Pregnant with my child! Pregnant with my child! Pregnant with my child!
Those words kept chiming like bells in Ifesinachi's head. Something was definitely going wrong. What was he up to?
She was too stunned to speak, whatever was happening now was happening too fast, and she couldn't fathom it.
Finally, she opened her mouth to speak, but Bradley cut her off again with his words.
"Since the pregnancy, I realised she easily gets tired." He tilted his head from the couple to look at her. "Hon, I told you to stop working, that this will stress you out, but you can be stubborn at times."
Dear Lord, Ifes thought, Bradley will make a terrific actor.
He gestured towards the counter. "I have to take you home now. Let's go meet your manager."
Addressing the couple, he said, "We are sorry, but we have to go now." And with a firm grip, he pulled her to follow him.
"What's happening here Bradley?" Ifes asked on their way to the manager's office.
"Keep quiet! Just shut up and let me do the talking," he spat at her in a cool voice.
His remark sent a little chill down her spine. Whatever it was he wanted to use in making up an excuse for her, she wasn't going to allow him to repeat that same lie. Bradley wasn't in a good state of mind now, and that was why he lied without considering the repercussions. What was the manager, and others, going to think of her when they saw her coming to work the next day, and in nine months to come?
They entered the office after a polite knock. Bradley slammed the door behind them. Bradley wanted to repeat his lies, but this time around, Ifes cut him off.
"Umm! Sir, I am not feeling too well."
"Sorry about that. How long do you plan to stay out?" The manager's secretary asked.
For nine months, Bradley wanted to say, but Ifes cut him off again. "Just today. I will be back by tomorrow."
The secretary gazed at the duo enigmatically. "Alright then. We'll be expecting you by tomorrow."
Coming out of the manager's office, the duo caught glimpses of the couple they had encountered, peering at them as they stepped out of the restaurant. Gratefully, the tinted door made their figures disappear out of sight.
Bradley held her hands as he walked her to the parking lot. He went to his passenger side and opened the door for her. He waited till she sat on the passenger's seat before slamming the door and walking over to the driver's side.
He slid into the driver's seat, fixed his seatbelt before giving Ifes a cursory glance. "You also don't know how to put on your seatbelt?"
"Huh! Where are you taking me Bradley?"
He gave her another cursory glance before seeing the same couple from his rear view mirror glancing at his car. He gave a forced smile, and helped her put on her seat belt. Without another word, he slid his car key into the ignition. The engine roared as he twisted the key and drove out of the parking lot into the driveway.
As he drove to an unknown destination, Ifes cried in her heart. Oh, God, Oh, God! I don't know where he is taking me to, and I don't know how this meeting will go, but I am trusting you to be with us.
Bradley's car came to a halt in a quiet street. Glaring at her, he yelled, "Who or what gave you the guts to open my diary, huh?"
Ifes cowered like a little child, frightened by the deathly tone of his voice.
"I'm asking you a question and you are looking at me like a dullard!" He was fuming. All that was left to complete his angry mood was a puff of fume coming out his nostrils and ears.
Composing herself, she yelled right back, "I didn't open your diary!" She was annoyed that he could conclude as such. It wasn't as if she stole the diary.
Bradley laughed sardonically. "But you read it, right?"
She darted her eyes gazing at him speechlessly. Looking at him, she noticed his blue eyes had gone dark. It was unable to cloak the pain and agony he was going through.
Ifes heart softened. I am sorry, Lord. I am sorry I yelled at him. I shouldn't have gotten angry. Please help me to see through him, and let me not take any negative words he will spit at me to heart.
Feeling frustrated at her silence, Bradley slammed his fist on his car steering and groaned.
She placed her hands on his. "Please take it easy Brad–"
"Don't ask me to take it easy! Don't you dare tell me what to do ever again in your life, you hear?" Bradley slapped her hands away.
"I can explain, Bradley!"
"Explain what, cowgirl?"
He tilted his head glaring as he pointed an accusing finger at her.
"You read my diary, didn't you?" he said, repeating his question.
Refusing to be intimidated by his rage, she replied as calmly as she could, "Yes."
She could swear that she saw his body jerk slightly.
"And you now know I have cancer?"
"Yes."
"You also know my days are numbered on earth because I can't continue with my chemotherapy?"
"Yes."
"Hmm! You know I have been writing about how I want my funeral to be?"
"Yes, and that is only what I know, but I can explain!"
Bradley's eyes grew moist. "I thought I could expect better from you!"
"Please, listen to me first before drawing any conclusions!"
