THE SERIAL MASK BY MORUFAT AJANI CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 THE SERIAL MASK BY MORUFAT AJANI

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“Madam! Madam!” The nurse and the doctor call out and run toward her. The doctor treats her and not long after, she's woken up from the faint but sleeping.

About two hours later, Leila is waking up. But she’s not just waking up. She’s gasping.

Tears are already wetting her face. Her eyes are still shut but her mouth is shaking, her chest rising like someone dragging breath from underwater. And when her eyes finally open, she breaks down into a loud, uncontrollable sobs.

She presses both hands against her stomach and screams into the pillow, “No, no, nooo! God, please no!” Her voice cracks like it’s bleeding.

“I lost my baby… and now my womb? God, why? Why?! Why me?! Again!”

Her voice is echoing across the room now. One of the nurses rushes in.

“Ma’am! Ma’am!” the nurse calls out, hurrying to her bed.

“Please calm down. Please, it’s okay. please, you’ll be okay. Sorry ma.”

But Leila isn’t hearing her. She’s weeping, shaking, kicking under the sheets like she wants to rip the pain out of her heart.

The nurse reaches for her hand and holds it gently. She strokes her arm, whispering softly, “Sorry ma. You will be fine, ma.”

A few minutes pass. Leila’s crying has reduced to a soft, broken sound. The nurse finally says, “You need someone to stay with you, ma. To attend to your needs and all. In case you want to eat or need anything. You won't be discharged till evening.”

Leila nods slowly. She wipes her face with the edge of the hospital bedsheet. Her fingers are trembling and her heartbeat is overworking. The nurse hands her her phone.

Then she begins thinking about who she will call. Her mind goes to her mother and she closes her eyes tightly. She misses her so much. She's feeling a strong urge to call her, she has typed her number on her phone's contact search button but she changes her mind at the last minute. She shakes her head, thinking,

Ha, no. Not after me being adamant when she was warning me. Not after everything I said to her that time. All the insults and bad words I toss at her. If I were her, I would laugh at the child, mock her and even remind her of those pompous moments.

“I even said she's jealous of me and being like that because she hasn't experienced true love before. Ha…no. She shouldn't see me like this.” Leila says out loud and then continues scrolling her contacts.

Her mind goes to Badru and anger erupts from the depth of her stomach.

That unfortunate fellow. He made me like this. He beat me till I lost my pregnancy which resulted in my womb being lost. I will never forgive that bastard. I will make him pay dearly for ruining my life. I will not forgive him.

And also, he won't know. If he knows about this, he might actually send me away from his house and call me barren. So I won't let him know. I will stay with him and ruin him right in his nose. He has a child now, that's why he didn't care whether I gave him one or not but when that girl dies or goes missing, I am sure he will know the pain of losing a child. That unfortunate human being.

She's so angry at Badru and bitter to the extent that if she has her way, she can even k!ll him. That's if she actually has another source of money.

Her friend, Simi comes to her mind and she embraces it immediately, thinking, as long as she doesn't tell Simi she's like this because Badru beat her, everything will be fine.

“Hello?” Simi’s voice comes through.

Leila swallows.

“I’m… I’m at the hospital. Please can you come?”

Simi gasps. “Omg. What's wrong with you? Why are you there.” Leila can't talk much.

“I am not well. Will you please come?”

“Of course, I will. Please send me the hospital address on WhatsApp.” Leila hangs the call and sends the address to her on WhatsApp.

About thirty minutes later, Simi shows up with snacks, drinks, a wrapper, and worried eyes.

She meets Leila crying and sees that she's been crying for a long time because of her bloodshot eyes and lips. She rushes to her, drops everything she's holding and hugs her tightly.

“What happened, Leila. Why are you crying?” Leila doesn't answer her but she hugs her too. After a long time, they disengage the hugs and Simi asks her again,

Simi now asks again. “Leila… what happened?”

Leila doesn’t reply.

“Leila. Please. Talk to me. You’re scaring me.”

Realizing Simi won't let her be if she doesn't say anything, she says,

“I fell from the stairs.” Leila lies but Simi isn't convinced at all.

With everything Leila told her about Badru on her first day at his house and with the bruise on her face, Simi knows the issue has something to do with domestic violence. And also, Simi thinks if she actually fell from the stairs as she said, why does he call her instead of her husband? Simi knows she's lying but decides not to call Leila out. She acts along, nods and hugs her again while telling her sorry.

But deep in her mind, she's thinking,

Leila, what are you doing to yourself? Why can't you just leave this man? Why are you still covering for this monster instead of leaving his ass. You this girl, what on earth are you doing to yourself? Simi feels pity for Leila and hopes she will eventually choose herself and leave Badru instead of continuing to allow the man to keep hurting her.

By evening, Leila gets discharged. Simi wants to follow her home but she shakes her head and says,

“I’ll be fine.” Simi nods. She follows and calls a cab for her.

At home, Leila cries over and over again. And then finally decides to carry out his revenge through Moyo. Hanan and Badru's daughter.

