CHAPTER FIVE
The 'boy' started to feel better after two weeks, but some things he did were stroppy. He could not remember most of the things that he knew before the accident, and that was disturbing to Tolani, and she continued to ponder over it. She had noticed some weird behaviour in him after he woke in the hospital, but Tunde undermined it, with the feeling that it was the aftermath of the accident. The doctor had told them that he was still suffering from the impact of the accident, and that he would get better.
Tunde had to travel; he had a conference meeting in Lagos that was going to last for one week, and he had to leave Tolani and the 'boy.' They had a nanny, but she did not sleep in the house, she was a dayworker. She only slept there when there was need for her to do so. One morning the nanny came in late with low élan-vital. She was not lively as she used to be. However, she wore a fake smile which perfectly covered her visage, and Tolani did not notice the sadness hidden beneath the smile.
"Good morning Madam," the nanny greeted Tolani.
The nanny was slightly older than Tolani, but she accorded respect her as her boss.
"You are late today, what happened?" Tolani asked.
Tolani was surprised that Nancy came late to work because she hardly came late since she started working with her, except with very cogent reason. She started working for her when Olajide was four years old, and she had been with them for three years since then.
"I'm sorry madam, my husband was indisposed, he's not feeling well, and I had to take care of him first before leaving home." She sounded quite convincing and Tolani was touched.
"Hope he was better before you left?" She asked compassionately.
"Yes madam, thank you for your understanding and concern," the nanny replied. She smiled as she thanked her.
"It's ok, said Tolani. "You'll have to close early today so that you can go back home and take care of him."
The nanny was surprised to hear that. She had fibbed, trying to cover up her lateness. However, she was glad for the duty excuse because she needed it.
"Thank you very much madam," Nancy replied in excitement.
Tolani turned and went to her room. She ran a mega delivery service agency and had workers managing it for her, she went there sometimes for inspection but since after the accident she had not gone there. 'Her son' was in his room thinking of the next move to make while he was trying to blend in. Being in a child's body with all the things that he knew made him feel terrible, and it was not easy for him. He needed to finish what he started but as 'a child' he had excessive parental restrictions. A knock at his door brought back his wondering mind. Nancy entered; she had come to clean his room as usual. Nancy noticed that 'Olajide' had become organised since he returned from the hospital. His bed was not always scattered like it used to be, and he was not as playful as he used to be. Nancy was amazed at the level of 'the boy' maturity, especially when he told her to always knock at his door before entering his room. She found that strange but did as he requested.
"Come in," 'Olajide' said and sat up. His door swung open, and the nanny entered. "Good morning ma," he greeted.
He had known her for just a short while but he liked her personality.
"Good morning, Jide," She pronounced it the Yoruba way, meaning Olajide. That sounded odd to him, but he played along so as not to cause suspicion. "I hope you are feeling better today?" She asked with a warm smile.
"I don't even know what to say, I am still trying to get my balance. I am trying to figure out something," he replied.
'Olajide' sounding differently and much mature to Nancy. His reply did not sound like that of the child that she had known and was very used to. Tolani was about to enter 'Olajide's room to check on him when she heard him talking to the nanny and she suddenly had the urge to stay back and eavesdrop. She was amazed. His response startled her also. Many thoughts ran through her mind.
"What about you?" 'Olajide' asked the nanny, quite maturely, "How are you?"
"I am fine, thank you," she replied.
'Olajide' examined her face closely for a moment and said, "I can perceive that you are not composed, even the make-up and the smile on your face could not hide the pain that you are feeling inside, did you have a fight with someone?" He asked intently.
The nanny was very surprised; 'Olajide' was talking like a very mature adult. Tolani, who was eavesdropping, was shocked. He did not notice this maturity in speech before. Tolani could not understand how her seven years old 'son' could be talking like a fully grown man. She pondered how and why he was sounding so mature and advanced. She was amazed at how 'the boy' maintained intense interest in his conversation with the nanny.
"How did you know that?" The nanny asked, out of curiosity.
She was shocked at how he found out what she was trying to deny and cover up. She had done her makeup properly to cover her moody face and black eye, but he spotted it through her makeup.
Jideofor was a journalist that never missed any detail about anything, he was very observant. In his profession as a journalist, he had met a lot of women suffering from domestic violence and it was easy for him to tell when he saw her. He also did not feel very comfortable asking her, because he knew that he was sounding like an adult to her; but could not control himself.
"The eyes are windows to our emotion;" 'Olajide' said to the nanny. "Your eyes gave you out. Also, your makeup could not cover the bruise at the side of your left eye properly, and I have good eye. I dot details," he said.
The nanny shockingly ran to the mirror by his wardrobe and checked. She saw what he was talking about, though it was not too obvious. She looked at herself for a while and tears rolled down her checks, and he reverted to him bitterly, speechless.
"Is it your husband?" He asked.
The confidence in his speech made the nanny forget that he was a 'child' and she bared her heart to him.
"Yes, yes…, he beat me up this morning," the nanny replied. "It was a transferred aggression. But please, I don't want to talk about it; do you mind?" She replied bitterly.
Suddenly, the nanny had a second thought, and she remembered that she was having this conversation with a child and paused immediately. Tolani heard everything and was sad to hear the nanny's story. She wondered why she lied to her, and how she did not notice the bruise on her face. Tolani knew that Nancy, her nanny, was a good woman, and that she loved her husband. She felt that she had lied to her to cover him up; but then domestic violence should not be tolerated or treated with levity. Tolani pondered over it but held herself from barging into the room.
