By Onyinyechukwu-mbeledogu

Episode 1


Saturday, 7th February 2004
7:46am
Housing Estate, Woji
Port Harcourt



NWASOKA CHIMAMANDANATA ACHEBE always felt at peace whenever she stepped into the large well decorated sitting room of her family home. However, this morning, as she walked into the sitting room, she had the feeling that something was very wrong. Perhaps it had to do with the absence of her father Joshua Achebe or perhaps it was the appearance of her mother that made her feel that way.

Soki’s mother, Ezinne Achebe, beautiful and sophisticated and always dressed up as though for the cameras was currently dressed in her nightdress, the cover-it-all type she wore when they had guests staying overnight, instead of one of the make-my-husband-sweat short nightgowns she wore for her husband. Soki’s two siblings, Tobechukwu and Nkolika took after their mother in terms of looks and fashion. Soki, on the other hand, was every bit her father. The second of Joshua Achebe’s three daughters, she was the shortest at 5”4.

She dropped her knapsack on the couch and approached her mum who was doing a poor job of hiding the fact that she had the weight of the world on her slender shoulders. Her parents had celebrated their silver jubilee anniversary a few months earlier and in style. Her mum had looked like a princess in her dress which fitted every bit of a figure she took time to nurture, and nothing like the forty-eight year old mother of three. She was a woman secured in the love of her husband and her parents’ marriage was one Soki wanted to have for herself whenever she finally settled down. Her dad had not given in to the pressure to marry another woman in search of a male child. He loved his girls and never acted like he missed having a male child around. There had been this special glow on her mum’s face since that special day and it was absent now.

Soki had left school early in order to meet her parents at home and join them for any of the activities they planned for the day. She was a final year law student at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and after weeks of preparing for her first semester examinations, she needed a break.

‘What’s the matter, mum?’ she asked.

‘Nothing for you to worry yourself over.’ Ezinne Achebe told her daughter with a forced smile, giving the younger woman a hug. ‘How was your trip back from school?’

‘It was fine,’ Soki responded, extricating herself from her mother’s embrace to say, ‘You have always told my sisters and I that a problem shared is a problem half solved. You look like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and you need to tell me what the problem is. Is it dad?’

Ezinne inhaled and slowly exhaled before responding.

‘Your father was arrested yesterday morning.”

Whatever Soki had been expecting, it certainly wasn’t that. And thank God her father wasn’t cheating on her mother.

‘What? How? Why?’ Soki asked.

‘He had some problems at work – money related.’

Joshua was the Chief Accounting Officer of Avresons Nigeria Limited, a large company into a lot of businesses. He was one of the most honest persons Soki knew and so she couldn’t imagine him having money related issues at work.

‘Uncle Jude bought goods worth N12, 250, 000.00 from the company and paid with a cheque.’ Ezinne continued. ‘Your father allowed the transaction because of the

friendship and trust that the cheque would clear but it was a dud cheque.’

Uncle Jude was her father’s good friend and Soki had known him since she was a little child. She hadn’t seen him in years though. In order to cover up the deficit, dad had done the last thing he would have expected of himself and manipulated the records with the hope of getting the money back from his good friend before the deficit was noticed. He refused to believe that his friend would deliberately give him a dud cheque.

‘And where is Uncle Jude?’

‘No one has seen or heard from him since the transaction. He isn’t taking your father’s calls and neither is his wife.’ Ezinne responded.

This was worse than expected. Without Jude, her father would be in bigger trouble than he already was in. From the little she had known of Uncle Jude, he wouldn’t do this to her father. So where was he? Had he been in an accident? Was that why he couldn’t take her father’s calls? How about his wife? Was she tending to him in a hospital and as such didn’t have time to take any calls? Soki had been taught never to think the worst about anyone without justification.

‘Oh my God!’

‘He’s moved out of his apartment.’

‘That’s not good. We need to get a loan from the bank,’ Soki told Ezinne.

‘No collateral,’ Ezinne responded sadly. ‘I have gathered my jewellery together and some of my best clothes. Alhaja will be coming over later to cost and pay for them.’

Alhaja was the woman Ezinne usually bought her gold jewellery from.

‘I have also put up the cars for sale.’ Ezinne continued.

Her parents each had a Prado Jeep and Lexus RX 300 respectively and although these were expensive cars, cars were not assets in that you could never sell them for the price you bought them let alone for a higher price. And it was worse when you were selling them to settle a debt. You would settle for far less than what you would ordinarily sell them for.

‘What do you mean by no collateral?’ Soki asked, surprised. After all, the house was built by her father.

‘The house was mortgaged a few years ago, and you know the fate of your father’s plots of land at Eliozu.’

Her Dad had 6 plots of land at Eliozu but they were the subject matter of litigation at the State High Court. Soki couldn’t understand why her father had mortgaged the family house. She didn’t recall her family having any immediate financial issues before this one. They had been comfortable in the last few years.

‘When exactly was the house mortgaged?’ Soki asked

Her mother hesitated and Soki found this suspicious.

‘Mum?’

‘About 30 months ago.’

Thirty months ago? Oh my God, Soki thought. He must have mortgaged the house to pay for her medical bills. She had undergone a surgery at the John Hopkins Hospital in the United States to remove a non-cancerous growth in her skull. She had spent a few additional weeks for check-ups and to rest after the successful surgery. Soki would have lost a full semester if the school hadn’t proceeded on a long strike in her absence. She still had check-ups at the University of Nigeria Nsukka Teaching Hospital, UNTH. Soki had taken it for granted that her hospital bills had been cleared by her father’s income. She should have known differently.

‘The only reason why the bank hasn’t been on his neck is because he has been making instalmental payments and the bank had granted him an extension on fresh terms.’

Tobechukwu was presently running her housemanship programme at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan while the youngest Nkolika was a JSS 1 student at FGGC Abuloma. One phone call would have brought Tobi home but Ezinne hadn’t planned on getting Soki and her elder sister involved. She hadn’t banked on Soki coming home from school that weekend. Soki hadn’t given her advance notice.

‘We need to call Tobi,’ Soki told her mum.

Nkolika had to be protected from this. There was no need bringing her home.

‘No,’ Ezinne protested. ‘Leave your elder sister out of this. She is far away and I do not want to have to deal with the likelihood of her entering the wrong vehicle because she felt she was desperately needed here and as a result, fall victim to persons with evil intents or worse be involved in accidents.’

Soki understood her mother’s fears but still felt that Tobi needed to know. She could also help raise the money. Soki told her mother so, adding that she could also ask Tobi not to come home as attempts were being made to resolve the issue. She finally convinced her mother who promised to call Tobi later in the day.

Soki and her mum visited her father at the Obio Police Station. They spoke at length with the DPO before meeting Joshua. He had aged by ten years in the last 24 hours. A police cell let alone prison was no place for anyone. According to the DPO, considering the nature of the offence for which he had been arrested, dad would have to be transferred to the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution. A criminal trial would damage her father’s reputation. He was a good man who had made a mistake. People would only see a fraudulent person if he stood trial. They had to find a way to get him out of there.

According to her father, his boss had given him until noon on Friday to pay or face full criminal charges. Keeping her father for over 24 hours without taking him to court would amount to a breach of his fundamental rights but Soki wasn’t thinking in that direction. To institute a fundamental rights enforcement action against the Police and Avreson’s boss would not work to her father’s advantage. If anything it would make the situation worse than it was. The plan was to ensure that her father didn’t face a criminal trial. The moment they filed a suit, the police would take him to court and formulate all sorts of charges against him.

N12.25m was a lot of money to raise in less than a week!





12:37pm

Thursday 12th February

Nze Maduabuchi’s office

Avresons Nigeria Limited

Port Harcourt



Raising N12, 250, 000.00 through an honest means within a week was like trying to force an elephant through the eye of a needle. What got Soki upset was the temerity with which some of her dad’s so called friends tried to have sex with her in return for money. Men she had respected and some of whom she had known since she was a little child; men who had wined and dined in her parents’ home, shared jokes with her father, and had eaten her mum’s delicious meals!

Her parents had so many wealthy friends, some of whom had showed up at their silver jubilee anniversary and so one would ordinarily think that raising N12, 250, 000.00 from these men and women would be a work over. These were men and women who could easily part with as much as N500, 000.00 without batting an eye. But clearly, her dad didn’t know some of his so-called friends.

Thank God for situations like this which opened her mother’s eyes to who her husband’s genuine friends were. Only a few of her mother’s friends made attempts, others either didn’t take her call or told her that if she had approached them the

week before they would have been able to help. See talk!

Soki’s Godfather, Sir Austin Okoye had parted with N1.8m without asking for a refund. Between Soki, Tobi and their mum, they were able to raise a total of N6, 380,000.00 from relatives, friends, and the sales of their properties. Two accountants who worked under her father, Nwadiuto Anunandu and Owanate Briggs had sent in N250,000.00. However, N6, 380,000.00, although more than half the initial debt, was a long way from N12, 250, 000.00. Their predicament had also proved that her parents had some genuine friends and that not all relatives were terrible people! Had that not been the case, there was no way they could have raised the amount of money they had so far.

The monies were paid into Soki’s current account. She raised a cheque for the sum and went to her dad’s boss with an extension in mind. Surely, seeing the effort they had made to raise the money he would grant her dad an extension!

Nze Thaddeus Maduabuchi’s office was on the last floor of the four storey building. She stopped at her dad’s department to speak briefly with Owanate and Didi and thank them for their contributions, before heading for Nze’s office. She waited nervously at his private secretary’s office wondering how to approach this issue. She was there about an hour before she was informed that Nze would now see her.

Caught up in her worries, she didn’t have the time to appreciate the expensive décor of his office. She just wanted her father out of police custody. Nze Maduabuchi rose to his feet as she walked into his office, closing the door behind her. In his early sixties, he was a very tall man and physically fit. Her father on the other hand was at 5”7, two inches shorter than his wife and thickly built. Her mum would always say that men in their fifties and sixties who were particular about their physique were chronic womanisers.

‘Good afternoon, sir,’ Soki greeted.

‘Have a seat, my dear.’ He told her in his deep voice. ‘How is your father?’

‘As well as anyone can be in his present condition.’ Soki responded.

He gave her a look she could not decipher. ‘I didn’t hand him over to the police out of spite, my dear. He defrauded my company,’ he told her.

‘He made a mistake.’ she returned. ‘My father is a good and honest man.’

‘He tried to cover up his sins.’

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

‘I came to humbly seek an extension. My mum and I have raised N6, 380,000.00 and we need more time to raise the balance.’ She passed the cheque to him. ‘I can assure you that you will get the balance of N5, 870,000.00 within 30 days.’

He looked at the cheque and placed it on his large desk.


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The Second Wife - Episode 2

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

‘I would need an acknowledgment of receipt,’ Soki told Nze politely.

He looked at her, arching an eyebrow.

‘You do not trust me?’

‘That’s not the case sir. I need it to show those who made the contribution that it was used for the purpose for which it was agreed that it should be used.’

‘Your father didn’t waste his money sending you to school.’ He laughed and pressed the intercom switch, asking his secretary to come into the office.

‘Quickly run a copy of this cheque.’ He told his secretary the moment she stepped into the office.

When the woman returned, he endorsed the photocopy and handed it over to Soki who quickly put it in her handbag.

‘About the extension, sir?’ she reminded him of the reason she had come to see him. ‘Can you give my dad one?’

‘I appreciate the effort you are putting towards saving your father, my dear. However, I am afraid that cannot happen. To grant an extension will create the impression that anyone can steal from my company or aid others in defrauding my company and yet have as much time as he wants to make a refund. I have a meeting with the company’s auditors tomorrow by 2:00pm and they would be mandated to look into the company’s accounts in preparation for the shareholders’ meeting we have next month. Your time expires by noon tomorrow after which I shall have no other choice but to cause my lawyer to institute a civil suit against him for the sum and have him handed over to the EFCC for prosecution. You are a law student, I am sure you know the implication of that.’

‘My family will not survive those suits.’ she told him quietly.

‘Then my money has to be raised.’ He insisted.

She understood his plight but she needed time.

‘Please temper justice with mercy. I am not asking you to forgive the debt. I am asking for an extension within which to pay it,’ she told him. ‘My father trusted a friend who has disappeared and he has to now pay for that mistake. I brought the cheque so that you know how seriously my family takes this.’

He shook his head.

‘I am a business man, Miss Achebe. You plea is not sustainable.’

‘Is there no way I can make you have a rethink?’

How in the world could they raise N5, 870, 000 in less than 24 hours? Soki looked up to find her father’s boss quietly observing her. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her.

‘Perhaps there is a way you can raise the money by then,’ he told her.

‘How?’ she asked. ‘I don’t mind working here free of charge until the debt is fully settled.’

‘You are not a child anymore.’

‘What does that have to do with anything?’

‘Everything, my dear. Joshua claims not to have assets but he has two lovely grown up daughters.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘If my money isn’t raised by tomorrow, your father will face both civil and criminal litigation, but you are in a position to avert this.’

“I-I don’t know what you mean,” she stammered, a sinking sensation growing suddenly in the pit of her stomach.

She wasn’t so dense that she didn’t know that the elderly man was hitting on her.

