Love's Second Chance

by Myne Whitman

  “I have to ask why your parents told Efe you no longer wanted to marry her. Don’t you think it’s strange?” Gbubemi asked.

  Kevwe knew he had to choose his words with care. “I still don’t understand it. I mean, I doubted Efe when she first told me she’d been deceived. I had believed my parents for years, and there appeared no way to confirm her words with my father dead.”

  “Your father is dead?” Dr. Sagay asked. “When did he die?”

  “He died from a heart attack, three months ago.”

  Everyone seemed to release a collective breath.

  Mrs. Sagay sniffed, “You know it’s true what Efe said about your father hating her and not supporting your marriage?”

  “I’m sorry I ever distrusted her. Then, it seemed easier to believe what I’d always known. I’ll certainly get to the root of the matter this time.”

  “I hope the rationale for the strange act did not go to the grave with your father.”

  “What of your mother?” Gbubemi asked, “If she’s alive, she’s in a better position to shed more light on the matter.”

  Kevwe sighed; they had come full circle again. At this stage, he could not postpone the meeting with his mother any further. “She’s in Benin, and we’re making plans to go and visit.”

  “Efe told me your mother was kind to her throughout your relationship.”

  “That’s why I found it hard to believe that…that…” Kevwe stumbled.

  “She stood by and allowed your father to bully my daughter?” Mrs. Sagay completed.

  “I’m so sorry,” Kevwe said finally.

  “Your mother took your ring away from Efe and said nothing to you, not in all these years.” Dr. Sagay did not bother to mince words. “The best way to show you’re sincere is to confront her and get the truth.”

  “We were ringside spectators, and I tell you, your parents’ deceit nearly cost Efe her life and a future in the United States.”

  **

  16

  Lagos. December 4, 2009. 9pm

  Kevwe was exhausted by the time they returned to their Festac duplex. He’d promised Dr. Sagay he would put things right. Before they left, Efe’s parents had given them Nneka’s address and phone number in Abuja. At home, he and Ofure spent a few minutes munching on some cold sandwiches while watching television. In the bedroom, Kevwe unbuttoned his shirt with one hand while rubbing his swelling left jaw with the other. A tension headache was also on its way.

  “That young man packs quite a punch.”

  “Sorry,” Ofure replied. He stopped suddenly and clapped his palm to his forehead, “My God!”

  “What is it?” Kevwe asked, striding over to his brother’s side.

  “What happened back then, I remember it more clearly now. I have to tell you this, it’s about the day you woke up.”

  Kevwe imagined his brother’s thoughts as Ofure narrated them.

  Ofure had returned to Nigeria a day after Kevwe’s accident with no one having to tell him about it. During a hospital round, he’d felt as if a truck had fallen on him, and knew then something terrible had happened to his twin. He left soon after, and was at the airport the next day ready to board any available flight to Nigeria. The call had then come from his parents, to tell him of the accident. Road safety officials contacted them with news that Kevwe was LUTH, and they were on their way to the Lagos. Ofure arrived at the hospital the next day.

  Kevwe lay in a coma in the hospital, and it could have gone either way, but on the third day he regained consciousness. While their parents returned to Benin, Ofure remained at his brother’s side. Kevwe’s injuries had an effect on his body and inflicted him with a serious headache.

  Their father insisted Kevwe be treated at the Benin hospital while waiting for a trip out of the country for physiotherapy, so Ofure accompanied Kevwe on the military helicopter which moved him. Ofure was happy to see an orthopedic specialist and a dedicated nurse with all the needed equipment there.

  The day they found that Efe had deserted Kevwe, Ofure and Ugome had just been to see him in hospital before driving back in the rain. When they entered the house, Ugome propped the large umbrella they’d used beside the door and headed to the kitchen. Ofure closed the front door behind him, calling for their mother.

  “Welcome. Did you get the drugs?”

  To his annoyance, Ugome followed their mother into the hall. Though Kevwe had never mentioned her, she was supposed to be his girlfriend. Ofure found her clingy nature irritating. She’d also refused his offer to drop her off on the way from the hospital.

