I walk into my office hung-over. I’m wearing black sunshades to block out too startling lights and to hide my eye bags. On the bright side, I’m faring better than Nnoli and Nafisa. Unlike them, I’m still able to drag myself to work while they are calling in sick today.
I lock myself in my office and wait for my Tylenol to kick in. I have a bottle of coconut water and a takeaway container of fried plantain and eggs Onyinyechi packed for me. God bless her pregnant self because she’s turning into our designated caretaker since she can’t take any substance that can harm our baby.
Onyinyechi held a sleepover at her apartment. She called it ‘the girls’ getaway from troubling reality.’ No phones allowed, no contacting people from the outside world, so as soon as we stepped into her home, we all had to send texts to and call anyone who would try to reach us and tell them we won’t be available until the next day.
On the day’s agenda was binge watching YouTube Nigerian series, Skinny Girl in Transit and This is It. Eating—one thing I love about Onyinyechi’s place is how it’s always stocked with the good foods and snacks and grown-up sleepover games, which is just the 18+ version of average sleepover games, which involves a lot of drinking, hence the major hangover all we non-pregnant girls have this morning.
There’s a knock on my office door. I groan inwardly and tell whoever it is that the door is open as I turn on my work system. Might as well look like I’m being productive instead of nursing a headache.
It’s James, the secretary of my department, and he is wearing a ridiculous cheerful smile for a Monday morning. He enters my office fully and deposits the package he is carrying on my desk. A wide rectangle box, an envelope, and a single red rose. He stays watching me, obviously fishing for information, but once I thank him and didn’t say anything else or move to acknowledge the package, he thankfully left my office.
In the box sat delicious-looking cupcakes that spelt “I’m sorry” and in the envelope was a card that simply read ‘With all my love, Jide.’ I took a picture of the gifts and sent it to the girls, who found it cute and a sweet gesture, but he’s not going to buy my forgiveness with food; he can do better. I carry the cupcakes along with me to our weekly departmental meetings on Mondays to share with everyone in the department, so at least they can have a sweet start to this work week.
By noon, I’m fully functional again, and the rest of my work day goes well. Jide still messages me, but he doesn’t expect a response because he just sends cheesy messages to my phone to let me know he’s thinking about me, and he has finally stopped calling me.
I leave my office early today because I am in need of a good night’s rest and sleep. Because I’m leaving early, I don’t need to use public transport to get home, since I can leave with Dieko. I can’t wait to buy myself a car. We are heading to his car when a man approaches us, his gaze directly on me and smiling tentatively at me.
“Ms. Adesewa Adedotun?”
“Yes, this is she. How can I help you?”
“Good evening. miss, I am Dupe Kingston. I have been hired as your driver.”
I look at Dupe Kingston, who couldn’t be that much older than I am, expecting him to burst out laughing, because how can I have a driver when I do not own a car?
“Is this meant to be a joke? It sure is funny because I do not own a car.”
“Yes, miss, I was hired by Mr. Jide Harriman, and he has provided a car for you.”
Of course, Jide. My estranged rich boyfriend. This is something he can do. Is this his elaborate ploy to win me back? Entice me with sparkling and shining things? It is shocking that he would go this far to make me comfortable, and I guess it’s because he doesn’t like me riding in cars of strangers, especially if I’m intoxicated and out of it. But a chauffeur for wherever I’m going is too much.
“Okay, you can go back to him and tell him the car and your services won’t be needed. I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”
Dieko stays by my side not saying anything, but I can tell he is highly entertained by the exchange that is going on between Dupe and myself.
“Please, he told me if I do not drive you today, I won’t be getting paid, and I’ve waited for you all day. I first went to your home to pick you up, but I later found out you weren’t around, so I came here instead to take you home or where you want to go after work. I really need this job as it pays well, miss.”
He has me there—he needs a job in this brutal economy that hasn’t been fair to everyone. Here is an opportunity to assist a young person like me, looking to earn through an honest way. Do I really want to put him out of a job he must have been thankful to have gotten?
“Fine, but how do I know Jide sent you and you’re not here to kidnap me?”
“You can call him, miss.”
“No, that is not an option. We are not on speaking terms, and please, for the love of everything good, call me by my name, Sewa.”
Dupe looks at me and smiles genuinely for the first time. I guess he had been wondering what kind of woman he would be driving around, if I am nice, wicked, old or young, etc. I hope I’ve passed his test as an okay person.
“Okay, thank you, Sewa. What if I call him and you hear our conversation?”
“I can concede to that.”
Jide picks up immediately, and we all listen to him tell me he is the one who got me a driver and provided a car for me. He also goes on about how Dupe is an able and good young man and driver for me. He tries to talk to me, but that’s when I tell Dupe to end the call.
I turn to Dieko, who is laughing and smiling. He bids me goodnight and heads towards his own car since he can see that I’ve clearly gotten my ride covered. I follow Dupe to the car he’s driving, and all I know it’s a nice-looking Lexus. I get into the front seat, but Dupe insists I sit in the back before he starts driving.
