JEREMY Episode 11 – Moshood Avidiime
I was abruptly awakened from my daydream by the sound of my phone ringing. It was Jeremy on the line. I felt like I needed to say a lot of things at once, but I also knew that arguing with Jeremy wouldn’t be the best course of action if I wanted to have any chance of getting the truth out of him. I was also aware that my approach needed to be quite diplomatic, but I required a particular type of grace to pull it off.
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I took a long breath before continuing. I tried, but it was more difficult than I had anticipated. This is why it didn’t take Jeremy long to realize that something was wrong after receiving a few curt answers to his inquiries.
We’d been together now for nearly four years; it shouldn’t have been so difficult for him to figure out.
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“What’s wrong, baby?” Jeremy enquired.
“Nothing”. I replied.
“How can you ignore a question that is innocent and then respond to it in the way you just did? Have I offended you in your dream yet again? Because I know we were cool last night before we went to bed.”
I remained silent in response to Jeremy’s query.
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“Did something happen at home to have stirred this mood? “Are mommy and daddy okay?” Jeremy probed and probed, trying to get me to spill.
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Few individuals were aware of Jeremy’s sweet side. In ways that only I knew about, Jeremy was kind. It shouldn’t be strange after all. Due to the length of time, I had known Jeremy, I had experienced both of his highs and lows. I know for a fact that Jeremy’s goodness outweighs his flaws. He never feels at rest until he settles a dispute between us, which is one of my favorite qualities about him. He’ll keep reminding me how toxic it is for any relationship to have resentment in it.
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Except for the event that sent me to the hospital once, the longest Jeremy and I had ever gone without fully resolving a dispute was two days. I don’t recall exactly what started this specific disagreement, but I am certain that I was to blame for how long it lasted.
Jeremy always made an extra effort to make sure we resolve our issues. Sometimes, he will even apologize for my crimes. These were some of the factors that made it so hard to believe everything Auntie Uju purportedly heard.
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How could Jeremy be responsible for his father’s demise? Jeremy is someone with whom I am familiar with. His skills are known to me. Even though he occasionally exhibits an extreme temperament, he is not able to commit a gruesome act like a murder. Yet, I needed Jeremy’s confirmation of what I already knew. I wanted to look Jeremy in the eyes as he assured me that everything was simply a great misunderstanding and that he was not at all responsible for the passing of his father.
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Jeremy was a disaster when we first met, which could explain why his father would have wanted him to get his act together first before he could control his people.
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“Jeer, I need to see you. We need to talk about something really essential.” I muttered hastily.
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Before Jeremy eventually spoke, there was a ten-second period of silence on both sides.
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Alright… “Baby, is everything all right?”
“Sure, no problem at all; we simply need to talk.”
“Is this anything we can’t discuss over the phone?” “We could have a facetime, you know, if you’d like.”
“No, jeer. “It’s not a face-to-face conversation.”
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My rage diminished as I continued to listen to Jeremy talk. I have no idea why, but there is something about that dude that always makes me feel calm. I gradually came to the firm conviction that Auntie Uju had been operating under a major misconception the entire time.
I was aware that all these myths had to be dispelled if we ever wanted to stand a chance of receiving my parents’ unequivocal blessing for our union. I needed to talk to Jeremy about this primarily because of this. It had to be done in person as quickly as possible.
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“Alright, babe. Could this perhaps wait a day or two longer?”
“It cannot, jeer.”
“But you know it’s almost impossible right now, yeah?” I’m not even in town right now; you are still back in the village with your parents.”
“I’ll come to you, Jeer.”
“Come to me, ke? Come to me where? Is the situation so terrible that you can’t think clearly anymore, baby? You know who I’m with and where I am. You should know that even if you manage to get here, it will be very difficult for me to give you the attention you require.” Jeremy took a moment to reflect, inhaled deeply, and then added, “You know what, baby? I’ll make an effort to move more quickly today so that I may, hopefully, stop by and visit you for a short while. Even if it’s just for a few hours. Is that okay with you?”
