FEHINTOLA Later that day.2:30pm.Day 3 of the festivities.“Fehintii, I’m sorry, but you understand the implications of what I said yesterday, right?” Dami asked, his voice low as he worked beside me. I turned to face him, my movements slow and deliberate.We were setting up for the Best Christmas Jollof competition tonight, they said it was a usually crowded event that had attracted vendors to buy stands and showcase their products. Around us, people were busy decorating, erecting the stage, and preparing the cooking area where the competitors would face off. Dami and I were putting up the canopy for the vendors who bought a stand.I nodded, avoiding his gaze. “We have to keep pretending to be a couple, right?” I asked, my voice even. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and nodded. “Yeah.”“It’s fine,” I said, managing a small smile. “It’s no trouble at all.”Relief washed over his face, and he let out a breath. “Thank you,” he murmured. We continued working. My eyes drifte
FEHINTOLA Next day, Thursday 5th December. 09:00am.I stretched out in bed, earning a satisfying pop from my stiff joints. A small groan escaped me as I rubbed my eyes, the first thing I did was reach for my stomach. By yesterday’s night the pain had reduced and now it was gone completely. A small smile played on my lips. You’d really not know how underrated good health is until you’re slightly inconvenient.Slowly, I fluttered my eyes open, scanning the room only to find I was the only one in it. Dami was gone. I sat up in bed, frowning as I glanced around for any sign of him. Nothing. My phone beeped with a text, drawing my attention, and I picked it up to see a text waiting for me. -Good Morning, My Pretty Jonah. Are you awake now?-I rolled my eyes, a small laugh escaping my lips. (Jonah — a name commonly used amongst Nigerians to throw shade at someone who loved sleep), I didn’t bother replying to the text. Instead, I dialed his number. The call connected instantly. “But
FEHINTOLA11:30am.“I want to bake Christmas cookies, before we leave for the town square,” Dami said as we walked out of the Local restaurant not too far from the house, where we had just finished eating. “I’m making a big batch, would you want to join me?!” He asked and I slowly turned to look at him.“Ahn ahn, this is serious o, Ikorodu Father Christmas” I teased and his face curled into a playful frown, although I could see him trying to hold in his laughter. “Sho fe ma whine mi ni,” (Are you teasing me?!) he muttered, the expression on his face mused me more and my laughter persisted.“I’m sorry,” I muttered as I tried to stop laughing.“Oya now, since you want to laugh, have a nice day! I must not see your hand in my cookies ohh,” he said as he increased his pace and walked ahead of me.“Ahn ahn, I’m just joking with you,” I said running up to catch up with him. He rolled his eyes playfully and hissed as he reached out, wrapped his hands around my shoulders and pulled me close
FEHINTOLA8:00pm I stood a little away from the whole festival going on. Right now, the children were dressed beautifully in traditional attires, dancing happily to an amapiano music. And every other person laughing heartily and cheering them up. I had to beg Anu and Ayo to take pictures and videos for me.My gaze fell on Dami, he had a wide smile beautifully carved on his face, he looked like he had not a worry in this world, when infact he might be the one with the biggest worry. I wonder how he was able to do it. I wasn’t really able to enjoy today’s activities, I was constantly zoning out and at some point I began to feel very hot and uncomfortable, majorly because of the conversation I had with my dad before coming here. I had to leave the place, because I couldn’t take Dami asking me if I was okay every one second, and I didn’t want to ruin his fun. I couldn’t even join Dami to complete the cookies earlier, I just sat back in my apartment staring over and over again at the
FEHINTOLAI swallowed hard as I stepped closer to Anu, my heart pounding so loudly in my chest, my fist clenching and unclenching as I stood in front of her. She stood still, her expression remained unreadable, her piercing gaze fixed on me. My voice trembled as I whispered, I don’t know why I was this scared but I was actually scared.“A-Anu, it’s not what you think…”She didn’t respond, didn’t flinch. She just stood there staring at me. I tried again, my voice unsteady. “Anu, I can explain.”I was standing directly in front of her now, close enough to see the subtle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. My mind raced with possibilities of how this situation would turn out, each one worse than the last. This wasn’t how I wanted them to find out. Finally, she spoke, her voice calm but very firm. “Bankole Fehintola Racheal,” she began. “The only daughter of Bankole Philips, I knew the moment I saw you.”I blinked, stunned by her words, and my eyes widened in shock. “Y-you kn
FEHINTOLA.NEXT DAYFriday 6th December. 9:00am.I let out a deep breath as I slid the duvet off my body and sat up in bed. My gaze drifted to the folder on my bed beside me —the offer from my father for D&A’s. I’d decided to literally sleep on it, hoping rest would give me the clarity and strength on how to face the situation. Today, I had to come clean to Dami. There was no more running from it. With another sigh, I swung my legs off the bed, slipped into my flip-flops, and tightened the scarf on my head before heading to the bathroom. In front of the mirror, I stared at my reflection, no matter how hard I tried to take my mind, the thought of it still weighed me down, Omo Fehintola, you really messed up. If I could rewind time, I wouldn’t have lied about coming for a job. I should have been upfront from the start and tried to win him over with honesty. The loud ringtone of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts. Abandoning the toothbrush in my hand, I rushed back to the bed
