HER NEW HOME

Now this is the real marriage I'm talking about. You do things the traditional way, your marriage will last" Mateo's voice sounded all over the room and everyone laughed. He sighed as he saw his father picking his teeth as he discussed with the men in excitement. He has been waiting for hours for them to finish off with their meals so they will leave at once. But it seems his father was not yet prepared to leave. He was beginning to become impatient and he stood up. "I'll be in the car waiting" he said as he stormed out of the room with different eyes trailing after him."Wait for me outside" Mateo said as he stood up immediately and walked out after him.He stood on the porch as he watched the people sitting under the tree, eating and drinking with excitement. He wondered if poor people were always this happy."You missed a very good meal. This is the best I've had in years" His father said from where he stood beside him.He turned to look at him with his face burning with anger. He became even more angrier as he saw him picking his teeth with a toothpick. "When is she coming out? I'm about to leave" he said in a rather high tone."You should be patient, she will be out soon" he said. "Isn't she beautiful?" He asked with a smile.He scoffed and turned to look at him."The clown?" He asked and he saw a frown appear on his father's face."That's what she is. If she doesn't come out in ten minutes, I'm off" he said as he stepped down from the porch and headed to the black G-Wagon parked in the yard."When will you stop embarrassing me, you son of a bitch?" He asked after him. Dressed in a blue multicolored short gown, she walked out of the house and stood on the porch. She could see different kinds of exotic cars and heavily built men in black suits Manning the front of the cars.Her heart skipped as she thought of the kind of life she was venturing into. Would she be followed all over the place by a bodyguard? She asked herself. She waved at the few people waving at her from under the trees and she felt tears in her eyes as she was going to miss life here in the cocoa village. As she stepped down from the porch, a strong hand pulled her back. She turned and saw Femi standing beside her with his face filled with anger. "What are you..doing?" She stammered as she pushed her black long artificial hair backwards."You can't leave me, Alex, you can't leave me" he cried."You know the kind of family I am getting married into and you know what they're capable of doing if they should see you around me" she said as she looked around anxiously."I love you Alex, please don't go" he cried as he took hold of her hands.She pushed him away and began to pant angrily."Femi, leave, don't put me in trouble, please!" She yelled at him as she tried to walk away but he pulled her back. From the car where he sat, he could see her engaging in a discussion with a young man beside her. He saw how she tried to walk away and how he pulled her back. He became curious about who this guy was and his eyes never left the scene."Femi, what are you doing here?" Maiden's voice came through as she pulled the box out of the house while Bisi and the girls followed behind her. "Who invited you? Are you done with your big breast Asa?" Bisi asked angrily as she walked over to meet them."Leave her alone! Can't you see that she just got married?" Maiden barked as she pushed his hands away from Alex."Go and meet Asa ooo!" They all queried as they shouted after him.He walked away in embarrassment and she felt pity as she watched him walk away. "Come, come, your father in-law is coming" Bisi urged as she took hold of her hand."So, Alex is going to ride in one of these big cars" one of the girls said in excitement and they all laughed.They saw Mateo walking towards them and the girls stood beside Alex."Are you ready?" He asked with a smile and she nodded at once."Your friends?" He asked as he looked at the girls and she nodded again.He brought out a bundle of naira notes and handed it over to the girls who began to jump in excitement.She laughed and tears began to drip down her face as she didn't want to be separated from them. They all hugged and began to cry together. Her mother and father walked towards her and they began to sob as she hugged them too. "She will come home once in a while to visit," Mateo said behind them.They nodded and she broke free from their embrace.She heard cries behind her as she walked hand in hand with her father in-law who led her to the black G-wagon to meet her husband. As the door of the car opened, she saw him sitting comfortably in the back of the car, with a bottle of champagne beside him. He pulled a long face as he saw her and he made eye contact with his father. "Um, Alex, you will take a ride with me" Mateo said to Alex who was standing behind him.She understood perfectly that her newly wedded husband didn't want her in the car with him and she followed behind her father in-law to the black Maybach behind the Gwagon. A smile appeared on her face as the door was opened and she stepped into the clean air-conditioned car with her father in-law beside her. She couldn't believe she was sitting next to him, to one of the wealthiest men in the country as a whole. And though she had once despised him a lot, the attitude he had shown towards her today, had made her see a hidden side of him. Or was he only being nice, because he stands to gain something from this marriage? She thought.As the car drove out of the yard, she waved her family and friends goodbye and she felt tears running down her cheeks as she saw them watching the car leave. She looked out of the car window and she saw a girl standing by the wooden gate, watching as the cars drove out. Her heart skipped as she recognized the girl as Asa. What's she doing here? She asked herself. "Are you okay?" She heard Mr Steel's voice and she turned to look at him. "Yes..yes.. I'm..fine" she muttered uneasily as she saw his face which wore a wry smile.He nodded and continued smoking his cigar.