BIBI - CHAPTER 1

It was one of those muggy afternoons. Bíbíire Kofoworola Fernandez popularly called 'Bibi' by friends and family stood outside the Sparkles Resort where they had lodged in Accra, Ghana.

Bibi stole a look at her handsome husband who was dressed in a nice pair of blue Levi jeans, a mustard-colored Nautica polo shirt and a blue cap.

Too many things had been happening in their lives before and after the wedding and so they did not have time to go on a formal honeymoon. This was coupled with the fact that Bade's schedule at work had been hectic.

They decided instead, to go on trips during the weekends from time to time. So far, things had worked out well.

"Sir, please visit sometime again. It's been a real pleasure having you here". "So that you guys can chop all my money abi?" Bade replied to the resort manager, Mr. Kweku Asari, laughing. Hurling the rest of their bags into the back seat, he held the passenger door while Bibi slid in and reached for her seat belt. "Kotoka Airport here we come."

“Let's go there,” Bade replied, slipping a P-Square CD into the CD player in their rental car.

"Have a safe flight," Mr. Asari said waving at them.

"Bye for now." Bade replied while Bibi waved at the nice resort manager who had made their stay in Accra a pleasant experience. They had to come back some other time. She would recommend the resort to her friends whenever they decided to pay a visit to Ghana. Great customer service was a rarity these days. Many customer service reps in Nigeria needed a whole lot of training on client servicing. 

****

Sitting at the Commodores' Airline lounge at Kotoka Airport in Ghana, Bibi held a cup of Vanilla Milkshake in one hand and her Samsung Galaxy Fold phone in the other. She scrolled through Instagram to see if there was anything exciting that would catch her fancy.

The feel of the cold milkshake in her mouth made her moan with delight. It was a Saturday afternoon and the Sun had decided to come out in all its glory and unleash its warmth on everyone. She needed the air conditioner to blow a lot more.

She gazed at her phone and scrolled through. When she raised her head, she saw Bade chatting with two men. She and Bade had gotten married six months earlier in a small, close-knit family wedding in Los Angeles, California.

At 5'8, she was considered tall. She had nice curvy hips, a beautiful face, and a great body. Her mum was half Russian while her dad was a Yoruba man from Western Nigeria. Her mum had tried to no avail to give birth to other children but after trying so hard, she and her father accepted their fate. Her parents did not spare the rod while raising her. They believed over pampering one's child would not lead to God giving them other children. They gave her the best of education and everything else. She completed her elementary education at Corona School, Victoria Island, Lagos; one of the schools where privileged children in Lagos attended. Her high school education had been at the prestigious Queens College, Lagos. Her university education had been at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where she majored in Corporate Communications and Branding. 

 "Babe…” Bade tapped her. "Oh snap!" Bibi said, looking at her husband smiling. "My mind was a thousand miles away."

"I hope, my dear wife, that you were preoccupied with thoughts of me?" Bade looked into her eyes and winked.

"I just had a chat with the Airline's customer service folks. They apologize for the delay. Been told we'll be taking off soon."

“Splendid!" Bibi muttered. "Want to grab something to eat in the meantime? We might as well just relax till it's time to fly."

“Chicken and Chips?” She suggested.

“You already know.” Bade answered and she chuckled.

 Bade smiled while he watched Bibi walking away. She was the most beautiful woman alive to him. Her skin was like a combination of latte and caramel. He wanted to bask in it that very moment. His wife was the perfect description of the word poise and class. Bless the day he met her. He was in love with her more than ever.

Bibi’s phone vibrated in her hands just minutes after she had gotten their drinks and was walking towards Bade. She glanced briefly at it and saw that it was Bade’s mum calling.

"Good afternoon, ma. Yes ma, we are very well. I am walking towards him now."

Bade raised his brows slightly when Bibi handed her phone to him.

"Your mum," She whispered, barely audible.

"Hi, mum. How's dad?"

“Your dad is fine. He is here sitting beside me. Should we expect you and Bibi at the house tomorrow? Uncle Bode is visiting from Manchester with the girls.”

 “Errm, mum...Sure. We'll land in Lagos tonight and come over to the house probably in the afternoon tomorrow.”

"Oh dear, just when I thought we'd have Sunday to ourselves.” Bade said after cutting the call.

Bibi chuckled. “You know your family. Never a dull moment.”

“I know,” Bade said just as the airline announced it was time for their flight to Lagos.

“So long, Ghana,” Bibi muttered sadly. “At least, we had four days of fun. We’ll be back before you know it.” Bade said assuredly.