“It is, yes.”
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In the hotel room he had booked, Jeremy was sitting across from me later that evening and appeared more seductive than ever.
“I’m here to address a serious issue. I’m not going to let this sex god divert my attention.” In my brain, I kept saying the same thing.
This was just prior to Jeremy’s head being wedged between my thighs
JEREMY Episode 12 – Moshood Avidiime
… With a final giant thwack of my skin against the wall, Jeremy detonated his payload. He repeatedly trembled and shook in my arms, between my legs, and under the hypnotic influence of my delight.
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Jeremy kissed me after he settled down, leaving me pushed against the wall.
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“You may now put me down,” I said.
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We laughed, and we unlatched. We kissed again, then had our bath.
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“When did you intend to tell me, jeer?” Tucked between Jeremy’s arms, I questioned.
“When did I intend to inform you of what?”
“…that you are a member of a royal family and the heir to a throne; that there is a chance you might have contributed to your father’s demise.”
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My head was directly over the area of Jeremy’s chest where I could hear his heart beating strongly. I had no idea why, and besides, I didn’t consider any of it to be that significant.
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I was no longer lying on top of Jeremy once he realigned. Before he questioned, “What are you talking about, babe?” He turned around so that he was staring me dead in the eyes.
“Are you disputing any of it, or what?”
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“Babe, I only asked you a question. You understand how I feel when a non-rhetorical question is dismissed, right? What are you talking about, and who have you been speaking to?” Jeremy asked. He looked oddly calm, but there was plain unease in his expression.
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Jeremy was looking away the entire time.
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“Jeer, is any of this true?” I was able to murmur.
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I wasn’t sure what to think of Jeremy’s attitude. I couldn’t tell anything about his facial expression. He stopped gazing directly into my eyes. I wasn’t sure if the sudden change in his demeanor was a sign that he was upset with me. I wasn’t sure if this change in behavior was the result of his anger at me for first believing that he was capable of such a deed.
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I extended my hand and took Jeremy’s hand in mine. I started massaging his fingers while imagining various ways to apologize.
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“I really apologize if anything I said offended you, baby. I need you to understand that it was never intended. I’m not sure why I phrased my question that way. You must understand that I don’t actually believe any of it. I just felt the need to ask, to hear you affirm what I already know. Jeer, I know you, and…” Jeremy pinched my lips and stifled my protests.
Jeremy quickly pulled away from me, stood up, and started to pace the space. Everything had happened at once, which made me uneasy. I didn’t anticipate Jeremy standing up the way he did.
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“Is there anything wrong, Jeer?” Very concerned, I enquired.
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Jeremy did not respond to my question with a word. The other follow-up inquiries I also posed to him went unanswered. He didn’t appear prepared to speak.
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At this point, Jeremy’s attitude reeked of anxiety, guilt, and restlessness. He was breathing more deeply than usual. As I had never before seen Jeremy in this manner, I was both curious and terrified about what was happening.
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“Is it something I’ve said, Jeer?” Were the only words I found my lips patting away for.
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Jeremy continued to pace the area. Still, he remained silent.
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“Baby, wait! Look at me… Take a deep breath. Come here.” I continued mumbling as I tightly hugged Jeremy.
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For a few minutes, Jeremy embraced me. The hug appeared to be exactly what he needed. There was undoubtedly a problem. A part of me was afraid, even though I couldn’t wait to find out exactly what it was. I must have said something to cause this response, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be told what it was.
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It didn’t take long before Jeremy broke down in tears. Jeremy clung to me fiercely, while he continued to sob heartbreakingly.
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That one definitely caught me off guard.
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I’d seen Jeremy cry before, but none of those were as intense as this. This cry was filled with a great deal of agony, suffering, and even regret. I was completely devastated by the sight of my partner sobbing so loudly and with such intensity. When I started crying, I was oblivious.
