The Woman I Deserve 21

 

 

Happy young businessman using digital tablet — Image by © Sonja Pacho/Corbis

When they got to her driveway, he stopped. Zina began to unbuckle her seatbelt, determined to run in before the tears spilled out but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“You will find that I am not a man of many words even though I can preach for hours,” he began, sober.

She kept her face turned to the window.

“Look at me, Zina,” he murmured.

She turned slowly to lock gazes with him.

“I think I forgot to tell you how beautiful you looked tonight.”

She attempted to thank him but her voice broke. He held her while she cried: her head on his shoulder, her tears soaking his shirt. It didn’t seem to matter. He rubbed her head gently, not caring who could see them. It took her a few moments to calm. He gave her his box of tissues to blow her nose. She lifted her head. It was then she noticed that her make-up had stained his shirt.

“O no!” she cried. “Look what I have done.”

“Not to worry.” He grinned.

“What will your domestic staff say? This will cause a scandal. And you have done everything for years to prevent gossip,” she mourned.

“I will wash it myself.” He took both her hands in his. “Zina, are you married, divorced or in a relationship right now?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“Whatever it is you mentioned earlier, I guess you need time to open up about it. In the time being, permit me to prove myself worthy of your trust and eventually, of your love. Don’t kick me to the curb,” he pleaded.

Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

“Please,” he whispered.

There was an interval of seconds which actually felt like hours to PA who was holding his breath. Finally, she nodded. He let out his breath loudly and she chuckled.

“Thank you my Zee. And I know it sounds corny but I like everything about you, from A to Z.”

She burst into laughter. He let go of her hand and opened the door for her.

“Not too shabby,” she responded.

“I’ll say goodnight before your security throws me out.”

“Thank you for a lovely evening, PA.”

“You made it lovely,” he replied.

She smiled and got out. He watched her till she got to the elevator door before driving away.

 

Chapter 8

PA whistled all the way home that night. He could not stop smiling at the thought of how well the date had gone. Even Idoko would be proud of him. He wasn’t even worried about her protests because he believed God would not put more on him than he could bear.

I mean the worst possible thing is that she has some incurable disease or so. That one will be easy. When medical knowledge fails, I know you only laugh because your healing power is limitless. And I have seen you at work. You will never let me see shame.

She’s so lovely, Father: So unassuming and easy to please. I thought she would turn up her nose at my attempts to please her. I am sure she has had far more accomplished and eloquent men ask her out. Thank you for not letting me down.

Please, let it work out. Let her fall for me. I can’t bear the thought that someone else will have her. Don’t let it happen, I beg.

And Lord, about Ovie. Let this not cause any friction between us.

 

 

His gateman let him in and locked the gate before appearing beside him to collect the car keys. They greeted cordially. Ovie met him at the doorway. He was not surprised he had stayed up. The only explanation PA had given for driving out alone was that he needed to be on his own. He took a seat in the living room and crossed his legs. Ovie sat opposite him, doing all he could not to drag the information out of him.

“I went on a date,” PA announced.

Ovie gaped. “With who? Toyosi?”

“No. I have never expressed any interest in her and I think I have kept things strictly professional between us.”

“Who could it be then? Did you meet someone online?”

Even as Ovie uttered the words, he knew PA would not meet with someone he encountered online without getting him to check her out; and he wouldn’t go alone. This had to be someone in their radar.

“I have to ask you something first. Was there anything between you and Zina?”

“Zina? Zina?” he mumbled, confused. “Why do you ask?”

“Just answer.”

“Well…I like her but she has been evasive. I was sort of giving her time,” he explained.

“Time to?” PA prompted.

“Time to… sort of…I dunno…” He frowned.

“I went out with her tonight,” he said directly.

“Huh?” Ovie gaped.

“I had to tell you because you are like a brother to me and I wouldn’t like to hurt you. She told me you are just friends.”

Ovie sighed. There was an uncomfortable silence before he spoke.

