Dear Future Husband E16
David gasped as he stared at me. I stepped forward and assisted him to his feet. “What are you doing around here?” he asked.
“Can we get out of these bushes first?” I asked, stepping out. “Did you follow me here, David?”
He shook his head in disagreement. “No.”
“Then why are you here?” I asked.
He took a deep breath. “I…erm…it’s no use, just forget it.” He said, and started to walk away.
I hurried after him. “David, talk to me. You were singing and crying.”
“I don’t cry.” He replied, bluntly.
I nodded. “Really? David, you can talk to me.”
“Leave me alone!” he yelled. “Is that too much to ask?”
I stepped back and watched him walk away. He kicked the sand as he walked on. My heart broke to see him in that way and so I raced after him. “David, I can’t leave you alone, not like this.” I said, staring at him. “Let me take you home.”
He laughed. “There’s no home for me.” he replied. “Kimberly, just go away.”
“I won’t”
He stared at me. “What do you want?”
“Something is wrong with you, David? What are you doing here?”
He scoffed. “Kimberly, this is my business. I was checking out properties on this side.”
“Are you going to buy Victoria’s Homes?” I asked, getting agitated.
He nodded. “Yes, and maybe everything on this side.”
“David, you can’t do that. Some people actually live in these homes because they have no families.” I replied and stared at him. He shrugged. “Or maybe because they got kicked out by their children.”
He hissed. “Kimberly, this is business.”
I nodded with disgust. “David, I thought I was right to fall in love with you.”
His shoulders fell. “Kim…” he called softly. “I am sorry.” He rubbed his hair. “Kim, I have a bad past, I have hurt so many people and I am not good enough for you. I don’t deserve any love from you.”
I held his hand in mine. “Then let me help you, David. I want to help you.”
*****************************************************************************************************************
Boye passed the newspaper to Ben. “I don’t see how this genius plan of yours would win Kimberly.”
“Boye, I am optimistic. Kimberly and that guy don’t have something strong. I intend to utilize the weak links.”
Boye smiled. “That guy won’t let you get close to Kim.”
“You are forgetting that Kim works at Millaroca now, I’ll gladly be her chauffeur, and then I’ll make her attracted to me, maybe steal a kiss or two, sometimes a man has to be impulsive.”
Boye shook his head. “I feel sorry for you, brother.” He said. “The mere thought of the number of slaps that would adorn your face makes my heart bleed.” They chuckled.
“But a man has got to do what a man must do. I like this girl very much and I won’t let some flashy guy ruin what we may have.” He paused. “She even admitted that we may have had something, so I’ll work on whatever parts of her emotions I can crawl into. I must get her.”
“You are desperate, man.”
Ben nodded in agreement. “I am fighting for love.”
*****************************************************************************************************************
I tucked David in his bed. “Try to get some sleep, David.”
He scoffed. “There’s no sleep for the wicked.”
I took a deep breath. “You know, if you are not going to tell me what’s hurting you, you should at least try not to be too hard on yourself.” I replied, as I stroked his forehead.
“Kim, why do you love me?”
I honestly couldn’t find the words to explain how I fell in love with him. “You should get some sleep.” I said.
He pulled my hand back. “Please stay with me.”
“David…”
His grip was more firm. “Kim, I am scared. I don’t want to be alone.”
I slid into the bed beside him and let him lay on my lap as I stroke his hair tenderly. “I won’t leave you alone.” I whispered.
“I miss my mom.”
I stared at him. “Me too…” I stared at him. “Where’s she anyway? Been a while.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He replied, almost inaudibly.
I nodded. “It’s okay; I just want you to sleep.”
“Did you love your mom when you were growing up?” he asked.
I nodded with a smile. “Yes, I did. Why are you asking?” No response came. “David?” I called, quietly, but it seemed as though he was already finding his ground in Sleep Island so I let him be.
The door creaked open. “Kimberly?”
I nodded. “Yes, and you must be Oyinkan, right?” I replied, almost whispering.
“Yes, I am. Where did you find him?”
I lifted David’s head off my lap to the bed and walked out with Oyinkan.
“He can be a baby sometimes, I know.” She said, as we walked into the living room.
I nodded. “I think he’s going through some hard time. I found him in the bushes near Victoria’s Homes.”
“Victoria’s Homes? What were you doing there?” she asked, pouring me a drink.
