Too precious episode 3

TITLE: TOO PRECIOUS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 3

Chief Rotimi came into his house at about 10:00 pm. He was just coming in from the club. He saw his granddaughter in the sitting room reading a book. That was why he liked her, she was different. She spent most of her time reading and improving herself. He knew it was the handwork of her mother. Seun is a smart woman. Titi and Gbenga underestimate her. Gbenga was a coward. Instead of him to confront the culprit, he vested all his anger on Seun who was innocent. “Coward!” Chief Rotimi said out loud which attracted attention to himself.

“Welcome grandpa,” Precious said as she went to hug him.

“How are you my precious one?”

“I am very fine”

“Did you have fun at your friend’s place?”

“Yes, I did. Her father said he knew you. He gave me chocolate and a gift”

“Nice. Many people know me. Why are you still awake at this time? What about your mother and grandmother?”

“They’ve gone to bed. I waited to see you. I wanted to discuss something with you. You are the only one who answers my questions honestly”

Chief Rotimi smiled. This girl was smart; she knew how to get him to do things for her. She was kind and loving towards him. He loved her for these apart from loving her because of her mother. He came back to reality.

“Let’s go to my room so we will not be interrupted. Is that ok?”

Precious followed him into his room. He removed his cap, his beads and then his ‘agbada’. He sat down on his chair while Precious sat on his bed.

Precious narrated what happened at PY’s house. She talked about status and marrying into wealth. She believed so much in love and didn’t want to marry anybody just because the person’s family had money. She also expressed her concern for lying to PY’s father about her father just to please PY or rather to maintain her friendsh¡p.

“You have grown far beyond your years my dear child. You are wiser than I thought. Look at me. Everybody knows me as Chief Rotimi Adeoye but how I acquired this status is a wonder to them. It was the situation of then that made me work hærd to make money. I will share my story with you. Your grandmother isn’t my first wife. Sade was my first wife. She was from a wealthy home. We met at the university and fell in love. I was on a scholarsh¡p in school while her parents sponsored her. Because I was from an impoverished home, her parents rejected our relationsh¡p. She left her parents’ house to move in with me. I was a school teacher then, that was the only job I could get. Her parents disowned her. She lived with me in my one-bedroom apartment. We struggled but she never complained. Because of her maiden name, she was able to secure a better job than I had; she was bringing home more money. She never complained or quarrelled; rather she brought out money and asked me to pay her bride price. I told her I would never go to her parents in the condition I was. I was going to make it before going to marry her properly and in grand style. She was very happy when I said it. It took five years but it happened. I was introduced to Kalu Kalu business. You will wonder what that is. It is called gambling in English. An uneducated man introduced me to the business with a stern warning never to play it for whatever reason. I built on it and made it into a big business empire. When I became rich, I went to Sade’s family with my two children. I threw a society wedding as I had promised her and received blessings from her family. Now, my name is reigning but her family name is of past glory. They no longer have money. Sade did a lot for her siblings before she died. Titilayo married me when I was wealthy. She was humble and gentle and I believed she would make an amazing wife and mother to my four children. I didn’t want any more children and I told her. She took care of my children for five years until the last entered the university then she got pregnant for your father. I was angry with her. You manipulated me into having this child. I had promised Sade I would not have children with another woman and Titi made me break my promise to her. She ran away with the pregnancy when I insisted on an abortion. She came back when she had your father. That was when her manipulation began. The school she is running was started by Sade before she took ill and eventually died. It was abandoned and none of her children was interested in it. She reregistered the school under another name and took over the place. The land is mine….”

“But grandpa, grandma took very good care of her stepchildren, they all love her. Unfortunately, she didn’t do right with my father. I pray every day that he recovers from his addiction. I would like to ask questions about my late step-grandma. Did she ever regret marrying you?”

“She never did. She carried the family for years. When I made my first million, I gave it all to her. As I expanded my businesses, she was a director in all of them. Being with her made me be my best. I wanted to give her the best things in life for making such a huge sacrifice for me. I loved her until her death. No other woman ever appealed to me when she was alive. I lived solely for her.”

“Do you think she appreciated the wealth you acquired and continued acquiring? I ask this because she sounds like a woman who was in love and would have remained happy with you if you were still a teacher”

There was silence in the room as Chief Rotimi stared at his granddaughter. “Why did she sound so much like Sade?” He wondered. Truly Sade wasn’t interested in the material wealth but wanted him to spend more time with her and the children. Unfortunately, he could only do this until when she was critically ill. He regretted not making more beautiful memories with her while he pursued riches. He couldn’t find Sade in other women but Titi was the only one who came close. When she showed her true colours he knew he had made a terrible mistake.

