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******
(Joseph)
I gaze in awe because words found
it hard to leak out from her mouth. This woman is truly a God sent. Lucky is a
special woman and I will hold her dearly in my soul forever. I know my heart tells me she is the one for me
and we are destined to be together. I want her to be the mother of my unborn
children and I will make that happen, no matter what. I will put more effort
and work more so that I can be able to take good care of her and our future.
“I am still waiting for you to say
something.” Lucky said and moved a little bit closer.
I could hear her breathing and her
grey eyes were alluring.
She whispered to me in a silky
voice. “I love you Joseph.”
“I love you too.” I said it back
to her. Lucky had a great and extraordinary effect on me. What I sense whenever
I am in her presence seems so intense, yet very warm. I wanted to hold her, but
held back. I had no intention to make her upset.
“Kiss me,” she muttered and
enthused to brush her glossy lips again mine a little. We concentrated into
each other’s eyes and I felt like we were in our own universe alone together.
As long as we have chosen to be lovers, it will be forever. We peered a little
longer before I engrossed every corner of her buttered lips with my full mouth
and her watery tongue crossed inside. The fragrance of her silky hair
maneuvered into my nostril. We kissed deeper and ate each other lips like a
hungry lion. I wanted her all to myself. I craved for this woman to be by my
side for eternity.
I know I am from a Christian home
and should wait for a kiss or sex after marriage but she was tempting. Her soft
and smooth skin enticed me. My mother still believes that a matured man like me
is still a virgin. I know she had preached against premarital sex to me but I
could not keep that devotion, the sin took over my flesh but ever since I
walked out on my last relationship, I stop being intimate with a woman.
We had to let go the moment we
heard the sound of Sister Theresa’s car. Lucky dazzled one of her charming
smiles at me.
I smiled back and tapped her
mildly on her nose. “I love your nose.”
I have never felt this kind of
emotion before. I thought I fell in love in my first relationship in the past,
I am sure that should have been a crush. This was different. It was love.
I call it an Unbreakable love.
I took her by the hand and we
whisked back to the living room. My mother entered through the entrance door
and she was not in her best happy facial look. Lucky greeted her and she
answered her well, but I suspected something was wrong.
“You are welcome,” she said to my
beautiful princess. “I hope you have eaten?”
“Yes ma.” she said excitedly. “You
really taught Joseph how to cook fantastically.”
“I am happy he treated you nicely
before I came home. I hope you went to church?”
“Yes ma.”
“Good.” Mom said and looked at me.
“I need some rest.”
“Your food is ready.”
“Thank you son but I don’t think I
have appetite to eat, maybe later. I hope you did not put any snail inside the
food you prepared?”
“Joseph loves snail?” Lucky asked.
I scratched the top of my head.
She glanced at Lucky. ”Yes. He
likes it a lot.”
“I used beef this time.” I finally
said to her.
“That’s better,” she said and
glanced back at Lucky again. “You are free to come here anytime. I have to go
to bed now.”
“Thank you very much ma. I really
appreciate it.” She opened her arms and hugged Sister Theresa. She left the
both of us and we sat down side by side on the only longest sofa.
“I want to know about you Lucky.”
I said to her.
She crossed her legs and dropped
her hand on my right lap. “I also want to know more about you too.”
“I told you I don’t know my real parents.”
“I don’t care because you did not
choose this for yourself. I hope you know it is not your fault they abandoned
you. They were the one that lost a good man. A child they should have been
proud of.”
My eyes started to get wet. No one
has ever said such sweet and inspiring words to me. “Thank you.”
“I think I am already getting
tired of the thank you, you say to me. Don’t you get tired?”
I laughed and cleaned my eyes. I
said to her. “No. I’m just like you. You don’t ever get tired of smiling.”
The smile on her well-shaped lips enlarged.
I leaned forward and kissed her. She licked her lips in a seductive way.
“You are very beautiful and I
wonder what you saw in a man like me.”
She gave me a look. “I see a good
man and that is enough for me.”
“What can I offer you Lucky? You
are rich and I am not. What can I possibly give to you that is more than what
you already have?”
“You.”
“What?” I asked puzzled.
“Forget about my status. What is wealth
without love and happiness? All I desire is you and I believe when you will
give me your commitment, trust and love. All I want is you and the only thing I
beg of you is never to break my heart. I will not be able to handle it.”