I collected it. “Thank you. I went to mass with a friend. I have a friend at the Home.”
She nodded. “He is going through some really tough times right now.”
“He won’t tell me what he was doing in that vicinity. Do you happen to know what he was doing there?”
She shook her head in disagreement. “I don’t know.”
I took a seat. “We have never really had a proper introduction, Oyinkan.”
“Yes, I know.” She smiled, as she took her seat opposite me. “So, let’s do it this way, questions and answers.”
I nodded in agreement. “That works for me. So, do I go first?”
She shook her head. “No. I was thinking I could take the lead.” I smiled. “Do you love my cousin?”
“I thought we were getting to know ourselves.”
She relaxed in her seat. “Kimberly, I just want to know if the woman that my cousin would be spending the rest of his life with truly loves him.”
I straightened up. “Erm…Oyinkan, David and I have a serious relationship, and I guess you are aware of the circumstances surrounding it, of what use is a reminder?”
She smiled. “Kimberly, I just want to know if you love him or not? A woman shouldn’t be in doubt of what she feels for a man.”
“What are you doing, Oyinkan?”
We turned to see David leaning against the door.
“Nothing out of the ordinary. I just thought I should engage Kimberly.” She smiled. “Your girlfriend is boring.” She sneered.
He nodded as he took his seat beside me. “That’s some ‘engaging’, why are you prying into her business.”
Oyinkan smiled. “I only asked her if she loves you.”
“That’s a very obvious answer and you know it. Why bother her?” he replied.
David and Oyinkan were talking as though I wasn’t seated right with them. I cleared my throat. “I am here guys.” they laughed. “I love him.”
*****************************************************************************************************************
Ben strode into my office. He dropped some articles on the desk. I had my eyes firmly glued on my laptop. “How’s your story coming?” he asked, leaning against the desk.
“Very well, thank you, Ben.” I replied, without taking my eyes off the laptop.
He closed the laptop and smiled. “Kim, I am not your enemy.” I took a deep breath. “Kimberly, I know I hurt you, but I thought we could just try to be friends, again.”
I smiled. “Ben, we are friends.”
“Let me take you out to lunch.” He said, calmly. He wore a faint smile. “It’s just lunch.”
I nodded. “I’ll be delighted.” I said, and grabbed my purse as I walked out with him.
“So, how’s your fiancé?” he asked, as we called across the street.
I smiled. “David is doing okay.”
“Why don’t you wear a ring?” he asked. “Isn’t that something that every engaged couple would have?”
I took a deep breath. “We are different.”
“Kim, you want me to believe that you turned down the opportunity of having a ring, maybe even a diamond for ‘being different’?”
I paused as he pushed the door of the cafeteria open. “Thank you.” I smiled at him. “Ben, a difference is a lot to me.”
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David cleared his throat. “Ms. Matthews, I am not too sure about this living room.”
“You can call me Tola. Let’s get less formal.” She replied, as she strode across the living room. “This, my friend, is class. It is antique, French designs and I promise you, it makes a beautiful house.” She said beaming with smiles. “And eventually a home.”
David nodded. “I think so.”
“I know so. Kim loves you.”
He smiled. “Is that possible?”
She nodded with an assuring smile. “I have known Kim for a long time and if she didn’t feel anything for you, you won’t even be in her life irrespective of what your families think.” She tapped his shoulder. “Let’s go to the pool, I think Wole’s there.”
They walked out to the pool. “David! Can’t believe you are moving out of the Coker mansion.” Wole called, as they approached.
“I have to someday.”
He smiled. “I never thought you would.” David frowned. “Just kidding, man.”
“Who got you a job, Wole? You know we’ve never really had the time to talk about you, it so not Wole-like to be employed.”
Wole stared at Tola who was talking to some workers in the house. “When you find the right girl, nothing else matters, man.”
David nodded. “Tell me about it.”
“David, you have always loved Kim, life is giving you exactly what you want. All you need now is for the lady to love you back.”
He sighed. “She says she loves me, but I don’t think it’s true. I have always been into her, but you know, Kim has a lot of guys at her beck and call, and there’s this guy now, he’s all over her.”
“If she says she loves you, you have to believe her.”
David took a deep breath. “You know this whole marriage was staged because my dad needs her inheritance.” He whispered.
“You are not marrying her for that reason, right?” Wole asked.