“PA, I can’t lie to you. She’s a great girl and I think she would be a good fit for you. I wanted to ask her out but she kind of laughed in my face the day I broached the topic,” Ovie admitted.

“She shunned me the first day I asked her out,” PA responded.

“These girls can be harsh. Do they know what it takes to muster the guts to approach them?” he joked.

“Guy, her eyes alone? She look me up and down like one rat,” PA said.

Both men collapsed in laughter. The steward came in and found them on the floor laughing.

“Good evening, sir. Should I get your food?”

PA waved him away.

“PA no go fit chop. Dem don give am kop no mi,” Ovie teased.

The steward, Saviour stared at them in confusion till PA told him he was not hungry.

“Congratulations, sir. I hope it works out.” Ovie shook hands with PA when the steward left.

“Thanks, man. I hope so too.”

 

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PA had asked Ovie to keep his news between them but he couldn’t resist telling Ama. It took him two days to find time alone with her. He had chosen not to tell her over the phone because news of that magnitude just had to be shared in person. They were sent on an errand to book a hotel for a guest minister. While inspecting the rooms, he let the cat out of the bag.

“What!” she screamed. “I don’t believe it.”

“You had best believe it because the way things are going, they may not wait too long before getting engaged.”

“Wow! I am so shocked. My shy PA?”

“E no shy anything. Na form the guy dey form since. I read a text he sent to her. He has lyrics for days,” Ovie said.

Both of them laughed.

“Wetin Toyosi go come do now? She bin don sew bridal gown for her mind sef,” Ama asked.

“She has to back off. I mean she gave it a go, it didn’t click. No harm done.”

“And Pastor Onyema and wife who endorsed her?”

“Did PA choose their partners for them? That is the least of my worries.”

“So, tell me about her. What does she look like?”

 

Ovie launched into a description of Zina and how PA met her; conveniently leaving out the fact that he had initially planned to woo her for himself. That was a fact that he felt no one needed to know. Not only would it portray him as a rejected lover, it would seem as if he was competing with PA. He had many faults but disloyalty was not one of them and that was why he had retained his position for so long; not that many were not jostling to take his place.

 

 

Toyosi had just left a meeting with Pastor Onyema”s wife. She was full of concerns about the commencement of their teenage group. Toyosi did not know how to wiggle out of the commitment she had made to drive the group. She really had no flair for working with teenagers. Children were not her thing but she felt she probably hated teens most. They were opinionated and loud and entitled and giggly and they formed cliques and they made rude remarks. She positively hated them. Why she had ever thought she could pretend to like them, she could not remember.

Matters had almost gotten heated when she requested another month to finalize arrangements. The woman could not understand her procrastination. Worse still, both she and Pastor Onyema had called Toyosi out before the entire church, announced her new position and anointed her for the task. It was disappointing that she had not risen to the occasion.

Toyosi was miffed that they laid more emphasis on her progress or lack thereof, with the teens, than on her quest to find a husband. She felt they were being selfish. Marriage, her marriage to be precise, was a priority. She felt they had not done enough to persuade PA. They were the ones who had told her about him and insinuated that he was available. Subsequently, she was left to chase after the man like she had no pride. They did not make any moves to persuade him. In fact, they did not even ask her if things were progressing.

For the sake of her ego, Toyosi refrained from asking Sis. Remi the questions on her mind. She hinted that PA had made himself unavailable as a mentor and that had hindered her plans. Sis. Remi did not accept that. She gave her an ultimatum of 1 week to submit her year planner of activities and budget or the group would be handed over to someone else.

 

Driving home in anger, she decided she had had enough. She would call her when she got home to tell her she did not feel she could go on with the group, citing her work schedule as an excuse. Also, she would take Ama’s advice. It was up to PA to contact her himself and ask her out. She would not cajole him any further and she would not send any more Greek gifts to those greedy associates of his. They would not admit they had zero influence on him but that was her conclusion.

I am pretty enough, accomplished enough to get any man. If he cannot see it, that’s his loss.

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