Pelumi's Memoirs- 42

Dear Readers,

How are we doing in this period where the entire world is dealing with a pandemic? Indeed, these are unprecedented times! How are you coping with physical distancing and staying indoors for long periods of time? Are you checking on friends and loved ones? Are you praying for those who have lost loved ones? Are you supporting any charitable causes in this period?

Please don't give in to fear and despair. We will get through this period by God's grace. 

Meanwhile, don't forget to drop your comments and share this story with friends and family if you've enjoyed reading the story so far.

All my love!

****

Three weeks later......

Toye Keshinro balled up another piece of paper and threw it inside the bin. Frustrated, he stood up and paced around his office. He knew that he had been acting like a jerk lately but nothing in the world could assuage his pain.

His mother died a few years ago and now his father laid sick in the hospital with pancreatic cancer. They had spent every dime on chemotherapy, radiation and countless surgeries. He didn’t know how he could still function in the way that he was currently doing. Every day he slipped further into depression and drowned himself in alcohol when he got home to ease that pain.

His siblings were in Abeokuta where their father was receiving Palliative care at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Lantoro after several months in and out of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

He didn’t want his father to die. His father was his world. His family had been devastated by the death of his mother and he wasn’t sure they would be able to take another death blow in the family. He had prayed every prayer that he knew to pray. He had petitioned the heavens but alas, his father only became worse day by day. He suddenly had a migraine from pent up anxiety. He was staring at his computer screen but his mind was far away. He wanted to take some time off work but he kept dismissing the thought every time it popped up in his mind. He needed to keep his mind engaged. Work provided some sort of distraction from the turmoil in his personal life.

He looked through his email and saw that Nkoyo had sent the weekly status report he’d asked her to start providing. His eyes pored through the report and he devoured the contents in it. He was satisfied with the level of detail she had provided. It was concise.

He sighed and drank from his fourth cup of coffee that day. Black coffee kept him going on rough days. He looked up briefly when he heard the sound of shoes approaching his desk.

“Sir, I was wondering if you’ve taken a look at the report I just sent to you,” Nkoyo asked.

“Yes, I have,” Toye answered brusquely.

“Is there anything you’d like me to correct before I send it to the PMO?”

“Sir, is there anything you’d like me to correct before I send it to the PMO?” Nkoyo asked again

“I heard you the first time.”

Nkoyo rolled her eyes on her inside. This man was impossible!

“No, it looks great.” 

“Huh?” Nkoyo quizzed. Did her boss just commend her work?

“Nkoyo, the report looks good.”

“Okay…” Nkoyo stuttered. “Thank you.” She turned and walked out of her manager’s office.

It was a lie! For the first time, her crazy boss had not criticized her work. This was indeed a day that the Lord had made!

“Why are you grinning from ear to ear?” Ladi, one of her coworkers asked her.

“Nothing.” She smiled.

“I hear you o!”

“Ladi, I’m just happy. A girl is allowed to be happy, is she not?”

“I dunno o! This one that you are looking like a man just proposed to you.”

Nkoyo burst into laughter. She pulled a pack of Orbit chewing gum from her bag and popped two of them in her mouth. She drafted the email to the PMO and attached the report. Turning on spell check, she glanced over the email once more before sending it.

Something about her boss seemed off. While he had never been particularly nice to her, he didn’t seem to be his usual self. She was a perceptive person and had seen that his features looked like it was marked by pain. What did she know? Maybe she had imagined it. It had been on the tip of her tongue to ask if he was okay. She had refrained herself because she knew that she would probably hear a caustic reply.

She checked her wristwatch and saw that the time was 11:30 am. She and Tare had agreed to meet with the Director of The Heavenly Galleria, the venue for Tare’s traditional wedding. She was so excited. It felt as though she was the one getting married and not Tare. She loved weddings. Was it a female thing? Did guys love attending weddings too? She never missed a church wedding. That moment where the bride and groom shared their vows was sacred in her opinion.

She picked her Brahmin handbag where it sat on her desk. It was the latest addition to her collection of handbags. She had bought it on her last trip to New York. She dropped her phone inside it. With her head straight and shoulders high, she walked to the elevator.

“Beauty Queen!” Osula Nweke said loudly. “Where are you going?”

Nkoyo giggled. Osula always made it a point of duty to call her Beauty Queen each time she saw her.

“Where are you going with your fine self?”

“I’m going to lunch,” Nkoyo replied. The plan was to see the Director of The Heavenly Galleria and grab some lunch.

“Can you please grab something for me on your way back?”