  “Who was that leaving with Dad as we arrived?”

  “Mr. Edewor?” His mum stopped at the sitting room doorway.

  “No. There was another car ahead of Dad and his friend. I drove past them near the gates when we came in.”

  “Are you sure they left from here?”

  “Yes, I’m quite sure.” Ofure searched his mother’s confused face and continued, “It was a girl, and she looked familiar…”

  “Oh, it must have been...” Mrs. Mukoro began.

  And then it struck him, “Isn’t she Kevwe’s former girl?” She looked different from the pictures he’d seen, maybe because of the rain.

  “Yes, it was Efe…”

  “Did she want to see him? Is she on her way to the hospital?”

  “No. She doesn’t want to see Kevwe. Your father said Efe came to return the ring your brother gave her.” His mother stretched out an open palm, and a narrow ring gleamed. “Efe heard of Kevwe’s injuries and says she cannot be tied to a crippled man. She wants to leave and has broken up with Kevwe.”

  That couldn’t be true, Ofure thought in shock at his mother’s first sentence, but her next words barely registered as a sudden pain sprouted and intensified in his skull.

  He moaned. In his head, Kevwe screamed, “No... No!”

  Ofure grabbed his head in his hands and staggered to the nearest wall, his breathing coming in ragged bursts.

  His mother and Ugome were beside him immediately. “Ofure, are you alright? What’s happening?” his mother demanded.

  The shrill ringing of the phone in the living room pierced the air. Ofure bounded to the phone with long steps. It was the nurse their dad had paid to take extra care of Kevwe at the hospital.

  “What is it?” he asked her.

  “I’m not sure. Your brother’s temperature and blood pressure just shot up and he woke up screaming,” the nurse said, adding, “I want to call the Neuro team. I’m supposed to, once Kevwe regains consciousness.”

  Ofure slammed the phone on its receiver, and not even waiting for their mum or Ugome, he dashed into the rain, and drove like crazy to the hospital. It took about ten minutes, but he when he got to his brother’s private room, Kevwe was still screaming. Ofure ordered the two nurses in the room out and tried to calm Kevwe. But first, he had to control himself. He took deep breaths and let them out slowly before placing his palms on Kevwe’s shoulders. Gradually, Kevwe stopped screaming, opening tearful eyes.

  “It’s not true, is it? Where is Efe? I want to hear it from her.” Kevwe tried to sit up, but the bandages and wires on various parts of his body wouldn’t let him.

  “Efe cannot leave me. I won’t believe it. No... No... I can’t bear it. Make the pain go away, Ofure please, tell me it’s not true. Say it’s not true, say it...”

  The tears overflowed his eyes as he looked around blearily. Just as fast as he had tensed up, Kevwe slumped back on the bed. “Why would Efe leave me? No, it’s not true.” He shook his head from side to side.

  Ofure bent over him again. He placed his right palm on his twin’s forehead and with the left, wiped away the tears clouding his eyes. Before long, Kevwe fell into a deep sleep. By the time the resident neurologists came, his brother’s blood pressure and temperature were normal, and he slept peacefully.

  Ofure took painkillers and sank down in the bedside chair. He knew it was only Kevwe’s weakness that allowed him to do what he’d just don
e. He sighed as thoughts of Efe came into his mind, but ignored them, so as not to disturb Kevwe.

  “So that’s what happened,” Ofure said, bringing Kevwe to the present. Kevwe had listened to his brother and tried to see and feel as much of the memories as he could.

  “You didn’t tell me about the pain you felt.” Kevwe blamed himself for not letting his brother share more of the experiences around his accident.

  “I couldn’t, it would’ve been too much for you. I was sorry at the ordeal I caused you to find out about Efe. I only kept us connected then, so I could know when you needed me.”

  Kevwe had guessed. The shared memories had brought the past pain to the surface, making his right knee throb. As he’d tried to make sense of what had happened back then, he’d concluded it was the American visa, if not his injuries, that had taken Efe from him. There had been no other explanation.

  Now, he spent several minutes in silence putting the new details together, from Efe, her parents, and Ofure.

