creamchiccb: Dis suspense iss killin mee Lola!plz help a sista out

yes pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Just want to say a BIG "THANK U"for ur post yesterday. Lola pls do have a wonderful day at work.

Omolola, thanks for entertaining
us!
Go gurl!
Have a glorious day!

I love you Lola.
you made my days meaningful

emygreat747: Just want to say a BIG "THANK U"for ur post yesterday. Lola pls do have a wonderful day at work.

Thanks dear!

AfricaFace: I love you Lola.
you made my days meaningful

I love you too!

"H-how was your camp-out with Divine?"

"Honestly?"

Her heart skipped a beat and her head came up abruptly. "What happened?"

"I think it's more a case of what didn't happen."

She shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Divine missed you. In his words, you're a totally awesome mom."

. . .Don't tell me that, Kenneth. The things you say clutch at my heart. Every time we talk, I bleed a little more. . .

"I missed him, too. I always miss him when he's gone. The house feels so empty."

"Until my mother showed up and a bomb exploded."

She looked away. "I imagined that was the reason you came to see me. I love your mom as if she were my own, but..."

"You were right to demand an apology from her. I'm sorry she caused you so much grief. Mom's got a problem right now. Dad and I both agree she needs professional help. The trick is to get her to see a psychiatrist. That's why I'm going away with them for a while."

. . .Going away? Her heart started to pound out of control. "Where? For how long?"

"You know how much my parents love Dubai. We'll be gone for a week or ten days."

That would sound like an eternity to Divine. Unless. . .

"Did you want to take Divine with you?"

"Much as I'd love to, it wouldn't be a good idea. I need to spend some time alone with my parents. Maybe its what mother needs."

"Are you going today?"

He nodded his dark head.
"One of the reasons I came here was to ask your advice on how to tell him. Our flight is scheduled for two. It's twelve-fifteen now. Do you think it would be better if I just left and you told Divine after he gets home from school?"

"No!" She cried. She felt an immediate sense of panic because she walked a shaky line with Divine these days. "I think you should go over to his school and get him out of class. Explain to him that your mom isn't very well and you're going to spend a week or so with her.
"Even knowing that, Divine's going to have a hard time. Maybe you can reassure him that you'll phone him at night so he won't feel abandoned."

"I'll do that. I was also thinking it might be a good idea if you came with me to see Divine. When's your next lecture?"

"I'm through for today."

"Then let's talk to him together. If we present a united front, he'll be more accepting."

. . .You always did put me first. You're always thinking of me, always smoothing my path with Divine. How do I thank you? Any other man might have tried to create a wedge. Not you, Kenneth Brown. Maybe it's time I returned your favour and thought of you. . .

"I agree. I'll come with you," she murmured. "Let me grab my purse from the office."

As they walked through the auditorium, a memory came back so strongly she found herself expressing it to him. "Do you know that the first time I ever taught a chemistry class in here I wondered if you could see me from the other side."

"Of the grave?" He quipped, clasping her elbow as they went out the door.

She smiled. "Yes."

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn about the other side. I much prefer seeing you in the flesh."

"Why, Rhett, how you do turn a girl's head," Sonia couldn't resist responding in an exaggerated Southern accent before breaking into laughter.

She loved his old imitation of Clark Gable in 'Gone with the wind.' Sometimes when he used to call her from the brokerage, he'd ask for Scarlett. It had been a silly private joke between them and was as amusing to her now as it was then.

As she let herself into the office to retrieve her purse, Kenneth flashed her an answering smile that made her heart turn over, exactly the way it had when they'd first met during a school-sponsored carnival.

"Sonia?" Kenneth's voice brought her back to the present. "James is out in the hall."

"Oh dear. I forgot we were going to have lunch together. Stay here for a minute and I'll talk to him."

Kenneth put a detaining hand on her arm. "Don't break your lunch date. I'll go to the school without you."

The touch of his hand on her arm was electric. Stunned, she pulled away from him. "No. Seeing Divine is much more important. Why don't you go out to the car? I'll join you in a minute."

He nodded and left her office. She gave him a minute's head start, then locked the door and went in search of James.

She didn't have to look for long. An arm slid around her shoulders and for a moment she was crushed tightly against James' lean body. They began walking toward the entrance of the building.

"What was Kenneth doing here?"

