CHOICELESS; I wish I am me

Angela regained her voice after much silence. 

"Edwin, you know that I can't say no to your proposal. But, I don't think now is the right time for this." She stated.

" No Angela now is the right time. Let's be together, now that we still have the chance to keep in touch." He argued, holding her hands firmly, and making strong eye contact with her.

"No, you are letting your emotions take the best of you, Edwin." She replied, shaking her head in total dissent.

"What happens to your mother after we elope? What about your career? Your seven years in the higher institution? Are you just going to give away all? She questioned.

"What is a career without the source of my happiness by my side? I don't mind abandoning my career. He talked like he was struggling to swallow down a still_beating heart.

"Please say yes." He said in a whisper; as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Angela turned her gaze away from him; facing the window by her left, she whimpered.

She freed her hands off his grips slowly; standing up, she strolled to the window. She was confused as if the current events could be true and must be a bad dream.

She flushed her hair backward with her hand and chewed on her lower lips. Her eyes shut heavily, she was under a dark cloud at the moment.

Edwin stood up from the bed; and shuffled towards her. Standing behind her, he quavered; "so you cannot even look me in the eyes?"

She turned slothfully, facing him. "I'm sorry Edwin, I can't run away. I believe we can fight through all of these and come out victorious. She sniffed, wiping her pool of tears with her hands.

Edwin moved closer to her. "I'm sorry for persuading you into eloping with me. I understand you perfectly. I will wait, we are going to scale through all of these," he tittered.

"Thank you," she responded with a firm embrace.

"I love you so much." He whispered to her ears, concluding it with a peck on her cheek.

"I love you too." She replied with a consoling smile.

She was taken back home, by the same chauffeur that had brought her to the hotel.

Entering the sitting room, she met her parents who were seated, watching the NTA news from their DStv cable.

"Good morning to you, mum and dad." She greeted.

"What took you so long to get back?" Her dad questioned.

"I'm sorry Dad," she responded, squatting.

"Go and freshen up. We couldn't wait for your arrival; so, we already had breakfast. But not to worry, there is something left for you in the kitchen." Her mum stated.

"Okay! Thanks, mum." She pecked them as she went upstairs.

Entering her room, her phone rang suddenly, it was Margaret. She took the call.

"Hello, girlfriend! She exclaimed.

"Seems like someone is happy this morning?" Margaret teased.

Ahh, yes oo! You can say that again

" She replied with mirth.

"So tell me, how did it go? But wait a sec; hope you are back. Because your mum called me thirty minutes ago, and I told her you were on your way" Margaret enquired. 

"Relax, girlfriend… you need not worry. I'm back already. Thanks for having my back anyways." She replied.

"Come on babe; what are friends for? So, gist me. What happened? Margaret asked as her ears itched for her response.

Angela sat down gradually on the couch that was before the bed, She smirked.

"You this girl, you love gossip.'' she twitted.

"Ahh," Margaret exclaimed. please say something, joor." She demanded.

"Well, it was very fantastic," Angela replied, drawing, and releasing her long black her continuously.

"We even had sex." She whispered, looking at the door to make sure no one was coming.

"Awww, I'm happy for you girlfriend," Margaret commented.

"Thanks, babe. Don't worry, I will visit you later; then I will gist you more. As for now, I need to rest. I had a very long night." She explained.

"Why won't you have a long night, when you two were busy on each other?" Margaret joked.

"Naughty girl; goodbye, girlfriend." 

She replied as she hung up on her. 

Edwin went to work after Angela had left. He was seated in his office, going through a patient's profile on his laptop, before there was a soft pound on his door.

"Come in." He replied. 

A young lady walked in, dressed in a bleached shirt and a navy blue skirt corporate attire. It was his secretary.

"Sorry to disturb you sir, but a young man wants to see you. He is christened Leo." She reported.

"Leo? He asked.

"Yes sir." She replied squatting.

"Ok let him in," Edwin replied, taking his attention back to his laptop screen as she left.

The door barged open suddenly. Edwin took his eyes off the laptop to see who had entered in such an unruly manner.

"Young man, you don't barge into someone's office," Edwin warned the figure swaggering towards him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know I should have knocked before entering". Leo replied.

"What planet are you from, that you didn't know you were to knock before entering an official quarter? He asked.

"Maybe Mars, I guess." Leo blurt. "So can I at least have a seat, before I get choked up with your questions?" He demanded.

Edwin was baffled at the aura to which he spoke. He was so proud of himself as if he was used to a red carpet treatment.

"You can have a seat," he replied, feeling he might be a dignitary; maybe in his locality because he hadn't seen him before.

Leo sat down, with his both hands glued to the handle of the seat; and his legs crossed on Edwin's table.

"You must be Edwin, right?" He asked.

"Young Man, with all due respect; kindly take your legs off my table, before I call security on you," Edwin ordered.

"Relax, I mean no harm," Leo replied as he took his legs off the table.

"Wow. You are indeed a very handsome young man with brains. No wonder she's so attracted to you." He added.

Edwin was bewildered at his statements. Reminiscing what Angela had told him earlier, he pondered; 'could it be the Mayor's son?' 

He decided to break his curiosity; "you are Leo, the Mayor's son; right?" He guessed.

"Seems like she told you about me already," Leo responded.

"Wow, now I see why she rejected you in the first place." He declared.

"And what do you mean by that? Leo yelled.

"Which lady in her right senses will settle for an over-pampered, egocentric; and an unmannered man like the one seated before me?" He explained.

"Do you know who you are talking to?" Leo bellowed.

"The last time I checked, you are a human: and not a supernatural being. Unless there is something more you want me to know about you." Edwin said as he relaxed backward, spinning on his swivel seat.

"You think you're wise, but I will show you just a snippet of what I can do to commoners like you, that overstep their boundaries." Leo threatened.

He took his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, am I unto Dr. Rey Rollins?" He questioned.

"Yes, who am I unto, please? Dr. Rey asked.

"I'm Leo Damilola. The son of the sitting Mayor of Lagos State, Mayor Bello Damilola." He introduced.

"Wow, I'm glad to have a dignitary like you in my hospital. Please, how can I be at your service?" Dr. Ray asked.

"Dr. R( representing Rey), there is this staff of yours I want you to dismiss immediately, he Lacks decorum." He ordered.

"Ok sir, please what is his name?" Dr.Rey asked.

"Edwin," he replied.

"Edwin? You mean Edwin Will?" Dr. Rey asked.

Leo looked at the name inscribed on the ID that was on the table, for confirmation; "Yes, Edwin Will." He replied.

"Please I'm so sorry sir. I can't. Edwin Will is the head surgeon in this hospital. We need him more than any other person in this hospital. I'm so sorry if he disrespected you. Maybe I will caution him later." Dr. Rey responded as he hung the call on him.

Leo didn't believe what he just heard.

"Did Dr. R just hung up on me?" He questioned, expecting no answer in return.

Edwin grinned at how everything had played out. Leo's phone was on speaker, so he heard everything.

" I've watched you play out yours. Now watch mine." He uttered.

Taking this telephone, he called security; please your attention is needed in my office immediately, there is an intruder seated right before me. He hung up afterward.

"What are you trying to do?" Leo asked.

"To give you a snippet too, on how over-pampered rich fellows like you should be handled." He replied.