Too Precious Episode 21

TITLE: TOO PRECIOUS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 21

As she drove home, she received a call from PY. She put herself together and received the call.

“PB, you won’t believe what I just heard,” PY said excitedly.

“What did you hear?”

“Allen just told me how daddy got the stroke”

“What happened?” I asked hearing the excitement in her voice.

“He came back to the house unannounced. He went to his bedroom and then strolled into mum’s bedroom. He saw mum in bed with a man. He collapsed.”

“What? You are kidding me. Your mum in bed with another man? I wouldn’t have ever believed that”

“That’s what Allen was also saying. He told her he was highly disappointed in her. Her lover is a younger guy and he was still in the house when Allen arrived to take dad to the hospital. My mother has refused to take care of him. She told Allen to call one of his father’s numerous lovers to come as she still has unfinished business to attend to. Allen was asking me what had gotten into her”

“I can’t believe what I am hearing. Are you sure Allen is telling the truth?”

“I spoke with her myself. She told me she has been without a man for so long, why shouldn’t she take a lover when her husband hadn’t touched her in more than five years. She said she stopped counting”

“I thought she was a weakling staying with a man who disrespected her like that but now I see she was bidding her time to find someone she would enjoy her life with. It is just like the mess I am in currently”

“Mess? PB what happened?”

“You won’t believe Biodun had another family while married to me. He had a girl he put in the family way when she was sixteen. She moved in with his parents and had the child. She had a second child, I don’t know whether it was when we got married or before but guess what, she is pregnant for him again. For five years, PY, I couldn’t get pregnant. Biodun was having babies with someone else. He embezzled money from his firm, built a house of four flats for her and also built a shopping mall which he hasn’t finished. I don’t know what his intentions were but they weren’t good. He didn’t want me to have children because he had children with another woman. He wanted my money and connections but I refused him access to them when I perceived he wasn’t a serious person. Now I am back to the beginning. I don’t need any man anymore. I want to have kids and then spend the rest of my life taking care of them”

“You are still young and beautiful. Why would you want to give up on love because of an irresponsible man? Please, my dear, I can hook you up with some of Simon’s single friends. Biodun isn’t worth your tears or your brooding. He wouldn’t know what he had until he loses it. You, baby girl, are a spec any man would want. A good man will want you in his life to bring order to it.”

PB was sobbing as her friend talked. It hurt her terribly that Biodun could do this to her. She could understand the house but the new pregnancy and the shopping mall, it was as though he had an exit plan. She listened to her friend console her and nodded her head in agreement even though PY couldn’t see her.

She went back to work. She threw herself into the work so she wouldn’t have time to brood. She refused to pick calls from her in-laws and strange numbers she didn’t know. She didn’t want Biodun reaching out to her for any reason whatsoever.

When PB got home, she met her parents-in-law in her sitting room. She couldn’t believe it. She greeted them and entered the bedroom. She called her grandfather and informed him. He advised her to leave the house and come over to his house but she refused. The building was hers and she wasn’t ready to leave it and the items in the house for them. They were the intruders and weren’t welcome in her home. She resolved to listen to them but remain
firm in her decision.

“I called you severally but you didn’t pick up my call” Biodun’s father started.

“I’m sorry sir, I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to talk to you or anyone else”

“I wanted us to discuss this issue. I am happy everything has been exposed. I told your husband, Biodun, to inform you about the lady who had a child or children for him but he was scared you will leave him. It is what is happening now. I won’t deny I knew about it but she was there before you. I want you to see her as a sister and accept her…..”

“Sorry, is this what you called me here for? I am not interested in any conversation that has to do with Biodun and what happened today. I thought you wanted to tell me when you are leaving my house as you are uninvited”

“What is wrong with you, Precious? This is my son’s house and I have a right to stay here just like you”

“Suit yourselves. I have had a long and tiring day, I am going to bed now. Goodnight”

“Precious, what you are doing is wrong. Biodun has erred, we know. Help him out of this trouble. Once this issue with his employer is resolved, we can settle personal issues”

“There is only one way of resolving this issue; Biodun should pay back the money he stole. That’s the only way out. What does that have to do with me? Did I steal the money? Do I have doc-ments for the property he is building? I know nothing and I will like it to remain that way”

“Precious, you know if you talk to your grandfather he will be able to help ….”

