Too precious episode 11
TITLE: TOO PRECIOUS
WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI
CHAPTER 11
At 24 years old, Precious Adeoye also called PB had no boyfriend or fiancé. It worried her family members. Her mother had been on her case since she was twenty-one, she brought home friends and nothing more.
Her grandfather had introduced her to three guys. Those guys were still fixtures in her life but strictly as friends. He worried that there was more to her resistance of guys. She never sleeps out, she was always home whenever she wasn’t at work. She was a girl any parent would be proud to have except age was no longer on her side.
Chief observed Precious didn’t drink alcohol or smoke. She had gone on a weight loss regime after she was called names at the Police station by PY’s father. It was like she grew taller with the weight loss and she maintained the figure. Chief thought she did it to attract men but she didn’t. Instead, she made him shop for her when he travelled for a new wardrobe. He was glad to do it but he found out she wasn’t meeting any men.
They had a conversation on her twenty-fifth birthday. Chief begged her to allow him to matchmake her again. He said he had three boys in mind and he feels one of them would catch her fancy.
It was Biodun he had in mind. Biodun was a stockbroker. He was very informed about the stock market. He worked with a stockbroking firm that managed Chief’s portfolio and he was the assigned account officer.
Biodun was liberal. He was an easy-going guy and also very ambitious. He was confident and believed so much in himself. Biodun’s father was a clerk in a university while his mother was a petty trader. Biodun wasn’t born with a silver spoon but had made something out of his life so far.
Chief chose Biodun because he felt PB didn’t have a connection with most of the rich kids he had introduced her to. She was friends with them but she didn’t want a rom-ntic relationsh¡p. With Biodun, he felt she would connect with him as he couldn’t afford to take her to very expensive places to hang out. He didn’t even live in a posh environment. He was just a struggling young guy in his late twenties.
When PB met Biodun, she liked him. He had dimples on his face when he smiled and he smiled a lot. He was cute. He was tall, brown and very smart. She was smitten by him. And, he was very funny.
Immediately they met, he convinced her to buy stock and he managed her portfolio. Then he asked her to link him up with other potential clients. She did. She introduced her mother, her grandmother (Biodun charmed her into patronizing him), her friends and some family members. She went all out for him.
He never asked her out. Each time he made a good commission, he took her out to celebrate at a joint. She loved it. She saw him in his element. He drank and made jokes for people to laugh at. He was fun.
Sometimes, he would show up at her office and claim to be around and offer to buy her lunch. Or, he would come with lunch for her. They talked every day. They could talk about anything and everything. Their friendsh¡p grew stronger.
He bought a car. He was using a jalopy while she was using a brand new car but never seemed intimidated. His commissions, thanks to PB, helped him acquire the car. He bought a fairly used Toyota Camry. It was clean. Biodun was so proud of his accomplishment.
That was the first time Biodun took PB to his house. He lived in a room and parlour self-contained at Ogba. It was a small place but it was neat, well furnished with all electronic gadgets any bachelor could have. PB was impressed with the apartment although she wasn’t excited about the environment. She wasn’t used to the type of environment.
He offered to cook for her. Growing up, PB never learnt how to cook. Her grandmother didn’t want her in her kitchen. She had picked some tips from staying with PY and other girls in school. She could cook only a few things but wasn’t an expert.
His kitchen didn’t receive the same attention the sitting room did. It was empty except for a fridge, a dish tray, a camp gas and a few utensils. He wanted to make okra and stew which they would eat with amala. PB had told him she didn’t know how to cook so he offered to cook for her.
She helped in the preparation of the ingredients and watched him cook with ease. It was interesting to watch. He taught her how to cook the stew and okro. He didn’t allow her to make the amala so it wouldn’t be filled with lumps.
Biodun served the food on one plate for them to eat together. PB was taken aback but didn’t question it. The food was delicious. Biodun said she had magic hands for cooking. PB just laughed and said she couldn’t be bothered about that, she would rather hire a cook.
After eating and washing up, they sat together and watched a movie. After that, he played music and Biodun dragged PB to dance with him. They danced together. Slow beats were then played and he had PB in his arms. They danced together and then he k-ssed her gently on the l-ips.
PB wasn’t expecting it. They had never discussed anything about the relationsh¡p. He had never asked her out. But she was in his arms and she felt the chemistry between them. When he came again, they k-ssed properly.
It became heated within seconds. The k-ss became deeper leaving PB trembling. She couldn’t stop him. He whispered to her, “I have always wanted to do this since I met. I have wanted to hold you in my arms, k-ss you and make sweet love to you but, I held back. We are not on the same level. I wondered if you saw me. I feared you wouldn’t feel what I feel. Precious, I will do anything to make you happy. Since you came into my life, I can see the difference. I am determined to do better every day. I want to make it so I will be worthy of you. I love you and don’t want to lose you”
PB couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She liked Biodun very much and enjoyed his company more than her other male companions but she didn’t believe she was in love. Although she had to confess, there was chemistry between them and her heart was still racing.
Biodun released her and led her to the couch. He continued, “you don’t need to give me an immediate answer; I just couldn’t resist you. You are in my crib and I want you here more often. Am I being too forward? Is it too soon? We’ve been friends for several months, I didn’t want someone else to snatch you away from me. I see how other guys look at you. It makes me nervous”
PB didn’t have anything to say but to hold on to him. She wasn’t interested in anyone. She genuinely liked Biodun and also liked the way he treated her and involved her in all he does or achieves. She really liked that. This was a different dimension and she wished she could be excited but her biggest fear was the relationsh¡p getting very serious to the point of marriage.
She had had those worries since she was in secondary school but it heightened when PY’s father used it to embarrass her. Her biggest fear was her lover finding out her father was a drug addict who was in prison. She didn’t want to deceive anyone into marriage and then they find out later or even telling them and her in-laws treat her with disdain and disrespect. She didn’t want to live a life of misery like her mother did.
All these she told to her grandfather when she got home that night. She told him how she felt about Biodun and her inhibitions. Chief Rotimi listened to his granddaughter with a smile on his face. No other guy was able to break her defences like Biodun had successfully done and he was very happy about it.
“Why don’t you tell him about your father and find out how he will react?”
“Tell him? What if he decides to leave me when he finds out?”
“Then he wasn’t worth you from the onset”
“Hmmm. You are right. Also, grandpa, he taught me how to cook. I told him I will get a cook when I settle down, he laughed over it”
“You should learn how to cook”
“Why? Is it a criterion for a successful marriage?”
“My dear, every man wants to come home to the delicious aroma of food his wife prepared. You have to learn. A woman is supposed to know how to cook, clean and take care of her man”
“And what is the man supposed to do?”
“Provide for the family”
“So, I wouldn’t need to work while I take care of the home. He has to meet my needs”
“Well, this isn’t a discussion for us but both of you. You will agree on what you want. I will advise you to learn how to cook even if you don’t cook. You will see how excited he will be when you serve him food you cooked”
“If he says he loves me, he should love me for who I am. Cooking isn’t a problem for me. If he makes it a condition, then he is not serious”
“I agree. Have a chat with him about your father; the other issues can be easily addressed.”
She had this same conversation with PY who was doing her housemansh¡p at that time. They hadn’t met since she came back from the UK. She didn’t want to be traced to where she was. PY supported PB’s grandfather. She asked her to tell him from the beginning. If he wanted to leave, this was the time before it became serious and then very painful.
PB had to muscle up enough courage to tell Biodun about her father. She went to his house on that day. She took food from her home to his with bottles of non-alcoholic wine and other drinks. Biodun was excited to receive her. He took her in his arms and k-ssed her. She shied away and he laughed.
Before they ate, she said to him, “I have something to tell you”
“Go ahead”
“You’ve never met my father. There is something you need to know about him before we forge ahead with a relationsh¡p”
“I am all ears. This must be very important”
“It is. My father suffers from addiction. He is a drug addict. He developed the habit while he was in university in the US. He has been unable to kick the habit. I tried my best to rehabilitate him but he stabbed us at the back again by stealing from us and going back to his habit. My father got him arrested for theft and he has been detained in prison all these years. My grandfather has refused to release him until he gives up the habit. I want you to be aware so you or your family won’t believe I deceived you”
Biodun smiled at her as she concluded. “I am aware. I know everything about you and your family. Chief mentioned it to my boss in my presence some years back when my boss asked after your father. His name is Gbenga, right?” She nodded. “It is his own mistake; it has nothing to do with you. I don’t care too. You have proved to be a woman of virtue. I know this is sudden but Precious, I love you and I would want you to be my wife. I don’t need a girlfriend, I need a wife. Will you do me the honour?”
PB’s eyes were wide open. She couldn’t believe what she just heard. Marry him? She felt it was too soon.
“I know what you are thinking. We won’t get married in the next month or two or three. I am looking at six months to get to know each other and tie the knot. I will love to be with you forever”
PB asked for time. They went beyond k-ssing that day but didn’t have intercourse. It was still too early for PB and he understood. Biodun begged her to spend the night but she refused. She hadn’t formed the habit of staying out yet, she wanted to introduce it gradually.