₦airaland Forum

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Dele paced anxiously as he waited for Chris to come down. He wondered why on earth he had refused to pick his calls. And he hadn’t seen Tóminí at all. Was she in the accident as well? He knew he should have gone to the hospital first. He didn’t care if he sounded stupid, he was Temi’s father and he had every right to see his son.

“Hey.”, he heard Chris’s voice say and he turned around. He had never seen Chris so frazzled even when he was sick. He went into panic mode.

“Hey. I saw the news. How is Tinu? How is Temi? I’ve been calling you since last night but you didn’tpick my calls.”, Dele babbled in concern.

“Oh. I get it now. Temi’s perfectly fine. He’s with my parents, together with Tóminí. I sent them there since Tinu’s in the hospital and I have to be with her. With the police report and what Tinu said, I’m not comfortable leaving them with the help. The security at my parents' is tighter.”, Chris explained.

“So Temi is fine?”, Dele asked.

“Yes, he is.”, Chris assured and Dele let out a sigh of relief.

“Sorry, how are Tinu and…”

“Chris.”, Chris inserted.

“Yes, Chris.”, Dele said.

“Chris is fine. Tinu was taking him to the hospital when the accident occurred. She had strapped him in but she forgot to wear her seatbelt.”, Chris said.

“Oh. So Tinu’s fine with Chris being here now?”, Dele asked.

“Excuse me?”, Chris asked raising an eyebrow, wondering how Dele knew she had problems with Chris.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t my place.”, Dele apologized realising his mistake. “I’m so happy Chris is fine and…”

“Dele, don’t change the subject.”, Chris asked.

“Chris, please. It was a big mistake on my part.”, Dele apologized feeling awkward.

“Did she go discussing about Chris with you?”, he asked.

“Chris, don’t say it like that. Tinu loves you so much. She doesn’t want to lose you. She just called me one night crying that you were going to leave her. She felt insecure. She felt that if you brought in Chris, it was only a matter of time before you bring in Katrina as well.”, Dele explained.

“That woman!”, he said exasperated. “So that is her fear?”, he said more to herself than to Dele.

“Chris, just be calm. She was only a jealous wife.”, Dele said and patted Chris's arm.

“Thank you.”, Chris said.

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When Chris got back to the hospital, Tinu was awake. She looked so helpless with the neck brace around her neck and one arm in a cast.

“Hey.”, he greeted.

“Hey.”, she answered.

“How are you?”, he asked.

“Apart from being unable to move my neck and arm and the severe pain I’m feeling all over, I’dsay I’m fine.”, she responded.

“Sorry about that. Should I sit or you’d prefer me standing?”, he asked.

“You can sit, please.”, she said. He sat down and held her right hand.

“I was so worried when the hospital called me.”, he said caressing her hand.

“Hmmn. I can guess why.”, she said hurt and wanted to pry her hand out of his hold but he held it tight.

“Tinu, I was worried about you.”, he said. “The nurse who called told me 'your wife had been involved in a accident.’ I was worried even before she mentioned Chris was with you. Tinu let’s end this. Please. I want my wife back. I’m sorry for the stag party. I’m sorry that what happened with Katrina happened. I honestly am. But it did and Chris is the product of that encounter. I am not proud it happened but I am most definitely not ashamed of my son. I love him just as much as I love Temi or Tóminí or any other child we might have. The fact I love Chris doesn’t mean I have feelings for Katrina or that I’ll replace you with her. You are my wife. My wife. I will not let anyone take away or scare away what is mine. I love you, Atinuke. From the bottom of my heart, I do. You need to trust that I love you.”

“Chris…”, she said with her voice shaking.

“Tinu, you won’t lose me. We fought cancer together. Don’t let this come in between us. Please I beg you.”, he said.

“Ok. Fine. I’ll open my heart to Chris because I’m tired of this anger and bitterness and gap between us. I’ll try to love him as much as I can.”, she said.

“Really?”, he said elated.

“Yes. I’ll open my heart to Chris.”, she answered.

“Thank you, Tinu.”, he said.

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jayextra:
I was expecting a scene whr the 'acceptance of Chris jnr' is settled

Hope I 'Found' you?

Yeah, you have.

Fears aren't exactly gotten over that quickly. Tinu's fears will only be allayed if she has a child for Chris. Accepting Chris junior will take time. But she's proved she can stand him. He's the first thing she thought about when she woke up again. Even before her own children.

Chapter 16.

Dele and Seyifunmi ran under the rain to the elevator shaft of his apartment building, giggling like teenaged girls. They had just gone to the market together to get a few things for the new recipe she wanted to try but it had started raining heavily on their way that they had to turn around. They had come a long way from the terrible popcorn and movie date, as they both termed it. They had gotten to know each other better and he knew he was falling in love with her. One thing was for certain, the lady cooked blow taste buds away and he enjoyed eating her food.

Aside that, Seyifunmi was one of the smartest ladies he knew in his industry. She was resilient and hard-working. And the girl loved to play, that was probably owing to her being the last born. Almost anything they did these days, they had to play a game for it first and she took no prisoners when she played. She was a breath of fresh air to his complicated and drama filled life. She was like spring after a long, dreary winter.

“It’s like the rain loves our dates.”, she said panting from the run. He looked at her and could only think of one word- beautiful. She wasn’t an hourglass like Tinu but her lean pear was epicurean in its own way. Her heart shaped faced reminded him of Tyra Banks. Her face had a cute button nose on it and her lips… all they did was beg him to kiss her. He could see her mouth moving but all he thought of was kissing her. He pulled her closer and tipped her face up and kissed her. She soon wound her arms around her neck and arched herself against him wanting to get closer to him .