‘I want you as collateral.’ He said without mincing words. ‘Five months for every outstanding million and in return I pay the balance of the money into the company’s account.’

She drew her head back and looked at him. Was he for real? Five months for every outstanding million, which meant that it would have been twelve months had she not come with the cheque. Why on earth would he even imagine that she would want to be his mistress? He might be a good looking man but he was also three times her age and had no business cradle snatching.

‘You have grown into a lovely young woman,’ he continued, ‘the loveliest of Joshua’s girls with a body made to give a man pleasure.’

He rose from his armchair and walked across his large table to her. ‘You are a package ready to be unwrapped.’

She ignored him.

‘Tell me, Soki, are you still a virgin?’ he asked, stroking her cheek.

‘What!’ Soki gasped, pulling her head back as though she had been stung by a bee. She hadn’t expected him to be so blunt.

‘You are, aren’t you?’ he laughed. ‘Don’t worry. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I promise to be gentle with you and make your first time very memorable.’

He actually licked his lips as he said that! Had he been L.L. Cool J, perhaps he would have gotten away with it but there was nothing remotely decent about that reaction. However, on him, it was a sign of a gross, chronic and unapologetic philanderer. He might be handsome for an older man but she didn’t trust him one bit. She rose to her feet, keeping her distance.

He laughed, feeling so good with himself. That made her wonder just how many young ladies this man had defiled. He must have been a stud at one point in his life but for her, there wasn’t anything really attractive about a man forty something years older than you are. He was even older than her dad and to have him look at her like he was going to cross the room at any time and force himself on her made her even more uncomfortable than she already was.

‘I have no intention of raping you, my dear.’ He assured her. ‘You are a beautiful young woman and so you can’t blame me for staring at you. However, I am simply providing you with a means to solve your problem, one that would be pleasurable for both of us.’

Was this man for real?

‘No, thanks.’ she told him.

‘You do know that this is the only way out? Even if you were to find 10 wealthy men to spend the night with you, you won’t be able to raise the money. Nobody pays so much for a night, not even a politician. And being an innocent means you won’t even contemplate multiple sexual partners.’

Anyone who heard the last part of his words would actually think he was a good man advising his friend’s daughter who was about to gain admission into the university.

‘If it had been so easy you would have given me a cheque of the entire sum instead of half of it.’ He continued. ‘I am offering you a solution. Your father sacrificed a lot to give you and your sisters a good education. You can’t pay him back by letting him rot in jail. I am offering you an opportunity to save his life.’

‘And the price is my defilement?’ she retorted.

‘That is a very harsh word, my dear. I would prefer your ‘pleasure’.’

‘You are three times my age, sir.’ She reminded him, hoping he would see reason.

‘The older, the better,’ he told her shamelessly. ‘You need an experienced man and not a boy who would be fumbling like a buffoon and end up damaging you.’

She was tempted to walk away but she needed to get him to accept her terms.

‘Don’t worry, I won’t die on top of you’ he assured her, adding with a laugh, ‘although it would be such a good place to die.’

She arched an eyebrow.

‘You can be rest assured that I won’t require a Viagra in order to match your youthful strength.’

What was wrong with this man?

When she said nothing, he continued, ‘Your father is a good man who shouldn’t waste away in prison. His job will be waiting for him but all you have to do is give yourself to me for five months. He doesn’t have to know. We would work out a clandestine arrangement that would save both our heads. After our tryst, you can marry anyone you want.’

‘I -’

‘Morals don’t count here,’ he said, cutting her short. ‘You have a pressing need that must be taken care of and I have the solution. Morals won’t free your father or put food on your table. You have nothing to lose by being mine for five months. I’ll treat you right and ensure that you have the best life has to offer. By the time I am done with you, the man you marry will have big shoes to fit into.’

And he was so sure of himself.

He was looking at her, really looking at her. She might have been standing nude in his presence like a Venus de milo statue. He was literally stripping her with his eyes. She could actually feel the heat of his eyes on her skin like a physical touch. He was hoping she would be desperate enough to give in to his demand.

Tufiakwa! Chukwu ekwekwana ife ojoo! (God forbid bad thing), she thought.

‘You need to find a way out quickly or else you would be left with no other choice than to be with him.’ A voice inside her head told her.

Nze moved to the large couch in his office and invited her to seat next to him.

She didn’t trust him but she was here to negotiate with him and it wouldn’t do well to upset him. She sat on the couch but kept enough space between them. He covered the distance so that she was compelled to breathe in his expensive cologne.

Surely, there had to be another way out. Her mother’s blood pressure had risen to a point that the family doctor had warned her was getting dangerous and that he might soon be compelled to admit her at the hospital. She had to do something and fast. She wasn’t going to let her father remain in police custody and she wasn’t going to let him face criminal charges. Somehow, Nze knew she was not only her dad’s image, she was also his favourite and would do anything for him. That was her weakness. But she couldn’t be with this man.

Now, she understood how girls who were compelled by circumstances beyond their control to sell their bodies for money felt. Her father was worth every sacrifice but could she sacrifice her body to a man she loathed and suffer the guilt for the rest of her life?

He must have sensed the trail of her thoughts because he placed his right hand on her left knee.

‘Do you have a boyfriend?’ he asked.

She didn’t answer him, still deep in thought. What options did she have? Not much. Either she gave in to this man’s demand or found someone else to part with the money she needed. The first option was a lot easier but she wasn’t sure if she could do it.

“Why don’t you just relax, honey?” he asked huskily, grinning suggestively at her. “It’s not as bad as you think. It would be a satisfying liaison between two consenting adults.”

‘Consenting?’ she repeated, rising to her feet and moving away from him. ‘The last time I checked you were trying to get me into your bed for five months and under duress. What’s consenting about that?’

His patiently-indulgent smile remained on his handsome face as he watched her.

‘You are considering my proposal, honey, aren’t you?’ he continued, a dirty grin crossing his face as he moved closer to her, ‘you know you don’t have much of an option.’

‘And your wife?’

‘I am a widower. So, if your hesitation in accepting my offer is as a result of your moral upbringing that forbids you from having sexual intercourse with a married man, then you have no further need for such. If you please me within the five months, I could make you the next Lolo Maduabuchi.’

The man was a joker. Have sex with him, marry him?

‘I need to sample the goods to be sure they are as delightful to my body as they are to my eyes,’ he continued. ‘Something tells me you would be good in bed, a real screamer who would keep the neighbours awake as a result of the immeasurable pleasures I can give to your beautiful body and mind.’

Soki’s jaw dropped. Nobody had ever spoken to her so lustfully!

‘A trial would convince you,’ he said. ‘What do you say? We can start from the couch here and finish up at a hotel. A woman’s first time is very important and so it shouldn’t happen just anywhere. A few kisses, serious touches and we leave this place, charged enough for a very rewarding session at the Exquisite Hotel.’

His eyes shone with lust as he approached a shocked Soki like a predator stalking a prey. He caught her before she could escape, jerking her forward against him. She squirmed frantically but he held her tightly. The feel of his aroused maleness despite the layers of their clothing, shameless in its pulsating rigidity, frightened her. Never before had she been faced with a man’s sexuality like this!

She pushed at him, even as his free hand went behind her head, his fingers

turning her head upwards to meet his kiss. She clenched her teeth as his lips slid over hers. His fingers pulled painfully at her hair and as her lips parted in a scream, he slid his tongue inside her mouth, his other hand freeing her waist to grab her buttocks. Big mistake. She bit his tongue, drawing blood, uncaring of his HIV status. Without his strong hand holding her to him, she stepped on one of his expensive shoes and pushed him away from her. Had she worn one of those high heeled shoes she usually wore for lectures instead of flat shoes, she would have successfully and satisfactorily done him harm!

Pervert!

He staggered back, his shocked expression epic and she would have laughed if she didn’t have to flee from his office. The front of his trousers bulged out embarrassingly. Anuofia! she thought as she quickly picked her purse which had fallen to the floor when he grabbed her. As she raced out of his office, his words followed her:

‘My offer has been extended to three years. I will have your body Nwasoka Achebe!’

He was so on his own!

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The Second Wife - Episode 3

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

4:55pm

UST Back gate
Diobu
Port Harcourt

Nwasoka was seriously running out of options. Despite the closeness of her first semester examinations, she hadn’t been to school all week. However, she found herself heading to school from Avresons, the least of the reasons being to access the tonnes of notes she knew she would have to copy or photocopy.

She couldn’t believe how close she had come to being defiled by her father’s boss. She shuddered as she recalled his kiss and his hands pawing her buttocks and pulling her into his clothed erection. That man was nothing short of a he-goat!

Three years as his lover! God forbid! There was no way she could date him without her family knowing about it and even if they wouldn’t find out, it wasn’t an option she was willing to consider. A man like that would make her move into his home where he could constantly have his wicked way with her! If she returned to his office, whether or not it was to accept his offer, she wouldn’t leave there with her virtue intact. He wouldn’t be considerate enough as to find a befitting environment considering the manner in which she had rejected him.

She walked through the back gate and had just walked past block 1 of Hostel A when her phone rang. It had a really embarrassing ringtone but she was fortunate to even have a phone. She had sold her bigger phone and bought this tiny Sagem phone with the most horrible ring tones you couldn’t even begin to imagine. She took the phone out of her knapsack and looked at the caller ID. Priye. She quickly took the call.

‘Look behind you!’ Priye said and ended the call.

Soki turned to find her former roommate walking behind her. She forced a smile as they hugged each other. Priye Daniel-Hart was a final year Business Admin student and one of the tallest females Soki knew, topping her height with a staggering 7 inches. They were good friends but her height made Soki’s average height more pronounced. The Daniel-Hart siblings were known for their height. Her brothers were over 6 feet tall. Belema was Soki’s closest male friend. He had graduated from RSUST in Soki’s second year and presently worked with an oil servicing company.

Soki’s thoughts were preoccupied with trying to come up with ways to get the balance of her father’s debt before noon the following day and Priye clearly noticed her friend’s distraction as they exchanged pleasantries.

‘Okay, what’s the matter with you?’ Priye asked.

‘Huh?’ Soki asked, distracted.

‘What is wrong? It is so unlike you not to ask after the love of your life.’

Soki had been so worried that she had forgotten to ask about her number one crush: Dienye Daniel-Hart. He called her ‘babe’ or ‘sweetheart’ and Soki in return called him ‘love of my life’. They were not in a relationship. It was just the flirtatious way they greeted themselves, something that had started on the day they had met and to make Priye and her best friend Anwuli jealous. It had stuck so much that it came naturally. He was a good man with a big heart. He always asked after Soki when he dropped by to see his youngest sister. Soki had met him two years earlier when Priye was her roommate but she hadn’t seen him in months.

‘Forgive me, dear.’ Soki told Priye. ‘How’s my delicious Didi?’

‘He’s doing great,’ Priye responded, wondering what was wrong with Soki.

Priye knew her friend Nwasoka had a massive crush on her eldest brother. It was no secret and Dienye indulged her. Well, her big brother did like Soki but more like a little sister. Whenever his name was mentioned, it brought a unique smile to Soki’s face but that smile was missing now. ‘I’m spending the weekend with him,’ Priye continued, ‘so what’s the problem?’ Priye continued.

‘I am having serious family financial issues.’ Soki told Priye after a little hesitation. ‘I am trying to raise N5, 870,000.00 before tomorrow afternoon.’

Priye whistled at the amount but like a good friend didn’t ask how Soki’s family came about incurring such a huge debt.

‘We have raised half of the money but are having difficulties raising the balance.’

Soki didn’t bother telling her friend that the N5, 870,000.00 was actually the outstanding balance.

‘I don’t have anything remotely close to what you need,’ Priye told Soki, ‘Unfortunately Belema is off shore but I’m sure Dienye would give you something substantial as his babe. You haven’t called him about this, have you?’

Although she had Dienye’s number, she hadn’t thought of calling him.

‘No! I didn’t think it was right to take undue advantage of his friendship like that.’ Soki responded.

‘I don’t understand the kind of sweetheart you are doing with D.D o!’ Priye shrugged, scrolling down her phone for her eldest brother’s number. ‘He didn’t give you his number just so you can decorate your contact section with it. He naturally has a soft heart for the needy and I am sure he would be glad to assist you.’



* * * * *



Oroma Estate

Off Okporo Road



Sodienye Tamunobarasua Arinzechukwu Daniel-Hart was engaged in a game of lawn tennis with his best friend, B.B Briggs. 6”3 and just an inch shorter than his only brother, he looked good in his white t-shirt, shorts and Adidas canvass. Well, with his parents’ good looks, one wouldn’t expect less from him or his siblings.

He narrowly avoided getting hit on the face by the green ball when he got distracted by the sound of his phone ringing. He could easily ignore the call and call whoever it was later but it was family and so could be important or urgent. He had assigned a special ring tone for his family members so he wouldn’t miss their calls when he was really busy.

As an entrepreneur, his time was his. He had taken the day off work to rest. However, B.B had come around and seduced him into a game of lawn tennis. In the past, whenever they played the game, his wife Nengi who was also B.B’s younger sister would serve as an umpire. Nengi was a great tennis player, one of the many things they had in common but she loved being the centre of attraction when it involved the two most important men in her life.

As an architect, she spent a lot of time in her studio working on amazing designs. She’d been great at her job. He tried not to think of her and the large hole her death had left despite the fact that four years had since passed.

