“Complicated”
Episode 2
Darasimi and Tobi had just left the registry where they were married in a brief ceremony, with two paid strangers serving as witnesses. Faced with Dara’s parents’ insistence that she marry Adetola, the couple devised a plan to elope, marry, and return as husband and wife.
Now, they were driving to the outskirts of town to a hideaway they had arranged to stay in until the planned wedding date with Tola passed. However, Darasimi voiced her concerns about the safety of Tobi’s arrangements.
“Look, Darasimi,” Tobi reassured her, “I told you, they can’t find us where we’re going. I made the arrangements under a different identity.”
“I hope so,” Darasimi responded. “I know I’ll eventually have to confront the consequences of running away, but I don’t want us to be found before the day I’m supposed to marry Tola.”
‘Don’t worry about it, I have it all covered.”
As they continued their drive, the landscape began to change, with dense forests replacing the urban sprawl. Darasimi has mixed emotions swirling within her. She glanced at Tobi, his face set with determination, his hands firm on the wheel.
“I just can’t shake this uneasy feeling,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Tobi reached out and squeezed her hand gently. “I understand, but trust me, I’ve thought this through. We’ll be safe, and in a few weeks, all of this will be behind us.”
Their destination was a small, secluded cottage, as they turned down a gravel road, the headlights of their car illuminated the path leading up to their temporary sanctuary. The place was cosy, furnished simply but with everything they might need. Tobi toured the small space with her, opening cupboards and showing her the stockpile of essentials he had gathered.
“We’ll stay here until it’s safe to go back,” Tobi explained, “or until we decide what our next move is. No one knows about this place except us.”
As they settled in, the reality of their new life setting in, Darasimi turned to Tobi, “Do you ever think about what it’ll be like when we go back? Facing everyone after what we’ve done?”
Tobi was silent for a moment before responding, “All the time. But remember why we did this. For us. We’ll handle whatever comes our way, together.”
With those words, Darasimi felt a bit more secure, her fears eased by the strength of Tobi’s conviction. Together, in the quiet isolation of the cottage, they began to plan the next steps of their journey.
Adetola’s phone rang and recognizing the ringtone, he knew it was his father calling. He quickly pushed Tiwa aside and grabbed his phone.
“Good day, Dad.”
“Adetola, we have a situation with the wedding. I need you to meet us at the Akinolas.”
“Ok, Dad.” He turned to Tiwa. “I have to leave.”
“Now? We were in the middle of something.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s my dad, and he mentioned there’s an issue with the wedding.”
“I’m tired of this, Tola. You say you love me, but you’re marrying someone else for your family’s business. So what, I’m just supposed to be the side chick forever?”
“Listen, I’ve told you, once the business deal is sealed, I will divorce Dara, and we can get married. She has a boyfriend she is in love with.”
“I don’t know if I can wait. There’s no guarantee. What assurance are you giving me?”
“Trust me I will fulfil my promise to you.”
“I hope that’s true for your sake because I know you have feelings for Dara.”
“Look, I can’t deal with this right now, I need to leave.” Tola climbed out of bed and began to dress up, preparing to leave.
Back at the Akinola’s residence, as the gravity of the situation sank in, Ore speculated about her father’s next moves. She knew the business deal was at stake and was certain her father would resolve the issue promptly. The doorbell rang, and one of her father’s men ushered in the Ayegbajejes.
After their initial shock at Dara’s disappearance, the families began deliberating on how to handle the crisis. They contemplated whether to rely on the search initiated by Chief Akinola to find Dara or to cancel the wedding altogether. However, both families quickly agreed that cancelling the wedding was not feasible—it was too late and too humiliating; they would become the laughingstock of society. As the discussion continued, Sikemi remained standing, preferring not to be involved but knowing her absence might draw her mother’s wrath for seeming indifferent to family matters.
During the discussion, Aunty Abike, Adetola’s mother, caught sight of Ore. An idea seemed to strike her, and she discreetly whispered it to her husband. He hesitated, glanced at Ore, and then back at his wife before quietly approaching Chief Akinola with a whisper. As Chief Akinola turned his gaze towards Ore, she felt confused and anxious, her heart p******g. She wondered about the nature of the whispers and why her father looked at her as if she were an item up for negotiation.
As the bell rang and the staff went to answer the door, Ore noticed her father whispering to her mother. A wave of unease washed over her, but before she could fully process her feelings, Adetola Ayegbajeje, the sole heir to the Ayegbajeje dynasty, entered the room. Ore felt an overwhelming urge to vanish; she simply couldn’t bear his presence.
“Good day, Chief, good day, Ma,” Adetola greeted her parents warmly before turning to his father. “Father, what is so urgent that you had to pull me from work?”
“Sit down, son.” He sat, and his father continued, “We have a situation here, Darasimi has eloped with her boyfriend.”
“What? You’re joking. Did she choose that loser over me? Well, that’s her loss. I have an appointment, Dad. If you don’t mind, I’ll take my leave.”
“Son, don’t you understand the implications of this? This will be bad for our stock.”
“Well, if that happens, we’ll just have to troubleshoot.”
“We can’t risk letting things escalate to that level. We have all agreed on a way to move forward with this.”
“What have you decided?”
“We have decided that Oreoluwa will take her sister’s place as your bride.” Upon hearing this, Oreoluwa was stunned. She realized she was the only remaining option, the last piece on the board to be played. Her parents, pragmatic and business-oriented, saw no alternative. The deal with Adetola’s family would go ahead, with Ore stepping in as the necessary substitute.
Thanks for reading,
Tbc
Jumie Naths
