Too Precious

Too precious episode 50 – finale

TITLE: TOO PRECIOUS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 50

Allen’s health was at top gear in a short time. So did his relationsh¡p with people. He decided to settle every misunderstanding he had with people and seek forgiveness from those he suspects he might have offended. He didn’t know what caused his illness but he knew it was the love of a father towards his child that made him better. He recalled how Chief made peace with his family and everyone before leaving this earth. He desired the same from himself.

When he discussed it with PB, she bought into the idea but she added she will also not agree for her rights to be trampled on. Her apology shouldn’t present itself as a weakness; she wasn’t weak. She believed she didn’t have enemies and has treated everybody fairly.

Titi was just as adamant as PB. She said she would never forgive Gbenga’s wife for what she did to her when she stayed with them. She claimed she experienced wickedness of a different degree. She said Gbenga is now a weakling. She believed Gbenga will do better with a Nigerian wife. She wanted to marry a wife for Gbenga so they could have children in Nigeria. PB reminded her how she treated Seun. She reaped the wickedness she sowed in the past. But God has forgiven her now.

Allen went with PB to ask Ope and Niyi for forgiveness if they had offended. Both of them assured them they were not offended in any way and they were welcome to stay any time they want. This was surprising to the couple.

Ope and Niyi had promised themselves never to be at loggerheads with PB. It was obvious, to them, that she had a pact with their father concerning the house. What they witnessed scared them. How can Allen who was brought to the house half dead be fully recovered after staying in their father’s room? They believed their father belonged to a cult and initiated PB instead of any of them as compensation for not being her father for many years. They still didn’t understand why Chief loved PB above all of them.

Unfortunately, Gbenga called his mother very early one morning to inform her his wife was gravely ill. She had a terminal disease. Titi went sober. She travelled to be with Gbenga and the children while the woman received treatment.

Gbenga’s wife was worried Gbenga would relapse. She begged him not to for the sake of the children. She asked Titi to please watch Gbenga so he doesn’t. Gbenga was broken. Titi was helpless; she didn’t know how to help her son. She stayed in the house for five months tending to the children and also to Gbenga and his wife.

A strange scenario happened when Titi went to see her daughter-in-law in the hospital. She said to Titi, “I know you are happy this is happening to me; you will say it is karma but it is not. I have always known I had this disease and I also knew it would take my life once it progresses. I wanted to be with a man who will do my bidding, have children with me and also love and protect me. I got that. He shared the story of how you treated his other wife and daughter; I was prepared for you when you came. Maybe I overdid it a little bit, you deserved it. I will not allow you to treat me the way you treated your other daughter-in-law. I have been given only a few more months to live. I know what to expect. It will affect Gbenga greatly and I don’t want him to relapse. Go back to Nigeria, marry a wife for him and bring her here. Once I approve of her, I want you to teach her how to take care of our children and also Gbenga. Don’t look at me like that; Gbenga is no saint. One thing though, I want a woman who can’t have children. And, don’t tell Gbenga anything. The children will be at my friend’s place for the holiday while you go hunting for a wife.”

Titi was perplexed by the woman. She had thought everything through. She called her son-in-law Allen to ask his opinion being a man. Did he think Gbenga would accept another woman?

“She will be a distraction from the hurt and the pain. It is way better than his relapsing into taking drugs again.”

She came back to Nigeria. She went to the village in search of a beautiful young maiden without a womb. Everyone laughed at her conditions especially not having a womb but she knew if the word went out, the right person would come to her.

Two weeks in the village, a girl came from the city. Wura had a body shape any man will desire. She wasn’t tall but she was well proportioned. She was also attractive facially. What made Titi very happy was that she was educated to the university level. She was married for three years, the marriage ended because it was confirmed she couldn’t have children. She had a defect; her uterus wasn’t fully developed. She was a five year old child in,side. This was what Titi was looking for.

She showed Wura a picture of Gbenga and his family. She told her the agreement she had with Gbenga’s wife to get a wife for her husband. She told her what was expected of her and if she fulfilled them, she would pay her dowry and get them legally married when the wife dies.

Wura was tired of the peanuts she earned on the job she had. She was also fed up with men wanting to take advantage of her. This was a golden opportunity for her. Her husband had a child while they were still married and another after they separated. He knew she was struggling after being a housewife for three years. He came to her for s€× before he helps her pay her rent and other expenses. She told him the last time he came and dropped the stipend for her that she would never give him access to her body again. He told her she wanted to be a pr-stitute that was why she left his house forgetting his family sent her away when her infertility was discovered. Well, she is going for international ‘runs’. She was ready to sed-ce this mama’s son and take over once the wife is no more. She had started planning in her head how humble she will be so she will be accepted.

When she came to Allen’s house in Lagos for her international passport, she almost fainted. She had never entered a house like this before in her life. The room she was given spooked her; it was too fine for her to stay in comfortably. She stayed on after her passport was out so she could apply for her visa. Gbenga’s wife sent all the required doc-mentation for her visa processing.