‘Hold on a minute,’ he told B. B as he headed in the direction of the chairs by the pool side where he had dropped his cell phone.

It was his sister Priye. Being the youngest and almost sixteen years younger than he was, he had gladly taken over her training for her tertiary education years, with the consent of his parents of course. And she spent most of her weekends with him. She had this annoying habit of emptying his fridge and freezer. She was one of those eat-and-grow-tiny females that made you wonder where all the food they consumed went. Without Nengi, his big house was lonely, and so he enjoyed having Priye around.

“Hi pumpkin,’ he said as he took her call.

“Hi Double D. How are you?’

‘I am exactly as you left me,’ he teased and heard her soft laugh. ‘How are you doing today, dear?’

‘I am doing great bro, and don’t worry, I didn’t call to cancel our plans. I am still your girlfriend for the weekend.’

‘Great. I wouldn’t want to sue my own sister.’ He teased. ‘That would be so awkward.’

‘How can I cancel our date when I know I would be returning to school with a heavy bank account?’

Dienye laughed.

‘While leaving me with an empty fridge.’

‘You eat like a bird, darling bro. Someone has to help you out.’

Dienye laughed once more.

‘I am in the middle of a game of tennis with B.B,’ he told his sister. ‘What’s the reason for your call?’

‘I have a huge favour to ask of you.’

‘Are you pregnant?’ he sounded stern but his sister knew better than to take him too seriously.

Priye laughed uncontrollably.

‘Hian, you sef. On a serious note, your babe needs your assistance.’

‘What’s wrong with my darling Soki?’

Soki was Priye’s friend, a final year law student he had met two years earlier after a training he had conducted in her school. He had taken Soki, Priye and Priye’s best friend/soon-to-be-sister-in-law Anwuli out to dinner that night. His sister had deliberately left the seat next to his for Soki and Soki hadn’t felt comfortable but he had been able to make her relax. He found her really attractive but the age gap meant that he could be nothing more than a big brother and friend to her. Soki had his number and he expected her to call him directly if she had an issue he could help her out with. Perhaps she felt that whatever it was that she needed his help for went beyond the kind of friendship they shared.

‘I think it is better if she tells you herself.’

Dienye turned to B. B. who was waiting for him.

‘Tell her that if it isn’t too urgent, I’ll call her the moment I am done.’

‘I would rather she meets with you one on one today, if you can make out the time to see her.’

He gave it a thought and responded: ‘No problem. Tell her to come to the house.’

‘Thanks so much Double D. You’re the best.’

‘Wait till I tell Belema,’ he laughed.

‘I’ll deny it.’

His laughter was rich and from his heart.

‘All right, darling. See you tomorrow. I love you.’

‘I love you more.’

He returned to the game. He hadn’t seen Soki in months. It would be great seeing her again.

‘Don’t tell me your secret girlfriend is coming to see you.’

‘Hmmm?’

‘That can only be the reason for that smile on your face.’

‘If I hear. I am smiling at the thought of thrashing you.’

‘Big talk.’



* * * * *



UST Back gate

Diobu



Priye tossed the phone back into her handbag. It always felt good to hear her brother laugh. He had always been known for his easy smile and disposition. However, the death of his wife had hit him so hard that for months he had withdrawn into his shell. She was glad he was doing better. What he needed was to get married again!

She turned to her friend who was watching her with keen attention.

‘So?’

‘Dienye is at home and he has agreed to see you there.’ Priye told Soki, taking out a jotter and pen from her handbag. She wrote down Dienye’s home address, tore out the page and handed it over to Soki.

‘Thanks so much, Priye.’ Soki hugged her friend in excitement and gratitude. ‘You are a life saver.’

‘You’re welcome, dear. You had better hurry up. There’s probably traffic around Garrison/Waterlines and then at Artillery. If you are unable to locate his house, call him.’ And then Priye added mischievously. ‘Make sure you give him a hug from me.’

Soki stared at her friend.

‘Wetin? No be your love again?’ Priye laughed.

‘It would serve you right if I end up as your sister-in-law and ban you from our home.’

‘You fit?’

Soki laughed for the first time since she had heard about her father’s arrest. She hurried back through the back gate. She took a bus to Park and another to 1st Artillery and then she took a bike from the Okporo junction to Oroma estate where Dienye lived, finding that it was actually within walking distance. Because of the traffic she encountered on the way, it took her close to an hour to make the trip from school. She was tired and hungry but she was on a mission. Food was the last thing on her mind.

She readjusted the belt on her black jean which was now a size bigger courtesy of the forced weight loss she had undergone. Her red top blouse previously hugged her figure but not anymore. She walked through the side gate and headed down to Dienye’s house which was quite a distance from the gate but she barely noticed.

She gave her name to the security man at the gate. Dienye must have left an order for him to let her in once she arrived because she was immediately allowed into the vast premises. Had she been in a better frame of mind she would have appreciated the landscape. His home was a massive bungalow in the centre of the compound. It was built in form of a ship. She was directed to the back of the house where her crush was involved in a game of tennis with another man. Dienye didn’t have his spectacles on and he looked more handsome than ever.

She sat by the poolside watching the two men. Lawn tennis was one of the sports she had always been curious about but never could understand the way the scores were apportioned. As she watched the men, she recalled the first time she had met Dienye Daniel-Hart.

Read Episode 4 here - https://youngicee.com/2020/01/the-second-wife-episode-4.html

I;ve read this story on Okadabooks. Do you have the writer's permission to repost?

Gloriagee:
I;ve read this story on Okadabooks. Do you have the writer's permission to repost?

Yes, and it is actually running on the blog majorly

The Second Wife - Episode 4

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Wednesday 17th July 2002
5:25pm
Hostel D
UST, Diobu

‘It’s almost 6pm,’ Priye informed Soki.

They were in their room – Room 42 on the last floor. The room was quite big with two double bunks for the four occupants in a room. The furniture comprised large double closets, reading tables, a ceiling fan and two standing fans, a refrigerator in the centre of the room with Priye’s photograph on it. Four lockers were pressed against the wall, all on a carpet with blue background. The room was arranged in such a way that it was spacious.

‘Thanks Priye,’ Soki stretched out on the bed and smiled. ‘You wouldn’t have called me if I hadn’t informed you that your big brother would be training at the Jaycee meeting today.’ she teased Priye who was an intending member, courtesy of her eldest brother who was an active JCI member with the Port Harcourt Metro Junior Chamber (PHMJC).

‘Dienye’s training?’ Anwuli Maduka enquired, adding accusingly at Soki’s nod, ‘and no one deemed it fit to tell me. Not even you Priye. Na wa o. And you are supposed to be my best friend.’

Anwuli had been Soki’s roommate in her second year and she had met Priye through her. Both girls were studying Business Administration. Anwuli was dating Belema, Priye’s elder brother and was like a member of the Daniel-Hart family as a result of their relationship.

‘I was going to tell you,’ Priye argued with a self-depreciating smile.

‘I only heard about it during the board meeting yesterday.’ Soki told Anwuli.

Soki was the Director of Socials I of the UST Collegiate Jaycees, an affiliate of the Nigeria Junior Chamber (NJC) and she had been trying to get the girls to join the organisation. Dienye had made her job easy by catching his sister, so Soki had only Anwuli to worry about. She was currently organising the annual picnic with this year’s venue fixed for Eket, Akwa Ibom State. Tickets were already been sold both to Jaycees and non-Jaycees. The tickets sold for N500 and covered transportation.

‘There’s still time to get dressed.’ Soki told Anwuli.

‘I would need to find something formal to put on,’ Anwuili complained.

‘There’s no need. Today is strictly for training and so you can come in your jean.’

The JCI dress code for business meeting (fellowship) was formal complete with shoes and handbags for the ladies. Traditional wears were also permitted so long as they came with hats, caps or head gears. However, training sessions had the dress

code: smart casual.

Soki jumped from the top bed which was actually Priye’s space and walked up to the closet, pulled it open and took out a pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt. She took off her shorts and top. However, as she reached for the white t-shirt, Anwuli quickly snatched it.

‘Must you always look like a law student?’ she asked.

Soki had unconsciously selected the t-shirt. Only then did it occur to her that she was about to put on a white upon black attire. She quickly replaced the white t-shirt with a sky blue one.

The training venue was the viewing centre situated behind the school’s restaurant B-Boss and close to the shopping complex. It was a stone throw from hostel D. Soki registered herself, Anwuli and Priye on the attendance book, pointing the girls in the direction of the white chairs arranged to form a thick u-shape.

Students were talking about the trainer who was to take them on the topic ‘Starting Young.’ Those who had been in his training before now were in awe of him as an excellent trainer. Although he had been to their hostel twice, Soki had never met him. From the family pictures Soki had seen through Priye, he looked like an older version of Belema. Soki looked forward to meeting the second Daniel-Hart brother, wondering if he looked better in reality.

Unseen, Dienye stepped into the viewing centre and sat beside the Director of Finance, Julius Kpakol who was taking attendance beside the door. He engaged the Mass Communication student in a conversation until he was called up at exactly 6:05pm for the training.

‘My LOM President, fellow board members, fellow Jaycees, friends and observers, it gives me great pleasure to introduce our trainer for the day,’ NJC Cllr Jide Adeosun was saying. ‘This trainer needs no introduction if you have been attending NJC functions. He is a one-time collegiate chairman, national executive vice president in charge of Area B, 2003 National President and currently the International Vice President in charge of the Africa and the Middle East, an serial entrepreneur, a great mentor. I could go on and on and still not do him justice. Please join me with a standing ovation as we welcome our trainer for today, JCI Senator Dienye Hart.’

‘Oh my God,’ Soki whispered loudly to her friends. ‘When did he come in?’

‘I won’t be surprised if he’s been here since we arrived,’ his sister responded. ‘Big bro is a stickler for punctuality.’

He was younger than most people expected. In his 30s, he was tall, light complexioned and strikingly handsome. The fact that he was bespectacled did nothing to tune down his good looks. Soki would later discover that he also had the golden brown eyes common with the Daniel-Harts.

For the next hour he took them on a wonderful training experience. He had a good sense of humour and made the training a contributory one. By the time he was done, those of them who had never had the privilege of being in his training were in awe. He had chosen from school to be an entrepreneur. He had, as a student, designed the UST Jaycees T-Shirts and ultimately most of the t-shirts worn for faculties and associations in the school. He had continued with this even after school, creating the ‘RINZ’ Collection for T-shirts. He had taken JCI University courses early enough and started a training institute with a few older friends in which he engaged the best trainers in his JCI circle.

He had made his first million before he was 24 and had recently opened a hotel ‘The Exquisite’ with amazing facilities, including halls of different sizes and conference rooms which were constantly utilised as well as a bar with a life band. He was also the founder of an orphanage – heart of a child. He had developed interest in running an orphanage after he and his brother had discovered a baby disposed of in the dumpster close to Federal Government College Port Harcourt.

Priye, Anwuli and Soki waited after the training to see him. Students gathered around him, asking questions resulting from the training and taking his contact details. It wasn’t until he was done with the director of training and the LOM President that he approached the girls. He embraced his sister and her best friend.

‘How is my favourite little sis?’ he asked Priye.

‘Favourite ke? You say that to all your sisters.’ Priye laughed.

‘I am the eldest and so I cannot afford to be seen as partial.’ Dienye laughed, revealing cute dimples.

His bespectacled gaze shifted to Soki and he stretched out his right hand, saying: ‘Hi. I’m Dienye.’

‘I’m Nwasoka.’

‘The roommate I never get to see,’ he smiled.

‘Same.’ Soki responded, finding his easy smile infectious.

‘It’s good to finally meet you.’ He told her and then to the three girls, ‘I am glad you saved me the trouble of having to climb those miserable steps in your hostel. You know I am not getting any younger.’

‘I hear.’ Anwuli laughed.

‘If every older man had your looks and build the hearts of we younger ones would be in grave danger.’ Soki said without thinking and before she could stop herself.

What has come over me? Soki wondered.

Dienye looked at her with surprise. So did Priye and Anwuli. Had Soki been fair skinned, she would have turned beet red. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t met a handsome man before! So why did she react to him like she had never reacted to anyone in her nineteen years on earth? Although he had a wedding ring on, Soki recalled Priye telling her that Dienye had been widowed for two years now. So Soki didn’t have to feel guilty about having a huge crush on a married man.

‘Thanks for the vote of confidence, babe.’ Dienye finally told her with a smile, after he had recovered from her statement. ‘I knew there was a reason why I just had to meet the fourth roommate. Perhaps you’re destined to be my sweetheart.’

Soki was certain he was teasing her, but that didn’t stop a flush from coming to her cheeks.

‘Where’s Juliet?’ he asked.

Juliet was their other roommate and a final year Agric/Economics student.

‘She had a late lecture.’ Anwuli responded.

Soki stood aside watching Priye’s brother. She believed she was experiencing her first real crush. As a child, she had a crush on Christopher Reeve’s Superman character. Dienye’s photographs didn’t do him justice at all. He was clearly not photogenic. She loved the way his lips quirked in an easy smile, tempting her to lift her arms, wrap them around his neck and lower his head for a long, hot kiss. She could imagine all the things she would do to him if she had him for just 24 hours.

