Three generations episode 39

TITLE: THREE GENERATIONS

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

CHAPTER 39

Paul went to Nwanneka’s faculty in search of her. He asked her coursemates he ran into but she was not in school. Finally, he found Priye.

“Where is Nikky?”

“You mean Nwanneka? She went home. She wasn’t feeling well. She won’t be back until the end of the week”

“Do you know where she stays?”

“I don’t know.”

“How do I contact her?”

“I will let her know you came to see her”

“This is my complimentary card, please give it to her. Tell her to please call me. Convince her to call me”

“Ok”

He went back to the hotel. Anne was awake and was obviously angry with her. His colleagues had left for Warri. He greeted her and began to pack his things.

“Where were you?” she asked him.

“I went to see the girl you embarrassed yesterday. I went to apologise to her. Any other question?”

“What has come over you, Paul? What’s special about her that you abandoned me here to go after her”

“I didn’t abandon you, you were fast asleep. I had to see her to apologise; I would have done the same to you. So, please drop this act” he replied while still packing.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m going back to Warri. The training is over”

“But you said you would spend another week here for work. That’s why I took my leave to be with you”

“I changed my mind. I am going back to Warri. Get ready so we leave together or you want to stay here for another week?”

“Paul you’ve changed. This girl is trouble. We had our plans before you came here. What’s happening? You are no longer my Paul”

“I’ll be downstairs. If you don’t come down in ten minutes, I will leave you”

Paul was very upset. He felt terrible not seeing Nwanneka. He should have gotten enough information about her before this happened. How would he see her? He had to wait for the weekend to see her again. He wasn’t happy about it and blamed Anne for it.

Anne knew Paul meant every word he said. She packed up and joined him downstairs. The trip to Warri was a very quiet one. As they arrived, he drove to her house. He helped take her bag to the door.

“I thought I would stay with you”

“I need to be alone for some time”

“You are going back to Port-Harcourt? Paul, you can’t disrespect me like that. Because a girl you just met you want to throw how many years of courtsh¡p away. Don’t try that with me. That I love you doesn’t make me stupid”

“This exactly what I don’t need right now. Bye Anne” and he drove off.

Anne was angry at the change in his behaviour. Because of a girl, he was behaving as though she was nothing to him. She had to monitor him so he doesn’t go looking for the girl.

Nwanneka had to come from home to school. Uncle Onyedika’s condition had taken a turn for the worse. Her mother had gone to bring the children to Port-Harcourt while treatment continued. She had to sleep at home to make sure the children were fine as her mother had to go back to Lagos to be with auntie Uloma.

Also, the hostel reminded her of Paul and she didn’t want the reminder. Priye had given her the card he dropped for her but she just threw it into her bag without looking at it. Priye knew there was a fire on the mountain but since Nwanneka refused to say anything, she let it be.

Paul went to Port-Harcourt on Sunday to see Nwanneka. He bribed the porter to check for Nwanneka in her room. She informed him Nwanneka hadn’t been to the hostel all week and she was coming from the home. He stayed back in Port-Harcourt to see her in the faculty the next day.

Nwanneka couldn’t believe her eyes when she turned in response to her name being called. Paul was standing right behind her. Her first instinct was to walk away but she knew he would come after her and attract attention. She allowed him to catch up.

“We need to talk,” Paul said to her.

“I have a class in 30 minutes. Will twenty minutes be sufficient for the conversation?”

“I will wait for your classes to end. We can have lunch and talk. Will that be ok?”

“Once classes are over I will be going home. I won’t have time to discuss for a long time after lunch”

“I will take you home. We will talk on the way”

“My driver is picking me up.”

“Nikky, don’t make this difficult for me. I offended you and I want to apologise and explain everything to you”

“Apology accepted. I’m sorry but I would appreciate it if you leave me alone. I have less than two months to roundup; you are a distraction right now. And, I am too young to fight with another woman over a man. The lady obviously loves you and would do anything to be with you. I have seen lives get ruined due to jealousy and I won’t be a part. Also, I will not be your mistress. I thought you were single that was why I allowed the intEr×¢tions but you are not. I accept your apology but it ends here and now”

Paul looked at Nikky. She didn’t sound like a twenty-three-year-old. She talked with so much wisdom and ass**tion that he knew she was the one. His heart yearned for her. He also knew any wrong move and he would lose her. He had to control himself and also speak with wisdom.

“If she is not in the picture and I am not involved with any other woman, would you consider me? I want to put my house in order, do away with some of my vices before finally approaching you for a serious relationsh¡p. Will you consider me then?”

