AN OVERSEAS HUSBAND
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CHAPTER 15
“Hi. This is Collins. I know you know that by now. I’m not exaggerating but you’re so beautiful. I know you must have heard that a thousand times but let me make it a thousand and one.”
I can’t believe I blushed at his poorly constructed punchline.
“Hi. This is Stella, someone’s Cinderella.” I laughed at my funny reply which sounded like a pun.
He reacted with a laughing emoji on my message and sent a reply.
“Remove the someone and put ‘my Cinderella’.”
I loved his sense of humour. He sure had a cunny way of replying my messages.
He did something funny which I never expected.
“You mean he’s ready to help Chibuzor get his visa?” I asked in shock.
“I’m still surprised o. My dear, so good people like this still exist?”
“Remember you said I should dupe him o.” I responded.
“I didn’t mean dupe na. I meant play him. They’re different.” Chika defended.
“Different how? Stop deceiving yourself. Anyone, I have thought about it and I think I want to take your advice. I’ll start asking for dollars as I wait for “uncle Will” to call me.” I said with a sly smile.
“Stella, stop it. Stop using my words against me.” Chika said, playfully hitting me as I begin to laugh at the look on her face. Just because Collins has accepted to help her husband get his visa, she has desisted from thinking on how to dupe him. Humans.
“Ehen, what of uncle Will?” Chika asks.
“Erm. . . I haven’t seen his message or call yet. . .” I replied. “Married woman, I will take my leave now before someone’s husband comes back and chases me with a pestle.”
“You know my husband can never do that.” Chika defended.
**********
“Aunty, where have you been? One Uncle came looking for you.” Jeremiah, Green (Bird’s Brothe) and Bird scurried towards me.
“Is he your boyfriend?” Bird asked. I turned sharply at her. There’s a neutral expression on her face which made it difficult for me to read her thoughts. I pulled bird with me but Jeremiah’s words made me stop in my track.
“He gave us new new money. I have never seen that kind of money before. He gave us 5 each.”
“I told you that’s dollar. That’s our money. We don’t use the money you use here.” Green said to Jeremiah.
“Bring the money let me see.” I was hoping to take three dollars out of Jeremiah’s share.
“I have given it to mummy.” Jeremiah says giggling. “Mummy said that she’ll give me 1000 naira in exchange for the small 5 dollars.” He looked so happy as he danced around.
The poor thing didn’t know he has been cheated by mother. Mother was quick faster than.
“He says his name is brother Collins.” Bird says as my eyes opened wide in shock.
“What was he doing here?” Slowly, a blush appeared on my face.
Jeremiah cuts into my thought. “Aunty, is he the one?”
“I don’t understand, Jeremiah?” I said feigning ignorance as I begin to walk away. Bird, Green and Jeremiah runs ahead and blocks my path.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
“Aunty, Bird told me that you’ll marry her white uncle. When is he coming to marry you?”
“Jeremiah, where did you learn all these from?”
“Aunty Stella, when he marrys you, you will carry me with you right?” Jeremiah kept on asking. “So that I’ll finally live with Bird and Green in America.”
I suspected Bird was up to something again. I held her hands and walks her to my room. The room I once shared with Chika.
“Why did you tell them?”
“I’m sorry, aunty Stella. Uncle Will said he hasn’t gotten a reply from you.”
“I didn’t see any message from him.” I defended.
“Check very well.”
I brought out my phone, opened my WhatsApp app and waa scrolling through the messages when Bird took the the phone from my hands and started scrolling more slowly.
“See it.”
“Hi, Stella.
It’s Williams. I’m Bird’s uncle.
We spoke earlier over the phone and if you
don’t mind, can we get to know ourselves better?”
I never knew he had sent the text the same day we spoke through Bird’s phone.
“Bird, can you be sincere with me and tell me why uncle Will wants a Nigerian bride.” I asked as Bird looks away.
“You don’t want to marry my uncle?” Bird asks sounding sobber.
“I just want to know.”
“His last girlfriend, Anna, was no good. She had no time for Uncle Will and was cheating with a mam in Nigeria. Seeing mum happily married to my father who is also a Nigerian, he thinks their women will be good too. He has a friend who also got married to a Nigerian and it’s through Facebook.”
Wow.
I know what’s it’s like to be in a relationship where the other partner isn’t giving back the same energy. The pain of betrayal.
“I feel sorry for Uncle Will.”
“So you’ll marry him, right?” Bird was still asking.
“I don’t think I’m okay for him. I am. . .”
“You’re perfect for him.” That was Joanie’s voice, Bird’s mother and my uncle Emeka’s white wife.
“What???” I found myself saying. “You told your mum?”
“Williams called me and told me he had spoken with you. He kept saying alot of things about your beauty and how much he loves you.”
“Loves me? This must be some movie or story series. Who loves someone they don’t even know a thing about?” I questioned looking confused.
“My dear, I also told him the little I know about you.” Joanie walks closer to me and puts an arm on my shoulders. “I know you’re a nice person and will be perfect for Williams.”
I couldn’t find my tongue to say a word. Bird wasn’t helping matters when my mother walks through the door and calls out to me.
“Think about it.” Joanie says as she walks away with Bird and my mother approaches.
“What were you people talking about?” My mother asked looking sternly at me.
TO BE CONTINUED. .
