Favour had been quite unwell.
About two weeks ago, she called during a staff meeting, complaining of persistent abdominal pain. I was unable to hear her clearly or leave the office to assist her, so I turned to my reliable confidant, Hassan.
Despite having a busy schedule, he always went the extra mile for people.
He hurried to her residence, transported her to the hospital, and covered the expenses for her tests when it was determined that she required an appendix surgery.
Favour served as the primary provider for her family, and her parents were unable to gather the funds for her operation. Leveraging her savings and our combined resources, Hassan and I covered the outstanding balance and made the necessary payments for her surgery.
Hassan and her parents had been by her side for the entire two weeks, and she was discharged two days ago. Surprisingly, I hadn’t made a single call or left a message throughout that period.
I kept procrastinating when to reach out until Hassan posed that question.
Upon returning home that evening, I immediately made a few calls to Favour, but she didn’t answer. I also left a couple of messages, receiving no reply. It became clear—Favour was genuinely upset and not ready to engage in a conversation with me.
I hastened to her place over the weekend, bearing a peace offering—a sizable chocolate bar and a 6-inch, unadorned red velvet cake.
Favour was never one to resist the allure of cakes and chocolates.
“Wetin’ you dey find for my house?” Favour was resolute. She wouldn’t permit me to proceed beyond her front door, positioned like a sentry, with half of her body blocking the entrance.
“Favour…” I expressed my deepest apologies with the most sorrowful gaze I could muster.
“That one no fit enter me” Favour embodied the strength of a Benin girl, exuding a level of resilience that surpassed them all.
Her attention was abruptly drawn to the elegant bag I clutched in my right hand.
“Let me take this one first…” She playfully yanked the bag from my hand, and a spontaneous laugh escaped me.
“Favour! When are you ever going to change?” I couldn’t maintain my faux sad expression.
Favour extracted the chocolate bar and exclaimed, “Awwww… All for me?”
“How considerate of you, my ex-friend,” she teased.
“Ex-friend?” My emotions were a blend of conflicting feelings. I couldn’t help but smile, attempting to maintain an air of remorse.
Favour’s mother joined us at the entrance, on her way to visit a friend for business assistance.
“Ha… Oyin!”
Favour stepped away from the door to let her mother exit.
I knelt to greet her, savoring the warmth of her hugs and the familiarity of her heartfelt prayers, something I had missed dearly.
Even though she consistently prayed in her dialect, and I only grasped a few words I coerced Favour to translate, I could sense her love and genuine concern for me.
“Thank you so much for assisting your friend. She shared how you contributed towards her surgery and couldn’t visit because of your travels. I’m delighted to see you.”
Her joy resonated in her voice. She continued to offer prayers for me in her dialect, and it stirred deep emotions within me.
Favour had woven a falsehood about me embarking on a journey, aiming to restore my reputation in the eyes of her parents. I couldn’t help but feel undeserving of her friendship.
“I’m heading to see my friend, Mama Tina. She’s willing to assist me in securing some funds with a low interest rate to support my business,” Favour’s mother explained.
“Oh, I wish you the best, ma,” I replied, rising from the ground and offering a gentle smile.
She embraced me warmly. “Thank you, my child,” she expressed as she made her way towards the compound’s gate entrance.
“Favour, I sincerely apologize,” I admitted, lacking words to defend my actions.
She had already entered the house, and I hurriedly walked to catch up with her.
As I embraced her tightly, attempting to lift her spirit, she playfully threw a few baby tantrums. We ended up on the rug surface of her living room, both laughing uncontrollably.
“Please, I’m still recovering; don’t add extra trouble to my problems,” Favour said, pushing me aside with a laugh.
Just then, my phone chimed with a message.
I grabbed the phone, read the message, and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Is that Hassan? How’s my guy? The only friend who cared for me,” Favour teased as she stood up to indulge in the cake I brought.
“Haba Favour, didn’t I already apologize?” I shot her a pitiful look, but Favour mimicked me and burst into laughter.
“It’s not Hassan,” I replied without looking at her.
“It’s a new friend, Stanley,” I announced with a radiant smile, reading his message to myself again.
Favour’s expression turned to concern.
“A new male friend that makes you giggle? Ha! This is a problem,” Favour exclaimed, almost shouting.
“Haba, no be wetin you dey think, Favour,” my eyes widened in disbelief.
“It’s not what you think, Favour,” I chuckled.
I went on to narrate to Favour the story of how Stanley and I crossed paths, how I resembled his sister, and even how he had become friends with Hassan.
Favour sighed. “I smell danger… real danger.”
“How? What kind of danger?” I couldn’t comprehend Favour’s apprehensions.
“What’s Hassan’s reaction to this new friendship?” Favour was determined to find out.
“He’s cool with it, at least…”
“At least what?” Favour interrupted impatiently, giving me no chance to elaborate.
“Can’t you let me finish my sentence?” Irritation colored my voice at her sudden attitude.
“Must you consistently impose your thoughts on me without allowing me to express my opinions fully? Do you always have to be a bully?” I uttered, almost on the verge of tears.
“Ha, I’m sorry, my benefactor. How dare I?” Favour uttered sarcastically.
Favour was on the brink of returning to her teasing demeanor. It was her way of pulling me out of my defensive stance.
“If you hadn’t assisted with my hospital bills, I might have been dead by now. I can never bully or disrespect my helper. Thank you so much, my friend,” Favour dramatically said as she playfully fell to her knees, expressing her gratitude.
We both burst into laughter just as I received a message on my phone.
I turned to Favour with a hint of anxiety.
“It’s Stanley.” I remained fixated on my phone’s screen, reading his message while catching my breath.
“Wetin do am?” Favour asked, bewildered.
“He needs my help. He’s in trouble,” I explained as I hastily stood up, grabbed my bag, and slipped on my slippers.
“Where are you going?” Favour was the most perplexed person in the room.
“To his house, of course,” I replied without hesitation.
“Wait, you already know where he lives?”
Favour couldn’t fathom how I had become so close to someone in just two weeks, especially a guy.
I wasn’t inclined to entertain any questions she might pose afterward; I knew Favour too well. She possessed probing eyes and wouldn’t relent until she extracted all the answers she sought.
“I’ll call you later, Favour,” I declared as I hastily left her house.
“At least call Hassan to accompany you or something!” she shouted, but I was already out of sight.
“Nawa o… Wetin dey do this girl?”
Favour couldn’t fathom my actions and thought process anymore.
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