Blood Sisters

Sharon gazed out of the window, her thoughts drifting to Tobe, the man she had loved for as long as she could remember. As she watched the sunlight filter through the leaves outside, she couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness that had settled in her heart.

In the kitchen, Sharon’s mother, Ama, bustled around, preparing lunch for the family. “Sharon, help me set the table?” she called out.

Sharon sighed, tearing her gaze away from the window. “Yes mama,” she replied, forcing a smile as she joined her mother at the table.

As they arranged the plates and cutlery, Sharon’s younger siblings, Awele and Ebube, raced around the dining room, their laughter echoing off the walls. Sharon couldn’t help but envy their carefree joy, a stark contrast to the heaviness weighing on her own heart.

Across the table, their Aunty Margaret smiled warmly at Sharon. “You know, Sharon, you should invite Tobe over for dinner sometime,” she suggested. She was the only one whom Sharon could confide in, the only one who knew the reason behind her sadness these past few weeks.

Sharon’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Tobe’s name. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Aunty Margaret,” she replied quietly, her voice tinged with sadness.

Margaret nodded understandingly. “Well, just know that I’m here for you, no matter what,” she said, reaching out to squeeze Sharon’s hand.

Sharon had known Tobe for as long as she could remember, their mothers were best friends so they basically grew up together. From their childhood days playing in the same street to their teenage years spent as high school friends, Sharon had always harbored a deep affection for him. She watched from afar as Tobe grew into a charming young man, her feelings for him blossoming into love as they grew older.

Despite her feelings, Sharon never confessed her love to Tobe. Instead, she buried her emotions deep within her heart, content to admire him from a distance. Until a few weeks ago when he told her he was thinking about moving to Lagos. She couldn’t stand the thought of losing him so she wrote a letter to tell all the things she was too afraid to say face to face. A letter to tell him that she loved him. He was going to Lagos on business so she snuck into his suitcase.

Three weeks had passed, he was sure to have read the letter by now but she hadn’t heard from him. No text or call, a rejection would even be better than silence.

“Let me go and help Mama in the kitchen,” Sharon said and got up. She walked into the hallway that led to the kitchen and she could hear her mum talking on the phone.

“…yes, these children nowadays, they never listen.” Her mum paused for a bit. “Ehn! Married? How long has he known her?” Pause. “Three months? Ah, that is too short.” Pause. “No wonder he wants to move to Lagos. Hmmm… and I Tobe was smarter than that, not to get deceived by those Lagos girls.”

Sharon’s heart dropped to her stomach.

* * *

Tobe’s phone shattered the stillness of the night with its shrill ringtone, piercing through the darkness of their bedroom. Nini stirred from her sleep, a sense of foreboding settling over her before Tobe even picked up the call. She watched him through half-closed eyes as he hurriedly reached for his phone.

“What happened?” Nini’s voice was barely above a whisper as Tobe’s expression darkened with each passing second.

Tobe scrambled to his feet, his hands trembling as he hastily began to dress up. “Sharon, my friend from the village,” he said when he finally put the phone down. “She tried to kill herself.”

Nini’s heart plummeted at the news. She watched silently as Tobe rambled on about his shock and disbelief, his words tumbling out in a torrent of emotion. It was clear that he was struggling to process the news, his thoughts racing a mile a minute as he grappled with the magnitude of what had happened.

As Tobe finally sank onto the edge of the bed, his head bowed in despair, Nini felt a surge of compassion welling up within her. She moved to sit beside him, her hand reaching out to gently squeeze his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

“I hope she’s okay,” Tobe murmured, his voice barely audible as he wrestled with his emotions.

Nini nodded in silent agreement, her heart aching for both Tobe and Sharon in equal measure.

“I need to show you something,” Nini said suddenly, her voice filled with uncertainty.

They decided to wait till morning to go to the village. As they finally arrived at the hospital, tension knotted in their stomachs, they saw Sharon’s whole family sitting distraught in the waiting room. A woman who looked to be in her early looked and spotted them, her expression was grave as she walked up to them and pulled them away from the rest of the family, a sense of urgency in her movements.

“Tobe,”

“Auntie Margaret,”

They followed her to a secluded corner of the room, their hearts pounding with apprehension. Nini’s mind raced with worry, fearing the worst for Sharon and looking at Tobe she could sense he felt the same.

“I need to be honest with you,” Auntie Margaret said, her gaze piercing as she fixed her eyes on Tobe. “Sharon is fine but that’s no thanks to you. All she needed from you was one phone call saying yes or no. She was your friend, did she need to hear about your engagement from your mother?”

“Ma’am–” Nini started to cut in to defend Tobe but he shook his head to stop her.

“Can I see her?” He asked simply.

She sighed reluctantly, “I’m going to ask if Sharon wants to see you. But if she says no, Tobe, I need you to respect her wishes. It’s the least you can do after everything that’s happened.”

