Chapter Twenty four
*****
From calls to texts and before we knew it, dates. I was referring to David and I, we had hit it off pretty well within the last few weeks especially after the baby shower and he had asked me out on a date. I was over the moon but I didn't admit it to anyone, especially, not him. Anyhow, Laila who hadn't met him was pestering me on a daily, she wasn't satisfied with the pictures and wanted to see the chocolate man with her own eyes. Her words,not mine.
It was a Friday night, Tunji had been home earlier than usual,looking a bit distraught but he tried to hide it, with a cheerful face. The smile wiped off his features when I mentioned I was going on a date with David.
"A date?" He asked like the words were sour on his tongue.
"Yup" I said popping the 'p' while trying to straighten the small creases on my black body con dress.
"Why am I just hea
Chapter Twenty five*****"Are you okay?" He asked, startling me once again. My mind spiralled, going different directions. How could he even ask me that? But then again I hadn't told him anything ever since... I was sure he didn't know what else to say to me after he picked me up.About an hour ago..."Miss me already?" He chuckled."Hey..." I cringed at the sound of my voice, it was hoarse from all the crying I had done."Can you come get me, please?" I blurted out before I could hold back, I didn't want to be a burden but I had no where else to go at the time and going back to Tunji's place was not an option."It's okay if you can't come, I totally understand. You don't have to..." I blabbered, it almost felt like I was guilt tripping him when he shushed me."Its alright Lola, where exactly are you?"
Chapter Twenty six****"Good morning" His husky morning voice was the first thing I heard that beautiful morning. It was so refreshing."Morning" I whispered in response. I tried shifting out of his hold but he simply held on tighter and I just stayed still."Thank you" He said out of the blue. My face scrunched up in confusion."For what?""You won't understand what you did by sleeping next to me, but you will later" He explained and got up before I could reply. His warmth went with him and I sat up, staring at his back which was turned to me."I have to go over to my parents' today" I voiced out, and he turned to stare at me."Oh" He mouthed. "When are you leaving?""Soon" I whispered, getting up slowly. He nodded and went into the bathroom to do his business,
Who was this man? I had absolutely no idea, but seeing my dad's face go pale at the sight of him was an indicator that this man wasn't just anyone. But who was he?"Gerald?!" I heard my mom gasp his name out, a horror filled look on her face."Felicia" He acknowledged her with a firm nod and tight smile.The room was at a standstill."What are you doing here?!" My father growled, setting us in motion again as we all flinched at his sudden outburst."Well hello to you too Benson, how long has it been? Twenty four, no twenty five years... Time flies when you're having fun huh?" The man, or should I say Gerald replied smugly, with a lopsided grin, taking in the interiors of the house, prancing around majestically, like he owned the place."You're supposed to be..." Dad whispered shakily. I saw him mop up some sweat from his fo
Felicia's POV (contd)"Felicia, I don't know what to do" Fiona cried bitterly in front of me, she had just lost her first baby owing to what she called her 'carelessness'. She had tripped and fell down the spiral staircase in her matrimonial home and had been hospitalized for a few days. She was seemingly physically healthy but emotionally? That was an entirely different ball game. Gerald of course had been pissed to no end, owing to the frustration and unnecessary pressure mounted on him. His father, Chief Kolade Gregg had him in a fix the moment I had Tolu. His consternation was understandable, but Fiona was hurt too, he was overreacting. He was supposed to be a support system but he only drifted away from her.I, on the other hand watched my husband act like the good guy under the guise of being a caring brother in law. His hickory brown eyes, filled with pools of longing for my sister. He had fallen too deeply for my
Chapter Twenty nineFelicia's POV (cont'd)I made up my mind to confront my erring brother in law at his workplace, not wanting to bother my sister. Nothing prepared me for what I saw that sunny afternoon.I rapped on the door slightly, the top floor was pretty busier than I expected and that came with a lot of noise. Hearing muffled sounds from the other side of the door, I assumed it was Gerald beckoning me to step into his lavish office.The horror filled gasp eluded my lips before I could stop it. "Gerald! I thought you loved my sister!" I screeched, mortified. He blanched. You guessed right, he was eating out some other woman's face right there in his office. He was so ashamed, he couldn't look me in the eye neither could the whore who was still seated on his thighs.The fact that she did not move a muscle even after walking in on them in that compromising position, pissed m
