CHAPTER 1
SWB: Akinsehinwa Oluwaseun.
“Hey Sweetie, smiling pretty girl” it was mum’s sweet voice that woke me up from my sleep, I could feel her soft palm gently rubbing my cheeks as I rolled to the other side of the bed, still wanting to catch some sleep .
But, nope! Sweet Mom won’t just let me, she joined me at the other side and started tickling me.
She just won’t stop treating me like a five year old babe, yet I’m not the only child of the family.
“You are my baby, even if you get married and start having your own babies, you are still my baby” Mom said as I robbed my eyes while trying to get out of bed.
“Today is Saturday Mom and it’s just five Am, can’t I just get some more rest?” I asked though I knew I can never convince my Mom to let me catch some more sleep.
As loving and playful as my Mom is, she’s very disciplined.
She has disciplined us to get used to waking up early everyday, whether we have a place to go or not.
Her principle is “Get up early, accomplish more”.
“You know your fiance will be coming today, we need to make all preparations before he comes.
I don’t want him thinking he is marrying a spoilt little princess” Mom said smiling.
“Mom this is not the first time Richard will be coming to visit, moreover he won’t be coming until one pm” I answered as I got up from bed, kneeling before my Mom to greet her.
“Ori e a kan ke omo mi” (You’ll get to the top my child) Mom prayed in our local language.
“Amen ma” I responded as I bent towards my shelf to take my Bible.
“Join me in the kitchen once you are through with your devotion” Mom said as she stood up.
“Okay Mom” I replied and started the worship session immediately.
While singing my mind strayed to the sweet dream I was having before Mom interrupted my sleep.
It was really a sweet dream because it was all about my fiance and I. Men! Courtships can really be very interesting.
Richard and I have been in courtship for the past two years and finally now we’ll be getting married in the next two weeks.
That I’ll soon become the newest bride in town makes me smile to myself most of the time.
Sometimes while someone is talking to me , I appear to be paying full attention but sincerely I have traveled to the future, thinking about the spotless white wedding gown I’ll be wearing on my Wedding day.
The music, the Alaga’s entertaining excesses, the MC’s seemingly never ending jokes.
The fact that people will begin to greet and call me Iyawo from left and right keeps me joy bound all the days.
Richard is the kind of man every lady would want as a crown in the home, the guy is just too perfect to be real.
Too caring , loving and generous to a fault.
To add to the fact that he is a genuinely born again child of God.
And hmnnn, my fiance is hand…..some , handsome with an emphasis on the handsomeness. Complete from head to toe……….
While still in my reverie, I suddenly heard the public unsolicited alarm ringing tone coming from the house next to us. Those family are strange, troublesome and highly unreasonable. The noise coming as a result of early morning quarrel of Iya Ibeji , the slow poison first wife and Mama Ngozi the pepper yoyo second wife coupled with that of the No nonsense Mama Buhari can wake a dead man from his state, perhaps that was an overstatement, but their early morning row was our unsolicited alarm on the street. Those notorious children of theirs don’t even make the matter better, rather they always aggravate it, with each of them siding his or her mother.
Baba Ibeji the man of the home is a case study on his own, the man who married almost all the tribes of the Nation. Kudos!
“I will draw the map of that my village on your cheek, sebi you said I came from a village, I will make sure people start getting direction to my village from those dirty cheeks of yours….” I could hear one of the wives saying.
“Ah this early mormor, we have not even said our family prayers!” Mama Ibeji the slow poison said in her local intonation.
“Abegi shut up…….” Another replied
Oh my goodness! My mind has strayed from the place of worship.
“Father forgive me, Father forgive me…. In Jesus name…..”
“Oluwanifemi, I’m waiting please” I could hear Mom’s voice from the kitchen, I quickly said my prayers hurriedly so as to join my Mom in the kitchen.
“Father please forgive me, I’ll spend more time with you tonight before I sleep. Thank You because You love me too much to begin to count how many minutes I spend before You. I love You too. In Jesus name have I prayed. Amen” That was it, I was through with my morning devotion. I wore my flip flop, went into the bathroom to quickly brush my teeth before Mom will call me again.
It was already six thirty before I joined my Mom in the kitchen, she had finished almost all the chores except for the cooking and extra cleanings.
“I thought you we were going to have to call drummers to come and help us usher you out of your room before you come out” Mom said sarcastically and I burst into laughter giving her a peck on the cheek.
“Don’t bribe me with that peck o. You know Richard will soon be here, let’s hurry up with all we have to do”
“Mom Richard won’t be coming until …..”
“Until one pm , I know but we don’t have to wait till one pm before we do the necessary things” Mom handed the vegetables she was picking to me as she stood up to blend some pepper.
“Let’s make the soup now, then by twelve or so we can make the pounded yam” Mom added.
“Okay ma, but for me I’m not taking pounded yam, I’m taking……”
“Rice and indomie. I know” Mom interrupted giving me the knowing smile.
“I just pray Rice will not grow on your head someday” she added and I tuck out my tongue sideways.
“If it grows then my prayers has been answered, I wouldn’t have to be wasting money on purchase of Rice again” I said teasingly.
“Rice will not even grow on my own daughter’s head in Jesus name” Mom said with so much seriousness that I couldn’t help laughing. Wasn’t she the one who made the statement?.
“So tell me what was making you to smile from your sleep the other time?”
“I was smiling?” I asked.
“Yes you were beaming with smiles. Anyways I can’t blame you, even during my own time I did more than you are doing now. Hmn when it was few weeks to my wedding, I couldn’t curtail my joy again.