***

Hanan started working as a receptionist at Akin Therapy center one week ago, and it’s still the best feeling ever. At first, she didn’t trust Therapist Akinola Bello and didn’t believe the job would really be hers. Deep down, she feared Badru would find a way to hijack this opportunity too, just like the other ones. So when she walked in on her first day, she kept her expectations low. Maybe someone would tell her it was a mistake. Maybe they’ll send her back with the excuse that they no longer need a worker.

But no one did. Instead, she’s welcomed, kindly and professionally. She’s shown her desk, given her log-in details, and handed an orientation sheet. It felt surreal, like she’s still dreaming. Even now, she hasn’t fully relaxed. Her guard is up. Every ring of the phone makes her pause. Every knock on the glass door tenses her shoulders. But she keeps praying. Praying that, this time, Badru’s reach won’t touch her here.

And now that she’s working closely with Therapist Akinola Bello, watching the way he speaks gently to clients, how respectful he is, and how serious he is about people's mental health, her guard is slowly falling. She’s starting to trust him.

The salary is shockingly high, and for the first time in a long while, she feels hope. If she holds this job for a few more months, she could finally move into her own space. She borrowed money from Tawa to enroll Moyo in a creche near the therapy center. At 5 p.m., when she closes for the day, she’ll walk over to pick up. The thought of Moyo being at the where she's supposed to be at her age and not following her around like before, fills her with pride and happiness.

***

Leila's plan is to find ways to get Hanan's address from Badru so she can carry out her plans.

So the next morning, Badru is sitting at the dining table, counting stock on paper. Calculator in one hand, biro in the other.

Leila is moving around the kitchen, trying to cook in order not to raise Badru's suspicion but she's not herself. Her tummy is on fire and her mind is in chaos of sadness. She's walking around slowly and trying so hard not to squeeze eyes or act like someone who is in pain or sad.

But Badru still senses something is wrong. The way her eyes are red, puffy, swollen like and balloons screams someone who’s been crying nonstop through the night. It’s written all over her face, even though she’s trying to act normal.

Even though part of him enjoys seeing her sad, today, he feels different. This sadness doesn’t look like it has anything to do with him. And that irritates him more.

“What happened to you?” he asks. Not out of concern but curiosity.

No response. Leila just keeps stirring at the pot, like she didn’t hear him.

He watches her for a few more seconds, then mutters under his breath and goes back to his calculation.

When he’s done, he takes his bath and gets dressed for work. By the time he comes back to the dining table, the food is already waiting. Leila has served him.

He eats quickly, grabs his wristwatch and keys, and is about to head out when his phone rings.

He glances at the screen. Seeing Don Calling, he hisses. He’s already late for the shop.

He answers roughly. “Ehn ehn—what is it? Call me later. Or I’ll call you when I get to the shop.”

But Don’s voice comes through, urgent. “Sir, I need to report something. It’s urgent.”

Badru frowns. “Ehnehn, is it that urgent? If it’s not, let me—”

“Sir…” Don cuts in. He swallows hard and says. “Hanan has gotten a job. She started a week ago.”

Badru freezes.

He jerks forward in his chair, eyes wide. “What? What did you just say? Hanan got what? A job?”

He stands immediately.

From the sitting room, Leila’s ear picks the name.

Hanan got a job?

She doesn’t move, but her back stiffens and her head turns towards Badru.

Don continues, his voice low and shaking, “She’s working now at a therapy center, sir.”

Badru’s voice explodes. “What?! She’s working at a therapy center and I’m just hearing about it since last week?! Are you mad?!”

If Don was standing in front of him, Badru would have slapped him without blinking.

“I—I didn’t know—”

“Shut up, fool! You were watching her get a job?! What the hell were you doing, you idiot?! What the hell was I paying you for?!”

“I’m sorry, sir… I didn’t know on time—”

“Shut your mouth and meet me at the shop. Now!” He ends the call and fuming of anger.

Hanan got a job? How? That can't be possible? Never.

Badru grabs his bag and storms out of the house without another word.

Inside the sitting room, Leila stands still, eyes widened and her heart is galloping.

Hanan got a job. Hanan is working now? Hanan is working at a therapy center? So does that mean she will be free of suffering now?

She whispers it to herself again. Her body starts shaking. After a while, her legs give in and she goes down on her knees.

“When my own life is crashing, she’s out there progressing? When I’m stuck in this mess, she’s smiling at a new job? Uhn? Uhn?” She says while punching the kitchen table aggressively. She hates the fact that Hanan will be happy while she's this sad. Her eyes burn with hate and intense anger.

“I won’t accept this. Never. I won’t accept this. Not after she cursed me and even jazzed me. My life that used to be full of happiness turned sour after I snatched her husband. So what does that mean? What is that telling me? Is that a coincidence? No, she's behind my predicament. She turns Badru back to me. So she must not be happy. I will make sure I turn her happiness to sadness too. She mustn't be happy.”

She stands abruptly and rushes into the room. In less than five minutes, she’s dressed, grabs the keys to one of Badru’s cars and follows Badru. She's driving slowly so that Badru won't catch her.

In the car, she's thinking and plotting.

If Hanan is working again, then Moyo must be in the crèche or maybe someone’s watching that girl. That means… if I can just know the crèche name or the place she's being watched… I can carry out my plan without stress.