Nkoyo glanced at Osula. “Erm... I might be late. I’m actually meeting with my sister.”

“Oh! That’s fine. I can grab something from the cafeteria.”

****

Adeleke, Ivan's newly hired personal driver dropped him and Pelumi off at the hotel he was staying in Asaba. They had just left Pelumi's house.

It was his second day in Asaba and he relished being away from Lagos. His hotel was in a quiet area of town and he treasured the stillness. They walked into the King suite that Ivan had booked.

“How do you like it here?” Pelumi asked. They had driven straight to her home when they arrived Asaba the previous day. She hadn’t gotten a chance to see the hotel Ivan and his driver would be staying for the next couple of days.

 

“I like it. It's not bad for Asaba standards, I suppose.”

Pelumi chuckled. “Is that a yes, you like it or not?”

“I like it,” Ivan responded.

Pelumi took off her shoes and sat on the bed. She looked at the wall clock. It was past 5 pm. She yawned a little too loudly.

 

“Pardon me.” She said. Ivan smiled. “Tired, eh? Expected after the long drive yesterday.”

“I know,” Pelumi replied.  She had been up early to help her mother with cooking.

“All that food I ate today is also making me feel sleepy.” Pelumi laughed.

“Your mum cooks well.” Ivan commended.

“Yes, she does.” Pelumi asserted.

 

Ivan picked the air conditioner remote and switched it on, adjusting the temperature.

Like Pelumi, he also kicked off his shoes, leaving his socks on his feet. He settled into one of the sofas. It was surprisingly soft and plush.

 

“Your stepfather..... You never really mention him when we talk.”

“Ummm...”Pelumi nodded her head. “We weren't always close so…”

 

“I see,” Ivan muttered. “Your siblings are really cute by the way.”

 

“Thank you,” Pelumi answered. “They got it from my momma.”

“And also your stepdad. He's handsome.”

“He used to be even more handsome but the years have gone by and I guess, he's lost some of his good looks.” Pelumi chimed.

 

“Hmmmmm....It comes with aging."

“Right,” Pelumi responded. She remembered the scripture, “charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting.....”

 

“So, why were you never really close to your stepfather?”

Pelumi frowned. “Ivan, do we need to talk about this now?” She snapped.

 

"Hey, lady! You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.” He said, lifting his hands in mock surrender.

Pelumi heaved. “He used to beat me. It was not disciplining a child kind of beating. He beat me at every opportunity.”

 

“Are you for real?” Ivan questioned, raising a brow.

“Yes, he beat me every time. If I made a small mistake, I got beaten for it.”

 

“Did your mum ever try to do something about the situation?”

 

“Not to my knowledge except the last time he laid his hands on me and I felt I couldn't take it anymore. I was nineteen at the time. My mother intervened. That prompted my moving to Lagos.”

 

“How come we never really talked about this”? Ivan asked, biting his lips.

“I don't like to recall my growing up years. I mentally try to block it.”

 

“Wow! Is it that bad?” Ivan asked softly. He was beside Pelumi where she sat in a jiffy holding her hands. He wiped the tears off her face.

 

“My stepfather has asked for my forgiveness and apologized for the past.”

 

Ivan nodded. Forgiveness didn't come to him easily. Through his actions, Pelumi's stepfather had marred her childhood. People did bad things and expected things to be right just by saying sorry.

 

“You have a large heart.” He said to her.

“Well, if we don't forgive men their sins, we shouldn't expect God to forgive us. I forgave him because that's the right thing to do.”

 

He smoothed her hair with his hand. “I know I didn't make a mistake by choosing you. You have such a large heart.”

A shiver ran through her. Pelumi stood up quickly, sniffing.

 

“I...I should go home.”

“But you only just got here,” Ivan stated.

“Uhm... I should head home.” Pelumi stated again.

He looked into her eyes and nodded. He had an idea of why Pelumi suddenly wanted to rush home.

He had felt the sexual tension between them too. While he didn't see anything wrong with sex between two consenting adults, he would never force himself on Pelumi or make her do anything against her will.

 

“Okay...Adeleke can drop you off.”

 

“Thanks,” she said. “I'll see you tomorrow. Would you like me to bring breakfast for you tomorrow?”

“Nah, it’s okay. I’ll have room service here deliver it.”

“Okay. See ya!”

 

After Pelumi walked out of the room, he paced around his hotel room thinking about her background and wondering how she must have felt when she was a child.  She had been maltreated by someone who was supposed to love her. The sad part was that her mother had also played a part in enabling her husband. 

