Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,148,526 members, 7,801,463 topics. Date: Thursday, 18 April 2024 at 03:33 PM

Fugitive Bride - Literature (4) - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Literature / Fugitive Bride (11384 Views)

The Angel And The Fugitive( A story of crime, politics and insurgency) / A Bride For November By Rose Akpabio / The Child Bride (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Reply) (Go Down)

Re: Fugitive Bride by Finnestgreat: 9:22pm On Feb 27, 2021
divinelypruned:

I just read the full story in coolval, the name is runaway bride, check it out
really
Re: Fugitive Bride by oluspicy: 11:25pm On Feb 27, 2021
EPISODE 18
Earlier that morning,, Tokunbo received a message from hismother-in-law asking him to
“ please, be patient with her, I know God will make all things right ”.

As if they were together, he got a call from his mother....

“Tokunbo, how are things, has she spoken with you?”

“Not really ma, but I know she will.”

“It is not easy to live like that, but I want to implore you to be patient with her, be good to her, that would make you have a little control. Don’t be rude or unkind to her, whatever is eating her would be killed with a little compassion from you. She must have had a difficult life with that wicked man called her father. So don’t be quick in ruling her out of your life.”

She said so much and all he could just hold on to is to be patient and kind with her; which he planned to do.

“Chinwe, I need to get to the store, I want to pick up some things from there, is there anything you will like me to get for you.”

Tokunbo announced at the bedroom door, holding his breath for the NO he knew she. would say.

“No, thanks”

“Okay, but I noticed you have not been eating much, give me a list of something we could have in the kitchen, you need to eat.”

“You can buy anything; I will be fine with anything you buy.”

“See, I don’t really want to argue with you and I want to make you comfortable as much as I can, you barely eat since you came to this house on Saturday, if you know there is nothing we can do till your friend comes on Saturday, let’s be well and alive till she comes.”

Chinwe looked up from her phone on the bed she sat and stared at the man standing at the door, he seems to be making sense.

“I will meet you outside, let me change my clothes.”

Tokunbo was taken aback by her decision, he did not expect her to respond that way; all he wanted was to get a list of the things she would love to buy.

Minutes later, they drove out of the house, with her sitting beside him, fiddling her phone again. He can’t complain, at least she is willing to be seen with him.

When they got down in front of the supermart, they walked in together, the store was almost empty of customers, since it was a Tuesday morning and most people would be at work.

They went the opposite sides of the store and when they met at the counter, she had very few things in her basket, sanitary pads, toothbrush, roll on, mouth wash, a set of combs, and soaps. Really?

Tokunbo pushed his shopping basket to the cashier and pulled Chinwe back to the food and grocery section.

“We need food, help me, please” he said in an almost frustrated whisper.

She looked at him and pulled a bigger shopping basket and walked to the shelves, picking all sorts of canned food, with Tokunbo following closely. When the basket was almost full and was pulling it with a noticeable effort, Tokunbo took it from her as she continued to pick, inspect, replace or drop some items.

When they got to the frozen food section, he watched as she picked a pack of washed snails.

“You can take for yourself, but I don’t eat snails” he said.

“Really?”

“I don’t eat it.”

“Okay” she said as she picked one pack and took some shrimps and chicken instead, when they finally got back to the counter, the cashier asked politely.

“Can I go ahead now?”

“No no, wait!” Chinwe said as she disappeared between the shelves again, making Tokunbo smile at how beautiful she looks.

She returned with a loaf of bread and a pack of grape fruits.

When the cashier finished adding all they bought, he paid with his card and a boy appeared beside him to carry everything they bought, leaving the bread behind, he quickly took it from Chinwe so she doesn’t have to carry a thing.

Chinwe looked at his back as he walked ahead of her to the park. He is quite a gentle man, she always knew that, just that the circumstances would not allow her to commend him.

The drive back to the house was quiet and Chinwe did not like the silence, she reached for the radio at the same time Tokunbo did and theythey both withdrew their hands immediately.

“Go ahead” Tokunbo said as he focused on the drive.

Chinwe turned on the radio and tuned to a station playing some good music, she sang along some of them and Tokunbo could not but look at her sometimes.

When they got to the house, Tokunbo handed her the keys and asked her to open the door for him, which she did without arguing. He moved all the bags at once and went straight to the kitchen. She joined him in the kitchen and they started unpacking, storing away and clearing the table together.

The moment looked almost perfect, only if they could talk. The last bag contained Chinwe’s toiletries, he handed it over to her as he went to the guest room to drop his.

Chinwe went to the room to drop off her things; an idea popped into her head as she was in her room. She went back to the kitchen and started cooking.
*************************************

Tokunbo opened his laptop and started replying some mails that needed his urgent attention, when he finished with the mails, he quickly searched online for some t some news to read. However, that was short lived, he abandoned the search for news and quickly typed in Google search bar... “how to make my wife happy”.

So many blogs, articles and features were brought as results and he glanced through them and picked one that looked interesting.

He read the article and would have readily clapped for the writer because he nailed it, or may be the writer is a woman, he did not bother to check.

He decided to make use of 2 of the numerous points stated...
1. Compliment her.
2. Pay attention to her.

With those 2 ideas, he went out of his room to get a bottle of water and almost stopped in his tracks at the sweet aroma coming from the kitchen. He quickly went into the kitchen and saw Chinwe frying, tossing, turning and wiping her hands at the counter, beads of sweat settled on her forehead. He went into the spacious kitchen and opened the back door to allow in some cool air.

“Smells nice, well done.”

“Thanks” she looked up from what she was turning a little bit surprised.

“Can I Help?”

“No thanks, I’m almost through.”

Tokunbo walked to the sink and started washing the dirty bowls, utensils and pans she used; she stopped what she was doing to look closely at him, like seriously.

“Well, if washing would make me eat from whatever it is that you are cooking, then wash I will.”

Tokunbo said and continued washing.

Chinwe just had to return to the fried rice she was turning on the cooker. With the plates washed, wiped and arranged, utensils hung and the counter wiped clean,

Chinwe took out 2 plates and dished some rice for the 2 of them. Tokunbo watched as she placed a plate of hot steaming rice, chicken and some plantain in front of him and was more surprised when she sat on another chair at the table.

They ate in silence and in between each mouthful of the delicious meal.

Tokunbo kept contemplating striking a conversation with her but each time, he thought better of it.

When he finished his food, he looked at his wife’s plate and saw she could not finish hers.

“That was a very lovely meal, thanks.”

“You are welcome, there’s more in the kitchen” she said when she found him looking at her plate.

“No, I’m fine, thanks.”

He stood up from the table and took his plate to the sink washed and dried it. He returned to the table to sit with her. Not hiding that he wants to make them work; just not clear on how to start a conversation with her, so when she stopped eating , he stood up and went to his room.

Chinwe watched him walk to the guest bedroom as she struggled to finish the rice in front of her. She seemed to have eaten to her full, she stood up also to wash her plate.