FEHINTOLA 8:00pm Day 5 of festivities.Christmas Couple.The massive Christmas tree we decorated three days ago , stood proudly at the center, sparkled with red and gold ornaments, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy. It had taken days even after the tree lightening to make this tree look this perfect. I stood on the decorated stage, dressed in my shimmering green sample lace gown and my gele tied to perfection, when Dami said we’d be featuring in the Christmas couple event, I didn’t know he meant hosting, but I loved it.I glanced at Dami, who was adjusting his microphone, looking regal in his white senator up and down embroidered with silver thread. His ease with the crowd always amazed me. He caught my eye and looked away immediately. I chuckled lightly at his pettiness , he had actually been avoiding me since what happened on our way to the market happened. Immediately Anu signalled to me that it was time to start, I stepped forward, gripping the microphone. “Ẹ kaabo
FEHINTOLA.12:00pm.Dami’s arms wrapped snugly around my shoulders, as we made our way out of the town square. My fingers instinctively found his, intertwining as if they belonged there. “You didn’t have to do that in public,” I murmured, casting a side glance at him. We had just finished setting down and packing up everything we used and were now heading home. “I wanted to,” he replied without hesitation. “And I’d do it every time I get the chance.” He added, I couldn’t help but glance up at him, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Aww, stop,” I muttered, heat rising to my cheeks. His soft chuckle made my stomach flutter, but I quickly sobered, lowering my gaze.“Dami, there’s something I need to—” “Ah-ah, ahn-ahn! This one don do!” Ayo’s voice boomed from behind, startling us both. Before we could react, he wedged himself between us, shoving us apart with zero remorse. Wrapping his arms around our shoulders, then he pulled us close to himself.“Hold me instead,” he declared, hi
FEHINTOLATwelve Days Later.19th December 2024.At the Winery. “I know orders are coming in, but… this won’t quite cut it,” Dami muttered, his voice low with frustration. We stood outside behind tge production area as we just watched the workers do their thing.His words sounded like he was disappointed and I felt it pressing against my own chest tightly. Slowly, I moved closer, slipping my arms around his waist, offering the only solace I could at that moment. “Have you lost hope?” I asked gently, my voice barely above a whisper. “Has God ever failed you before?” Dami turned to face me, his tired eyes meeting mine. He shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. “No, He hasn’t,” he admitted, his voice tinged with exhaustion. “But in times like this, it’s hard to keep believing… to hold on to hope. I cannot help but panic”“The landlord is not taking it easy with me and honestly I need to get my own bigger space,”“It’s not just about bigger space too, will I just get a bigger s
FEHINTOLA4:30pm“Just because I let Anjola stay back, don’t think I don’t know what I’m doing,” My father said to me over the phone, I sighed deeply and slowly reclined in the car seat, “I give you one extra week, to get this done,” he added. I exhaled deeply and nodded slowly like he could see me. “O gbo Abi o daun” (you hear me or you chose not to answer) his voice came sharply.“I’ve heard sir,”“Good!” He muttered in reply and with that he ended the call.“You are on the fastest route, you will get to your destination in five minutes,” The GPS automated voice announced, I stared down at my watch, honestly I didn’t want to go to the town square because I am avoiding Dami but Ayo had texted me earlier, to not stay home alone if I got back early, I decided to go. He said they were going to start early today because they wanted finish early.****“Ohh perfect, perfect!”“Welcome Fehintola,” I heard the host say from the stage as I walked into the town square, my head whipped up imm
FEHINTOLA NEXT DAY.Sunday 8th December.My eyes fluttered open slowly, the throbbing pain in my head intensifying with each passing second. I let out a soft groan and pushed myself into a sitting position, cradling my head in my hands. My fingers massaged my temples as I stretched and reached for my phone on the bedside table. The bright screen lit up, displaying the time: 6:30 a.m. A message from my mother awaited me. Without hesitation, I clicked it open. -Would you be able to come to our church today? We’re having a special thanksgiving service, and I’d like you to be there. I’ve already sent out clothes in case you’d be available,- the text read. I sighed, releasing a stiff yawn as I rubbed my face. So now she wanted me to show up at her church, without any prior notice? Typical. Like I don’t have a life of my own and when they say something I’m just supposed to swing into action. Shaking my head, I swung my legs off the bed and made my way toward the kitchen. My feet felt