A simple desire to taste her lips was set ablaze by the passion in her. She had kissed him with a ferociousness he didn’t expect. They were still kissing as they made their way to the elevator. Dele found the close button and the button for the twentieth floor. For the first time in ages, he felt grateful for living so high up. He picked her up and she fastened her legs around his waist like a vice. She soon began rubbing against his arousal and he groaned in pleasure. His hands fondled her endowed backside loving the feel of it. She moaned and said please. HeHe knew what she was asking for and he was more than willing to give it to her.

“Seyi, please. I don’t want our first time to be in an elevator.”, he said huskily and put her down. The smile she gave him belong on the cover of Playboy magazine not on this tech-nerd. “Alrighty, then. I will hold you to that promise.”, she breathed heavily and bit her lower lip in anticipation. Oh, he wanted to kiss her again but had to control himself.

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Chris sat by Tinu’s side watching her sleep. She looked like she had just been in an accident. He held her right hand and ran his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand. He wished she would just wake up and let him see those black orbs of hers. She had been sleeping for over twelve hours. At first, he was worried she had slipped into a coma but her doctor assured him it was the effect of the pain relievers and the sedative.

He wondered what happened to her while driving. Tinu was someone who took safety seriously. She always had the car seats in place for the children and made double sure they were properly strapped him. That care had saved Chris’s life. But why on earth had she forgotten to wear her seatbelt? She was probably in a hurry to get Chris to the hospital. He sighed. She took Chris to the hospital. He’d never imagined she’d be in the same room as he. She wasn’t so steel-hearted then. She could learn to love Chris if she just saw past her grief for Hannah and her fear that he would leave her because she didn’t bear him a child. He heard her stir and he looked up. She was awake.

“Hey. Lie still”,, he cooed softly.

“How is Chris?!”, she asked panicking.

“He’s fine. He was strapped to the car seat. The doctor is treating his ear infection.”, he explained.

“Ok. Chris, I was so scared. They kept ramming into us from behind. I thought we were going to die. No matter how fast I drove they caught up. Chris, they wanted to kill us.”, she sobbed.

“Its ok. Calm down. Don’t stress yourself. It will all be fine.”, he whispered softly and stroked her hair.

“How are the twins?”, she asked.

“They’re with Dad and Mum. I had Mr. Sam come and pick them up.”, he explained.

“Ok.”, she said and drifted back to sleep.

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Dele and Seyifunmi panted and laughed. They had just written codes just to decide who would pick the station to watch. Seyifunmi gloated as she searched for the TV remote. She found the remote and rushed back to the couch.

“Now, we’ll watch Sixteen Candles and not that waste of time you call entertainment.”, she said as she snuggle up beside him and placed a big, wet kiss on her lips.

“Murder files is classic entertainment.”, he defended “Abeg.”, she said and changed the channel. She stopped at the station she wanted and saw it was still an hour before Sixteen Candles would be aired. She groaned in displeasure.

“Ooomeee!”, Dele teased and stuck out his tongue. Seyifunmi groaned louder and wailed.

“Oya, it’s my turn. We’ll watch Murder Files, don’t worry.”, he explained and changed the channel. He accidentally changed the station to a news channel. He saw the headline on local news and froze.

'Wife and son of young CEO of Oduah Holdings Corporation, Chris Oduah, involved in ghastly motor accident.’

Dele’s heart stopped and the remote fell out of his hand. He began searching for his phone.

“Dele, is something wrong? Do you know them?”, Seyifunmi asked.

“They’re my ex-wife and my son.”, he said as located his phone. He had Chris’s number on speed dial and he dialed his number but there was response. He dialed again and again and again but Chris didn’t pick up. He stood and started pacing. He was, frustrated didn’t begin to cut it. Chris had promised that if anything happened to Tinu or any of the twins, he’d let him know. He wondered what the cause of the accident was. He hoped this wasn’t an act of one of Chris’s business rivals. If it was, he’d fight for custody.

No! He shook his head and sighed. It didn’t have to come to that. It wasn’t as if Nigerian roads was anti-accidents in themselves. It had to be that.

“Dele..”, Seyifunmi called.

“Yes, Seyi.”, he said.

“They’ll be fine. Calm down.”, she said.

“I’m sure they’re fine. It’s the fact Chris didn’t call me I’m worried about. Was the accident that bad? Or is he hiding something else?”, he said.

jayextra:
“Oh, yes. She said something about
someone wanting to kill 'us'. ‘Us’ "

*Groans*Not again nah

Not again? I'm lost please

She sighed as she did the dreaded. She walked towards the nursery. She could feel her palms get clammy and her heart rate increased. She opened the door and saw the boy sitting by the door.

“Where is Daddy?”, the boy cried sobbing.

“Shh!”, she pacified and picked him up. She resisted the impulse to drop him back. His temperature was boiling hot. “Shh! Sorry. Sorry”, she cooed and rocked him and carried him to their room. She set him down on their bed and went into their bathroom to get the first aid kit. She gave him a dose of paracetamol syrup. She brought her phone out of her pocket and called Chris but he didn’t pick her calls.

“My head.”, the boy said.

“I know. Sorry dear.”, she said and carried the boy. She had to take him to the hospital. She picked the boy up and ran downstairs. She went into the study and grabbed her car keys and her purse. She ran to the garage and got into her car. She placed the boy into the car seat and strapped him in. She got in and sped out of the compound to the hospital.

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Chris ran out of the elevator propelled by fear. He turned to his left and found the nurses' station and jogged towards there. When he got the call, his brain went haywire. Tinu and Chris. He couldn’t lose them.

“Good evening. My wife and son were rushed here. Tinu and Chris Oduah.”, he panted.

“Sure, good evening Sir. I’ll check.”, the nurse said and started clicking at something on the computer system.

“Please, make it snappy.”, he snapped and ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

“Sir, your son is in the paediatric unit on the fourth floor, while your wife is in the ICU on the second floor.”, she informed calmly.

“What?”, he asked flustered.