Chapter Thirty****Lola's POVWords failed me. My feelings eluded me, I felt... Numb?I can't bring myself to explain what I felt at that point.I mean, put yourself in my shoes, imagine your whole life was a lie, some unresolved family feud, some tragic tale?! What a twisted story!I couldn't cry, I couldn't speak, I just stared back at the narrator, the mum I had known, all my life. This silence didn't apply to me only though, we all just sat there, letting it sink in. Travis' outburst was the first thing I heard after the silence had stretched for a while."So you're telling me that I'm the result of an escapade you had with your first love? I'm not actually a Gregg? At all?" The sardonic chuckle that came after that had my heart aching for him despite my plight. At least, I was part of the family, whether they were my biolo
Chapter Thirty one****"Lola, Lola, wake up!" I vaguely heard my name being called in panic. What was going on? I answered drowsily until whoever it was shook me roughly."I'm up, I'm up!!" I yelled. "What is it?" I turned to put on my bedside lamp, only to come face to face with a disheveled Laila."Dad just suffered a seizure. They're taking him to the hospital right now!!!"She informed frantically. The news registered and I bolted out of bed without delay, Laila hot on my trail.I rushed down the flight of stairs, heading straight for the front door. The blaring of the siren from the ambulance overwhelmed me the moment I got out of the house. I saw him being lifted from the stretcher on to the trauma board. I took in the sight, he looked so helpless and vulnerable, to think he was alright that morning."Would you like to join the patient in the vehicle ma?"
Chapter Thirty two****Here I was, staring up at the massive building that I hadn't been to for several months. Felt like just yesterday when I succumbed to working here without a clue as to the massive secrets that held me bound at the time. I wasn't totally free but I was finally in the know for the most part, no longer left in the dark, blind to all those happenings.I heaved a breath as I made my way inside, the sudden change in temperature taunting my nostrils and leaving me with goosebumps, it was freezing in here. I hadn't turned my air conditioner on while I was driving, I wanted to enjoy the wind, maybe if I did I wouldn't have been so affected by the office's temperature."Miss Lola?" I heard a familiar voice which I turned to immediately."Hi Stella." I waved with a small smile. She squealed and rushed over to give me a hug. That caught the attention
Epilogue****Wedding bells!!!As usual, I was in a frenzy to put everything in place.Tana was right after all, concerning a possible proposal after the grand opening. I certainly did not see it coming but I'm happy today is the big day.So, let me give the low down on how the proposal went. That night, we went for a celebratory dinner at a fancy restaurant for just close family and friends and while we were having dinner some romantic music came on and the groom popped out of nowhere professing his love with a long epistle and finally went down on one knee with a big rock and said."Tana, will you marry me?"Tana being so extra first had finish her glass of water before turning to her him and screamed a 'Yes' so Ioud even the heavens heard. We partied for the rest of the night, it was beautiful. That was just a month ago. Seems like Tunji was p
Chapter Thirty eight****I took a seat in front of her without breaking eye contact, I could tell she was surprised that I showed up at her office after so long."How have you been?" I asked coolly."Well. How have you been?" She replied in the same tone."Good." I said back and we both hummed. Our eyes settling on anything but each other."This is really awkward." She blurted out."I know right." I concurred."I'm sorry." We both said at the same time, only to be followed by tear filled giggles.I walked around the desk and pulled her into my embrace."I missed you so much." She managed to get out amid incessant sobs.Yup, pregnant Tana was an emotional Tana."I missed you too, so so much." I gave
Chapter Thirty Seven****The house was beginning to suffocate me. Every where I turned, I was met with faux sympathisers who moved about creating messes, with feigned sullen expressions. How pathetic!I sipped on my glass of water as I watched the workers scurry in and out of the kitchen to attend to the overly demanding guests. I held back a scoff when one woman audaciously made her way into the kitchen and not so politely asked for a snack for her teenage son who by the way, I wondered why he was present in the first placeI had never even met the woman in question before and trust me I had met lots of my parents' associates and I could still place their faces even without remembering their names. People are weird.I groaned in displeasure. There was too many people swarming around like bees and I wasn't comfortable, not one bit. I just wanted the day to be done and over with, nothing w
