Mrs Sarah is a seventy years old woman who comes to my workplace at least, twice a week.
“Welcome mummy. I made a special delicacy for you today,” I jumped out of the shop when I saw her alighting from her car. I collected her zara purse as a form of respect and give her a seat.
I was dishing the food when a call came through from her first child in the United Kingdom. She’s my namesake, Bisola and that’s one of the reasons why she likes me. As a lonely old woman, I go to visit her sometimes and whenever I go to Mrs Sarah’s home, I always enjoy myself.
“Will you come on Sunday? I have some Tuna fish in my fridge and I’ll love us to have lunch togethee,” she asked. My Sundays are usually boring and free so going to her place was the best bet.
The aroma of the Tuna fish Mrs Sarah was frying was what welcomed me even before she opened the gate.
“Ah, my girl, welcome. Your lunch is getting ready,” Mrs Sarah gave me a hug and I placed my bag on the dining table to go help her in the kitchen but I spotted a photo album on the dining table. That was a distraction for me not to go help her in the kitchen anymore.
On opening the book, the first page was the picture of a red rose flower captioned “love lives here”.
In the beginning, I found this on the second page and I was thinking what kind of photos may be inside the album. Unknowingly, I read it out loud and I sighted Mrs Sarah gazing at me from the kitchen.
“That’s about my love story though but you’re free to check it out,” she said to me.
The next page was a picture of two babies who hugged each other. I smiled at the picture looking at how cool the babies were and the chemistry between them. If they grow up and link up with each other, they are likely to get married.
“They look so cute,” I said with a smile on my face. I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder. It was Mrs Sarah. I didn’t even know when she left the kitchen.
“Hmm, that’s myself and Alani,” she looked at a frame in the living room.
“Who’s Alani?,” I asked. Mrs Sarah’s eyes became teary. She was short of words but pointed at the frame in the living room. I sensed that was her husband. I sat her down, went into the kitchen to put off the fire.
I didn’t want to say a word so she won’t feel bad but kept on opening each pages of the photo album.
“You two have been friends since childhood?,” she nodded.
I kept opening again until I got to the point when they both were adults already.
“We took those pictures the first time he came to my university hostel,” Mrs Sarah said when she saw me laughing hysterically at the funny pictures they both took. Who still takes pictures like that these days?
“People no longer lie down in studios to take pictures like this,” she laughed. I was able to put a smile on her face by saying that.
“Hmm, where is Papa Alani today?,” seeing the pictures showed that they have been good friends and friends since their babyhood days but what could have made her eyes teary when I opened the photo album.
“My Alani. The only man whom I’ve ever loved. Our mothers birthed us in the same hospital and they both became friends because we kids had jaundice so they became friends after linking up for about five times,” I realized that Papa Alani wasn’t just her lover but someone whom she has always known since she was little. That was so sweet and I started smiling when she began to tell me their love story.
“Alani gave me everything he had. He took care of me and I never for once felt sad for being his wife,” I wondered how perfect Papa Alani could be,
Mrs Sarah held my hand and took me into her room. There, I saw Papa Alani laid on the bed with faeces on his body.
“He has stroke and there’s nowhere I haven’t taken him to but he never gets better. Eventually, I brought him home to keep taking care of him,” there was nothing I could say.
Mrs Sarah went to the bathroom, brought out a bucket while I helped her put her husband on the wheel chair. I know how irritating that can be but seeing a woman take care of you even while on the sick bed.
Truly, that was a match made in heaven. I saw “for better or worse” for the first time. That was so cute.