“According to the paramedics' report here, your wife wasn’t wearing her seatbelt at the time the accident occurred. But she strapped your son in, hence the lack of severe injuries. Your son is in ward 409. Your wife’s doctor is Doctor Al-Ameen.”, she listed.

He muttered a thank you and went towards the elevators. He got in and punched the button for the second floor. He prayed in his heart for Tinu and Chris as the elevator ascended. The elevator dinged as it stopped at the second floor. He walked out briskly and tried to locate his son's ward.

He found the room his son shared with eleven other children. The boy was asleep peacefully with a few scratches on his face, arms and legs. Other than that the boy was fine. He exhaled in relief and kissed the boy's forehead. The nurse who was doing the rounds saw him and approached him.

“Good evening sir.”, she greeted.

“Good evening. How is my son doing?”, he asked.
“Fine. He has an ear infection and we’ve given him some drugs. Ordinarily, he doesn’t need to be admitted but since the guardian who brought him in was badly injured, we had to keep him here.”, she explained.

“I understand. I was wondering if I could talk to his doctor.”, he said.

“Sorry, Doctor Omotosho's shift ended two hours ago.”, the nurse answered.

“Ok, then. I have to go and check up on my wife.”, he said and got up.

“No problem, sir.”, she said and returned to her rounds. Chris caressed his son’s head, thankful that he was alright and left to check on Tinu.

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Chris stood by the glass window watching Tinu sleep. She had a cut on her forehead that was horribly bandaged. Her left arm was in a cast and there was a cervical collar was around her neck. He could hear the beeping of the heart rate monitor. His tears fell in synchrony with the machine's beeps. What if he had lost her? He didn’t know what he’d do.

Where the hell is that doctor?

Doctor Al-Ameen had been in the theatre since he got to the ICU. The nurses wouldn’t authorize his seeing Tinu without the doctor's say so. He needed to touch her, to hold her. He needed to be with her. He saw Tinu’s eyes jerk open and the heart rate monitor started beeping erratically and she was heaving and wheezing, struggling to breathe.

“Nurse!”, he yelled like a mad man. “Nurse! Where the f*** are you people? Nurse!”, he shouted even louder. He was torn between going to find the nurses or staying with her. He turned and saw nurses in blue scrubs and a disheveled man in blue shirt and black pants with a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck rush into the room. He tried to join them but two male nurses fought him off and asked him to wait outside.

He grunted in frustration. He saw Tinu’s lips moving but he couldn’t make out what she was saying. The doctor injected some medication into the medication port of her IV bag and soon her breathing was stabilized and she drifted back to sleep. He saw the doctor record something in his record sheet. He instructed the nurses on what to do and left the room.

“Doctor, how is my wife?”, Chris asked as soon as the frazzled man came out of the ward.

“Good morning. I’m Doctor Al-Ameen.”

“Morning, I’m Chris Oduah. How is my wife?”, he asked again.

“She just had an anxiety attack. We’ve sedated her but she’s fine generally. Your wife was extremely lucky. According to the police report, the car was on its roof when they found it. Your wife sustained fractures in her arm and neck. She had a distal fracture in her left humerus. She had to undergo surgery and her arm will be in a cast for six to eight weeks. Luckily, her neck fracture was a simple one that didn’t affect her spinal cord. If that had been the case, then she might have been paralysed or worse. Thankfully, that is not the case. She’ll need the neck brace for about six weeks. She obtained a few bruises and scratches but they’re nothing.”, the man explained.

“Ok, thank you. She was mumbling something when she woke up.”

“Oh, yes. She said something about someone wanting to kill 'us'. ‘Us’, I presume is your son and her. I recommend informing the police.”, the man said.

“Can I see my wife?”, Chris asked.

“Sure. I’ll have the nurses disinfect you before you go in, of course. You can follow me.”, he answered.

“Thank you.”, Chris said.

“You’re welcome.”, the doctor put in and led the way.

So? What do you think?

Teams vote.

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Tinu moved out of their room and lived basically in the downstairs study. She explained it to the children as due to her numerous assignments. He tried reaching out to her but she had erected a twenty foot high wall to keep him out. She didn’t stay in the same room as he except the children were present. She was civil when they were around. When they weren’t, she pretended he didn’t exist. He had once gone to the study to talk to her but she locked the door. The next day he was determined to talk to her and he had tried to use his spare key. To his dismay, she had changed the lock. She steered clear of little Chris like he was the black plague though the boy thought her to be the next best thing since sliced bread.

Chris walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water and he saw her working in the kitchen. She sat at the island. He stared at her looking at colour swatches and sample fabrics and pinning them to a plan. He could see her smile and a glint of joy in her eyes. His heart broke. Her classes and the twins were the only things that put that glint there these days. When she looked at him these days, her eyes were are full as charcoal and full of unshed tears.

He smiled as she did a victory dance as she completed her work. He had missed her, the real Tinu not this woman.
He missed her in everyway. Blood began to flow southwards as he ogled her breasts. Her negligee was see through and seeing her like that did things to him. Anger flooded him as he wondered if it had been their driver that came in and saw her. He’d kill any man who saw like that.

“Please cover yourself, Tinu.”, he said huskily, his voice evidence of his arousal. She looked up and saw him. He could see that glint fade away as if it hadn’t been there at all. He felt pain stab his heart. She cleared her throat and pulled her robe tighter around her body.

She looked down at her work as he made his way to the fridge. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. The vest he wore clung to him like a second skin. It clung to the ridges of his abdominal muscles and it made the room hot. As he bent to look for a glass, she caught a glimpse of toned back muscles and his pert ass. She watched him drink to quench his thirst and she became thirsty for something only he could quench.