Good thing he had asked them for Pelumi’s hand in marriage as soon as he had gotten a chance alone with them. Since he had met them briefly a while ago, it had been easier to make his intentions known.

“My daughter has told me many good things about you.” Ada Opara had told him. Her husband had also chimed in, telling him that he could see that he was a good man with good intentions. The fact that he had come all the way to ask for their daughter’s hand in marriage had impressed them.

“You know how some guys act. Once they have some money on them, they think the whole world revolves around them and they can buy their way around. They lose respect for their elders and think that no one can speak to them.  I think you people in Lagos call them ‘Yoruba Demons’!” Emeka had said to him.

He didn’t know how he would react towards Pelumi’s stepfather if he saw him now. Hearing about how he had maltreated her had left a sour taste in his mouth. Two more days and they’d be on their way back to Lagos.

 

Tomorrow, he and Pelumi were going to visit the tourist attraction sites in Asaba. He was looking forward to a fun day.

 

When Pelumi got to his hotel suite the next day, he was already dressed in blue jeans and a light orange Lacoste polo shirt.  His Ray Ban Sunglasses were seated atop his head.

Pelumi gave him a once over and smiled. This gorgeous man was hers, all hers and she felt giddy with excitement.

 

Pelumi… Ivan said moving closer to her. He held both her hands. “You’ve been my world these past months.” It had been 9 months of dating.

“Nine months”. Pelumi uttered, smiling.

“Yep. Nine months.” Ivan nodded. “Pelumi in nine months, I have grown to love you, grown to cherish you….. From the first day I saw you at the conference room, I knew that there was something special about you. Never mind that you dissed the life out of me on our very first encounter.”

 

Pelumi chuckled and frowned a little. This speech Ivan was giving her was making her feel all kinds of emotion. She hoped that he wasn’t about to break up with her after seeing she was from a humble home. Her family couldn’t match his in terms of wealth, influence and power.

 

“So in essence, what I’m trying to say, Pelumi is, will you marry me?” Ivan asked, removing a box from his pocket.

Pelumi looked at the ring. Was that diamond?

Ivan looked into her eyes. The ring was a Platinum diamond and ruby ring. It had cost him a little over $3000.

 

Pelumi removed her hand from Ivan’s and covered her mouth. Shocked was an understatement for how she was currently feeling.

 

She looked at the ring and gazed at Ivan. Was this even real? She had thought a long time ago that she would never get married. She didn’t know her father and her stepfather had made her lose confidence in men.

 

She looked at the ring again and gazed at Ivan.

 

 

****

 

Tare’s wedding was less than a month away. Celeste had been pulled into the ongoing preparations. Essien’s wedding was the next week.

 

Wow! It was a season of festivities. She was looking forward to both weddings. Essien and Tare were two wonderful people. She wished them nothing but pure joy.

 

She and Liyel were taking it one day at a time, building their friendship. They both had a lot of healing to do.

 

Walking into the bathroom, she wiped off her makeup. A good shower was what she needed. It had been a hectic day at work. She had been looking to starting vlogging and she felt like there was no better time than now. Cooking was like a calling to her and she was going to vlog about the different recipes and meals she put together from time to time.

 

She picked up her MacBook and went to her favorite site for booking flights. She was looking forward to a fun time in the summer. Many of her cousins lived in the states and they had all been planning a getaway in Orlando several months ago. She had been keeping an eye on tickets and would be buying her ticket soon.

 

She stretched on the couch and yawned loudly. Why did she feel so tired? Her body felt as though something ran her over. It suddenly dawned on her! She hadn’t taken any of her multivitamins in almost a week. She shook her head and walked to the cupboard in her kitchen where she kept them.

Grabbing a glass, she filled it with water and walked back to the living room.

 

 She made a mental note to mention her Orlando trip to Liyel. For now, excitement filled her at the thought of Essien’s wedding on Saturday and Tare’s wedding which was roughly three weeks away. She loved going to weddings. It had been a while since she had attended one.

 

Her bridesmaid dress had been delivered some days before. It hugged her frame perfectly. Very well sewn. It was a good thing that they’d decided to patronize Imade’s Collection. She had convinced Essien that it was easier to have their dresses made here in Nigeria than ordering dresses from a vendor abroad. Celeste drank some more water. They said that staying hydrated was good for one’s skin and she hadn’t been drinking enough water lately.

She intended to make up for that. She needed her skin to glow healthily especially in the next couple of weeks.

“Vain much!” She said aloud, laughing.

 

Her dress for Essien’s traditional wedding had also been well sewn although Kikstar, her fashion designer had made minor alterations to the dress after she had tried it on.

