He said no Episode 3 & 4

3/4
HE SAID NO.
Written by Sodamade Olamide Tolulope.
Episode 3
 
 
Her heart raced as she watched his call hung up, he called about 3 times and she ignored them. She had been ma-king excuses for why they could not hang out since she prayed, and it was draining her out. The last time they spoke, she told him that she wasn’t feeling too well, and when he asked to come check up on her, she declined.
She thought of how heartbroken he would be when she finally tells him that they cannot get married and she felt shattered. They have been together for almost a year now and their parents, especially hers were overjoyed that their children were getting along. Now, she was about to bring their excitement to a halt with her conviction.
He didn’t call back after the third time and she was glad. How about her dad, he would definitely be mad at her. It was almost 6 pm and she just hoped her dad wouldn’t get back home until she sleeps. She heaved a sigh and muttered some inaudible words as she alighted from the cab some distance from her house gate. She was definitely not re-ady for the first thing she saw as she entered their compound, George’s red Lexus jeep and as if that was not enough her dad’s white Toyota Camry was by the side.
She scratched her br@ided wig slightly as she felt nervous all of a sudden, she thought of running back but the people inside would definitely be aware that someone had entered the compound, especially after the way she ban-ged the gate.
She breathed in and out ra-pidly for a few seconds, as she thought of what to say. She decided to break the news to George and move on with her life.
“Lord help me to find the right words to say,” she prayed in a low tone.
George was chatting happily with her father in their tastefully furnished sitting room when she entered. The sitting room was designed with modern upholstery, and electronic appliances, 2 giant standing fans stood at two ends of the sitting room.
“Good evening Dad,” she greeted facing her Dad briefly before turning to George who sat on the single sofa opposite her dad, “Hi George, I didn’t know that you would be coming today,”
” You would have if you had picked my calls,” he said,
“I was… never mind. How are you?” she asked, sounding as calm as she could,
Mr. Robert excused them for some pri-vate time,
“What is going on Amifel, are you avoiding me?” George asked, standing up to face her sounding worried. His brown eyes pierced throu-gh the core of her being. She loved the young man standing before her and she knew that he loved her too.
The last thing I want to do right now is to hurt him
“I am not avoiding you, George, I am sorry you feel that way,” she said, dropping her handbag on the sofa he was sitting on.
“This is not about apologizing; your actions are saying otherwise or don’t you love me anymore?”
“I do George, I do, I am just going throu-gh a lot at the moment,”
“What is wrong, my love? You can talk to me, what has been happening?” A concerned George asked, tenderly holding her shoulders in his strong hands. She kept quiet for a while, weighing her options,
“George,”
“Yes, my love,”
“I will be fine, its just work stress and mood swings. I’ll get over it soon,” she wanted to say something else but that was what she found herself saying.
“Something tells me you are hiding something,” he said looking straight into her eyes, she swallowed the spittle lump that had formed in her throat,
“Are you trying to say that I am lying?” she said while managing to keep u a br@ve face.
“No, Amifel. I’m just worried about you. You know how much I want to see you fine,”
“Yes, George and I will be fine,” she said, giving him a rather weak smile. They kept looking into each other’s face for what seemed like forever.
Just then, Mrs. Robert interrupted the serene atmosphere with the sweet aroma of roasted chicken.
“Amifel, you are back.” She said while carrying a tray of fried rice and chicken to the dining room, she sounded excited to meet them looking all loved up, “Food is re-ady my dears,” she continued
George smiled as he lightly brushed his hand over her face, “Thank you, mummy,”
“Amifel, come and help me in the kitchen,” she called out,
Amifel excused herself as she picked up her bag and went straight to her room. She knew that her mum wanted to probe her as usual and she wasn’t re-ady for any of her interviews.
“Oh God, what have I done. I can’t just look into his eyes and tell him!” she gnarled, angry at herself. She flung her bag to the far end corner of the room, she re-moved her wig and threw it on her be-d before her b©dy followed suit.
“I am such a coward!” she sighed.
Her mum’s knock jo-lted her back to reality as she was lost in thoughts, “Amifel, what are you doing inside. Your husband is not supposed to be eating alone, come outside jare,” she said in a voice ba-rely above a whisper, immediately she entered her room. She dashed out as quic-kly as she c@m£ without waiting for a response while Amifel just la-id there with her mouth wi-de open,
“Did she just call him my husband? “she asked to herself,
“This is more than I bargained for, urgh, it is well with my soul,” she heaved a sigh, as she changed into a casual dress before heading out of the room.
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Episode 4
Mrs. Robert was at Mrs. Biodun’s mini supermarket, where she sold all sorts ranging from edibles to toiletries and more, people knew her as mummy Grace. She was Mrs. Robert’s friend. Mrs. Robert ran a food sto-re, she sold raw foodstuffs in bulk in a big shop in Lagos. They occasionally visited each other, either at home or at their shops. This time around, it was Mrs. Robert turn as sat beside Mummy Grace on a long cushion at a corner of the shop, she had been around for about an hour and it didn’t seem like it because they had so much talkings and gossippings to do.