She stood against the counter and went over the day’s event in her head, they went to the store together, ate together and she knew she enjoyed it and would love more of it. She wished the turn of event had been different. For the past 4 days, he has been very patient with her, and kept denying he did not rape anyone.

For the first time since she ran away, she prayed Clara would be wrong and they could move on with their lives, she deserved to be happy and so does he.

<<<<<To be continued>>>>>

3 Likes

Re: Fugitive Bride by thatsleepboy1: 12:48am On Feb 28, 2021
divinelypruned:

I just read the full story in coolval, the name is runaway bride, check it out

Thanks babe. I've seen the story. May God bless you.
Re: Fugitive Bride by thatsleepboy1: 1:54am On Feb 28, 2021
I don't want to derail the thread.
Re: Fugitive Bride by Finnestgreat: 5:03pm On Feb 28, 2021
thatsleepboy1:
Tola Ajayi served his wife the divorce papers
some weeks later
Joseph and Clara sent their wedding IVs.
Davies and his sister were able to convince
their parents that having an extra year in
school is not the worst thing that could
happen, he found a sweet lady in his class
and things looked good between them, he also
had a repair section in Joe’s café and business
is booming.
Mrs Babalola also filed a divorce against her
husband on the charges of battering, at the
court hearing, she revealed she lost a
pregnancy due to a severe beating she had
during the pregnancy, her doctor was there to
testify.
Chief Babalola withdrew from running that
year, after the story of his wife got to the
press.
Nkem opened a photo shop beside his sister’s
office, they see every day and business was
going slow but promising.
Chris might be getting married soon too; he
brought a girl over for dinner over the
weekend.
Chinwe might be pregnant but she kept
telling Tokunbo she just missed her period
because of stress and she might not be eating
too much because her body wanted to shed
some weight. Well, Dr. Kunbi would be seeing
them tomorrow before work.
what's this
Re: Fugitive Bride by Finnestgreat: 5:04pm On Feb 28, 2021
Nice update op
Re: Fugitive Bride by thatsleepboy1: 5:27pm On Feb 28, 2021
Finnestgreat:
what's this

The End of the story. I've completed it.
Re: Fugitive Bride by Nobody: 6:20pm On Feb 28, 2021
thatsleepboy1:

The End of the story. I've completed it.
you did a very wrong thing though
Re: Fugitive Bride by oluspicy: 9:50pm On Feb 28, 2021
EPISODE 19
The couple remained cordial to each other. On Wednesday before she woke up, he already made some fresh juice for her, he knocked when she did not come out on time and when she asked what he wanted, he said he was just checking on her to see if she was okay.

On Thursday, she decided to pick out the attire for the Friday event especially when she got a call from the lawyer, who said she would soon be called for an interview.

However, she would love if they could have it the following week. She also called to inform Clara that she would be traveling on Saturday and a return flight would be booked for Sunday. She made a mental note to book the flight for her and Henry later in the day and send the code to him on time too.

The tension in the house has reduced and they moved about their daily chores with knowledge and respect for each other. She even received her brother in the house and Tokunbo played a good host. They played a couple of games, ate and watched a movie together before he returned home later in the day and to their respective rooms. Chris also stopped by but did not stay long. Davis’ call has also reduced as they have less to talk about now; all these within just a few days?
*************************************

FRIDAY
Tokunbo woke up and imagined how the day would go, the message they got from the lawyer said they should be ready to be picked up abound 11:30. He took a look at his phone.to check the time and saw that it was some minutes past 6:00 am.

He stood up to have his bath because he knew he would not be getting anymore sleep, after his bath, he checked the clothes he picked for the 2 events they would be having. The interview and the dinner. The fear in his stomach is actually because of the guest they would be having the day after.

When the driver from her father- in- law arrived to pick them up, Tokunbo was ready but needed to check with Chinwe if she was, so he could ask the driver to come in or not. When he knocked on the door…

“I will be out soon!”

When she finally came out of the room, he almost fell off his seat; she was clad in a glimmering black dress, stopping some inches
above her knees. The gown fitted her perfectly and he wondered if he could keep his hands off her, especially her neck with her hair packed high up on her head in a soft bun.

Chinwe almost dropped her bag when she saw Tokunbo staring at her with a look that she cannot describe. He looked immaculate in the white plaid tuxedo and black t-shirt he has on with a pair blue jeans, he has another suit resting on the back of the chair he sat on and when he finally stood up, she almost told him he is handsome and if she said it, she would have meant it.

They went outside together and took the back seat as the driver drove them off to the venue.

Tokunbo took out the list of question and answer they got from the lawyer and he read through them, but he could swear he was not getting anything to his brain. The beauty queen seated beside him is taking all his concentration.

When they arrived at the hotel and were led to the room where subjected to some experts patting on their faces, they did some magic with Chinwe’s hair and the result was simply splendid. The interview they were told would start about an hour later.

Chinwe was not surprised to see her mother and brother there. They told them her father would be
arriving late, some minutes later after he arrived, Tokunbo’s parents also arrived and the interview started.

The first session of the interviewed were just for Tokunbo and Chinwe and most of the questions were what they were prepared for, after that, the 4 parents were included and most of the questions were directed to her father, who answered them like an expert and almost believably.

Nkem was also asked some questions as the brother of the kidnapped, after which pictures
were taken; when the reporters finally left, night had come and they were led to a room where they could change and retire to when the party is over.

Tokunbo watched Chinwe excuse herself to the bathroom to change into the dress for the night and he waited patiently as she did, when she came out it was in a long wine dress with some stoned adorning the neckline. She took his breath away and could not pretend not to be looking, which she caught him in “You look pretty amazing” he said softly.

“Thanks” she said shyly as she moved to the dressing table to change her neck piece and earrings, Tokunbo’s eyes went to the back of her dress and noticed the zipper was not fully up, so he walked to her and did the final touch on the zipper and they both froze in the process; their eyes locked in the mirror.

A knock on the door shook them out of their reverie and Tokunbo quickly walked away from her as if he had been caught doing something wrong. He opened the door gently and allowed Nkem into the room, who was grinning slyly as if he wanted to crack a joke on his sister and he expected her to open the door.

“Sorry, I thought Chinwe would open the door.”

“Come on in.”

“Babe, you look wow” Nkem said dramatically.

“Thanks, what am I seeing, you are looking good too.”

Chinwe stood up and took a good look at her brother who was grinning like a don.

“Excuse me you two, I need to change too before we all go downstairs.”

Tokunbo excused himself from the room and returned later to find them laughing as Nkem was taking her pictures.

“I like this suit too, it must be from the same designer as the one you wore earlier.” Nkem said to Tokunbo.

“Thanks and yeah, the same designer.”

“Why not stand beside her let me take a picture of you 2 before we go downstairs.”

“Don’t worry, we will get…”

“Bro, move!” Nkem commanded and was surprised to see Tokunbo standing beside his sister and he took several shots of them.