Now where did that thought come from? God help her. She had obviously been watching too many romance movies!

‘Okay. It’s just 7:37pm,’ he said, adding with a twinkle in his eyes, ‘which means I have enough time to treat you lovely ladies to dinner and have you back before lights out.’

Priye playfully punched his arm.

‘Does this look like a secondary school to you?’

Soki started to decline, not trusting herself to behave in his presence with the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Besides, she could trust Priye and Anwuli to set her up by leaving the front passenger seat of his car for her and also the seat closest to Dienye’s at wherever it was they would be going for dinner.

‘I insist,’ Dienye told her. ‘Besides, it would give me the opportunity to get to know you better.’ He added with a wink, stretching out a hand. Soki hesitated slightly before placing her hand in his. He smiled at her and she returned his smile, her hand still in his.

Priye and Anwuli noisily cleared their throats.

‘Don’t mind them,’ he told Soki in a conspiratorial tone. ‘They are just jealous.’

As predicted, the moment they got to his car, Anwuli and Priye quickly got into the back seat leaving Soki to take the front passenger seat.

* * * * *

Episode 4 contd

Present day, 6:05pm

Oroma Estate

The game ended about 5 minutes after she arrived and Dienye headed in her direction with a natural grace she found sexy: all muscular leanness and not an ounce of fat. She had such a huge crush on him that she found everything about him sexy. If he were to fart in her presence, she probably would find it the sexiest thing ever done.

She hadn’t realised how much she needed a hug until Dienye’s strong arms went around her. She unconsciously leaned fully into his embrace, absorbing his warmth and feeling like half of her problems were solved. Amazing what a hug could do!

‘It’s good to see you again, babe. It’s been too long.’

‘Love of my life! It’s always so good to see you,’ she responded, shyly. This was the first time she was meeting him outside the company of Priye and Anwuli.

‘Am I still the love of your life? Abi you wan use my brain do pepper soup?’

‘I fit?’ she returned, a little smile playing around her lips.

‘But you have abandoned me because of those small boys in your school. Haba! Our love is supposed to be stronger than that o, especially with Valentine’s Day by the corner!’

‘I -’ Soki stuttered.

‘Who is that young man who is not afraid to try to steal you from me?’ he demanded. ‘If I catch him, eh…’

‘Nobody would dare. You are the keeper of my heart and have no rival whatsoever.’ Soki responded.

‘That’s more like it,’ Dienye laughed.

B.B cleared his throat noisily and in a very ungentlemanly fashion reminding Soki that she was still basking in the masculine hug. In that minute or so, she had forgotten about all her problems. The man’s throat clearing had brought her back to her senses, reminding her of her reason for being here in the first place. She reluctantly extricated herself from Dienye’s embrace, immediately missing his warmth and that masculine scent that was all his. She had totally forgotten about his friend. Did everyone with a crush react the way she did or was it just her?

‘And who is this lovely young woman you have been hiding from me?’ his friend demanded feigning annoyance.

‘Back off B.B.’ Dienye warned his friend. ‘Soki, meet my annoying best friend B.B Briggs. B. B, meet Soki Achebe.’

‘How do you do, darling?’ B.B lifted her fingers to his lips, asking shamelessly and in a conspiratorial tone, ‘Are you his girlfriend?’

‘Actually, I –’ Soki stuttered.

‘She is a friend.’ Dienye came to her rescue.

‘Great. Will you be my girlfriend?’ B.B asked, ignoring his best friend.

‘I barely know you.’ Soki stuttered again.

‘Back off B.B. She is here to see me.’ Dienye warned him.

‘That can be remedied.’ B.B. laughed, adding to Soki, ‘What do you say? Let’s ditch the old guy and head for a candle light dinner.’

‘He won’t like it at all,’ she responded.

‘Who cares?’

‘Okay, break it up,’ Dienye cut in. ‘Don’t you have somewhere else to be, B. B?’

‘None that I know of.’ B.B responded with a shrug.

‘You can think of one on your way out.’ Dienye told him. ‘And don’t forget tomorrow’s meeting.’

‘Why do I get the feeling that I am being dismissed?’ B.B asked petulantly. And if Soki wasn’t worried, she would have laughed at his behaviour.

‘That is because you are.’

B.B. looked from his friend to Soki and back at his friend and then an impish look came over his handsome face.

‘Oh my God! You have the hots for her.’ B. B teased and she found herself blushing. I wish!

‘Don’t be an idiot.’ Dienye bit out.

‘I completely understand.’ B. B. laughed. ‘I was wondering why you would kick me out without at least letting me bathe and change out of these sweaty clothes. Now I know.’

As he left, he muttered something about being the best man in case there was a wedding in the near future and needing advance notice in order to make the necessary preparations.

‘Ignore him,’ Dienye told Soki as he led the way into the house through the back door.

She hesitated a bit, reminding herself of how her father’s boss had tried taking advantage of the fact that they were alone in his office. And then she reminded herself that this was Dienye. Priye wouldn’t send her to her brother’s home if she thought for a moment that her eldest brother wasn’t principled.

They crossed through the large kitchen and a hallway, down a little staircase and into a sitting room. The room was large with white walls, black marble floor, dark grey leather sofas and armchairs with flowery pillows. The curtains blended with the cushions. On the right was a bar with shelves of assorted wine and wine glasses. What caught and held her attention was the large life size portrait of a beautiful woman she suspected was his late wife. Considering his age, he must have married really early. He still wore his wedding ring despite being widowed for four years now.

He turned on the large plasma television and gave Soki the remote control.

‘Please feel at home,’ he said. ‘I just need a few minutes to change out of my sweaty clothes and probably have a quick bath. And then we’ll talk.’

Once he left the room, she dropped the remote control on the side table and picked up the remote control on the glass table at the centre of the room to control the Akira split unit air conditioner. She didn’t bother choosing a channel. Once the DSTV was done scanning, CNN came on. She reduced the volume and waited nervously for Dienye to return. How did she go about asking him to give her a loan for an amount she might never be able to pay back?

* * * * *

Dienye walked into his bedroom, dragging the sweaty T-Shirt from his lean body as he did. Usually, after a game of lawn tennis, B. B would have a bath there and enjoy a drink and conversation with his best friend but Dienye had been quick to get rid of him. He knew B.B would not let him hear the last of it and that he would have a hard time convincing his best friend that all he shared with Nwasoka Achebe was a platonic friendship.

She was the first woman he had been attracted to since the death of his wife but he didn’t intend to do anything about it, for two reasons: First of all, she was too young for him, and secondly he wasn’t ready to date anyone. He hadn’t dated anyone since his wife passed on. Yes, he wanted his own family and a wife to take care of and who would also provide him the needed company but having once experienced the pain of losing a loved one, he wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with it again.

His parents and siblings were trying to get him settled down once more but he wasn’t prepared to do so. He was glad his mother wasn’t like some of the women portrayed in the Nigerian movies or he would have been faced with having a wife married for him and brought home to him! That would be really horrible and the girl would be most embarrassed because unlike the sons portrayed in those movies, he would package the girl back to wherever it was that she came from. However, this didn’t mean that he wasn’t being pressured into remarrying. His parents had ten grandchildren already but they wanted him settled down once more. They believed he was lonely, and, living all alone in that big house of his, he could fall victim to the wicked antics of some Port Harcourt ladies desperate to get themselves a wealthy husband.

‘Those girls will take undue advantage of your kind heart and create scenarios that would leave you with no other choice but to marry them in a bid to save your good name,’ his mother had told him.

She had been subtle in her approach. However, his maternal grandmother hadn’t been nice at all despite Dienye being her favourite grandchild. Professor Margaret Ezimdinma Ezindu (Mama Nawfia) had told him the last time he had visited that he needed to remarry as soon as possible because: ‘any equipment not put to use for a long time could most likely malfunction due to rust and become absolutely useless when you need it most. Constant greasing will go a long way before it’s too late.’ Dienye had quickly assured her that his equipment was functioning properly. Imagine referring to that part of his anatomy as ‘equipment’! Rust and malfunction indeed!

He returned his mind to the matter at hand. What was so pressing that Priye would send Soki to him? Was she in some kind of trouble? He wondered. It was so unlike his sister to send anyone to him, which was why he readily agreed.

Well, it felt good to see Nwasoka again. He had missed making her blush despite her dark skin. He might not have a love life presently, occupying his time with work, his workouts and JCI activities but he could afford to indulge in innocent, harmless flirting episodes with her whenever they met. And she seemed not to mind.

He smiled as he walked into the adjoining bathroom.

* * * * *

Dienye returned ten minutes later, apologising for the delay as he sprawled on the sofa. He had bathed and changed into a black t-shirt and black combat shorts.

‘So how are you, babe?’ he asked her.

‘I’ve been better.’ she replied truthfully.

‘Not to ditch your looks, but you look a lot slimmer than I remember. Are you on a diet?’

She shook her head.

‘Good, because I like you just the way you are,’ he told her and she wasn’t sure if it was part of his usual teasing until he added, ‘I don’t want you losing assets that are very important to me.’

‘I don’t intend to. I have only been under a lot of stress,’ she responded.

He watched her through his glasses even as a woman in her early thirties came into the sitting room with tray of Don Simon, a tall glass, and a plate with 3 peppered chicken laps. Soki declined but Dienye asked the woman, whom he introduced to her as Felicia, to drop the tray on the side table beside her chair. The woman asked if he needed anything before she had to leave. He shook his head and bade her good night. Soki would later find out that the woman came in thrice a week to clean up and fix a meal when required.

‘You need to take something.’ Dienye told Soki.

‘I don’t have much of an appetite.’ she confessed.

‘When was the last meal you had?’

‘Last night, but I’m not hungry.’

‘My maternal grandmother would always say that not eating does not in any way make your problems go away,’ he told her. ‘If anything, it makes it worse because you would have to deal with the effect of hunger in addition to your immediate problem. So eat, babe, and we’ll talk about whatever is bothering you.’

She figured he was right. She was plump but had lost a bit of weight in the last five days. She took a bite from one of the well spiced chicken, aware that he was watching her. She offered him one and he reached for it, saying nothing.

He waited until she was done and relaxed before asking, ‘So, what’s the problem? Priye would never have called me about a friend unless it was absolutely important.’

To be continued

Read Episode 5 here - https://youngicee.com/2020/01/the-second-wife-episode-5.html

The Second Wife - Episode 5

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Soki took a deep breath, let it out slowly and said: ‘I have a predicament and I am hoping you can help me out of it, at least to an extent.’

‘I’m all ears.’

She wondered how much of the truth she should tell him and decided that she might as well tell him everything. His expression did not betray his emotion.

‘How much are we talking about here?’ he asked when she was done.

‘N12.25m,’ she replied, quickly adding, ‘We have been able to raise N6.38m from friends and relatives and the sale of my parents’ cars, my phone and my jewelleries and my mum’s.’

‘Leaving a balance of N5, 870,000.’ He stated after doing a quick mental calculation. ‘That’s a lot of money.’

‘I know. You are Priye and Belema’s brother and I would ordinarily feel really bad about heaping my problems at your feet, but at this point I am out of options.’

Her cousin, Obiorah Achebe was currently out of the country on business and she had no way of contacting him before he returned. She didn’t even have his personal email address because she had always taken it for granted that she could see him whenever she wanted. Even at that, she doubted if she would get the full sum from him considering how much it was. It was a lot of money. Belema Daniel-Hart also would have given her something tangible but he was currently offshore and reaching him was impossible.

‘I am not asking for the entire sum as a loan.’ she continued. ‘I just need whatever you can spare until I can pay you back.’

‘When is the deadline?’ Dienye asked her quietly.

‘Noon, tomorrow.’ she replied. ‘I tried negotiating for an extension but he wouldn’t bulge despite the fact that I had given him a cheque for N6, 380, 000.’

Dienye was silent for some time, obviously deep in thought. He could tell how much this was weighing her down. N5, 870,000.00 was a lot of money. She had told him that her mother was presently having blood pressure issues which he knew could be another cause for concern if not managed and her elder sister was also trying to raise funds from her work place. As a corper, there was a limit to what she could spare and so Soki was taking up most of the responsibility of raising the money. He would give her something to alleviate her problems but what about the balance?

‘I will give you a cheque of N2m, non-refundable,’ he finally told her, ‘but that wouldn’t solve your problem. How do you plan on getting the remaining N3, 870,000?’

‘I have no idea, but I can’t sit and watch. Thanks so much…’

‘How about your father’s friends and relatives?’ he cut in before she could thank him for the money he intended to give her.

He was an amazing person, Soki thought. Who gave that kind of amount without asking for something in return? He was a rare breed.

‘We have met with all of the ones we could see.’

‘Out of the money you have already raised, how much is non-refundable?’ he asked.

‘About N3,400,000.00’ Soki replied.

‘In essence, what you have in addition to the money I would be giving you is N5,400,000.00 as the remaining N2,980,000.00 is still a debt which would have to be repaid.’

Soki nodded.

‘That means you are left with actually N6,850, 000.’

She didn’t want to think of it that way. She would rather imagine that it was N3,870,00.0 which was far from N6,850,000, but like he said, the reality was the other amount amounted to fresh debts.

‘We tried to raise more, but the others wanted something I couldn’t give to them.’

