🔞 TOLANI 🔞
Episode 12
“E joor Baba Segun, listen to the young man.” My mom called, but he ignored her.
When he got to the staircase, he stopped and said,
“Me, let my daughter marry Omo Igbo, those ritualists. How old is she? I do not want to come out and have you still in my house. And you, get into your room immediately.”
I could see the embarrassment in Chimaobi’s face.
I couldn’t even look at him in the face because I felt I caused it.
Segun shook Chimaobi’s hand, telling him to relax.
“Calm down, don’t take this to heart. He is just a protective Dad.” My brother encouraged Chimaobi.
My mom didn’t do much.
“Young man, Tolani is our only female daughter who is just 22 and still in school. Her father would not want to give her out at this age in school. Respect us and let her be.” She said, excusing herself.
Chimaobi didn’t leave Ogun state that day.
In fact, he refused to go.
“Bae, I am not offended or surprised. I was ready for that, and I’m still ready. It is normal for every father to protect his only daughter and at 22 to a man out of his tribe. You don’t have to be mad at him. Let’s follow him gently.” He said to me on the phone.
“Did you hear me?” He asked
“Yes, I’ve heard you.” I answered him, cleaning away my tears.
“My nwa! Ngwanu stop crying oh?”
“Oh, how about mom and dad, did you tell them about it?”
“Yes, I did. They are saying the same thing. They suggest I give him time.”
“It’s alright. I will come to the hotel tomorrow in the afternoon when he’s out of the house.” We talked and we hung the call.
The next day’s afternoon, I visited Chimaobi at the hotel and spent some time together.
We couldn’t even get intimate with each other because we were both sad and quiet, looking at a place of despair and fair of what the future had for us.
We both had fears of losing each other.
We were at the peak of our relationship and everything seemed to get sore.
Days later, Chimaobi left for Awka, I was to return for my final year in school the next week.
“Where does the young man live?” My dad asked me.
“Awka.”
“I do not want to see you near him. If you know what is good for you, cut every tie with that young man. You will hate me if you do otherwise.” My dad instructed me.
“ Dad, please, just let me marry him. It’s better than going with the wrong person.”
“Will you shut up your mouth? How old are you? Did I ever tell you I am poor to take care of you? I have lands in Ogun here, I have investments all over the country. Ah! Tolani, I am not poor, I am not chasing my only daughter away. No! You can’t marry him. There are young Yoruba boys you can pick from, not an Igbo boy who has no respect.
.” Dad!”
“Yes! Did he greet me well? He didn’t lie down to great me, they are arrogant set of persons. He didn’t even pretend to greet me.”
“Dad, he wasn’t brought up that way. Respect doesn’t mean one has to lie flat on the floor. I love him. That’s what I want.”
“Then be ready for me, Tolani.” He said as I cried.
“My friend, carry your luggage to the car, let me take you to Lagos State airport.”
“ Segun!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Get the car keys, let’s drive to Lagos.”
“Baba, is there need, I usually drive her to the airport every end of her vacation. Why stress yourself today?” Segun asked.
“Ogbeni! Go get the keys, don’t tell me what to do. I am going with you two. I don’t trust you because I saw how you were shining your shovel teeth for the young boy. Yeye! Go get the keys.”
Segun brought the keys, and we drove to Lagos State airport. I was mute all through the journey.
By evening, I was in Awka. Chimaobi had to pick me up.
I wanted to stay with him, but he refused.
“I will take you to your house. I would want to respect your Dad. For now, you should not be sleeping in my house.”
“How could you say that?”
“Bae, don’t misunderstand me. We are trying to make things work. Let us not complicate it.” He told me, halting at my hostel gate.
“Do you understand me?”
“Chimaobi, just drop me. I’m stressed.” I told him.
He tried to kiss my forehead, but I pushed him aside.
“I’m not in the mood. Open the door, let me go.”
He allowed me, as he took my luggage into my room.
“The room is dusty, bae.”
“Abeg leave me, I will sort myself.”
“Can you just leave me.”? I said, as I began to bring out all the things I came back with.
“You know I can’t leave you to do all these.” He said, as he brought out my broom stick and mop as he began to clean up my room.
I still didn’t want to give him face, although I was so impressed with his act.
I would sit and admire him but when he tried talking to me, I would look away, frowning my face.
“Where are you going to?” He asked me, when I stood to go out.
“I’m coming.”
“Tolani, stop this, where are you going to?”
“I said I’m coming, na.”
He continued mopping the room, I went out to destiny spot restaurant close to my hostel, got food for the both of us, but I had them in separate packs.
I just wanted to keep vexing, so he would agree to let me stay with him.
Getting home, he was through with cleaning and was putting my clothes in the wardrobe.
I kept his food on my reading desk, sat on the bed and opened my pack.
“So, you had to separate our food? Why are you like this? Must you linger every fight?” He asked,, but I ignored him and continued to scoop my spaghetti.
When he tried to joke with me, I will frown. He tried all best to gist, but I still ignored him.
He continued eating, pressing his phone and smiling.
“Why is he smiling at his phone? He should be looking at my face, not to ignore me.” I said, as I kept my food aside, got down from the bed and lay on the floor, resting my legs against the wall.
Surprisingly, he ignored me and continued eating his food. I became restless, I would stand up, go to the bathroom, come back and lie down again on the floor.
While I was on the floor, I felt a tickle beneath my calves, I shook it off, but it came again, I decided to look, behold, it was a rat.
“Blood of Jesus! Mommy!” I shouted, jumping on the bed and on him.
“What is it?”
“Rat!”
“Where did it enter?” He asked, as he brought the broom.
“Show me the side in went to.”
I showed him, and he began to look for the rat.
I jump continually on the bed as he battled with the rat.
At the end, he killed it and disposed it.
When he came back to the room, I was still on the bed.
He now said with a serious face,
“ Please, leave the bed for me, the rat has been killed. You can go back to the floor.”
I looked at him.
“I am serious. If you don’t, I will force you.”
“Leave me alone.” I said as he began to drag my feet, dragging me to the floor.
“No please! Stop!” I begged him.
He carried his food and sat on the floor, leaving me on the bed.
I was now the one begging for his face.
“Stop na,” I said to him.
“Oh. So, it is painful abi?”
I came and hugged him from the back, biting his ears.
“Abeg, shift for me.”
“I will not.” I said, and he began to tickle me, I was wearing a yellow dress, he continued to tickle me until my clothes got to my waist.
He stopped tickling me, looking at it for a while as he kissed my waist.
“I’ve missed you, Tolani.” He said, as he dragged me to himself, roughly. I loved it when he rushes me.
“Come here,” he had me on his laps, his hands on my cheeks and his head aside, locking my lips with his.
To be continue ✍️❤️🩹