A thought occurred to him and the smile on his face alerted his sister who asked.

“What evil are you planning?”

“Just oblige me, you hear, Bro. Toks, can you just hold her on the waist and rest your head on her head, yeah…, just like that, perfect.”

“Wait” Chinwe was about to protest.

“Just stand still, it’s just a picture, Chinwe” Tokunbo whispered into her ear as she tried to fidget away from his gently hold on her waist.

Nkem took several pictures of them and when he finally told them to sit down, he showed them the pictures and Tokunbo was blown away by the beauty he captured.

“Nkem, these pictures are good, you should do this for money abeg.”

“Ahh, and let Senator disown me?”

“What do you mean?”

“He would not hear any of it when I told him I wanted to do Industrial Design and major in photography; he told me he would buy me a
professional camera if I graduate with at least a second class upper in Geophysics. Look through, you would see some from your wedding before the reception when this Dundee ran away.”

That earned him a poke from his sister and a chuckle from Tokunbo, who looked through the pictures and saw the sadness in her eyes for the first time.

After going through the pictures, he passed the phone to Nkem.

“I need all those photos.”

“You’ve got to pay for them, I was not your official photographer.”

“We will discuss price later, send them first.”

“Nah, I know better, do you know who my father is?, I learnt from him.”

“So how much are you getting for them?”

“You are not really thinking of paying him, are you?” Chinwe asked in disbelief as she watched both of them.

“They are his and I must confess, he did a good job, so dude, how much for them all.”

“I could get everything from him without a dime entering his pocket believe me” Chinwe said.

“There are about 48 shots in all, that would be like 1k for each” he said with a smirk on his face and Chinwe rolled her eyes in a playful disgust as they bargained and agreed on a price; which Tokunbo transferred to him before he started transferring the pictures to his phone.

“You need to brush up this photography thing, they are so nice.”

“Thanks, and as my first client, your next photoshoot would be on the house.”

They all burst into laughter and the phone ring interrupted them.

“Hello, ok, right away” Tokunbo answered the phone.

“Let’s go, that was your mom, they are downstairs already for the party.”

They all went down to the hall and when the door was opened for them, Tokunbo was shocked at the crowd. He turned to Chinwe and took her hands gingerly in his, expecting her to withdraw but was surprised when she held him back. They both walked into the room, with Nkem right behind them.

The MC was hilarious and kept directing questions to the couple, the guest artists were there on the stage when her father introduced
them to some of his cabinet members, who were happy at her safe return and blessed her marriage and said they would be around in the next 9 months to name another Ajayi-Babalola.

Chinwe spotted her parents-in-law and walked to them to say hello, her father in-law was quite chatty and when he left her with her mother in-law Chinwe wanted to escape.

“I am glad you both are getting over your differences, but if there’s any way I can be of help, don’t hesitate to call me, you hear?” She said before another socialite claimed her attention again.

Chinwe found Tokunbo staring at her from the corner of the room and she tried to quickly walk away, but she saw him walking towards her instead.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

But before she could answer, Nkem took a picture of them, and Chinwe could imagine what they would look like in the picture, with Tokunbo leaning close to her to ask her the question.

“You slowpoke, get out of here.”

“Leave the man, he is just doing his work, remember chap, it would be free this time, so take as much as you like.”

“Thanks jare, it’s a relief to finally get someone who finally believes in my dream.”

“Oh God!” Chinwe shook her head at them as she took another glass of wine from the waiter walking past them.

“I don’t want to believe you are a heavy drinker, I lost count of the number of glasses I’ve seen you take since we joined the party.”

“Are you scared I might embarrass us here, don’t worry, I am a pro.”

“Just be careful.”

“I always am...”

“Now ladies and gentle men, I would like to invite to the dance floor, the most important people of tonight’s gathering, they are the reason we are having this gathering tonight. Call it another reception, after the almighty God orchestrated the return of our dear sister from the hands of the fools that interrupted her wedding reception, give it up to Mr. and Mrs. Ajayi!”

The MC got the attention of everyone and before long the whole guests in attendance made way for them as the cool music took the room and she found herself dancing to the beautiful rendition from the band.

Everything felt so perfect as Tokunbo swirled her gently on the ground floor and they moved as one, camera flashes could be seen from different angles of the room and Tokunbo couldn’t care less if the whole world was watching them now, all that matters most to him is in his arms now, and everything is perfect. Tomorrow would surely bring the fear again, but he would cherish this moment forever.

Chinwe could not believe she felt so at home in his arms and it felt as if the whole problems of the world could go to hell. This man holding her is doing it so right and tomorrow will just have to wait, it has to, tonight is for them.

Nkem watched both of them on the dance floor through the screen of the phone he is using to cover the whole dance and he could not but smile and conclude, they look like love birds.
*************************************

After saying their thanks and shaking hands, they went back to their room and Tokunbo decided what he has to do, if he has to beg her to forgive him for whatever it is she believed he had done, then he had to, he was definitely not going to lose her.

He walked back to the bed where she sat, trying to get her earring out of her ear but instead of saying what he wanted to say, he bent down and helped her to free the ring from her ear lobe and that was where they lost it.

Not knowing who made the first move, they both got into it. They were in each other arms doing what married couples do and what should have been done weeks ago.

<<<<<To be continued>>>>>

4 Likes

Re: Fugitive Bride by Finnestgreat: 9:30pm On Mar 01, 2021
Nice
Re: Fugitive Bride by Finnestgreat: 9:31pm On Mar 01, 2021
thatsleepboy1:


The End of the story. I've completed it.
sorry pls who asked u to complete it.Thank God i didn't read it
Re: Fugitive Bride by nki4christ: 10:09pm On Mar 01, 2021
Great. They are gradually mending the wall,thanks op
Re: Fugitive Bride by oluspicy: 9:50pm On Mar 02, 2021
EPISODE 20
It was a night the couple would not forget in a hurry. The moment Chinwe and Tokunbo came together, there was no letting go at all. Chinwe was overtaken with passion like a child in a candy shop while Tokunbo made sure there was no short supply of excitement.

Just like a deer panting for water in a dry season, the couple kept at it until they both fell tired out and fell asleep. *************************************

Joseph was sitting on one of the chairs in Clara’s apartment waiting for her to come back from putting Henry to sleep. He had insisted on waiting and talking with her face to face instead of doing the talk over the phone as they have been doing for some days now.

He got a feeling she is not looking forward to the trip they would be embarking on in the morning and would like to help reassure her and calm her nerves.

Davis is back in their apartment talking with his sister who insisted she would continue with her course of study. He encouraged his sister to tell their parents now that she might be having an extra year or if she did it better, an extra semester at most.

He was impressed by the way he was handling the situation for his sister, giving her the support she needed and deserved especially since none was forthcoming from their father. Joseph even over heard him promising to pay for the extra semester or year if they flare up more than necessary.

