JEREMY
.
Episode 19
.
Jeremy retracted his hand from mine and moved in the direction of the door. I pursued him quickly, still wanting to know what was happening.
.
“Talk to me, baby. What’s going on, na? Why didn’t you let me know you were going to stop by? We could have come together. Has anything happened? Why do you have this expression? My parents, perhaps?” I kept perplexingly questioning Jeremy.
.
Still, Jeremy didn’t say a thing to me. He simply kept going.
.
I was still holding on to Jeremy’s hand as he was just starting to turn the doorknob when I heard someone call my name. This voice had called me, and it wasn’t even remotely in a kind manner. This voice had an authoritative tone.
.
I whirled around to look at my father, who was now beckoning to me. My father’s visage was also devoid of any features I could recognize.
.
I was much more confused for a number of reasons. I had never seen my father’s face with that expression before. It’s well known that my father can’t control his emotions. Whatever it was, you’ll always be able to read it off of him. He was the definition of “an open book,” but not right now.
.
Maybe, just maybe, I would have known what might have happened between these two if I had seen a sad or furious face, which would have explained the odd reactions I received from the two most significant men in my life.
.
My father and I broke our stare, and I quickly hurried after Jeremy, who by this time had arrived at the spot where his car was parked. I tightly clutched his hand, then his body, in a hug, as Jeremy opened the door and was about to step inside.
.
“Baby, please talk to me. What happened in there? Don’t tell me you are just going to leave without saying a word to me. No matter what it is, shouldn’t I be able to calm you down? Shouldn’t I be the one who can pull you out of whatever gloomy situation you find yourself in? Do you really believe it’s fair to just abandon me without even letting me know what’s in store for me inside?”
.
Jeremy didn’t try to stop me. He also remained silent. He merely remained motionless and listened to what I said with a blank expression.
.
“Baby, say something, please. You can’t just stop talking to me right now. I was…”
“BINYELUM!!!…” My father thundered from the gate, where he was now standing, with a facial expression I now deduced meant anger.
.
I looked around in disbelief at the way he had just yelled that name.
Unless when he is utterly unhappy with me for something I’ve done, my father barely ever calls me by my native name. All signs point to the man being angry, but I couldn’t have been the reason. I don’t remember doing anything to him that would even somewhat justify this. Before I left the house the day before, we got along well.
However, I didn’t need to be informed of this to understand that, whatever the nature of his dispute with Jeremy, this is most likely the outcome.
.
With regard to anything that included Jeremy and me, my father has always been split. He had always made it clear to me that the decision about a life partner was entirely mine. He assured me that he would never force a man on me or reject one out of self-interest.
Tribalism has never been a trait attributed to my father. He is not racist in any way. He will undoubtedly grant his blessings, provided that the man I am presenting to him is a devout Christian and that I have declared my love for him.
Tribalism has never been a trait attributed to my father. He is not racist in any way. He will undoubtedly grant his blessings, provided that the man I am presenting to him is a devout Christian and that I have declared my love for him.
.
“Binyelum, enter the house immediately, and don’t make me ask you again!” Once more, my father roared, this time with his hand pointing in the direction of the structure.
.
Anyone who knows my father well would never want to be on the receiving end of an angry version of him. I had already disobeyed him by ignoring his first summons to enter the house, so I knew better than to disobey him again.
.
I moved away from Jeremy, who had been standing there and was very silent, and started to move slowly back inside.
.
I turned around a few times, hoping that Jeremy would at least say something—anything—but he never did.
.
I had hardly even reached the gate’s entry when Jeremy slammed his car door and sped off.
To be continued…
.
Moshood Avidiime