Her heart began to race. Why did she feel this way, even after what he said to her? A part of her wanted to suck her pride and beg him to make love to her. Her ego who was busy sleeping jumped out of bed and flung a shoe at that part, shouting ‘you must be stupid.’ She saw him come towards her. She knew if he touched her her ego would lose the battle. That part of her smirked and wagged her eyebrows, egging Chris to come closer. Her ego begged her to get the hell out of there. She packed her things hurriedly like hell was chasing her.

“What are you working on?”, he asked as he leaned against the island a few inches away from her.

“I’m done. Thank you. Good night.”, she said and fled.

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Tinu was trying to sleep but that boy kept on crying. Why did she have to have a mother’s ear? She could hear him from the downstairs study.

Is Chris deaf?

She groaned and covered her head with her pillow. She fought a war within herself. The mother in her wanted to check up on the boy, while the wife in her told her to sleep. The mother brought out a Gatlin gun anf the wife in her with a simple AK-47 surrendered. She groaned as she jumped up from the chaise-lounge she was sleeping in and ran upstairs. She knocked on their bedroom door but Chris didn’t answer. She opened the door and saw the bed was empty.

He probably isn’t back yet.

She sighed as she did the dreaded. She walked towards the nursery. She could feel her palms get clammy and her heart rate increased. She opened the door and saw the boy sitting by the door.

“Where is Daddy?”, the boy cried sobbing.

“Shh!”, she pacified and picked him up. She resisted the impulse to drop him back. His temperature was boiling hot. “Shh! Sorry. Sorry”, she pacified and rocked him and carried him to their room. She set him down on their bed and went into their bathroom to get the first aid kit. She gave him a dose of paracetamol syrup. She brought her phone out of her pocket and called Chris but he didn’t pick her calls.

“My head.”, the boy said.

“I know. Sorry dear.”, she said and carried the boy. She had to take him to the hospital

Update will drop soon. Please comment o. That's how I dinor eat breakfast. Diaris God o.

jayextra:

Awwn. Thank you

Keep the comments coming.

I thought all TeamChris members would be default TeamDeMi members. Please, did I "thought" wrong?

Ann2012:
Thanks for the update

You're welcome dear.

lawrenzooo:
You are doing extremely well. I just wish we could get update every minute but then i understand u have other things doing as well. Nice writeup. keep the updates rolling.

Thanks b

jayextra:
Thanks for the Heart warming updates


#Team_Dele_and_Seyifunmi

You're welcome.

Where's that red lady dancing emoticon? Ok, dear.

what do you think about Tinu's reaction?

banky3w:
Thank God for change of events. It could have sickened my guts if something were to happen to my Tess. Ride on Bro.
Modified
Seems your handle suggests you're a lady.

As in

“Oh my god. You heard us.”, he said and color drained from his face.

“Chris, your father is right. I am selfish. And I’m scared. With what happened with Tamara, we both know Katrina didn’t break up with you voluntarily. You almost proposed to her so you must have loved her so much. And now, she has a son for you. Chris, I’m scared that if Chris, your son, comes in to your life, you’ll love me and the twins less. I’ve tried to rationalize it and tell myself my fears are unfounded but…. Chris, I can take you loving Katrina. It will kill me but I can take it. What will destroy me is if you don’t feel the way you used to about the twins. Chris, I’ll die if that happens. And I feel Chris junior will steal all the love you have for Temí and Tóminí.”, she sobbed.

“Tinu, nothing can change how I feel about the twins.”, he assured her.

“You’re saying that no but what happens when he reminds you of you, when he’s the only child you have that follows your footsteps. We both know Temi and Tóminí have artistic tendencies. What happens when Chris becomes the voracious tycoon you are. Will you still love them?”, she canvassed and stood up from his lap.

“Tinu, children will take to different paths. That doesn’t mean we as parents will love them less.”, he answered.

“But…”

“Tinu, I think I know what your problem is. It’s that you doubt the love I have for the twins. Tinu, even if you weren’t their mother, I would still love them I didn’t give my blood to Tóminí simply because I wanted to impress you. When I met them in the hospital ward that day I fell in love with them. I knew it was more than just because they were your children. Ther was something else. Something more. I didn’t know what it was. I don’t still know what it is but I know that I love those children. Regardless of who their biological parents are. They are mine and no one and nothing can change how I feel about them. I love Temi. I love that he is calm, a gentleman even at his young age. I love that he recalls sounds and tunes that I don’t remember. I love his generosity and kindness.. I love Tóminí for being as fast as Quicksilver. I love her tenacity and audacity. I love her cheerful nature and her resilience.”, he explained.

He sighed and then continued, “Chris is my son. I love him too. I love the three of them. Tinu, what you’re saying… it sounds like you want me to choose. Is that what you want?” he stood slowly when she kept mute.

“Tinu, is that what you want ?”, he pressed.

"Yes, I mean, no, I mean, I don’t know.”, she said and turned her back on him. “Chris, you have so much love in your heart. You accepted Margaux and Monique. I stand in awe of that. I hope to be like that someday but Chris, I don’t want what Dele did to them to repeat itself. They were young and probably don’t remember but I do. I remember. I will not stand for it to happen again.”

“It won’t.”, Chris shouted chafed by her words.

“Come on, Chris. You can’t promise that. Dele did it. What’s to say you won’t?”, she shouted back.

“So what do you want me to do?”, he whispered.

“I don’t know. But this wouldn’t have happened if you had listened to me about the stag party.”, she said and walked out of the room.

Chris looked at the door in shock. He had never seen her so irrational and illogical. Why was she so bent on it being either the twins or Chris? This wasn’t how he imagined the conversation ending.
He sighed and sat back on the armchair. He had left Chris at his parents’ for the time being, waiting for her to heal, to forget about the whole Katrina incident. He had hoped that after two months or so, he’d be able to bring his son into the house. He had already broached the subject with the twins and they liked the idea of having a younger sibling. Why was Tinu then acting like it was one or the other?