“Sorry Joe, he did not want to sleep.”

“No problem, I am not in any rush.”

“Thanks”

“Do you mind telling me what the worry was about, you look so tensed.”

“First, that would be my first flight ever,” she laughed nervously.

“And I don’t know how tomorrow would go, I just pray everything I do there would be to repair their
marriage and not drive a larger rift in between them.”

Joseph moved close to where she sat and took her hands in his, “the flight would be lovely, just remind me to get a bubble gum for you before leaving. And about those 2, you are going there is to confront him and forgive him totally, not to go over it again and again. Just remember forgiving him would be the first step in moving on.”

She shook her head and clasped their hands together.

“Joseph, what is happening here, between us that is? I don’t want to jump to any conclusion, but I need to know what is happening between us.”

“What is happening is simple, I found a beautiful lady with a funny little boy and I like her, but before we get more serious, I would just love that lady to settle her past so when I fully come out to declare my intention which I believe she already knows, we would have nothing to worry about.”

“Hmmn, I don’t know what to say, but believe me, I will settle my past quickly and come back the day after to hear your declaration.”

“I will be waiting. Don’t forget to send me a message about what I want to get Henry tomorrow morning, I might just forget.”

“Okay, are you leaving now?”

“Yea, I have to, you need to rest for tomorrow and I still need to help you print out your flight schedule before I forget,” he said as he held her hands not wanting to go either. He pulled her into a simple hug.

Clara watched his car drive away and could not help but pray that whatever Chinwe wants to do tomorrow, she better be ready to forgive that husband of hers because she no longer had time to waste nor to convince her.

She went back inside to pack the last of her stuff into the small bag and before she finished, a call from Joseph interrupted her.

“Joe, you must have flown down to your house, it is less than 5 minutes that you left here, mister.”

“The road is free, how are you?”

“I am still fine, fine as you left me.”

“Okay, just wanted to tell you to have a wonderful night rest and see you tomorrow.”

“Okay o, goodnight to you too and have a pleasant night rest too. Say hi to Davis, I can hear him in the background.”

“Yeah, I will. He’s on the phone with his sister.”

They ended the call with him asking her to remind him about the things things he wanted to bring for Henry very early the following morning.

Davis dropped the call he was making, his mother had called him after getting a message from Blessing about her results and her possibility of having an extra year or semester and they did not hold back their disappointment.

He had let them say their fill before asking his mother to listen to him, they had been the reason the girl is failing in the first place because they did not want her to study what she wanted. They had forced their lost dream on their children and now they cannot even encourage her to face the fear of failure without making her feel like the most unserious person in the world?

His mother had wanted to argue with him, but he had asked her to calm down and listen good, if she failed and had an extra year, they can disown her for all he cared. If they liked, they could good their threat, but he would not support them. He would open the door to his sister and take her. He threatened that when she finally makes it, they both would be taking another surname.

His father had come on the phone and called him a ba.....d. That would be the first sentence they would be sharing for close to a month now. He could not be more glad he resigned, took the chance on an MSc in Computer Engineering and now standing up this way for his sister.

The call had not ended well, it had been a lot of shouting from his parents’ end. A call from his mother later, demanding that he called back to apologize to his father, immediately.

Of course he made the call, but not to apologize as they expected, it was to tell him in all humility that he had driven their lives down his own path for too long and should allow them make a decision for themselves for the first time.

Joseph had listened to the calls and wondered where the boldness was coming from, could it be Chinwe had given his dear friend some courage to finally say his mind to his parents?

Talking of Chinwe, Joseph stood up from the chair and went to print the flight schedule for Clara, his darling Clara and funny Henry.
*************************************

When Chinwe woke up, she almost could not open her eyes from the memory of the hour before and the presence of the man lying beside her. She continued to feign sleep until she felt him sit up in the bed.

“You need to stop pretending so we could talk.”

Chinwe gently sat up in bed, holding the duvet as a shield and avoided his eyes altogether.

“I don’t know what to say, but I know what just happened is a clear indication that there is something between us, something good that we share that is worth fighting for, and if and when your friend shows up and we clear the air, we should please, fight for this marriage.”

Instead of responding to his speech, Chinwe attempted to remove herself from the bed but Tokunbo prevented her.

“You have nothing to say? Chinwe, we did not do anything immoral, we are married and I would like us to remain so…, so you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I am not ashamed; I just need to use the bathroom and that is all.”

“Oh, okay, you want me to come with you?”

“No of course not” she replied sounding alarmed, but was surprised to see him smiling down at her instead, so she gave him something looking like a smile before running into the bathroom. At that moment he knew all is not lost, there is hope for their marriage.

Tokunbo called their driver and asked him to be ready to drive them to the airport from the hotel, more than ever he wants to settle the rumor about him and he hopes the lady is mistaken about her claim. He went to the wardrobe and brought out the t-shirt be had beneath the suit and jeans he wore the day before for the interview and waited for Chinwe to finish using the bathroom.

When she did not come out, he knocked on the door to ask if she wanted breakfast to which she said yes, he ordered for toast and baked beans for them both.

When she finally came out of the bedroom, he was disappointed she chose to dress in the bathroom, but he consoled himself that Rome was not built in a day.

He went to use the bathroom and before their breakfast was brought, he came outside and
found her searching between the sheets.

“What are you looking for?”

“My other ear ring, the one you were helping me to remove earlier this morning.”

“I placed it on the dresser there, here it is, but why not wear the other one you wore for the
interview, it will fit this jeans you have on.”
“You think so?”

“Yeah, it is a nice piece.”

The waiter knocked on their door and their breakfast was served, they ate in silence with Tokunbo mainly looking at her face throughout the entire meal and Chinwe trying not to look.

When his phone rang, Chinwe saw that he had changed his screen saver to the picture of them the night before, one of the many pictures Nkem took, and in the corner of her heart, it pleased her.

“Chris, how far?”

“How are you?”

“I am fine; can you believe the party was just like the reception that we missed?”

“Really, so how was it?”

“Good good, I will talk to you later, because we have to get going now?”

“No problem, but I hope all is fine, Chinwe and others?”

“We are fine, see you later?”

He helped her with her bag to the car and when he sat down beside her this time, he found it easy to ask her some questions, talk about the news, listen to the music and listen to her sing.

The conversation was still not that smooth, but it was better than the silence they have been subjecting themselves to.

The tension however retuned when they got to the airport and the waited at the arrival point for Clara, he still does not know about the son, but Chinwe is ready for them to talk things out this time and would love her friend to forgive him.

Henry was the first person she saw and she ran to pick him up in her hands swinging his little body above the ground and swinging him round before Clara came with the bag, they all hugged as Tokunbo watched without any ability to speak or move, something about the little boy looks familiar.

When he got a better look at him, there it is, the little boy looks like him, he sees the birthmark on his forehead and he wondered if that is the reason he is being accused.

He watched them patiently as they all tried to talk and hug at the same time, the other lady’s face totally unfamiliar to him.