Once I get home, Dupe hands me the car keys, but I refuse to collect them and tell him to take it back to its owner. There’s no way I’m going to be held responsible for an expensive car like this if anything bad happens to it.
I don’t allow myself do anything. As soon as I am out of the car, I immediately group-call my girls and give them the latest development in Jide’s attempt to win my forgiveness. For some reason, they are all rooting for him now and tell me to keep them posted, because of how my love life is becoming fiction-like.
The next day, when I step out of my home, Dupe and the Lexus are waiting for me. At work, I get a delivery again, a big white box with a red bow on top of it, along with another red rose and an envelope. In the box are signed copies of all of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s books. I once told him about how much of an inspiration she is to me and how much I love her writing, and now, here he is gifting me with her books that have been signed and touched by her. In the envelope was a card again which held the message ‘There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you happy. You’re my one and only. Jide.’ My heart fills up with happiness, and I immediately want to call him but settle instead with sending him a text. ‘I love this, thank you.’
And so it began, Dupe driving me to and from work, with gifts from Jide being delivered daily to me in my office. The girls soaked everything I relayed to them like a sponge and were always giddy for more. In fact, James and Dieko started teasing me daily to find out what presents I received on each day. On Wednesday, a wrapped rectangle-shaped parcel with a red bow, an envelope, and single rose arrived, and when I unwrapped the parcel, I called Jide immediately, but he didn’t even pick up my call and ignored my messages where I was begging him to stop with the extravagant gifts and I was ready to speak to him now and hear him out.
He got me an iPad Pro, a ridiculous and too-much gift, a wonderful gadget, but just too much. I can’t even use the excuse of a holiday or special occasion for receiving the gifts. He didn’t need to spend more money on me; I had forgiven him. In the card from the envelope, his message read ‘Your wings will take you to passionate new heights. Love, Jide’
Later that evening, he messaged me and apologized for not being available, caught up in his business and sorting out the issues his trouble with the law enforcement of the country had caused for his organization. He told me he wasn’t done, and I would know when he would be, encouraging me to accept and enjoy his gifts because I deserved to be cherished with love and showered with the little tokens he sent and would send to me because it didn’t cost him anything to make me happy.
On my way to work on Thursday, my mum called me, which surprised me, and I picked up immediately, happy to talk to her whenever I could. But the first thing she said had me laughing out loud.
“Omo mi, forgive Jide o. That man is a good man. He has called me every day to check on me and has promised to look after you while I’m not there when you let him back into your life.”
“Mummy, no good morning to me. What has Jide done? Hope all is well over there? How’s Demola and your husband?”
“Everyone is fine o, they are still sleeping. I wanted to catch you before you got to work, so I woke up early. I just wanted you to know that Jide’s a good man. There’s something about him that just makes me know it. You and I know all too well that there are men out there who are bad but hiding behind a good façade, men who are good but can’t help but be terrible people. But I believe Jide is good, inside and out, and we are all humans. We all make mistakes and have our flaws because we can’t be perfect.”
“I know that, Mummy, I know. I love Jide. Have you heard, I have forgiven him, but he is still on a high with his apology, he doesn’t think I should forgive him yet, so he isn’t accepting my forgiveness. So Mummy, it’s not my fault o. I don’t know what he is telling you, but it’s not my fault.”
“Okay, I’m happy for you. All I want is for my children to be happy as I am right now and not fall into the hands of wicked people. I pray for you all every day, Nafisa, Tosin, Sani, Nnoli, Onyinyechi, Jide, you, and your brother. I care about you all, and it will bring me nothing but joy that you all live a happy life.”
“We, too, Mummy. I love you! I have gotten to work now, talk when next we can.”
“Okay o, Sewa, my daughter. I love you, too. Have a wonderful day, and don’t forget Jide is a good man.”
She ended the call before I could have said anything more, putting a non-wavering smile on my face as I head into work for the day. Jide outdid himself this time around because he got me a customized gold necklace, with my name Sewa spelt out in tiny diamonds as the pendant. It brought tears to my eyes because I had never held diamonds in my hands, not to talk about owning a necklace or any jewellery with real diamonds. I would cherish all the gifts he had sent to me this week, and all I wanted now was to hug and see him in order to work out all our problems. The necklace came with a single red rose and an envelope, as well. The card in the envelope read ‘You shine the brightest and light up my world. I love you, Jide.’
Friday finally comes, and I am more than anxious to get to the office and see what Jide sends my way. I’ve somewhat become used to receiving something from him each day of this week, and hopefully, I can get to finally see him again tomorrow when we both don’t have work. I’m tired of him avoiding me and I’ve told him so, but he tells me to be patient, as good things come to those who wait. I am over waiting and as soon as work ends, if he’s still about his bogus patience, I am going to his place and demanding his presence.
I enter my office, and it’s filled with roses. Roses are everywhere in vases of all sizes and colours. The scent of the flowers and the sight of them in my office is overwhelming to all my senses and emotions. My heart feels like it’s going to beat itself out of my chest as I spot on my desk a single red rose and an envelope, which I immediately rush for an open.
‘Please grace me with your elegant and beautiful presence tonight. Yours, Jide.’