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.....

Please, I eat comments for breakfast o. Please, don't let me starve

iamgprince:
i no de any of the team but the team i de be #teamupdate4us#

LMAO

Chapter 15.

Tinu rushed up the stairs looking for Chris. His cellphone had been ringing nonstop. She was about entering the study when she heard her father-in-law raise his voice.

“He is your flesh and blood.”

“Dad, keep your voice down. I don’t want Tinu or the children to hear you.”, Chris whisper-yelled.

“Let Tinu hear for God’s sake. How can she be so selfish? The boy never asked to be born. He was the product of a mistake. I understand. But then you can’t ignore that he exists. While, you’re here living some false happily ever after, the boy is our at the Windsor trying to adjust to people other than his father and mother. Bring him home. He deserves to be here with his father and siblings. I know any rational woman will not want to accept it. But how do you think you’d feel if you grew up knowing your father pushed you away for a woman and children that don’tbear the same blood as him?”, the man explained.

“Dad, we’ve talked about this time and time again…”

“Forgive me. I know they’re your children regardless of whose blood flows in their veins. If you feel this way about Tinu’s children, why can’t she feel the same way about your son?”, the man ended.

Tinu could not stand to hear any more. She left the threshold of the study and walked quietly back to her room.

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Dele stretched his hand, without looking up from his laptop, trying to find his phone but picked up the air conditioner remote control instead. He looked at his hand and sighed.

Anime will be the death of me.


He turned and found his phone on the keyboard of the laptop and inwardly slapped himself.
He was on leave and he decided to binge on anime. And he was getting addicted to it. He picked up his phone and saw a missed call from Seyifunmi.

He didn’t expect her to call again since she rarely replied his messages online. He thought she found the first date appalling. By his own standards, which was low, it was horrific. The movie he chose, the one he had played rock, paper, scissors with her for, was a nightmare. A Hollywood disaster with a predictable plot and terrible directing. The concession stand popcorn was too salty with too many unpopped kernels at the bottom of the bucket. He wished he read the online reviews of the cinema before taking her there.

As if the God of decent first dates was against him, he had a flat tire in the rain on his way to her house. He had to change it in the rain and being very susceptible to cold, within the next five minutes he was sneezing repeatedly.

He wondered if he should call back first or wait for her to call again. The phone rang again and he counted ten seconds before picking the call.
“Hello.”, he said coolly.
“Hi, Dele.”, she said in an unusual high pitch. He then heard giggling and snickering and squeals from the other end.
“What’s with the laughing?”, he asked and reclined into his seat.
“My sisters and cousins. Don’t mind them”, she said sternly more to them than to him and the giggling increased. He then heard them screaming 'Hi, Dele' and he laughed.

“We can talk later if you want.”, he offered.

“No! No, I’ll find somewhere quieter.”, she said and he heard someone singing Whitney Houston’s I will always love you in the background and more laughing. Then the noise faded.

“Hello?”, she asked.

“Hello, Seyifunmi. How are you?”, he answered.

“Im fine. I’m sorry for not calling earlier or replying to your messages. I've been busy with deadlines and planning my sister’s wedding. How are you feeling?”, she said.

“I’m cool. My colds are like one lozenge and a couple of oranges and they’re gone. How many sisters do you have?”, he asked.

“Well, ours is a large family of women. I have 5 older sisters and 3 older brothers. Oh, and I have 14 female cousins.”, she explained gleefully.

“What?!”, he exclaimed and she laughed.

“Turns out the XX Gene is stronger in my family.”, she quipped.

“Wow. Your mum had 9 of you?”, he asked.

“Yep. Four sets of twins. I’m the only one without a twin.”, she explained.

“You don’t say.”, he put in.

“Enough about my family. I was just wondering if we could go out sometime. But then not go out, maybe you could come over to my place and I’ll make us dinner.”, she said.

“So, a date? But at your place?”, he asked smiling at her choice of words.

“Yes. I prefer homemade food to eating out and I swear my cooking is way better than you are probably thinking.”, she said giddily.

“Ok. Sure. When?”, he asked smiling.

“Is tomorrow ok? By seven?”, she asked.

“Ok. I’ll the there.”, he promised.

“So any allergies I should know about?”, she asked.

“Um, not allergy per se. I don’t like seeing onions in my food. I don’t know why but it just puts me off.”, he said.

“That can easily be fixed. Anything else.”, she asked.

“Nothing else.” He answered.

“Ok, then. Bye dear.”, she greeted.

“Bye.”, he answered and hung up.


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Chris looked at Tinu and knew she wasn’t really reading Studholme and Cosby’s How to Decorate. Her attitude for the past two days had been off. She was always lost in thought and whenever he asked her what was wrong, she smiled and told him nothing. She had been in the same page for close to an hour. He wondered what had her worried that she couldn’t share with him. Her responses to his probing had been monosyllabic and rehearsed.

“Tinu?”, he called.

“Yes?”, she answered still lost in thought.

“I sold the twins to the mafia”, he put in.

“I’m fine.”, she answered.

“Tinu!”, he shouted, jolting her out of her daze.

“Chris, what is it? I’m right here. You don’t need to shout.”, she said calmly.

“No. You’re not here. Heaven alone knows where you’ve been for the past two days. What is it? Something is eating at your mind but you don’t want to say what it is.”, he said.

“Chris, I’m fine. It’s that time of the month.”, she smiled and lied.

“If you think I don’t know your menstrual cycle by now, you’re deceiving yourself. Now will you stop the lies and tell me what your problem is?”, he said angrily. She sighed and he knew this was something he had to force out of her by hook or by crook. He sighed.

“Come here, please.”, he said huskily. She reluctantly got off the bed. He cleared the papers he was going through and moved the side stool he was using out of the way. She came to stand in front of him and he patted his lap.

“Chris…”

“Please.”, he begged and she reluctantly sat in his lap.

