Pandemic Tales (Short Story)
Korede: Hey beautiful, how are ya? He had sent a WhatsApp chat.
I was thinking… what are you doing this afternoon? My house is free and you could come chill with me.
Girl: Hey you. You remembered me today. Rain would fall I can see. Well, my afternoon is free.No lectures for me today. I could come over if you come to pick me up *Smiling emoji*
Korede: Anything for you my lady. *wink emoji*
“yes! Boys go tidy today haha”. He jumped in excitement as he was certain he would conquer yet another woman today.
Korede is your 21st century Yoruba Demon with a dash of Urhobo goodness. Popular to have a plethora of women he dalliances with. A final year student at Bells University and raised by his single mom, Korede is highly affable. Your girl’s crush and your boy’s ally. A full description of how to get away with being a bad boy who is book smart and a soupcon of handsomeness to go with it. He always got away with it but on this unfateful day, his tables turned.
At 2 pm they were back at his mother’s apartment at mountain top estate. “Welcome to my humble apartment”. He said as he held out his hand to lead her in.
“Care for a drink?”
“Anything strong” she requested.
“Great, I can do that”. He smiled as he went into his mom’s cellar to get her a bottle of wine and a glass, returned with a glass filled with whiskey for himself.
“Shall we?” gesturing to led her upstairs to his room.
“Hope you don’t mind me rolling a joint”? He politely asked
“Nope. roll a few for me too.”
“A few? Babe this brand is supernatural”.
“Roll a few for me”.she winked at him.
Hours later, excited he got what he wanted- his moment of victory. Korede stepped out for a drink, returned to find her on the floor like a log of wood.
What! He moves over to touch her
No Pulse.
****************
“Who sent me?” Three words Efemena had said in the past one week more than her name.
As a civil servant working with the ministry of health. It’s been a rough couple of weeks with the outbreak on skoors disease she barely had slept for 5 hours in the past week. She was either traveling or being Olivia Pope to the case at her state laboratory.
“Who sent me to be a nurse sef? My mates who became teachers did not have 2 heads. I should have become a teacher to save myself from days like this.”
Can you believe you haven’t seen Korede in one full week? Are you a good mother at all. Do you want your son’s father to mock you? How could you be in the same house with your son and you haven’t seen him in one week? If you love yourself, you better go home early today-you have less workload today. What excuse do you have?
“Shey?” she soliloquized. I’ll leave at 5 so I can beat that traffic at ring road.
The drive home was normal. nothing out of the ordinary. Her favorite drive home station was on Efemena though enjoying the drive home, her thoughts drifted away from the radio for a split second. I must suck as a single mom
Efemena to her thoughts: c’mon you have raised a fine 21-year old man out of Korede. He might like women and sometimes act like he has no sense like his father but he is a good guy. You should be proud. You did a great job.
5:50 pm
She made her turn into her driveway and unlike other days, she was excited to come home early. “to smother Korede with love” (since that’s what he calls it). She forgot to put the car’s gear on park as usual until she came out of the car and her blue corolla rolled backward to hit the gate.
“Efemena! You never learn. do you?” She chastised herself for the umpteenth time in the history of her driving.
She returned into her car, moved the gear to park, and slammed the door. Her way of saying I can’t be bothered anymore.
As she walked briskly towards the entrance, scruffling her bag for her keys, she was surprised to see Korede’s car parked outside but at least he is home. She can finally see him after weeks of living as roommates.
Efe placed her keys into the doorknob. It was locked from within.
“Korede Open the door”
Silence…
“Korede!!”
“Open jor!”
Silence yet again…..
Korede Oghenekevwe Lawal!!!! Would you open this door this minute before I do something we would both regret? My friend! I don’t have time for this nonsense today!
Korede rushed downstairs to open for his mom.
“Mom”… he stuttered “I am so… so sorry. I..i don’t know what happened.”
“One…one minute we were taking a drag and then…
What are you talking about? Efe stopped his apology abruptly.
Err…he tries to explain further, she noticed over Korede’s shoulder a female purse on her couch.
Ah! You have brought another one to my house shey? Is this one the main chick or the side chick? She probed in her usual derided tone.
