Henrie was crying again, she really is a cry baby today. She doesn't even know what she feels about Charles. Is she to leave one brother and get together with the other? Who does that? ''I can't Charles. I can't do this, not anymore. I don't want to have anything to do with your family ever again.''
''I am not my brother, we are two different people and you know I will never treat you like that.''
''I know that, I know you will never treat me like that.'' But nothing he says will make her stay, she doesn't even know how she feels about him and his confession tonight is something she really has to think about.
''Then why are you so worried? Just give me a chance and I promise to always love only you since I have done years ago.'' Once he started his confession he found it hard to bottle his feelings inside like he had done earlier.
She pulled her hand away and held his face in her hands and gently kissed his forehead. ''It is too late Charles, I am sorry.''
Charles pulled back from her and stood up. ''At least I tried,'' he said dejectedly.
Henrie was weeping now, uncontrollably. She fell down on the bed, crying for herself, crying for how things turned out and crying for Charles, for breaking his heart.
***
Henrie didn't eat that night and the next morning Ade knocked at the door. ''Come in,'' she called out weakly.
Ade came in with a tray of tea and bread. He placed it on the bed beside her. ''Eat Henrie and you should stop crying.'' He said softly.
''Is he really the one that night?'' She asked even though she knew what his reply would be.
Ade nodded. ''He is and I stayed away because I don't want you to recognize me. He wasn't thinking when he brought you here last night.''
The tears started coming again. ''Everything is such a mess, I am such a mess.''
Ade acknowledged that with a nod. ''Charles really does love you, of that you should have no doubt.'' He was leaning on the wall beside the bed. ''How do you feel about him though?''
''I don't know how I feel about Charles, I really can't tell you what I don't know.'' Charles to her has always been the annoying brother.
Ade smiled. ''That is promising.'' He watched her for a few minutes in silence. ''You are leaving right?'' she nodded and his heart broke for his friend.
''I have to; I need to sort myself out. I can't promise to be back.'' She said in a thin voice.
''What about Charles?''
She didn't reply and just stared ahead blankly.
''Here,'' he had been expecting this, so he had written Charles' phone number on a piece of paper. She is confused right now but when she is settled and could think about the past few days she would realize her feelings for Charles. It is obvious she likes him even though she is not acknowledging her feelings. ''This is Charles' phone number, you should call him sometime.'' He would have to see Charles too, he really looks miserable last night when he was leaving.
Henrie reached for the paper and tucked it into her jean pocket. ''Thanks,''
Ade pushed away from the wall. ''I am going to Church,'' and he knew he won't meet her back here.
''Where should I drop your keys?'' she asked without looking at him.
''Drop it with my neighbor, he is a Moslem.''
Henrie murmured her thanks once more and by the time he came back from Church she's gone. She lodged in another hotel and on Monday morning she was on the bus to Lagos.
Chapter Twelve
''Tell me this is a horrible joke Henrie, how could you be so?'' Folarin searched for a word to describe her Cousin. ''You lied to me, everything you said that day was a lie, how could you belittle yourself so much?'' She still could not believe she is seeing Henrie two days after she got back home. ''I am really mad at you right now.'' She fisted her hair in her hands.
Henrie had retrieved her contacts from her Facebook page as she just bought a new Sim card but she is not ready to start calling friends, a lot of things are running through her mind and as much as she knew she deserves Folarin lashing at her she couldn't bring herself to say a word. She had shown up in her Uncle's house and they had been so happy to have her around and she had lied about her bruises, claiming it was a domestic accident. She called Folarin and she described her house to him which is where she is now. She knew she had to tell her everything without holding anything back, it hadn't been easy but she did and she is still feeling disgraced for her behaviour.
''I hope you are not pregnant,'' it was more of a statement than a question but she treated it like a question.
''No I am not.''
Folarin sat down on the floor. She had been so excited when she had called to tell her she is in Lagos and had told her to get an extra key for her house from her little sister, what she never expected was seeing a battered Henrie. ''I was so excited you kept your promise and now I see you like this, how am I supposed to feel?''
