Rosemary33:
Episode 26
Gbenga got to Nigeria two hours later than scheduled. Not that he was bordered anyway, somehow, he was reluctant to go home, he didn’t know how to face his parents, especially his father who had refused to speak to him from the day he told them he was getting married.
“You want to get married to a strange woman in a strange land? is that what civilization taught you?” his father was heartbroken “Do not speak to me again if you do this, do not bother coming home”
But his mother had always called, she couldn’t stay without asking how he was doing and going on and on about her grandson’s achievements, but she had tactically avoided talking about his marriage, and had never picked nor returned Amaka’s calls.
“Oga where are you going to? I can drop you” said an expecting taxi driver
“Town” Gbenga responded
“Okay, but I will take GRA to get to waterlines first, there was a riot today at Mile one and the government has placed a dusk to dawn curfew on that area”
“Oh” Gbenga muttered. He was already seated in the taxi
“The Governor shut down the popular Ikoku spare-parts market, and it is not going down well with the people”
Gbenga lost interest in the topic, his mind roamed around different issues; Amaka had wanted to come back with him but he had vehemently objected “They will hear me out better if I go alone, you know how the relationship between you and my parents is…”
The truth remained that there was no relationship at all, Amaka had not spoken to the Bishop and his wife for almost eleven years and to make matter worst, she readily “ran off to Canada to get married to their only son” as accused by his mother. His phone beeped and he smiled while reading the message;
‘I guess its too early to tell you how much I am already missing you my church boy, this whole house is filled with your aura yet I crave for your physical presence…’
His hands tightened on the phone, how is it possible that he could love a woman unabashedly, every new day had drawn them closer and exposed another beautiful layer of his wife, even his wild sexual desires towards his woman surprised him and somehow made his ashamed. Gbenga had only imagined crazy sex and had also quickly dismissed them from his mind, he wasn’t a saint, he had been drawn to sex explicit movies though it wasn’t a habit, “They defile the spirit” he had always told himself. But with his woman, he had discovered the wild side of him he didn’t know was there, and she was ready to offer her body to be explored by him. “You have succeeded in spoiling me” he had said to her one of the days they made wild love. He still couldn’t get himself to use the word “F*ck” though his wife did use it, “F*ck me senseless my church boy” his wife would say, the word no longer sound dirty, the way her lips curl and her eyes deem when she says “F*ck me” made the word even sexy.
“You are already spoilt my love; you were only waiting for a woman to help you discover how spoilt you are” His wife had responded to his accusation. ‘His wife’ what would she be doing at the moment? Probably lying on the bed, on that flimsy red gown and waiting for his reply.
“…let me know when you get home and how the meeting with your parent went. I am praying they understand why we did what we did, please don’t lie to them, we should not build our marriage based on lies, you taught me that…” Gbenga read on. Contrary to what anybody would think, what bounded him and Amaka was beyond self-interest, she had proven to him that the child they had together wouldn’t have been enough to keep her tied to him and he knew it was true. For a thing, he knew she had fought the feeling she had for him; it was difficult for her to admit how much of love she had for him.
“…give our son a very big hug for me, tell him I can’t wait to have him here with us. I love you like there is no tomorrow, my babe”
He smiled, he also love her so much that his feared his heart would explode. They were getting closer to his house; he gathered his bags and quickly typed few words to her. “I will never get tired of hearing how much you love me, it sooths me greatly. I love you too my darling”
“Oga which one is your house?” the taxi driver asked
“That red big gate after the catholic church over there” he pointed
“Are you related to Bishop?” the driver turned towards him
“I am his son” he gave the driver a smile, but the driver didn’t return the smile.
“His only son? the one that married a prostitute? Omo!” Exclaimed the driver
Gbenga was shocked “Where did you hear that from?”
“Its on facebook and Instagram! So, its true then? How were you able to pull it through? Nawa o”
Gbenga was speechless till they got to their gate. He quietly got down, paid the driver and walked inside the house.
*
Gbenga met no one in the siting room when he entered, he felt like a strayed sheep who found his way home, he could smell his stench of guilt and wasn’t so sure if he could be able to face the accusing staring eyes of his father when they finally meet,
“Who is there? Gbenga!” He turned towards his mother who stood by the stairs “Gbenga!! Oko mi!!!” the woman hurried down and wrapped him in her arms. He only left few months ago but it felt like he had been away for years and his mother had aged greatly, for the once tall and huge woman seemed short and frail.
“My mother” he hugged the woman passionately; he didn’t know when he wet his face with tears “I have missed you so much mother” he sobbed
“Omo mi….”
“Iya mi….”
Mother and son sobbed some more before Mrs Mark pulled herself away from her son “you didn’t tell us you were coming” she sniffed and wiped her face “I would have made Ewedu for you” she smiled awkwardly
“Mami” Gbenga smiled back “I didn’t want to disturb you, I wasn’t sure”
“Nonsense” his mother cut in “When have you started disturbing me your mother?”
“What of Papa?” he asked while his mother led him to his room
“He is upstairs, he had refused to go anywhere since the news of your wedding” His mother was careful, it was obvious she didn’t want to discuss his wedding. She pushed the door open and they stepped into his room, his son was sleeping on his bed peacefully. “He had refused to sleep anywhere else since you left” referring to the little boy, Gbenga’s heart melted on seeing his son after a long time.
