The Dice#7

Dunni met a dark, robust ebony woman. With glasses placed over her nose reading the chart who informed her the operation was successful and the internal bleeding had stopped. She had a broken arm and some cuts. Despite all that, she was out of danger and responding well.

Dunni heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the Nurse.

“How soon can we see her,” she wanted to see her cousin.

“Not yet,” came the disappointing response. “Your sister is resting and would not be up for visitors until later this afternoon.”

Dunni refused to correct her that the lady inside was her cousin and not her sister. She wriggled her fingers together, wanting to say more. Moses could tell she was getting apprehensive and retook her hands in his as he joined her. It was becoming natural.

“Can the hospital ensure that no visitors are allowed except us? Her husband is not allowed near her,” he requested, his look and posture intimidating.

“That should not be a problem, sir,” the Nurse assured him. “I have just told your wife that she is unable to receive visitors this morning. I am afraid you would have to come back in the afternoon.”

Dunni gazed at him thankfully. Her heart melting many times over. How could someone read another person so well?  She guessed it came with the terrain of working alongside each other for many years. But hey, did the Nurse just say, wife?

She was on the verge of correcting her, when Moses, increased the pressure of his hands over hers. She looked at him, and he shook his head slightly. Dunni stubbornly removed her hand. She was about to speak when Moses explained to the Nurse how worried they were that her husband may come in to finish what he started.

“While the family is yet to decide if we want our sister to go back to him or not.We want to know she is safe here,” Moses appealed to the Nurse.

“As I said earlier, you and your wife do not need to worry. I will inform the Nurse to take over from me and put the information on her chart.”

“Thank you very much. Nurse Akoh,” he appreciated using the name he read off the name tag on her chest.

“Why did you not correct her?” Dunni asked Moses after the left the Nurse.

“She sure won’t want to be taking orders from an unmarried sister about a married sister.  And she is entitled to her opinion,” Moses winked at her “Relax. It felt good to be married to you for some seconds there.”

“Oh!” Dunni groaned, “can you be serious, please?”

“Okay,” Moses replied, not without a small smile tugging at his lips.

Dunni could not but help laugh at his feeble attempt.

“Dear 60 seconds husband. I think your services for the day is ended. I am ready to go home, get some food for Kemi and I’ll be back by noon.” Dunni walked out of the hospital towards the car park and Moses followed.

“I can bring you back,” Moses offered.

“No thanks, that would be me asking too much – oliver twist . I don’t want to take any more of your time. My cousin will be fine. I am sure her mum would be on her way to Lagos by now.”

“No worries. Glad to be of help.”

“Thanks for helping me. Deeply appreciated, unfortunately, I can’t repay you.”

“I know how you can. I have a party tomorrow, and I don’t want to go alone. Would you mind coming with me?”

“Anyone, I know?”

“You may not remember him, but Akin was in Agric Economics, one of my roommates in our second year.”

“Is that Akin and Anu? Those inseparable guys.”

“Yes, they got married ten years ago while in America and only had their first child this year. They are back to the country, and it’s their baby’s first year birthday.”

“Would be nice to see them both. Gosh, how do you do it?” Dunni asked. “Keep in touch with all these people? She gesticulated. “I can barely keep up with my immediate family, and here you are taking on people that can form a whole nation.”

“I don’t know, its not something I do deliberately, it just happens.” Moses shrugged. Meeting people and keeping relationships was something he did like drinking water or blinking one’s eyes. You don’t calculate you just do it.”

“It’s a gift,” and that’s one of the many things I like about you. You value people and relationships.

“We all do, we just have different ways of showing it. Are you in?”

“I have some unfinished work for one of the projects I am working on” Dunni responded hesitantly torn between working and going out to have some fun.

“I could help you with that,” Moses offered.

Dunni snorted, “you have the bulk of the work to do, remember?”

Moses suggested she could come over to his place, and they could work together before setting out for the function. Dunni was quick to ask if he would be preparing his vegetable stir rice in snail sauce. Moses replied he was more than happy, but she had to be for it.

“How much, a diamond dice?” Dunni asked with mischief written all over her face.

“Must you always go there?” Moses groaned, and Dunni broke into a giggle. I am not the one who basis all my decisions on a dice.

“If anyone heard you talk about this dice, they would think it was a human and you were jealous of her.”

“No, I am not.”

“Yes, you are,” and both went on with no – yes, no – yes like two naughty children.

“Fine! “, giving up but not without a pout on her face that was so comical that Moses started laughing and Dunni reluctantly joined in.

“Come, let’s get you home,” Moses linked his arms with Dunni, and they walked towards his jeep.

They had barely driven out of the hospital when the music Ara by Brymo which Dunni used for her ring tone came alive from her phone.

“My mum,” she groaned, showing him her phone screen.

“Hello Maami,” Dunni greeted her mother over the phone.

“I am in Lagos with Kemi’s mum. We are on our way to the house. Is Kemi with you?”

Dunni looked at Moses, not sure what to tell her. They had not told them she was in the hospital. She had sent a text that she was with Kemi, and they did not need to worry.

“Yes, Maami, you can come to my house,” Dunni replied, not answering the question about Kemi’s whereabout.

“Where are you now? Do I need to come and pick you from the park?”

“No, your brother sent his driver to bring us.”

“Oh! I will meet you at my house. I am on my way home.”

Dunni cut the phone and rolled her eyes.

“What is with the eye-rolling?” Moses chuckled as he asked knowingly.

“You know my mother; the next thing is to start reeling instructions and all the drama I am not ready to deal with right now.”

“Dunni takes it easy on her, it is a mother’s love, you know….”

“Grrrrr, spare me the preaching. You would do the same if you had my mother as yours.”

Taking his hands momentarily off the wheels, Moses gestured a mock surrender.

Dunni felt guilty.  She had not intended the words to come out that way.

Moses never knew his mother. He grew up with his grandma, that was as much as he let on. He rarely talked about his parents and often deflected any conversation tailored in that direction.

She stole a look at him. If he was upset or not, Moses did not let on, and she did not want to make him feel worse if he did not allude anything to what she had said, so she kept quiet.

They settled into a quiet drive that Dunni found discomforting. When she could not help it, she blurted out.

” I’m sorry for what I just said. That was not what I meant. It came out…..”

“bad…” Moses finished the sentence for her with a sad smile.

” I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have known her. I think all you who have mothers are the luckiest ones. It would be nice to be able to whine the way you all do.”

Dunni punched his right arm playfully. “For the records, I do not whine, and you can gladly have Maami.

“Too late, you know I already do. She is my number one girl.”

“Cool. No need to be jealous. Maami shoes are too big to fill in. I can t compete.

Dunni smiled, her mum doted over Ola and Moses like they were her children. That was Mami, Iya gbogbo ero – mother to all.