Too precious episode 10
TITLE: TOO PRECIOUS
WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI
CHAPTER 10
Hours later, PY woke up to find a worried Simon sitting by her.
She said to him, “I have a confession to make. I was betrothed to be married. My father found someone for me to marry. I was so in love with you that I couldn’t tell you. Well, I told my mother I couldn’t marry him and she advised me to discuss my observations and displeasure with him. I went to his place to do just that and he beat me. He beat me until I passed out. He came to apologise but was still arrogant and disrespectful. I made up my mind I have to choose my happiness. You are my happiness. I love you and I wanted to tell my mum, but I couldn’t. Instead, I ran away. They will never allow us to be together; never. I know this is too much for you right now. If you don’t want me to be with you, then I will go back to Nigeria and chart another path for myself”
“You were betrothed? How come you never told me?”
“I was afraid you would leave”
‘So, if this guy was a good guy, you would have married him?”
“Simon, it has always been you I love. I never loved him. I didn’t even like him.”
Simon was pissed at this time. He said to her, “This is too much to take in. Give me some time. Make yourself comfortable, I will talk to you when I get back”
Simon was away from his apartment for two days. He felt betrayed by PY. He suspected her refusal for them to have s€× was because she was betrothed. He felt used. He would have sworn with his life PY loved him but now, he didn’t think so. This was too serious to keep away from him. It hurt him terribly. For those two nights, he didn’t sleep.
He received calls from a strange Nigerian number. The call was persistent. He eventually picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hello Simon, this is Precious, Precious’ best friend. Her mother was at my house yesterday. She said Precious is missing. Precious gave me your number in case of emergency. Is she with you?”
“No, she’s not”
“I don’t know what happened but I would like to speak with her. I want to know how to handle her parents. Her mother is distraught right now. Please tell her to call me on this number and we can talk. I beg of you, I want to be sure she’s fine”
“If I see her, I will tell her that.”
‘Please do”
Simon had a rethink and called PB back after a couple of hours.
“She is your best friend, right? Why did she use me like this? She was with another man while deceiving me we were going to be together”
“She told you? Finally. She has been too scared to tell you”
“Scared of what?”
“Losing you. She loves you, I’m sure you know that”
Simon was silent. He wasn’t very close to PB but from all PY had said about her he knew she was honest and straightforward. He had more questions than needed answers but she couldn’t give him the answers.
“Hello, hello, are you there?”
“Yes. She is at my house. I should be home in an hour. Call my number then and you can speak with her. At least I should be grateful she ran to me”
“She loves you. I beg of you, if you don’t feel the same about her, let her go. We will find a way around the problem”
“Did I tell you I didn’t?” and Simon ended the call. He went back to his apartment.
PB called PY an hour later. PY told her best friend she had made up her mind to be with Simon and nothing could change her mind.
“What about your degree?”
“I got my transcript and I will apply to further here. I am also thinking of working to help out. International school fees wouldn’t be easy to pay”
“Take your time. Don’t be in a hurry. Talk to Allen, he was almost in tears on the phone when he called me. He told me to tell him where you were so he could confirm you were fine. He swore he wouldn’t tell your parents. Your mother is beside herself. Talk to them”
“If I talk to my mother, she will tell my father where I am and they can trace me. I will talk to Allen and Allen will talk to her”
“Better. I can’t believe you pulled this off. Are you sure you want to be with Simon?”
“I’m very sure, I am not sure he wants to be with me”
“I think he does. Just be smart. I hope his father doesn’t want him to marry someone else too. He is the first son and there are expectations from him”
“Thanks, Precious for always standing by me and supporting me”
“What are sisters for? Just keep me posted on this line.”
That weekend, Engineer Collins Okoli was at PB’s house. He came very early in the morning with the Police to arrest PB and search the premises. Chief Rotimi was at home and refused the officers searching his home without a warrant and also told them he would bring Precious to the station. Chief was angry. He called his lawyer to meet them at the police station.
PY’s father accused PB of kidnapping his daughter. At the Police station, he couldn’t prove it. Instead, he claimed she had introduced his daughter to men and maybe one of them had kidnapped his daughter. Or she was hiding in Chief’s house.
Chief stated clearly, PY wasn’t in his home and hasn’t been there for a long while at her father’s instruction. His granddaughter didn’t kidnap her or introduce her to anyone who kidnapped her.
The Police questioned PB. She told them she was aware PY was in London but haven’t heard from her since her mother called and said she moved out of her aunt’s house. She believed the reason PY ran away was that she was severely assaulted by her fiancé and her father refused to report the assault. Instead, he wanted her to go ahead with the marriage. She must have decided her life was more precious to her than obeying her father.
Collins was upset. He called PB a liar and a manipulator. He claimed nothing she said was true and she was trying to cover her tracks. He wanted her arrested and probably interrogated until she spoke the truth.
PB told them she can prove her case by a phone call and they would hear the truth. She called PY’s mother.
“Hello, ma. Your husband arrested me today for kidnapping Precious. I am currently at the Police station and I explained to them the reason I believe she ran away was because of the assault and her father’s insistence on her marrying her assailant. The Police want to hear about the assault from you. It is on speaker.”
“What is wrong with Collins? Why would he arrest you? She packed up her belongings and left so it isn’t kidnap. Anyway, as she said, Ikenna Nwachukwu assaulted my daughter. He beat her until she was unconscious and dumped her body outside his room. I was called to their house and took my daughter to the hospital. His family apologized and he did too. But my daughter wasn’t the same after the assault. She travelled to London to get away from her trauma, I didn’t know she was running away.”
The DPO asked her, “So, do you think her friend knows where she is?”
“I don’t know. I feel she’s hiding because her father was insisting she marries the boy that beat her up. She doesn’t want to marry him. If he cuts all ties or marriage talks with the family, maybe she will come back. The ball is in his court. I just want my daughter back”
DPO replied, “Ok madam. Thank you for your insight into the matter.” He ended the call and turned to Collins, “Sir, I believe this girl knows where your daughter and I suspect your wife also knows but because you want her to marry a wife beater, they won’t disclose to you. The girl you are talking about is over twenty years and has a right to say she doesn’t want to live with you anymore. Do the right thing, don’t force her to marry a man who has shown how irresponsible he is. Reach out to her through her friend or your wife and make peace with her. Arresting this girl isn’t the solution”
Chief Rotimi was not aware of PY problems as PB had kept everything a secret. He was interested in knowing the real story as he knew his granddaughter was keeping something.
PB told him everything. Chief was disappointed at Engineer Collins. Chief understood why PB and PY’s dad never agree. The man wanted all his children to marry into money and forces them to do his bidding. It was sad a negative decision.
PB wanted PY to come back and finish her course. She would have to start over in the UK and she didn’t think it was a good idea. Finally, PB had to involve Chief Rotimi. Quietly, PY was transferred to the University of Ilorin to complete her education. Simon agreed with the decision. PB and PY were never to visit each other. PY had to be protected.
That year, PB graduated from the university. Her grandfather celebrated her graduation by buying her another brand new car. Then, he made sure she went to Law school in Lagos, served in Lagos and was posted to the family lawyer’s chambers.
Titilayo wasn’t happy her granddaughter worked with the family lawyer. She was afraid she will be influential in her husband’s will or knowledge of all he has and can connive with her mother to steal from the family. Unfortunately, her husband told her to concentrate on her wealth and remove her eyes from his.