“Until then” she replied smiling for the first time. “I am not making any promises but if we both don’t have baggage, we consider it”

“I want to take you to lunch for the last time. I won’t force but do it for the friendsh¡p we shared. I will not bother you again until we are both ready”

Nwanneka looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them. She knew how often she spoke to herself in preparation for this meeting but Paul had a way of breaking down her defences. He did it today with his sincerity. She agreed. “I will be free by 2pm. My driver will pick me up by 4pm. We can talk then”

“Thank you. I will see you at 2pm”

Paul was outside when she came out by 2pm. She was talking to Priye as she was walking out. He observed how other students looked at her especially her backside and h¡ps. Even though they were properly covered, it still showed. No one dear catcall or approach her which made him believe the stories he had heard.

He wove to her and she joined him after bidding Priye bye. They went into town to a seafood restaurant. Paul ordered native soup and onunu for them to eat. The food was very delicious and filling. After the meal, Paul asked Nikky to walk with him by the water. The walked in silence for a few minutes and then they took a bench and sat down.

“I never wanted to hurt you Nikky. I fell in love with you the moment I met you. I was going to leave Anne for you; I had made up my mind. But then this happened. I swear I was going to tell you about her that night. I feel bad the way the wh0le thing happened”

“Why did you want to leave her for me? How long have you been with her?”

“We’ve been together for almost three years. To answer your first question, I don’t know”

“Three years? Did you want to end a three-year relationsh¡p? What was her offence? She is a beautiful lady, why dump her for me?”

“Nothing. She didn’t offend me except for some occasional craziness she exhibits but we are good. I haven’t been the best boyfriend but she forgives me when I misbehave. It’s you, Nikky. Ever since I met you my perspective about so many things have changed. Apart from your body, I am crazy in love with your mind. We have had the most stimulating and educative discussions compared to all the girls I have ever had encounters with combined. You have your future career well defined and you’re self-driven which s astonishing. Anne, I’m not degrading her, is comfortable being a casual staff of the refinery. It is the same job her parents have done for many years. I have asked her to go back to school and get a more fulfilling position but because she is in a department where she makes money; she doesn’t want to leave. Meanwhile, I have shown her the income of permanent staff in the refinery but she still won’t budge. Wait, I’m not saying this to cajole you to change your mind, I will do as I promised; I will put my act together before I approach you again. You have blown my mind and I want to be worthy of you.”

Nwanneka had made up her mind she wouldn’t be swayed by her emotions when she eventually comes face to face with Paul but now she knew she was vulnerable. He had a hold on her which she had to consciously control. She didn’t respond, instead, she asked that they leave for school.

“I don’t want to leave you yet. Stay a bit more with me. I won’t contact you until you are ready so let me savour this last moment with you until then. We still have twenty minutes.”

Nwanneka knew staying any longer wasn’t a good idea as the environment was getting tensed but she couldn’t refuse him. So she stayed. They talked some more about other things and then she insisted they left. They drove back to the university. He parked a little distance from the faculty and then turned to Nwanneka.

“Can I get a hug and peck before you go? We won’t be able to do that in front of your faculty. I want a hug you. Last time”

“Please just drop me off. I don’t think it is a good idea”

Paul came down from the care and walked to Nwanneka’s side of the car. He opened the door and held out his hand for her to step out. It was a secluded area but even then, Nwanneka was conscious. She took his hand and came down.

Paul pulled her close to him and gave her a peck. And then another. When he gave her a third peck she tried to wriggle out of his embrace. He whispered in her ears, “I love you, always remember that. Stop struggling, I just want to k-ss you and I promise I will let you go” She still struggled but he held her face with his right hand while holding her tightly with his left and then he k-ssed her. Initially, she didn’t respond but the sensual feeling overcame her just as it did Paul and they had their first k-ss. It lingered until they heard a vehicle coming towards that corner, they both stopped. Nwanneka got into the car quickly as the vehicle came really close while Paul had to org-nize himself before going to the driver’s seat.

They drove to the faculty in silence. When they arrived, she said to him, “Thank you for lunch and your time. It was fun knowing you. If you want my honest opinion, Anne is a good lady. Help her become a better person. Make her go back to school and become a permanent staff by threatening to leave her. Propel her to have big dreams and help her achieve them. She loves you more than I can ever love. I won’t forgive cheating. She tolerates your excesses which I won’t. Go and work out your relationsh¡p with her. We cannot be. I’m sorry” She came down from his car and walked to the Mercedes Benz V-boot parked not too far from his car. She took the back seat and the driver started the car. Truly this girl had some class. She didn’t look his way while they drove her.

Paul was unhappy with her last words. He wanted to follow them but decided against it. In his heart, he knew how he felt about her. He understood she didn’t believe his professing of love for her but it was true. He didn’t want to lose her. At the same time, she was right. They needed the break for both of them to get their act together. He drove back to Warri that evening downcast but hopeful.

Nwanneka reminisced about the k-ss on her way home. She enjoyed it so much that tears dropped from her eyes knowing it would be her first and last k-ss with him. She liked him; he was the most daring guy to come after her and she loved it. But, he had a woman who loved him and would be hurt if she takes him from her. She felt he would be better off improving Anne who tolerates his excesses than her who won’t.

Tbc