I heard a knock on my door. ‘Come in’ I said tiredly, it was too early in the morning for someone to want to see me. Mummy walked into my room with dad right behind her. What did they want this time? Mummy looked like she had been crying. What was wrong this time? I just hoped they didn’t come to beg on behalf of Kola again. She came close to me and hugged me so tight like she knew what I was going through and was trying to take it away. We began to cry, we cried into each other’s arms, we cried so hard we didn’t even notice when dad left the room.
‘My baby, I understand now. Don’t worry; I am with you, praying for you. I am sorry for always frustrating you with my marriage talk. Please forgive me’
Hearing my mother saying these words, made me cry more, it wasn’t her fault, it was nobody’s fault, I was just too naïve. I held her so tight and for the first time in my life I felt the mother-daughter bond, it wasn’t a good time to but I cherished that moment. That was one thing Kola’s issue blessed me with.
‘Forgive me mummy, I lied to you…’ I couldn’t utter more words; my voice was drowning in my own tears.
‘It’s not your fault my baby and I forgive you; your daddy forgives you too’
Maybe this was what I needed, to let go, to move on and not hiding what was going on. Every single person around me did more than I expected. This incidence made me so sure that I was loved and I had people who would sacrifice their comfort and sanity just for me. I was blessed.
The next 2 months were not so great, I had so many interviews and I had people who were ready to go any length to prove that I cooked up the story. In all of these Kola didn’t say anything I didn’t hear anything from anybody close to him.
I was out with my friends on a sunday Ada, Tola and Tricia when I got a phone call. I wasn’t expecting a call from him and so I hesitated picking it up. It was Dr. Kola Williams, I was tempted to put it on loud speaker but I had to respect him. I showed it to Ada and she adviced I didn’t pick it, ‘what does he want to tell you?’ she asked ‘abeg ignore him’. Few minutes later, I got a message from him asking to see me saying it was important.
Ada was uncomfortable with me going to see him, she didn’t like the idea but I was interested in knowing what he wanted to say. Tobi appeared immediately Ada called to tell him what was up.
‘We’ll go with you’ they both concluded. Go with me? Why? I knew the way and I was a big girl I could handle myself. I would have just left quietly.
‘Squeeze your face as much as you can, we going with you’. What was Ada’s deal? I knew I complained when she was caring but right now she was over caring.
‘Let’s go’. The way they stood up from the table, you’ll think we were preparing for a war. Driving to his office took longer than expected with Ada coaching me on what to say and how to act.
I got to his office and I was let in as soon as I got into the secretary’s office. He gestured that I sit down and I sat down comfortably.
‘How are you, Damilola?’ he asked smiling at me, not the regular smile like the type of smile you give when you have business to discuss.
He handed me a cheque of ten million naira ‘I am sure this would be enough for you to go on another interview to say everything you said about my son was a lie’
For a while I was confused, this was a man I respected so much, if he told me he didn’t know about this initially I would have believed but he knew and now he is paying me to tell a lie.
‘I could increase the amount if you want and I could give you time to think about it, it’s a wonderful offer. Everybody wins at the end’
I was so pissed and walked out slamming the door. Tobi and Ada walked towards me and asked what happened and why I was this angry.
I tried explaining to them and I got more pissed off when I saw Tobi laughing so hard that he couldn’t control himself.
‘Tell me you collected the money xha’ he asked, I was too angry for such jokes ‘or maybe you asked for more please tell me your smart head asked for more’ I looked at him and he was very serious. The only thing I could do was hiss. He laughed some more and walked into the office. I honestly do not know what transpired but I know my bestfriend came back with two cheques both with 10 million naira.
‘Let’s go’ he said pulling me towards the car and Ada following in confusion. I was pissed, more of angry with Tobi. What stupid game was he playing? I couldn’t sell the truth for such amount and I would look stupid if I went back to tell everybody that I lied initially.
We drove to the lake and everyone was quiet, Ada and I were confused we wanted to know what he was up to. All I wanted to do was slap the devil out of him.
He turned towards me smiling. Why was he smiling? It was more annoying that this seemed like a joke to him and no one found it funny.
‘You won’t have an interview to say that it a lie’ he said staring into my eyes. As I stared back I felt a rush of feelings, something that I felt for him the first day I saw him in primary school. He was in primary 6 while I was in 3 and he was the smartest in class, it was as if I was drawn to him. I felt like he felt the same at that point and I didn’t understand the feeling.
‘So what am I going to do?’ I was able to ask even though my knees felt jelly-like. I couldn’t help but keep staring. ‘Snap out of it’ I kept telling myself but I couldn’t.
He stared as if we were drawn to each other ‘I love you’ I heard him say. What did he just say? I was about to reply when I cautioned myself, I couldn’t be stupid once again, I smiled.
‘What am I supposed to do with the money?’ I asked again.
He smiled at me ‘we would share it amongst ourselves and you just do you’
‘Wouldn’t I get into trouble for this?’ I asked. What has Tobi gotten me into this time?
‘How and why? Was there a written document? Just see it as your benefit from a relationship that was never worth it in the first place’
I was scared. I preferred we returned the money and I just continue with my life I wasn’t looking for any compensation and honest to God I didn’t want anything from them.
‘Damilola, just trust me you will be fine’ he said.
Well, it was Tobi I knew he took care of me as a best friend and made me feel more like his sister. I was sure that whatever it was I would be fine and Tobi was going to be by my side. As a sat in my favourite place in the whole city all I could do was to keep muttering ‘God is the greatest’ because I didn’t know where my strength was coming from. I never expected that I would be fine afterwards but I was. I’d be going for the test in some days’ time and whatever it was I was sure I was loved and God loved me too.
TO BE CONT’D…
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