“We have had enough discussion for one night. You are right, Sade wanted to spend more time with me. I promise you today, I will spend more time discussing with you. Whatever your heart compels you to do, go ahead and do it. I will allow you to marry whoever you choose to marry; this is my promise to you. Nobody can stop you from marrying the one you choose”

“Thank you, grandpa. That’s all I need to hear. I love you” She hugged him and retired for the night. She thought about Sade before she dozed off. She dreamt about her.

After she left, Chief Rotimi pulled out a picture of Sade he had in his drawer. He said to the picture “I would have sworn this girl is your offspring if not I am sure you were gone before either her mother or father was born. She is wise above her age and fearless. She is you. She reincarnated you”

As he looked at the picture he remembered when she said to him, “You know I am not beautiful. Yes, I have a nice figure but facially I am not all that. Now you are making money, beautiful women in face and body will surround you. They will want to have their way with you. No matter what you do, do not bring a bastard home. I can forgive any atrocity except bringing a rival to compete with your children.” He promised her he wouldn’t be with any other woman and he kept his promise until her demise. Now he had given her children a rival in the form of a drug addict. He would always blame Titi for what she did. He hadn’t had conjugal relations with her since the conception of Gbenga. She betrayed him and he believed he owed her no loyalty.

The years went by pretty fast. PB had observed changes in her home. When she entered senior class, her mother stopped teaching in her grandmother’s school. She didn’t tell PB why she stopped but had to get a job elsewhere. The salary in the new place was less than what she was earning. She was employed as the administrative manager. After about a year, the School Administrator of the school retired and there was an opening.
She applied for the positing sighting her many years’ experience as vice-principal administration and competence in academic performance of the children. She also had the required academic qualifications. The board was impressed by her. They conducted tests for shortlisted candidates and she performed above the bar. She also did very well in the interview. She was made the School Administrator. She earned almost double what PB’s grandmother paid.

Seun kept her elevated status a secret for some time until grandmother found out from another source. Titilayo tried to tarnish Seun image so she would lose the job but it didn’t work. She was accused of theft and encouraging examination malpractice but it couldn’t be backed up with proof. What she did next was to send Gbenga to the school to harass her. It wasn’t business as usual. Seun expected this and had given security his picture and warned them never to allow him into the school. The security never allowed him into the school premises. He was arrested and detained three times. His mother had to bail him out on three occasions. Titi openly fought Seun.

“How do I please you? You asked me to resign from the job as you couldn’t afford to pay me anymore and I did. I didn’t tell Chief anything. I found a new job and I got elevated but still, you wouldn’t let me rest. What did I do to you? You sent Gbenga to constitute a nuisance at my new place of work so I will be fired but I was ahead of you. If he comes to the school, he will be arrested. This job I have gives me the most satisfaction I have had in years and nothing can take it away from me. If you harass me too much, I will tell Chief and move out of this house”

“Ashawo! What else will you do? You want to share his bed, abi? Go now! You are unwise. Tell Chief and let’s see what happens. If you ever mention anything to Chief, your daughter will meet your dead body hanging from the ceiling”

“I don’t need to tell Chief, I will just move out with my child. I can afford to live on my own now. The days I didn’t have a choice but to stay here are over. No one can force me to stay”

“If you leave, you will leave Precious behind. She is Gbenga’s only child. You can’t give her to another man when her father is still alive. Gbenga is still alive. Once you leave here, you can’t come back again”

“Iya Gbenga, that thing you think you know, you don’t know anything. I will stay here for my daughter. When next Gbenga comes to harass me in the school or anywhere else, he will live to regret it. You and my daughter will be in tears”

“God forbid”

“Then maintain your lane. I have not disrespected or fought you. I am not interested in your husband or your money. I earn very well now and can take very good care of my daughter. I will remove her from Prestige and bring her to my school so she can continue her education where I can afford”

“You cannot remove her from Prestige. She is Gbenga’s only child and she will have the best education. Her grandfather has already paid her fees until she finishes. Unless you want to take the money ….”

“I don’t need the money; I just don’t need favours from here. I have said what I have said. Warn Gbenga to stay away from me. I am not that eighteen-year-old girl he took advantage of; I am a full-grown woman with a fourteen-year-old daughter. If he comes anywhere close to me, it will be a disaster for both of us”

This quarrel turned the home into a battleground. Titi was shocked at the audacity of Seun who was also shocked at her confidence. She wished she could divorce Gbenga and move on with her life but Precious was her main concern. She is the reason she remained in the house.