"Well…, you should follow him with wisdom; but you must speak up. I will give you a number and you will call a lady and tell her everything. She will help you," 'Olajide' said, robbing his beardless jaw.
The nanny threw a puzzle look at 'the boy' as he wrote down the number and gave it to her.
"The lady's name is Judith, she is a counsellor and a Human's Right activist, he fights for the rights of women," he said.
The nanny puzzled over how 'the boy' became informed with all these things? She kept imagining while taking the number from him, and the questions in her eyes did not escape the journalist eyes of Jideofor. He held her eyes with his, like medusa and the nanny swallowed in fear; she was not comfortable with 'Olajide's new personality. However, her conversation with him eased the weight of burden on her chest and she was grateful for that.
"Thank you Jide, but how come you know all these things? I have noticed a great change in you since you came back from the hospital, you talk and behave maturely," Nancy said.
Jideofor looked at the Nancy as those questions forced themselves out of her lips, impulsively, but he just breathed without saying a word. Tolani could no longer handle the amazement of the conversation, and the brash confusion going on in her mind and she ran to her room weeping. She was too scared to enter 'her son's' room and see for herself.
"Oh my God what is wrong with my son, he doesn't sound a child anymore, could that be my son…, or what has happened to him?" She cried out, and then she reminisced on what 'the boy' said at the hospital.
'My name is Jideofor, where are my wife and my daughter?'
The thought Tolani like a bullet and she sank into her bed, confused, and upset. She also recalled what she saw on the news that night, that one Jideofor, a famous journalist, was shot by unknown gunmen. Her imagination began to impress a thought that she could handle on her. She took her phone to call her husband but dropped it again out of confusion.
"No… no… no…! This cannot be happening," she said and took her phone again. She dialled her husband's number, but his line was not reachable. She then wanted to dial the doctor's number but a knock on her door interrupted her.
"Mom can I come in?" She heard his voice and gazed at the door, with many thoughts driving her berserk.
"Is he here to hurt me…? Did I do anything wrong to him without knowing? Why is he here?" Tolani said to herself quietly.
Her mind was busy with numerous thoughts, and then she heard the knocked again. This time, she was too afraid to answer, but the doorknob turned, and the door opened. He tucked in his head and saw Tolani sitting on the bed, gazing at him as if she had seen a ghost. He entered and shut the door.
"What is it? What have you come here to do?" She asked in a low panicky tone.
"Mom what's wrong, why are you acting weird?" He replied calmly.
Jideofor sensed that Tolani had figured things out, and he tried to confirm his thoughts.
"You do not sound like my son…, you don not behave or act like him; who're you? You're not my son. I don't understand what is going on," Tolani said. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly.
"If I am not your son, then who am I?" The 'boy' asked.
The question increased the frequency of her heartbeat, and she could literally feel it from the pillow. She looked straight into his eyes, and she was sure of what she was saying, she didn't feel any connection with him. Though the 'boy' had all the physical features of her son, but the person in him was, obviously, not her son. Her perception about that had become very clear.
"You are not my son," Tolani said, you are Jideofor Uchendu, the journalist," she muttered somnolently.
Tolani hoped that she was dreaming and would just wake up. Her response forced tears to his eyes, and she was shocked to see the 'boy' upset. Her confusion heightened. She could not come to terms with what was going on, her heart had become very heavy, and tears trickled down, but she could not say a word. Also, the 'boy' wept like a child. He did not say a word too.
Some hours of silence elapsed and Tolani braced herself and threw a gaze at him.
"Why are you here?" She asked him. "Who are you, and what did you do to my son?" She queried curiously.
"I don't know…, and that is why I was actually coming to talk to you about it," he said, worried. I know that you too are worried, I can imagine how you feel. As for me I am totally gripped with sordid confusion and pain, and I'm sure that my wife and my daughter are devastated."
Tolani saw the pain in his eyes as he spoke, and her cold grip of fear gradually began to give way to sympathy and composure.
"I don't know how I got here," Jideofor said bashfully.
He sat at the edge of the bed, very far from her. The bed was a king size bed, large and exotic.
"I'm a journalist, I was shot by some men because I found out their secret," said solemnly.
"What a pity," Tolani said, and began to feel pity for him. "But how did happen that you entered my dead son?" How is it even possible? How did it happen?" She asked, absolutely flabbergasted.
"I'm as confused as you are," he replied, hitting his forehead with his palm, and crushing his teeth. "Those men are extremely dangerous; they have killed a lot of people and are still killing. I have to stop them," he said in grief.
"Who are 'those men,' and how do you intend to stop them?" Tolani crawled on the bed and came closer to him. "Will that bring my son back?" She asked curiously.
He then raised his head and looked into her eyes and said, "I need you to help me, I don't think that I will remain in this body for long." He said sadly.
That was not the answer Tolani needed for her question, and she asked, "So what will happen, will my son come back?" Her eyes locked with his.
"Honestly I don't know," he said, "But I pray that he does. I can't explain what is happening, but I need to do what I need to do before my time is up. I have a strong feeling that I have limited time," he said and breathed hard.
"So how can I help you?" Tolani asked.
"You must act cool, as if nothing is wrong. No other person must know about this unless I say so. I will tell you the rest of my plans later."