CONTRACT MARRIAGE
Episode 26
By GranAmah’s Heart
He horned repeatedly expecting the gate man to open the gate. Within a few seconds, the gateman opened the iron gate and he drove in.
He killed the car engine and got out, opening the door of the passenger’s seat for her.
“ Welcome Oga…… welcome madam…” The security man greeted them warmly.
“ Thank you Mr Musa….. please help me take this things inside.” He told the middle aged security man.
The man quickly carried the bags and followed Ife.
“ How do you feel now?” He asked her for the uptenth time that day.
“ I’m ok.” She said flatly and got out of the car. Ife made to support her but she refused.
“ I am completely fine and can help myself thanks.” She said abruptly.
Ife nodded his head and followed behind her as she walked into their home.
She settled on the sofa and searched for the remote control.
“ I’ll fix you something to eat.” He said.
“ No thanks…. I’m not hungry.” She replied curtly.
Ife sighed.
“ Omar…. Why are you trying to fustrate my efforts?…. Ever since you were admitted into the hospital, you’ve been giving me a cold shoulder.” Ife said.
She didn’t reply him.
He took a stool by the Sofa chairs and sat in front of her.
“ Omar please…. Let’s not fight…. It drains me out when we do that.” He said.
She still didn’t reply.
He sighed again and got up to leave.
“ You were with her that night….. weren’t you?” Omar asked in agitation.
He turned to face her.
“ I don’t know who you are referring to.”
“ Ife please I’m not stupid!!…. Do not play dumb with me.” Omar countered.
“ Omar why do you have to involve Zoey in our conversations?….. why do you have zero trust in me?” he asked her dejectedly.
Omar shook her head in agitation.
“ Ife where were you the night I fell ill?” Omar asked him once again.
“ I was at Chima; my friend’s place.” Ife said calmly.
“ So why was your phone not reachable?” Omar fired at him.
Ife was about to speak, when she halted him with her hands.
“ I forgot you don’t owe me any explanations…… after all…. This is a contract marriage and I should know my place!!” She said and gave a sarcastic laughter.
Before going to her bedroom.
Although better than the past three days, Omar still felt a little bit of weakness and nausea.
She fell asleep for a couple of hours, and when she woke up, it was evening already.
She turned to the other side of the bed, and saw a bouquet of flowers. There was a note attached to it.
She picked it up and it read.
“ I’M SORRY LOVE. FORGIVE ME FOR HURTING YOU DEEPLY.
YOUR LOVE❤️❤️
IFEDOLA M.D
She didn’t know when a smile escaped from her lips. The flowers and the note somehow magically dissipated her built up anger towards him.
She let out a yawn and her stomach churned noisily, indicating that she was hungry and thirsty too. So she gently climbed down the stairs and entered the kitchen.
She was greeted with the aroma that indicated some delicious delicacies had been prepared. Ife was wearing his chef apron, when he diced the last pieces of the water melon, and mixed with the already diced apple.
He turned and saw her.
“ Hey love…. You are awake.”
He quickly ushered her into a seat.
“ How are you feeling now?” he asked in concern.
She nodded her head.
“ I’m fine.” She said softly.
“ I made pepper soup for you to ignite your appetite.” He said.
“ Thanks….” She said softly.”
He dished some content into a bowl and asked her to eat, while he poured the semovita flour into a pot of boiling water.
She drank slowly from the pepper soup. And savoured the taste. Ife was truly an excellent cook and thorough cook.
After she was done with the pepper soup, he gave an interval of thirty minutes before giving her the fruit salad.
He was quiet all through as he watched her eat.
The night rapidly came and it grew cold making her shiver. He saw this and quickly got one of his sweat shirts and handed it over to her to wear.
“ I’m sorry Omar…. I shouldn’t have said those hurtful words to you regardless of what I was passing through…..” he said and paused.
