CHAPTER 21 –
© OPEYEMI OJERINDE AKINTUNDE
I was not planning to see Reuben that night. I just
wanted to return to my hostel. I texted another
protocol officer, telling him he should see to Pastor
Reuben, that I was not feeling up to it. I told him I had
gone to the hostel to rest. As I walked back to my hostel, I was clouded with
several thoughts, but a phone call that shattered me
completely came through. The caller ID revealed it was my Mum. In the past
three months, whenever she called, she tried not to
raise any dust, we just spoke mainly about my well
being, my academics and a few times she would
casually say
“I hope you are hearing from Reuben” of which I
would say yes.
I wasn’t lying, his text messages was a way to hearing
from him. I picked up my Mum’s call, and at first, I could not
make sense of what she was saying, because there was
so much noise in the background…
“Can you see what ‘Your’ Daniel is doing here? He is
breaking the windscreen of all the cars in the house. I
am sending you a clip right away” My mother said
sounding very distraught. She Ended the call angrily. I waited anxiously for Mum to send the clip. Finally after waiting few minutes, it dropped…
I downloaded the video and what I saw broke me
further. “You don’t want your daughter to marry me, because I
am a pauper… No, I am not a pauper, it is people like my father that made you. My father fixed the cars you
brought in” Daniel was saying. As he was speaking, he was breaking the windscreen
of the cars and the side mirrors. “Let me tell you if she doesn’t marry me, you all will
live to regret it…” My mother turned the camera to my father who
looked perplexed. The look on my father’s face as he
turned to the camera broke me…
Thankfully, I was close to the school garden on the
way to the hostel. I ran inside the garden crying. A text dropped. It was from my mother…
“Is that the man you want to marry? He is breaking
things now, if you marry him, he will break you. Now
can you see that he is really a broken man?”
I wept sore…
About fifteen minutes later, Reuben started calling
continuously. I didn’t have the strength to talk, but I
picked up when it was obvious he was bent on hearing
my voice. “Hello” I said faintly
“Where are you? I got to your hostel and your
roommates said you are not in”
“Why do you care, Pastor Reuben” I replied. “One of the protocol officers said you were not feeling
okay. I just want to check on you”
“I am fine, I just need sometime alone, some time to
think about my complicated life” I failed myself as I
broke down in tears.
“Where are you?”
“School garden close to the hostel”
“Ok” He ended the call…
I wanted to call Daniel and tell him how stupid he was. To think we were already making some progress with
his Christianity…
“Don’t you think this is God showing you that Daniel
will be a terrible husband?’ A small gentle voice said
to me…
“Nwala” I heard Reuben’s voice. He sat beside me…
“Would you want to speak here or should we go
somewhere more private?” He asked
Few people were in the garden, though it was dark, I
could see that people were looking towards our
direction. “Somewhere else” He stood up and helped me up. Some students called
his name and he waved at them. We got into his car, and I told him where to drive to, I
knew the College area would be quiet at that time. I needed somewhere I could scream… The moment we
got there, I got down and let out a scream…
“Nwala… calm down”
“I can’t calm down; Look at what this stupid Daniel
has done
I passed him my phone and played the video. He
watched it and was silent. “Are you not going to say something?”
“As your friend? As a Pastor? Or as someone who
wishes to be in his shoes?” he said ending with a smile. The smile warmed my heart…
“Anyone Reuben, just say something to make me not
run mad… I love him Reuben, I love him from like
way back. He is a good guy, yes I know he has anger
issues, and that’s because he hates the fact that he is
from a poor background… With all that is happening, I can see that he will be violent in marriage, but I am
thinking, I can control that…” I was just talking and
crying. “Nwala! Calm down… I want to speak as a friend with
no strings attached…” He said pulling me to the car
and resting my back on the car. He also stood by my
side resting his back on the car “Nwala, all you are seeing are signs on the wall, if you
marry Daniel, he will be overprotective, aggressive
and violent towards you. As a friend, I will advise you
look to elsewhere. Now, as a pastor who just
ministered on knowing God’s will, I will advise you
seek God’s face”
“I already did…”
“And?” Reuben asked
“He told me to honour my father and my mother” I
replied
“And that would be in which way?”