Some minutes later, they walked towards him and he watched the woman’s face clearly to see if he could place it, but nothing came to his mind.

“Hi, welcome and how was your trip?”

“Fine, thank you.”

“What is the little boy’s name?”

“Henry”

“Hello Henry” Tokunbo stretched his hand to him but instead of taking the handshake, he went into his arms instead, making Chinwe hand him over to him.

He ended up seating with him at the front of the car, while the two friends sat at the back. The tension was so palpable in the car, but Henry kept looking over his shoulder to ask either of them for something.

When they got home, Chinwe showed her to a room as Henry refused to go with them, walking with Tokunbo to the guest room instead.

He went to the kitchen next to get him a cup of water and to wait for Chinwe to come out so they can agree when they can have the talk.

“Henry, your mom is calling you.” Chinwe said as she came out of the third room.

They both watched as he ran off to the room his mother was.

“I think you need to feed them, they must be hungry.”

“Yes, I will heat something up.”

“When do you think we can have this conversation?”

“When she’s rested I guess.”

“Okay, let me know. But you should have warned me she has a child.”

“Does that change anything?”

“Not really, I was just surprised to see her with a boy.”

“Well, we will talk about all that later.”

“Yeah”

Clara was still shaken at seeing that face again after all these years and she called Joseph immediately she was alone. She was not sure she could do it without some encouragement too.

“Hi, have you landed? I was just about to call you.”

“We have reached her house too; they were at the airport to pick us up.”

“Okay, so did you see him?”

“Yes and I must confess I am shaken, he still looks the same.”

“Just focus on why you are there and remember he can no longer hurt you. You are way beyond him now and when you forgive him, he will be beneath you, continue to remind yourself of that, hmm. I will be waiting for your call after the meeting.”

“Thanks, how is Davis?”

“Fine but in school.”

After freshening up and a bowl of garri and soup, she put Henry to sleep and decided to not prolong the inevitable. She walked to the
sitting room and asked Chinwe to call Tokunbo and they can the conversation.

The two of them took seats apart from each other and Tokunbo went first.

“Hello Clara, I am glad to finally meet you, I trust your flight was good.”

“Yeah it was.”

“So we all are here, how do we begin? Okay let me, I got married to Chinwe three weeks ago and she ran from our reception, when she came back last week, she told me I raped someone some years back and she left me because of that, as a matter of fact, she asked for a divorce because she thought I raped you.”

“I know all that happened and I was the one who told her you raped me, August 18, 2000, at the Colossal Club, it is not too long ago for you to have forgotten.”

“I still don’t think you are talking to the right person, yes, I was in Nigeria that time, but I don’t even know where this club is and I have never been there.”

“See, Mr. Ajayi…”

“Tokunbo is fine.”

“Tokunbo, I am meeting you to just tell you that I was raped by you and I had a child from that unlucky incident. I am not here to cause more trouble for you two, because I believe we all have to move on but to tell you that I have forgiven you and I would like you...” turning to Chinwe now “to live beyond the past and embrace the future.”

Tokunbo looked at the woman in front of him and was impressed at how mature and courageous she sounded, but she is mistaken here, he did not need her forgiveness.

“See Clara, I am sorry to say this, but I don’t need your forgiveness, I did not rape you Clara. Today is the first time I am setting eyes on you.”

<<<<<To be continued>>>>

4 Likes

Re: Fugitive Bride by Ann2012(f): 5:12am On Mar 03, 2021
Thanks for the update

1 Like

Re: Fugitive Bride by ashatoda: 7:06am On Mar 03, 2021
who come rape Clara I'm starting to believe Tokunbo but I don't know what to believe if I remember that alcohol or drugs could influence his that evil behavior. thanks for the update please continue

1 Like

Re: Fugitive Bride by Finnestgreat: 2:50pm On Mar 03, 2021
Nice one op but one question still lingers in my mind "who raped clara". Tokunbo if it is u better speak up o.

1 Like

Re: Fugitive Bride by nki4christ: 11:20pm On Mar 03, 2021
This suspense is killing . Kindly tell us who raped Clara . Thanks op

1 Like

Re: Fugitive Bride by oluspicy: 12:30am On Mar 04, 2021
EPISODE 21
“But I am a bit confused here, have you seen Henry?” Chinwe asked, talking for the first time as they all sat to have the conversation.

“I have seen him and the mark on his head is the same as the one on my head, I looked at it when I carried him from the airport, but believe me, I am not his father.”

“Are you a twin?” Clara asked, sitting upright in her position now.

“Not that I know of, but I will ask for my parents to meet us tomorrow so we can talk about this extensively and see the possibility of someone else in the family having that mark.”

“It is not just about the mark, the resemblance is glaring too.”

“I know, but I am not your guy. August 28 or whatever date you said. I can’t say for sure where I was or what I was doing, but I definitely was nowhere near a club not to talk of raping a woman in that club. I used to work with my dad, and if I sit to think about it more, I’m sure I will be able to tell you exactly where I was on that date.

However, trust me, it would not be at any club. The last club I entered was in 1998 and it was not even in Lagos.”

“What have I done, what do we do?” Clara said, almost in tears already.

When she turned to her friend, she could see her fear mirrored in her eyes too as Tokunbo stared calmly at the two women. All the while he was talking, he never mocked, insulted, ridiculed nor raised his voice.

They were like that for some minutes before Tokunbo stood up and went to get his phone, he placed a call to his mother immediately.

“Hello mom, sorry were you sleeping already?”

“No dear, what is going on there?”

“Nothing serious, I just want to ask you and Dad to please wait for us tomorrow morning we will be coming there first thing in the morning.”

“Is everything alright, is Chinwe still acting the same way?”

“No mum, not Chinwe, we just need you to help put some light on a particular issue.”

“I am worried, I just hope you can give me a clue of what is going on, would you like me to pass the phone to your father?”

“No, no need for that, just be available tomorrow morning please” he ended the call and placed a call to his doctor immediately.

“Hello Doc, do you run DNA test in your hospital?”

“Hello Tokunbo, no we don’t, we only sell the DNA kit and help take samples and send to another lab outside Nigeria.”

“Okay, how soon can the results be out?”

“It depends on the type and how soon it gets there, but 5 days max, you will get the result mailed to you.”

“Can you take samples tomorrow? What are the things I need to get?

“Nothing much just the person whose paternity has to be determined, the mother and father.”

“Can we do that tomorrow?”

“Why not, we open by 8. I will be here to attend to you myself.”

”Thank you” Tokunbo ended the call and turned to the women staring at him.

“We all need to get some rest, we will continue tomorrow.”

“But my flight is for tomorrow, what will happen?”

“We can postpone it till Monday; I understand you work and would not want to jeopardize that.”

“Okay, we will continue tomorrow then.”

Tokunbo walked outside the house and felt the fresh breeze on his face, he could not believe he is being wrongly accused and he had been suffering for another man’s sin; someone who probably is his lookalike.

