Chapter 6

(Lily’s Pov)

I can’t believe I’m about to get married to a total stranger and to think that it was the ruthless Jack. I saw my world crumbling before me and I couldn’t do anything to help myself. I sat in my father’s study room, face-palmed myself, and cried to myself.

I know how much I despise Austin but at this point in my life, I would prefer to get married to ten Austins to getting married to one Jack.

“What does he take me for”?

“do I look like a toilet roll he can purchase and discard after making use of it”

If not for my dad, I wouldn’t be doing this, I should probably be on my way to the monastery where I would be trained to become a nun.

I stood up and dragged myself sluggishly around the house, each place I got to the house reminded me of the precious moments I shared with my dad, the walls were decorated with pictures of us, the ones we had taken from when I was a child until now that I’m grown.

My father has been a wonderful dad, he never let me lack anything, and my happiness was his priority. He made sure he gave me the life I deserved.

I remember what he had told me on my 24th birthday after I broke up with Austin and made up my mind to be a nun.

In the early morning of my 24th birthday, my dad was the first person who wished me a “Happy birthday” in a very special way. That morning I was still sleeping when he gently opened my door and walked in quietly I couldn’t even notice when he entered, I’m sure he might have watched me sleeping for a while with a smile on his face before finally making up his mind to sit on the edge of my bed.

From the dream world, I started hearing my father’s voice, praying for me and telling me how special I am to him, he has never joked about anything concerning me.

“you’re such a blessing to me Lily, I can’t let anyone hurt you as long as I’m alive, your happiness is my priority, you’re a blessing and will keep on being a blessing to me. When you wake up, these books here are to remind you that I support whatever makes you happy” he dropped the books he had bought for me and was about to leave when I opened my eyes.

My dad wasn’t a soothsayer, otherwise, he would have known I wasn’t deep sleeping and that I’d been enjoying the whole thing all these while.

“Dad, thank you” he turned looking all surprised, and smiled at me

“oh my princess is awake,” he said blushing

“come here” I sprayed my arms wide open for a hug

He sluggishly walked back to me and gave me a tight hug that lasted for more than five minutes, we didn’t want to let go of each other, we only have each other and I was already getting ready to leave for the monastery until now when everything didn’t work as planned.

“ I’m going to miss you?” he said looking at me like I was his wife, yes I became his wife sin when Mom passed. My dad and I grew fond of each other that sometimes he would forget I was his daughter and not his wife.

Whatever that’s happening now, I know my dad didn’t plan for it to be the way it’s going, my dad that I know would choose my happiness over his own.

I am his everything and that’s the main reason I’m agreeing to sign the marriage contract between me and that monster Jack, I know my dad would have done the same for me if he were to be in my shoe.

Every corner of the building reminded me of him, I gently sat down on the floor as sadness and pain slowly eloped me.

“noooo I can’t lose you Dad” The thought of having a life without my father made tears roll uncontrollably down my cheeks and at this point I didn’t care if I have to marry Jack today, all I wanted was to have my father back after the operation.

My world is empty without him. I couldn’t wait for the next day so I can sign the goddamn contract and get my father out of the hospital.

From wanting to become a nun to signing a marriage contract, life is indeed a mystery.

With my head bent down and my hands crossed at the back, I, for the first time imagined what life with Jack would look like, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I can do anything just to have my father back.

“oh my God” 

“I have to go now” I muttered, springing up from the floor where I had sat down thinking about my life that was about getting miserable. 

The thought of my dad who has been alone in the hospital struck my head, I had only come home to pick the few things I would be needing and of course, prepare my dad’s favorite meal.

When it comes to food, my dad doesn’t joke about fried rice with well-spiced turkey. My mom taught me how to prepare that very well, should I say, that was the first food she taught me how to cook, I guess it’s because it’s her husband’s favorite. 

“married people,” I said smiling to myself.

For a second I forgot my predicament as I walked into the kitchen to prepare my old man the best meal ever, with my special recipe.

The pots would be happy today to finally meet me after a long time since the house help has been the one doing all the cooking all these while.

“Which of you missed me more?” I asked for all the pots in the cupboard.

“you, you, you, you, you, you, you, or yoohoo?” I questioned each of the pots.

When it comes to pot, my mom had lots of it, sometimes I wondered if she and Dad did a cooking competition or if they had a plan of using the house as a restaurant.

Down the cupboard was the black steel pot, with a silver color hand and a glass cover lid, coated with a tiny piece of brown and black wood. “oh yeah, there you are”

“sorry I didn’t ask you, and to compensate you, I will be using you to cook” I bent down and brought my favorite pot of all time out, threw it in the sink, rinsed it, and got it ready for cooking.

One thing with our house, we never ran out of stock of foodstuffs, so everything I needed was already available in the house.

One more thing, cooking is done better with music, my mom believed it makes one concentrate and not over spice a food. Our family was a “Fela Kuty” music fan. I hurriedly reached for my father’s old radio and slit Fela’s music cassette.

With so much joy in my heart, I danced around the kitchen as I prepared a sumptuous meal for my father.

I took my time spicing the turkey in such a way that my dad would feel it was his wife who resurrected and made the meal for him.

“Hoooola! I’m done” I smiled at myself when I saw how glorious my food was looking, “Mom must be proud of me,” I said to myself.

It still remained two songs for the Fela album to finish but since I was done with cooking, I did not need it again and so I turned it off.

My dad had his personal food flask so I dare not use a different food flask for him, sometimes it made me wonder if was special to him because mummy bought it for him or if he just liked the design on the flask. I would say he cherished it because mom gave it to me because, for me, there’s nothing special in the plain food flask.

I scooped as much rice as I could into the food flask and added 5 big turkey wings for him.

I freshened up, rubbed my sweet scent cream, applied my perfume, and wore my beautiful white gown with my red heel shoe, put on my makeup, red lips stick has always done the magic for me.

I’m so proud of you” I said to my beautiful self in the mirror. I blushed over myself and again I felt like a sweet sixteen.

“Beauty in a taxi’ I said with a sad face. My father had three different cars but when the payment issue with Jack started, he gave them all out; I paused and gave a long sigh reminiscing on how life had turned out not to be a bed of roses that it used to be for me.

“I will worry about that later”

“Now let’s go see Dad” I got ready and left for the hospital.