CHRISTMAS DATING
Episode 16
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“Hey, Sugar!” His baby-boy voice oozed over the phone when I had picked.
“Hi, big guy. . .” I pretended to be dull and lonely.
“Your voice, it sounds retarded. Did you go to the doctor?” He was worried.
“Yeah. I did.” I was still pretentious.
“So what did he say caused the uneasiness?”
“Nothing serious, babe. Just Malaria and some gas in my belly.” I lied. I sounded more serious. “Maybe the juice I took last night.”
“O. . .kay! And he gave you medications?”
“Yeah,” I yawned long and loud. “He did give me some medications and I’ve taken them.”
“So how do you feel now?” He asked.
“Lonely. . .the house is too big for only me to stay in.” I was mimicking a 2-year-old baby as I said that.
“Awwwn! I would give everything to spend the whole day with you, my Sugar. But work is such a pile here. And I have to attend to every single bit.” He sounded really genuine. He was genuine.
“Can I come and help?”
“I would have loved to have you help me,” he chuckled. “But I really want my Sugar to rest from all the stress I put her through.”
“I don’t like you,” I joked. I loved him inside-out. Not an iota of unlikeliness did I have for him.
“And I love you until the last minute of forever.” His voice was changing into that romantic Spanish masterpiece that I loved.
“Jojo?” I called him.
“I’m here, Sugar.”
“Thank you so much for who you are.” I was twisting my hair as I said that.
“I am Joseph Adewale. Thank you for thanking me.” He joked.
“Silly boy. . .” I joked. “But seriously. Thank you.”
“. . .but for what exactly?” His voice was still in that romantic mode.
“For everything. For you. For your love. For caring about me. For standing by me. For giving me the privilege to be your closest pal. For not dying and leaving me all by myself.” I felt emotional.
“I am eternally grateful to you, Sugar. I count it a rare privilege to be loved and cherished by an Igbo woman. A woman who understands my heartbeat. You’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever had on earth, and that’s why I call you Sugar.”
“Okay. . .Oga, get back to work. It’s enough.” I snapped.
“Alright. I’ll catch up with you later by evening.”
“Yeah. . . Don’t work yourself out please.” I warned.
“I’ll try, Sugar. But you sure you’re fine?” He seemed still worried.
“I’m fine, Jojo. Go to work.”
“Is there something you want me to get for you?” He seemed not to want to hang up.
“Get me. . . A packet of plantain chips, some soft bread and a truckload of Sweet Jojo. You can forfeit the first two, but the last one must be brought home.” I smiled.
He laughed from his end and said something he used to say in Spanish. I already knew what it meant, and I mimicked the way he said it. It made him laugh so loud I was sure his co-workers must have heard him.
I lay on the sofa in the sitting room reflecting on all that I have been through in life. How it used to be struggles back in the village. I thought about my mother and my younger brother. How they were fairing. Jojo had made sure they lacked nothing. I just missed them.
My cousins were on my mind, too. I missed Eben so much. I missed how he made me laugh my ribs to quavering when he was around and cracking humorously appetizing jokes. But I didn’t missed how we used to play couples and make people pour their eyes on us when he hung out because I now had my Sweet Jojo to do that with me.
Susan was on my mind. I was grateful that she would call from time to time to know how I was coping with being a married woman. It was what she always wanted; a man who would treat me well. Though I wondered why, because she was not married yet, herself.
I made sure I prepared dinner and did all chores before I took a nap. When I woke up Jojo was sitting right beside me. I was surprised. I rubbed my eyes to see what time it was, and boy, that coloured me even more surprised. It was past 7PM.
I slept all the way from past 5PM. Jojo was playing with my hair and reading a book. He had assigned some of his work to the receptionist, he said. The easier ones.
And he ran home to be with me. He had had a shower and microwaved our dinner. He had set the table, waiting for me to wake up before we began to eat. He just had snacks for an appetizer.
I reached out while still laying of the bed, my arms wide open. I wanted him to hug me. He dropped the book and fell into my arms. I gave him a pat on the back, then I rubbed it gently. I whispered in his ears that I missed him. And he whispered back.
I poured out my love for him in that short moment. I just wanted him in my embrace, and Jojo was so sweet. He stayed for as long as I wanted. I was asking him how work was, how his girlfriends were doing (he laughed out loud), I asked him many things.
After dinner — a long moment of eating, playing around, laughter, gisting, exchange of jokes about each other and lots more — I lured him into the bathroom even though he had had his shower.
We were in the bathtub. There was becoming my favourite place. My hair, you already know. I loved it in there. He played around with my bare chest, fondling my melons and planting kisses on my back. His soft touches were elixirs to my weak bones.
“Jojo darling. . .”
“Hmmm?” he planted a kiss on my shoulder. I turned around and kissed his lips and stayed. I was looking into his eyes lustfully and biting my lips. His eyes were full of sweet things that turned me on. Then I turned again and lay on his chest, facing forward. I took his hands and held them on my belly. I clamped my fingers into his palms.
“We will have a baby. . .” I said, smiling, holding his hands tightly.
“Wohw! A baby?” He asked sharply.
“Doctor said you scored a goal.” I giggled.
“Oh my. . .” he stopped. “Wait, are you joking?” He finished.
“I can’t be joking. I have Shakespeare in my womb. My biggest dream to bear greatness in my womb is becoming a reality and I’m so excited about it.” I said passionately.
“Thank you sooooooo much!” He took my hands and hugged me tightly from behind, planting a long, soft kiss after each ‘Thank you’ he said.
Jojo didn’t stop fantasizing about the pregnancy. He was so excited about becoming a father very soon. He added more ingredients to his love for me. Deep down I knew that my life was set to be on the highest level of peace and comfort, because those were all that Jojo represented. He gave me joy and fulfillment.
We traveled to his village over the weekend to spend some time with his parents. They were loving and kind people. The way they welcomed me when he introduced me to then before our marriage made me know that I was in for a beautiful daughter-In-law relationship.
Jojo and I would sit out every evening gisting and laughing, and eating, and heaven helped me, eating every kind of food flavoured with pepper.
If Jojo were the moon, I would spend the rest of my life waiting every twenty-seven days of the month just to see him return in the purple skies.
Typing episode 17. . .
📷: Not mine.
— Michael Ituma