“That would mean ending it with Daniel, my mother
wanted that, now with him destroying my father’s car, I believe honoring my father will be to have nothing
to do with him” I replied
For the first time Reuben was quiet… I could
understand his dilemma
“I have to call him and do it now”, I said crying…
“Ok…” was all he said
I dialed his number and after about 3 rings he picked
up. “I am sorry babe; I don’t know what came over me…
Please tell mummy and Daddy I am sorry…
“Where are you?” I asked
“I am still in your compound; they have locked the
door to the main house”
“Daniel, get out of my house, and don’t ever come
back, get out of my life and never you call me again. It
is over between us…” I said
“Nwala, what are you saying?”
“I am saying I can’t do this again” I stated with a firm
voice, but suddenly my emotions failed me… I started
crying while talking to him…
“Daniel, you did your worst today, I have been
fighting for us, I was ready to fight my mother for us, but you just shot yourself in the leg. I am sorry… God
knows I love you, but I am done”
I ended the call and switched off my phone…
I cried like someone who just lost a treasure, and
Reuben gave me his shoulder to cry on. In the midst
of that, he said to me…
“You did good by honoring your parents, and I believe part of honoring mum is to give me a chance. Now I speak like the man who has always wished to be
in Daniel’s shoes; Nwala, give me a chance and I
promise you that till we are old and grey, I will not
cause you pain or make you cry..”
I didn’t say a Yes or No… I didn’t have to , the
situation I was in, had given him what he wanted… He took me back to my hostel before the hostel gate
was to be shut. He told me he had to leave by 5:00am
because of a meeting he had to attend to. He jokingly
confessed; he came to the program so he could see me. As I laid on my bed, all I could think about was my
mother and father’s state. I had failed them. I was
always the hard child. One of the cars Daniel had
destroyed, I knew how much the side mirror of the car
cost, it was in hundreds of thousands, how much more
fixing all he had damaged. I turned on my phone and text messages had poured
in . Chika, Chinwe, Amara, even the twins in school had sent me messages. I know my mother would have
done a good job of circulating the video. I opened the messages and the messages were all
similar…
“You should leave that idiot forever” Chika texted
“Nwala, a word is enough for the wise, drop this guy
like I dropped my ex. It will hurt for a while, but you
will be grateful later… End it with him” Chinwe texted
“This is what we call a mess, quickly drop him and
pick Reuben up, before someone else does” Amara
texted and that stuck. I hope she was not the someone
else she was referring to. “Daniel is messed up, run for your life” John texted…
“Tell that stupid Daniel, that if I see him, I will kill
him. I hear you don’t want to leave him, I hope he
doesn’t kill you before I kill him” Jeremiah texted…
I didn’t respond to anyone of them, instead I decided
to heal my mother’s broken heart…
“Mum, I am sorry for how my coconut head has
always brought you pain… I have decided to honor
you. I have broken up with Daniel and I have pitched
my tent with Reuben. I know you know the best for
me. Thanks, Mum. Please apologize to Dad on my
behalf”
I decided to text my Dad as well “Dad, I am sorry for what I have caused you, please
forgive me. I have ended it with Daniel. I apologize for
the damage”
I felt like a heavy load had been lifted off my shoulder. I felt relieved…
“From all indications, I am meant to be with you. I
hope I won’t regret this ride with you…” I texted
Reuben
“No, you won’t, I will make the ride bump-free and
exciting by the Grace of God. Thank you Queen
Nwala… Now that I have the Drivers’ license, I want to
say, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, thank you for making
today memorable for me.
I didn’t bother replying, instead, I checked Daniel’s
text; “I promise you that you will regret this action. No words for you, but lots of action”
I wasn’t moved, I knew it was an empty threat or was it
not?
To be continued…