Chinwe and Clara went to the room Clara, would be staying and she sat down beside her friend who could not hold back her tears.

“Clara, stop this for Christ’s sake.”

“Do you know what I have done,I made you believe the wrong information and accused the wrong person, because if he did not do it, why would he go to the extent of wanting to go for DNA?”

“You did not make me believe anything, I made my decisions and I will have to live with it.”

“But...”

“Shhh, we are yet to find out the truth.”

“But he is so certain he did not do it.”

“I know’'

“And as odd as it might sound, I believe him.”

“So do I” Chinwe closed her eyes and let the tears fall freely at her stupidity.

When Chinwe left Clara alone on the phone with Joseph, she walked to the room and stopped in her tracks to find Tokunbo already preparing for the night on her bed.

“Don’t tell me you are surprised to see me here, I already told you and your friend I did not rape her. I am sure you won’t expect me to sleep in the guest room after knowing I have been wrongly accused.”

“But we are yet to know that.”

“I do, I know I did not rape her and she can take the test anywhere of her choosing after tomorrow, the result would still be the same. So don’t expect me to play the fool and suffer in silence for the sin I did not commit.”

He settled in under the duvet and left Chinwe staring at him with a defeated look.

As she opened the door to leave the room, Tokunbo stopped her...

“If you go to the guest room to sleep, I will come there to join you also. We are married and I tend to take my vows seriously, you hear me, so do whatever it is you do before bed and get in here, tomorrow, we continue with who did this.”

Some minutes later, Chinwe joined her husband in bed and even though they were not touching in anyway, she could feel his presence beside her and for the first time since she can remember, she could not fall asleep.

She abandoned the thought of getting any sleep, after a while she stood up and went to the sitting room where she sat and wept her heart out.

Could she be more stupid? Using one man’s error to her to judge all others?
*************************************

In the room also, Joseph was trying to calm Clara down ; she had not stopped blaming herself for everything that had transpired
between Chinwe and her husband.

“See, if you keep doing this, I will have to take the first flight to Lagos tomorrow, you hear me?”

“You don’t have to.”

“Then you need to be strong. For me, for Chinwe, for Henry and for yourself, you did the right thing and you have to remain strong to get to the bottom of this.”

“Okay, I just don’t know what would come out of this.”

“But whatever does, you are not to blame, okay?”

“Okay, thanks”

“And know this I love you and will be waiting for you on Monday morning, ok?”

"Ok” not replying the I love you part for fear of him saying it only to calm he down.
*************************************

Tokunbo woke up and was surprised to see Chinwe all dressed up; he looked at the time and expected to see he has over slept but was surprised to see it was not even 6:30 am yet.

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere, I thought we all are going out early.”

“Early, but the hospital opens 8 and we go to my parents’ place from there, is that what you are dressed for?”

“Yeah, I assumed we would be leaving early, we have to so we can get there early.”

“Yeah, I assumed we would be leaving early, we have to so we can get there early.”

Tokunbo collapsed back on the bed and wiped his face before replying her calmly.

“Chinwe, we will get there on time and even after we do, the result still will not be ready until about 5 days.”

“I know, I am just…”

“Anxious?, so am I, but we are not leaving before 7, your friend still needs the sleep; that is if she slept at all and besides, that small boy needs to sleep too, so please, calm yourself down and relax.”

Instead of going back to sleep, Tokunbo went outside the room to get a bottle of water but was not surprised to see Clara boiling water, probably for her son.

When she saw him, she was startled but recovered quickly “sorry, I want to be ready so we won’t have to delay in going.”

“No problem and Chinwe is ready too. I will go and get ready soon but the hospital does not open till 8 am. I hope we don’t have to get there to wait, so we might all still have a little time to have breakfast.”

“I don’t think that is necessary, I will just make some golden morn for Henry before we go. I don’t think I will be able to eat.”

"That is alright, but take your time.”

Tokunbo left the kitchen and went back into the room, this time Chinwe has already slumped over a pile of pillows and she looked like she has been crying. Tokunbo felt like comforting her and
reassuring her but did not know how to start, so he went into the bathroom instead to have his bath.

When they got to the hospital, the doctor true to his words was waiting for them. After the payments were made, Tokunbo was asked to open his mouth and the nurse in attendance poked an object that looked like a longer version of a q-tip into his mouth and scrapped the side of his cheek followed by Henry and then Clara; hers was to make the result very accurate.

Forms were filled and he put his email address, Chinwe and Clara’s email addresses as the reply routes, the doctor spoke with them on the possibilities of getting the results later than Friday but assured them he would try his best to make everything be on time.

Before they left the hospital, his mother had called about four times and when he did not pick, she sent him two messages; warning him not to be the reason she would have a heart attack.

When they got to his parents’ house he met his mother at the door as he was about to lead his companions into the gigantic mansion that he grew up in.

“Why have you not been picking your calls nor replying my messages, do you want to kill me?”

“Good morning ma” Tokunbo replied instead and the people with him greeted before his mother would allow them into the house.

“You called since last night and instead of you to get here as soon as you can this morning, you…”

“Woman, they are here now, at least you can see they are with guests, so why don’t you let them feel welcome.”

Chief Ajayi answered from the corner of the room and they all greeted him before they were seated at the veranda at the back of the house.

“Mom, Dad, that is Clara and her son Henry, she is a friend of Chinwe, they were friends from way back” not knowing how long precisely.

“Welcome my dear, how are you?”

“Fine sir, thank you ma” Clara replied calmly.

“I don’t know the softest way to say this, but Clara here believes I am the father of her child; Henry.”

“What, do you know her or what is the meaning of that claim” his mother cut into his sentence.

“I have never met her, but she was raped four years ago by someone and she got pregnant and she believed I was the culprit, which Chinwe later heard about and I asked to meet her so we could clear things out.”

“Is that why you ran away Chinwe?”

“One of the reasons, yes!”

“Clara, how certain are you of these allegations because my son says he did not rape you?”

“As certain as I was, but now I am no longer sure.”

“But what were you hoping to gain from such ludicrous allegation, saying something like that about a man you have never met, what do you want, money?”

“Mom!”

“Ma, with all due respect, if I wanted money I would not be here, I just wanted to protect my friend from the man I thought him to be and if you look clearly at Henry, you will see the reason for my claim, forgetting the face of the man who rapes one is not the easiest thing to achieve ma. So if you can help us with family members that bear the same resemblance with Tokunbo, maybe we all can finally move on with our lives.”

“We don’t have lunatics in our family young lady and...”

“Come here boy” Tokunbo’s father beckoned on Henry and with the look on his face, it was clear he sees the resemblance too. Chief Ajayi touched the base of his birthmark and looked at Tokunbo.

“Go to the shelf in my study and get the albums, all the old albums you can get from there.”

“What is the need for all that; I still don’t believe her for one moment.”