''I have nowhere else to go to,'' Henrie said in a thin voice.
Her voice instantly gentled and she moved to her who was also seated on the floor. ''You are welcome here Henrie, you should know that.''
''I know and that is why I am here.'' The tears in her eyes spilled and she swiped a hand across her face to wipe it away. ''There is nothing you can say that I haven't said to myself and I know I deserved what happened to me, it hurts a lot when I realize how much I have lost by being with Richard. I lost a good job, a chance at an apartment of my own, my self-integrity and a whole lot more. I have learnt my lesson Fola, even though it was in a bad way.''
Folarin wrapped her arms around her. ''I am sorry you have to pass through that.'' She murmured as she rubbed her back. ''You will be okay here, you can find a job. It will be okay Henrie, I promised.''
Henrie nodded. ''Thank you, and I am sorry I didn't listen to you.''
''It is okay, what matters now is that you have freed yourself from your bondage.'' They sat together like that on the floor. ''What about Charles, what will you do about him?''
''I don't know Fola. I don't know what to do with Charles.''
''You don't have to make any decisions now, just do whatever it is you deem fit.''
''I will be careful this time.''
''I know you will.''
***
The next morning Henrie woke up as early as four in the morning. Folarin wanted to cook before going to work and here in Lagos if you want to beat traffic you have to leave home as soon as possible. Henrie offered to cook while Folarin got ready. Folarin lives in a single room and with Henrie's bag the room was a little bit cramped but Folarin doesn't seem to mind. While the food is still cooking she also decides to have her bath after Folarin. Better she have her bath now than been caught in a queue outside the bathroom later. By the time she got back in the room Folarin is eating.
''You are a life safer Henrie,'' she beamed.
Henrie just shrugged. ''It's okay, you really should head out now or you will be caught in traffic.''
Folarin scrunched up her face. ''I know,'' she polished up her food and hurriedly picked up her bag. ''I will see you in the evening.''
By evening she meant night. Henrie dragged her suitcase to herself and picked out clothes. She creamed her body and then pulled on clothes before dishing food for herself. There is no light and she felt unused to not having electricity. In GRA where she was living with Richard, electricity there is stand by, she wonders how people living outside such expensive areas cope with the unstable electricity. She had better get used to it as she doesn't see herself living in another Residential area anytime soon. She wondered what to do for the day, she should go job hunting but not today and she really should stop thinking about her past, no need to dwell on depressing thoughts.
When it was late in the morning Henrie stepped out of the room, locked it and decided to walk down the street, she had better start familiarizing herself with her new street. She had grown up here but that had been another part of town, she is used to the life here. As it is Tuesday she doesn't get to see
many of her new neighbors as practically everyone is at work or school. She felt like the only jobless person in Nigeria.
Henrie started walking down the street with no destination in mind but she continued walking, keeping to the roadside. Henrie had no idea she had been walking for so long until a car parked beside her and she jumped.
''I'm sorry,'' the man inside the car apologized as he leaned towards her through the passenger's window. He flashed a wide smile and she just stared blankly at him. ''Hop in and I will take you wherever it is you are going.'' He suggested.
Henrie didn't give him a reply as she turned back towards the way she came from.
The car was close behind her. ''I promise I won't bite,'' the young man was still leaning towards the window talking to her.
Henrie felt her heart pounding so hard and she quickened her steps, blocking out his words as she hurried back home. Once she got inside she locked the door and sat down on the floor, willing her heart to calm down.
***
''I called that girl and she told me she was there.'' Richard said grimly. ''What are you not telling me?'' He eyes his brother suspiciously. It is obvious Charles is hiding something from him and that something has to do with Henrie.
Charles sighed. ''I just got back from the office and I really am not in the mood for conversation tonight, what are you doing home so early by the way?'' he tried to go to his room but his brother's hand on his arm stopped him. He gave him a look over his shoulder. ''What is the meaning of that?''
