The Woman Who Finally Woke Up

Teniola stared at Kola as if he had just spoken another language.

“There was… someone else?”

Kola nodded slowly.

His face had lost every trace of colour.

“Yes.”

“You never told me.”

“You never gave me the chance.”

Silence settled between them.

The apartment suddenly felt too small.

Too hot.

Too full of ghosts.

Teniola swallowed.

“Who was she?”

Kola looked away.

For the first time since her memories returned, he looked unsure.

“I wanted you to remember first.”

“Kola!”

He took a deep breath.

“Her name is Morenike.”

The name meant nothing to Teniola.

At least…

She thought it didn’t.

Until another tiny flash crossed her mind.

A woman laughing.

Long braids.

Gold earrings.

A voice saying, “You two will definitely invite me to this wedding.”

Teniola grabbed her head.

“I know that voice…”

Kola nodded.

“You do.”

“Who is she to me?”

He answered quietly.

“She was your best friend.”

The words landed like a slap.

“My… best friend?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“You introduced us.”

Teniola shook her head repeatedly.

“No… no… Chioma has always been my best friend.”

Kola sighed.

“Chioma became your closest friend after the accident.”

Teniola’s breathing became uneven.

“Morenike was your best friend before everything happened.”

Another memory surfaced.

Three ladies eating suya by the roadside.

Laughing so hard that people turned to look.

One of them…

Morenike.

“Oh God…”

Teniola whispered.

“I remember her smile.”

An hour later…

They were driving to a private hospital in Ikeja.

Neither of them spoke much.

The city looked normal outside.

Street hawkers.

BRT buses.

School children in uniforms.

Life was moving.

But inside that car…

Time had stopped.

As they entered the hospital compound, Teniola felt her legs become heavy.

“I don’t know if I’m ready.”

Kola looked at her gently.

“You may never be.”

The hospital smelled exactly the way she remembered.

Antiseptic.

Fresh paint.

Quiet conversations.

Soft footsteps.

The nurse at the reception smiled politely.

“Mr. Adebayo.”

Teniola noticed it immediately.

They knew him.

He had been coming here.

For years.

The nurse led them down a long corridor.

Room 214.

She knocked gently before opening the door.

“There are visitors for you.”

Teniola frowned.

Visitors?

The nurse smiled.

“She’s awake now.”

Then she stepped aside.

Inside the room…

A woman sat up on the hospital bed.

She looked thinner than the flashes in Teniola’s memory.

Her hair was short now.

Her face carried the weight of lost years.

But the moment their eyes met…

The woman started crying.

“Teni…”

That voice.

Everything inside Teniola collapsed.

“Morenike…”

She walked slowly toward the bed.

Neither of them knew who hugged first.

They simply held each other.

And cried.

Long.

Hard.

Five years of silence pouring out in tears.

“I’m sorry,” Teniola whispered over and over.

“I’m so sorry.”

Morenike held her tighter.

“I’ve waited to hear you say my name again.”

After several minutes, they finally sat down.

Nobody rushed the conversation.

Nobody wanted to.

Teniola looked at Morenike.

“What happened?”

Morenike glanced at Kola.

Then back at Teniola.

“You really don’t remember everything?”

“I remember the accident.”

Morenike nodded slowly.

“But not before it.”

Teniola frowned.

“What happened before?”

Morenike’s expression changed.

She became serious.

Very serious.

“The accident wasn’t the beginning.”

Teniola’s heartbeat quickened.

“What do you mean?”

“You and Kola argued, yes.”

Kola remained silent.

“But that wasn’t why I entered the car.”

Confusion spread across Teniola’s face.

“You entered the car because…”

Morenike stopped.

Her eyes filled with tears.

“…because I had something to confess.”

The room became silent.

Teniola stared at her.

“What confession?”

Morenike looked down at her trembling hands.

Then whispered,

“I betrayed you.”

Teniola blinked.

“What?”

“I betrayed our friendship.”

Silence.

“I was jealous.”

“No…”

“I wanted the life you had.”

Teniola couldn’t move.

“I wanted Kola.”

The words echoed inside the room.

Kola closed his eyes.

He already knew.

He had heard this confession years ago.

But Teniola hadn’t.

Not until now.

Morenike continued crying.

“I never touched him.”

Kola nodded.

“She didn’t.”

“But I tried to separate both of you.”

Teniola felt sick.

“I kept telling you he wasn’t good enough.”

Flash.

A conversation.

A restaurant.

Morenike saying,

“Are you sure this guy isn’t using you?”

Another flash.

Voice notes.

Advice.

Doubt.

“Oh my God…”

Teniola whispered.

Morenike wiped her tears.

“That night…”

She struggled to continue.

“I called you because I couldn’t live with the guilt anymore.”

Teniola remembered getting into her car.

The rain.

The anger.

Everything.

“I wanted to confess everything before your wedding.”

Wedding.

Not engagement.

Wedding.

It had been only weeks away.

Teniola’s heart broke all over again.

“You got into my car.”

“Yes.”

“I was angry.”

“Yes.”

“And then…”

Morenike nodded.

“The trailer came.”

Silence swallowed the room.

No one spoke.

No one could.

Finally…

Teniola looked at Kola.

“So… all these years…”

He smiled sadly.

“I wasn’t waiting for revenge.”

She burst into tears again.

“I was waiting for you to remember the woman you used to be.”

He reached for her hand.

“I already forgave you a long time ago.”

Before she could respond…

A sharp knock sounded on the hospital door.

Three knocks.

Firm.

The nurse opened it.

A man in a dark suit walked in carrying a brown envelope.

“Good afternoon.”

Everyone turned toward him.

He looked directly at Teniola.

“Mrs. Teniola Akinwale?”

She frowned.

“My name is Teniola…”

He interrupted politely.

“I know.”

He lifted the envelope.

“I’ve been looking for you for five years.”

Kola stood up.

“Who are you?”

The man brought out an identity card.

“I’m a legal representative.”

He placed the envelope gently on the bedside table.

“This contains the final statement of the trailer driver.”

Teniola’s heartbeat became louder.

The lawyer adjusted his glasses.

“He passed away three days ago.”

Nobody spoke.

Then the lawyer added quietly,

“Before he died…”

“…he confessed that your accident was not an accident.”

The room fell into complete silence.

Teniola slowly looked at Kola.

Kola looked at Morenike.

Morenike’s face turned white.

The lawyer opened the envelope.

“There is one more name in this statement.”

He looked directly at Teniola before speaking.

“And it’s the last person any of you would ever expect.”

To be continued…