I don’t know what planet Jide’s brain lives on, because it isn’t on the same one with the rest of us. This has to be the case because I can’t think of any other reason that would have led him to believe it’s okay to surprise me with meeting his parents.
His parents were very warm and welcoming. They set my nervous self at ease once Jide introduced me to them and his mother embraced me. Before she and her husband wished me a happy birthday, they also insisted they were the ones who made Jide invite them, because they couldn’t wait to meet me, and this party was the perfect opportunity. We made our way to my mum, who took it upon herself to make them as comfortable and as welcomed as possible in the mist of unfamiliar faces. I love my mum so much.
Once they were settled, I dragged Jide away to castigate him for not giving me any sort of warning, regardless of the fact that the party was a surprise party. He didn’t say anything and only smiled at me while looking sheepish until I finished my tirade, and then he proceeded to hug me and said he won’t let go until I hugged him back. While we were embracing each other, he kissed me on the forehead and released me.
“You’re not going to say anything, Jide?”
“No, because it’s not a big deal. My parents just want to meet their future daughter-in-law.”
“First of all, we aren’t engaged. Neither of us proposed or ever discussed marriage. Also, how do you know I won’t say no if you propose?”
“I just know. It’s you or no one else for me, Sewa. So I’ll wait until whenever you’re ready. I’ll never stop asking as long as you still want me.”
By the time he finished speaking, I was blushing, and my heart was beating so fast, I was speechless because this conversation had changed everything. This conversation was him telling me his expectations of our future and I blurted out, “I love you. I’ve known for a while now.”
“I know you do because I love you just as much.”
For the rest of the night, Jide did not leave my side, and I also did not want him to. Our parents and friends teased us mercilessly, but nothing could bring us down from the high our unplanned confession had brought us.
I loved my party, and everyone else had fun. Jide’s mum exchanged contacts with me and my mum, who also invited his parents to her wedding. I personally thanked my best friends and everyone who came. Jide and the girls had prepared goodie bags filled with a small non-alcoholic wine bottle, a pack of gum, a unisex wallet, and a hand sanitizer for people who came to the party.
Everyone had good things to say about Jide and how they were hearing wedding bells in our future, but I chose not to respond to any of their assumptions. My birthday was the last day of work for the rest of the week for me, because I had to get ready and prepared for the wedding party on Saturday, plus my mum wanted me to be present at the marriage registry on Friday.
I was very happy for Mr. Saludeen and my mum. Once they signed everything and officially became a married couple in the eyes of the law, the glow of happiness and joy that they were exhibiting was so heart-warming to see.
The wedding party thankfully went off without any problem, and everyone seems happy and settled as they are seated in the reception hall, gladly conversing and taking pictures as loud music acts as the backdrop to the chatter of various conversations going on in the hall.
I, on the other hand, can’t help but think back to my birthday night and when Jide and I said “I love you” to each other. It has had me floating on Cloud Nine, and it is helping in calming me down because my mum’s wedding party is working my last nerve and I am trying really hard not to be upset.
I am frustrated, stressed, and tired. This is never a good combination for anyone when I get in this sort of mood as it brings out my snarky persona. Which makes it hard to act pleasant or be approachable when I’m on the edge of snapping.
I am so tired of greeting people and the number of my mother’s friends who have called me to help them get something because as the child of the bride, I have access to everything.
I am very stressed because I can’t leave. I am stuck here until the very end, and that is still hours away. Tosin and Demola have managed to dodge people, and I am getting the brunt of requests. I don’t know where they have snuck off to, and the unfairness of it all is making my blood simmer.
The reason and cause of my unhappiness is Jide.
I haven’t heard from him in over ten hours. Last I heard from him was a text message he had sent to me before I even woke up, about how he had an urgent matter to take care of and would be making a late appearance later in the day. I tried calling him immediately, wanting to know what was wrong, but his number was unreachable until it was switched off.
What really has me worried is he has not bothered to respond to any of the text messages I sent him, or anyone else’s, for that matter.
His parents had arrived, expecting to see him here since they hadn’t heard from him or been able to get a hold of him. Upon noticing my worry, his father tried reassuring me, asking me not to worry as he was sure Jide will contact us soon enough. I can tell they are slightly worried themselves because they are doing an average job of hiding it with positivity while trying to enjoy themselves. I can’t enjoy myself as much as I want to because I am torn between being angry at him and worried about him.
I am seated with the girls, and we are all discussing anything and everything, in an effort to get me distracted enough, when Onyinyechi suddenly becomes silent. Unknown to Nafisa and Nnoli, I watch her as she builds up the nerve to say something important. She clears her throat loudly to capture the attention of the two of them once she sees I’m already looking at her.
“I found out yesterday that I am eight weeks pregnant.”
Wow. I did not see that coming. She looks so vulnerable as she looks at us, waiting for us to speak our minds at her news.