Chapter Thirty Six****That Sunday morning started off dark and gloomy, for reasons we could not decipher until much later.The church service had left me with a lot to think about. Pastor Ola had hammered on the message of forgiveness so much, I felt he was speaking to us, to me especially."Forgiveness," His raspy voice echoed in the large auditorium that chilly morning."Brethren, forgiveness is a mystery all unto itself but it does work miracles when extended to the recipient as well as the person who forgives." He exhorted, he went on, giving instances from the Bible and stores of personal experiences,"So, I implore you as a child of God, to let go of that chip on your shoulder and forgive whoever has wronged you." Pastor Ola ended his exhortation but his words rang in my heart even after the church service.Those words had defin
Chapter Thirty five****The weekend rolled by before I could even notice. It seemed like the days rolled by like that for a reason.I got out of bed, grouchy. I said my morning prayers, after which I picked up my phone, several notifications graced my sight. Client after client in my inbox on different social media accounts, trying to get in touch with me. This was a good thing, it had some good money rolling in but for the first in my life, I was in no way eager to show off my skills. This was not good. Ignoring the incessant buzzing of my device, I trudged into the bathroom to freshen up, and start the new day.I dressed up and made my way out of the room, locking the door behind me. I came to a brief halt when my gaze fell on Laila who was just stepping out of her room which was next to mine. She looked away from me, walked past and headed downstairs, like she did not just see me. I shook my head a
Chapter Thirty four****This feeling, this feeling was something I couldn't quite place my finger on, something words failed to describe, but I honestly did not want it to stop just yet. The butterflies in my belly probably sang hallelujah a thousand times over, the way he caressed my face as we kissed had me wanting more of his kisses. His tongue brushed my lower lip and I moaned giving him access into my mouth. I knew we had to stop at some point but me being caught up in the moment as I was, I fisted his collar, grappling it as he held on to me tightly. We finally stopped to catch our breaths, his forehead resting on mine. He stared into my eyes and I looked away suddenly embarrassed at how I conducted myself. It wasn't my first kiss but I surely had not been kissed for a very long time, if that distant memory was enough to go by.I mean, my crush and I had a moment back in high school where we confessed our feelings and our lips
Chapter Thirty three****I got home late in the afternoon, drained. After such an exhausting day, I wanted nothing more than heading into my bathroom for a nice long bath and cuddling up in bed. And as usual, my plans were thrown out the window the moment I stepped out of the lobby into the living room.My mood changed as soon as my eyes fell on the people present there. My gaze slowly directed itself to my mum who looked like a shadow of herself in the midst of the numerous visitors offering their condolences for her husband's ailment. News sure did spread like wildfire, our phones had been buzzing with phone calls and text messages ever since the tragic event from the previous night."Oh Lola darling, you're back?" I turned to the sweet voice that called me out. It was aunt Aisha,Tana's mum.I quickly plastered a smile on my face and went in for a hug."Oh sweetie
Chapter Thirty two****Here I was, staring up at the massive building that I hadn't been to for several months. Felt like just yesterday when I succumbed to working here without a clue as to the massive secrets that held me bound at the time. I wasn't totally free but I was finally in the know for the most part, no longer left in the dark, blind to all those happenings.I heaved a breath as I made my way inside, the sudden change in temperature taunting my nostrils and leaving me with goosebumps, it was freezing in here. I hadn't turned my air conditioner on while I was driving, I wanted to enjoy the wind, maybe if I did I wouldn't have been so affected by the office's temperature."Miss Lola?" I heard a familiar voice which I turned to immediately."Hi Stella." I waved with a small smile. She squealed and rushed over to give me a hug. That caught the attention
Chapter Thirty one****"Lola, Lola, wake up!" I vaguely heard my name being called in panic. What was going on? I answered drowsily until whoever it was shook me roughly."I'm up, I'm up!!" I yelled. "What is it?" I turned to put on my bedside lamp, only to come face to face with a disheveled Laila."Dad just suffered a seizure. They're taking him to the hospital right now!!!"She informed frantically. The news registered and I bolted out of bed without delay, Laila hot on my trail.I rushed down the flight of stairs, heading straight for the front door. The blaring of the siren from the ambulance overwhelmed me the moment I got out of the house. I saw him being lifted from the stretcher on to the trauma board. I took in the sight, he looked so helpless and vulnerable, to think he was alright that morning."Would you like to join the patient in the vehicle ma?"