David scoffed. “Of course not, but I have a feeling that all they need is for that marriage to happen, my dad already has something under wraps.”
Wole pulled David far away from Tola’s view. “What are you going to do about that?”
“I don’t know what my father has planned, but I know there’s something in this marriage for him.”
Wole shook his head. “Do you think Professor Bankole is aware?”
“I don’t know, but he won’t want to hurt his daughter.”
Wole frowned. “David, you have to find out whatever might be your Dad’s plans, okay? In the meantime, I suggest, you be patient with Kim, she’ll love you in time, if she doesn’t know.”
“Thanks, bro.” he said, as they hugged. “Where’s Tola? Let’s seal this deal.”
Wole looked ahead and walked back to the pool. “Tola.” He called but there was response. “Maybe she went into the house, I’ll go check.”
A worker stopped him. “No sir, she received a call and ran off.”
David and Wole ran outside. Tola’s car speed off in a distance.
“My car is just here.” David offered and they jumped in.
David started the ignition and raced after her. “Try to call her.”
“I am doing that, but I am getting the busy tone.”
David stared at him. “She’s really fast, I need to catch up. Why is she driving like that?” he honked heavily. “Get out of the way!”
*****************************************************************************************************************
Shola pushed the gate open to the roof top. “Hello beautiful people.” She announced as she took off her sunshades. “Hi, Michael how’s your vision?” she asked, as she kissed him.
“Doing better. Good enough to take Ms. Oblong’s photos.”
Ini snapped. “It’s Obong!”
“Ya…I know, I pronounced it correctly.”
Marcus hissed. “Can we all cut the crap and finish this session, it getting boring on the roof top.”
Michael called out. “Final shot!” His camera clicked. “And we are out.”
The Director of the Agency joined them. “Ini and Shola, I need you in my office now.”
Ini’s heart raced as she stared at Marcus.
“Your day just started, Ini.” Shola said, as they left for the office.
The Director closed the door. “What I have to say to you both is highly confidential, please sit.” They obliged. “Now, as we all know, the industry is blossoming and this is thanks to your hard work over the years, but now we have come to a stage where we have to make a tough choice.”
Shola smiled. “Bring it on, sir.”
He smiled. “The way things are going, we have Arab investors in the industry and they are willing to settle for one face, now, we all know that there are several belles like you, but the investors selected one of you.” he cleared his throat. “Normally, I should have called only the appointed one, but I need to make sure that you ladies understand that this development is necessary for the growth of the industry, and given your track records on attacking one another, social networks and other confrontations, it is a stern warning that the loser among you must be have the spirit of sportsmanship and pray for her own day of glory.”
Ini and Shola stared at themselves. “Okay sir.” They chorused.
The Director smiled. “Thank you, I knew I could trust you to act maturely. So, without wasting your time…” he stood beside a covered picture. “I unveil the future of the industry in Nigeria.” He said, as he pulled the drape.
*****************************************************************************************************************
“This tastes good.” I commended as I took a bite of the Sandwich.
Ben smiled. “It is a standard double-decker. What do you say, we hook up at my place this weekend and I’ll prepare mine?”
I smiled. “Ben, you really are fast, aren’t you?”
“Come on…we are taking things slow, aren’t we?”
I scoffed. “Ben, there’s no speed. I love David.”
He cleared his throat. “So you say.”
“Ben, don’t ruin this…we have a good friendship, let’s keep it decent.” I said, and picked my purse. “I have to work, see you at the office.” I said, and walked out.
*****************************************************************************************************************
Tola pulled up and hurried out of the car. She drummed on the door aggressively and it opened. “What happened, Chidi?”
“Take it easy…” Chidi said, sloppily. He dragged his feet as he closed the door after her. “He overdosed.”
Tola rushed to Tolu. “Tolu…Tolu…Tolu…” she stared at a lifeless Tolu and pushed him. “What happened, Chidi?” she screamed.
Chidi picked his phone. “I am out of here, take care of your mess.”
She grabbed his shirt. “Chidi, you have to help me, please…”
He pushed her back. “You should never have left him. He relapsed after you left.” He said and approached the door.
The door flung open and pushed Chidi back into the room. Tola stared at Wole. “Wole…” she said, inaudibly. Chidi immediately scampered out of the house.