  “There’s something I don’t understand,” He said to Ofure. “You said to Mother you saw Efe in a taxi…”

  “Yes I did,” Ofure nodded. “It nagged at me, but before I could ask Mother, you woke up, and what happened then drove the thought completely from my mind. As we drove along outside the barbed wire surrounding the house, I saw Efe walking down the front steps, arms wrapped around her middle. She didn’t look like she was there to break the engagement. I think she was crying.”

  Kevwe squeezed his hands. “Not as heartless as Dad told it.”

  “No.” Ofure eyes filled with understanding and pity. “I think it’s certain Dad broke your engagement. Maybe he never approved of Efe and couldn’t tell you…”

  “He did tell me.” Kevwe had already figured that out. He felt tears prick his eyes as he wondered why his father had lied to Efe. Why he’d gone to such lengths. “But he promised not to stand in our way. He promised.”

  “With you in hospital and mum distracted, the opportunity of your accident must have been too hard for him to resist...” Ofure was cut off as Kevwe jumped to his feet.

  “You call that opportunity? I was at death’s door, and instead of thanking God, he chose to cut off someone I loved. And Mother! Where was she in all of this?”

  “Kevwe, please be calm.” Ofure was beside him in an instant, but when he tried to touch him, Kevwe sprang away.

  “Don’t touch me, don’t you dare try to manipulate me. You of all people know what I passed through, what pain!” Kevwe was furious, and he gave free rein to his anger. The blood surged through him, and his breath came in hard bursts. His parents must have been out of their minds to do what they did to Efe.

  “They broke the poor girl’s heart!” Kevwe shouted, choking in his rage. And he’d doubted her too. What a total fiasco. He jumped to his feet and marched to the faucet in the attached bathroom. He needed something to wash this bitter taste out of his mouth.

  “Slow down, please. You’re giving me a headache.” Ofure followed more slowly. “Dad is dead now, but I guess we can always ask Mum what exactly happened that day.”

  “Of course I will be asking her.” Kevwe filled a little cup and swished water around his mouth. He wanted to speak to Efe; needed to speak to her. Too bad she was inaccessible. But he would certainly speak to his mother. He pushed past Ofure at the door.

  “Where is my phone?” he asked. “I need to call Mother now.”

  “Both phones are downstairs. We left our jackets in the living room. Let me speak with her…”

  Kevwe ignored him and bounded down the stairs. But he moved too quickly for his right leg, and stumbled over the last step, landing heavily. He sat there dazed, his chest pounding from exertion. When Ofure got to him, he was still bent over from the pain, and tears flowed unchecked down his face.

  “Are you OK?”

  Kevwe shook his head. “Oh, my God,” he repeated, dragging in deep breaths and letting them out. How he could he be okay after finding out what had happened? What Efe had gone through, how his own parents had deceived him? He sat there at the foot of the stairs with his hands on his bent head and laughed bitterly.

  “Kevwe, are you sure you’re alright?” Concern was heavy on the hand Ofure rubbed along his shoulder.

  Kevwe shrugged him off as he mused, half to himself. “I remember the day Dad first met Efe. His behavior was so strange, but Mum explained it away as a passing mood. And he did change; only he bided his time. Later, when he spoke openly, I assumed it was a spillover from all the violence in Warri. Damn it!”

  “Kevwe,” Ofure chided, “the old man is gone.”

  “It’s so easy for you to say.” Kevwe glared at him. “Look what he did to me. His actions have cost me so many years with Efe already. I don’t even know if we still have a future together. Do you think she’ll forgive me?”

  “I know you love Efe and if, like Stanley said, she still cares for you, then there’s a chance for both of you. I can go as far as betting she’ll surely forgive you once we clear up this misunderstanding. Love will make a way. ”

  Kevwe allowed Ofure’s hand on his shoulder and gave himself over to the soothing tones of his voice, letting it calm him.

  “What do you say I call Nneka now and ask to see her on Sunday? I’ll call mum too so first thing tomorrow we’ll go up to Abuja and then get a Sunday ticket to Benin?”

  Kevwe nodded.