“ I didn’t mean every damned word I said that day…. I was just in a foul mood and didn’t know how to open up…. And I’m sorry….. I’m really sorry…. And I promise it won’t repeat itself again…” he said soberly.
Omar stared at the floor.
“ What about the part you said this was still a contract marriage….. did you mean it.” She asked calmly.
“ No Omar…. I didn’t mean it…. I was just so unhappy that day.”
Omar sighed softly.
“ Where you with her that night?” Omar asked him.
Ife exhaled deeply and sat on the table in front of her.
“ Omar….I was with Chima that night….. see honey I love you…. And I will never disrespect you by abandoning you and going to my ex….. whatever feelings I had shared with Zoey was in the past…. And right now…. What matters to me now is you and my baby!!” Ife said and kissed her on the cheeks.
He took her hands into his palm.
“ please Omar…. I don’t want you to feel insecure about Zoey…. I promise you she will not come In between us…” Ife assured her.
She rubbed the back of his palm tenderly.
“ So why were you on a foul mood for several weeks.” Omar asked calmly.
Ife sighed.
“ because the previous weeks brought memories of the past I try so hard to forget….. “ he replied and exhaled deeply.
“3 days ago was the anniversary of the day my mother died, and that period was the darkest times for me Omar.”
“ Oh! I’m so sorry…. Why didn’t you tell me?” Omar asked.
He paused.
“ Because I wanted to deal with it alone….. I’ve been used to having to deal with it alone before you came….I’ve not been able to get over it……As at the time I got to the hospital, she was already dead.” Ife explained soberly.
Omar rubbed her hands on his hair lovingly.
“ I’m so sorry to hear this Ife…. Was she sick?”
Omar asked.
“ Yes she was…. She had a partial stroke when she found out Mr Coker had been married before with two children….. he had brought in Richard to the house, claiming that Richard was a son he had out of wedlock and his mother died a long time ago….. my mom was compassionate and took him in….. but years later, she discovered that everything Mr Coker ever told her were lies…. That was when she had the partial stroke……
“…I was greatly affected that period of my life, that I had to go see a psychologist…. That was where I met Zoey….. Zoey encouraged me and helped me regain my emotional stability…. Until we became so close and addicted to each other….. initially she refused a relationship with me…. Claiming she was Six years older than me…. But she eventually succumbed…”
“…I was left with the responsibility of taking care of my mother while I drew strength from Zoey’s encouragement and positivity around me….. until one day…
“…She eventually became pregnant for me and lost it in a car accident. I was so devastated but I eventually overcame it and our love grew stronger…. Until one day, Zoey disappeared and I couldn’t reach her!!…. I combed every nook and corner of the town searching for her, but I couldn’t find her…… Until one of her colleagues opened up and told me Zoey had travelled to South Africa…
“…I was so broken by the news that I vowed by my mum’s sick bed, never to get married…..
Shortly after this, my mother died and I was thrown off balance…..
“…Those were the darkest times in my life Omar….. and I had questions in my mind….. because my mom had already began to recuperate so fast and it was unfathomable to think she would die suddenly.” Ife narrated and sighed.
“…?,. A month after my mom’s death.” He continued…
“… Her personal maid who left immediately after her dëath, contacted me and asked that we meet up…..
“…I agreed and set a date to meet her….. she was the one who confessed to me that Mr Coker connived with the doctor to give my mom the wrong medication which led to her dëath….. A week after her confession, the maid was found déâd In her sitting room…. In what seemed to be ruled out as suícide.”
Omar gasped.
“ I’m really so sorry you went through this Ife….. I wish you had confided in me….we would have gone through it together.” Omar said sadly.
“ I’m sorry Omar, I didn’t want you to go through any stress because of me.” Ife replied soberly.
“ From today…. No more secrets between us….. do you promise that?” Omar said.
“ Yes!!…. I promise you Omar….. can I get a hug now.”
She smiled broadly and gave his a warm hug.
Tbc