“Why not let’s settle this like sensible people, if she wanted money as she said, it would be over the news now, don’t you think?”

When Tokunbo returned with the albums, about 6 in all, Chief Ajayi started flipping through them and were looking at Henry when he got to a particular page of the second album he picked. With a sigh, he passed the album to Clara and Chinwe, in the album were pictures of Tokunbo, looking exactly like Henry, the resemblance cannot be dismissed at all. Clara also pulled some from her bags and handed them to Chief Ajayi, who looked through them patiently before passing them to his wife, who flipped through them hurriedly before dropping them carelessly on the coffee table beside her husband.

“Tokunbo, I will ask you again as your father, even though you already said it, did you have an affair with this woman or any woman that could have resulted to this boy here?”

“No sir, I swear it and I am ready to do anything to prove it wrong, I did not know her before I met her yesterday.”

“That settles it then, Clara or what is your name, my son is not responsible. I am sure there are ways we can help you, out of the goodness of our hearts, consider it charity.” His mother interrupted again.

“Ma, keep your money, I have been able to care for him single handedly till now and I will continue to with the help of God, and if you think this is still about money, then ma, you don’t have any compassion.”

“Will you insult me in my own home?”

“Listen, this is not the time to trade words, we are here to find solutions, so please, let’s all calm down so we can find solution. Daddy please, is there anyone in the family, who you think has that kind of resemblance with Tokunbo, or someone with the birthmark, we can start from there” Chinwe said.

“As a matter of fact, I can’t think of any, when she had Tokunbo, he was the first of his kind in my family to have that kind of mark, even my mother who was alive then thought it was a birth injury and we did all we could, even outside Nigeria to get it off or find its cause, but nothing worked. A doctor friend of mine asked us to rule it to genetic marker that could have been recessive in our lineage both for years.” Chief replied.

“It is the same with Henry, I saw that mark clearly on the head of the man who raped me and when I saw it on Henry, I and Chinwe tried to find a way to get rid of it but nothing worked too.” Clara responded.

“That is that, there is a sure way to find out the truth and that is through DNA testing.” Chief Ajayi said.

“We already stopped at the hospital and Doctor Kunbi should be sending it off now to the US for analysis, he promised to press some buttons so we can get the results within a week.” Tokunbo replied.

“Very good, so in the mean time Clara, let’s all continue with our lives, we will get to the bottom of this, but I can assure you, if there is any other information that would be helpful to this matter, I will get in touch with your friend.” Chief Ajayi replied.

“Thank you so much sir.” Clara said.

“You are welcome, where do you live, so the driver can drop you off?” Chief asked.

“She came in from Uyo yesterday and luckily she would be able to make her flight back.” Tokunbo replied.

“Ok, then the driver can take you to the airport. Little Henry, take care of your mother, hmm?” He rubbed his head and pulled some wads of clean naira notes and gave to him.

“I am sorry we won’t take that sir!” Clara replied.

“It is for the boy.” Chief said.

“Sorry but I will not allow it, please, when next we meet, under a better circumstance, maybe when Chinwe delivers a bouncing baby boy, anything you give to Henry then might be appropriate.” Clara replied.

She took the money from Henry who was not too cooperative and she straightened the bills and placed them on the coffee table before picking up her photos.

Chief Ajayi watched the young woman with admiration and he could conclude in his heart that she was not doing all this for money. He looked at his wife who suddenly had gone silent and went with them to the car park to give instructions to the driver.

Clara and Chinwe hugged tightly and she picked Henry up to give him a kiss on the cheek, which he did not stop wiping till they drove out of sight.

“Now that she is gone, can I see the two of you in private?”

Chief Ajayi said and led the two of them to a door that led to a large study and he asked them to sit.

“First, I want to thank God for this opportunity because since Chinwe returned, I have been hoping to get a chance to talk to both of you. I will be fast about it, and when I am through, if you have anything to say, anything at all, please feel free to do so, are we on the same page?”

“Yes sir.”

“Fine, Chinwe I want to assume you ran away from the reception because of this rape allegation, am I correct?”

“Partly sir, I have another reason but...”

“Then on a side of the coin, would you have left the reception if the rape case was not brought to your notice?”

“No sir”

“Then you ran away because of it, I might be wrong but leave me to my conclusion. What I just want to say is this, I know you feel we pushed into this whole marriage thing down your throat, but just to make it clear, I told my son specifically to see you and decide if he would love to marry you, if not then we would not allow it. I am a proud man yes, but I would love to tell you here and now that I will not subscribe to anything that would make either of you unhappy. In relationships, there are always hurdles, we jump over them with the strength we get come love from our partner and the information we get from the communication. I am sure if you told Tokunbo about what you learned, he would have told me and we would have sorted it without you having to run away, but all that is in the past now I am confident there is something about the two of you that is beautiful, so I would like you both to go home and try to build a home and shut out all the noise and the distractions, if things are not working as you expect, lock the doors and settle it before you allow anyone else in or before either of you go out. So is there something either of you would like to say?”

“Just that I am sorry for whatever my action might have cost you, I am truly sorry. But what do we do about the DNA test, what if it is positive or negative or…?”

“In the mean time, we wait, when it comes, we will have another meeting like this, but I want to bet you that it would not be positive, I know the boy I raised to become a man, he would not look me in the eye and tell me otherwise if he actually did it, especially something of this magnitude. Chief Ajayi replied.

<<<<To be continued>>>>

Hmmmm...

•What's your take on this recent development?

•Do you think the DNA test with clear Tokunbo of the allegations mettled to him?

2 Likes

Re: Fugitive Bride by Sensitivity1254: 5:43am On Mar 04, 2021
DNA test will come out positive.

That's Tokunbo is not from the loins of Mr Ajayi.
Re: Fugitive Bride by ashatoda: 7:03am On Mar 04, 2021
Sensitivity1254:
DNA test will come out positive.
That's Tokunbo is not from the loins of Mr Ajayi.
as odd as it may seem I want to agree with your assessment
Re: Fugitive Bride by OlufemiWhit(m): 12:53pm On Mar 04, 2021
Stories like this is why i'm still on nairaland....keep it up
Re: Fugitive Bride by Odoogu(m): 10:33pm On Mar 04, 2021
Mrs Ajayi...
Re: Fugitive Bride by Finnestgreat: 11:40pm On Mar 04, 2021
Good one op
Re: Fugitive Bride by oluspicy: 4:58pm On Mar 05, 2021
EPISODE 22
Chinwe walked with slumped shoulders to the car, where her husband was waiting patiently for her with his father, she had stayed some few moments more to say farewell to her mother-in- law who was disappointed they would not be staying to eat.

“Can you give me a lift to my parents’ place?”

“Okay, but why would you like to go there?”

“I just need some space to think.”

“If that is your reason, then you can think all you want in our house, we still need to talk.”

“Tokunbo, please, this is not easy for me.”