‘Sex,’ he rightly surmised.

She nodded. ‘And these are supposed to be my father’s friends.’

‘Welcome to the real world, babe.’ He told me. ‘People don’t part with that much money without getting something in return.’

‘I heard but I was hoping to be proved wrong.’

Dienye shook his head and she wondered what was going through his mind. This wasn’t his problem but he was helping her. He was giving her N2m without refund.

‘I would really love to help you with the balance of N3.87m without asking for anything in return,’ he told her, ‘but the amount isn’t child’s play. I am a business man and I know how easily one could be tempted to take a friend’s word for it when it comes to making payments. I can’t completely blame your father for trusting a friend but to have doctored the reports: that was fraudulent. And it is unfair that you have to leave school in order to run around to get him out of trouble. However, I understand your sacrifice and appreciate it because I know a lot of people who wouldn’t do anything in your shoes.’

‘He’s my father. He has made sacrifices for me too. That’s why I am trying my best to raise the balance.’ Soki assured him.

He went silent once more, his mind working. She could tell that he really wanted

to help her and he was probably weighing his options.

‘I would appreciate any amount you can spare,’ she told him. ‘I’ll hustle for the rest.’

‘In such a short time, I have my doubts. It would take nothing short of a miracle.’

‘I don’t have much of a choice in the matter. My father’s boss gave me an option but it is one I would rather not accept.’

His arched eyebrow demanded an explanation.

‘When I approached Nze Maduabuchi, he made an initial offer for me to his mistress for five months, for every outstanding million and in return he would replace the outstanding amount in the company’s account.’

Dienye didn’t look surprised.

‘Initial?’

‘Yes. His initial offer was five months and if I satisfied him, he would make me his wife. However, he changed his mind and extended it to three years.’

‘Let me guess. He came onto you right there in his office as a way of getting you to accept his offer and revised the terms the moment you rejected him.’

Soki nodded, trying not to think of Nze’s hands on her. She didn’t tell him that Nze had chosen his hotel as the spot for her defilement.

‘He is a ruthless business man and will have his pound of flesh,’ Dienye told her.

‘I can’t date him or be his mistress,’ she told Dienye.

‘Because he is old enough to be your grandfather?’

‘Yes, plus it is against my principles.’

Dienye linked his fingers together before him.

‘So we have established that you presently have only two options: get the balance or give in to your father’s boss’ demand. The latter is something I do not want to happen if I can do anything about it. You are obviously an innocent and it would ruin you for life. I have five sisters and I can imagine what the thought of being with Nze Maduabuchi is doing to you. I would gladly give you the entire balance if I had some sort of collateral for the money.’

‘My father has nothing to offer presently in form of collateral and contrary to what Nze Maduabuchi pointed out, my elder sister and I are not his assets. At least not in that manner.’

‘I am a business man, babe,’ he told her. ‘It wouldn’t make sense to let go of such an amount of money without collateral.’

Soki could understand his plight. He had already done more than she had expected.

‘I will pay you back even if it takes the rest of my life,’ she promised him and she meant it. ‘I can work for free if that’s what it takes.’

‘It wouldn’t be right for me to engage your services without pay.’

She could list a number of men who would gladly do so.

‘You can consider the N3, 870,000 a salary advance.’

‘Not even if you are working for the presidency would you get such a salary advance,’ he smiled, revealing those cute dimples. ‘I can’t do that. You would need the money.’

‘I am not in a position to complain.’

He looked at her and once more she couldn’t read his expression.

‘I believe your father knows nothing about this.’

‘He would rather remain in custody than have me make such sacrifices,’ she responded. ‘It would break his heart if I became his boss’ mistress because of his mistake.’

‘Which you would do if you don’t have the full sum by noon tomorrow.’

‘I would approach the table like a sacrificial lamb and without a fight, but I don’t want to consider it,’ she said feeling dejected and physically shivering from the thought of being with Nze. ‘I had to lie to my elder sister that I had been able to secure an extension from Nze. I don’t want her worried.’

Lovely story line.
Following

kajsa08:
Lovely story line.
Following

You're welcome to the thread

Episode 5 contd

He said nothing.

‘From what transpired today, I know that becoming Nze’s mistress wouldn’t automatically absolve my father. It would merely give him an opportunity to work out a payment plan, knowing that he won’t be able to raise the sum especially since he would of his own accord resign from Nze’s employment. My father would never continue to work for a man who would use his daughter to his advantage.’

She inhaled and exhaled deeply.

‘Between my father and I, we can work out a payment plan for whatever additional amount you give to us. It would take time but we would pay you back. However, my dad needs to be out of the police custody in order to do this. And I cannot in the interim offer myself to you as collateral. That would be insulting you.’

He arched a well-defined eyebrow.

‘Maybe,’ he responded, enigmatically, stroking his chin, ‘then again, maybe not.’

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

‘I was just teasing you.’ He quickly assured her. ‘Word of advice, sweetheart: never talk about the possibility of offering yourself to a man in his own home before he starts getting ideas. And that includes me. I might be more of a big brother to you, however I am still a man and certainly not perfect.’

She was silent.

‘You can be rest assured that I would never ask you to be my mistress. I have no need or use for such. If I want a woman, then it would be as a wife.’

‘You won’t understand how relieved that makes me feel,’ she said.

Dienye was silent for a very long time. Soki wondered what was going on in his mind. He was watching her but his expression was unreadable. She thought of her father’s boss. If she didn’t get the balance of the money, then she would be the sacrificial lamb. She knew a lot of girls in her situation would say to hell with it, after all they weren’t the ones who were directly involved in the loss of the money. They would rather be supportive during the trial but she didn’t want this going to trial. She was surprised the news of her father’s detention hadn’t been carried by the media, considering how fast bad news flew. Perhaps it was because he wasn’t a politician or the owner of Avresons? Whatever the reason, she was glad.

Detention wasn’t good for anyone let alone her dad and she couldn’t let him continue to suffer for trusting a friend. It could have happened to anyone. She figured some persons would call her stupid for considering sacrificing her own happiness in exchange for his release. A lot of people would judge her if she ended up being Nze’s mistress without understanding the story behind it. Then again, would she be justified in doing it if it came to that? Would she be any different from the prostitute who blames lack of work and family problems for engaging in prostitution? Would she feel less guilty if it was a man like Dienye who had made that proposal and not a man thrice her age?

Had it been Dienye in that Avresons’ office instead of Nze Maduabuchi, would she have pushed him away? No, she would have given in to his kiss, her arms wrapped around his neck or waist as the case may be. Then again, she doubted if Dienye would have come onto her in that manner. Surely, he wouldn’t stoop so low to grope her or try to force himself on her.

She had less than 24 hours to come up with a solution she could live with but something told her that no matter what happened, her life would never be the same again. Until last week, she was a simple, quiet final year law student with a CGPA of over 4.5 and channelling all her energy towards maintaining her CGPA and bagging a first class degree. It was two days to valentine and she didn’t even have plans for it. That was what her life currently was like. No relationships with the opposite sex

unless it was platonic. After all, she was just 21 and had still had years to go before she had to settle down.

She had never been anyone’s girlfriend let alone ever considered the option of being a mistress to a rich man. She wasn’t so naïve that she didn’t know that there were a lot of girls on campus currently occupying that position. For her, there were certain lines people shouldn’t cross. One of them was getting involved with a married man or woman. Well, Nze wasn’t currently married but that made no difference. He was too old for her.

It was so amazing how easily one’s principles can be put to the test by situations one faced which was why one was advised never to judge a person until you have walked a mile in her shoes. Six hours ago, she would have sworn that being a mistress was one thing she would never consider being. She would even have sworn that she would rather be dead or lose a limb than be in that position. But she was her father’s daughter and no sacrifice would be too much for him. Knowing her father, he would never approve of it. He would rather spend the rest of his life in jail but was that really an option? This wasn’t just about him, her immediate family was affected. Her mum’s health was failing as a result of his detention. Her elder sister would be coming into Port Harcourt this weekend leaving everything on hold. Apart from her parents, she was the only one who knew that the deadline hadn’t been extended. Her baby sister needed to be kept in the dark.

Any way she looked at it, the odds were against her.

Dienye might be wealthy but there was a limit to what he could give to her. Being a good man with a big heart and with the added fact that his youngest sister had sent her to him for his assistance, she was putting him in a fix. The only way she was walking away from this with everything intact was if Dienye agreed to issue her a cheque for the outstanding balance. And he wouldn’t do that without collateral. No sane person would. Not even when he wanted to get between your thighs, which is why Soki was certain that being Nze’s mistress wouldn’t automatically mean that the debts were forgiven. It would only mean that her father would be given the opportunity to work off his debt.

She looked at Dienye. He was still watching her, deep in thought. He was probably wondering the best way to get her out of the mess she had found herself in, a mess that wasn’t hers in the first place. He looked away and took a deep breath slowly exhaling. What was going on in his mind? If Dienye couldn’t help her then she was doomed. Three years wasn’t three minutes or three days. It was 1095+ days. That would be too much for anyone even a woman named Endurance.

Soki recalled Dienye’s earlier words to her: ‘So we have established that you presently have only two options: get the balance or give in to your father’s boss’ demand. The latter is something I do not want to happen if I can do anything about it. You are obviously an innocent and it would ruin you for life…’

Dienye suddenly rose to his feet.

‘I need a moment,’ he told her before leaving the room.

He clearly wanted to help her but without collateral, it would be bad for business. He had already done so much by promising to release N2, 000,000 without a refund which was more than should be expected from a man she wasn’t in a relationship with and who wasn’t related to her in any way. It wouldn’t be fair to demand more from him but like Oliver Twist she would appreciate it even if she had to spend the rest of her life paying him back. Besides, she had no doubt that once her father got wind of this he would insist on a payment plan to free her from any promise she made. Better a promise made to Dienye than one made to Nze


Read more here - https://youngicee.com/2020/01/the-second-wife-episode-8.html

Hmmmmmm.


That's human being for you





Thanks for the update

The Second Wife - Episode 6

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Dienye stood in the hallway. He was at loss as to what to do about Soki’s predicament. He really wanted to help her, not just for his sister, but also because he really liked her. He was her last bus stop. He had done a lot by promising to give her N2,000,000.00 which was not to be refunded. Well, he would give her N3, 000,000 but that was all. Some people would think him foolish for doing this for a woman he wasn’t in love with and who wasn’t in love with him, a woman he wasn’t even in any relationship with.

This wasn’t exactly a charity case per se. He usually had a budget every year set out for children and teenagers in need of surgery. This would be the first time he would be giving such an amount to someone who wasn’t directly involved in a problem. This was actually her father’s problem but Soki had taken it upon herself to raise the money. She had already missed school so close to the first semester examinations as a result. If he didn’t help her out, she would be compelled by her love and loyalty towards her father to accept her father’s boss’ indecent proposal. No one would blame him; after all he was giving her a whole lot of money, more money than any of her relatives had given her and asking for nothing in return.

He doubted if Priye, when sending her friend to him, had intended that she get the entire sum from him. Priye would be more than grateful for what he had done so far. What Soki did afterwards shouldn’t be his problem. However, could he allow her to leave, knowing that she would be sacrificing her happiness and her morals just so that her father could regain his freedom irrespective of how her father might feel about it? His three million naira would assist her but make no difference as Nze Maduabuchi would still have her in his bed for three years.

This really shouldn’t be my problem, he told himself. God knows I have tried. I care about that girl but I have tried my best. She has no collateral I can use for my investment and I have nothing to gain by losing the entire sum.

He rubbed at his temple. It was easier to sign cheques when it involved terminal illnesses faced by children or teenagers and as gifts to orphans and widows. However, this was a different case. What justification would he have for giving out N5,870,000 to save a man from being prosecuted especially given the fact that he was actually an accessory after the fact?

‘She intends to work until she can pay you completely,’ a voice inside his head reminded him. ‘You should think about that.’

‘And I cannot employ her for years without paying her,’ he countered. ‘So that is completely out of the question.’

‘What if her father comes up with a payment plan?’

‘Do you seriously see him having a job waiting for him once he is out of police custody?’

‘You call her your babe and your sweetheart but you know that N3,000,000 you intend to give to her isn’t going to change anything. She will still have no other choice but to give in to the man’s demands. You can afford to give her the entire sum but if you insist on a collateral for the extra N2, 870,000, then you might as well marry her and get it over with.’ the voice suggested.

‘I have no intention of-’ he paused before he could complete the sentence.

Marry her? Why should he? He wasn’t looking for a wife. He wasn’t in the market for a wife. So his family members didn’t hesitate anytime they had the opportunity to try to get him hitched with one of their friends or friend’s children, that didn’t mean he had to get hitched before he was ready. Even if he was ready, he and Soki didn’t know each other like that.

He was going to get married and have children but getting married to Soki was

not an option. She was too young. He had at least fourteen years on her. The perfect man for her should still be in his mid-twenties. Besides, wouldn’t proposing to her amount to taking advantage of her situation? She would most likely accept given the fact that the other proposal she had was indecent. No, he would prefer the harmless flirtations they enjoyed every now and then.

‘And then you get to live with her being forced into the arms of a man thrice her age when you were in a position to avoid it,’ that voice continued.

‘Seriously?’