DAMILARE*“You can’t keep judging everyone by the wounds of your past. I’m not your mother Damilare, and I’d appreciate it if you’d stop looking at me as though I’ll hurt you the same way she did.”**“You can’t tie me down to stay with you, Dami. You’re just going to have to trust me. And if you don’t trust me, then there’s no point in us being together.”**“You’re smart, Dami. You’re learned and I expected better from you. But this perfectionism you cling to? It’s going to destroy you”*I sat quietly on the sofa staring into space as the words Fehintola said to her earlier circled around me, they felt so tangible that I could touch them. I felt bad that I hurt her with my words, I never wanted to see her cry but the fact that she cried because of me tugged painfully at my chest. Thinking about it now, I had let my ego ruin things for me. The memory of her tearful expression gnawed at me, more painful than I could ever admit. I had taken out my frustration, my insecurities, and my
FEHINTOLAMy heart skipped a beat as I immediately stretched forward, snatching my phone from his hand. I unlocked it quickly and scrolled down to my messages. There it was—a text from my mother. -Your father has spoken to Mr. Ade. The winery will be reopened soon, but make sure you do as you’re asked. I don’t want wahala oh-I exhaled softly, relief washing over me. It wasn’t as bad as I had feared, and at least it didn’t expose anything that could blow my cover. “Dami, I was only trying to help,” I murmured, glancing up at him. He raised his brows, then slowly got up from where he sat. “You think throwing your money around and flaunting your connections is helping me?” he shot back, his tone sharp. “So what now, I’m indebted to you?!” I flinched, taken aback by his words, and instinctively stepped back. “There’s no debt in Love Dami, what do you mean throwing my money around? When have I ever done that? You needed help, and I just wanted to be there for you.” I said and he
FEHINTOLA.Few hours later. 3:30pmI sat on the edge of my bed, my fingers nervously drumming on my thighs. I stared down at the proposal beside me, “God, what is this?” I muttered to myself, frustration curling through my words. I felt like I was being pulled apart—caught between two impossible choices. My father and the man I actually love.Saying no to my father felt like stepping into a battlefield unarmed. But facing Dami with this? That was an entirely different war—one I wasn’t ready for, especially after the things he’d said to me today. I sighed deeply, rubbing my temples in an attempt to clear my thoughts. If I were to choose, the answer is kind of obvious, though. My father would have to wait. I’d deal with him later. Right now, my priority was Dami. He’d poured everything he had into the grand Christmas sales, and the Christmas festival, without considering himself. How could I sit back and do nothing when I had the power to help him? I immediately placed the proposal
FEHINTOLANEXT DAY Saturday 7th December.My phone beeped with a message, jolting me from my thoughts. I picked it up and stared at the screen—a message from my father. -You have just two days to tie up the contract and return home. There’s still so much to do, and we don’t have time to waste.- I sighed deeply, his words pressing heavily on my chest and I almost couldn’t breathe. No matter how hectic schooling in Nigeria had been or how exhausting my work life in New York felt, this moment right here surpassed them all. The stress, the frustration—it was suffocating. Rubbing my temples, I reached for the file on the table next to me. “God, abeg,” I muttered under my breath. It was now or never, I had to do this. Pushing myself, I rose to my feet and made my way to the door, my heart thudding wildly in my chest, I could almost see Dami reaction play out right in front of me. The sound of voices stopped me in my tracks as I neared Dami’s apartment. “Oga Landlord, that one wi
FEHINTOLA.12:00pm.Dami’s arms wrapped snugly around my shoulders, as we made our way out of the town square. My fingers instinctively found his, intertwining as if they belonged there. “You didn’t have to do that in public,” I murmured, casting a side glance at him. We had just finished setting down and packing up everything we used and were now heading home. “I wanted to,” he replied without hesitation. “And I’d do it every time I get the chance.” He added, I couldn’t help but glance up at him, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Aww, stop,” I muttered, heat rising to my cheeks. His soft chuckle made my stomach flutter, but I quickly sobered, lowering my gaze.“Dami, there’s something I need to—” “Ah-ah, ahn-ahn! This one don do!” Ayo’s voice boomed from behind, startling us both. Before we could react, he wedged himself between us, shoving us apart with zero remorse. Wrapping his arms around our shoulders, then he pulled us close to himself.“Hold me instead,” he declared, hi
FEHINTOLA 8:00pm Day 5 of festivities.Christmas Couple.The massive Christmas tree we decorated three days ago , stood proudly at the center, sparkled with red and gold ornaments, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy. It had taken days even after the tree lightening to make this tree look this perfect. I stood on the decorated stage, dressed in my shimmering green sample lace gown and my gele tied to perfection, when Dami said we’d be featuring in the Christmas couple event, I didn’t know he meant hosting, but I loved it.I glanced at Dami, who was adjusting his microphone, looking regal in his white senator up and down embroidered with silver thread. His ease with the crowd always amazed me. He caught my eye and looked away immediately. I chuckled lightly at his pettiness , he had actually been avoiding me since what happened on our way to the market happened. Immediately Anu signalled to me that it was time to start, I stepped forward, gripping the microphone. “Ẹ kaabo