“I can never break your heart. I
should be the one asking you not to break mine. I love you Lucky.”
“And I love you too Joseph.”
I sighed. “Sister Theresa saw me
inside a basket in front of her church many years ago. Ever since then, she offered
to take good care of me.”
“She did a good job.”
I told her about my educational
background and the place I worked as an accountant.
“What about your past
ex-girlfriends?” she inquired.
I told her of my past
relationships. I narrated how my last girlfriend behaved, how she wanted to
control my life, wanted me to leave Sister Theresa, and move into her house.
“She should not have asked you for
that. Anyways, that’s all gone.”
“What about you?” I enquired.
“I thought I was going to get
married to my last boyfriend. If I had done that, he would have turned me into
his punching bag. I have tried to be faithful, good but it wasn’t good enough.
Those men wanted more from me. They wanted more time to spend with them, more
money, and material things. I can be generous if I want to but you don’t have
to force me. The issue that made me and my first boyfriend to break up was
because of my closeness with my brother.”
“Really?” I asked dazed.
“Yes. He said I loved my brother
more than him and that there are things I should not be discussing with him. He
told me Nathan would advise me wrongly because he was naïve and young. My
brother is twenty-five years old now and he remains my confidant even though we
argue most times. How can I not be close to my only brother? What if I was an
only child, it would have been very lonely.”
I put down my face. I understood.
I know despite Sister Theresa’s effort, sometimes I still feel alone. I might
not even be an only child. What if I truly have sisters and brothers? Even if I
do, I don’t think they will know I exist.
She added, “My grandfather is my
closest friend and I have a new one now and you are that person.”
I tapped the top of her nose
slightly. I really liked doing it to her.
She grinned at me. “Are you ready
to be with me forever?”
“Yes my love, I am ready.”
Lucky removed the smile on her
lips and she rose on her feet and moved three steps forward. She turned her
back at me. “I am not really a strong person. When I love something, I love it
with every inch of my heart. I don’t know why I get so attach to you, and I
am begging you Joseph, don’t ever leave me.”
She sounded as if she wanted to
cry. I stood and stayed behind her. “I will never leave you.”
“I am going to be the new CEO of
TOK company. My father owns it and he will hand over everything to me soon.”
“I have heard of that company
before. I think it is a construction company?”
She rotated and faced me. I saw
tears dripping down. “Yes.”
“But why are you crying? I don’t
understand.”
“Before I met you,” she said in a
croaky voice. “I loved two things dearly. They are my family and the company. I
do not joke with the both of them. My father values his company and he wants to
give me because he thinks I can do a better job and make it grow more. That is
what I intend to do." Finally, Lucky stare into my eyes. “Now, there
is a third. I really want to be the only woman for you and I will love, respect
and honor you. You have found your way into my heart and it will smash to
pieces if you ever leave me.”
I saw fear in her eyes. She
expressed as if she was scared that I would hurt her. I got nearer and raised
her chin up. “Don’t ever think I will hurt you.”
“Then promise me, promise me you
and I are going to be together for eternity. The only thing that can separate
us is death.”
I grabbed her hands to hold
firmly. “I know I may not be able to give you gold, diamond or even silver. I
want you to know that there will be a time, when I will give you anything you
want, even diamond! I promise you my love, heart and soul. What I feel for you
is beyond me, I swear my love for you is real and you are the woman I want to
spend the rest of my life with.”
“Me too Joseph, I feel like I have
known you for a long time. I feel so stupid for professing what I feel.”
“No my love,” I said. “We are drunk
in love.”
We giggled like children. She ran
her full lips on my mouth without prior notice and we kissed again.
“I can’t wait for you to meet my
brother and grandfather. The two of them will love you!”
“I hope so but what about your
parents?”
Lucky took a deep breath. “I don’t
want to lie,” she said. “You are a likeable person but…”
“Say no more. When we get to that
bridge, we will surely cross it my love.”
Lucky gave a broad smile. We went
back to sit down. She wanted water to drink, instead of her to ask, she went to
the kitchen to get herself some. She was down to earth.