Where is she? Efe further questioned as she removed her wig and threw it to the small chair closest to her.
“Mom…
“Please don’t freak out” Korede whispered as a waterfall was about to be released from his eyes.
Efe gave him the African mom look of: boy! would you talk before I reset your vocal cords.
“She’s dead.” he finally was able to mutter.
Huh?! What do you mean dead? She responded in shock like someone who woke up from a bad dream.
“Upstairs.” Korede signaled.
Efe gazed into her son’s eyes. He was serious.
Dropping her bags, she sprinted to her son’s room, moved closer to the couch beside his bed as she was welcomed by the young lady lying lifeless on her son’s floor.
“Korede!” She turned to her son “what is this? Who is this?”
As she anticipated answers from her son, she checked for a pulse.
Nothing.
Gave the lifeless body a tap.
Still Nothing.
Bent over to feel for a heartbeat. Nothing was about to go into CPR mode when Korede whispered beneath his voice.
“Mom. she’s dead. I had done CPR on her before you came”
“Án!!!”
She exclaimed in her dialect as she folded both arms towards her breasts
“Korede has finished me!” She clapped both hands and landed them on her head. “Oya explain this!” pointing to the body.
Korede filled with remorse, uncertain whether he should stand or kneel to explain himself because he knew whichever position, a pounce was coming for his body. He decided to go with kneeling.
“I met her at the wedding we went for two weeks ago…”
“Would you cut me the unnecessary crap and cut to the chase? How did she become dead?”Interrupting precipitously.
“I invited her over and asked her if she smoked weed.”
“Smoked weed Korede!” she shrilled. “anyway, I’m listening.”
“She told me she was down and we were on a high. I stopped but she said she wanted more. I told her this type hits different, she needed to slow it down but she told me she was strong enough to take more…
…We were on a high and we… we… had sex then I stood up to get water and… I returned to see her on the floor. I tried CPR on her but she went radio silence in my arms after a few minutes”
Mom. What do we do? He cried as he gazed into his mom’s stoic persona at this point.
“ We…?” looking to her son? “Efemena! You have failed. Your only child whom you fought for sole custody is about to spend the rest of his life in jail”.
“Korede!” She called out in lament as she leaped off the bed she had sat on to listen to her son’s statement towards her room leaving Korede with the body.
In her room, she turned on her tv as she often did when she got into her room after work, took off her clothes, and headed to the shower like every other day as if she hadn’t just witnessed a crime scene in her son’s room. Beneath her voice in the shower, she said affirmatively.
“Korede is stupid but he must not go to jail.”
8:12 pm
Efe stormed out of her room in her scrubs and headed to her son’s room with two syringes in her left hand.
The body still lifeless and Korede looking rather dejected. He knew without been told. His life was over. Except by the stroke of a miracle.
Efemena came towards the body, injected it with the content from the syringe, and injected Korede with half from the other.
Efe picked up her phone from her back pocket and punched in a few numbers.
“Hello, this is Ms. Ivhanhoe, please o, I need an ambulance at my house immediately. There is an infected patient with this Skoor’s disease in my house and I think my son might be infected too”.
“Mom. what is this?” He asked rather concerned.
“Korede Lawal! between jail and catching an epidemic, you would be cured from in a few weeks, choose one?”
9:40 pm
The ambulance arrived. Efe led them to the room and spoke with the doctor.
“She was dead on my arrival. I tested her for Skoor’s and her test was affirmative. Though she doesn’t show signs of a severe case. My son had contact with her but his test result was negative however, I believe he needs a proper test.”
“Thank you ma”. The doctor said as they packed the body in a bag and had Korede escorted to the ambulance.
“I’ll come behind you in my car” she informed the doctor.
Click!
Unread message from mama dearest’ Korede checked as his phone buzzed.
“If you like, tell them you both had too much weed. You are on your own. Tell them you had sex with her when you realized her temperature was high, then she passed out and make sure you ask for green tea at the hospital. I hope you are happy with your life right now? And if you still don’t have sense, don’t delete this once you read it. Nonsense child!’’
