Unbreakable

Part 2

picture credit- PicsArt

Yemisi bounced her head to the latest Olamide song playing on the car stereo. Then she started singing to Bilal who pretended to concentrate on his driving.

“Who you epp? Who you epp? You don baff? Who you serve?”

Bilal turned off the stereo.

“Ahan, why so grumpy?”

“You Yorubas are too noisy. I actually like that Olamide guy, I just don’t understand what he is saying.

“Which is exactly why I am singing it.” She turned it on again. “Coming thru, issue, Pound Sterling lawa fin shey tissue.”

Bilal turned it off. She turned it on. He turned it off, she turned it on again.

“Yemisi, you want to kill three of us abi? That song will cause an accident o.”

Yemisi turned off the stereo.

“Mr.Bilal, how will the song cause accident?”

“How do I know you are not planning to sell me? I don’t understand what you and your Olamide are saying.”

“Bilal, the baby wants the song.” Yemisi said putting up her cutest face

Bilal’s heart tugged in his chest at how beautiful she was. He was so lucky. He turned the radio on and kept driving, happy at her excitement. He had a headache but it didn’t compare to the happiness he felt. They had not planned it at all but on that night Yemisi showed up at his door, his emotions went beyond explanation. He had been working on his laptop and sipping a cup of juice. He had gone to the door wondering who it could be. As he opened the door, he had seen her and immediately turned back into the house. He had been calling her for days, she had not been picking up and he was just short of going crazy with worry. He had planned to go to Lagos, damning the consequences to see her. Whatever her parents wanted they could do, he was too worried to care. And here she was looking perfectly normal. He was so angry that he sat down and went back to his laptop. He heard her come in and sit in a chair. He still did not look at her.

“Bilal”

He heard her call him softly. He steeled himself and refused to look up. She knew the things to do to him to make him band to her whims, like she always says “I know your mumu button.” This time, he would not let her press that button.

“Bilal!” she called, her voice stronger this time. He concentrated harder on his laptop. He could tell she was getting angry. Well, she should feel what she had been putting him through. He heard the movements. He could tell she stood up and picked up her bag. His heart started to race. Was she leaving? Already?! He was still wondering when the drama would end when he felt something hit him on the head.

“Ouch!Yemisi, what the heck?” He glared at her.

“Just looked at the content, you idiot.” He had picked up the nylon and brought out a big brown paper bag from it. He brought out the contents of the bag which were five same sticks.

“What is this?”

“What sort of question is that? Are you blind?”

“Are these pregnancy test sticks?”

“Yes.” Yemisi went back and sat in a chair.

Bilal closed his eyes and held his head in his hand for about a minute.

“Yemisi, are you really pregnant?”

“Yes” Yemisi said resignedly.

Bilal had gotten up and left the sitting room. Yemisi had watched his retreating back and burst into tears. She had hoped that his reaction would be different, but then here came reality. She took a throw pillow and cried into it. Her mother had been right all along. If she had known, she would have listened. Her emotions went from sad to angry, back to sad and then angry. How dare Bilal treat her like this, despite all she had been through just to be with him? How dare he? Then her emotion went on to self-pity. How could fate be so cruel to her? Who had she offended? Why did she..? she was yet to process the thought when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She raised her head and met with Bilal’s face. She moved back shocked. That was when she saw that Bilal was on a knee. He opened the box in his hand which had a beautiful silver ring, encrusted with a diamond.

“Please Marry me Yemisi.”

“Well, you’re lucky this ring is not gold.”

Bilal looked at her exasperated. “Yemisi…”

“Oh yeah. I mean Yes Bilal. I would marry you.” She burst into laughter hugged him. She pulled him off his knee and they danced to an unheard music. She paused and looked up at him.

“Bilal, what about my parents?”

“Babes, we’re having a baby. They really don’t have any choice. Stop worrying and enjoy the moment.”

Bilal had informed his friends the next day and they had taken him and Yemisi out to celebrate.

As they waited for the gate to be opened, Bilal turned the stereo off again.

“Nawa to you o.” Yemisi hissed.

“Haba babes, is it not enough? I told you I have a headache maa.”

“Oh. Sorry, I thought it stopped. All you AA people, always having head.”

“You and your theories. I’m not AA, I’m AS. Thank God you are not a doctor, you would have killed your patients with fake theories.”

As soon as the car drove into the compound, Yemisi picked her bag, got out of the car and slammed the door. Bilal looked at her angry walk and wondered what he had said that was wrong. He picked up the food pack in the car and went inside. As soon as he opened the front door, he heard her sobbing. He stood there confused. What on earth happened? What had he done or said wrong? Or was this how pregnancy was? How could her mood go from excited at the celebration to very excited on a “who you epp?” level, then being caring to angry, and now sobbing? He said a silent prayer for strength. He went to her and tried to pull her to him. She pulled away from him, he tried again and she pushed him harder. He picked her up from the chair and sat on the three-seater carefully cradling her in his arms.

“Babes, what’s wrong?”

She sobbed harder.

“Babes please talk to me.”

Her sobs intensified.

“Haba baby, why are you doing this maa? Just tell me what I did wrong. Okay, I’m sorry, I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Just stop crying.”

She kept on crying and he just sat there rocking her. He bent and kissed her forehead. She sat up on his leg and cradled his face.

“Bilal I love you so much.”

“Yemisi, I love you too. If it is how handsome I am you suddenly noticed that is making you cry, pale, please stop.”

Yemisi smiled at his attempt to make a joke.

“It’s pele, not pale.”

She hugged him tight and got off his leg, she sat next to him. He held her hand. He didn’t bother to ask what went wrong. He knew she was ready to tell him.

“Bilal, I am AS too.”

Bilal’s eyes widened. The more the realization dawned on him, the wider his eyes grew.

“No, Yemisi. No way.”

“Yes Bilal. It’s true.”

It was his turn to be sad. She pulled him on her leg and gently rubbed his head. Why did Fate have to play such tricks? Why couldn’t life ever turn out perfect?