The President’s Wife episode 5

TITLE: THE PRESIDENT’S WIFE

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 5

Zara found time during the week when her parents had gone to work to visit Lere. She saw him once during the week and every Sunday. They had agreed he wouldn’t attend the Mass anymore, they would meet at the shopping complex.

Gradually the relationsh¡p grew. Left to Lere he wanted to spend every single day with Zara and Zara felt the same way. Each time she came to see him, as a dutiful girlfriend, she cooked and helped him clean up as much as she could. She refused to enter his bedroom. She avoided the room. Lere always teased her about it. He had assured her he wouldn’t do what she didn’t want him to do. Still, she refused to enter the room.

Zara received her call up letter. She was posted to Ogun state. She wasn’t happy because she had wanted to be posted to Lagos so she could get a good job. What job opportunities were in Ogun state? Lere laughed when she complained. He asked her not to worry; he had plans. First, she had to go to camp.

He took her to the camp but refused to leave immediately. He saw the guys and the girls at the camp. He remembered his camp days and became worried. The atrocities corpers committed including himself couldn’t be described. Now his girlfriend who has refused to have s-× with him would be left alone with these horny boys. He was worried. He trusted Zara but he didn’t trust the guys.

He watched from a distance. One of the guys was talking to Zara. Lere became restless. Then he saw the soldiers also looking at Zara. He was so worried that he thought of what to do to discourage the guys. His mind went to an engagement ring. He wanted her to wear a ring so they wouldn’t try to s-duce her.

When Zara came back to him after changing to her khaki (corper uniform), she looked excited. He smiled seeing her so happy.

“You have to be careful here; most of the guys here are wolves. I don’t want any of them preying on you.”

“Lere, don’t worry about me. No one will take advantage of me. When will you visit?”

“Weekend. I want to get you an engagement ring to wade off the guys from you. You don’t know how camp can be.”

“A ring? Why? Don’t you trust me? I am not that type of girl and I feel insulted by your suggestion.”

“Sweetheart, look around. Both the male corpers and the soldiers are staring at you. They want you. Why wouldn’t I feel insecure? I am not trying to insult you. I am trying to safeguard what belongs to me; I don’t want to share.”

Zara laughed. She put her hands around his w–st and asked, “If I k!$s you right here and now, would you feel better? At least they will all know you are my man. And all the ladies that have been looking at you too will also know you are taken.” Lere gladly surrendered his l-ips. They k!$sed passionately for the first time and it was in the full glare of passers-by. Lere was very happy when he left the camp for home. He knew she had him right where she wanted him; to herself.

He visited her every weekend. He had to bribe the soldiers to spend time with her. They k!$sed passionately before he left. He loved this Zara, she was daring. She ran to him excitedly each time he visited. He knew he would do anything for her.

His neighbour asked after Zara from him. Lere informed him she was at the camp. The guy asked if he was not worried she might fall for someone else there. He was sure she would not; he trusted her.

Zara enjoyed her camp experience. She made two new friends; they were just like her. The trio were called the three musketeers. Halima and Joy were interesting girls. They were assertive and fun. Halima had a fiance; she was to get married in a few months. Joy had been steady with the same guy from her first year until that moment. They all knew what they wanted and had made plans on how to achieve them. She introduced her friends to Lere. Lere liked them but to him, Zara stood out.

Zara’s desire had always been to work at the bank. She did not have the connections. She had written an aptitude test at the camp and was shortlisted. She prayed they would give her a job. She shared this with Lere but he was not excited about it. He did not want her working where different men would have access to her. He didn’t tell her what was on his mind but he was beginning to feel she was too ambitious. He believed getting a job in the bank was only through high network connections, since she did not have any, she would not be considered or she would get it through another means.

He was so wrong. By the time he came to pick her up after the three weeks in the camp, she had been deployed to a new generation bank for her primary assignment.

Lere could not believe it. The joy of seeing her was cut short by this new development. He did not know how to tell her not to accept the job. He had to look for a way to stop her. In the meantime, he wanted to spend quality time with her that day. He asked her if she would spend the night with him so they could catch up, he had missed her. She refused. She was willing to spend some hours with him every day of the two weeks break she had then to spend a night with him.

