OPEN MARRIAGE

Rhoda stirs awake at the knock on her door. She sits up and the door creaks open gently and reveals her aunt. She rubs her eyes and asks her to come in. "Is there a problem?" She glances at her wall-clock which says one in the morning. "It's late."

Her aunt smiles. "Not a thing, darling. My brother called me just now. Obviously, he has been trying to reach you."

"Dad called? I don't believe that he has been trying to reach me. You must've heard him wrong, aunt Martha." She reached for her phone on the locker beside her bed and saw the missed calls from her father. She was surprised. 

Why was he suddenly reaching out to her? He had sent her to live abroad with his younger sister when she was seventeen. And since then, he barely called to ask her how she was doing. Her mother managed to call a few times. 

"I think you should listen to whatever he has to say, my dear. It seems urgent," Martha said before walking out of the room. 

Rhoda shrugged and was about to go back to bed when the backlight of her phone went on. Her father was calling. No wonder she couldn't hear it ring. The phone was in silent. 

She picked up. "Hello?"

If she had expected her father to apologize for forgetting about her and not reaching out, she was utterly wrong. She was disappointed and became sad. None of what her father said was what she had predicted at all. 

He wanted her to come back to Nigeria. She could not figure out the reason and he wouldn't say it either. She doesn't want to leave New York, so she told him just that. 

But he pleaded. Desperately. 

"Can you give me a week or two? I need to get things sorted out here, so…" She decided to yield. He was her father anyways. And she loved him.

"No, please. It is very urgent. You have to make it today. I beg you. Your mum and I will be waiting for you," her father said. 

After hanging up, she started packing her bags and her aunt entered again. "He wants you home?"

She nodded. "He wouldn't even give me a week to sort myself out. He just called me out of the blue after eight years and asked me to come home. Am I that difficult to love? That's not fair," she sniffed, trying to hold back her tears. 

Martha walked closer to her and hugged her. "He will come back to his senses. Do not cry, baby. Your parents love you. Just have that at the back of your mind and do not hate them."

Rhoda nodded as she sobbed. 

★

Hours later, her flight landed and was picked up by the Uber driver her father had sent to pick her up from the airport. Once again, she was disappointed. The least they could do was come to welcome her home after so many years. 

She decided not to allow that to weigh her down and affect her mood, so she smiled as she looked from one building and road to another as her uber driver graced the road carefully because of the potholes.

Nothing has changed much in her neighborhood and Lagos was still as busy as ever. She asked the driver to pull up in her parents' house, but was surprised when he drove past their house and didn't stop. 

The first thought that came to her mind was that she was about to get kidnapped. But how could that be possible when it was the Uber her father sent to get her from the airport because her father had said, 'Things are hectic here. We're all busy.' She didn't understand, but did not bother to ask further on why 'they were all busy'.

"What's wrong, mister? You just drove past my house," Rhoda said. Even if she was going to get kidnapped, she should at least question the driver first.

"I thought your father told you, I'm sorry. He asked me to bring you to Merry hall. It's five minutes away. He said they're all waiting for you."

"A hall?" Rhoda was confused, so she brought out her cell phone and called her mother. It took her ages to pick up. "Mum? The driver just drove past the house and he's saying something about a hall. What's going on?"

"Don't worry, baby. Trust him. He'll bring you here. We're waiting for you."

"But what —" She heard something like her mother mentioning to someone that 'The bride...her way' but didn't read any meaning to that. She must have heard wrong, so she didn't dwell much on that since her mother had told her to trust a stranger and had hung up. 

She kept mute throughout the five minutes drive to the hall and finally, the driver parked and alighted to help her with the bags and his eyes went to the banner that was hanging on the wall of the hall. "Congratulations, Miss."

Rhoda smiled even though she was confused. Why would he suddenly congratulate her? Well, it might be on her return home. "Thank you," she said and walked into the event center and took in the crowd . Some were looking and smiling at her while some were busy taking pictures.

She wasn't surprised. She was beautiful enough to draw attention. And who knows? Perhaps, her parents planned a huge welcome party for her.

"There she is," she heard someone say and looked at the guy who owned the voice. He was among some other guys who seemed to be his friends and she must admit he was the most handsome.

She said nothing as she continued walking and started wondering what he meant by that. And what was that look on his face? He seemed to have combined all sorts of emotions together. Anger, disappointment, displease, disgust and all. She could not lay a finger on the exact one he had on, but he was obviously not happy. To see her.

She didn't realize he was following her until he touched her arm gently and made her turn around and before she could say a word, the guy leaned forward and kissed her lips.

Rhoda was shocked as she looked at him by tilting her head backwards and looked at him. He was that tall. She was even more shocked when she realized the Uber driver was smiling, but she had no business with the man. She looked back angrily at the guy who just stole a kiss from her. 

"You look so sexy.. I can't just —" the rest of his words were killed by the slap his cheek received from Rhoda.

She had to stand on her toes for her hand to be able to reach his face properly. "Don't go around kissing strangers," she warned like a professor. "If you ever try that with me again, I will kill you."

And yeah, Rhoda could be so fearless at times not minding her petite figure. She ignored the gasps and all sorts of bad words she heard some people murmur and walked out. It seemed they didn't see what he did to her. 

"Miss, why would you— He's your —" The driver was confused by her action. Why would she slap him? It wasn't like he did something wrong. He kept quiet since the young lady didn't seem interested in whatever he had to say.

Rhoda found her parents in a room with some other family members and faces she couldn't recognize, but received hugs from everyone as they welcomed her. Some even told her not to waste time in getting ready and she could only smile. 

"What's going on, dad? Why are you all here? Are you throwing a welcome party for me?" She said and giggled. No matter how bad her parents behaved, she loved them.

Her father's expression changed as he took her to another room while her mother followed behind. It was obvious they wanted to say something they didn't want anyone to hear.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Rhoda asked.

"You are right. We are throwing you a party,' her mother said.

"Yay—" Rhoda was about to jubilate, but her father cut off her excitement way too soon.

"It's a wedding party, Rhoda," her father confessed. 

The happiness on Rhoda's face slowly transformed into confusion. What did a wedding party have to do with her returning home after eight years abroad? "I don't understand what you are trying to say, dad. What are you talking about?"

"You're getting married, Rhoda. Today."

★