“Talk to him yourself. My father has been in prison for the past how many years for offending my grandfather. Ask Biodun. What Biodun has done to his employer is unpardonable. He needs to return the funds he stole from investors. As for this marriage, it is over. I can never forgive him for what he did; now and in the future. He was encouraged by you. You even had the effrontery to ask me why I haven’t gotten pregnant while it was a plan by you and your son for me not to have a child. There is no need to talk about anything. I can’t even be married to a fraudster anyway. Good night”

Precious went into her room and locked herself in. She was scared but braved it so she wouldn’t show her fear. She cried that night and began to pack her belongings in the room. This was her home with the man she believed she loved and he loved her too. But that dream had shattered.

PB called her staff to come to her apartment in the morning before she came out of her room. She greeted her in-laws and left for the office. Immediately the security informed her that they had left the house, PB came back home with two of her trusted staff. The moving vehicle was outside when they arrived. PB removed everything that was given to them as a gift from her family from the apartment. She also removed her personal belongings. She left the food items as she knew his parents would need to feed while they were still in the house working hærd for his release.

Her grandfather got her an apartment in Lekki. The apartment complexes were very secure and gated; no one could come in without permission from a resident even to get into the building where her apartment was.

The apartment had been furnished so all the items she took from the other apartment wasn’t needed. She sent them to her grandfather’s house.

PB felt ashamed. She was played by a man she truly loved. He must have known she didn’t want to marry a spoilt brat from a wealthy home and played the hærdworking poor dude. She didn’t even consider that at all; it was the way he treated her that made her fall in love with him. It hurt, even more, knowing it was a charade.

Biodun’s parents called her severally but she completely ignored their calls and even blocked their numbers. She was done with them and was waiting for when she could finally divorce him. Apart from the betrayal, the magnitude of his theft told her who he really was.

She refused to see Biodun when he was arraigned. Luckily, he was remanded at Ikoyi prisons, not Kirikiri prison. The case continued and it had nothing to do with her. She was determined to move on without looking back for a second.

While in the office one morning, she received a visitor. Her learned colleague had come to see her. Precious welcomed him and asked him how she could be of help.

“It has to do with your husband, Biodun. He needs your help and forgiveness. Please try and help him for old time sake. If word gets out that he was involved in fraud, it will put a stain on your family name. Imagine it being said that the son-in-law of Chief Adeoye is a fraudster. It will tarnish your image too. How is it possible you were not aware? Was it your numerous demands that drove him to it? People will ask questions and it won’t look good for you or even Chief. Why not get him out and then move on with your lives.”

“I have heard you. There is nothing you have said that I haven’t thought about. The fact that he is a thief is the least of my concerns. My main issue is the fact that he has children with another woman and continued while we were still married without my knowledge, embezzled this money to give her a good life while professing his love for me daily and pushing for me not to have children. I am happy we didn’t have children because it would have been worse. Tell Biodun, I don’t care what happens. He should reach an agreement with his firm, return all the money he stole and start life over like I am doing. If he keeps it quiet, he will be able to get jobs or start his firm but by then, I will no longer be his wife”

“They want to take the house and shopping mall from him. He had also invested his money into the projects. He wants you to bear him witness and talk to his MD to sell the house and give him the amount he invested in the project so he can start life as you have said”

“He has a choice? That’s interesting. He was caught red-handed defrauding innocent people and he wants the money he invested in the property? What am I a witness to?”

“He wants to speak with you to explain”

“I don’t want to speak with him”

“I think you should. He has something to hold you with. You should speak with him and allow him to make everything right with your help”

PB thought about it for a while. What could he possibly have against her that would require her to play ball? She was uninterested in the blackmail on one hand and the other hand, she was curious about what it could be.

“If you agree with me now, we could go to the prison and have a chat with him. You will understand better. I know what is at stake and how it could ruin your reputation that is why I came here to speak with you. Trust me; it is damaging”

PB asked the lawyer to excuse her for a few minutes. She discussed with her grandfather and he encouraged her to visit Biodun and find out the damning information he had. Chief told her not to make any promises no matter what.

Tbc