Lee
The Woman I Deserve 23
Chapter 9
Zina was in her room, reminiscing over her date with PA. Once again her courage had failed her. She could not bear the thought of his derision. He seemed to hold her in such high esteem; writing poetry, buying her gifts, calling often. This one had to be the real deal. Her 2 exes had not bothered with all that. Ike had fleeced her of as much cash as he could before he took off. Reason: “My mother will not accept a single mom.” Of course he failed to mention that while the relationship lasted.
Lekan had told her from the time he met her son, Peter, that she would have to keep him away from their home if they ever got married. She hung on, believing he would come around. Already, Peter lived with her mother and never constituted a nuisance in any way but that was not enough. The relationship ended in 3 months.
Obas was the most vitriolic. He mocked her for refusing him sex. “You be virgin?” he would ask and laugh derisively. “That your chinko pikin, how you take born am? Virgin Mary!”
She would storm out in anger but he always apologized and pleaded till she took him back. Her mother detested him but even she encouraged her not to walk away.
“E get money. Husband no dey. Manage the one wey you see,” her mom would say.
She dreaded marriage to him. He was verbally abusive, quick-tempered, uncouth and brash. How such a good-looking man could have a character that contrasted so much with his looks beat her imagination.
“If you bin give am wetin him dey find, he for no run leave you,” her mom opined when he dumped her.
She was relieved. Being single had to be better than living in terror forever. However, she put up a sad appearance and let people console her over the public embarrassment. Secretly, she thanked God for delivering her.
Picking her phone, she composed an email to PA, telling him of her son and enclosing a photo. She saved it under drafts and heaved a sigh of relief. All she needed now was the courage to hit the send button. Let the chips fall where they may.
Besides, God may have sent Esosa to give me the assurance that I will not end up alone. He has not relented despite my lack-lustre responses. What I am sure of is that he is less likely to judge me for being a single mom and Peter will gain 2 sisters. What’s not to like?
PA on the other hand is a young pastor who could have any girl at a snap of his fingers. As selfish as I am, I know he is in love with the image of me that I have allowed him to see: A successful girl with no encumbrances who loves God as much as he does. When the veil is lifted and he sees me for who I really am, he will cast me off. It may be too late then to go for Esosa. He might have met someone else or something. What is the wise thing to do?
PA was on his way to his car after a pastors’ conference. His junior pastors, Odion and Kunle had hitched a ride with him so they were all making their way out when Pastor Onyema hailed them.
“PA, what’s the hurry?” he shouted.
They stopped and waited for him to catch up with them. After exchanging hearty greetings, PA explained that they had to leave so quickly because Pastor Kunle was trying to catch up with an event at his son’s school.
“Let my driver drop him off. Come back in so we can catch up,” he offered.
Odion and PA shrugged and turned back. Kunle started looking for Onyema’s driver so as to take advantage of his offer.
Back in the conference room, all the participants were huddled in groups of 3 and more, discussing loudly over snacks and drinks. Pastor Onyema ushered them to seats and waved over his assistant pastors, Kele and Ade. A server placed refreshments before them. Soon, Pastor Mofe joined them.
Inevitably, PA became the topic of friendly teasing as all the others were married.
“PA, what happened between you and Toyosi?” Onyema asked.
“Nothing,” he replied.
“You mean you didn’t like her?” he pressed.
PA shook his head.
“Why?” Pastor Mofe asked.
PA shrugged but refrained from explaining.
“I can’t force you to marry the girl but you didn’t handle it well,” Pastor Onyema opined.
His audience waited for him to go on while he took a long drink from his glass of juice.
“You should have told me you were not interested in the girl so I could soften the blow. If for no other reason, because I introduced her to you,” he concluded.
PA was quiet.
“Did she complain to you?” Pastor Mofe asked.
“Nna…she said my wife and I set her up for heartbreak when we knew very well PA is a heartbreaker!” Pastor Onyema replied.
The pastors in the gathering all reacted in shock; some gulping their drinks hurriedly and others averting their gazes from PA.
“When did PA become a heartbreaker?” Pastor Mofe asked.
PA made a face but kept his thoughts to himself.
“Don’t you have anything to say?” Pastor Onyema asked him.
