Too precious episode 5

TITLE: TOO PRECIOUS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 5

The following week, Hope brought her daughter to stay with her best friend. The two of them were excited to be together again. There was a cook in the house at their beck and call. Chief Rotimi had instructed the cook to meet PB and PY’s every need when it comes to food. The cook went shopping to stuck the house in preparation for PY’s coming.

The first night was fun. Chief Rotimi bought a new television for their bedroom with a decoder so they could watch television until they were tired. He also gave them money to spend as they so desired.

PB grandmother wasn’t happy about the new development. She had completely lost grip of her household. It took the intervention of Chief’s children to stop Chief from taking the school from her. He doesn’t speak to her anymore. She believed that Precious had turned her husband against her. She had tried harassing the girl as she did to her mother but the girl would laugh and walk away without saying a word. She couldn’t dare strike her as Chief has threatened to send her packing if she dared lifted a hand on Precious for whatever reason. She didn’t want to fall out with him. All she could do was insult and curse them and it didn’t seem to move them anymore.

Now, there was a stranger in her house and her husband was making the stranger extra comfortable. She was tired of being relegated to the background especially in the life of her granddaughter but there was little or nothing she could do.

Patrick and Simon came to visit them in the house. They were quite impressed when they came in and were even more thrilled when they were served a sumptuous meal. They talked at length. At 5 pm, the boys declared they were leaving. They asked the girls why they didn’t have mobile phones. There wasn’t any reason. They had land phones at home and didn’t see the need for the mobile. The boys encouraged them to get for easier communication.

That night, PB mentioned it to her grandfather. They had seen the phones of boys and wanted something that sleek. This was the first time PB was asking for something a bit expensive. He liked the fact she was beginning to appreciate the good things of life. He believed she was influenced by her best friend PY. The next day, two of the latest and sleekest mobile phones were delivered to them at home. They both couldn’t believe their eyes. They were even sleeker than those of the boys.

Chief Rotimi took the girls out one afternoon before PY went back home as he was travelling for the weekend and wouldn’t be around when she goes. They had a buffet lunch at the Sheraton hotel. They enjoyed themselves.

Patrick and Simon came to visit on a Saturday. They took the girls to a Chinese restaurant to have lunch. The boys were very well dressed and asked the ladies to do the same. They both wore beautiful black dresses and shoes. They looked beautiful with a touch of makeup.

As they enjoyed their lunch, they talked as different couples. PB wasn’t into Patrick but because she wanted PY to have a bit of experience before going to school, she played along.

After lunch, they stood up and left as couples. Suddenly they heard someone call out, “Precious”. They both turned to see who it was and PY wanted the ground to open and swallow her. It was her father, Engineer Collins Okoli.

“What are you doing here?” he asked PY.

“I came to have lunch with PB and her friends”

“Who permitted you to come here?”

“Mother. PB was at our house for a week and I came to her for another week”

“So, who are these boys?”

PB spoke up at this point. “They are my friends and approved for this outing by my mother and grandfather. Our car with a driver is waiting for us here. They have been very respectful to us.”

At that moment, a lady came to meet PY’s father. She said to him, “Why did you run off like that. I had to leave my bag with the waiters to come out and look for you”

He turned to her and said sternly, “Go back in,side, I will join you soon”. She looked at him strangely and went back in,side. He then turned to PB and PY. “Go back to her house, pack your things and wait for me to pick you up. You are going back home today”

“Why? What did she do wrong that you are sending her back home?” PB asked.

“You want her to be defiled as you have and I will not tolerate it. She is going home”

“Ok, dad. I spoke with mum today and she never mentioned you are in Lagos. Why are you here instead of the house? I thought you said you hated all these continental foods except our traditional foods, why are you eating Chinese food? Mummy needs to know you eat all this food after all”

“Is this what you taught my daughter?” he asked PB. “She has never spoken to me in this manner before. Are you threatening me? You know you can’t do that. Your mother can never question me on my choices; she is a woman. Whatever you desire to tell her, feel free but you are going home with me. Let’s go”

PY went home with her father a day earlier than planned. She couldn’t challenge her father further and he had the edge. She didn’t mention to her mother what she saw. Her father claimed to be travelling back to Port-Harcourt but PB still ran into him at a supermarket in Ikeja with the same lady. She greeted him and walked away. She found his double standard amusing. The girl he was with was less than half his age as she got a better look at her. He wanted his daughter to remain a V-rgin when she gets married; what of the girl he was with?