 

She was filled with so much joy. She had been given the oil of joy for mourning and the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

 

No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or else, he will hold on to one and despise the other.

 

Celeste shifted in her seat. Had she heard correctly? She had rededicated her life to God and was serving him with every fiber in her. There was nothing else that was taking his place. Nothing else was taking God’s place in her life. She was sure of that.

 

Let him that stands take heed so that he does not fall!

 

She pushed her thoughts aside. Why was she having these promptings in her spirit?

 

****

Tare let herself quietly into Ineye’s house. She hadn’t seen his car in its usual parking spot. She’d planned on surprising him with her impromptu visit. In between the time-consuming project he’d been working on and all the ongoing preparation for their wedding, all thanks to her parents who had decided that a small wedding wasn’t good enough, they had not been seeing each other as frequently as they used to. They talked on the phone from time to time but phone conversations couldn’t take the place of face to face conversations.

 

She looked around the sitting room and noticed that a few things were out of place. She moved a few things around and when she was satisfied with how the room looked, she walked into the kitchen to see if she could find anything to eat.

 

She saw a pot half filled with jollof rice. Ineye wasn’t a bad cook. She had tasted his meals a few times. She opened the fridge and saw a bowl of beef stew. She smiled. She had last ordered the stew from Omoalata. It didn’t look like Ineye had touched it at all. She scooped some jollof rice, added some of the beef stew to it and placed the food in the microwave. The food was warming up in the microwave when she heard a sound at the door.

 

Ineye jumped when he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps in his house. “Tare, is that you?” He called out.

 

He frowned when he didn’t get a response. Everywhere sounded quiet all of a sudden. He walked in the direction of the kitchen.

 

“Tare, is that you?”

“Oh my god! Tare, you scared the hell out of me,” he said when Tare was in his arms. She had jumped on him all of a sudden.

“Sorry, I thought I’d surprise you!” Tare said, giggling.

“Ugh…..I don’t like surprises.” Ineye grunted planting a kiss on her nose.

So how was work today?

 

“Hectic as usual,” Ineye responded walking into the kitchen. “Oh boy! I’m starving.”

“I just warmed some jollof rice for myself. I can warm some up for you too.” Tare stated.

“Yes, please. Be right back. I need to go change my clothes.”

“Sure,” Tare replied while opening the fridge.

 

When Ineye came back into the sitting room, Tare gave him a once over. He was dressed in shorts and a tank top and smelled nice. Good thing their wedding was only a few weeks away. She couldn’t wait to have him all to herself.

 

“How is Liyel?” Ineye asked.

“He’s doing well. He has become less grumpy and seems to be in a good mood these days.

Ineye laughed. “I’ve never really known Liyel to be a grumpy person.”

 

“Says who?” Tare answered sharply. “You needed to see him after he broke up with Celeste. He became the grumpy King.”

 

“Wow!” Ineye exclaimed. “So it’s good that they are back together?”

“Yes. I am thrilled. Celeste is like a sister to me even though we sort of fell out for a while.”

“Hmm.” Ineye nodded slightly.

“So let’s talk about us. How are you? How are you feeling what with all the planning for our wedding and juggling that with work?”

 

“So you know mum and aunty Tamuno have been doing all the planning. I’ve only been making a few calls to some of our vendors.” Tare explained. “Your mum calls me every time. She says she’ll be around next week.”

 

“Yeah. She told me. My brothers are also coming with her. I guess they want to make themselves useful around here.” Ineye explained. “Dad will be around the week after they arrive.”

 

“You are going to have a full house here,” Tare said.

“My bachelor crib is about to be torn apart!” Ineye stated with a funny expression on his face.

 

“Before nko! The bachelor crib that you are about to let go of!” Tare responded as a matter of fact. They had gone house hunting and had decided on a three-bedroom duplex at Oyin Jolayemi Street which wasn’t too far from where Ineye lived currently.

 

“Mehn! I’m going to miss my bachelor pad so much!”

Tare rolled her eyes and Ineye laughed.

 

“We were going to eat right?” Tare quizzed, laughing.

“Yes… I was hungry…” Ineye replied.

Tare burst into laughter. So engrossed were they in their discussion that they had forgotten about eating. “Let me get the food from the kitchen.”

 

“Do you need my help?” Ineye asked.

“Nah! I’ve got it!”

 

****

When Pelumi got home after a fun day touring Asaba with Ivan, fatigue rocked her body. She was a mixture of different emotions. She was happy, thrilled and excited at the same time.

 

She greeted her mum and her stepfather.

 

“Mum, can I see you?”

