This is a work of fiction, any resemblance to events or people dead or alive is merely a coincidence.

All rights reserved, including the rights of reproduction.

©Gabriel, Odigiri

SECRETS AND WEDDING BELLS EP1

On this day, waiting at the hospital lobby with her wedding gown drenched in his blood, the doctor came with the news that made Iris’s heart stop for a minute. “I am sorry Madam…” you know Doctors. The happiest day of her life had suddenly turned the saddest… She couldn’t even cry or make a sound. It was a sad day on her happy day.

Exactly six months ago, Instagram saw her engagement ring first. At a five-star restaurant across town. Jason had shut it down to go on one knee with his mother’s ring and had asked her the forever question. She screamed a big yes without pausing to think. Of what good was thinking? He was the man of her dream. The prince amongst the thousand and one frogs she has had to kiss in her lifetime. Just a year of dating had earned her the right of a fiancée. She wouldn’t turn him down for anything in the world. Not even the fact that she was nursing feelings for another man.
He was a charming man with a good heart. A tech guy with millions in the account. A feminist but he pays all the bills though. A pacifist doesn’t have a bone of dissension in him. The perfect gentleman. What else could she wish for in a husband? Her engagement photo raked over a hundred thousand likes on Instagram. That’s aside from the hundred reposts and a feature on Instablog. The IT breakout guru Jason Uchendu engages his girlfriend, blogger, and social media influencer Iris Ekeh. It was the talk of the town and she was enjoying every slice of it.

Before they met, she had read an article about him on THISDAY Sunday. How he sold his APP for millions of naira to an IT giant overseas. She was smitten. Couldn’t stop staring at his photo on the feature article. A young man with big dreams was her forte. He didn’t need to do much to win her heart.
He wasn’t on Instagram. IT boys are not very keen on the app, so she went on Twitter. He was there. A sea of his cerebral tweets shaken her a bit. She’s not the very bookish type despite being a literature major, so it was sort of difficult for her to type that first DM that would get his attention. Stuff that interest him wasn’t her forte. Technology. Crypto. Arts. World politics. The weather. She was more invested in pop culture. Give her that and she would eat the conversation like meat. But then she told herself, been a fine girl sliding into a guy’s DM should be enough to get his attention. So she typed ‘Hi Jason, my name is Iris Ekeh, I am a blogger and Instagram influencer, I would love if you could feature on my blog…’ and sent. Waited for him to reply for over a week but she didn’t get any, so she gave up.

But the universe brought them together on this fateful night at a lounge across town. He was there with his guys, Emeka, Jide, Pato, and Gus. It was Gus’s birthday and they had planned this lowkey surprise party for him at the lounge, just the guys, no chicks. A birthday cake and some really expensive drinks.
Iris had come for a girl’s night out with her two besties Linda and Nnenna. They do this sometimes on Fridays like this. Come for some wine tasting and get tipsy, so Saturday would become a blur. But today wasn’t about to lead to another blur as she sighted Jason two tables away from where she sat with her friends. She was going to stand up and walk up to him with: “hey, it’s me, I sent you a dm. I am a blogger of so, so and so…” Wouldn’t want it to feel like an ambush but it was actually. She told her girls about going to the guys' table. They quizzed her about her intention of moving tables in Nnenna’s words: “ashawo, state your mission…” She seemed surprised they couldn’t figure it out even without her telling them.

“So you guys can’t see Jason Uchendu in their midst?”

Puzzled, Linda asked: “Who’s Jason Uchendu?”

"Seriously?” Iris gave Linda a disappointed look and took a sip of one of dem strong wines and off she went. The guys noticed early, this fine slim model-like curvy lady in a red wine mini-dress making for their table. They held their breath.

“Hi, guys…” She has this sweet voice that sends chills. “Looks like you are having a party, Uhm, can I join?” Pato, the sharp guy took her hand and led her to a free seat. It’s a guy's hangout but one lady in the mix won’t hurt. She had intended to go straight for Jason with the whole prepped speech but sitting at the table, making eye contact was a good start.

“What’s your name?” Pato asked, it looked like he was the only one very keen on her presence.

“Oh sorry, it’s Iris…” She thought of what could be on Jason’s mind. Why wasn’t he sizing her up like the others? Maybe he wasn’t into women, that would be a great fail, she thought or he was just the shy type. All these geeks tend to be shy.

"Are you the celebrant?” She directed this to Jason. He initially seemed startled by her question but he swiftly pointed to the glasses-wearing nerdier than the rest Gus. Gus smiled at her but this wasn’t who she wanted a smile from. The other guys had begun to sense her mission here, it was for the whizkid Jason.

TO BE CONT’D

Watch out for episode 2

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, any resemblance to actual events is a merely coincidence.
All rights reserved, including the rights of reproduction in whole or parts.
©GABRIEL ODIGIRI, 2021

THE SURROGATE EPISODE ONE BY GABRIEL ODIGIRI

Ebisemi’s heart sank into her stomach as the Judge cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses, eyes on the papers in her hands. She couldn’t breathe. Seem like her air flow got suddenly restricted. This had been the longest day of her life. She had barely closed her eyes since last night, thinking about this moment. This very moment that had threatened to end her womanhood. The Judge coughed and her heart skipped. A sharp piercing pain lingered in there like someone shot an arrow straight for her heart. She couldn’t breathe but gasping for breath wasn’t an option. She would want to fall face flat on the concrete, throwing the whole court room in a scare and then lose all of her breathe, so she wouldn’t have to witness the verdict of the Judge. Something to help her escape this torture. But it wasn’t happening, the Judge’s lips had started to move but she couldn’t hear anything. This was it. She had become deaf. This was how she would be saved from the torture but then Seun turned to her.

