HER LAST WISH Chapter 68

(Moremi)

Zeemah Writes 📝

IF YOU MISS ANY EPISODE CLICK HERE

“Moremi! I’m pregnant!”

Layla who had answered the phone drowsily sat up almost immediately.
“Huh?” She had to ask, thinking she had heard wrong in the state of her drowsiness.
“I’m pregnant!” Aunt Esther repeated and Layla’s face brightened in a big smile.

When her phone started ringing by 2:15 am, and she saw it was her Aunt. In her drowsy state, she hoped nothing was wrong. Aunt Esther never calls by this time.
She had asked her Aunt if she was okay.
“Oh my God, did I wake you up. Ah, I’m so sorry my love. It’s because of how overexcited I am, it totally made me forget about the time difference” Her Aunt had apologized.
“It’s fine” She had yawned, relieved.
And then the big announcement had dropped.

“This is such a great news! Wow. Congratulations Aunt” Layla felt her inside dance in excitement.
“Thank you, I’m three weeks pregnant. You won’t even believe I’ve been pregnant before I even came to Las Vegas and I didn’t even know” The sound of her Aunt’s happy laughter filled her ear.
“Really? You were carrying a baby during those moment you were venting to me?”
“Exactly! Ah God is just so wonderful. My enemies have been put to shame”

“I’m really happy for you Aunt, this is just great” Layla was close to crying out of the joy she felt.
“I found out just this morning o, you know that grandma I told you guys about?”
“The one who tells night tales?”
“Yes! She called me yesterday and told me I’m pregnant. I laughed it off and she did same today, she kept persisting, I Sha bought a pregnancy test kit just to get her off my back, I did the test and it was positive! For you to even know how of a disbelief it seemed to me; I told my husband the kit might be fake because there are just a lot of fake things here and he insisted we go to the hospital, it was there it was confirmed that I’m three weeks pregnant o”
“You mean the grandma said you were pregnant and it turned out you really were?”
“Yes!”
“How?” Layla furrowed her brows.

“I also don’t know o. Although, I’ve always heard older people have this way of detecting a pregnant woman but I’ve never believed until it happened to me. ”
“That’s just phenomenal. Wow”
“Exactly”
“But you’re really pregnant, I’m so happy for you damn!”
“Thanks, my love. David is also very excited ehn, even more excited than me and his father, he has been jumping around everywhere since we told him. Most of his friends have younger siblings and he has been yearning for one as well but he couldn’t tell us, he said he knew how we felt about not having another child yet so he didn’t want to add to our misery.”
“Dave is such a sweet and smart boy, totally compassionate!” Layla’s heart swell, feeling really proud of her nephew. .
“Aunt Moremi, I’ll be having a baby sister or brother soon” Layla heard him say in the background and chuckled.

His Mum told him to go attend to the customer who just came into the shop and he happily went ahead.
“And how’s Mr. Femi?”
“He is fine o, he’s out now though”
“Say hi to him for me when he’s back”
“I will”

“Moremi,” Aunt Esther sigh “I’m worried”
“Huh? Why? What is wrong?” Layla sat up more properly, what could possibly make her Aunt worried after such a great news.
“You know it’s been ten years I conceived last, it might be quite difficult for me now. Although I know my husband is going to help in every way he can and I’m also going to try my best but I’m still scared, my body is not familiar with carrying a baby anymore.
For now though, I’m not feeling weird or anything but I know that feeling is going to come later on, as the baby develops and I don’t even want to think about the delivery process, I’m so anxious even though I’m just three weeks gone” Her anxiety so obvious in her voice.

Layla sigh deeply. “Do you remember what I told you about you being responsible for your own feelings? . . . I understand how you are feeling Aunt and it’s very normal to feel that way but you can choose not to. You shouldn’t burden your mind with such thoughts or it’s going to manifest. Say to yourself every day that the process is going to be nothing but easy for you, let that be your mantra and trust God, have faith in him to come through for you. Our words are manifestations, whatever we repeatedly think about or say to ourself manifests in our lives. Open up to God, pray to him, he listens”

“Are you there?” Layla asked when she didn’t hear anything from the other end, except sniffs.
“You are crying?” She asked, widening her eyes.
“Why didn’t I think of God in the first place. I can’t believe I totally. . . forgot about him, I hope he forgives me” Aunt Esther said, her voice filled with great remorse.
“C’mon, you need to stop crying, you now conceive a baby and you shouldn’t do anything to trigger the poor little fella okay?” Layla said and achieved her aim in making her Aunt smile.