Sister Theresa was still in her
room sleeping, Lucky stayed a little longer with me. We chatted, exchanged
contacts and watched a Hollywood movie before she left. She had forgotten she
came with her driver and she apologized for keeping him waiting for long inside
the car. She promised to buy him some food before they go home. We pecked each
other. I hugged Lucky, the woman I was definitely going to marry one day. She
is the one for me.
*****
“Where have you been?” Thelma
asked her daughter Lucky the moment she stepped her foot into the living room.
Nathan was eating an early dinner at the dining table. “Look at the time!”
She looked at her expensive silver
wristwatch. “It’s 5:30pm.”
“You always come home immediately
after church. Where did you go to?”
Lucky raised her eyebrows. “Are
you monitoring me now?”
“All I need is an answer!” her
mother shouted. “Don’t ask me any question.”
“I am not a kid mom and I went to
see my boyfriend!”
“I don’t believe you have one,”
she said hostilely. “You would have told me about him. I know you are doing
this because of Dominic!”
“I cannot marry that man,” she
said in a serious tone. “And if he remains persistent about the marriage
arrangements, I will make him my enemy!”
“You lie! Lucky, I said you lie!!
He has been calling you and you have refused to pick his calls. You will marry
him even if I have to force you to the alter myself!!”
She stared at her mother with a
shocked expression. “You are screaming at me because I refused to pick
Dominic’s calls? Mom, has it gotten like this? Dad said I could be with my
boyfriend if I know he is the one. I know he is the one and I choose him.”
“You don’t have a boyfriend!!”
“What is the meaning of this whole
noise in my household?” Tom Okoye enquired from them as he sauntered into the
sitting room. Nathan looked at the three of them and went back to eat his
remaining food. “Have the two of you decided to turn my house into a market
place?”
“I am sorry dad.” Lucky said and
bow down her head.
“I did not fall,” he said firmly.
“Why the noise Thelma? Your voice woke me up from sleep?”
Thelma apologized. “I am deeply
sorry my darling husband. I am only telling Lucky to be prepared.”
“To be prepared for what?”
“She should be prepared to get
married to Dominic.”
“But I have a boyfriend mom.”
Lucky said in a disturbed tone. “I have a special man in my life.”
“I don’t believe her.” her mom
spoke to her father.
“She has a boyfriend.” Nathan said
and rose to meet them. “I have met him.”
Tom raised his left eyebrow. “Are
you sure?”
“Yes father.”
He took a glance at his daughter.
“Whenever he comes back from his journey, your mother and I will speak to him.”
“That will be done father,” she
said happily. “You will like him.”
He said nothing and moved to the
dinning. He requested for his dinner. Thelma frowned and went into the kitchen.
Nathan winked at his sister and she noiselessly whispered a thank you. Lucky went to her room, pulled off
her clothes and have a warm bath. She went to check on her grandfather. He was
awake and she told him a little about Joseph.
“The most important thing is for
him to be ready to love and take good care of you.” he said to her.
“I don’t know if dad will accept
him. He is an orphan.”
“He is a human being. He did not
fall from the sky, my son your father should not reject him because he is an
orphan. He may be reluctant at first because of his status but one thing I know
your father will never take from you is your happiness. Tom wants his children
to be happy.”
“I can’t wait for you to meet
him.”
“Me too my most treasured.”
Before Lucky went back to her room,
she went to her brother’s room to thank him again for saving her from the claws
of their suppressing mother.
******
At 8pm, Joseph knocked on Sister
Theresa’s door twice before she gave him a response for him to enter. She was
seating on top of her bed. He carried the plastic chair in her room, placed it
in front of her and he sat on it.
“It is getting late,” he said to
her in a concerned tone. “You have not eaten lunch and dinner. Tell me what is
going on.”
She sighed. “Is it obvious?”
“Yes. What is bothering you?”
The nun shook head sympathetically
and looked at him. “I have been selfish and unfair to you.”
“I don’t understand you mother.
You have been kind and good to me.”
“You don’t understand,” she said.
“I should have told you before now but it’s never too late.”
“What is that?”
“It’s never too late to search for
your true family. You need to locate your mother.”
He got up angrily and wandered
around her room. “So this is the reason that you have refused to eat.”
“Father Abraham is right. I should
have advised you to search for her. I know you have a mother because I saw her
in front of the church that day. I doubt she was a member of the church but we
could go to the three hospitals close by and ask them for the records of the
women that gave birth during that period she brought you to the church.”