I kept giving Jeremy pats on the back and pleading with him to gather himself and communicate with me. I kept telling him that whatever it was, we could solve it together.
JEREMY Episode 13 – Moshood Avidiime
“What Aunty Uju heard from those girls’ lips is not entirely untrue, babe. There is some truth to it.” Jeremy began. “My family truly is royalty. That much is true. It is true that I am the presumptive heir to the throne, and it is also true that I have been forbidden from doing so until I have fulfilled certain conditions. Nevertheless, these people are only speaking as observers from the outside who believe they are extremely knowledgeable about my family. They are not at fault, in my opinion. They could not have understood that life is more complex than it first appears.”
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Jeremy sat up, then continued his story.
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“We weren’t always royalty. There was a time when people used to say that my father and mother were just your typical, lovely couple. When the current king passed away, the quest for a new one started. The quest was necessary because the king lacked a son and no near relatives who could claim the throne. My father received the crown as a result of a series of events. At the time, they just had my older sister. As the years passed, my father’s search for a successor progressively grew in importance. My father could have as many wives as he desired because he was a king. My mother was unable to produce another child for some reason after Eva, which gave my father more time to consider these advantages. He made sure to actually fulfill that expectation. Because of his wealth, he had no trouble taking care of the other two ladies he eventually decided to marry. Yet, as the years went by and we, his children, grew older, it became clear that fatherhood involved more than just being a provider.”
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Jeremy let out a long sigh as tears started to stream down his cheeks once more.
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“Baby, I didn’t mean to. I swear I didn’t. Yet the fury I felt that day, at that very second, was beyond words. It was one thing to have read about it or imagined it; it was quite another to have experienced it firsthand. He was sharing a bed with Diana when I entered. It was when I caught my own father in that position with my immediate elder sister that I lost it. I ran mad with rage. That idiot was having incest with my preferred sibling. I watched in disbelief for a few moments as he committed this heinous act while ignoring Diana’s cries for aid, scratches, and pleadings. I’ve always believed that man is capable of doing anything bad. He constantly presided over us. I’ve always seen how he fixed his gaze on Diana whenever she passed by. It got so terrible that any eyes attempting to pick up on a suspicion found these sexual stirrings to be quite conspicuous. I’ve seen how nervous Diana gets when she’s near him.” Jeremy paused to catch his breath.
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“No matter who is present, that bastard hits our mother whenever he gets the chance. He seized every opportunity to expose my mother to his terrible side. In the eyes of her maids, my mother would have long since lost respect if she had not been queen, as a result of my father’s ongoing mockery of her in their presence. So as you can see, on normal grounds, a nervous Diana in our father’s company was not unusual, but I had my doubts. I’d grown tired of his careless actions for a while, but on this particular day, they reached an extreme. I only wanted to keep my sister safe. I just wanted to put that demon in his place.”
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I sat there, doing my best to pay attention as Jeremy related his story, but the more he talked, the more perplexed I became. The emotional outburst that Jeremy appeared to be experiencing prevented him from speaking in a way that my brain could fully comprehend.
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I never stopped trying to figure out how Jeremy’s story fit together. As I was unable to continue, I stepped closer to him, gave Jeremy a warm hug, and said, “Take a deep breath, baby.”
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Jeremy started crying again. It was clear that I had brought back a bad memory—memories he had undoubtedly made every effort to forget.
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It seemed as though Jeremy was going through the incident again. The intensity with which he described his father’s abhorrent actions spoke it all.
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I took Jeremy’s head and softly rubbed it against my chest while also comforting him with my words.
It didn’t take long for Jeremy to become receptive to speaking again. But I had a question that couldn’t wait any longer, so I interrupted him before he could continue.
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“Baby, you mentioned that your father had two additional wives. Was his behavior toward the other women the same? What changed since he wasn’t always like that with your mother?”