Without stopping for breath, Sonia explained what had happened. "I'm so sorry, darling. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. In fact, I don't envy your job. Divine's just been reunited with his father. If this isn't handled right, it could set him off again."

"Thank you for being so understanding, James."

They'd reached the outside steps. "I'll see you at six." Kenneth's Siena was in her line of vision.

. . .How many times had she seen his Jeep in front of the high school with him in it, waiting for her?
Again her heart gave a curious kick.

"Maybe earlier." James swooped down to brush her mouth with his before loping off in the opposite direction.

Though the kiss was an automatic gesture with him, she wished he hadn't done it, on the off chance that Kenneth had seen it.

Sonia felt a strange lingering guilt as she made her way toward the Siena. Never in their lives had either Sonia or Kenneth tried purposely to make the other jealous. Theirs hadn't been that kind of relationship.

It felt like a betrayal of the great trust they'd shared to know that Kenneth might have seen her being kissed by another man. Then she chastised herself for criticizing James. They were engaged. What could be more natural? Everything was out in the open, understood.

Still, when she got into the Siena and they drove off, the disquieting premonition that Kenneth had been witness to that small intimacy hurt her.

. . .Because you know it hurt him, Sonia.

Omolola is very deep. That is what makes this story tick.

maclatunji: Omolola is very deep. That is what makes this story tick.

Gracias!

Oh poor dear Kenneth...Please Molola..mak ds end..

maclatunji: Omolola is very deep. That is what makes this story tick.

Brother,
Pls check yahoo mail! Sos abeg!

Lola wen z d next update??

Specthatcher: Lola wen z d next update??

10pm

Omolola1:

10pm

jeeeezzzzz Lola!!!can't wait till 10pm ooooo!uu da bomb dearie!uu got mee soo engrossed!kenneth shud plz take it nyz en slow wit Sonia!he shud not be hasty in his decision!!#team Kenneth#al da way!

Lola,u're d best! Waiting 4 more o

Am on line

Omolola1:

10pm

waitin

(Sweerie 10pm haff pas na, no update? *pushes dinner away*

Double

"I'LL RUN IN and get him out of class."

Before Sonia could respond, Kenneth had leapt out of the Siena. She watched him sprint across the concrete and up the stairs with that familiar male grace of his.

A tense disturbing silence had prevailed during their five-minute drive from the University to Divine's school. She lamented the loss of the rapport they'd shared for those brief moments in the building where she taught.

While she waited, she glanced around the car's interior, noting the gear that had been stashed in the back. Despite her absence last night, she had no doubt Divine had been in a state of ecstasy. Part of Kenneth's charm lay in his ability to make every moment count, to turn even a routine activity into an event.

There'd never been a man exciting to her as Kenneth. He made things happen, lit his own fires.

"Hey Mom?" Divine jumped into the back seat of the car as his father came around the front. "Dad says we're all going to have lunch together."

Her eyes read the message in Kenneth's eyes as he slid behind the wheel. "We thought it would be fun, honey."

"This is so cool."

Divine's face glowed. Obviously he approved of this simple outing, just the three of them.

"Tell me about your camp-out," she asked as they drove off. Had Kenneth had a nightmare? Would Divine mention it? How many secrets did they share that she'd never know about?

"Dad told me what it was like when his bumper was bombed. I told my class about it. Mrs. Oreoluwa thinks it would be nice to have an assembly at school so you and M.T could come and talk to everybody, Dad. Do you think you could? Do you think M.T would do it?"

Kenneth didn't bat an eyelash. "Of course. You just tell us the day and we'll be there. In fact, I'll promise to do that favour for you if you'll do one for me."

Sonia could feel it coming.

"Sure, Dad."

"Your grandma got upset at your mom last night and really hurt her feelings."

Divine blinked. "Grandma did?"

"That's right. It's because I'm her son and because of what happened to me. You know how she cries all the time and just keeps wanting to hold me. Stuffs like that."

"Yes. I know."

Sonia closed her eyes.
. . .Kenneth's a master father, a master psychologist. . .

"Well, she wants me all to herself for a little while. Your grandfather told me that when I was born, she had to count my fingers and toes to make sure they were all there. Now that I've lost a hand, I guess she wants to find out if anything else is missing. Of course, nothing is. But do you know what I mean?"

"Yes."

"The thing is, your mom's all upset, too, and now she wants her son to herself for a little while. Fair is fair."

Divine sat forward and put his arms around Sonia's neck. "I'm sorry, mom."

