a lot of questions to ask, so much to say, but we can do it another timeâif we have another time alone. I hope we do. At least, for the sake of our children.â
âJulius will not let that happenââ
âTo hell with him, Dinma. He is not God. Cheta and Nero will get married. We will see to it that they do. Itâs our duty as their mothers to make that happen, okay?â
âOkay.â
âItâs also our duty to bring Julius down.â Hadiza touched her hand and she was taken by surprise at the change in texture from what she used to know. Time had made her skin more fragile.
âWe will bring that rapist down together.â
Nnedinma shook her head. âThatâs not why I came here.â
Hadiza moved away from her sofa and sat with her, holding both of her hands. âListen to me. Weâre taking his yoke off your back today. You will not go home the same. Do you hear me, sweetheart?â
âI canâtâŚâ
âEnough is enough, Dinma. That man is going down for all the evil he has caused, for tearing us apart, for taking away your freedom and free will. It ends today. Do you hear me?â
âIâm scared.â
âThatâs okay.â Hadiza flicked off the remnant of tears from Nnedinmaâs long eyelashes and put her hair in place. âItâs fine, sweetheart. I expect you to be scared.â
Nnedinma gave her a regretful stare. âI feel so ashamed of myself for what I did to you. Iâm so sorry, Diza.â
âItâs okay, baby. Itâs fine. Weâll get through this.â
âI donât knowâŚâ
âShhâŚâ Hadiza drew Nnedinmaâs head towards hers. âThereâs so much at stake, Dinma. So many women heâs hurt.â
Nnedinma heaved, giving into more tears.
âAnd heâs not going to stop until we do something about it. We have to.â
âHe has money and influenceâŚâ
âSo do I, Dinma. Just trust me, and everything will work out for your good.â
âYou donât know Julius, Diza. He would go to any length to bury his sins.â
âHave no fears, beautiful woman. We will get him. His time is up.â She touched her forehead with hers. âPlease, stop crying.â
Dinma pulled back but only to put her arms around Hadiza for a hug that hadnât happened in over forty years. Hadiza tried not to cry, but she couldnât hold back. She broke down in the arms of the woman she still loved.
ÂŽSally Kenneth Dadzie @moskedapages
God knows I’ve missed this series like mad. I feel like Sally will soon leave this blog for us đ
I like Nnedinma oh. I know its easy to be angry at her but she’s a victim of abuse and many victims don’t know how to come out of it. Me I jus want hadiza to do quick and deal with Julius.
joy is annoying me. Nero listen to your mum oh. The part about Breaking Bad made me laugh đ
Awwww, not leaving you guys. I’m here. Na work hold me. Ma binu đ¤
Wheeeeew. This episode is making me super mushy especially DInma and Hadiza’s reunion. Julius is in trouble, I’m already rejoicing for his downfall in advance. Hadiza’s on to Jonah, thank God. Errrrm Ozzy is just bad news abeg and Gold is to kind.
I hope Joy doesn’t drag Nero down with her again o. She shouldn’t coman ruin our relationship.
Thank you Sally for this episode. đ
I’m happy to share, Jolly đ
Yaaaay! I missed this so much.
Ozzy is synonymous with bad news, I wonder what he will do at Cheta’s place.
Hadiza and Nnedimma may just be the force to bring Julius down.
Joy; substance addiction is a big mess, hardly goes away. RIP to all who have been brought down by this, Whitney Houston, DMX, Amy Winehouse, Heath Ledger et al.
Cheta and Nero with the love.
Gold had better be careful, Ozzy is just using here and Hadiza does not have a soft spot for her.
Welldone Sally! â¤ď¸
Thought a lot about DMX when I wrote this. I met and was friends with a lot of addicts when writing this. It is a serious problem in Nigeria now
Ghen! Ghen!!
đ
I have waited and waited and tbh this episode was worth it. Thanks Sally, you are the best
Thank you! God bless you for stopping by
Why do I have a bad feeling about Nnedinma. I feel Julius control is too deep.
Thanks for this.
Yeah, he’s gotten her too deep. I pray she has the strength to pull out
I wasn’t expect the episode. Infact, mo ti sign. But I enjoyed every bit of today’s episode.
I can’t wait to see what Hadiza’s plan is. Very smart woman.
Goldie, I hope your baby won’t be Ozzy’s way of getting back at Hadiza.
Thanks Sally! Should I say welcome back? Or are you passing by?
I’m not passing by – hopefully đ
Dinma is not leaving Julius or even attempting to bring him down. Those crocodile tears na just self pity. They say it takes 8 attempts for a woman to leave an abusive situation. When you weave in religion, who knows how many attempts it will take? Hadiza better get a backup to Dinma.
Ozzy just annoys me to no end. The only reason I pity him is cos he paid the price for a crime that he wasnât the only one that committed. Ya he stole the money, no be im bash Hadiza nau.
Nero will learn the hard way that you cannot be anybodyâs saviour. And as for Gold, I hope her decision pans out for her and the child.
Thank you, Christabel
Gold, as much as I am happy for her, I wish I can knock some sense into her. Can’t she see that Ozzy is using her? Which kain yeye Doctor sef agrees to aggravate his patient’s condition to garner pity from an ex?
I just wish Gold will have sense, I am certain he heard that Gold is pregnant for Basim when she was telling Cheta. I hope he doesn’t turn her into another “Lade” and destroy the pregnancy. Very self centered humanbeing.
Nero is vexing me too, Joy has him and I hope this doesn’t affect his relationship with Cheta.
Julius, your day of reckoning is fast approaching , you can try to postpone but it will surely come.
Thank you Sally, we have missed you so so. Hope you aren’t leaving us gradually bayi. Gracias, for a beautiful episode.