“Honey…” He whispered but she doesn’t respond.

“Honey…” He called again but she doesn’t look at him. Her eyes are focused on the Judge. This plump woman with a scar covering half of her jaw.

“Honey…” He tapped her and her sense of hearing suddenly returned.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

Ebisemi nodded and looked around the room, everyone were seated except her and Seun. She turned to the Judge, she had stopped talking to focus on her.

Ebisemi waved her hand apologetically and sat on the bench with Seun. He grabbed her right hand and her palms were suddenly soaked in his sweat.

“Having heard both sides during the course of this trial and analyzed evidence brought before the court, I have come to a verdict…”
Ebisemi turned to her right and caught the eyes of a woman at the end of the room. Those brown familiar eyes she had come to loathe and then she started to quiz herself, what was it that she saw in her to make her think she was a reflection of herself? That was the mistake and today was the prize she would pay for it.
“Without sentiments or prejudice, I hereby grant custody of Miss Daisy Afolarin to…”
Ebisemi shut her eyes, like they would make the court room disappear.

Ten years ago on this same day, Ebisemi and Seun went to visit a fertility doctor named DR. PRAJU. They have heard tales about her. Her many degrees. Harvard. MIT. All the IVY leagues. Masters. PHD. Professional courses. And the many miracles from one time barren couples. At first they confused her for Indian but she quickly corrected them that she was Pakistan. A small lady in an oversized Lab coat. She should be in her fifties. She always had a smile on her face when she talked. Maybe it was just a thing of hers talking to couples who had lost hopes of bringing their own offspring into the world.

She exhaled, having skimmed through the past records of Ebisemi but with that warm smile still etched on her face.
“ Have you tried surrogacy?”
Ebisemi and Seun shared a look. They have lost count the number of times people have asked them this.
“No…” Seun answered for them.
“Why?”
Seun was unsure if he should answer this cause it was Ebisemi’s call. It wasn’t like she hadn’t nursed the idea but the thought of some strange woman carrying her child had always discouraged her.
“Is there no other way?” Ebisemi asked like she wasn’t suppose to answer the why question by Dr. Praju.

Dr. Praju reached for her hand on the table but Ebisemi quickly pulled her hands away. Some strange woman touching her hand across the table wasn’t some form of comfort to her.
Dr. Praju reclined on her chair and purred: “Sure, I am not the best fertility doctor around here for no reason. You will come in once a week and we will undergo the treatment for six months and see where that takes us.”
“Okay…” Ebisemi smiled but without a stray tears in her eyes.

Two months already gone and Ebisemi can’t even get herself out of the bed sometimes. The medications. The drugs, it does something to her that drained her strength. Definitely not what she bargained for but with it was the prize she would have to pay for motherhood.
Today was Seun’s parents forty years anniversary but she couldn’t get herself up. Seun who was already dressed sat next to her on the bed.
“I don’t have to go you know…”
“That would give your mother another reason to hate me more.”
“You are unwell, what if something bad happen to you?”
“I would be fine Seun… Go…”
Seun kissed her forehead and then stood from the bed. He looked down at her. All these years this man’s love had stayed strong. Sometimes she feels like she doesn’t deserve it.
“I won't be long, uhm…”
“Enjoy the party Seun…”
Seun exit the room. She remained on the bed, till she heard the front door slam, then she stood and pulled from the bed and crossed to check herself in the dresser’s mirror. She squeezed her breasts. They should be fuller by now. Why weren’t they bulging? She should be nauseous or something. It had been two months. Why was nothing happening? But then it all came to her, if she was actually pregnant she would see all those. She sat back on the bed and she thought of Seun. What manner of man stays with a barren woman for seven years but have not complained for once? What manner of man?
She lay back on the bed and covered herself in the duvet. She had pretended to be sick to avoid going to Seun’s parent’s party. Wasn’t she tired of been repeatedly mocked at gatherings like this. She closed her eyes and said a small prayer in her mind.
“Oh God, please give me a child and put my enemies to shame.”
Seun’s family lived in Maitama. Him and Ebisemi stayed at the outskirt of the city to avoid family members stumbling into their home as they please. He cared about Ebisemi’s mental health and wouldn’t want family members coming to make matters worse for them. He loved that woman so much and wished he could tell her the reason why they are barren. He so wished…

TO BE CONT’D
Gabriel Odigiri is a Nigerian writer, script writer and story teller.
For more of his stories like his page on Facebook: Gabriel Odigiri
https://m.facebook.com/Gabriel-Odigiri-108202648100800/?ref=bookmarks

Osjaay:
uhnnnnnnn. this was one of my fav stories back then but inconsistent update made me cool down. then I went off nairaland for a long time. gat nothing to do this evening and I decided to browse thru my old comments thereby coming face to face with this story again...... the ending kinda look rushed to me. and it lost that thrill and suspense along da way. Gabriel deserve a nice life and a good ending even if Angie didn't end up as his wife....i dunno what to say bout that tunji of a boy.in all thanks for completing it and not leaving ya followers hanging.twas was an interesting story and yo didn't fall my hand. well done and more power to your writing power

I can't believe it has been three years already. OMG, I need a come back. Thank you for been a loyal fan.