“What if I don’t want to know?”
“You have to, just do it for the
sake of God. I am sure one of the reasons he spared your life is to look for
her and show her the man that you have become. She will regret ever neglecting
her responsibility. I know favor will locate you very soon. Try and find her.”
“I am not interested.”
“Why? I thought you would like to know
where you are really from.”
“What if I search and at the end
of everything, what I find is not good.”
“Be hopeful my son. Do not think
in a negative way.”
“I have work tomorrow,” he said
dryly. “I will see you in the morning. Goodnight.”
Sister Theresa shook her head. “Good
night.” She pitied Joseph.
******
Lucky called Dominic’s
international number before she said goodbye to the night.
“Why haven’t you been picking my
calls?!” he requested in an imposing tone.
“What is the meaning of the
marriage talk you discussed with my mother?” she asked in a coordinated voice.
She never wanted to speak rudely to him. She still considered him a friend.
“You know I have always loved you
Lucky.”
“I never knew and I don’t want to
know now,” she said. “I will forget about the whole thing when you come back to
Nigeria if you call my parents and tell them you no longer want to marry me.”
“But I want you to be my wife. Our
children will be very brilliant!”
She gave a low laugh. “I value our
childhood memories and friendship. Do not make me regret ever knowing you.”
“This is not the kind of
conversation we should be having on the phone. I am coming back to Nigeria for you
and our future.”
“Look for another woman,” Lucky
said in a cool tone. “I can never marry you.”
She could sense he smiled over the
phone. “You will marry me.” He ended the call.
******
The employees at the TOK
construction company really liked their boss daughter. They heard the rumor
that she will become the owner soon. It was good news to most of them. Lucky
was friendly and playful but whenever it was business time, they do not joke
with her and her moments of bringing more clients, investors and money.
Joseph could not stop thinking of
Lucky in his office. He was all smiles and his coworker he shared an office
with, wondered why the smile all through the day. The new lovers called each
other and texted whenever they were occupied in their respective place of work.
After two weeks of their
relationship, they had a quiet dinner at a restaurant. Lucky appeared happy as
usual and her smile made Joseph shinned his teeth. She was dressed in a pink
and white gown, he wore a blue, and milk coloured stripe shirt and black pants.
They ate salad and chicken, and they toasted with a non-alcoholic wine.
Tom Okoye would ask his only
daughter if her boyfriend was not yet back. She would give excuses that something
important came up. Her father never argued with her. He was simply piling up the
questions for the man she claimed she loved.
******
One week later on a Friday late
afternoon, the two of them were having lunch. They faced each other. When the
waiter served them, Lucky picked out the onions from Joseph food. He ate fried
rice and snail while she had boiled plantain and garden egg sauce with fried
fish. He was also trying to persuade her and donate to the orphanage home.
“I think it is an excellent idea!”
she said in a thrilled tone. “I have never thought about it before and I am
happy you did. How long have you been donating to them?”
“Ten years.”
“Wow!!” she exclaimed. “The
children must really love you. You were only twenty-one years old when you started
donating. How did you get the money?”
He dropped his fork on his dish
and wiped his chin with the clean napkin. “I use to save my pocket money then
and no matter how little I had, I give them.”
“Some of the children must have
grown now.”
“Yes. Some couples still expecting
came and adopted most of them. If you know the number of children they bring to
that orphanage home every week, you will be dumbfounded.” Joseph shook his
head. “It is pathetic that some women, even men are cowards to abandon the
children they are supposed to take care of.”
“The both of us will go to the
bank at lunch hour on Wednesday before going there.”
“I don’t need to follow you to the
bank,” he said. “You can donate any amount.”
Lucky ate from her fish and
focused her stare on him. “We are partners and we should cooperate together.”
“You are the one donating and it
should be your decision.” Joseph said.
“What other plans do you have for
the children? You can organize a party for them.”
He smiled at her. He was very
happy. “I have thought about that but I want to organize a very big one but
that will be in the future. I have a plan to build one of the biggest orphanage
homes in this country. It’s a dream and I will achieve it.”
“My father’s construction company
can be helpful when you are ready to construct the building.”
“When that time come, I will know
the process to take.”