  **

  17

  Abuja. December 6, 2009. 2pm

  “I’ll get it,” Nneka sang out when the doorbell rang, and went to open the door, leaving Dozie with the baby.

  She screamed at the two mirror images standing at her doorstep, enough for her husband to come running. Dozie pushed her away from the door, and used his body to block the opening.

  “What is it? Nneka, what’s wrong?”

  “Sorry, it’s nothing,” Nneka smiled at him, took his hand, and pulled the door wide again. “They just caught me unawares.”

  “Who are they?” Dozie asked.

  She watched surprise and tension flit over his face as he studied the twins. It was somewhat eerie to see two such identical people together, when you didn’t know who they were. She had been screaming too. She smiled at her husband gratefully. “They’re Efe’s twins.”

  “Do you want them in the house?”

  “Yes,” Nneka stammered apologetically. “Let them come in.”

  She led the way into the sitting-room. She had never seen Ofure before, so she stared openly trying to tell which twin was Kevwe, but there was no perceptible difference.

  “Dozie, this is Kevwe and Ofure…” One of the twins smiled as he stepped toward her, and she knew it just had to be Kevwe. The limp also gave him away.

  “Hello, Nneka. After all these years, it’s good to meet you.”

  She shook his hand and turned to the other guy. “You must be the doctor then.” He nodded and shook her hand too.

  Nneka needed a moment to calm down, and so picked up Anuli and excused herself. She came out later with a feeding bottle stuck in the baby’s mouth, and saw the men chatting.

  She handed the baby to Dozie and sat beside him. “Welcome again to my home. This is my husband Dozie, the baby is Anuli...”

  “He told us already,” Kevwe informed her, smiling. She was still the same Nneka he’d known in school, cheerful and outgoing.

  “So how did you find me?” Nneka asked.”

  “Stanley… you know him?” Nneka nodded. “He gave me the address to Efe’s family, and they passed on your contacts. We called the number they gave us, but we got no reply.”

  “Oh, I lost that phone and got a new number,” Nneka said, “But tell me how it was, your meeting with Efe’s family?”

  “Let’s just say there was some physical damage involved.”

  They all laughed and then Dozie said, “My wife has already told me the story and so I don’t blame them. I want to ask, how come your parents broke up the relationship?”

 
Kevwe sighed, “It’s a long story. My father never wanted Efe as a daughter-in-law. He sent her away and told me she’d deserted me because she couldn’t stay with a cripple. I was bed-ridden for a year and by the time I could walk; everybody had dispersed. I guess that helped him get away with it.”

  “No wonder you never came looking for Efe,” Nneka mused.

  “Actually, Ofure went to UniBen to find her. He was told she had transferred and left the school for good.”

  Nneka glanced at his silent twin. “Didn’t you ask for me too?

  “I did,” Ofure said. “The school had just finished exams then, and everyone was on break. I had to return to America soon after.”

  “Don’t tell me you stopped searching.” Nneka sat forward and pinned Kevwe with a glare. “Efe wouldn’t have abandoned you.”

  “I know.” Kevwe had felt the stabs of guilt all day. “But you have to understand the emotional space I occupied at that time. Efe wasn’t there, and the pains all over my body told me she simply left.”

  Silence cloaked the room for a while, broken by Anuli blowing bubbles after finishing her bottle. Nneka took her from Dozie, laid her belly down between them, and rubbed her back.

  “I couldn’t rest,” Kevwe continued. “I asked my mum to send for you, and the response was they couldn’t locate you. By the time I could move around, you’d graduated and left school. I didn’t have your home address, so that door was closed. I still walked with a cane when I traveled to Warri to look for Efe. I found they’d moved, and no one seemed to know their whereabouts. It was another dead-end, and I had to accept that she was lost to me. But there was no waking moment I didn’t think of her.”

  A collective sigh followed this emotional confession, and then Nneka offered to serve drinks, standing with the now sleeping child.

  “Soft drinks will be okay for both of us,” Ofure said.

  “So you’re the black widow’s husband?” Dozie asked, once Nneka stepped beyond the door. “She’s been mourning you since.”