“Thank you so much Remi, the way I always feel better after talking to you ehn, I think I should start paying you ”
“I don’t mind though” Layla joked and they laugh.

“You must come to Nigeria when I give birth o.” Aunt Esther said, the excitement in her voice unmistakable.

“Moremi,” She called after Layla didn’t respond to what she just said “Are you okay?”
“Aunt Esther”
“Ehn?”
“How about I come before you give birth” .

***

Layla knocked on Phil’s door excitedly.

She’s going to Nigeria.

She’ll get to see her Aunt and nephew once again, she’ll get to be around the baby inside her Aunt even though It’s not going to be physical but it’s something!
She knows she’s never going to make it till the time her Aunt gives birth so why not utilize the little time she has left.
Her aim is to do all she has ever wanted to before whatever happen happens.

She’ll even get to visit her Dad’s grave, something she’s wanted for a long time and spend some time in her father’s country which is also partly her country. She had thought to wait until her friends are ready so they could visit Nigeria together but she doesn’t have the grace. She can’t wait anymore, she doesn’t want to have any regrets; who knows when she’ll suddenly collapse.
She’s going to Nigeria as soon as possible and she didn’t even care it was midnight, she knocked on Phil’s door to tell her.

“The door is not locked” Phil said after a while and she stepped in.
She walked closer to Phil, still bursting with happiness.

“Is there anything…?”
“I’m going to Nigeria!” She announced happily.
She had to laugh, noticing how Phil looked at her; like she’s losing her mind.

“What are you doing?” She asked, after watching Phil pick her phone.
Phil ignored her.
“Hi Doc. Mart, can I have you here by morning please, my niece is losing her mind!” Phil said, the panic in her voice obvious.
“Oh My God!” Layla couldn’t help but start laughing again.
“Doc, can you hear her laugh! She came into my room in the middle of the night and announced she’s going to another country and she has been laughing and smiling weirdly since then”
Layla couldn’t hear what the doctor said on the other end but Phil replied with “Okay thank you so much, I’ll be expecting you by morning”

“Phil, there’s nothing wrong with me!” Layla wished she could stop laughing so Phil can actually believe her but the laughter keeps rolling out of her.
Phil ignored her yet again, hugging her knees to her chest, looking so worried.
Layla sigh and moved closer, knowing she has to be serious now.

“Phil, I’m fine. The reason I’m this excited is because Aunt Esther called me few moments ago; She’s pregnant. You know David is the only child she’s got for ten years now and she has been ridiculed over her inability to conceive after. I’m just so excited for her”
“Really?” Phil looked as though she’s starting to believe her now.
Layla nodded. “She said I must come when she gives birth and you know I’ll probably not. . . ” Layla swallowed hard “make it to that time, so I thought it’d be best to go now, I’ll even get to visit my Dad’s grave and spend some time in my father’s country. That’s the reason I’m so happy, there’s nothing wrong with me, I’m perfectly fine”

“Oh,” Phil sigh. “Why didn’t you just say that then?”
“I was overexcited and the way you reacted was quite funny to me, you didn’t even give room for proper explanation before concluding that I must be out of my mind”
“I’m sorry about that. I should call the Doc back immediately,” Phil picked her phone. “Congratulations to Esther though, I’m glad for her” Phil added as she dialed the Doctor’s number.
She told the doctor not to bother that she totally misunderstood her niece’s excitement for something else.

“Come sit Layla” Phil patted the space beside her.
Layla sit.
“I feel this is the right time to tell you what really happened between your Mum and I. ” Phil swallowed hard.
“You don’t have to, if you don’t feel up to it” Layla said, on noticing how disturbed Phil looked.
“I’m fine. When Celine chose to marry your father, I didn’t hate her, at all. After all, she was free to make her choice, and whatever choice Celine made, I was always fine with it and even supported her when necessary. Although our parents were strongly against it and I even persuaded them severally to let Celine be and allow her be with whosoever she chooses. They both refused vehemently, I don’t understand what they had against black people.
Our father was quite sick at the time, I had to tell Celine to take it easy with him, but she was just so adamant. They argued all the time. Cel was quite notorious for been fierce, she was known for going for what she wants and it wasn’t different with your father. She wanted him and went for him at the expense of our parents’ lives. Celine didn’t even care or think about how these two people struggled to make us live the best lives they could afford. Like most parents, our parents went all out for us, they were bent on making us have a great future, ” Phil sigh deeply.
“Our father died of heart attack on hearing Celine got married to your father. Cel didn’t feel remorse and disconnected the call when I informed her of his death, it made me really sad and pissed but I loved Celine so much and couldn’t hold it against her. Besides, Cel doesn’t show deep emotions, she would rather cry by herself in her room without anyone knowing than breaking down in the presence of people. You’re just like her” Phil smiled, even though tears were welling in her eyes now.