“He has grown so big” he muttered with pride
“You have not seen him for a while now, that’s why you think he has grown”
Gbenga observed the sleeping boy for a while, he then turned to his mother “I want to see Baba mi”
“Take your time son, both of you has a lot to talk about, don’t rush it. take your bath and come for your dinner first” his mother left.
But he couldn’t feel at home without seeing his father, as he dried his body, he knew his mother must have told his father about his arrival, for he heard his father cleared his throat repeatedly from the room adjacent to his. Gbenga threw a shirt on his boxer short and went to his father’s door.
He knocked softly, waited for an answer but none came. He knocked again, this time louder, when he didn’t get any responds, he pushed the door open and walked in.
“My son has learned how to knock before entering my room, a lesson he didn’t learn all the years he was with me” his father stood by the window, without looking at his son.
Gbenga walked towards the old man and prostrated before him “Baba mi” he had his whole frame on the ground and didn’t make any attempt to get up
“I was afraid you would also forget the ways of our land, so you do remember how we greet elders” he father said with out reaching out to his son “A son that forgets that we have our ways of marrying, who ran off with a strange woman to a strange land, a son that has already declared himself fatherless” he cleared his throat “What is he doing here again?”
“Baba, I came home, to you my father” he was still on the floor
“I have restrained myself severally from calling you a bastard” commented the Bishop
“Ah baba! Olorun maje! I have a father, though I have wronged him greatly, I am ready to accept any punishment giving to me by him” His father didn’t talk for a while.
“Dide, get up, son of my strength”
Gbenga humbly stood “Eshe ba mi”
“Joko” his father ushered him to sit beside him on the bed “Where is the woman? Did you send her away?”
By the time he left his father’s room, he was light hearted and happy. “A father can not be angry towards his son for a long time, I forgave you long time ago. Bring your wife home, let us marry her according to our tradition and I will bless you two properly” his father had said to him.
Truly, God answers prayers, one of his fears has been taken away and he couldn’t wait to share it with Amaka. He met his mother in his room when he entered, they didn’t need to say much, the smile on his face revealed the answer his mother sort for.
“I have been praying for this to happen, the lord has restored our joy again”
“Yes mama”
“We were wrong too Gbenga, we led that girl away from the fold, we left her to be taken by the enemy. I think the lord predestined this day for us to realize our mistakes and make amends”
Gbenga embraced his mother “Thank you mama, I am so glad all this is over”
“You have to convince you father to assume his responsibility in the church once again, he stripped himself of every administrative obligation and had refused to preach, he felt he is not worthy to lead the church since he couldn’t control his own son”
His mother left after few hours and he got into bed after speaking with Amaka, he felt her joy and it made him want to hold her so close while they speak to heaven together. He knew he would then love his wife with no iota of guilt or fear of rejection, their union which seemed forbidden has been accepted by his parents.
“Daddy?” his son called out with surprise
“Hey buddy” he smiled down at the boy who widened his eyes and jumped on him “Its me baby, it’s daddy”
*
Gbenga started the next morning with jogging round the neighborhood, it had rained earlier that morning and he couldn’t resist the urge to step out and feel the drizzle on his face. He was greeted with cheerful faces and silent snares from neighbors and he understood why. “The prodigal son is back” they must be saying in their hearts but he cared little, they probably didn’t understand.
He didn’t blame then either, a preacher’s son was not supposed to be equally yoked with an unbeliever, “What was he looking for in a club? Going to look for a lost soul is just an excuse for the young man to satisfy his sexual fantasy” Gbenga had read it all, the blog that was notorious for sniffing out private lives and peddling mixture of truth and lies. His story was a sensation which has not died down, no wonder his father couldn’t whether it, it was too much for his ministry.
Gbenga reduced his movement to a walk as he approached his street, he saw the house keeper with his son Ekene, in front of the house, a hawker had set down her wares in front of them and Bridget their house keeper was engrossed with haggling price with the hawker. A car halted in front of them and he saw a hand waved at his son and his son ran to who ever was in the car.
Gbenga picked his step but before he could get to his son, the clean red Hunda Accord had driven away.
“Daddy!” the boy ran to him with a smile
“Hi buddy, who was that guy in the car?” Gbenga still had his eyes on the road, with the car no longer in sight
“He is my uncle” the boy was excited
Gbenga looked from his son to the road “Your Uncle? Do I know him?”
“He said he is mommy’s brother; I think you may know him”
“Does Grandma know him?”
“I don’t know, he has never come inside the house” the child lowered his gaze “He is always in a hurry” he brightened his face again “But he asked if you are back, he said he will come to see you someday”
“How many times have you seen this uncle?”
“Plenty of times dad”
Gbenga was alarmed, he squatted and held his son “See son, I don’t know any of your mother’s brother so you should be careful. If this man has refused to come see you grannies then he is still a stranger, and you have to be careful around strangers”
The boy looked at his father remorsefully “I am sorry Daddy”
“Its okay buddy, but promise me you will no longer see that man or anybody again without first telling me or your grannies”
The house keeper walked towards them with the Akamu she bought, “Sir, Good morning sir”
“Do not ever let this boy out of your sight again if you must take him with you anywhere” he took his boy’s hand and they walked in.
Thanks for the lengthy update... I love the way you write, I have been following the story with rapt attention and you have never stopped to wow me with every single episode. Thanks dear 3 Likes |
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