Ha, oh my God!" Bayo groaned, holding his chest in serious pain.
Anu rushed to get him out of the supermarket for fresh air outside. As soon as he got a little relief, she got a cab to take them home.
Bayo slumped on the big bed and cried out to Anu.
"My chest hurts a lot."
"Bayo, since when?" Anu demanded, furrowing her brow and grinding her teeth. She just couldn't bear to see Bayo in pain.
"My sweet, it's been up to a year now. But I have been resisting it in prayers. I have been managing it like that."
"Why didn't you inform me? We have to visit the hospital tomorrow. Even though I thought I would return to school, but the school can wait."
The pain increased in the night. She was tempted to get medication but she felt it would be better he got the diagnosis. But she gave him Aspirin to subdue the pain till morning.
By morning, Anu got a taxi driver who took him to Ife Teaching hospital, where he did several tests to diagnose his problem. It was discovered that he had liver syrosis, and kidney problem. His blood pressure has shot up beyond normal. The doctor had to place him on a drip, and was able to calm down the high blood pressure, which was 130/100.
"You have to go back to school, my sweet. I am getting better day by day now. Pastor Joseph and his wife will take care of me. Your mom is also around, and of course, Ayomide will be keeping me company. Please, go to school and make me proud." Bayo pleaded with Anu who was squeezing her face. Her mind refused to go but for the insistence of Bayo, she left in tears.
"Honestly, my heart is tearing apart Bayo! It's not easy leaving you in this condition. You have become a shadow of yourself. But since you wanted me to go, though I do not mind delaying the semester for your sake." She shrugged off her shoulders and bent over to give him a kiss.
Tears flowed freely afterwards. She stood gazing at him. She finally shook her head to wave him goodbye.
"Goodbye my love" Anu uttered with strained eyes.
"Bye my sweet, take good care of yourself for me." Bayo replied.
If only Anu knew the pain in his heart and body. He refused to complain lest she's torn into pieces. Difficult as it was, he knew he had to release her to return to school.
A week later, the doctor discharged him miraculously. He couldn't wait to talk to Anu who had been calling almost every three hours.
But this time around, he couldn't reach her because of poor network. He also marvelled that she had not called for almost twenty-four hours. But he kept on calling her phone until she picked up.
But unfortunately, it was a man who picked her phone. Thinking her phone had been stolen, he shouted on him to return it to his wife.
"Hey Mr, where did you see my wife's phone? Do yourself a favor by returning this to her immediately." He screamed.
"The phone that I bought for her?" He replied with aggression.
"Who are you?" Bayo yelled.
"Don't tell me that you've forgotten me so soon." He declared with a chuckle.
Then he recognized his voice. So Anu is back with Babajide. That was too much for him to take. He held his chest again in heavy pain and collapsed on the floor. Thank God, Pastor Joseph came to check on him and saw him on the floor. He had to rush him to the hospital again.
Babajide gave Anu her phone informing her about her husband's call. She jubilantly called back only to discover that it was the pastor who picked up.
"God bless you sir. I want to talk to my husband. I learnt that he had been discharged from the hospital." Anu uttered with excitement.
"I'm sorry to inform you that he's back in the hospital. His case is very serious." Pastor Joseph informed with a trembling voice. He wondered why this should be.
Anu groaned in heavy pain. She turned to Babajide and yelled at him.
"Who asked you to pick up my phone. You have given a wrong signal to my husband. If anything happens to him, then know that I will never forgive you. No, not at all. How dare you talk to him?
Anu broke down weeping profusely refusing to be comforted.
"I'm sorry Anu, I will take you there right away if that will make you feel better." He uttered, with a sober look.
"Yes, that's the least you can do. Shall we?"
She quickly picked some clothes and informed her roommate about her plight. She hopped inside his Jeep car and off they went to Ife.
They were there in less than two hours.
As soon as Bayo saw Anu followed by Babajide, he turned his face to the wall.
Anu rushed to turn him back kneeling down before him.
"I'm deeply sorry for the pains I caused you. He was only there to greet and inform me about my brother Iyin's school. He got admission into University of Lagos to read Architect. I was unable to call because of our exam. I had three papers." Anu explained to him.
He held out his hand to indicate that he is okay by her explanation and beckoned to her to stand up. Babajide apologized and he shook his head to respond.
Anu rose up to hug her man and Babajide disappeared. He couldn't handle his emotions any longer. His love for Anu refused to go. He had tried to push her out of his mind. It wouldn't leave. He prayed earnestly about it, tried to court one of the ladies in the fellowship, but the relationship failed because he was not led to do it.
He thought he would be able to forget her but rather her love grew up in him, to the point of comparing the lady with Anu.
"Why can't you behave like my Anu? Why can't you cook like her? Why is your dressing so shabby. Go and learn from Anu!"
The lady became confused and tired. She yelled one day, "Why can't you go and marry Anu? Why are you interested in marrying me, when you know that Anu is your model. I have had enough of your nagging. Go and get your idol."
That was the end of the relationship.