“And you think it is for me? If there is anyone who would like to be alone right now to think some things through, then I should be the one, I have been abandoned, ridiculed, disbelieved by the woman I have come to love and it is so heart breaking, but you know what? I don’t know how to hide and run from my challenges, so I won’t be able to do so now. We still have to live together, at least till the result comes out. However, I still get this feeling that you still do not believe me and if that is the case, then give me this one week.”

Chinwe could not find her voice and before he finished speaking she started crying, her tears were falling so heavily that she looked as if she was sweating around her neck.

Tokunbo looked at her and pulled out his hanky and placed it on her thighs, this seemed to have made her cry harder. He did not know why she’s crying but he would love her to stop, she could fall sick from too much crying. And for some reason he would like to know what else she could be keeping from him because it seemed there were more.

When they got home, he walked beside her to their room and asked her to get some sleep, when he came back some minutes later, he
found out that she was still crying.

Tokunbo placed a call to Chris to ask him for the tablets he used on him when his wife ran away, he directed him to a part of the cabinet in the room. Seconds later, Tokunbo dissolved the tablet in a cup of water for Chinwe.

She took the water from him with teary eyes and drank up.

He was glad to watch her doze off some minutes later; he sat beside her and wiped her face with a moist hanky. Tokunbo just could not bring himself to be upset with her, maybe later or some years to come, but definitely not today, not the way she looked now, fragile, beautiful and broken, and definitely not after that night at the
hotel.

He called his father and asked him if he could still get a week off work to which he agreed.

He set some plans in place as he waited for the results to come. All he needed to do was to follow his plans through and wait.
*************************************

Chief Ajayi drove out of the house without wasting time to tell his wife where he was headed, he drove straight to the family hospital, the same place his son had visited earlier. He went without any formalities to the office of the doctor that did the sample collection.

“Ah, Chief, what brings you here?” Dr Kunbi looked up from the file in front of him and stood up to shake hands with his guest.

“Good to see you too, I just want to
pay you a visit.”

“Are you feeling well?” he asked without wasting time, knowing fully that he was joking about the visiting part. Men like this don’t pay him a visit unless something is wrong.

“I am well; I would just like to ask about the test my son and some two other people came here to do this morning.”

“Well, that is between them and the laboratory, you don’t expect me to give you any information on that, do you?” Dr. Kunbi smiled professionally as he relaxed back in his seat.

“Have you sent it already?”

“Chief, this is a patient’s…”

“Forget that confidentiality, all I want is to be included in the test, he is my son, so.”

“So, you have to buy your own test kit and bring the person you want to confirm his paternity to us here and you fill the forms, fill the reply route and we send the samples to them. My job is to sell the kit and send to the lab the samples.”

“So there is nothing you can do?”

“Absolutely none. Wait for the result to come and if your son wants you to know the results, he will tell you. I don’t even get the result unless he brings it to me to interpret for him; which would still be confidential.”

“I am not after the result, I just want to know if Tokunbo is my son.”

Ajayi could not hold it in any longer. *************************************

There he got it off his chest, his suspicions have left him restless since the little boy walked towards him in the house some hours back,

He trusts Tokunbo and believed him when he said he is not the father of that little boy; but what father could forget the face of his son while growing up.

The resemblance is just too much, the birthmark is the least of what he saw, the teeth, the way he walked, the eyes and even his stature. Everything just points to just one fact, no make that two facts; Tokunbo is either not his son or he is the father of that boy.

When all he had to say would not change the doctor’s mind, he pretended to have some other issues he wanted to complain about, but Kunbi knows him too well and told him he needed to rest. He wrote him some pills that could be bought over the counter and sent him home with a pat on the back, reminding him to take it easy.

When he got home, he walked to the sitting room and one of their staff came to welcome him.

“Where is my wife?”

“She’s in the kitchen sir.”

“Doing what?”

“Cooking sir”

That made him more suspicious, since Tokunbo announced that they had gone for DNA test, his wife had gone quiet compared to her normal self and the antagonist stand she was against the young lady. She had been acting nervous, asking him what he would love her to prepare for him.

Well, it is not that she did not use to do that, but when she cooked for him, it would be on his birthday or they were expecting guests.

She would rather stay in the kitchen and supervise the meals than do the cooking herself.

Not that he blamed her, he is not a great eater, he wastes more than he eats and that could be discouraging for the person who makes the food. They have been married for 32 years and known each other too well. She knows him too well and he could say the same about him of her.

They met when he was about to finish his University degrees at the University of Ife. They started dating. She being an indigene of the town. She was running a diploma program in one of the colleges. He had asked her to be his girlfriend surprising his friends who had lost hope on him finding a girl before leaving school.

When he introduced her to them, they had been shocked at his good choice and luck. She was so lovely and well groomed. They called her good pedigree. Most of his friends were envious of him.

When he finished his university degree, he was posted to Kaduna for his NYSC and she started a
program at the University of Ibadan. He went for his masters immediately in the UK, hoping to give her more time to go further in her education before tying her down with marriage.

He had planned to marry her after her NYSC but things did not work that way as they married in her third year in the University.

Immediately he returned from the UK, his parents had informed them they were not getting any younger and but mounted pressure on him to get married. He got married her eventually.

He has come to know her by listening to her, watching her and patiently listening to her, but one thing he knows too well about his wife is that, when she is nervous, she cooks.

<<<<<To be continued>>>>>

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: Fugitive Bride by BigDebbie: 8:17pm On Mar 05, 2021
Omo,dis story just keeps getting better and better...weldone Op
Re: Fugitive Bride by Dacaller: 9:29pm On Mar 05, 2021
thanks for d update...... tokunbo problem b like.......from frying pan to fire

1 Like

Re: Fugitive Bride by Abosede512(f): 10:59pm On Mar 05, 2021
what a story, I enjoyed it daku. well done, the truth will soon be out

1 Like

Re: Fugitive Bride by oluspicy: 11:15pm On Mar 05, 2021
BigDebbie:
Omo,dis story just keeps getting better and better...weldone Op

You're welcome sis.

Am glad you're enjoying it. cheesy cheesy cheesy
Re: Fugitive Bride by oluspicy: 11:15pm On Mar 05, 2021
Dacaller:
thanks for d update...... tokunbo problem b like.......from frying pan to fire

You're welcome
Re: Fugitive Bride by oluspicy: 11:16pm On Mar 05, 2021
Abosede512:
what a story, I enjoyed it daku. well done, the truth will soon be out

Please don't daku o grin

Am glad you're enjoying it sis.
Re: Fugitive Bride by Missmossy(f): 9:07am On Mar 06, 2021
Interesting piece more please embarassed

1 Like

Re: Fugitive Bride by Finnestgreat: 6:53pm On Mar 06, 2021
Really interesting,nice one op. Can't wait for the next update

1 Like

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Reply)

FATIMAH - A Change To My Life / Lagos And Abuja: A Tale Of Two Cities. / My Short Story Collection

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 181
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.