Too precious episode 7

TITLE: TOO PRECIOUS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 7

It wasn’t up to two weeks when Gbenga struck. He cleared all the valuables in Precious room including her laptop. He broke into his mother’s room and stole even more. Luckily for her, she had removed her priceless valuables from the room. He took anything and everything he could lay his hands on. Seun didn’t have anything he could steal. She removed all her expensive clothes, shoes, handbags etc from her house to her office.

Seun knew what would happen just as Chief. Gbenga could never change unless he was willing to. He had tried to follow her to work but she refused. She had just changed her car to a Tokunbo Toyota Rav4 and it was a big deal to Seun. Gbenga wanted to drive it around but she insisted he goes with a driver.

After he stole the items, he packed them into two bags. He took them downstairs to the driver who had come to take him to the hospital for his outpatient appointment. Seun had instructed the driver never to release the car to him. They left for the hospital.

On the way, he asked the driver to pass an area saying he needed to quickly see someone. The driver went through there and was waylaid by some thugs. They collected the car from the driver and beat him severely while Gbenga watched. The driver saw Gbenga laughing while he was being beaten. He pretended to have passed out, that was when Gbenga got into the car with the guys and they drove off.

Seun was shaken when she heard the news. She wept bitterly when she saw the state of the driver. She called Titilayo, Gbenga’s mother and informed her. Titilayo ran home and met her door broken into. Gbenga had collected everything he could lay his hands. She saw some of her jewellery were gone. She was more worried about the foreign currency she had hidden in her room the night before. It was a lot of money. She hid it in,side the cupboard that housed her toiletries supply. It was still there.

Chief was also informed. He summoned Precious to the house. She couldn’t believe what her father did. Her room had also been ransacked and he took most of her valuables except the ones her mother insisted on protecting.

Precious said to them, “We have to find him. He has to pay for what he has done. What if the driver was killed? I know where he will go eventually. We will report the case to the Police, try to find the car and then pick him up soon”

“Arrest who? He is mentally unstable. We should just count our losses and move on.” Titi responded.

“Count which losses? Will you buy my mother another car? She saved to be able to afford the car and your son stole it from her. It won’t happen. Maybe this is the reality he requires. Going to jail might just set him straight. No more funny excuses from you or anyone. My mother was worried he will rob us soon but I believed he had turned a new leaf. I was wrong and I accept it. He will pay for what he has done”

“You were the one who brought him here even when wise counsel told you not to. You have the blame. You will soon graduate and replace your mother’s car for her. The car is as good as gone. He never asked to be rehabilitated, you forced it on him. You should be held responsible for whatever he does” Titi insisted.

“You knew he wasn’t well and you wanted me to sleep with him. You are an evil woman. You wanted me to catch a disease and suffer or even die. Today, I declare you my enemy. You told me he had recovered meanwhile we both knew he hadn’t. I saw when you packed your pieces of jewellery away from the house. I am not stupid. I will buy myself another car when the time is right. For now, I just want to be left alone” Seun replied Titi.

Chief stepped in, “We took a chance and he has failed us once again. I wanted Precious to experience it firsthand because she didn’t believe we had tried to help him. He went overboard this time and beat up the driver. I believe Precious has a point. I will invite the police and then ponder on the next move we will take. In the meantime, Seun, one of my official cars and a driver will be assigned to you until we find the vehicle or you get a new one. I will take care of the medical bills of the driver and compensate his family. That will be all for now”

Precious was heartbroken. She couldn’t believe her father could do this. He hadn’t relapsed, she observed him closely. He wasn’t allowed to leave the house so he didn’t buy drugs. How come he did this? Had he started using again? Who supplied him? She was hurt. She cried herself to sleep that night. She made up her mind she didn’t have a father.

The following week, the Police brought Gbenga to the house. They had found him. The car was gone and so were so many items. They were able to recover some of them especially Seun’s laptop.

Chief asked that he be arraigned for robbery, assault and attempted murder. Titi fell on the floor when she heard what her husband said. She couldn’t dare challenge him at that moment because he was visibly angry.

Gbenga was arraigned and detained in Kirikiri. Chief warned everyone including his children not to visit him or try to bail him out. He warned Titi he will divorce her if she made any moves through anyone. He was there for a very long time. Chief replaced Seun’s car with a brand new car.

PY called PB to inform her Allen came back for the marriage rites of his bride. PB was sad but also happy for him. PY had shown him a picture of the girl and she met her when Allen came back two Christmases ago. Adaobi was stunning. She was slender and well-formed. She had a beautiful face and a pointed nose. She was what the guys called hot.

Allen liked her. She was in her final year. She studied Marketing. The plan was for them to get married and then after her final papers, she would join Allen in the US where he worked with a reputable company. They were to live there for four years and then Allen comes back to Nigeria after his Masters and other qualifications with Adaobi. She can serve then and get a job.

PB felt it sounded orchestrated and only one person can do that successfully and that is Engineer Collins Okoli. He planned his children’s lives without asking questions.

PB met Allen in their house when she came to visit PY. She had been avoiding their home because of Engineer Collins. Luckily, he wasn’t around for Christmas until the new year so she came visiting.

Allen was happy to see her as she was to see him. They talked for a reasonable amount of time discussing one thing or the other. Allen was ready to relocate to Nigeria immediately. He had plans to start up a business in Nigeria with some friends. His father wanted him to remain in America for another five years before he comes home. He felt it didn’t make any sense.

