The President’s wife episode 2

TITLE: THE PRESIDENT’S WIFE

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 2

Pursuing Zara wasn’t as easy as he thought. Lere pretended to bump into her at her faculty under the guise of visiting a lecturer friend of his. It was a pleasant meeting. He offered to buy her lunch, she declined. She had lectures until late in the evening. Lere asked if he could take her for dinner after her lectures. She couldn’t avoid it anymore, so she agreed to meet him at the car park at 5 pm.

He was waiting for her right at the entrance of her faculty. She was with some friends. He feared she wanted to bring them along on their first date, then she left them and joined him. He opened the door to his vehicle for her to enter as the gentleman. He took her to a restaurant that came highly recommended. She was excited to eat there as it was a highbrow restaurant. He gave her the freedom to choose whatever she desired. She chose modestly. She requested white rice, pepper sauce, plantain and fresh fish. It was a hit.

Then the conversation began between Lere and Zara. Lere made his intention known. He wanted a relationsh¡p with her. She claimed not to be ready for one because she had to prepare for her final examinations and didn’t need the distraction of a lover.

“That’s fair. So, when are you rounding up?” Lere asked.

“Hopefully by September, I should be through with everything concerning the University of Ibadan.”

“I can wait for a relationsh¡p until then. But can’t we build a friendsh¡p while we wait? I would like to see you again soon. I don’t mind coming here to have lunch with you once a week.”

“Uncle Lere, September is just three months away. A patient dog eats the fattest bone.”

“It doesn’t work like that anymore. A patient dog might just have his bone snatched away from him by a smart dog. I can’t take that chance.”

“That is why you came all the way from Lagos on a Thursday to see a lecturer in my department. Are you the smart dog?” They both laughed. Zara agreed they could have a friendsh¡p.

Lere was a regular in her faculty and hostel. Sometimes he spent the weekend in Ibadan to spend time with her. Initially, he thought she was proud but intEr×¢ting with her made him realise she was a sweet girl with a beautiful face and heart.

He was way older than her, ten years. But she was very mature. You would know she was young by looking at her but she sounded older when you intEr×¢t with her. She was interesting to be with. Each time they spent together, he was encouraged.

He came to pick her up from school when she graduated. He helped move all her luggage, furniture, and other school items she had to Lagos. They talked on the trip back as old friends. They had an uncomfortable conversation about past relationsh¡ps. Lere was interested in knowing how many exes she had. Such conversations made her uncomfortable. Especially sharing intimate details, she let him know.

“Why are you uncomfortable?” he asked her, “I can tell you how many lovers I have had in the past. I have had, altogether, eight lovers. It is not a big deal to me. I want us to feel free to talk about anything.”

“Well, I am not. I treat each relationsh¡p as the first one. By the way, we are not in a relationsh¡p and this shouldn’t be a topic friends discuss.”

“So you will not tell me who disv-rgined you and how old you were when it happened?”

“It is a very private matter and please don’t tell me either, I am not interested in knowing.”

Lere was worried at how secretive she was. She was careful with sharing information with him. He liked her, he liked her a lot but he was scared she was playing with him. For the rest of the trip back to Lagos, he didn’t utter a word. He played music and was left to his thoughts.

Lere drove to her house at Ketu Alapere. It was a Monday at midday; there was no one around. She opened the gate for him to drive into the compound. He stopped in front of her flat. He helped her offload her property from the car which she carried in,side the house as he dropped them. When she was done, she went in,side and came back with a chilled bottle of Sprite for him to drink. He appreciated it.

“I will join you to the express so I can direct you. Thank you so much, I am grateful.”

“Don’t thank me, Zara, what are friends for?”

“Are you through? Let me take this in then we can leave before anyone comes home.”

“You don’t want them to meet me?”

“If you are ready to pay my dowry right now then you can wait to be seen. Otherwise, it is best we leave before my father is informed,” she replied as she locked the burglary proof and went to the back of the house to drop the key.

As they left the compound Lere replied, “I can pay your bride price this instant but I don’t think you want to be with me. You are not into me the way I am into you. You have finished university now, can we take this friendsh¡p to the next level or are we still just friends?”

Zara was silent for some time. Lere stopped the car in,side a filling station, turned to a surprised Zara and said, “I like you, it should be obvious by now. But I don’t know if the feeling is mutual because you send me mixed signals. It is confusing.”

“I understand your predicament but I am not ready for a serious relationsh¡p. Lere, you are a ladies’ man and I am not ready to compete for anyone’s love or affection. The truth is I am not ready. The friendsh¡p should last at least six months before we take it to the next level.”

“So, you need two additional months to torture me before you agree to be with me? Ok. While we work on our friendsh¡p, would you date other guys?”

“Would you date other girls?” Zara asked him very seriously.

“If we are exclusive, I wouldn’t but I fear you are going to break my heart.”

“Let’s build the friendsh¡p first.”

“How will I see you now you are at home. I want to take you out at the weekend. How will you manage it with your parents?”

“Write down your address for me. When I am free, I will visit you. It will be difficult right now.”

Lere wrote down the address on a piece of paper for her. “I can come around when the house is empty like today. We can hang out somewhere.”

“It will give a wrong impression of me. I will visit you.”

On Thursday morning, two weeks after Lere brought Zara home, was a Muslim holiday. Zara went to see Lere at home in Ikeja, off Toyin street. It was easy for her to locate his house. She rang the bell to his flat, no one answered for some time but his car was parked in the compound. She turned to leave, the security man assured her Lere was at home. She went back to ring the bell again. Then she heard someone from indoors asking “Who is that?”

Zara replied, “I am the one. Is uncle Lere at home?”

The person opened the door. She looked very tall standing by the door which was well elevated from the floor. She had on a T-shirt and tied a wrapper loosely around her w–st. She looked at Zara from head to toe and asked “From where?’

“If he is busy, I can leave. Just tell him Zara came to see him.”

“From where?” she asked again quite sternly.

Before Zara could answer, Lere was at the door. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw her. He said to the lady, “Bose, please go in,side. Zara, you are welcome; please come in,side.”

“I’ve been here for a long while now knocking at your door and ringing the bell. I have to leave now before my parents get back. I promised to come and have fulfilled the promise.”

“Zara, please come in,side. I will dress up and drop you off so you can get a taxi home. I owe you that much. Please.”

She agreed to come in,side the house. The house was nice. The sitting room was scantily furnished but it was cosy. She sat on the couch he offered her but sat at the edge of her seat for she feared for her safety with the way Bose looked at her when Lere asked her to go into the house.