‘Yes, it would be all on you. That girl adores you and you know it. If given the chance, she could easily fall in love with you. Not giving her the entire sum is the same as not giving her anything. If anything, it would be tantamount to giving her three million naira as an incentive to bear the old man’s touch for three year: One million naira for every year. You became responsible for her wellbeing the moment you agreed to help her. You know she has exhausted all her options. You cannot go to bed tonight without resolving this.’

Curse his damned conscience and kind heart! The voice was right. He certainly couldn’t sleep well knowing that she would be a sacrificial lamb to a man like Avreson’s boss. Had she not been an innocent it would have been easy to just give her a million and satisfy his conscience. But she was an innocent and he didn’t want her innocence being lost to a man like that. It was better for her to be with her husband than a man old enough to be her grandfather.

‘Look on the bright side, you would be getting your relatives off your back the moment they know you are getting married. No need to avoid family programmes anymore.’

He recalled his grandmother’s statement about his ‘equipment’ becoming rusty and useless and told himself that perhaps ending his celibate days was long overdue.

‘Let’s hope I know what I am doing.’



* * * * *



Dienye returned to the sitting room a few minutes after he left. Soki watched as he sat on the chair he had vacated earlier. Had he reached a conclusion?

‘Are you in a relationship?’ he asked unexpectedly.

Where did that come from?

‘That’s a personal question.’ she told him.

‘Are you?’

‘No I’m not.’ she replied.

‘I see.’

‘Are you?’

‘Touché.’ He smiled lightly.

‘You didn’t answer my question.’

A sad expression clouded his face but it disappeared almost immediately.

‘No, I’m not.’

Were the ladies in Port Harcourt so blind that they would let a man with his looks move around freely and unattached? She wondered.

‘I was married for seven years to a woman I loved, one I had known almost all my life,’ he told her. ‘She passed on four years ago in an accident.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that. I -’

He lifted a hand to silence her, letting her know that he hadn’t told her about it for her to empathise with him. He was certain Priye had told her before now that he was a widower.

‘Do you have any medical issue I need to know about?’

Where was that question coming from? She wondered for the second time. Where was

he headed with his questions?

‘That’s a personal question.’

‘Obviously.’

‘Then why the question?’

He ignored her response. ‘I need you to be completely honest with me.’

‘I don’t have any medical issues. I am AS, rarely sick. I do not have HIV or any STDs. I have never had sex and so have never had an abortion. My womb is secure unless someone took it out in my sleep. I had surgery months before we met as a result of a growth in my skull. Don’t worry, I do not have any mental issues as a result and I never miss my medical check-ups.’

He smiled. Too much information, but necessary all the same.

‘I am AA and so you being AS doesn’t matter. And I also come with a clean bill of health.’

‘I still don’t understand where this is going.’

‘I have given your situation a long thought and I have a proposal I believe would be beneficial to you and still keep me in my little sister’s good books.’

‘And what is your proposal?’ she asked, feeling a tightening around her neck like she was choking.

Please don’t be like the others, she groaned silently. Do not break my heart!

‘I’ll transfer the entire balance to your account with you as the collateral.’

Her face fell.

‘I thought you weren’t going to ask me to be your mistress.’ She accused.

He was a good man but a man all the same. What was she expecting? That he would give her the full balance with a pat on the cheek for being such a good daughter? She figured better him than Nze. Like she had surmised, this present situation was going to change her life forever. Come to think of it, how would being his mistress put him in his sister’s good books? Surely he wasn’t proposing…

Episode 6 contd


‘I don’t have any use for a mistress.’ He assured her. ‘I am proposing a permanent arrangement between you and I.’

Was he asking her to marry him! He was handsome. She had a crush on him and perhaps if she wasn’t worried about her father she would have long thrown caution in the wind and given in to that one secret urge she had from the first day she met him – to kiss him just to know how his lips felt and tasted. But-

‘You don’t mean-’

‘What other liaison between a man and a woman could be more permanent than marriage?’ he responded.

‘But w-e hard-ly know each other.’ she stuttered, although grateful that he hadn’t diminished her trust in him by being like Nze and some of my father’s other friends.

‘We’ll have enough time to do that.’ He assured her.

‘This is wrong,’ she protested, rising to her feet. ‘When I came to you, it wasn’t with the expectation of getting the entire sum. I would appreciate any amount you can give without sacrificing yourself or your happiness in the process.’

He arched an eyebrow. ‘I appreciate your concern, babe, but remember that I am

an adult and although the decision is impromptu, I have thought about it.’

‘I won’t let you do this.’

‘I am doing it of my own free will, babe. Believe me I am not under any pressure, at least not from you.’ He assured her. ‘I lost my wife four years ago and I guess I’m long overdue to settle down once more.’

‘Surely you have dated other women since you lost your wife. There must be one of them who-’

‘I haven’t had the time,’ he confessed. ‘I buried myself in work and JCI activities to get over her death, leaving no room for dating.’

She figured she should be glad that she would be having him all to herself but could she settle down with a man she barely knew even when she had a crush on him? There was a huge difference between having a crush on someone and being in love with that person. One was just a phase and the other was permanent. The thought of being with him didn’t have the nauseating effect the thought of being with her father’s boss had. He was a younger man although over ten years older than she was, but he was offering her a decent relationship. She had imagined herself getting married a year or two after youth service, giving herself the opportunity to live life a little before settling down for the rest of her life.

He asked for her account details and she gave it to him.

‘I’ll have the sum of N3, 000,000.00 transferred into your account first thing tomorrow morning.’

A transfer was safer than moving around with a cheque for over a million naira. Wait a minute! Did he just say N3, 000,000? That must have been a slip. He had promised her N2, 000,000.

‘I’ll give you tonight to think about my proposal,’ he told her. ‘If you accept then call me by 10am tomorrow. If I don’t hear from you, you would still have the money I promised paid into your account.’

She rose to her feet just as he rose to his. Acting on impulse, she hugged him. He stiffened momentarily then returned the hug.

‘Thanks so much, Dienye,’ she told him, fighting back the tears of joy that threatened to escape.

‘For nothing.’ He responded, gently extricating himself from her embrace.

‘You can’t call this nothing. I am not in any way related to you and you are letting go of such an amount of money to help me out of my predicament without any strings attached.’

‘Don’t forget my proposal.’

‘Which is very decent unlike the proposals I have received in the last few days. Besides, you are still giving me a large sum of money which has nothing to do with the proposal you made and for that I am so grateful. You are a rare breed Dienye Daniel-Hart. I am blessed to have you as my friend.’

He didn’t say anything.

‘May God bless you beyond human comprehension and continue to prosper the works of your hands. And may you never lack anything good.’

‘Amen and amen. And now, babe, I need to get you home.’

‘You’ve done so much already for me,’ she told him in protest. ‘I will take a bike home.’

‘No way,’ he returned. ‘Let me get my car keys.’

‘Woji road is notorious for its traffic,’ she reminded him as he headed out of the sitting room. ‘I don’t want to put you through that especially not after you have been so good to me.’

‘I insist. And if there is a major traffic on that road, please feel free to say ‘I told you so’ and I promise not to take offence and drop you along the road.’

She smiled.

‘And there’s the angelic smile that keeps my dreams beautiful all night long,’ he teased.

She blushed.

He picked his car keys and she followed him to the front door. He turned off the lights on the way out. Outside, they headed for his Black BMW which was parked beside a Toyota Corolla.

There wasn’t much traffic and for that she was grateful. She would have had to deal with the guilt of putting him in the way of traffic in addition to disrupting his life. The moment he pulled up in front of the black gate of her family house, she thanked him for the ride back home and made to get out of the air conditioned car. His fingers wrapped around her wrist stopped her from doing so. She turned to face him in the semi-darkness of the car.

‘You are not under any obligation whatsoever to accept my proposal,’ he told her. ‘Do not feel pressured.’

She nodded.

‘I mean it, babe.’

She nodded, giving in to the impulse to hug him in appreciation.

‘Thanks D.D. Good night.’

Read Episode 7 here - https://youngicee.com/2020/01/the-second-wife-episode-7.html

Please, can we have some more?

Pretty please with ganache and a Maraschino cherry on top.

Now that Soki's Dad is out, the drama will start.

Thanks for the update

Thanks Op. I have read to the last episode on your blog, can't wait for more.

The Second Wife - Episode 7

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

9:07pm
Housing Estate, Woji
Port Harcourt

Soki checked on her mum in her bedroom. She had thought about Dienye’s proposal during the drive home. In spite of all their flirting, he was still practically a stranger. Although she was attracted to him and had fantasised about him, she knew nothing personal about him besides the fact that he was a kind hearted widower with a good sense of humour.

He was also a good man who really wanted to help. Men like him were rare. But she couldn’t just say yes to him. Marriages should be built on love, trust and friendship. She wasn’t ready for emotional entanglements. She was too young and too inexperienced to be thinking of getting married. She hadn’t even experienced life.

Would she have felt differently if he had made a different kind of proposal? If he had propositioned her, she would most likely have given in to him considering her feelings for him but she was glad he hadn’t. Whatever his reasons, Dienye was prepared to marry her and get her out of Nze’s way. However, he was making it her decision. She would get his help no matter the decision she made. Besides, it wasn’t like Dienye was a random man she had approached for help. He was her friend and she was also friends with two of his siblings.

Like she had figured, she wasn’t getting out of this the same. She had two options open to her: to be an executive LovePeddler or the wife of a millionaire she wasn’t in love with. It looked that simple but wasn’t so simple. She would be the biggest fool ever if she accepted Nze’s offer when she had an offer for marriage. Dienye would most likely want them to get married as soon as possible. She would be ‘bought’ for the sum of N5, 870, 000.00. Who in their right minds would part with such a ridiculously high amount just to get a wife? Her parents would never approve of a riverine man for a son-in-law but there was nothing they could do about it. Her Dad had taken that decision out of their hands when he got arrested.

‘Mummy,’ she called to her mother.

Ezinne turned to look at her with dull eyes. One look into those eyes and she knew that she was right in considering Dienye’s proposal.

‘I have good news for you,’ she told her. ‘I have been able to raise the entire money.’

Ezinne sat up on the bed at the news.

‘I found someone who is willing to pay the balance of Daddy’s debt.’

For the first time in six days, there was life in Ezinne’s eyes. ‘Who is it?’

‘You remember Exquisite Hotels, where cousin Dilinna had her wedding reception a few

weeks ago?’ Her mum nodded. ‘I spoke with the CEO today. He happens to be my friend Priye’s elder brother and he promised to help.’

‘Just like that!’ her mum’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘What does he want in return? No one would part with such an amount of money for the sake of someone neither related to him nor sharing his bed.’

‘Nothing mummy,’ Soki replied.

‘Don’t lie to me Nwasoka Achebe. What did he want in return?’

‘He didn’t ask me to go to bed with him, if that’s what you’re asking.’ Soki assured her evasively.

‘Perhaps he is hoping that you would be grateful enough to accept it when he finally asks that of you.’

‘Mr Daniel-Hart is not like that,’ Soki said in Dienye’s defence. ‘He is a good man.’

‘Daniel-Hart,’ her mum repeated. ‘Onye ocha (a Caucasian).’

‘No ma.’ Soki replied. ‘He’s from Bonny-’

‘Onye mba mmili (a riverine man)! Chim o! What did he want in return?’

Ezinne, like her husband, believed that riverine men couldn’t control their sexual urges and thus couldn’t stay faithful to any woman.

‘It is not important, mum. What is important is that daddy will be released tomorrow.’

‘It is not important,’ her mum repeated. ‘Why won’t you tell me what he asked for?’

‘You won’t be happy about it,’ Soki replied.

‘Tell me all the same.’

Soki took a deep breath and let it out.

‘He asked me to marry him.’

‘Tufiakwa,’ her mum spat. ‘You must be joking.’

‘I am not.’

‘I hope you did not accept his proposal? I nukwa udi ndia, okwa so akwa ka I ga na ebe maka na fa ga na ali nwanyi obunna fa fu enu (If you marry people like that, you will constantly be in tears because they would always be cheating on you with other women).

‘Really mum,’ she said exasperatedly. ‘Not every riverine man is a he-goat! Besides you have such men in every tribe, even in our own Onitsha. I haven’t accepted but I intend to do so tomorrow.’

‘You will do no such thing.’

‘I do not have a choice. If we do not have the balance of the money by noon tomorrow, dad would be handed over to the EFCC and his boss assures me that he would also file a civil suit for the outstanding amount and you can be sure that interest would be included. We do not need that kind of publicity.’

‘No, we don’t. But I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself in the process. Ejì m aka na Chukwu ga-enyelụ anyị aka (I am hopeful that God will help us out of this situation).’

‘Perhaps this is God’s way of helping us out,’ Soki told her mum.

‘I don’t think so. You are too young.’

‘O buro ife m cho, ma na uzo akpochigo. (It’s not what I want, but I am out of options).

‘Atokwanum o! (I’m in trouble) Joshua what have you done?’ her mum wailed.

‘Please stop it mum. This isn’t good for your blood pressure. I have found a solution to our problem-’

‘In a tribe known for promiscuity.’

‘That is hearsay, mum. You cannot judge an entire tribe based on the attitude of a few.’

‘I hear you. Chai!’