Wole picked his footings as he avoided the alcohol bottles, cigarette sticks, Ashtrays, Needles and strips that were on the floor. “Is this it, Tola?”
“Wole, deal with this later, this man needs help. Let’s get him to the hospital.” David interrupted.
Wole shook his head in disgust. “Tola, is this thing what you bailed on me for?”
David held him. “Get a grip, Man. Let’s take this guy to the hospital.” He said, and lifted Tolu from the couch.
*****************************************************************************************************************
Ben dropped a bag on my desk. “You didn’t finish up your lunch.”
“Ben, thank you, but you know very well that I don’t need it.”
He smiled. “I am going with the thank you.” he took his seat. “So, Kimberly.”
The door flung opened. “Kimberly, Mr. Adeoye’s office now!” Boye announced.
I nodded and rushed out.
“You are such a fool, Boye.” Ben cursed angrily.
****************************************************************************************************************
Mother Francesca rushed into the clinic. “I think we should move her out now, Doctor.” She said, trembling.
“Mother Francesca, please calm down. I know how much Elizabeth means to you.”
She took her seat. “She’s not getting better.”
“I have made arrangements for an ambulance to take her to the hospital, don’t worry.”
She nodded. “I have to go and call her daughter.”
****************************************************************************************************************
Mr. Adeoye paced round the office. “Millaroca is finished.”
“I don’t understand, Sir. I thought we had a month.”
He nodded. “We did, but things changed. The man has gotten very impatient and he is coming by Monday next week.” I gasped. “Kimberly, can you do something? I don’t want to watch all what I have labored for to be taken away from me.”
Ben rushed in. Mr. Adeoye shot at him. “Don’t you knock?”
“I am sorry sir, but Kimberly, something has happened.”
I gasped. “What?”
“Your mother.”
****************************************************************************************************************
“This is certainly not the right place to do this.” David said.
Wole snapped. “Really? How do I want to understand that Tola runs out to meet this guy at the slightest?”
“Wole, they were dating.”
Wole groaned. “He used her.”
David nodded. “Look at her. She’s in there with him, for God’s sakes, that guy has hurt her too much for her to care.”
“Wole, I know how you feel, man, but you have to calm down, getting angry would not change the fact that Tola is in there.”
He screamed. “David!!! I hate that guy.”
A nurse came out. “Gentlemen, please could you step outside.”
David nodded. “Of course, we are sorry.” He said, and escorted his friend out of the building. “Sit, man.” He said, as they sat on the steps outside the hospital. “You know Wole, when we were younger, I thought I’d be a doctor.”
Wole laughed. “You won’t have made it.”
“At least, I got you laughing again.” They laughed.
“Wole!”
They turned around to see Tola. Wole stood up. “It’s okay, he’ll be fine.”
“Like you care!” she screamed. “He is here because of me. He took drugs because I left him.”
David held Tola. “Calm down, Tola. The guy has to be a junkie.”
“No. this is my fault. I should have never left him.” She said, as she hugged David.
Wole scoffed. “This is just great. Let me know, what did he use on you? Because, this time, I believe you have been bewitched.”
“Wole.” David called. “Calm down, Man.”
Wole laughed. “This is just unbelievable. So what now, Tola?”
David eyed him. “Stop it, Wole.”
“Really? This is becoming sick. Tola, I can see that you enjoy being hurt. Have a good life.” He said, and walked away.
David shouted. “Wole! Wole!!! Briggs!!!” He stared at Tola. “What is wrong with you, Tola? You have a good man in Wole, why do you want to screw things up with that Junkie?”
“He is a junkie because of me.”
He shook his head in disagreement. “That’s what you want to believe. He’s a grown man; he should be able to decide what he wants for himself.”
“What’s the worse you can do if Kimberly leaves you?”
David swallowed. “This is about you, Tola. You are kicking your man away, and that’s not fair, you are going to hurt Wole really bad.”
“Someone is hurting in there because of me.”
He sighed. “Tola, that man is not hurting because you left. He overdosed; he’s always been an addict.”
A Stretcher was wheeled across with so much speed. David gaped as he looked on. He stared at Tola. “I thought I saw Kimberly.”
She smiled. “You are imagining things.” She stared at the stretcher as it was wheeled down the hallway. “It can’t be her.”