“Have you thought of a name?”
Lucky asked.
“I have not come to a conclusion
but Saint Joe Home is the name on my mind for now.”
“It’s a lovely name!”
“Thanks love.” Joseph thanked her.
“You are an amazing man. God bless
the day I met you. I also want to be a part of that dream too. I will help you
achieve it.”
“I will like to do it alone.”
“No, I will not allow you do it
alone.” Lucky said with a bright smile on her face. Joseph was about to say
something to her when a neatly dressed young woman came from his behind and wrapped
her arms around his neck. He was startled, turned and looked at her face.
“Oh!” the young woman exclaimed
when they saw each other’s face. Joseph knew he had never seen her before. She
quickly released her hands from him. “I am so sorry! I thought…I mean I saw you
through the back and I thought you were my cousin. I mean you have his body
physique, complexion. You don’t really look alike facially but, in fact I can’t
explain it.”
Lucky and Joseph glanced at each
other with a beam on their faces. They focused their gaze on her. He spoke.
“You don t need to apologize, I understand.”
She gave him her right hand for a
handshake. He shook her hand. “My name is Wunmi and I am a student of
University of Lagos.”
He introduced himself as Joseph
Dolapo and Lucky as his girlfriend. The ladies shook their hands.
Wunmi unzipped her Gucci purse and
brought out her phone. She said to him. “I don’t know if you can give me your
number, I really think you should meet my cousin. He believes he is the only
one that has his body type because he does not work out. I think he is obsessed
with his body physique.” The three of them laughed together. Lucky gave him a
nod to give her. She called his number and he saved it on his phone.
“Thank you very much.” Joseph said
to her.
She shook his hand again. “You are
welcome sir. I have to go now."
"You can join us."
"Maybe another time and I hope to see you again.”
"Me too."
Wunmi strode towards Lucky before
leaving. ‘You have a beautiful smile and the two of you will make a perfect married
couple.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” she
said to her.
******
Wunmi left the restaurant and
called a taxi. She described the location of where she was heading to and he
knew the place. It took them ten minutes to get there. She arrived at her
destination, paid her fare and entered into AK Berger Construction Company
Limited. A magnificent four-storey building with enigmatic design, it was the
second biggest construction establishment, in Nigeria. It had many employees.
The well-suited female secretary
with a loud makeup on her face gave Wunmi the order to go to her boss office.
She knocked and a male voice ordered her to enter. She opened the door and
hiked towards Sebastian Kehinde Akande, the handsome, well-built and sophisticated
CEO of the company. He was clothed
in an expensive black suit and a classic leather shoe. He wore two gold rings
each on his fingers. A Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch decorated his left wrist. He
used masterpiece paintings to decorate the walls. He adorned his fully air
conditioned office with luxurious furniture. He had a big fridge, wide and big
flat screen television. His table was made of glass.
He was still on his chair when
Wunmi hugged him. “Good afternoon bro.” She went to relax herself on one of the
chairs opposite him.
“I have told you several times that
I don’t like that word, bro. It’s not a polished word.” Sebastian stated.
“I have told you several times too
that it’s a short word for brother.” she said.
“Are you going to lecture me about
English? I just don’t like the word!”
“Yes sir but I am not happy with
you.”
“Everybody I know should be happy
with me,” he said confidently. “I give them whatever they want. What are you
doing here? Is it to ask me to fund your trip to Dubai again?”
Wunmi looked at him with a
disappointed expression on her face. She shook her head. “This is the problem I
have with you. You think you know everything!”
“Shut up! I am seven years older
than you. My mother is two years older than your father and he won’t dare talk
to her like this. Do not disrespect me. I know everything Wunmi. What do you
want?”
“Must I need something? Sometimes
your attitude makes me ask for the things I do not need. I came here to visit
you! I always call you to but you don’t!”
“I am a busy man and I have so
many workloads on my neck! I have a huge contract on a project by the minster
of housing. I have a deadline to finish it.”
“Is that why you don’t call?” she
asked him.
“I thought I have given you an explanation.
I am a busy man!”
Wunmi shook her head, “You never apologize.
You always have an excuse.”
Sebastian stood on his feet and
adjusted his jacket. “I have to be somewhere in thirty minutes. I will order my
accountant to send you a check.”