The next day, Lere took her to Victoria Island to submit her deployment letter to the bank. The bank accepted her, gave her an offer letter and then posted her to the branch at Abeokuta very close to the government house in the role of a Customer service officer. Lere was further saddened by this. He did not realise they would take her immediately. He was scared this time that he would lose her.

Zara was so excited. She had plans of going shopping for work clothes, shoes and handbags. Her excitement was supposed to be infectious but Lere did not feel it at all. Zara had to ask him what was wrong.

“Zara, I do not like this bank job. Worse still, they posted you to Customer Service where you will be on display. I do not even know if I have you and then to lose you to all the men …..”

“Which men? Uncle Lere, this is not attractive at all. You are not happy with my progress because you are insecure? I would not give up my dreams to make you happy, cancel that from your mind. I am a girl on a mission to be very successful. I do not think we are going in the same direction.”

“First of all, why do you continue to call me uncle? We have k!$sed several times for you to call me that. Secondly, what do you mean by we are not going in the same direction?”

“Uncle… Lere, we are not going in the same direction. You are not as ambitious as I am. You are comfortable with your current employment and the little money you make from your freelance work. Are not you worried about the future? Don’t you have big dreams? What are your plans and what steps are you taking towards achieving them? My plan has always been to be a banker for ten years and start a successful business. What is yours?”

Lere could not believe what he heard. There was no way this girl was twenty-two. Truly, he had not thought about bettering his life but now he needed to do so urgently before Zara slipped from his hands. He knew people who had the right connections but he did not like calling for favours. He has to prove to Zara that he could also dream and achieve success.

Lere drove her home. He had not said a word to her since she asked him his plan. When he stopped, he waited for her to get down. She did not. She asked him, “Are you angry with me?”

“Why should I be? You gave me food for thought. I need to leave for work soon.” He leaned over and k!$sed her on the l-ips. Zara was not convinced but she left. She hoped she had not overstepped her boundaries because she liked Lere. Her friends and other corpers who have seen him tell her how lucky she is to have some so good looking that dotes on her. She did not want to lose that. Also, she didn’t like his continuous reference to men taking her away from him as though she does not have a mind of her own. She did not find his insecurity cute, it annoyed her because it had no basis.

She told Adanna what transpired between her and Lere. Adanna felt she was right about not giving up her dreams. Adanna can’t marry someone like Lere because he did not have the kind of money that would fund her lifestyle. She warned her sister again about the seriousness of the relationsh¡p. “Chop, clean mouth and waka,” she advised Zara.

“What does that mean?” Zara asked.

“You have not tasted the guy to know if he is worth all the wahala. It is better you chop him now, enjoy it until your real husband comes for you.”

“Ah! Which one is the real husband? I am not marrying yet, I am waiting for you. Adanna, I am not in a hurry to sleep with him. I know he likes me a lot but he also seems to be too jealous. I do not need that.”

“But you like him too.”

“I do. But he is so insecure.”

“Once you give him, he will relax and not worry about you anymore. He will know you are his for the time being. You have to also check, you know what they say about fine boys”

“What do they say?”

“They can’t perform. They believe the girl should be happy to be in their company. Is that what you want?”

“I don’t believe that. Nonso is handsome and a good lover. The bride’s maid that spent the night with Lere didn’t say anything negative about him. That’s not my concern for now. I am talking about his insecurities.’

“Because he knows he won’t be able to satisfy you and you might leave him for someone who will.” Zara eyed her sister who laughed at her stern face. “I was just joking. What you said to him was right. If he is busy, he won’t be seeing guys he is scared will snatch you from him. The guy is in love.”

Lere took all that Zara seriously. He went to a business centre on his way home, updated his curriculum vitae and printed copies. He called his contacts who had connections to book an appointment to see them. He had to do something fast before Zara considered him unserious.

His meeting with two people paid off. He was scheduled for two interviews the next day. He made sure they were at least four hours apart. One was with a television station and the other was with a new telecommunications company. He believed he aced both interviews. His good looks were a good luck charm.