“Tinu, you know how much I love you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you happy. But I won’t know what to do unless you tell me why you’re unhappy. I can read your emotions like a book but your mind is something I can’t decipher. If you don’t tell me, I can’t fix it.”, he told her.

Seconds passed and she said nothing. He sighed exasperated and said, “If you want to go back to work…”

“It's not about working.”, she said and tears welled up in her eyes.

“Tinu..”, he said bothered about the tears in her eyes.

“Chris, you’ve been so good to me since the day we met. You opened up your heart to me and my children…”, she said fighting tears.

“Our children.”, he corrected.

She smiled weakly. “Our children. You’ve given them the love of a father. And Chris, you can’t begin to imagine how much I love you for that. But I can’t begin to understand why I can’t open up my heart towards Chris.”, she said and the tears began flowing.

“Oh my god. You heard us.”, he said and color drained from his face.

“Chris, your father is right. I am selfish. And I’m scared. With what happened with Tamara, we both know Katrina didn’t break up with you voluntarily. You almost proposed to her so you must have loved her so much. And now, she has a son for you. Chris, I’m scared that if Chris, your son, comes in to your life, you’ll love me and the twins less. I’ve tried to rationalize it and tell myself my fears are unfounded but…. Chris, I can take you loving Katrina. It will kill me but I can take it. What will destroy me is if you don’t feel the way you used to about the twins. Chris, I’ll die if that happens. And I feel Chris junior will steal all the love you have for Temí and Tóminí.”, she sobbed.




*******
I think I cried while writing this. Enjoy!!! XOXO

Hi guys. Updates will be coming soon. Thanks for sticking it out with Ocean of Secrets: The Ebb.

I love you.


My fellow TeamDele people let's keep calm.

TeamChris, I hope you guys are happy.


Please if there's any member of TeamDeMi (Dele and Seyifunmi) please signify by raising your hands sorry there's no raising hands emoticon on Nairaland (please if anybody here knows Oluwaseun Osewa, tell him that this lack of emoticons is hindering our expression o). Please signify by simply commenting. Thank you.

As for the people on the fence, I've got something planned for you all as well.

Stay tuned.


Keep commenting on your favorite Team, characters, the villians you absolutely despise, et cetera.


You guys are really amazing

Babsopey:
Well done OP.... Cool job...

Awwn. Thanks. It's been a while.


Guys, Babsopey is one of the people who convinced to keep on posting. Thanks dear

Diamond2019:
Thanks for d update....team Dele

You're welcome dear. Guy, I gatchyu.

Oremeyii:
Me that has been waiting for update since...I logged in and saw that you'd actually done so.

Before, I was rooting for Dele and Tinu, but now I ship Chrisnu abi Tiis or even Tich!

Lol.

Please remind me not to ask you to come up with hashtag for my wedding.

You're welcome

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Seyifunmi smiled as Dele held the car door open. He smiled back and complimented her as she climbed into the SUV. When she got in, he shut the door and walked over to the driver's side. As he was about to get in, his secretary called.

“Sir, good evening. I’m sorry to disturb you but the Lycon Supermart app is not ready yet and…”

“Téní, I understand Great is new and you’re still skeptical but there’s a reason I appointed him as my right hand. Call him. And Téní, the last time I went on a date was two and half years ago. Don’t ruin this for me.”, he told her.

“Ok sir, but what if?”, Téní started.

“Téní, no but what ifs please. Great will handle it. If he can’t then, too bad. I’d know he was a wrong fit. I’m going to hang up now. Bye.”, he said and hung up. He sighed to calm his nerves and got into the car.

“Are you ready?”, he asked.

“I’m ready whenever you are.”, she answered and he started the car.

He tried making small talk but things were a lot different from chatting online. He wondered why he felt like he had not been on a date in decades.
‘Well, you never dated before Nenye and you didn’t date again after her.’, his subconscious told him.
He chided himself. He was a thirty-six year old man not a university freshman. She wasn’t going to eat him raw. He sighed again and hated himself for not listening to Tìmí’s advise to go online and research on what to do on a date. He never learnt, did he? He should always listen to Tìmí when it came to relationships.

“Are you nervous?”, she asked.

“No, what makes you think that?”, he lied.

“You’re clutching the steering like I clutch my pillow when I’m not sure if the hero will make it out of a scene alive.”, she teased.

“Ok?”, he said raising an eyebrow.

“It’s ok. Really. A research carried out by Cosmopolitan magazine shows that about thirty four per cent of Nigerian men are nervous on a first date. Ten percent are worried about disappointing the girl, eight percent are nervous about her spending too much, five percent are worried about getting caught by a girlfriend, side chick or acquaintance and twelve percent are worried about getting some.”, she listed.

“Are you serious?”, he said and laughed.

“Which are you worried about?”, she asked slyly.

“Definitely disappointing you.”, he answered.

“Guy, you picked me up and opened the car door for me. You are on a winning streak already.”, she said and patted his arm in reassurance.

“Seriously, twelve percent are worried about having sex?”, he asked bewildered.

“No, I made it all up.”, she said laughing.

“Why, you little? I actually believed you.”, he exclaimed.

“Sorry. You seemed so tense. I wanted to lighten the mood.”, she said laughing.

“Please, remind me never to play poker with you.”, he said joining her in laughter.

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Tinu sat curled up on a scarlet wing chair in the living room waiting for Chris. She had called him severally but he didn’t pick any of her calls. She’d have gone to the office to look for him but he had expressly told her not to leave the house. She yawned again and rubbed her eyes. She picked up her phone and tried to call him again. It rang for a while but no response. She muttered prayers for his safety. She heard the door opened and she leaped up in eagerness.

He walked in to meet Tinu waiting in the foyer for him. Her eyes were puffy and he knew she had been awake waiting for him.

