"I'm getting scared, I hope she's fine, or is she dead, Claudia tell me the truth" I heard a voice as I slowly opened my eyes, I shut it tight when I met with a bright light and I slowly opened it again making it adjust to the bright, I looked around the place I'm in, it's all painted in white and it's classy and that weird smell seems really familiar.
I saw two ladies at the entrance, one of them is wearing a white coat and a stethoscope around her neck, she's dark like me. I can only see the behind of the other lady, she sounds really worried.
"You see, she's awake" the Lady in the white coat said and then the other Lady faced me.
Wow!
She's the definition of beauty, she's fair and of average weight and height. She's a goddess, she's nicely dressed, she's putting on a very high heeled shoe with a little bit skimpy gown, she must be rich.
"Thank goodness!" She rushed towards me. "Are you okay?" She asked "I almost thought I murdered someone with my car" she said again as she heaved a sigh of relieve.
"Why am I still alive?" I asked softly and they both faced me
"What do you mean young Lady? What's your name?" The Lady in the white coat asked.
"Why did you save me?" I asked as tears gushed down my face.
"Listen, young Lady, whatever the problem is, committing suicide isn't an option, your life is precious" she said but it fell into deaf ears.
"I can't bear Okwo's child, please just inject me with something and let me die" I wailed
"What?" The doctor said with a confused expression. "You are not pregnant" she said catching my attention.
"But... But I threw up and Mama said I was pregnant" I said and they both smiled.
"No, you are not pregnant, you only have a fever and it has really affected your system, even the car didn't hit you, you passed out, out of shock but you are fine now" she said and I cried the more, now my family thinks that I'm pregnant. I can't go back home, I can no longer bear my father's hatred towards me.
"Hey, are you okay?" The doctor asked and nodded. "What's your name?" She asked
"Ochanya" I replied
"Och_" they tried to call it after me.
"You can call me Rita " I said and they smiled.
"I'm Alia Williams and I'm sorry I almost hit you with my car, I kept honking but you didn't heed to it" the fair one introduced and I smiled at her.
"I'm Claudia, Doctor Claudia Williams" the doctor introduced.
"You didn't try to hit me, I tried to get myself killed" I said as I chuckled.
"But why would you do that?" Alia asked and I couldn't reply.
"It's fine, where do you live? So I can take you home" Alia said.
"No please! I can't go home, please don't take me home!" I cried.
"It's okay, it's okay, we won't take you home, where do you want to go?" She asked.
"Far... Far away from everything" I replied dejectedly.
"Do you have anywhere in mind?" Alia asked and I shook my head as I cried silently.
They both walked away to the entrance as they whispered to each other.
"It's risky, you don't even know her" the doctor said.
"I know but I have to help her, what if her life is in danger here? You heard what she said, that she'd rather die than bear a certain man's child, what if she's in a situation that's eating her up?" Alia said.
Even though they are whispering I can make out what they are saying just by watching the movement of their mouth
"Look at her, she's scared of something" Alia said and they both looked at me.
"Okay, but make sure you watch her every step, I'm coming by the weekend" Claudia said and they came closer to me.
"Please, where am I right now?" I asked
"Central hospital, Benin city" Claudia replied.
It's still close to Benue, I don't want to run into anyone here.
"Ermmm... Oc_" she struggled to pronounce
"O-chan-ya," I said and she pronounced it after me.
"Okay Ochanya, if you don't mind you are coming with me" Alia said.
"Where?" I asked.
"Lagos state" she replied and I smiled.
Fair enough, it's far from Benue and no one will ever find me.
"I'll take your smile as a yes" Alia said and we all laughed.
***
We left Benin city a few hours ago when I saw Alia's car, my mouth widened in shock. I've never seen such an exotic car before, she must be really rich. After riding for a few hours, I slept off and I just woke up.
"You are awake" she said and I smiled.