Bless you, Kemi đ
My hands cant type what my heart feels. Gooshhhh. Thank you for sharing your gift with us Sally.
You’re welcome, dear
Cheta will regret having Ozzy in her space.
By d time Ozzy finish with Gold she will change her name .
Can we get to the part Julius starts paying for his sins already??
I feel like Jonah set has something up his sleeves for Julius.
Julius ti e ba e.
Well done Sally.
Ramadan Kareem to every Muslim in the House .
Thank you, Aderoju
Have a great weekend!
Awwwwh, this love is so sweet….waiting patiently for next episode. Thanks Sally….â¤đ¤
You’re welcome, sweetie
Lovely, missed this story. Waiting for what will happen to Julius oh and if Cheta will do as Hadiza says hmmmmmm
I’m looking forward to that too đ
Ozzy in Cheta’s house is just giving me bad vibes mhen!!!!
I don’t trust this Dinma’s tears abeg…she is just not ready to get Julius.
I hope Joy gets out of this hole once and for all. Addiction sucks you in and it takes God to pull out forever. As a former Tramadol and diazepam addict, this brings back memories…
Thanks Sally. You are the real MVP.
đŻđŻđŻđŻ
This Gold self, we suppose change your name to bronze, because you be òde….
Well sha I just hope Ozzy will not do something bad, because na devil that one be..
I so love Nero’s relationship with Cheta and I hope he doesn’t spoil it with this Joy’s issue.
It’s time for Julius to pay for all his crime… The wicked shall not go unpunished, nor be me talk am, na wetin dey Bible.
Thank you so Much Sally for this lovely episode. We are happy to have you back.
Mehn..I am lost for words,the only thing I can possibly say now is waaaooohhh,thank you Sally for giving us this,I am waiting for the next episode like mad
Wawuuu Mr Julius is in for it
Sally Salls!
First of ,I thought Nnedinma and Hadiza were gonna kiss and relive old memories….see me anticipating omo đ đ đ
I agree with Cheta on Goldie,f**k hadiza, tell Basim sharply.
As for Joy, can she just get well or gerrahere?
Wow. The last part was so emotional. I’m happy for Gold and scared for her as well on what Hadiza will do to her.
Beautiful read as always. Thanks Sally for making my Saturday. Double thums upđđđ
Thank you for coming back for us.
We appreciate the efforts.
We are rooting for you.
To our beloved characters they would be Alright Last last
Hopefully đ
Why do I feel like Dinma will betray Diza??
Golden needs to learn to discernment …. Why Cheta’s place? I pray Ozzy doesn’t harm Nero or Obi.
We missed you Sally.
I missed you guys too
Welcome back sis…… Missed you alot
Crossing my fingers
Thank you, Pacesetter đ¤
What more can I say.. the wait is finally over. Always happy to read the next episode…. . Thank you Sally.I feel sorry for Ozzy though…but thats the reward for greed… Gold dear,I pray you find happiness.
I pray for her too. She must catch sense IJN!
I have never flipped flopped as hard on a character as I am doing with Mazino. His decision to fake kidnap Nero makes more sense as you explore his character’s decision making choices. Whoever Hadiza settles with some hearts will be broken. Or may be they can all share her.
Hadiza description of Hajara’s baby daddy, reminds me of this weird dicothomy of racism and at the same time white supremacist that I have observe some Nigerians.
Looking forward to what Hadiza will unearth from looking at Julian. Sally Pleaseđđž let Julius’s punishment be grand.
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I always look forward to your comments. They give me a lot to think about. Thank you
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his punishment should be extra grand and painful
I really did miss your works sal,thanks for coming back… I was agitated all through while reading…
I have this habit of eating slowly when it’s very delicious. That habit has slowly found its way to my reading on here. I just don’t want it to end so I’d rather read in bits, moving at snail speed.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, not thay I expected any less though. That said, having Ozzy in Cheta’s space doesn’t just sit well with me. It’s looking like the perfect recipe for disaster and avoidable occurrences.
Some entanglements should be broken, and Ozzy-Gold as well as Joy-Nero fall into this category. Those entanglements look like help but they’re mostly not healthy, especially for the “helper”.
Meanwhile, ChetaNero be doing this lovey-dovey thing so nicely. One hopes something doesn’t come to scatter things.
Hadiza and Mazino and their own thing. There’s a spark somewhere that might just get rekindled.
That Nnedinma and Hadiza reunion though. Felt a bit awkward but we see how far they go in the quest to ring down Julius who obviously has quite a hold on his wife.
Thanks for this thrilling episode Sally. Thanks for blessing us with your awesome gift.
Thanks Sally, we miss you oh. Am just patiently waiting for the downfall of Julius.
Sally, we need moreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Thank you for this episode.
Interesting twist on Diza and Dinma meeting again and about to work together.
How Sally infuses current trends and societal issues always marvels me which makes each episode more interesting than the last.
Thank you very much.
OMG! The plot thickens….
OMG! The plot thickens….
Julius – scheming as always..
Ozzy – scheming master
Gold – I wish Gold would shine her eye and listen to Cheta’s advice while dropping Ozzy like a hot potato.
Hadiza – Mistress of all the schemers. I raise hands up for her. Hands in every pie, eyes on every ball, plan a, b, c, d even up to z as back up! Diza I hail thee!
Packed full of twists and turns… Thanks Sally
welcome back Sally, i miss you badly.
This Gold is as dumb as they come, she’s the most annoying character for me and can we get Ozzy out of the way. Make Joy no come pour sand sand for our love. And I’m celebrating in advance for the downfall of Julius and Jonah sef.
Thumbs up Sally and thanks alot