“Are you going to see a woman?”
“Yes. I have to fill up my engine.”
She frowned at him. “These women
are after your money and they flaunt around you because of your good look.”
“I am gorgeous.”
She hissed. “You have to be in a
real relationship. I know Michelle broke your heart in the past but there are
good women that will love you genuinely. She deceived you and ran away…”
“With my money and the 24 carat
gold engagement ring I used to propose to her! Let us forget about Michelle, she is irrelevant.”
“I think you still love her.”
“Shut up!”
“I am simply telling you the
truth. You became extremely rich at a young age and you still have a long way to
go. Get married, have children to look after your establishment when you grow
old. Don’t you think about that?”
“This wasn’t my establishment.
This is my inheritance from my father.”
“But it was not the second largest
construction company in Nigeria. You made it happen and it will forever be yours
but there is no one to pass it to when your time is up. You are still in your
early thirties; there is still time to amend your personal life. Stop chasing
women.”
“They chase after me!” he yelled
at her.
“I saw the look on your secretary.
Are you still sleeping with her?”
“Yes and when I am tired, she will
be dismissed! The only thing I hope she should be doing is saving but I do not think
so. She spends money on makeup, Peruvian hair and costly bags. Anyways, that’s
her business. I want to leave now.” Sebastian grabbed his two phones and the
keys to his Cadillac from his desk and stepped away to leave.
Wunmi quickly spoke. “I met
someone today.” she said softly.
Sebastian halted and faced her way.
“Met who?”
She narrated how she mistook
someone for him.
He laughed aloud. “But I am more
handsome right?”
“You are so full of yourself. He’s
name is Joseph Dolapo and I want the two of you to meet and become friends.”
“Is he the president of Egypt?”
“No.”
“Is he a governor?” he asked.
“No.” she replied.
“Is he the minister of education?”
She rolled her eyes. “No.”
“Is he Dbanj?”
No!”
“Are you sure he is not a serial
killer?” Sebastian asked jokingly.
“I don’t really know anything about
him but he seems like a nice guy. I just feel you should meet him. His
girlfriend is very beautiful and she was friendly. I think she is very rich.”
“How did you know?”
“She was wearing an original
silver Omega wrist watch. The both of them look so much in love. You do not
have a close friend. You two can become close.”
“You, Joseph and the girlfriend
can go to hell.”
“Please, meet him.”
“I know why you are doing this,”
he said and removed his stare away from her. “I know you are doing this because
of my late twin brother.”
She rose up and moved closer to
him. “My father told me, the day your mother revealed you were a twin but he
died after childbirth, you cried for three days. He said you blamed yourself,
that you were not able to save him. How could you have saved him when you were
still a newborn baby?”
“But we came into this world
together. Why did he have to die and leave me? I feel lonely whenever I think
about him.”
“Child bearing is not an easy task
and it was not your fault he died. Maybe it is destiny that want you and Joseph to meet,
that was why I mistook him for you.”
“He can never replace my twin
brother, no one can!”
“I know. All I ask is for you to
let someone in. You always complain that you are an only child, but there are
so many people out there praying to be in your shoes. You have a lovely mother,
an uncle and me. Some of the people out there in the society don’t even have a
relation, no family. You should be happy.”
“I wished he survived. The both of
us would have been the owner of this company my father left for me before he
gave up the ghost. I was still a kid when he died.”
Wunmi smiled at him. “I am sorry; I
feel your pain bro…brother.”
Sebastian chuckled lightly and looked at
her. “I will think about it and let you know my final answer. I can’t promise
you anything yet.”
“Think about it thoroughly. I am
sure you will like Joseph Dolapo.”
******
To be continued on Sunday evening.
I'm loving the things dis story does to me.... Sebastian and Joseph, issorai.
ReplyDeleteme love love Carina
Love you too.
DeleteI think Sebastian and Joseph areally twin brothers. I love this carina. May God continue to give u wisdom in jess name.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteNice one Love
ReplyDelete*wink*😘
DeleteReally interesting
ReplyDeleteThank you Dara
DeleteHmmmmm... small world. Joseph and sebastine are definitely brothers
ReplyDeleteWe shall see!
DeleteEnjoyed it all through! Nice one dearie.
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteInteresting!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete