Too precious episode 15

TITLE: TOO PRECIOUS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 15
Tope, Biodun’s sister came with the man she intended to get married to. Francis was a young banker and they seemed so much in love. Biodun refused to give his consent because Francis was from a poor family and had only worked for five years. He didn’t have much money but he loved Tope.

PB was surprised when Tope confided in her the reason for Biodun refusal to accept Francis. PB confronted her husband. He denied it at first but later accepted and told her it was in the best interest of his sister. She was the prettiest of them all and wanted to marry a poor guy just after her university education.

“How old is she?”

“She’s twenty-six or so”

“And you want her to wait for a rich man to marry her when she has found someone with a good job and loves her so much. No problem, find the man for her.”

“Why are you sounding like this? She can hear you”

“She is the stupid one waiting to get your approval when she can get married in the court without it”

“Are you encouraging her to go against her family?”

“I am telling her she has options. You have refused to get to know the guy just because he is poor. It makes me wonder if you married me because I am rich”

“Why would you say that? I just want to safeguard her future”

“Your immediate junior isn’t married, get a husband for her. Tope has found a husband. She knows what to do now”

Biodun was determined to stand his ground until his sister came with some news. She said she was pregnant. She didn’t want to inform her family until after the wedding but since they were proving difficult, she had to tell them.

Biodun was furious. He wanted her to abort the pregnancy and leave the guy but Tope stood her ground. She ran away to join Francis. Biodun, without informing PB, used the police to arrest Francis at work for kidnapping. It was a big issue. Francis was later released and then his influential uncle sent policemen to arrest Biodun very early in the morning on a weekend.

That was how PB became aware of the situation. She was so upset that she almost made them leave Biodun in the cell until Monday. Biodun begged her. His influence wasn’t high enough to get him released. Francis uncle was very influential.

PB had to involve her grandfather. He knew Francis’ uncle and went to see him. Immediately the uncle realized Biodun was Chief’s son-in-law, he told them to release Biodun.

Chief invited the family members o Francis and Tope to his home. He appealed to Biodun’s family to allow them to get married as they were in love. He promised to sponsor the wedding and help Francis in his career by supporting him.

It was decided; dates were chosen. The arrangements went into full gear. Both families left happy.

Biodun knew PB would be mad at him. He asked Chief to talk to her for him. Chief told him truthfully, he was worried he wasn’t the right choice for his granddaughter. His behaviour and reasoning showed he was only interested in money and not happiness.

‘By the way, why haven’t I seen any pregnancy yet? What’s causing the delay?”

“It hasn’t happened yet”

‘And you wanted to abort another person’s child; you that is looking for a child. You disappoint me. I am tired of dabbling into your issues. As much as possible, keep me away from your many challenges. In this case, you were very wrong”

Chief also talked to PB about the pregnancy issue. She confessed she had been to a doctor but Biodun wasn’t interested in seeing one yet. She didn’t know what to do to force him.

“He has misbehaved now. For you to forgive him, he should join you at the hospital for a checkup. If you need assistance, I am here to help”

“Apart from refusing to talk to him, what else will make him do my binding?”

“No s€×. Withhold s€×”

“What if he decides to get it outside”

“My dear, a man who is in love with his wife will want to have s€× with her whenever he sights her even if he has a million concubines. Biodun is still enjoying you and I can see it. Use it to control him. You have to be smart.”

PB laughed when her grandfather said so. Imagine them talking about s€×. She loved that she could discuss anything with him.

Chief’s face became very serious, “Precious, I worry about Biodun. I feel he is not genuine. I fear he might be a gold digger”

“Grandpa, there is no gold to dig. I just feel he wants to bring his entire family out of poverty. He is going about it the wrong way. Love supersedes every other thing.”

“You might be right but be careful. And the issue of the pregnancy, don’t joke with it”

PB thought extensively about her conversation with her grandfather. She had to agree with him to an extent especially about the pregnancy. Biodun didn’t seem to be bothered they were not pregnant after two years of marriage. Even her grandmother reminded her of the prophecy.

PB refused to talk to Biodun and moved into another room in the house so they do not have close contact. Biodun tried to enter the room but she locked the door.

It went on for the week until she came back on Friday evening and found her parents-in-law in the house. She greeted them and went into her room to change. She entered the kitchen and noticed someone had made amala and warmed the soup she had in the freezer.

She called Biodun on phone, he didn’t pick up. She called severally, he ignored her call. She served her in-laws and then went into her room. She heard people in the sitting room which meant someone had joined Biodun’s parents. She stayed back in her room. Then she heard a knock on her door. When she opened it, it was Biodun. He told her his parents wanted to see her.

“I have seen a wonder I never expected. How can you sleep in separate rooms when you are just recently married? A marriage that is not up to five years? What is the problem? Precious, what is the problem?”