* The sounds of moving vehicles jolted her from sleep and she opened her eyes and saw that it was dark. Her eyes glowed as she looked out of the window to see the beauty of the city.She could see tall and magnificent buildings lining along the roads, with streetlights and other beautiful lights which made the whole place bright. The whole place was bustling with activities and she could see a lot of vehicles lined up on the road. "When last did you visit Lagos?" She heard her father in-law ask.She smiled and pushed her hair backwards."Several years ago, I came here for my secondary education" she replied and he smiled and nodded. "So, you will get the opportunity to live here now" he said and she smiled broadly.She had always loved the city. Everything around reminded her of the years she had spent here. She thought about her long time friend, Madison, whom she met here in Lagos a long time ago.They had both met at school and Madison had accommodated her at their mansion here in the city. All through her days of schooling in Lagos, she had stayed with Madison's family and they had proved to be a very nice and accommodating family.But right now, Madison is out of the country and she had no other friend in the city whom she could get in touch with. What if Adrian refrians her from keeping friends? She asked.The thought of him made her heart skip and she let out an exhale. About 30 minutes later, the car drove into an Estate which had a lot of beautiful and magnificent buildings. She was still admiring the houses, when the car drove into a luxurious mansion which was filled with so much grandeur.Her jaws dropped and her mouth was left agape when she caught sight of the magnificent buildings and surroundings which were illuminated with beautiful golden lights that added to its glamor. "Wow!" she exclaimed as she saw the large swimming pool in the middle of the yard which was surrounded by tall trees and flowers. "You like it?" Mateo asked as he saw her looking through the car window in awe. "Yes!" She cried gleefully and he chuckled."Your husband is an architect. He is the master of all the projects you see here and around the estate" he explained and she looked at him in surprise."Oh..um..I never knew" she managed to say and he smiled.The car came to a halt and the two sides of the doors were opened by the men in black suits. She stepped out of the car and her face beamed with a smile as she breathed in fresh air.She looked around the garage which was filled with so many exotic cars which she hadn't seen in her life before. "Alex," she heard Mr Steel's voice and she walked over to him immediately.She could see Adrian and the bodyguards as they walked into the building in front of them. She looked at her father in-law and he smiled and reached his hand out to her. She smiled as she took hold of his hand and they both proceeded to the building in front of them.She could see several men in black mounting the front of the building and they made a bow as she walked past with Mr Steel.The door opened and they stepped into the building. She held her breath for a few seconds as they stepped into the foyer which was beautifully lit up with a chandelier light and other artificial lights. She could see a few men and women lined up in the foyer, all dressed in a blue attire. They made a slight bow as she walked in and her heart became elated as she saw their reactions. "These are your maids and servants in the mansion. If you need anything, they won't fail to provide it for you" she heard her father in-law say to her."Thank you, Father," she said with a smile."From today henceforth, know this and know peace, that this woman standing here with me, is your new Madam. And you will accord her all the respect she deserves, and also render your services to her unfailingly" he said to them. "Yes, grand master," they said in unison.It felt all like a dream to her, as she couldn't believe that a day would come when she would have people bow before her. "Now, it's time to hand you over to your husband" she heard him speak and she smiled.As she walked past the maids and servants, she waved at them and she cringed at the looks they gave her. They didn't smile back, nor did they wave back. She looked away and continued walking with her father in-law. They walked into a spacious living room which was swimming in luxury. She could see Adrian sitting on a long black couch, with his legs crossed stylishly as he took a sip from his drink.Her heart skipped as she realized she was about to be handed over to him. She never liked her father in-law, but right now, he seems to be a better option than her husband. "Adrian, I've done a lot for you today. Your wife is here, and I will be heading home" Mateo said as he walked over to meet him.He kept silent and continued sipping from his drink. "I need results" he heard his father whisper into his ears. He smirked as he watched the old man walking over to the peasant who was now his wife. He saw him whispering a few words into her ears and he let out a sigh. A sinister smile appeared on his lips as he watched his father walk out, leaving him with the little peasant girl who was standing a few meters away from the couch.He gave her a demeaning look and a smirk appeared on his lips as he thought about the ominous plans he had in store for her.