"What do you want me to hear you for? I never expected this kind of behaviour from a person like you! Mandy! Mandy spoke a lot of nice things about you, but today, I can see that you have shown your true color!"
Ifes clasped her hands tightly on her knees, fighting back the unwanted emotions that welled up inside her. She knew she had to calculate her words now, any wrong word will confirm whatever wrong perception he had about her.
Oh, God! Oh Father! What do I say now that will make him not misunderstand me? What do I say or do to clear his misperception?
Bradley broke down, wailing profusely. He couldn't remember the last time he cried openly, in front of a girl who was more like a mere stranger to him.
"You know, I have kept this a secret from everyone for so long. I'm afraid, very scared. Scared that I am drawing closer to my grave with each passing day."
He buried his face in his palm, wailing uncontrollably. It was unfortunate that in one of his vulnerable moments he wasn't alone.
Life is such a jerk!
This was the height of it. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to put up his strong walls again. He was going to end it by himself before death came calling. Yes! Suicide still worked.
"Yesterday, one of our customers called my attention to your table after you left and asked me to pick up your diary." She did not tell him of the jest they made of her.
"So, what does that have to do with you reading my diary?" Bradley asked through a choked voice and a blur of tears.
"My eyes almost popped out of their sockets as soon as I glanced down at your opened diary."
Realization filled Bradley upon hearing those words. He remembered he had been so much in a haste to leave as soon as his eyes spotted her. He could not even remember if he closed the diary; but he was sure of one thing which was, of a truth, he forgot his diary on his table at the restaurant.
"So how many pages did you read?" Bradley laughed bleakly.
"I am telling you the truth that I did not flip either to the right or the left of your diary. I only read the open page."
Bradley's eyes flashed. "And you expect me to believe you? Fat chance."
"I will be honest with you. After seeing the open page, I was so curious to find out what's written on the previous pages, but I have respect for people's privacy. If you had not left your diary open, I wouldn't have done that myself, because I know that I don't have the right to. I remember fighting back the urge and curiosity that aroused inside me to flip through your diary."
"Hmm! And Mandy... Is she aware of this?"
Ifes looked straight into his eyes and noticed that he didn't give her a questioning look. It was rather an accusing gaze.
"You are in the right position to tell your secrets to your friends."
Bradley exhaled deeply. That was when he realized he had been holding his breath as he awaited her answer. Thank goodness! It brought him a temporary relief.
"That's one of the last things I'll ever do in my life."
Oh, God! He is so stubborn. Please, open his heart.
Then, this scripture filtered into her mind, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; as the rivers of water, he turneth it whithersoever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; but the LORD pondereth the hearts."
"What are you thinking of?" Bradley asked when he saw the distant look that was etched on her face.
"Nothing. I was praying."
"Praying!" He said the word like a curse, narrowing his eyes.
Ifes shook her head affirmatively.
"Praying about what?" Bradley asked, wondering why he kept hearing about God or prayer. He remembered Nurse Fiona back in Texas.
"I pray that God will heal you," Fiona had said.
"I am praying that your heart will be open to receive the salvation and healing Jesus is offering you."
"Now, wait a minute!" Bradley glared at her. "Don't make this look like I am suffering from cancer because I'm not a Christian. I know a lot of so-called Christians who go through this, and even worse!"
"Why do you easily misunderstand me? I never said you are going through this situation because you ain't a Christian. I was only trying to let you know that you don't have to die like that. You have a better life in Christ; you will have peace in Christ."
Peace, again! The same word from Nurse Fiona.
Giving her a cursory glance, he yelled, "I know I can have all those things without being a Christian. The fact is, I used to. It's only that one of the facts you Christians have not been able to accept is that life is not fair." He inhaled and exhaled deeply.
"You've all been deluded into believing that life just becomes a bed of roses when one becomes a Christian."
"No! We are only belie–"
Raking his fingers through his now disheveled blonde hair, he narrowed his eyes to the passenger's door. "You know what I think? You have overstayed your welcome. Please, get out of my car!"
Ifes felt like someone had slapped her across the face; no, punched her on her stomach; no, rolled her on a dirty mud; no, there was no word that could describe how she felt.
Bradley had just sent her away, rejecting what she saw as his only lifeline.
Bradley pointed at the passenger's door fuming. "Get out of my car before I do something stupid!"
She opened the door with her gaze fixed on him pleadingly.
"Get out of my car before I do something I might regret!"
She stepped out of the car with her gaze still fixed on him.
Without waiting for her to slam the door, he turned on the ignition and the car engine came to life, then he zoomed off.
She watched on as he drove off until he was out of sight.