“We have known each other for too long for you to be calling me out. Why didn’t you call me to discuss this on phone or even come to my office?” PA asked. He leaned forward, his hands on his knees. “Did you even vet that girl before recommending her? Or you pitied her because she is your editor?”
“What do you mean?” Pastor Onyema asked.
“I asked you if you had any recommendations. Rather than discuss with me first, you got to the girl and filled her head with hope. Then you totally ambushed me. PO, don’t let me get started. Heartbreaker indeed!”
None of them had ever seen PA lose his temper. Pastor Onyema immediately apologized.
“I didn’t mean to call you out.”
“PA, don’t be offended. He was only looking out for a friend,” Mofe pleaded.
The junior pastors exchanged uncomfortable looks among themselves. They could neither contribute to the conversation nor get up to leave simply because, they were sure that they would end up taking the heat. Something about the grass and elephants fighting came to mind.
“I never asked her out. She should know better than to insinuate otherwise. In fact, we were never alone,” PA continued testily.
“It’s okay. I believe you. I will warn her to cease and desist,” Pastor Onyema said.
“She had better. My babe won’t even take it lying low,” PA said, straight-faced.
“I si gini? Your babe?” Pastor Onyema exclaimed.
“I was going to tell you about her before you started throwing wild accusations.”
“PA, why have you not told us before now? Who is she by the way,” Pastor Mofe asked.
“Her name is Zina. She joined our church this year.”
“Kai! You like fresh fish sha! So all those sisters who have been serving in church for years skipped your notice?” Pastor Odion teased.
“The Lord they have been serving will reward them,” he replied.
The men burst into laughter.
“Congrats sir,” one of Pastor Onyema’s associates said.
The rest joined in hailing PA, coming over to shake his hand one at a time. He accepted their praise just as amiably as he had accepted their ribbing in the past.
“Why did I not hear of this girl before now?” Pastor Odion whispered to PA.
He only shrugged in reply. Odion punched his shoulder playfully, determined to press for more details at a later date.
“So tell us more,” Pastor Mofe requested.
“Her name is Zina. We have been friends for more than 2 months now. She is the MD of an IT firm. We met when she came to install some software for Ovie.”
“It sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders,” Pastor Odion said, nodding.
“She does and I appreciate all your prayers, guys. This is a step I am taking with serious consideration, knowing the possible backlash if something goes wrong,” he said.
“True. You can’t afford to make any mistake after waiting all these years. Can you imagine the number of women who would wish to be in her shoes?” Pastor Onyema concurred.
“There is a man for every woman. I don’t know why anyone would fixate on me,” he said brushing off the compliment.
“Ha! You are too modest, PA,” Pastor Mofe scoffed.
“Do you know how many emails Ovie has intercepted on your behalf? You need to read some of them. He once showed me an email of a girl who saw a vision of you and her getting married,” Pastor Odion said.
“Back to sender!” one of the junior pastors spat.
PA made no comment.
“PO, do you know that PA has had to put serious security checks on his phone number?” Pastor Odion elaborated.
“Just marry the girl quickly so they can leave you alone,” another said.
“It’s not that straightforward. You have to make sure she has no baggage. She cannot be someone you ‘settled’ for. Investigate thoroughly and make sure there are no skeletons in her cupboard. This is the kind of issue that destroyed Pastor Umoh’s church,” Pastor Mofe warned.
“Pastor Umoh?” PA asked.
“Pastor Umoh of Christian Assembly Uyo.”
“Oh! I never really understood what happened,” PA said.
“Two years after his wedding, he found out that the girl was separated from her 1st husband, not even divorced. Meanwhile he had no idea she was in a relationship at the time. He had dated 2 girls in church before he met the one he married and she totally swept him off his feet. The rumor mongers spread the false story that he was the one who broke her 1st marriage. He is yet to recover from the scandal,” Pastor Mofe elaborated.
“Tufia kwa!” Pastor Onyema spat.
“May God not allow us to plant for another man to come and reap,” one of the junior pastors said.
“Amen!” they chorused.
PA was silent, deep in thought. The topic changed to something else but he could not get the nagging doubts out of his mind. He had noticed Zina’s occasional moodiness and even reticence but when he asked her, she denied that anything was wrong. They had known each other long enough for her to tell him what was her initial reason for hesitating about going on a date with him. He had refrained from plaguing her with questions because he hoped she would see that he loved her too much to condemn her for whatever mistakes she had made in the past. Now, he began to wonder if he had dived into the deep end of the pool too soon.