Tobe nodded, his eyes filling with tears.

Auntie Margaret disappeared into Sharon’s room, Tobe went to greet Sharon’s family leaving Nini to wait in agonising silence.

Finally, Auntie Margaret returned, her expression somber as she delivered the news. “Sharon wants to see Nini,” she said quietly.

Tobe looked at Nini shocked, “I don’t think it’s a good idea…”

Nini placed her hand gently on Tobe’s arm, “It’s okay, I want to see her.”

Nini followed Auntie Margaret back into Sharon’s room, her heart heavy with empathy for the woman lying in the hospital bed. Auntie Margaret excused herself from the room, leaving them alone. Nini approached Sharon’s bedside, her heart aching at the sight of the bandages on her wrists and the IV hooked up to her arm.

For a moment, they stayed in silence, staring at each other. Then, with a deep breath, Sharon spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Do you think you could ever love him as much as I do?” she asked, her eyes searching Nini’s for answers. “I’m lying here as a testament to how much I love him.”

Her words made Nini angry, momentarily forgetting her sympathy she said, “That’s not love.”

“Excuse me?”

“Love doesn’t physically hurt people, it’s not supposed to. You’re here because you didn’t love Tobe nor yourself.”

“How dare you?”

“I came here to sympathize, I really did but maybe the truth will do you better. You won’t gain anything by hurting yourself. If you die, the world does not stop spinning, Tobe will not stop loving me or me him. Everyone and everything moves on.”

“Get out!!” Sharon began to yell “Get out!”

Nini swiftly left the room.

“Are you mad at me?” Nini’s voice trembled with uncertainty as they stepped through the door, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between them since leaving the hospital. “You haven’t said a word since we left.”

Tobe hesitated, his gaze fixed on the floor as he struggled to find the right words. “Why should I be mad?” he finally replied, his voice strained.

Nini’s brow furrowed with concern as she stepped closer, her hand reaching out to touch Tobe’s arm. “That I spoke to Sharon so insensitively, that I hid her letter… there’s a lot,” she admitted, her voice wavering with guilt.

Tobe nodded, a heaviness settling over him as he considered Nini’s words. “I’m not mad about the letter,” he said softly, his gaze meeting hers with a mixture of sadness and understanding. “I was before because you didn’t trust me enough to read it, but I still love you the same. And I understand why you said what you said. It must be hard for you too.”

“So why are you mad?” Nini’s voice was barely above a whisper as she searched Tobe’s eyes for answers.

Tobe’s shoulders sagged with the weight of his confession, his heart heavy with regret. “I’m angry at myself for spending years encouraging her affection,” he admitted, his voice thick with emotion. “I knew I was special to her, but I thought it was just a simple crush. Nini, don’t you get it? I’m the villain here, not you.”

Before Nini could respond, Tobe wrapped his arms around her, his body trembling with suppressed emotion and she held him close

* * *

As Nini stood in the sterile hallway of the mental health facility, her heart was heavy with disappointment. This was the fourth time she had come to visit Sharon since she was checked in by her family, only to be turned away once again.

With a sigh, Nini turned to leave but as she passed by a window that led to a garden, a familiar figure caught her eye, their silhouette outlined against the backdrop of lush greenery. It was Sharon, her form hunched over slightly as she stared off into the distance with a look of profound sadness etched upon her features.

Without a second thought, Nini asked for the restroom, but instead of following the receptionist’s directions, she made her way towards the window. With careful steps, Nini maneuvered her way through the facility, her heart pounding in her chest as she neared the garden. And then, with a final push, she slipped through the door and stepped out into the open air, the cool breeze washing over her like a balm.

For a moment, she stood there, taking in the sight of Sharon standing alone amidst the tranquil surroundings. And then, with a sense of purpose driving her forward, she crossed the distance between them, her footsteps silent on the soft grass beneath her feet.

“Sharon,” Nini’s voice was barely above a whisper as she approached, her heart racing with anticipation.

Sharon turned and her sad face turned immediately into anger, “I said I didn’t want to see you.” Then she looked around, “Nurse! Nurse!” she began to yell.

“Wait a second… please… I just want to talk…”

“Nurse!”

“He didn’t get your letter.” Nini suddenly blurted out.

That caught Sharon’s attention, she stopped yelling and faced Nini.

“I found it first, I was helping unpack and it caught my eye. I’m not the kind of person… who invades others’ privacy but… I’ve never been engaged before and something about it was making me feel so insecure. I read the letter and I hid it.”

“So he never read my letter?” Hope flitted across her face.

“He did… the night before we came to see you in the hospital and…”

“Nothing changed.” Sharon finished her statement, the sadness on her face returning.

“He blames himself, you know. But I’ll let him tell you all of that when you’re ready to speak to him.”

“So why are you here?”

“I wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you in the hospital. I had no right.”

“Then why did you do it?”