Richard released him. ''What I need you to tell me is where Henrie is.''
Charles dropped his briefcase on a chair. ''You are asking me that? Did anyone tell you I have her locked up in my room?'' He is still nursing a broken heart and he really doesn't crave his brother's company right now.
''Give me a straight answer Charles, I am sick of your evasions.'' He said through gritted teeth.
''You are the one who have her face on the TVs, I should be asking you for news of her not the other way round.'' He plopped down on the chair since it seems Richard is in a bratty mood.
''I called that girl and she said she was positive about the fact that she was still in that hotel room that day but you told me she wasn't there.''
''Motel not hotel, besides do you really think she would be so dumb as to stay put in one place when she knew you are condoning some sort of a search party for her? She is not a small child and I know she will be found when she wants to be found, so will you stop disturbing me and let me have peace of mind?'' He had been staring at his phone since the day Henrie left after Ade had told him he gave her his number but so far nothing had come out of it. He also has something he is worrying about and his brother's worries do not concern him.
''Is there something you are not telling me?'' His look was suspicious. ''It will not be fun if I realize you have been lying to me about her.''
Charles stood up and got in his face. ''Are you threatening me or what? I was not the one who locked her out all night in the cold and went at her with a belt buckle the next morning. Tell you what, I am not surprised she left and I really hope she is a million miles away from here, from you.''
Richard's anger swelled and he swung a fist at his brother, how dare he talk to him like that? All day he had been so distracted and he couldn't focus on anything and his stupid brother is giving him attitude? ''I will not tolerate such nonsense from you.'' He fumed.
''As much as I would have loved to hit you back, I am not in the mood but the next time you hit me would be the last time you would try that.'' He picked up his briefcase and stomped to his room.
Richard slumped down to the floor, his knees drawn together. You are not supposed to leave me Henrie, what am I supposed to do without you in my life? Living without you is like being the only one in the world. What am I supposed to do without you?
***
Folarin lives at Egbeda, Idimu, a more quiet area than the bustling parts of Lagos and for that Henrie is grateful. The giant building she lives in was fenced and has a rickety gate. The building faces a two lane road. There are two banks in the area, a bank directly opposite and another one at the left side of it. A restaurant extends from the compound outside, so that the tenants sometimes don't have to cook as they can easily gain entrance into the restaurant from the house using the connecting door, whereas outsiders enters the restaurant from the streets. Inside the building there is a small Mosque in front of the mosque the Landlord have Reservoirs where he sells water, big water containers are also substituted for the reservoirs when there is no water in it as he also fills those containers with water. Henrie heard that before the fuel scarcity the Landlord sells water for as low as ?10, ?15 but now any container starts from ?20 and no matter how the tenants complains, they have no other choice than to buy it.
There is a big two storey building in the center, with four rooms on each side, both upstairs and downstairs. The Landlord lives upstairs with other tenants, there is a general sitting room upstairs but the Landlord solely make use of it. There is a building directly behind the restaurant, a boys' quarters with four rooms, one room each, with four doors. A short distance beside the boys' quarters is another building which housed the four bathrooms another smaller building beside it are the two pit latrines toilets. A short distance in front of the toilet is a kitchen and another boys' quarters, with two rooms on each side which is almost directly behind the main building. The tenants of this last boys quarters cooks behind their building, a short distance from the fenced building. Folarin lives in one of these rooms but she doesn't cook behind the house as others do, instead she cooks in her room and sometimes in the passage.
Not having anything to do after she almost ran back inside in the morning, Henrie felt she should go to the market, now that Folarin will not be feeding only herself it is only proper if she were to buy foodstuffs so that it won't appear that she is feeding off her. Having a job in Lagos sometimes doesn't mean you get to have all the luxury. Living in Ilorin is much easier, rent is not as exorbitant as it is in Lagos and with a fair amount of money you can get a decent apartment. The same rent Folarin is paying for a single room in Lagos can acquire a two bedroom flat or a self contained in Ilorin. At least she wouldn't have to share toilets, bathrooms and kitchen with a hundred people. Henrie realizes that she really doesn't want to live in Lagos anymore but she doesn't have a choice, she have to stick here and maybe she will get one of those jobs that comes with a very nice apartment and an official vehicle.
