Dedicated to Jay_ay04

Ikay

I got to the airport and went about the business of boarding a plane to Abuja. I have planned every single move weeks ago.

My Plan B: If Eghe had agreed to come with me, if she decided to leave her parents strings, We would move to port Harcourt and I would take a cooking job in chevron. Leona's dad would have easily worked that out for me. Leona was a bosom friend of mine.

My Plan A: head straight home to Abuja when she refuse. Which she eventually did. I knew I couldn't take care of two infants, I needed the help of my mother and her maids.

I waited for my flight to be announced. The plane left Benin 11:45 and in one hour I was in Abuja. All through my flight back home I felt bad, my conscience pricking at me. Leaving Eghosa Jr behind was tearing my heart. She was a split image of Eghe, Taking her along was like taking Eghe along. I also wanted one of the kids to be with Eghe. I couldn't leave Eghe heartbroken, it would have been a disaster if I had left with all three.

My Plan A sub 1, was dropping off Obosa(Isabella) with my mother and leaving with Oghosa(Ryan).  Abuja wasn't my final destination.  During the past month after my father forgave me, we talked business and starting over. My father asked me to go head his new pharmaceutical company in the Gambia and I accepted. I wasn't ready to miss any chances. I would have halted on this plan if Eghe had agreed to leave that house with me.

Getting to Abuja airport our family driver, Pedro, was already waiting to pick me up. The elderly man greeted me happily. "Oga e be don tey" Pedro said excitedly, collecting my kids luggage from me.

I strolled with him to my father's silver Peugeot and placed my kids on their sitter, my mother had made provision for the kids. I smiled to myself thinking how thoughtful mother was. Getting home I found out so many things hasn't changed. Some of the household maids rushed towards me, collecting the sleeping kids from I and Pedro. They were all happy to see me.

"Look who's here, my resident baby boy" my  mother happy voice came from behind, I turned to face her. "You look so" mother paused in front of me, looking me up and down her face cringed showing her displeasure. "What have they done to my baby" she finished sadly.

"Mom, don't be dramatic" I replied rolling my eyes. she led me to our ultra modern kitchen. I missed this place, I thought to myself. It was where I learnt some of my culinary skills.

"Come son, you know I love a good story as much as the next person. Come tell me everything" My mother practically dragged me to a Kitchen stool.
I and my mother were gist buddies. I tell her everything. when I say everything I mean everything. when I lost my virginity my mom was the first to know.

So I dived into my story with Eghe, I told her everything that happened, carefully withholding the Luckett's name. My mother was so smart, she would search them out and truncate all my plans if she gets to know about the Luckett. The fact they were a popular family in Benin would have made it easier for mother.

My mother was not happy about my disguise, she wished I carried Eghe and the other baby along.

"But she wasn't willing to leave her parents strings" I told my mother feeling sorry about the whole situation. My mom told me how my first kid would grow up feeling out of place, left alone, less liked by her father.

I thought about what my mother said, but not leaving any for Eghe would have killed her. My heart clenched knowing the pains I was about to put my family through.
I got fed up explaining to Eghe why we had to leave. Her agreeing to leave at the last minute was a plot to waste my time so her parents would come stop me. Not that if I wanted to leave even with her parents been there that I couldn't, I didn't want that extra drama.

I stood up from the kitchen stool checking my apple wrist watch. I had enjoy my little time with my mother It was time to go. My flight to the Gambia was scheduled for 4pm.

"Mom I need to go"

"So soon" My mother asked almost in tears. She knew our plans, She begged her husband and I to reconsider, talking about me  separating my kids. I told her it was for the best.

I left the kitchen and headed upstairs to the room my kids were kept sleeping. I stood watching Obosa(Isabella) for a while my heart melting allover again seeing the beautiful souls I and Eghe created. I went closer to her, kissing her multiple times on her forehead, she starred in her sleep. I noticed my mom standing at the doorway crying already. "I'm not part of this__do not separate your kids" she kept on murmuring.  I picked up sleeping Oghosa (Ryan).

Everything was my fault, and however things turned out, whether good or bad, I was ready to take the blame.

I left with Oghosa to the Gambia to go head my father's new pharmaceutical company.

**************

FOUR YEARS LATER
Eghe

I sat in my room's closet staring absent mindedly at one of the triplet toys.

Its been four years and the tight feeling I get in my chest whenever I stumble on Ikay's or the other triplets item has refused to subside. My eyes were pooling with unshed tears. I forcefully swallowed the lump that were beginning to form in my throat.

Why so mean Ikay.

Never would I have thought Ikay would go MIA on me and my baby. Genzebe was five years old now and she has started asking a lot of questions.

Mommy where is my daddy? Why did daddy leave us?
Mommy grandma said daddy is a bad man?
Mommy Aunty Becca said daddy ran away from you.

Becca was one of my father's staff. My father was forced to lay off some of his workers because of the rumor they kept carrying around. Once I heard Ikay ran away from I and my controlling family. My mother chased my husband away while I stood watching. How those stories were formulated I couldn't tell.

It took me 6month after Ikay left before I was able to resume work I couldn't visit some of the department where Ikay was a dominant figure due to some of the staff openly glaring at me. Some couldn't even hide their displeasure.

During the search for Ikay, I ran into Lilian who never returned to our hotel. I had hope she would help me find Ikay, or tell me where to look.

"Lilian please help me" I begged

"Why should I help you" was her sharp reply to me.

"For the sake of my daughter" Lillian's rude expression fluttered. I had hope she would tell me something I and my parents had missed during the years of searching for him.

"My daughter want to meet her daddy so badly" I pushed further, waiting for Lillian's reply.

"Ma'am Lilian began, "if I had any idea where Ikay was I would have told you because of the kid" she concluded.
Any hope of finding him died.

A noise at the corner of my closet drew me out of my pity state.

"Genzebe" I called my baby girl, knowing she alone was in the room with me, and hoping she was fine. Looking around I found my mother lurking around instead.

"Have you been there for long" I asked my mother who had this attitude of sneaking up on me then crowns it with  Eghe you lost in thought again.

"No, I just came in"

I exhaled. For once she won't chock me with you're thinking about Ikay again, losing yourself in the process. Get yourself together. That boy ain't worth any moment of your thought. pick yourself, live for your remaining child. Who knows he might be dead.

I and my mother had quarrelled for the first time in my life over Ikay been dead. I didn't wanna think about the possibility of it. I just couldn't bear the thought. "Where are you Ikay".
I looked up at my mother who was glaring down at me. Her expression fluttering from anger to pity then to love.

"Genzebe " I muttered. She was standing close to her grandmother both looking at me waiting for me to say something.

For four years now Ikay's thought and that of my remaining kids took me to bed and woke me up.

"Mom, I don't know what to do" I said sadly and resumed crying.

I can't really say if this is a chapter or not, Its xtra.

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