He touched his pockets. “I think I left my phone in the car. I’ll be right back.” He said, and left for the car. Wole was inside. “Hey, you need to understand ladies a little more.”
He scoffed. “David, I have tried. This is just cold from Tola, just unfair.”
“Wole, I need you to calm down, and go in there and support her, you can’t leave her all by herself.”
He shook his head in disagreement. “I am done with Tola, I need to think.”
“You can’t do that, Wole. She needs you now.”
He nodded, “Of course, but Tolu needs her more. She should be with him.” He said and stepped out of the car. “I guess you’ll be here longer, can I go with the car?”
David tossed the keys at him. “I’ll get a ride home, but are you sure you want to drive yourself?”
“What’s the worst that can happen?” he asked, as he jumped to the driver’s seat.
David yanked the keys from him. “I am not letting you go.”
“Really?! I can take care of myself, David. I am not a boy.”
He nodded. “I know, but someone has to be the man here.” He replied. “Come and support, Tola. I’ll take you home afterwards.” He added and left.
*****************************************************************************************************************
“Ms. Bankole, I am going to need you to step outside.” The Nurse ordered.
I raged. “Really? I want to know what’s going on. The meter has stopped, I can’t hear anything.”
Two male doctors helped me out and handed me to Ben. “Please calm her down.”
Ben hugged me. “Shhh…don’t cry, it would be fine.”
“She’s dead, Ben.”
He kissed my forehead. “She’ll be fine, I promise.”
“She’s dead, Ben.”
“Kimberly?”
I turned to see David and Tola. “David?”
He cleared his throat. “Are you okay, Kimberly?” he asked, as he walked over.
“Her Mom is ill. I brought her here.” Ben replied, holding my hand firmly.
David stared at me. “What mom?”
*****************************************************************************************************************
Marcus paced round the room. “Stop it, Marcus, you are making me nervous.” Ini said.
He paused. “What are we going to do, Ini?”
“I am trying to think, and your pacing around is not helping me.”
He took a deep breath. “Are we going to be tied to Shola forever, I mean this is a mega deal for you.”
“I think the industry doesn’t want Shola anymore, and she’ll be making us her money bags if we don’t find a solution soon.”
He nodded. “You are right, Ini. Shola is finished in this industry, but we are going to be her source of income if we don’t act fast.”
She smiled. “I have an idea.”
“What is it?”
She took a deep breath. “I don’t know how you would take this, but I intend to give Shola this deal in exchange for the cream fiasco.”
“WHAT??? Are you crazy, Ini?”
She shrugged. “What is money if we are not happy?”
“Look, I think we are fine paying her that ridiculous percentage.” He replied.
She hissed. “Marcus, I am still wanted in the industry, I may not get a mega buck deal like this one, but we can be sure that we are getting Shola off our backs for good.”
He took a deep breath. “We should never have switched that cream.”
“I know.”
The door opened. “Sorry I don’t usually knock, but I thought I should pay the latest millionaire in the industry a visit.” Shola announced.
Marcus frowned. “Shola Jones, just give it up already. I am sick and tired of your charades.”
“Marcus, I have business with Ini, and just as God will have it, he has decided to bless us with a mega deal.”
Ini hissed. “Us? Look Shola, show’s over. No more deals.”
“You know the danger of messing with me.”
Ini nodded. “Yes! So, here’s the new deal, have my new deal and stay away forever!”
“What do you mean?”
Ini smiled. “I would decline the job for you, and you can stay away forever.”
“That’s impossible.”
Ini nodded. “It is possible, all I have to do is tell the Director that I am signing off to you, simple.”
“Really?!”
Ini nodded. “Yes, I am sick and tired of you.”
****************************************************************************************************************
David stared at me. “Kimberly, what Mom is he talking about?”
“We brought her…” Ben continued.
David stamped his feet. “Mr. Wannabe, can you stay out of this? I am talking to Kimberly, not you.” David replied raising his voice.
Ben scoffed. “Really? I brought her here. Where were you?” He answered stepping up to him.
“Ben, stop.” I interrupted. “David, she is a friend, but I could call her a mother too.”
David took a deep breath. “Is she dead?”
I nodded. “I think so.” I walked up to him and he hugged me.
Mother Francesca came out of the room. “Kim, she woke up, they are taking her to I.U”
David stared at her. “You?”
Dear Future Husband E16
© Tomi Adesina
#OpraDre