"I got you something when you were asleep, eat and take your medicine" she gestured towards the back seat and I saw a package, I took it and opened it.
I saw what I recognized to be meat pie and yogurt.
"Thank you" I said and she just smiled.
"So Ochanya, what's the meaning of your name?" She asked as I ate cos I was starving.
"Queen" I replied and took another bite of my meat pie.
"Wow, that's cool, since I saw you in Benue state, I guess you are from idoma tribe?" She asked and I nodded.
"How old are you?" She asked as she drove brilliantly like a man.
"I'm twenty" I replied
"Are you serious?" She asked as she glanced at me repeatedly. "You look seventeen," she said and I sighed. Nice way to remind me I'm unattractive.
"I'm sorry if I made you feel bad" she apologized and there was an awkward silence for a while.
"Aunty Alia" I called and she laughed.
"What? Aunty alia?" She asked amidst laughter and I just smiled awkwardly.
"I'm not Aunty Alia, I'm just a year older the than you so you can't call me aunty" she said and I felt stupid.
"Claudia is my half-sister, Same father but different mother, she's twenty-five so she deserves the aunty but I doubt if she'll be comfortable with it" she explained.
"Don't look down on yourself cos you don't have a big stature okay?" She explained.
I looked up and I saw a big green board that states direction and I realized we are in Lagos.
"We are in Lagos?" I asked
"Yeah baby! Welcome to Lagos city" she said excitedly arousing the excitement in me. My mouth formed awe as I looked around, I've never seen such big oceans in my life, I must say this city is beautiful, it's like paradise. After about thirty minutes, she stopped in front of a big beautiful house and honked. The big gate opened and she drove in.
Back in orokam, my father's house is the most beautiful house in the community, but this house I'm looking at, is nothing compared to my father's, it's heavenly.
"Welcome to my house!" She said and hopped down and I followed.
"Come" she gestured for my hand and I gave her my hand.
" You live here?" I asked
"Yes, and you'll start living here too" she said as she opened the door, as I entered, I smelt luxury.
When we got to where I assumed to be the living room, I was dumbstruck.
"And you are sure you live here? Alone?" I asked again and she laughed hard.
"No, I don't live alone, I live with my sister, Claudia but she's only around during weekends, she's working in Benin as you can see but she's hoping she'd get a transfer here soon" she explained and I nodded.
"Welcome ma" a young woman, probably in her late forties or early fifties came out, she greeted Alia and collected her bag.
"Hi, Aunty Bimpe!" Alia greeted her back. From the way she sounds, she's a really jovial person and she's pretty too and stinking rich.
"Aunty Bimpe, this is Ochanya, my friend She'll be living with us for a while" she said.
Did she just introduce me as her friend?
"Welcome ma, the woman greeted with a bow and I got confused, she's way older than me and she's greeting me with so much respect.
"Come Ochanya, let me show you your room, you look tired" she said we went upstairs, she took me to a room thrice as big as my room in my father's house, it's beautiful with a Queen size bed, it's absolutely ladylike.
"This_ this is my room?" I asked again as I faced her.
"Yes Darling, we'll do something to your closet later since you don't have any luggage" she said it nonchalantly as if it's not a big deal.
"How do I deserve this treatment? You don't even know me" I said as tears welled up my eye.
" I know I met you just a few hours ago but I'm sure you are a good person, I just feel I have to help you" she said as she wiped my tears. "Just rest okay, tomorrow we'll go fill your closet," she said and I nodded with a smile, she left and shut the door after her.
I have all the time in the world to explore my room later, right now I need to rest my head and have a good sleep.
I slide inside the duvet and I moaned when my head hit the fluffy pillow. I thought about my family, most especially my father, I wonder what state he's in. They must have thought I ran off to have some time alone since that's what I do a lot when I'm upset not knowing I won't be coming back. A tear slipped my eye and I shut my eye and shut the painful memories until I drifted into a deep sleep.