“Then discuss with your father. Make him understand. If you start now, you will go through the teething period of every business and then learn and grow from your experiences”

“You understand me. This is exactly what I want to do. We know where to secure finance and they are ready to storm this market. The old man only wants to be heard. It must be his way or the highway. I am getting married at twenty-five just to please him. He wants me to work for the girl’s father which I will never do.”

“The girl? I thought you were marrying her; don’t you like her?”

“She is ok. At least she’s not dull. She’s flashy (not my spec) and she’s good in some other things. She’s ok. She agrees with my dad’s plan. She does whatever they say.”

“Can I ask a personal question? It is private but I just want to know”

“Go ahead. Anything”

“Are sure? You wouldn’t take offence?”

“You can never offend me. You are a bright girl”

“Ok. Is she a V-rgin?”

Allen laughed. He couldn’t believe she asked that question but then he knew she was smart and it was heading somewhere. “She isn’t. Why did you ask?”

“Are you sure?”

“I am positive. Not because she told me but because I have slept with her”

“And you don’t mind?”

“What does mean? Why would I mind? I’m not a V-rgin either”

“Your father is forcing PY to maintain her V-rginity until marriage. Why didn’t he insist on you marrying a V-rgin?”

“Because I don’t discuss my personal life with him. It is Precious that is listening to him. Why would she give her V-rginity to a man who isn’t giving her his? I could have shown she had a boyfriend because I see her taking off to talk on the phone. She is still a V-rgin?”

“Yes, she is. That’s all I can say for now”

Not long after, Adaobi arrived. She was uncomfortable seeing PB and Allen sitting close to each other having a serious conversation. Allen seemed to be engrossed in what she was saying.

Adaobi had met PB when she visited the home the last time Allen when around. She observed Allen was excited when she came in. They also talked like they are doing now. Adaobi didn’t feel threatened because PB was the opposite of her. She was dark while Adaobi was light. She was slender while PB was more on the big side. Adaobi was tall while PB was just average height for a woman. Adaobi was hot and s€×y while PB was just normal. PB had h¡ps, bum and b-obs in more than average proportion. She was good looking although you would know she looked more male than female. She wasn’t one to show her skin or dress skimpily especially since she added more weight.

“What did Allen see in her?” she wondered. He hadn’t even observed she had entered the room. She was every man’s dream and desire, what did this girl want?

PB noticed her first and said hello. Allen saw her and smiled at her. She smiled back and joined them.

“What were you two talking about that you didn’t notice I was here?” Adaobi asked.

“We were just catching up. We haven’t spoken in two years. So much to catch up with” Allen replied.

“You were talking more like lovers than catching up. Almost in whispers, I couldn’t hear what you were discussing” Adaobi added.

PB laughed. “I am like a sister to Allen, erase whatever thoughts you have in your mind”

Allen replied, “She is like a best friend not a sister to me. She is closer than a sister. Anyway, since you are here, let’s go out and have some ice cream before Precious gets back. We were waiting for her. Precious, let me have your number, we will conclude this discussion later”

This was the first time they exchanged phone numbers. Adaobi asked Allen if he has any rom-ntic feelings towards PB and he told her he liked her a lot because she understands him. He added, “She has a mind of her own and cannot be subjugated. I like such a strong woman. That’s what I like about her. She’s also very smart”

“Is she beautiful?”

“I didn’t notice. She’s Precious.”

Adaobi was satisfied with his answer. He didn’t see her in the light she suspected. His attraction to her wasn’t physical and she was happy.

When PY and PB finally met that day, PB brought up the conversation about V-rginity.

‘Is Adaobi a V-rgin?”

“I don’t know”

“But your father wants you to get married a V-rgin while your brother’s bride isn’t a V-rgin”

“She isn’t? That’s interesting. Is Allen aware?”

“Ask him”

“I will. I stayed so long because I went to see Simon; he came back for the holidays. I missed him”

“Really? What delayed you?”

“I am tempted to give Simon my V-rginity”

“Why? You have held on to it for this long so why give it to him?”

“I love him. I want us to have a very strong bond……”

“And you are betrothed to Ikenna. What strong bond do you want to have with someone to who you can’t get married? Have such a bond with Ikenna”

“All the times I met with Ikenna, all he wanted to do was defile me. He does it by force until I scre-m or struggle too much with him. I complained to my father and he asked me, “Aren’t you a girl? Don’t you know how to string a man along without giving him what he wants? You are not a baby now” I can’t even bear him k-ssing me or touching my body”

“What of Simon?”

“He can have my body as much as he desires. He wants to have s€× with me. He says he has been patient enough and wants a future with me”

“He knows about Ikenna, doesn’t he?”

“No, he doesn’t I haven’t told him”

“What are you saying? You are betrothed to Ikenna and never told Simon? Is it fair? I don’t think it is right. I am so disappointed in you. No wonder Simon is coming on so strong. Has he asked to meet your parents?”

“He has and I told him my father wouldn’t want me to marry an Edo man. He said he hasn’t met him yet”

“It is not fair to Simon and Ikenna. Tell Simon about Ikenna or tell your parents about Simon”

“You know how difficult that will be”

“I don’t care. Let them know how you feel. They should realise what their actions are causing you. It is unfair”

“I am still in shock Adaobi is not a V-rgin. What do you think they are doing upstairs in Allen’s room? Should we go and check?”

PB was uncomfortable with the conversation. She changed the topic without answering PY.