Nini took a deep breath before responding, “My little sister committed suicide when she was just sixteen.” She looked away from Sharon, willing herself not to get emotional, “She was the most lively teenager you could ever meet and then she became infatuated with a boy in her class. We were all fine with it, my parents didn’t even mind as long as she kept her grades up and never stayed out late. One day she came home completely destroyed, he was leaving her for some girl in university. I comforted her, told her she had the right to be sad, to take time out from school, to lay in bed for days, and to cry until she was all dried up. Then… one day…” Her voice began to crack, “I came home and the house was so quiet. I went to check on her and…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, she couldn’t continue that trip down memory lane. So she looked at Sharon, “You have to understand, I made her feel okay to be weak. And I regret that choice every day.”

“I’m not your sister,” Sharon was trying to stay defiant but even from the tone of her voice you could tell her resolve was wavering.

“I know you’re not my sister,” Nini placed her hand on Sharon’s shoulder, “When I saw you on that bed, I wanted you to be strong. Not for me or Tobe, not even for your family but for yourself. Because you have a future ahead of you and one day you won’t even remember the boy that broke your heart at twenty-four.”

Nini had tears free flowing from her eyes now and she made no move to stop them. Sharon’s eyes watered too, especially when she reached out and pulled Nini to her. And for a long moment, they held each other in a tight embrace.

* * *

Sharon rushed into the hospital waiting room, her heart pounding with worry as she scanned the room for any sign of Tobe. Spotting him hunched over in a corner, his face buried in his hands, she wasted no time in crossing the room to his side.

“Tobe,” she called out.

“Sharon?” Tobe’s voice was filled with shock as he looked up, his eyes widening at the sight of her.

“How is she?” Sharon’s voice was filled with desperation as she searched Tobe’s face for any sign of hope.

Tobe’s expression went from shock back to despair. “She just went in for surgery, they haven’t said anything to me since.”

Sharon placed a hand on his shoulder, “God is with her, she will be fine,”

Tobe turned to look at Sharon, confusion evident in his eyes. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

“The police called me,” Sharon explained, her voice catching in her throat. “I guess I was the last phone call she made.”

Tobe’s expression shifted from confusion to disbelief as he processed Sharon’s words. “She called you?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sharon nodded, her gaze steady as she met Tobe’s eyes. “It’s a long story,” she replied softly, her heart heavy with the weight of their shared history.

Tobe turned to look at the locked door of the surgery theatre, “I’ve got time,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

And as they sat together in the quiet of the waiting room, Sharon began to recount the events that had led them to this moment, “So she kept visiting me, every week till I got released from the facility. Then we just stayed in touch, regular texts and phone calls. At first, I knew it was because she was worried I would try and hurt myself again but eventually we just became great friends these past five years. I called her today to tell her I was coming to Lagos and that we should have lunch tomorrow.”

Tobe looked even more confused, “She never told me.”

Sharon shrugged, “Maybe she didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable,”

“Mr Crowely?”

Tobe jumped up and rushed to the doctor who just come out of the surgery theatre. “Your wife needs blood, she’s A+. We don’t have it in supply.”

“I’m O positive… our… our daughter is A-positive but she’s too young to donate. I… I’ll call her parents…”

“I’m A-positive, I’ll donate,” Sharon said spontaneously.

Tobe turned, “Are you sure?” He looked desperate but determined to get proper approval.

Sharon didn’t hesitate, “I’m sure.”

Later as Sharon sat by Nini’s bedside, her heart ached at the sight of her once lively friend now lying so frail and vulnerable. Nini’s face was dull, her features drawn with exhaustion, and the myriad of machines surrounding her emphasised the severity of her condition.

With a heavy sigh, Sharon reached out and took Nini’s hand in hers, the warmth of their touch a small comfort amidst the sterile hospital room.

“Hey there,” Sharon began softly, her voice filled with tenderness as she looked down at her friend. “It’s me, Sharon. I’m here with you.”

Nini didn’t even stir.

“I’m sorry, Nini,” Sharon continued, her voice tinged with regret. “I’m sorry you had the accident, I wish I could take your pain away. But don’t worry, I’m with you and I will do everything I can to help you get better.”

Silence.

Sharon laughed to herself, “I wonder what you would say at this moment, something corny like ‘Be strong’. But you’re already the strongest person I know.” She took in a breath. ”You know, when you came to the facility to see me that day you were right about almost everything.” Sharon knew how much her friend hated to be wrong so she continued. “You were wrong about two things; number one, you don’t forget that guy you fell in love with when you were twenty-four. I wish I could but even seeing him again reminds me how much I still love him. But it helps to become best friends with his wife and find peace in knowing two people you love are happy.”

Sharon paused for a sarcastic word from her friend but the silence persisted.

“The second thing is when you said we weren’t sisters. You didn’t know it at the time but we would become sisters. Blood sisters. Now our bond is even stronger.” And with that, Sharon began sobbing.

“Well, you said we weren’t sisters first.”

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