“Yes, my dear.” Her mother answered adjusting her boubou.

When they were alone in her room, Pelumi stretched out her left hand and showed her mother the ring sitting on her finger. “Ivan proposed to me, mummy.”

 

Tears welled up in Ada’s eyes. “Ivan asked your father and me for your hand in marriage the other day…..”

 

“He did?” Pelumi asked, surprised.

 

“Yes, remember when I asked you to take some food to my friend’s house? Ivan said he wanted to speak with your father and me in private so I had to quickly think of something.”

 

Pelumi chuckled. “Well done, mummy!”

Ada laughed. She stood up dancing pulling her boubou at various intervals.

“Oh Pelumi, you can’t imagine my joy. You have made me so proud.”

 

“I wish my father was around to share in this joy…” Pelumi said in a voice chock full of emotion.

 

Ada sighed. “If I knew where your father was, I would have gone looking for him all these while.”

 

“I know…..” Pelumi said, wiping a tear from her face. She wondered why she suddenly felt emotional.

 

“Anyway, this is great news!” Ada said, smiling. “It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our sight.”

 

‘I know, mummy… This is like the happiest day of my life.” Pelumi responded.

 

“Let me call Itoro and give her the good news. She’ll be so thrilled.”

“Itoro… Your dear friend… She’s such a jewel. Good friends are treasures and they must be valued.”

“I agree,” Pelumi told her mother.

“I have a bottle of wine. I am going to break the news to Emeka. We must celebrate.”

“Okay mummy…” Pelumi smiled.

 

She called Itoro and broke the news to her. Itoro screamed on hearing that Ivan had proposed to her.

 

“Pelumi, I’m so happy for you. Eh, we have to start planning your wedding o!! It’s going to be loud! We will raise the roof!”

 

“With which money?” Pelumi asked, chuckling.”

 

“God will provide sisterly. Don’t even worry about that.”

 

Pelumi bit her lip. “Let me call aunt Kema. I’ll call you back.”

 

“Can I speak to your mum?” Aunt Kema said after hearing the news. “I need to congratulate my sister. She did a great job of raising you. This is wonderful. I am pleased.”

 

Pelumi walked into the living room and handed her mobile phone to her mum. Her mum had the call on speaker so she could hear the conversation between them. She giggled at some of her aunt’s statement. Her stepfather was also smiling.

 

Uloma and Uche who had just gotten back from visiting friends squealed with excitement and hugged her. “Easy guys, don’t let me fall o!” Pelumi said, chuckling.

 

“Sister Pelumi, you know I have to be on your bridal train,” Uloma stated.

“Of course,” Pelumi told her sister, winking.

“I hope your rich husband will let me stay as one of his groomsmen,” Uche remarked.

“I can check with him...” Pelumi replied to her brother. Knowing Ivan, he’d probably want to keep things simple.

 

“Pelumi, Kema wants to talk to you.” Her mother handed her phone to her.

 

“Mummy, I want to move to Lagos too. I can live with my sister Pelumi after the wedding.” Uloma said in a pleading tone.

 

“If I hear!” Ada countered.

“See her mouth like Lagos! My friend, go and read your book so you can tow the path of your success which your sister is currently towing.” Emeka added.

Uloma shrugged. “Okay o. One day you people will just see that I have disappeared to Lagos.”

 

“You dare not try it. I will personally come and drag you away from Lagos.” Ada stated firmly.

Uche stood in a corner, observing the drama between his sister and their parents. One thing he knew was the fact that Uloma was stubborn and she knew how to have her way when she wanted.

 

“Uche, go and bring glasses for all of us. We are toasting to the good news in our family tonight.”

“Yes, mum,” Uche replied and walked into the kitchen.

 

Meanwhile, inside the room, Pelumi couldn’t keep from laughing at Aunt Kema’s theatrics over the phone. “I’m going to tell Naetochukwu and Chief right away. We have a wedding to plan o! Don’t worry, I will make sure that Bella Naija covers your wedding. I will call them at This Day style, Ovation, Genevieve Magazine…..”

 

Pelumi stifled the laughter that was bursting forth inside her. Her aunt needed to give her all the money that she was looking to pay the various media outlets instead.

“Erm, aunty, please support mummy and me with the money you intend paying the media guys,” Pelumi said sheepishly.

 

“Ah don’t worry about that. I’ve got you!”

Aunt Kema wasn’t one to promise and fail. Pelumi knew that she could count on her.

“Okay, aunty. Thanks so much.”

 

She dialed Itoro again and they chatted for hours before she finally fell asleep.