“That’s wonderful news, Onyinye!” Nafisa squeals, breaking the silence that we had unintentionally formed at her announcement because she really surprised us and we all had to digest the implications of her announcement.
I quickly followed after Nafisa finished speaking, and Nnoli also provided words of support after I spoke.
“Congratulations! I’m going to be Aunty Sewa sooner than I expected.”
“Who is the baby father? You did not tell us you were seeing anyone. How could you not share with us, after all the trouble we have put on Sani and Jide?”
I laugh, but Nnoli is right. Onyinye has been keeping huge secrets from us. Despite her joyful news, she doesn’t look as happy as she should be. In fact, her happy façade fell some more at Nnoli’s question, and I know I am right to think something is wrong.
“He doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. He told me to abort it or he’ll leave. He said I should pick him or the thing inside me. I chose my baby.”
I watch her eyes fill up with tears, and it breaks my heart. Nnoli is seated closest to her, so she instantly hugs her. Onyinye doesn’t let the tears fall but blinks them away. We are all sombre now, and I’m about to speak when Nafisa starts speaking.
“Well, screw the idiot! Onyinye, you don’t need him when you have us. This baby isn’t just your baby. It’s our baby, the four of us. This baby is going to grow up with so much love and support because our baby is going to be raised by four strong and independent women who have the most loving family and support system around them.”
I nod in agreement as Nnoli also verbally agrees with Nafisa’s statement, making Onyinye smile through her tears. She has to know Nafisa is right—she has us, and that’s better than a man who can’t face responsibility, a man who chooses the easy way out or to flee when things get complicated or don’t go as planned. He, whoever he is, doesn’t deserve her.
“On the bright side, you get to save so much money on sanitary pads and tampons. You also don’t have to go through your uterus shredding every month because there’s no baby in it and suffer from the painful contraction it causes. But what I really want to know is when do we find out the sex of our baby? Can we have a gender reveal party? Oh my, we are going to be mummies!” I say, trying to lift the mood from gloominess, and it works. Everyone starts laughing, and it brings about excited chatter from the four of us about babies and the things we are going to need to raise our baby right.
Onyinye plans on telling her parents about her pregnant status tomorrow, and we offer to be there when she tells them, but she declines, saying she needs to be able to stand up to her parents by herself, and she would call us after she tells them. But I know we all are going to drive to her place whether she likes it or not.
I’m pulled away to attend to my duties, such as taking obligatory pictures with the various family members I have and wedding guests. I am called to give a speech, which I thankfully give without making a fool of myself—I do not trip or fall once, my voice also stayed steady, and I managed to make my mum and Mr. Saludeen blush as I shared with everyone how I had caught them immediately after he had proposed to her.
I leave the stage to go and check on Jide’s parents, who are no longer pretending that they aren’t worried. I try my hand at reassuring them like they earlier told me he is a grown man and we will hear from him soon. I ask if they need anything, and they kindly refuse my offer. I excuse myself to go and check on my friends. I need them to reassure me because I am no longer angry, just plain worried because this isn’t like Jide at all.
Before I can get there, I am dragged by my aunties towards the dance floor, to dance with my mum and Mr. Saludeen. I move my worries to the back of my mind and put as much energy as I can muster into dancing and sticking on a smile as I get serenaded by people pasting and spraying me with money. The girls arrive, and Nafisa starts helping me put the money in a bag, and I am very thankful for her help.
Jide’s parents also come to the dance floor and spray both me and the married couple with money. After a while, when I feel like I have done my part and danced enough, I exit the dance floor, because I no longer have it in me to keep up the charade and pretend that I am anything but fine.
Nafisa is the first person to see that I am very close to losing it and drags me out of the boisterous hall. Once we are outside and away from everything, she hugs me so hard, it takes everything for me not to start crying. She consoles me until I have reasonably calmed down after that she takes my phone from me and tries to call Jide. But his phone is still switched off, and my phone is empty as far as I am concerned because there is still no message from him on it.
Once I feel functional and able to face the crowd again, I dab at my face, not wanting to mess up my beautiful make-up. Nafisa confirms I look gorgeous, and we head back to the party. As we approach our table, I notice that Jide’s parents are there, and Onyinyechi is trying to console his mum. I don’t know what is going on, but it can’t be good news. I feel a huge weight befall me as my whole body becomes too heavy for me, and it seems like forever when I get to the table because dread has consumed every part me.
“Sewa, it’s Jide. He has been found. We know where he is.”
It is Nnoli who speaks the words I have been waiting to hear all day. She hands me her phone. Her web browser is open, and loaded on it is a popular news site. The post had been published twenty minutes ago and the headline read,
Self-made Millionaire Jide Harriman, Chairman & Creator of the Druin Empire, was arrested from his mansion in the early hours of today by EFCC
I instantly feel relief that his whereabouts have been disclosed to us, but at the same time, the weight I am carrying has only gotten heavier as my worry for him has increased. I turn to his mum and hug her because if I am this worried about him, I can’t imagine how she is feeling now.