JEREMY Episode 14 – Moshood Avidiime
“Since his second wife was unable to bear him a child, my father decided to marry a third woman. The fourth experienced the same outcome, which brought about his fifth. It was previously believed that my mother was involved in each of these. It was exceedingly challenging to persuade anyone to accept anything other than what seemed clear to them because everyone was well medically. My father had already started to display his nasty side, but his full metamorphosis did not occur until after his fourth wife, who had only recently entered his life, also failed to bear him a child. His vicious behavior thereafter knew no bounds. Mother claimed that he always hits her whenever he gets the chance, and that he has even admitted her to the hospital several times as a result of these beatings. Maybe I would have had a different opinion of that man if these were just stories about bad things that happened before I was born, but that wasn’t the case. I was raised observing every aspect of this part of him. Everyone else regarded him as a saint, a wonderful example of a leader and a husband, while we saw him as a masquerade and a demigod.”
After heaving a sigh, Jeremy continued, “Honey, I’ve personally observed domestic abuse. I had made that commitment as a result of this. I vowed never to touch a woman or subject her to the abuse my mother endured at the hands of a man who had once declared his undying love for her. I continually consider methods to make it up to you and convince you of how sorry I am whenever I recall what I did to you the other day just because I had let my rage get the better of me. I’m aware that many people think that once a guy hits a woman, things can only get worse, but I swear it won’t happen to me. I hope you understand that what happened was only a brief period of weakness.”
I observed as clouds of tears started to form as I fixed my gaze on Jeremy’s eyes. In his behavior, I saw just honesty.
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I had repeatedly assured Jeremy that I had forgiven him. He appeared to have trouble accepting the idea that I could.
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“Baby, what happened has already occurred. While we cannot undo anything that has already happened, we can take steps to prevent future occurrences of the same thing from happening. The only way you can actually say you’re sorry is that way. I believe you. I’m sure you never meant for any of it to happen. So for the umpteenth time, baby, I forgive you.”
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Jeremy thanked me while flashing a worn-out smile.
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“Was your father’s behavior toward these other women the same as it was toward your mother?” I inquired in an effort to encourage Jeremy to continue his tale.
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“Sincerely, I don’t know. We lived as a closed family. Only when we had to attend certain public events and make appearances did we actually get to see each other and spend time together, and even then, we always behaved ourselves. We always maintained our personalities, giving the impression that we are a big, happy family to everyone who wanted to look.”
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“Did these other wives have kids of their own?” I pushed Jeremy to provide more information by asking.
“Yes. Hmmn! As faith would have it, my mother and all of his wives conceived at the same time. With the exception of my mother, who had a girl, they were all parents to bouncy newborn males. This girl would become Diana. As anticipated, my father’s happiness knew no bounds. He reportedly went around praising these other wives’. It would have been reasonable to assume that he would give my mother some leeway given the birth of all these children, but that was not to be the case. He probably wasn’t expecting a female child, and his avarice would prevent the four children he already had from seeming like enough. He completely forgot about all the great times they had together prior to his reign as king. All the emphasis was on the other wives. He paraded them and their kids. He spent his free time with them, allowing my mother to take care of my two older sisters alone.”
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“You mean you currently have four older brothers?” I queried.
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I can’t be held responsible for my intrigue. I wanted to be sure I wasn’t missing anything that Jeremy was conveying. I didn’t want to leave any boxes unchecked since I had the one person in the entire world who could put everything into perspective sitting right there in front of me, and we had the entire night to ourselves before Jeremy was scheduled to return to his job.
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In response to my impatience, Jeremy grinned. His head shake served as an indication of “no, I don’t.” My interest was aroused even more by this.
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“How? What ever became of the four of them?” I was able to murmur.
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Jeremy said those words, which caused my jaw to hit the floor while maintaining a straight face.
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“All of them passed away on the day I was born.”
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“Huh?”
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Hmmmm very strange