‘At least his proposal was decent. Nze wanted to have sex with me for 3 years in exchange for the money.’

‘Otolo gbabukwa ya ebe afu,’ her mum swore. ‘Ara na agba ya (He is mad!).’

‘I know this is like being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea but Dienye’s proposal makes a lot of sense.’

‘And you are sure he doesn’t have a wife tucked somewhere. You never know with rich men…’

‘Mum! He was married once but she died a few years ago and no, he didn’t use her for money ritual. He was wealthy before he married her.’

‘And what about his children? Have you thought about that?’

‘He doesn’t have any.’

‘Oho! And you wonder why he is eager to marry a young woman?’

‘Hian! Mummy! This your mind sef.’

‘What? You never know with these men. It isn’t every time that the failure of a woman to conceive is her fault. Sometimes, the fault is from the man who has low sperm count.’

Welcome to sex education 101.

‘I seriously doubt if anything is wrong with him.’

‘Have you had sex with him before?’

‘Of course not,’ she responded, horrified.

‘Then you are not in a position to make a concluding finding.’

Haba!

‘I do not need to have sex with him to be convinced that his manhood is functioning properly and that he is capable of giving me a child. He is less than 40 years and very much a youth.’

‘Who could have wasted a majority of his sperm as a hyper sexual teenager and young adult.’

Soki shook her head. Her mum was completely ready to discredit Dienye so as not to have him as a son-in-law despite his wanting to help her family.

‘I intend to marry him mum. Love will come later.’

‘That’s what foolish women say to themselves only to find themselves facing divorce or dealing with husbands openly cheating on them.’

‘I don’t think Dienye is like that.’

‘You have met the man a few times and suddenly you think you are an authority on how men behave.’

Soki sighed deeply. ‘It doesn’t matter because I am marrying him. It is either that or dad remains in custody. This is something I must do.’

‘Then once your father and I raise the money, we would secure your freedom from him,’ her mum assured her, knowing when to give up.

‘While incurring other debts, thus defeating the whole aim of my sacrifice,’ Soki reminded her mum. ‘I don’t want you interfering. You and dad would have to get used to having a riverine son-in-law.’

She slept fitfully that night, various thoughts running through her head.

Read Episode 8 - https://youngicee.com/2020/01/the-second-wife-episode-8.html

The Second Wife - Episode 8

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Friday, 13th February

8:28am

Woji Estate



Soki buttoned up her fitted blouse (one of the blouses she had initially grown out of) which she wore over blue jeans and a pair of sneakers. Just as she was spraying her perfume, she heard a beeping sound from her phone announcing that she had a message. She picked up the phone and screamed as she saw the bank alert for N3, 000,000 from Dienye.

Her mother ran into her bedroom and Soki quickly showed her the text message.

‘I told you he was a good man.’ She told her mother proudly. ‘He is not what you think he is. With this I do not have to go to see him.’

Her mother looked amazed. She had been certain that Dienye had promised her daughter N3, 000,000 just to get her to accept his proposal. However, this made her respect the man, whoever he was. With the money, her daughter had no business going to him, just to call him and thank him.

‘Where are you going?’ she asked Soki as she picked up her hand bag.

‘To see Dienye. I am accepting his proposal.’

‘You do not need to do so. He has kept his promise to you and you assured me that this money was meant to be non-refundable.’

‘It is.’

‘Then why on earth are you accepting his proposal?’

‘Because I want to. I have no way of raising the balance.’

‘And he knows it.’

‘He knows nothing. For all he knows I might accept Nze’s temporary offer which I figure would become less once he gets this N3,000,000.’

‘Don’t even make that a thought.’ Ezinne warned her.

Soki laughed. ‘Ala a na agba m (am I mad)? I am accepting Dienye.’

‘Well, you have to wait for me to dress up so we can go see him together. I need to thank him before I head out to see your father.’

‘No, mum. I need to do this myself.’

‘Why would you -?’

‘I don’t want you getting involved. I am marrying the man and I don’t want you coming there and complicating things.’

Her mother parted her lips to protest but Soki escaped from the bedroom, racing down the staircase and out of the house.



* * * * *



8:45am

Oroma Estate

Port Harcourt



Soki nervously approached the front door of Dienye’s house. She needed to talk to Dienye and alone. Her eyes scanned the vast premises. This would be her home once they were married. They weren’t characters in a Mills and Boon romance novel where the protagonist proposed a short term marriage with the intention of not having it consummated. Once married, she and Dienye would be intimate within every meaning of the word. Her heart skipped a beat. Was she ready for this? She had always imagined her first time being with a man she loved, a man who loved her back.

Having read so many romance novels, she had an almost vivid imagination of what her wedding night would be like: how her husband would pamper her and try everything romantic within his power to make the moment an unforgettable one for her. Had Dienye’s late wife been a virgin? Had he been the one she lost her virginity to? How had it been? She was literally frightened of what she thought to be her future, not because she felt she would be a victim of domestic abuse, but because she wasn’t sure what she was getting herself into.

‘You don’t have a choice,’ a voice inside her head told her.

Everyone had a choice, she countered silently. She had chosen this one because it was decent. But that didn’t make her relaxed. She had read once that you would know you were making the right decision once you felt peace within yourself. Well, what she felt was turmoil. Her head was filled with negative thoughts. What if Dienye fell in love with someone else in the course of their marriage? What if she wasn’t enough for him? What if he ended up hating her? Would he expect her to move in with him before marriage? Would he expect her to have pre-marital sex with him? Would she have to come to his home to cook his meals and do his laundry like a lot of girls did with their boyfriends and fiancés? Was he even over the death of his late wife, after all, he still wore his wedding ring? Would she have to constantly deal with her ghost in the house?

She figured she would be justified in blaming her dad for her present predicament, or even hating him. But she didn’t feel that way. He had made the mistake of trusting a friend and then trying to cover it up. Anyone could have found himself in that situation. What was important was that a way had been provided out of it and her father would be back home before the end of today.

Talking about her father, he would rather face the consequences of his action than have her sacrifice herself, her life and her happiness to get him out. He had no idea what she was doing and she wanted it to stay that way until she had made her promise to Dienye. She was someone who firmly believed that promises should never be made in a hurry as once made, they are to be kept. And so once she gave Dienye her word to marry him, she would be completely under the obligation to do so irrespective of anyone else’s views or opinions.

Her dad would definitely not be pleased with the decision. She knew for a fact that he would approach Dienye with an alternative deal before it was too late. His job wouldn’t be waiting for him – that was tied to her accepting his boss’ terms. Having accepted an alternative offer, her dad would be back in the market as a job seeker. And at his age, who was going to employ him? Perhaps, if she had considered this particular consequence, she would have accepted Nze’s offer despite her moral upbringing.

‘No, you wouldn’t have.’ The voice inside her head told her with all certainty.

And it was right. Being a mistress would mean that her dad would get back his job, but it also meant that he would resign from it because there was no way Joshua Achebe would stay back on a job knowing that his daughter was paying for every naira on her back and beneath his boss.

She sighed deeply and hurried to the front door.



* * * * *



Dienye stood just in front of the door waiting for Soki. He had been expecting a phone call and not her physical presence but he was relieved that she was there. He’d had a restless night, unable to sleep. No matter how many times he told himself it was not his problem, he still found himself worried about the choice she might make. He had promised to transfer the money to her account once he didn’t hear from her by 10am and yet the moment the bank was open he had effected the transfer.

The moment he got her call that morning, he had known that his proposal was accepted. And that filled him with a mixed reaction of relief and apprehension: relief because she wouldn’t be satisfying Nze Maduabuchi’s sexual needs; and apprehension because he wasn’t sure he was in the emotional frame to get married again. He still felt that pain that came with the knowledge that Nengi was gone for good.

He had been told that it would get better with time but it hadn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to spend the night in the master bedroom they had both shared. The room had an adjoining door which led to the bedroom she used as her studio. The room was exactly the way she had left it the morning she passed on in an accident. He had it cobwebbed every now and then but it felt painful to do so. He spent every anniversary of her death locked up in that room, reminiscing on the life they had shared.

She had been an architect and a good one at that. She had just ventured into illustrations for children’s books when her life was cut short. There wasn’t a day that passed that he didn’t miss her. She had been his life, his everything. She had been his best friend, his lover, his confidante. Theirs hadn’t been the perfect marriage, no marriage was perfect. He had loved her with everything in him and was so used to having her take care of him and his needs that her that the reality of her absence only dawned on him when her body was lowered into the ground. They had made so many plans, even down to how they would celebrate their golden jubilee anniversary. He quickly brought his thoughts back to the present for it hurt to think of her.

He watched as Soki approached the front door. She looked brighter than she had been when she arrived the previous day, which was a good sign. He stepped aside and let her into the house. She walked into the hallway while he shut the door behind her. He looked completely masculine in his white and red stripped shirt and black trousers and Soki almost gave in to the strongest temptation to throw herself into his arms and lose herself in his embrace. She couldn’t believe that this man was going to be hers for the rest of their lives. Before now, she had imagined what she would do to and with him if she had him for 24 hours. She had a crush on him and had several fantasies with her playing the role of his wife, but not once did it occur to her that it would be real.

He was good for her fantasies but being an older man, she hadn’t really considered him husband material. She had imagined the man she married wouldn’t be more than four years older than she was but she guessed fate had something else in store for her. At least he was in his mid-thirties and therefore not so ancient. He was still a youth, which was her only consolation. It could have been worse.

‘I accept your proposal,’ she told him without preamble and then remembering her manners, added, ‘Good morning, sugar.’

‘Good morning, babe,’ he responded, and then added, ‘have you had breakfast?’

She shook her head. Breakfast, ke? In this kind of situation? She had expected him to get straight down to business but he said nothing about the proposal or the fact that she had accepted it. He looked nothing like a man whose proposal of marriage had just been accepted. He led the way past the sitting room door and to the dining room.

‘Don’t worry about breakfast,’ she told him as she tried to match his long strides. ‘I’m not hungry.’

‘You will have quite a busy day today and you need something in your stomach.’ He told her as they entered the dining room. ‘I only have coffee for breakfast but there is a loaf of bread in the refrigerator, and jam, sardine, eggs in case you are interested in having an omelette. My girlfriend for the weekend is coming over this evening and she was specific about what she wanted made available.’

He smiled and she found jealousy rearing its ugly head. Girlfriend for the weekend! Having accepted his proposal that automatically made her his fiancée and no other woman was staying with her man especially not for the Valentine’s Day! Her displeasure must have shown on her face because Dienye laughed and said: ‘There’s no reason for you to be jealous. I was referring to Priye.’

‘I wasn’t jealous.’ she denied hotly, relieved that she didn’t have a competition.

She was already thinking of him as her man, talk about being possessive. He had assured her yesterday that he wasn’t in a relationship but that didn’t mean that he didn’t indulge in sexual activities every now and then and with willing companions who understood his need not to be in a relationship. After all, what man would stay celibate for four years?

‘Yes, you were,’ he countered. ‘You should have seen the expression on your face when you thought you had competition. You looked ready to gouge out her eyes.’

His laughter wasn’t helping matters. Soki punched him playfully on the arm, the first time she had been forward towards him.

‘Don’t worry, babe. I am all yours to do with as you please.’ He assured her, laughter in his eyes.

Soki blushed. She had completely forgotten that Priye was spending the weekend with her eldest brother. Come to think of it, she had said something about being his girlfriend for the weekend and getting back to school with a fat bank account.

‘Well, feel at home, babe. After all this would be your home once we are married.’

Soki loved having three square meals and could barely fast for more than a few hours. Once he gave her the cheque, she would head down to Avresons. School was out of the question for today. Everything happened for a reason. A few months ago, her school had been on strike and they had been unhappy about it. From the time table, her degree examinations would most likely have fallen this week. However, courtesy of the strike, the school’s time table had been adjusted which gave her about three months to her degree examination. It really would have been disastrous to miss school on the week of her final examinations. As it stood, she would be joining the August batch for law school.

Dienye showed her where to find everything and before long she was seated adjacent to him with a plate of sandwich, scrambled eggs and hot cup of tea. She didn’t feel comfortable having him watch her while she ate but she was hungry. The last meal she had taken was the peppered chicken and she didn’t realise how hungry she was until she had fixed the sandwich. He had scrambled the eggs while she made the sandwich and she wondered if he was doing it because she was a guest or if it was just him being himself.

She loved a guy who knew his way around the kitchen. Soki was a great cook, loved to sample new delicacies but she loved it when a guy could do more than just boil water. He was a widower – a bachelor and she was certain that if he left his doors open, he would have countless of females, fighting to feed him with all sorts of meals and constantly keeping his bed warm.

‘I guess you wouldn’t consider me unromantic if I don’t serve you breakfast in bed,’ she told him, ‘since you don’t have breakfast save for coffee.’

‘I am sure you and a cup of coffee would work perfectly well with my diet,’ he teased with a wink.

She had walked right into that one!

Episode 8 contd

‘I noticed you transferred N3, 000,000 into my account instead of N2, 000,000 as promised,’ she said, changing the topic, before her brain started conjuring all kinds of 18+ scenes. Fantasizing about him in private was one thing, doing it with him watching her was a different ball game. He was perceptive enough to find her out.