Wura helped out in the house. She didn’t need to pretend to be humble, the house humbled her by force. PB told her to learn how to use the gadgets in the kitchen and also how to cook some foreign food. She learnt how to use household appliances and developed cooking skills that baffled her.

When she went for the interview, she remembered all that was rehearsed and put in her best. She wasn’t dull after all. She was granted the visa. The entire process took almost three months. Immediately the visa was out, they left Nigeria.

Gbenga was at the airport to pick them up. She had told Wura what to wear when they were travelling. When Gbenga saw her, just like other men, he couldn’t take his eyes off her body. Titi knew they had gotten him where they wanted him.

Titi made Wura change into a shapeless dress when they went to see Gbenga’s wife. Gbenga’s wife was pleased when she saw her. She told her what her husband liked and didn’t like. She talked to her about each of her children. She told her where things were in the house for her to easily locate them because she would be left alone when she dies and Gbenga is in mourning. His mother would be the shoulder he would have to cry on. Wura wrote everything she said down. She assured her to she will help take care of the home. Titi had warned her never to mention taking over. She should sound as though she was brought to help the household of a sick woman.

Gbenga asked his mother why she brought Wura, she explained to him his wife needed help in the house that will get accustomed to the running of the home. “I will not be here for much longer, I will have to go back to Nigeria. Who will help you with a sick wife?”

“I can manage on my own. This girl is a distraction to me. I want to focus on my wife, please send her away.”

“What did she do? She is just here to help.”

“I am not in the right frame of mind to have a woman in the house with me. Remember Seun; I don’t want a repeat. If I don’t do drugs, I will do women. She is a woman.”

“I will tell her to stay away from you so you wouldn’t be tempted. In short, I will take her to a friend’s place to stay. You have to be home to tend to the children.”

“My wife fears I will relapse that’s why she brought this girl. I won’t. Tell the girl to stay away from me. If not, I will use her and still send her away. I will send her away after I have had her. Did you hear me? Don’t try me.”

Titi asked Wura to lay low when Gbenga was around. She assured her they will win in the end but they can’t lose at the beginning of the game. She was to tend only to the children and that was it.

Gbenga too lashed out at his wife. He told her he knew she brought the girl to the house so he doesn’t sleep with girls that do drugs and be introduced to it again. He told her to call it off as he is not interested in anything except her full recovery.

Five weeks after Titi and Wuraola arrived, Gbenga called his mother in the middle of the night to announce the death of his wife. Titi called PB, Ope, Niyi, Enitan and Seun. PB and Allen went to join them two days later. The others came a few days to her funeral. Gbenga wept. PB and Seun had never seen him so heartbroken before.

Seun spoke with Gbenga offering her condolences. Gbenga asked her again for her forgiveness and also requested for her to reconsider him as he was now single and had been clean.

Seun reminded him she had gotten married to another man. She wished him well and assured him everything will be ok. Seun quickly left his side and came to tell Titi. Titi told her the plans on the ground made by his wife. Seun was relieved; she was scared she was lured there to be with Gbenga.

It took a while but eventually, Wura was able to pull down the walls surrounding Gbenga’s heart. He fell for her hærd. This was the opportunity Wura had been waiting for. A year after his wife’s death, Gbenga came back to Nigeria to legally marry Wura. Wura had listened to the advice given to her by Titi. She treated Gbenga’s children as though they were hers. They loved her so much. Gbenga wasn’t left out. He didn’t feel the absence of his wife because Wura did everything she was taught.

Wura went back to where she lived with her former husband to drop invitation cards for him and their neighbours. Those that saw her were surprised at how much she had changed and she was chauffeur driven. They told her ex-husband. They all prepared to travel for the wedding.

The wedding was very beautiful. Titi spared no expense as her only son got married to a woman approved by her. It was a very beautiful wedding. Gbenga was happy, his children were excited and Wura had her story rewritten.

Her ex-husband and her former neighbours that attended the wedding couldn’t believe their eyes. Wura was marrying into the Adeoye family. Her ex-husband had been looking for her. She didn’t disclose to anyone she was abroad. She wanted to achieve her mission before carrying her shoulder high. He couldn’t come to her or even talk to her. They were not on the same level again.

Wura’s joy was Gbenga accepting her without a womb. He didn’t ask her, she told him. He told her never to think of having more children as he is done. She was a stepmother and decided to be a great one.

The story continues from here but they were happy tales.

Engineer Collins is still alive and well. His wife remained with her lover but also played the role of a wife when she visits her husband without intimacy.

Samson and his wife were very happy together. The children visited as often as they could. They refused to relocate to live with their father permanently when he brought it up. Allen, Pb and Titi’s home was their home.

PB’s siblings no longer stood as an obstacle in her way. They treated her with respect which she reciprocated. Even Enitan began to build a relationsh¡p with PB as sisters.

Elvis never came back to Nigeria. His father accused him of plotting his death so he would come back to bury him. Elvis wasn’t interested. He was ready to fly anyone to see him if they wanted to.

PB and Allen lived together happily with Titi. Titi visited with Gbenga for three months in a year and that was it. She was always around to tend to her great-grandchildren as she called them.

Behind every smile, there is always a story.

The end…..

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