She quietly made her way outside, greeting the kitchen maids working for the woman who owns the restaurant. She crossed the street to use the left side bank's ATM to withdraw cash she will take to the Ikotun Market, the nearest Market to Egbeda, Idimu. After withdrawing she waited for a bus at the bus stop beside it and as she got inside she could hear murmurings from the passengers she met inside the bus.
''Everything is so difficult these days, everything is so expensive. I took a bus to the market yesterday for ?70 and today it is suddenly ?80, what about tomorrow?'' The woman Henrie sat beside complained. She is sweating profusely and Henrie knew she was still dry skinned because she hasn't been in the scorching sun for so long.
''I don't know why you are complaining, what about us that queue in the filling stations for hours just to get fuel? I slept in the filling station last night, if you can't pay ?80 to Ikotun get down.'' The bus driver said, turning his head back slightly to glare at the woman.
Another woman behind Henrie hissed. ''If not because of the economy would you get to talk anyhow to people? You garage boys are rascals.''
The conductor who was hanging by the door narrowed his eyes at the lady. ''It's not your fault, I don't blame you either, if your Father has a commercial bus tell him to be charging ?50 to Ikotun.''
The lady behind Henrie flared up and she turned her head slightly to look at her, the lady was younger than Henrie and fair skinned unlike her own brown skin. ''You are very stupid for what you just said, useless things
. If your own father had been successful in life you wouldn't be a conductor at your age. Your mates are out there doing white collar jobs you are here wasting your life as a conductor for a younger guy. Idiot.'' The bus was in an uproar as people started laughing while the tight faced conductor gritted his teeth, obviously trying to rein in his anger. ''Don't worry, I will get you some other time.'' He threatened before looking back out.
One of the things interesting about boarding a Molue in Lagos is that drama always happens inside the bus. The bus rolled to a stop at the bus stop nearest to the market and everyone alighted. The bus conductor made sure he intentionally knocked the girl sideways and she retorted back with a string of curses but he ignored her as he got back into the bus.
Henrie entered the market and started walking around for what she wants to buys. The sellers are trying to get the attentions of everyone as they call out to people. Henrie wanted to buy tomatoes and pepper after she bought Rice, Beans and Garri.
''Omoge please buy from me,'' a busty woman called out, an apron tied to her body as she tried to reach for Henrie's hand. Henrie stayed, the earlier she gets out of here the better. After buying tomatoes and pepper from the woman she bought onions from one of the Hausa guys and then she bought fish in one of the cold rooms in the market. By the time she got inside the bus to go home her arms are aching from carrying so much. She dropped in the bus stop near the bank and gently made her way to the gate. She walked to the room, deposited everything on the floor and sat down, chest heaving. It had been so long she has done anything so stressful and she blocked out where her thoughts are leading. Before she got to Lagos on Monday she had gotten another Sim card and registered it before her bus was full, she have a new phone number now but she wasn't ready to talk to anyone else, most especially Charles.
***
''You are awfully quiet these days.'' Ada noted as she sat down beside Charles on his bed. He had that far away look in his eyes again and he had been indifferent to her these days, it's as if she wasn't there anymore. ''Ever since Henrie left I have been dealing with you and your brother's moodiness. Him I can understand why he is that way but you I have no explanation for why you should be so moody.'' She had started feeling uncomfortable in the house, Richard seldom talks and Charles is now gloomy than he normally was. There had not been any improvement in their relationship either, in fact it felt as if she doesn't know him anymore. He is much more different from the Charles she had known most of her life. ''What is wrong with you Charles, what is getting you so worked up?''