“God! I was so worried.”, she said and rushed to hug him. He held her close, feeling the warmth radiating from her body. He could have lost her again if Tamara had been successful. “I was calling you but you didn’t pick.”, she said.

“I was busy handling some matters.”, he said holding on to her, refusing to let her leave even when she ended the hug.

“Chris, are you ok? Is this about the phone call from earlier today? Are Harun and Michael ok?”, she asked worried.

“Please, Tinu. Let me just hold you and forget about it all. Please?”, he begged. She acquiesced and held him back. He kissed her hair and said, “I hope I never lose you.”

“You won’t. I promise.”, she assured him. Minutes passed before he released her.

“Do you want to cuddle tonight? We can talk about everything tomorrow.”, she offered and held his hand.

“As much as I’d like that, this is something I want to get off my chest.”, he said.

“No problem. I’m here to listen. Would you like something to eat first? Maybe a sandwich or some fruit?”, she asked.

“I’m not hungry.”, he said and led her to the living room.

“Chris, is everything alright? You’re scaring me.”, she said as he deposited her back on the wing chair she was sitting in earlier. He sat on an ottoman in front of her.

“Calm down. The danger has passed. It was the Rex team that called me earlier. The Rex team was created by my father’s fear of assassination. They monitor CCTV footage from the cameras in my office, restroom and the kitchenette on my floor…”

“Wait, you mean they saw us when we…”, she exclaimed in embarrassment and shock.

“No, they didn’t. I had the cameras changed to thermal cameras. Today, I asked Tamara to heat up the lunch you had packed for me. Not long after I put the call through to her. You called me. Not wanting to waste the food, I asked Michael and Harun to have the meal. They always raved about your cooking, so I thought what the heck. The CCTV camera caught Tamara adding something to my food.”, he explained.

“Oh my god!”, Tinu gasped and clamped her hand against her mouth in shock. “She tried to poison you?”, she asked with tears in her eyes.

“I don’t know if that would have been better. She added, I’ve forgotten what the forensic guy called it. It’s similar to Rohypnol and some sort of aphrodisiac.”, he answered.

“She tried to rape you?”, she asked angry.

“To rape me and destroy our marriage.”, he answered.

“What got into her?”, Tinu exclaimed.

“That’s the least of it all. Apparently, this is just the final lap of a scheme that has been going on since I employed Tamara ten years ago. Mr. Ekeh is behind all this. He is Tamara’s uncle.”, he explained.

“The nerve of that man. Do you know what he told me when I resumed at Oduah Holdings? ‘I detest ladies who use their sexuality to get through life.’ And look at what he put his niece up to.”, she ranted in anger.

“I’m just glad it didn’t work out.”, Chris said.

“Me too.”, she put in and sighed

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He looked at the picture of the man that stole their mother from them. He squeezed the picture in anger and threw it against the wall and screamed in anger. He missed his mother. She was the life of the house, protecting them from their father's wrath, now she was gone. He led her to her death and jumped out of the sinking ship right in time to save his life. He wiped the tear that escaped his eye. One day, he’d make him pay. He heard Tómiké scream again and rushed out of his room.

His callous father had taken them to see their mother's dead body. The girl never got over it. He remembered how she cried 'Mummy', expecting her mother to get up but she didn’t. She had nightmares every night. He got into her room and met her crying.

“Tómiké, shhh.”, he pacified.

“Where is mummy? I want my mummy!”, she cried and got off the bed. “I want mummy.”, she said and headed towards the door.

“Tómiké, mummy is not here.” He said and picked up his little sister who burst into a fit of sobs. “Tell mummy to come back. Please.”, she cried harder.

“Tómiké, shh. Daddy must not hear you crying.”, he whispered. “Please, shhh.”, he shushed. The girl understood what daddy hearing meant. She sobbed quietly as her brother rocked her to sleep.

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Chris had never felt more grateful for his father’s paranoia and hysteria. Once, when he was fifteen, he was rushed out of school in the middle of a boring Commerce class. He was so thankful till he asked the family driver, Mr. Sam, why and the man only shook his head and tears started falling from his eyes. He was driven to their family hospital. He met Aunt Bridget, as he referred to her then, weeping silently and four year old Margaux was busy doodling in a colouring book.

He met his father’s P.A., Mr. Ekeh and the company’s P.R. manager standing by the E.R. He saw his father’s P.A., Miss. Antoinette covered in blood. Her baby blue shirt was purple with blood and her hands had dried blood on them. The woman was weeping profusely like Aunt Bridget. 'Is he going to die?’ had been the first words out of his mouth as he aired the one fear on his mind. He couldn’t lose another parent, not so soon after the death of the first one.

A shaken Aunt Bridget left her seat to hug him. They had assured him that he was in the best hands but he wasn’t so sure they were certain about that. He took Margaux and treated her to ice cream in a nearby fast-food eatery. He needed to get his mind off the fear and anxiety. He might have succeeded watching Margaux trying to feed her ugly Barbie doll ice cream.

His father survived five stab wounds to the abdomen but never got off the fear of being killed. The man had CCTV cameras installed everywhere, from his office to his personal convenience and the kitchenette on his floor. He even had a team designed to monitor the live footage from those cameras real time. Of course, he had the cameras in his office and restroom changed into thermal cameras when he started seeing Tinu but he left the camera in the kitchenette as it was.

He wondered just how much Tamara could have been offered to try and kill him. He made sure she was properly remunerated for her services, work ethics, discretion and initiative. He treated her with utmost respect. He even considered her a friend. How could she? He thought that after ten years there’d be nothing she couldn’t tell him. She had corrected him severally over the years whenever he did something wrong. She offered her opinion in business and other matters. She had even helped him pick out a colour scheme for his groomsmen. He wondered what her motivation could be.

He barged into the security department on the steam of anger and curiosity. The men all stood up at once to greet him. He waved them back to their work. A man came from another room and greeted him.