“I love your earrings, e fine no be small, ” Mrs. Robert said looking at the glistering piece of jewelry that she wore.
“Thank you, my friend. Everyone has been asking me where I got them from, it was Grace’s husband that got it for me alongside other stuff c@m£ around last weekend,”
“Eeya, that was so nice of him. How is Grace doing, and her husband?”
“They are fine oh, in fact, ” she looked sideways before lowering her voice, “She is alre-ady carrying her second baby! she whispered, sounding excited,
” Oh my God, I’m so happy for her, congratulations my friend,” Mrs. Robert said happily as she gave her a side hvg,
“Thank you, my friend, How is Amifel na?
“Amifel…, she is fine, ” Mrs. Robert said, giggling in a rather awkward manner, she knew what she was about to ask
“How far with her wedding preparations,”
“We are on it oh, we are just trying to take our time,”
“Eeya, but that her husband is a special package sha, fine and rich” mummy Grace tea-sed,
“You can say that again, we can’t settle for less, my girl deserves a good man, ” Mrs. Robert boasted,
“Yes oh, she deserves it, not after waiting for so long, just try and hurry them up before this one disappears too,”
“Ahn Ahn, what is that supposed to mean?” Mrs. Robert, countenance changed immediately. She knew that she was talking about Amifel’s ex, she had boasted to mummy Grace about Bolaji, they had even gone to price some expensive lace materials before Bolaji disappeared into thin air, and since he left three years ago, no other suitor c@m£ for Amifel until George c@m£ to change the narrative.
“I don’t mean it like that na, I am just eager to tie gele, ” she tea-sed as she tickled Mrs. Robert, “But really, try to hurry them up, woman dey quic-k old, ” she concluded in pidgin.
Mrs. Robert left her place more determined than ever to see Amifel get married to George, she always felt awkward anytime Mrs. Grace talked about her first daughter, Grace, and her husband. Grace was 3 years younger than Amifel, as if getting married and having a son wasn’t enough, she is now expecting a second baby.
“Amifel won’t turn me into a laughing stock, it is me and her!” Mrs. Robert said to herself while driving back home.
***************
Amifel went to inspect the wedding hall, a day before, she nodded at the exquisite and eye-appealing glam that the decoration team had added to the venue. It was a well-spaced hall and it must have cost a fortune. Everything seemed to be in check as different people pla-ying different roles dropped in and out of the wedding hall. Amifel was satisfied with what she saw because she kept nodding and smiling as she walked up and down the hall with her hands akimbo. She heard her phone ring and reached out for it in her purse,
“Hello George, ” she said, as soon as she picked the call,
“How are you dear?” George asked,
“I’m fine and, how are you?”
“I’m fine too, just missing you, ”
“Awwwwn, she blu-shed, “I miss you too, ” she said, strolling down the hallway beaming with smiles,
“What are you up to?” He asked,
“I’m preparing for the white wedding of the Ayangbamis, I told you it’s tomorrow, ”
“Yeah yeah, I totally forgot, how is it going?”
“Fine fine, so far… You know I’m good at what I do, ” she br@gged.
“Yeah right, you know, I really can’t wait for our own wedding to happen, ” he said. She wanted to say something but kept quiet instead, marriage conversations with him usually made her feel guilty “Hello babe, are you there?” He continued,
“Yeah, I’m here. I look forward to that too, ” she said,
“You sound tired, ”
“Yeah, I am. I just can’t wait for tomorrow to come and go so I can have a straight 7 hours to sleep, She dragged, hoping he won’t talk about marriage again.
” Sorry dear, ”
“Thank you, babe, ”
“I was about to ask if we could go out for lunch or dinner tomorrow, but I alre-ady have my answer alre-ady, ”
“I would have loved to, but Saturday is totally booked, but we could make it Sunday, after church, probably in the evening, she hurriedly added, she wanted to see him so badly,
“I un-derstand babe, I un-derstand.”
“Are you done for the day?” she asked while glancing at her wristwatch, it was some minutes past 4.
“Yeah, I’m just hanging out with some friends. I guess we’ll talk later then, ”
“I guess we’ll talk later then, I’ll call you when I get home, ”
“That would be fine, do take care. Love you!”
“Love you too,” she replied before he hung up. “He’s such a sweet soul,” She muttered as she made to take her seat on one of the decorated chairs,
She had decided to settle down with him, after all, he was a good man and everyone can testify to that. Her mum had taken her to about 3 seers who had confirmed to her that she was right on track, and when she voiced out her convictions to one of them, he claimed it was the devil that was trying to throw confusion on her path while another said God only wanted her to pray concerning an evil occurrence that might happen in the future,
“Last last, there is nothing that prayers cannot do, ” she had concluded in her heart.
She must have been lost in thought for quite some time as she suddenly noticed that the lady in charge of the ushering team standing behind her,
“So sorry, Miss Esther, I didn’t know you were here alre-ady, ” She apologized,
“No ma, I only just got here, ” Amifel dragged another seat close to her and signaled her to sit down,
“Okay so how many ladies do we have on ground, ”
She discussed at length with the lady before they p@rted ways. She still stayed back in the hall for about an hour and a half to oversee the work team, giving orders, and ma-king corrections where necessary. She was a perfectionist, always wanting to give her best on her job. Blessing had promised to bring the wedding cake to the venue, first thing the next morning. She was determined to impress her clients and make their wedding a glamorous one and she silently prayed that everything would go as planned.
 
 
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