“So I took it that she felt really sorry about our father’s death but didn’t show it. She didn’t visit nor call back to check on us or even ask about his burial arrangements. I did everything on my own and I didn’t even mind, our mother was so down at the time so she couldn’t help. I called Celine again to tell her about the burial date and venue and. . .What your mother said bred my dislike for her”
Layla has never seen tears drop from Phil’s eyes except this moment.

“She said; ‘ I’m not going to attend his burial because he was just so headstrong and if he had given in to my wish, he wouldn’t have died aimlessly! What type of parents would be so cruel and not give in to whatever is going to make their child happy? You should better warn Mum to mind her business or she’s going to have the same fate like her husband’ ”
Layla gasp, the expression of ‘did her mother really said that’ on her face.
“I’ve never felt more rage in my life, who turns against their parents so cruelly because of someone else. Although I know Cel might have solely made the decision to act that way but I blamed your father for it and I hated him for ruining our family. We ended quarreling over the phone and that was how it started” Phil wiped the tears on her face dry, sniffed and continued;

“Several years passed and just like your mother, our mother was also diagnosed with blood cancer, it was too late when we found out, no surgery could be performed, I had to wait in anguish for her death. She badly wanted to see Cel before she died, that was her only wish. I called Celine after years of not speaking to each other. I told her what was going on and what our mother wanted. She again disconnected the call and. . .didn’t show up until the day of our mother’s burial, I didn’t know who informed her because I didn’t, it took everything in me not to fight her that day and I’m glad I didn’t because that was the last, I saw of her until I was informed of her death”

“Phil,” Layla said in a croaked voice “I. . . I’m so sorry about that, I didn’t know that was what. . . happened”
“Yeah, the reason I held back from telling you till this moment is because I didn’t want to change your view of your mother. I didn’t tell you that with the intention of painting her badly. I told you because I thought it’s time you knew. Don’t see your mother in a different light, I’m sure Cel also had her regrets before she died.”
Layla nodded, her eyes brewing with tears.

“Layla, I should apologize for maltreating you, it was so dumb of me to have transferred the dislike I had for your mother to you, I foolishly couldn’t help it because I. . . saw your mother in you.
Of course I know apologising is not even enough, it can’t even quantify the terrible way I’ve reacted to you. Even the fact that I’ve started treating you better does not erase the fact that I’ve mistreated you in the past. I’ve never stopped feeling dreadful after realising what I was doing to you. And even if you forgive me, I can never forgive myself. It’s going to be embedded in my heart forever. . . That is not even enough punishment to have treated you that badly. Did I even ever love Celine? If I did, I wouldn’t have treated her child badly because of what she did.” Fresh tears blurred Phil’s vision. “I’m so sorry to have made you bear the brunt of what you know nothing about, I’m sorry to have been the most cruel and terrible Aunt to you. Forgive me Layla” Phil was wailing vigorously now, the pain in her tears very obvious.
Layla couldn’t help but start crying also, holding Phil’s hand as they cried together.

“I forgive you; I’ve forgiven you long before now, I have nothing against you anymore I swear. I love you Phil and I mean it” Layla pulled her into a hug, patting her back slowly as Phil sobbed on her shoulder.

“Is that the reason. . . You aborted your baby? You were feeling bad about the way you’ve treated me?”
Phil nodded.
“OMG, Phil, you shouldn’t have done that, that baby is innocent, didn’t have to bear the brunt of what he or she isn’t responsible for” Layla sigh.
“The thought of having my own child after what I did to you. . . Besides, I wasn’t ready for a child, I was not in the right state of mind to conceive or even think about rai sing a child and, ” Phil interlocked her fingers, looking quite embarrassed. “You know. . . different men do come here at that time, I wasn’t sure who the father was. It was draining and I had to do it for my sanity”

“I’m very glad we finally had this conversation. Phil, you need to forgive yourself, everyone has done something they aren’t proud of, you need to let go of it so you can move on, dwelling on the past keeps you rooted in a place.”
“I don’t think I can ever get over how I’ve treated you”
“You can, if you try. You need to forgive yourself first and every other thing comes after”
“I’ll try” Phil nodded, knowing it’s not possible to forgive herself to have treated her niece that badly.

They both talked into the morning and slept side by side till noon.

……………….