‘Yes, I did,’ he replied. ‘And, no, it wasn’t in error.’

‘I am really grateful, D.D,’ she told him.

‘For nothing. There was no way I was going to let you fall into Nze Maduabuchi’s clutches and still sleep well at night. I’ll put a call across to Nze Maduabuchi this morning and have the balance transferred to him before noon.’

‘I don’t know how to begin to thank you.’

‘I’m getting something in return, you,’ he reminded her.

‘And at the cost of your independence. That amount is too much to pay as a bride price even if I was the daughter of the president.’

He shook his head.

‘I called my lawyer last night after I dropped you off. He is working on a pre-nuptial agreement for us.’

Seriously, Soki thought. Did they do that in Nigeria?

‘You knew I would say yes.’

‘I figured you would. You are too decent to give in to your father’s boss’ advance when you have an alternative and decent offer.’

‘You’re right. But a pre-nup?’

‘It wouldn’t be anything cold-blooded,’ he assured her.

To her, pre-nuptial agreements were only necessary when you were afraid your spouse was more interested in your money than in you. And she really had no interest in his money or he would have been her first point of call. She liked him a lot, was attracted to him and it had nothing to do with his financial status.

‘I have no interest in your money,’ she told him.

‘I’m sure you don’t, but I still need the pre-nup-’

‘To protect your investment,’ she finished up. ‘Why exactly are you marrying me? If it were just about the loan, you would have come up with a different arrangement.’

‘Smart girl,’ he responded, leaning into his chair. ‘This arrangement suits me just fine as it would bring an end to the regular torment I have to endure of having my sisters, cousins, aunts trying to match-make me with their friends or friend’s daughters. Besides, at my age, I need a family.’

‘You have been married before.’

‘For seven years, yes. And there was absolutely nothing medically wrong with either of us, I can assure you.’

‘I wasn’t questioning the functionality of your manhood,’ she said with a blush.

Geez, she couldn’t believe she had said that. Dienye chuckled good naturedly at her choice of words, making her relax. Whatever his reasons for wanting to marry a woman he didn’t love, a woman who didn’t love him, he was giving up a lot of money to have her. Her dad was in for the shock of his life. He would be having a riverine son-in-law. Her dad was a proper Igbo man who wanted all his children settling down with Ibo husbands. There would be no August meeting for her. Well, Dienye should be the least of his problems. At least he would be free, that is all that mattered.

She was going into this marriage without knowing much about marriages. She had never dated anyone and so wasn’t experienced enough for someone with Dienye’s obvious experience. Did happiness go hand in hand with love in marriages or could both exist independently? Well, one was solely responsible for one’s happiness. There were so many questions in her head begging for answers. Weren’t couples supposed to be best friends? Free with each other enough to confide their deepest secrets and desires? Well that was for normal marriages. Theirs wouldn’t be one. The moment she married this man she would be giving him possession of her body. She flushed, thinking of being made love to by this man. No, sex was the right word. There was no love between them. He would be her first and only. She would be his and the mother of his children.

She watched him silently. What was his late wife like? That was the wife of his youth, the one he had married because he loved her. She was the one he had given his heart to. Would she be able to fit into her shoes? Would she be able to get him to love her in the long run?

‘What’s going on in your mind?’ Dienye asked her.

Soki had forgotten he was watching her.

‘Nothing important,’ she replied.

‘Talk to me, babe. Something’s bothering you and I need to know what it is.’

Soki took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

‘What’s bothering you?’

‘I’m scared.’ she confessed. ‘We are getting married for the wrong reasons. And I am afraid it might not work.’

He smiled and reached across the table to take her hands in his.

‘Every marriage has its issues and so I can’t promise you a perfect marriage. However we’ll make our marriage work,’ he assured her.

‘We barely know each other. We aren’t even in love.’ she complained. ‘What if we are not compatible? What then?’

‘We have been able to establish that we are attracted to each other. I have no doubt that we will be compatible, babe. I was madly in love with my wife and losing her almost damaged me. I don’t know if I have it in me to love you, at least the way you want, but I would never deliberately go out of my way to hurt you.’

At least he was honest with her.

Dienye called Nze Maduabuchi and informed him that he would be making a transfer of N5, 870,000 on behalf of his fiancée. Soki raised a cheque for the N3, 000,000 Dienye had paid into her account in his name. Her dad was released that evening and it wasn’t until the next day that the drama began.


You can read Episode 9 here - https://youngicee.com/2020/01/the-second-wife-episode-9.html

I don't really post this story on weekends, but here's another one for you to enjoy - https://www.nairaland.com/5637922/cry-love

Oyinprince:
I don't really post this story on weekends, but here's another one for you to enjoy - https://www.nairaland.com/5637922/cry-love

Thanks dear

Ann2012:


Thanks dear

Uwc dear

The Second Wife - Episode 9

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Housing Estate, Woji

Port Harcourt

The loud banging on Soki’s door had the dual effect of rousing her from the beautiful dream she was having, and knocking her right off the bed so that she landed unceremoniously on the carpeted floor. It was that unexpected! Cursing beneath her breath she picked herself up.

The banging continued.

‘I’m coming,’ she called out wondering what this was all about.

It was obviously not a medical emergency or whoever was at the door would have already come into the bedroom, after all, the door was open. She placed the back of her hand over her mouth in a yawn, pushing down her short night shirt as she walked to the door. She opened the door surprised to find her dad there and he didn’t look a bit happy at all.

She didn’t need a seer to know that her mum had told him the circumstances surrounding his release and he was clearly not happy about it. Here we go! Until this point, she had been hundred percent sure that she could deal with this herself but one look at her dad’s unsmiling face made her wonder if she had done the right thing by not accepting Dienye’s offer to be with her when her father was releases. Dienye had wanted to speak with her dad last night but she had dissuaded him from it, saying that she didn’t want to break the news so soon after her dad’s release.

‘Good morning daddy.’ she greeted.

For once her father didn’t answer her greeting.

‘What have you done?’ He asked without preamble.

‘I got you out of police custody, dad.’ she responded without bothering to pretend that she didn’t know what he was talking about.

Being in police custody had aged her Dad by ten years and she was happy he was no longer there. Had Dienye not come to her rescue her daddy would have been either handed over to the EFCC or kept in prison custody awaiting trial and for that she would always be grateful to him. She had visited the Bundu Prisons in her third year in school and she was shocked at what she had seen. The prison had inmates thrice its capacity with a majority of them awaiting trial. She couldn’t imagine her dad being one of the inmates in such a place.

She stood aside as her dad walked into her organised bedroom. There was nothing out of place except the unarranged bed. Soki was a stickler for neatness.

‘I wish you had let me deal with the problem like I told you,’ dad said as he sat on the edge of her bed, a spot used to him as they spent most times talking like friends in her room.

‘I know you specifically asked me restrict myself to reaching out to your friends and our family members and nothing more, but I am your daughter, daddy and there was no way I could just fold my arms without trying to raise the balance of the money.’

She sat next to him and he sighed deeply. She could tell this was weighing so much on him. He was angry more with himself than he was with her.

‘I am so sorry, Soki,’ he apologised. ‘I put you in this position by my actions.’

‘It’s alright daddy. At least you’re free. And that’s what’s important.’ she told him, sliding her hand through the crook of his arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

He kissed the top of her head.

‘At least I didn’t have to go around having sex with multiple partners to raise the money. I got one major donor.’

‘One you are now compelled to marry. I can’t let you marry a riverine man.’ Dad told her.

‘This has nothing to do with your dislike for the riverine man, dad.’ she responded. ‘Dienye is a good man. He came to my rescue when I needed him the most and he didn’t ask me for sex.’

‘He didn’t have to. Once he is married to you, he will have all the sex he wants from you. If he was as decent as you said, he wouldn’t have made marriage a requirement.’

‘If you were in his shoes, would you have given out that kind of money without some sort of collateral?’ she asked him. ‘I don’t think so. We didn’t have any landed property to use and the current worth of the cars couldn’t cover a fourth of the amount. It didn’t even help that the people who priced the cars were pricing them as though they were worth nothing. It was a better proposal than I received from some of your friends, daddy.’

She felt him go tense.

‘He is Belema and Priye’s eldest brother and I trust him.’

‘You don’t know him and you cannot base your trust based on his siblings’ opinion of him.’

‘I am not basing my opinion on those of his siblings. I know him, perhaps not as well as I should, but I know for a fact that he is trustworthy. He was ready to part with N3,

000,000.00 without asking me for anything in return.’

‘You wouldn’t know that now, would you, since you have already accepted his proposal?’

‘He paid the money into my account before I went to see him yesterday,’ she returned. ‘I was under no obligation to accept his proposal. I accepted his proposal because I couldn’t raise the rest of the money and I wanted you out of there. Besides, I have had a crush on the guy for two years so it isn’t as though this is a total stranger that we are talking about.’

Her dad shook his head.

‘No matter your view of him, I do not approve of you spending the rest of your life with a man who doesn’t love you. I will have to talk to him about a payment plan.’

She rose to her feet.

‘A payment plan! No way! I will not have you incurring additional debts after the sacrifice I have made to avoid same. It’s too late.’

‘I intend to do whatever it takes to get you out of this,’ he told her stubbornly.

Fortunately, she had inherited his stubborn nature.

‘It is completely out of your hands.’ she told him. ‘I have promised him that I am going to marry him and I will.’

Her dad looked at her.

‘That promise was extracted under duress. I am sure you know the legal implications of agreements made under duress.’

She was well aware of it but as far as she was concerned the issue didn’t arise in this case.

‘You wouldn’t be protesting this much if Dienye was an Onitsha man.’

‘That’s not the issue.’

‘It is, daddy. It is. It is unfortunate that I didn’t have an Onitsha man or by extension an

Anambra man make me the same offer Dienye did. I made a promise to a good man, one I have every intention of honouring. It was my decision to marry him.’

‘All because you felt you had no other choice.’

‘I didn’t have any. Besides I couldn’t accept your boss’ indecent proposal. I am sure mum told you about his proposal to have me as his mistress for three years in exchange for the money.’

‘Yes, she did. The nerve of the man!’ Dad cursed. ‘I hope he didn’t lay a hand on you.’

‘He wasn’t successful.’

Dad heaved a sigh of relief.

‘That’s why his proposal increased from eight months to three years. I don’t want to think about him.’

‘I still wish you had let me face whatever charges they would bring against me. For all you know, the suits would have been dismissed on technicalities.’

That was possible, but there was no way she was going to risk it.

‘I am just grateful to God for using Dienye to get you out of police custody and future problems with the law.’

‘I still don’t like this at all.’

‘Dienye is a good man,’ she insisted. ‘And he will most likely make a good son-in-law.’

Her Dad snorted in disbelief. He didn’t know Dienye was a widower and she intended to keep him in the dark until later.

‘I know you would want to meet Dienye behind my back and talk him out of marrying me, but I would advise you not to. I have every intention of marrying him and you can feel free to tell me ‘I told you so’ if I have any problems with him.’

‘I can always refuse to give my consent and my blessings,’ he told her.

‘And what exactly would you gain by doing that?’

‘I would have my daughter back. You might feel that we wouldn’t be having this conversation if I had been more cautious, but what has happened has happened and I can’t change it. However, that doesn’t mean that I will stand back and allow you make what I consider to be the worst mistake of your life.’

What she thought or didn’t think about what she was getting herself into wasn’t important right now. Was she making a mistake by getting involved with Dienye? Only time would tell.

‘I am twenty-one, daddy and legally an adult, able to make my own decisions. I will be spending the rest of my life with this man and it is up to you to decide whether or not want your daughter living with a man she isn’t married to.’

‘Is that a threat?’

‘No, daddy. I was just pointing out how important it is for me to keep my word. You taught me not to make promises unless I intend to keep same, remember.’

Her dad looked like he was going to argue further but she stopped him with her next words:

‘Dienye will be coming to pick me up this evening. I hope you would be nice to him.’

His eyes narrowed.

‘He’ll formally ask for my hands in marriage because he is a good man who would not take it for granted that having paid so much he now owns me.’

‘I don’t want a riverine son-in-law,’ her dad protested one last time.

‘But you are destined to have one.’

She hugged her dad, telling him that everything was going to be okay and begging him not to get involved in her dealings with Dienye. Achebe was a big family and it would be so easy to have them hold an emergency family meeting because of her at the instance of her dad. She wasn’t going to take the risk of finding out whether his detest of the riverine tribe would surpass his need to keep the reason for his arrest secret. So far, all they knew was that he had some problems that required a lot of cash which he would pay back once he was settled.

Her dad left but she knew this discussion was far from over. She just hoped her mum would have a way of distracting him, at least today. They should do whatever it was that they did on Valentine’s Day. Besides, this Valentine’s Day was different in that her dad had gone through semi hell and back and there was so much to be grateful for.

Soki shut the door behind him and went into the bathroom where she quickly brushed her teeth before heading for the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She had her first date with Dienye that evening and was really nervous about it. They were engaged and it was only right that she spend the day with him. The question right now was what kind of gift could she give to her mega rich fiancé especially considering the fact that she was literally broke?

Read Episode 10 here - https://youngicee.com/2020/01/the-second-wife-episode-10.html

I've never been more glad for it to be a Monday.

Thanks for the update, love.

Is it possible we get more?