“There is no problem, sir. I work late and I don’t want to disturb Biodun in the room. There is no other reason. I sleep there the days I don’t work late (pointing to Biodun’s room).”

“So, what is delaying the pregnancy? I expected a grandchild by now, what is stopping it?”

“I think you should ask Biodun that. He should explain why I haven’t gotten pregnant even when I have been cleared by the doctor to be fertile”

“Cleared by which doctor? Biodun, why isn’t she pregnant?”

“She wants me to visit a fertility doctor. Why should I visit a doctor when I know the problem is that she denies me s€×? If we have s€× often, she will conceive. She doesn’t want s€× and she wants to get pregnant? She’s here, ask her when was the last time we had s€×? When we have s€× regularly and nothing happens then I will visit a fertility doctor”

PB couldn’t believe her ears. How could Biodun respond like that? How could he embarrass her in that manner in the presence of his parents? They had s€× very often but because she denied him this week, he decided to accuse her falsely. She excused herself and left the meeting. She was very angry and knew she would say or do what she would regret if she stayed on.

After about twenty minutes, PB heard gentle knocks on her door. She answered it and saw her mother-in-law. The woman snuck into her room quietly. She sat down on the bed and said to PB.

“My daughter, thank you for what you did concerning Tope; I am very grateful. Biodun was wrong by wanting to force her to abort. I told him to allow her to marry who she loves and he said it was over his dead body any of his siblings would marry from a wretched home or a poor person. Kemi has someone that wants to marry her but she is afraid to bring him home because he isn’t solid yet. Kemi is twenty-eight, time is passing her by. The man is an engineer, a building engineer. He is trusting God for a contract so he can make good money and then marry Kemi. Bode is there. He will soon finish. He is determined to date only girls from rich homes. Biodun has filled his head with nonsense”

“They chose to be fed with nonsense. Tope has followed her heart. This should be a reference to the others. If they don’t refuse this nonsense, they will never settle down. What are you, their parents, saying? Can’t you stop Biodun from interfering in their lives?”

“His father worsh¡ps the ground he walks on. Anything he says is final. He takes care of us so we have to be careful not to provoke him”

“Well, if you all agree to it. By the way, how is your business going?”

“The petty business is moving small small”

“What of the business your husband is running now, the one Biodun opened for both of you?”

“What business is that?”

“Don’t worry ma, I think I am mixing up things we discussed”

That night, Biodun came to knock on PB door. He wanted to come in but she refused. She wasn’t going to play those games with him. If he wanted her, he should visit the hospital with her. She told him in not so many words. Biodun was so angry that he said to PB, “You will beg me to sleep with you and I will not. If you don’t allow me my conjugal rights today, I will never have s€× with you again. No matter how much you beg me, I won’t touch you. That child you are looking for, you won’t get”

PB was amazed at his words. He was threatening her even after doing wrong. She banged her door in his face and locked it. She didn’t care if he never came back. This wasn’t the Biodun she fell in love with.

She wasn’t involved in the org-nization of Tope’s wedding. She was given her aso ebi which she made and wore. She and Biodun were still not on speaking terms. This was almost six weeks after.

Biodun’s family came to stay in their house for the wedding. She wasn’t informed they were coming or staying in their house. PB refused to vacate her room for them instead she lodged the boys and girls in two rooms in a hotel.

She didn’t go with Biodun for the wedding. He went with the Toyota Prado while she went with Chief for the wedding. PB sent a message to Biodun that she would be spending the night at her grandfather’s. She told him there was food in the kitchen they could help themselves to.

She stayed with Chief until she was sure his family had vacated the house then she came back. She never disclosed to Chief the issues she was having with Biodun, she believed she could handle this herself.

When she came back home, Biodun warned her never to sleep outside his house again. He was very upset. “You embarrassed me and you keep embarrassing me. What is wrong with you? Must you always behave like the spoilt brat you are? You have no respect for me and you challenge me and my decisions. I am the head of this family and I decide what happens here. You made my family call me weak; Precious, I am not weak. Any day you leave this house to sleep without telling me, the marriage is over. That’s my stand. If you challenge me ever again, I will divorce you. And, if I request for my conjugal rights and you deny me, you leave me no choice but to bring another woman here who will meet that need. Do we understand each other?”

PB was speechless. She didn’t know this Biodun; this was a dictator. She didn’t realise when she nodded her head.

“Good. Move back into our bedroom, you can only move out when I say so”

She moved back in with her husband. He had a sort of control over her. They made love that night and he warned her never to use it as a weapon. He spoke to her gently as her brought her close to ecstasy. She loved this new dictator personality, especially in the bedroom. He still refused to see a fertility doctor telling her he was content the way they were.

Tbc