"It's okay, Divine. I'll get over it...especially if you're with me and we can do some fun things together."

"You mean just the two of us? No one else?"

Sonia had to make a split-second decision.
. . .Forgive me, James. . .
"No one else, honey."

"Great!"

"So how about us working out a deal, son? You take care of your mom for a week while I will take care of mine."

"It's a deal."

"Where do you suppose your grandma would rather go than anyplace else in the whole world?"

"Dubai."

"You think if I took her there, it would calm her down?"

"Yes, it will."

"Suppose I call you every night, would that make you happy?"

"Sure, dad."

"This morning in English, Jeff and I made a list of the things we'd miss if we were in prison for seven years. Mr. Cole caught us, but when he found out what we were doing, he made it a class project. Do you want to see it?"

Kenneth's deep rich laughter was so contagious Sonia started giggling, too. Then laughing...she laughed until her sides ached. She couldn't recall enjoying a moment this much...in seven years.

Their lunch turned out to be a lighthearted affair, with Divine doing ninety-percent of the talking, never noticing his parents' silence. Sonia smiled and laughed frequently, but hardly spoke, savouring the feeling of closeness and contentment. But it was a bitter-sweet emotion, tinged with regret.

Later Kenneth dropped her off at the University and took Kenneth back to school. Sonia went to her office and prepared for the next day's lecture, then drove to James' office. At four o'clock, she entered the parking area; he'd indicated he might leave work early and she wanted to surprise him. To her chargrin, his car wasn't there. His secretary, Barbara said he'd left for the day.

Frustrated, she called James' line, but went straight to voicemail. There was nothing to do but leave a message that she was coming out to his place and asking that he wait for her there. Then she thanked Barbara, and returned to her car.

Last night, or rather early this morning...when Sonia had finally stirred from James' comforting arms, where she'd sobbed half the night...she'd gotten up from the couch to make coffee. They'd talked everything over and had decided James' moving in would only add fuel to the fire. So, until their wedding, they would live apart as they'd been doing for two years.

Secretly Sonia had been relieved by that decision, she'd only agreed to his living with her before their marriage as a way of proving her love to him.

Neither of them had counted on Janet's vitriol. And though they hadn't discussed it, James knew Sonia had been devastated by the revelations concerning Kenneth's torture in prison. It was an ugly moment. Sonia sensed that James had been affected by it, as well. It was better to forget the incident and simply maintain the status quo.

As soon as exam week at the university was over, Kenneth wanted Sonia to fly to Lagos with him for a round of family parties and wedding preparations.

She reached James' house and once again saw that his car was missing. Letting out a sigh, she turned around and headed home. No doubt she'd hear from him before dinnertime. Twenty minutes later, when she got home, she listened to her messages and heard James' voice.

"Sweetheart? After I left the office, Emeka called me on the mobile unit. There's a problem I have to see about. I hope its alright if we give dinner a miss. I'll call you later tonight. I love you."

Sonia was sorry she'd have to put off talking to James about Divine. On the other hand, there was no time like the present to prove to her son that she wanted to spend some quality time with him alone.

"Mom?"
"Hi, honey."

"I'm home. Has Dad left yet?"

"I think he has."

"I miss him already."

"He'll call you tonight, dear."

"I can't wait."

. . .It was going to be a long ten days. . .

All I can say is wow, well done and you guys should leave her at her pace suspense is good. *dodges bullets*

Jst woke up 4rm ma round1 slip...den I remebad divided emotion...m rily adictd 2 ds o...anyway 9c work Lola

Gudnyt Lola...#closes eye wit a smyl on ha face#

I am loving this more. I love my cool ken and I'm absolutely over james. Very nice one Omolola.

Interesting!!enjoyin evry bit of it!buh d suspense iss kilin moi!wen iss d next updata Lola?plz bring i it on dearie!*waitin*tnkss love

This is a great piece of work.

i am loving Ken.. he is so silently romantic

HOW OLD IS DIVINE?

WHY R U GUYS BLAMING JAMES?

Lola, am so njoyin dis story. @ punche Divine is 13

lola dear,pls wen our getting today's update,gosh,can't wait.Hope u had a wonderful day at work.

emygreat747: lola dear,pls wen our getting today's update,gosh,can't wait.Hope u had a wonderful day at work.

10pm as usual!
Yes I did, thanks dear