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Imaobong and Zina were on their way home after attending the bridal shower of a mutual friend, Dana. She was a big customer of Imaobong’s and had gradually become a friend. They had left the twins with their Nanny and their dad who was home after being away for quite a while.
“Yours is next Zina. I already have so many ideas buzzing in my head.” Imaobong was bubbling with excitement.
Zina made no comment.
“PA will not waste time in proposing. I trust him. He knows that you are a great catch.”
Imaobong heard a sniff and turned to look at her friend. She noticed she was crying.
“What is it? Are you ill?” she asked, worried.
Zina burst into tears.
“Ah ah! What is wrong?” she asked again.
Imaobong managed to pull into the parking lot of a shop close to their home and parked. She turned in her seat so she could wrap her friend in a hug.
“Tell me what is going on. Did PA say something bad? Are you pregnant? Did someone die?”
Zina shook her head in response to each question.
Imaobong rubbed her back till she stopped crying. Zina raised her head and blew her nose noisily into her handkerchief.
“I have a 12 year old son,” she announced.
“Abasi mbok!” Imaobong exclaimed. “How?”
Zina was silent, rubbing her nose. Imaobong released her and sat back, arms folded over her breasts.
“I’m guessing PA does not know?”
Zina shook her head.
“Who is the boy’s father? Are you married to him?”
“No. His name is Lee. He is Korean.”
“Eh!” Imaobong could not help herself.
“I have not heard from him since he left Nigeria 5 years ago.”
Imaobong clucked her tongue sympathetically. “This is not good. You should have told me earlier.”
“I was afraid. So many men have walked away because of him.”
“You can’t blame them. He is not even black, to hope to integrate him into a new family. A step dad would have to be comfortable with having a child who looks nothing like he and his ancestors,” Imaobong said.
Zina heaved a sigh.
“But it is not the end of the world. Call PA now and tell him. He can’t hear it from anyone else.”
“What will he say?”
“The worst is that he will walk away. I hope he won’t but at least, the burden of not knowing will be off your shoulders.”
“I love him.”
“I know.”
“I don’t want to lose him.”
“I can’t guarantee that but I can promise to be there for you.”
She reached over and enveloped her friend in a bear hug. Both their tears flowed freely. They were oblivious of the fact that they were in a public place. What mattered was the healing and bonding that unconditional friendship offered. And they were eager to take advantage of it.
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Ama was in PA’s house to deliver some gifts that had been dropped off for him in church. She could have let his driver pick them up since he left early with Ovie for his band rehearsal but she was on a mission. It was not her 1st time in his house but her visits were rare. He liked his privacy and they spent so much time together during the day that she scarcely needed to see him afterwards.
Ovie welcomed her and summoned Saviour to collect the items.
“Is PA asleep?” she asked.
“No. Do you want to see him?”
They were standing in the foyer of the house.
“Yes. Please tell him to give me a few minutes.”
“Come in then.”
She followed him to the living room and took a seat on one of the sofas, dropping her bag beside her. Ovie turned on the air conditioning and the television before dropping the remote controls on the table before her.
“Do you want something to drink?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Let me call him.”
She watched him leave. Her stomach felt queasy at the revelations Toyosi had called her to make. To quell her doubts, she had even provided pictures as evidence of the veracity of her claims. Ama wondered how she got the pictures but she wasn’t saying. Toyosi claimed she was no longer interested in PA and anyone could have him but that she wanted him to see who he had rejected her for. That was enough revenge for her.
PA greeted Ama as he entered the room. She rose and hugged him.
“What’s up?” he asked, sinking into the sofa opposite her.
She took in his youthful appearance in joggers and a T-shirt and regretted that she was about to shatter an illusion that had made him so happy. Even she could not dismiss the spring in his step and the extra attention he paid to his looks these days. He had to be in love. But the church came first and Zina did not meet the criteria for a pastor’s wife. Well, maybe some unserious pastor with 30 members but certainly not a renowned pastor, not her PA.
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Thanks for hanging on till the end muses. I have been blessed by your kind comments. The conclusion comes up in a week. After that I will go on a break to recoup. Feel free to browse old posts if you are bored or send in something for me to post. Reach me at drnsmusings@yahoo.com
Cheers, Dr. N.
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