She mentioned this to PY and they laughed about it. PY said her mother wouldn’t have done anything about it. “I feel sorry for her. I noticed she has been very lonely since my father hærdly comes back and when he does, he stays for only a few days before he is off again. When Allen complained, she told him our father was experiencing a midlife crisis. My mother hasn’t been happy for a long time. I wish she could”

“Take a cue from her situation. If you marry someone solely for status, this is what will happen to you. He will abandon you to be with another woman”

“My husband will not abandon me. He will love me as much as I love him.”

“That’s my prayer for you. I can’t wait for grandpa to come back and share this with him”

“You are so lucky to have someone to talk to. I have no one. My mother doesn’t ever look in the mood to have a one on one conversation with her. She is like a machine. I can’t wait for my admission”

“Are you sure your father’s relationsh¡ps with other ladies isn’t affecting your mother?”

“I don’t know and I really don’t care. My father doesn’t know about the phone and I have been talking to Simon. He wants us to meet up but I can’t go out on my own, my mother would not allow me. How do I see him?”

“Why do you want to see him? I thought you were not interested in boys. Don’t you want to still keep your V-rginity?”

“Why are you making jest of me? I like Simon and I would like to get to know him. What happened to Patrick?”

“He isn’t my type but we are friends. Simon is smitten by you. I think he genuinely likes you and he is from a rich family”

“My father has chosen my future husband. I want to be friends with Simon. Help me with ideas to escape my mum”

“Start swimming classes to watch your weight. Both of you will meet up at the pool to hang out. You can tip the driver so you can hang out longer with Simon”

“This makes sense. There is an indoor pool where Elvis learnt how to swim. I will tell Simon about it. Tipping the driver will be a problem because I don’t have money”

“Simon has, he should tip him”

“I should ask him to tip him?”

“Make the plans with Simon, he knows what to do”

Simon claimed to be in love with PY. He was travelling to the UK for his first degree in Economics. His father was a one-time Military Administrator and business mogul. Simon was his first son and third child; he had a younger brother. He was from Edo state.

Simon wanted to spend more time with PY but it was proving almost impossible. Since PY couldn’t stay with PB anymore, there was no escape for them. This was the only way.

It worked. Before PY and her family travelled on vacation, she had seen Simon almost every day and they bonded. Simon was a nice guy. She had her first k-ss with him and they shared cuddles. It didn’t go beyond that because he was a gentleman and he believed what he felt for her was real. He was in love.

PY in excitement shared the experience of her first k-ss with PB. “I never knew it would make me feel this way. He was gentle and subtle. He wrapped his arms around me when it was getting intense. He knew I was inexperienced so he led. I’m crazy about this guy”

“This is your first boyfriend, there will be many more before you eventually get married”

“Many more? I just want Simon”

‘What of the boy you are betrothed to?”

“I wish I can get my dad to meet with Simon and get to know him. He will be resuming in September. Since I still have a long wait before admissions, I planned to stay back in the UK longer. I have told my mum. I will stay with her sister. My cousins are grown and don’t live at home. I can plan with them to spend more time with Simon”

“I don’t think it is a good idea. A week or two extra is fine. I don’t want you doing things with him you will end up regretting. In the heat of your saliva exchange, things can happen. I’m just saying. Let him know you want to keep your V-rginity until marriage; it’s important”

“I can’t stay without him. I love him. I know I have only known him for a short while but this is real. I……”

“PY, your father would never agree to this your love. Know this and know peace. I would advise you, enjoy yourself while it lasts. Keep your V-rginity intact. Go ahead to become a world-renowned psychiatrist. Learn to love who you eventually marry”

“Why psychiatry?”

“I thought you wanted to go for a lucrative arm of medicine. We checked together and saw psychiatry as an option and it will give you time to be a mother. We agreed I will specialize in litigation law. We discussed this”

“Yeah, we did. I didn’t take it seriously then. Now, that will be my focus. But then, my father wants me married by the time I am twenty-two; wouldn’t my husband be the one to choose for me?”

“Why? Is he the one with the purpose? Is he the one going to practice it? You will tell him what you want to be before getting married”

“You are right. I will discuss with Simon, he might be the guy I will be marrying” PB laughed at her joke.