The whole community knew someone was about to get wedded. You won’t believe I changed all my undies and those siwenwen, I got sexy panties, nice bras, tempting nightgowns, lingerie……..
“Hmn Mummy!!!”
“Ah, I’m not joking o, I’m very serious, you should start getting all those things ready o, your husband should not feel like he married a grandma o. That you are spiritual doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be romantic in your marriage my Princess.
In fact let me tell you more about the wedding nigh, let me sensitize you about how you will take your husband to the moon…..”
“Hmnhmnhmn” Dad coughed from behind and we both laughed at his sudden appearance and reaction.
“Mother and daughter” He said moving closer to Mom to give her a peck.
“Daddy good morning sir” I knelt to greet my father.
“Good Morning Princess. So what’s on for breakfast?”
“Would you like bread and tea or Semovita with vegetables?” Mom asked
“The latter will be better” Dad replied gulping a cup of chilled water. He started going back to the his room but stopped by the door and then turned back to stare at Mom and I.
“And I heard the beautiful lecture you are giving to Nifemi, you are doing a great job Sweetie” Dad said as he winked at Mom who in return blew him a kiss. These lover birds will never change.
“So as I was saying……”
“Mom can we talk about this later?” I interrupted Mom because I didn’t want her to continue with the topic, I was already feeling uncomfortable. I didn’t feel like discussing what my first experience would be like with my parents, though I had fantasized about it a lot. I have even read books about first experience on the wedding night. Plus I already got my sexy nighties ready for the D-Day , Richard will be shocked at how this spiritual babe could be so romantic. Hmn, just two weeks away from now.
At exactly one pm, the doorbell rang, I knew it was Richard, my fiance. I checked myself in the mirror before rushing out of my room to get the door. I opened the door and there he was, my handsome fiance, he wasn’t alone, he came with his younger sister Dolly.
“Hey Dolly” I greeted happily as we hugged.
“This is a pleasant surprise, you know Richard didn’t tell me you’ll be coming” I said as we walked into the living room. They exchanged greetings with my parents before settling down.
“I’m so sorry I was unable to come for your introduction, I was actually writing my final papers then” Dolly said apologetically.
“Oh you don’t have to be sorry, I understand. I’m so happy to see you again after so many months, school stuff you know”
“I’m happy to see you too” Dolly replied with a smile. We talked for a while before going to the dining, my parents tried to engage Richard in a conversation but I realized he wasn’t really as lively as he used to be. I knew something must be bothering him. He kept stealing glances at me and I could read on his face that Richard wanted to tell me something, though I didn’t know what it was.
Immediately we were through with the meal, Dolly offered to join me in the kitchen to wash the plates while Richard stayed in the living room watching a TV show with my parents.
“Your brother seems to be worried, what’s going on?” I asked Dolly as we watched the plates, trying to find out what was wrong with my fiance from her.
Dolly breathed heavily before answering me.
“I think my brother has something to tell you and that’s one of the reasons I came with him. I don’t have to be there when he tells you but please whatever my brother tells you, promise me you won’t cancel……….”
“Uhmn can I have a glass cup of water” Richard’s voice startled us, interrupting whatever it is his sister had wanted to tell me. We didn’t even notice he’s been standing by the door all this while.
“Sure here have it” I handed over to him a glass cup of water, wondering why he didn’t take from the one in the dining room.
“Hum thanks. Dolly you may please join Dad and Mom in the living room, I’d help Treasure finish up the dishes” Richard said.
“Okay” Dolly replied.
I don’t know what these two are up to but they had better please not give me a heart attack. What was Dolly trying to make me promise her? That I should not cancel, cancel what?.
“Hey Babe” Richard said calling me out of my reverie.
“Handsome” I replied
“You are always beautiful, I wonder how I was able to resist the temptation of having you all through the period of our courtship. Girl you look absolutely ravishing, thank God it’s just two weeks to our wedding, girl I can’t wait to have you in my arms, planting my kisses on your succulent lips” Richard said and I smiled coyly looking away.
“You almost got me scared Richard” I said
“How?” He asked as he moved closer to me.
“You’ve not been as lively as you used to be since you came a while ago. I was worried probably I did something wrong or perhaps you didn’t like my look today”
“Oh I’m so sorry for getting you worried, actually it’s just stress from work, you know the nature of my job. Talking about your looks, you should know you always look beautiful, no matter what you wear, even if you haven’t taken your bath, you are still beautiful”
“Have you ever seen me when I’ve not yet taken my bath? You and this your sugar coated mouth” I said and we both laughed.
“So what were you discussing with Dolly, did she tell you anything?” Richard asked.
“Nothing serious, I was just concerned about your mood , so I asked her what was wrong”
“Okay, okay that’s okay. So she didn’t tell you anything?” Richard asked again and my instinct told me something was wrong somewhere.
“Handsome, is something wrong?Actually Dolly told me you wanted to tell me something. Is everything alright?”
Richard took a pause and then stared into my eyes for awhile before speaking.
“Nifemi, what will you do if you find out I have been hiding something from you all this while?” He asked.
“Something? Like what? I already know all I need to know or if not all then at least the major things I need to know about you, what else could you possibly be hiding?”
“Is there anything you can hear about me that could make you call off this wedding?” Richard asked.
“God forbid!” I said snapping my fingers over my head as a way of rejecting his last statement.
“My wedding will never be cancelled in Jesus name. Richard you are killing me with this suspense, please what’s wrong?” I asked and Richard kept staring at me. My heart was beating so fast, I hope Richard wasn’t about to release a bombshell?
To be continued.