“Good afternoon sir, I’m Conrad Igweonu, Alpha of Rex team. I called you earlier.”, the man greeted.

“Afternoon. Where is she?”, he asked impatient.

“In a holding unit, as per your request.”, the man answered.

“Take me to her.”, he ordered and the man nodded.

He followed the man into a holding unit that looked like a foreign interrogation room. He saw her through the one way glass crying as she sat by the table.

“I want to speak to her. Can I?.”, he said.

“We’ve patted down for concealed weapons. She’s clean, sir. You can go in, sir but only for five minutes. We’ve detained her for two hours already. We have to call the police, so as not to get saddled with any human rights violation action.”, the man answered. Chris nodded in understanding and one of the security personnel led him to the door and opened it for him.

She looked up in panic as she heard the door open. She saw her boss enter and fear gripped her.

“Sir, I’m sorry.”, she begged rising to her feet.

“Sorry you did it or sorry you got caught?”, he deadpanned standing in an intimidating stance.

“Sir, I can explain.”, she sobbed.

“Good, because we only have four minutes before the security team call the police.”, he said.

“Sir, I had no choice…”

“You could have come to me.”, he answered raising his voice in anger and disappointment.

“No, I couldn’t.”, she sobbed and bowed her head in shame.

“So, you just decided to kill me?!”, he shouted.

“No!”, she said in shock and raised her head. “I didn’t want to kill you. I swear.”, she said panicking.

“So what was the extra 'flavouring' for?”, he asked cynically.

“He asked me to rape you.”, she whispered.

“Who?!”, he asked in anger and curiosity.

“Sir, he’ll kill my siblings.”, she answered.

skubido:
Finally finally finally, i gat here.


OP u r doing a grate job here..

Thanks.

I'm sorry this is so short but I'm dog-tired. I'll do a better job tomorrow.

ogbosike:
Good story Op am following closely

Thanks

MEATTAH:
Nice piece keep it up

Thanks

Zuriel100:
I like d way u make expressions about each scenes and acts...and ur continuity.. DX latest update has thrown d story wide open..... more grace.. its not easy...I was writing b4 I put a hold on it..

Thank you. I too recently started writing again after about take year long breaks. Writing is the one thing I can lose myself in. I hope you find your inner muse again.

Thanks for the comment dear. Like I said the story is beyond Tinu, Chris and Dele. Soon old characters will be coming back. I can't wait for you guys to meet Nenye and Nonso again in the second book. But first I have to finish this one.

“Oh.”, she said crestfallen. He just decided to give her a wide berth. “Ok then. I’ll get out of your hair. Thank you.”, she said dejected.

The younger woman scoffed and returned to her work. The older woman smiled in understanding.


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Tamara twirled the vial in her hand, contemplating whether or not she should go ahead with her uncle’s plan. he'd soon call her to heat up the lunch his wife packed for him. God, why did this feel so wrong? Tobe needed money for his project and Fi-fi had already been sent home from school. He told her he wasn’t footing their bills or paying the house rent till she did it. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. Chris had been good to her. Doing this, rattling his newly mended marriage felt so wrong

Like clockwork, his call came in at one-fifteen.
“Tamara.”, he said over the intercom.
“Ill heat it up now, sir.”
“Thanks.”, he muttered and ended the call.

Tamara wondered if she could discuss her financial problem with her boss rather than betray him this way. She shook her head at the thought. That would just uncover that she had been paid less than she was entitled to for eight years by her uncle’s order. Chris would want to know why and he might eventually fire her uncle. Her uncle would get angry and reveal to Chris that sh had been the one responsible for his failed relationships. Then she would get fired and Michael would know the terrible things she had done.

No. This is the only way out.

She picked up his lunch box and went into the kitchenette. She had to think of herself and her siblings first. She drizzled the mixture of GHB and Spanish fly on his lunch and gave it a stir before pouring it into a Pyrex dish and tossing it into the microwave. She set the timer and put the empty vial into her bra. She was setting up the tray she’d take into his office when Michael and the new EA Harun walked in.

“Hey.”, she greeted.

“Hey.”, Michael answered coldly.

“Hey. The boss said he’s meeting his wife for lunch and we could have his lunch.”, Harun chipped in ecstatically.

“What?!”, she shouted in fear and Michael busied himself setting dishes.

“What is it? It’s not like you spent hours cooking here. You just warmed it. If you want to beg, beg.”, Harun teased and rummaged the mini-fridge for fruit water and tossed one at Michael.

“You guys are shameless. Don’t you have money to buy food?”, she asked still cranky.

“Who dey refuse free food?”, Michael said and laughed.

“And have you tasted the boss' wife’s cooking? You don’t know what you’re missing.”, Harun said and went towards the microwave.

“She knows. She used to bring food for us almost every day. Tamara used to set the table before lunch.”, Michael informed Harun.

“Wow. Does Madam not like me? Why is she not bringing food again.?”, Harun asked.

“That was when she still worked here, dummy.”, Tamara said angrily.

“Are you for real? She used to work here?”, Harun asked with his eyes popping out of their sockets. Michael gave Tamara a stink eye and asked Harun to bring the food out of the microwave.

“Don’t you dare!”, Tamara threatened and stood in front of the microwave.

“What is wrong with you? If Oga does not remember to include you, sorry but don’t come and disturb us.”, Harun ranted.

Just then, the telephone rang leaving Tamara at a dangerous crossroads. They had been expecting a call from important foreign investors for weeks and that could be them. On the other hand, she couldn’t let them eat the food.

“Tamara, the phone is ringing.”, Harun quipped laughing.

“I heard it.”, she retorted.

“Then, go and answer it. It could be the mining company from D.R.C.”, he chided.

She had to answer the call. She left the kitchenette with tears in her eyes.

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........