Saved by Love
By Olufunlola Adeola
Episode 11
February arrived and on the fifth day, Akinola stepped his feet in Nigeria. This was his third time in this nation, the first two had been on work level, behind him his elder brother, Akinloye, adjusted his muffler and they retrieved their luggage and walked towards the people with placard after pas-sing several people they saw their names, Akinola and Akinloye Coker.
Their eyes moved up to behold the face of the person carrying the placards and it collided with Akinlolu’s eyes. He dropped the placard that instant and they all raced to embr@ce each other . ‘How many years now? God just kept letting things fall in place for me, I just cannot comprehend why he loves me this much, even when my faith seems to sink, He upholds me.’ Akinlolu thought, and ad they all stepped back to as-sess each other, Akinlolu said,
“You guys have not changed a bit.”
Akinloye said, “Well, you’ve grown taller and more handsome ‘Lolu.”
“Yo, I am still the most handsome man in this family, take it or leave it.” Akinola said and they all laughed as they headed for Akinlolu’s car. As they got in, he started discussing, Akinola and Akinlolu at first, Akinloye didn’t join in as the most reserved type
. He was looking out the window, it’s his first time in Nigeria. He planned to enjoy his stay and get to know his youngest brother, it seemed he was doing fine though.
As they got to House 24, Primerose Drive, they all got out of the car and Akinlolu said,
“Welcome to my humble home.”
“You built this?”
“No o. It c@m£ with the car and work but I am working on my own land alre-ady.” Akinlolu explained.
“Mehn, how do y’all cope with all these heat $h!t?” Akinloye asked dapping his face with his handkerchief.
“We are doing very good as you can see. Just chill, in a coupla’ days you will adapt but there is air conditioner at your service.”
“Really? Chill in the heat. Remind me to post that with a picture on my Instagram.” Akinola replied with a sneer.
“Can we just go in, Babies?” Akinloye asked causing both guys to wash him down with a bad eye. Nothing had changed, these two are still bickers, Akinloye thought.
………….
The next day they all went out, Mr. Cole had told Akinlolu to take two weeks off to attend to his brothers and so the sight-seeing began, a lot of pictures at different sp©ts were taken and memories made. On the Saturday of the second week they spent together, Akinlolu invited Adara for dinner and she agreed.
The dinner was by 07:00p.m. Adara made sure she got there ten minutes before the dinner time and she had picked out a red and black flowered Ankara material sown into jumpsuit with a black sandal. She arrived at the door with a Veleta wine and her black purse, her br@ided hair pu-ll-ed back in ponytail.
. Akinloye was the one who opened the door for her and he said,
“Good evening ma’am. How do you do?”
“How do you do? Can I come in?”
“Of course.” Akinloye said, collecting the wine from the beautiful lady and he closed the door after her and led her into the sitting room. Akinlolu was busy in the kitchen while Akinola was just coming out of his be-droom after a late nap and shower and he exclaimed as he saw Adara,
“Oh my God!”
“What?” Akinloye asked as Adara’s eyes met Akinola’s.
“I am seeing an Angel. ‘Lolu did you invite an Angel to join us for dinner?” Akinola asked just as Akinlolu c@m£ into the sitting room,
“You better don’t see any Angel. Anyway, this is Adaramola Zamani Halimah. The Couturier of Incognito label and CEO of Ombré Fashion House. She made that attire I wore yesterday and Adara meet my blood, Akinloye, an as-sociate p@rtner of Wheaton-Coker Hospital and Akinola, the Managing Director of Starling Bank USA.”
“I am so plea-sed to meet you ma’am. Heard a lot about you.”Akinola said as he quic-kly moved forward to k!ssthe back of her hand and Adara said,
“I hope they are good stories.”
“They are, they are.” Akinola still holding on to her hand, Adara was amused by his behavior, Akinlolu stepped in between them and pu-ll-ed her hand away from Akinola’s. Akinola liked girls even though he had to believe it now that he has accepted Christ as his Saviour, it was still evident but then, who wouldn’t be attra-cted to the beautiful damsel only if she could be his, he thought again and Akinola asked tapping his tummy,
“Can we move to the dining room?”
“Food freak.” Akinlolu said,
“Silly as-s.” Akinola replied,
“Can’t you guys just be gentlemen for once and usher the beauty in first before picking on each other’s throat?” Akinloye asked,
“Whatever!” Akinola and Akinlolu said simultaneously and they all went into the dining room.
…….
The Cokers left for the States the next day and Akinlolu went back to work the following day. Things continued to go smoothly, Adara and Akinlolu were not so close as they were when they were living in the same house because of work and distance but they see and talk after service in Church and they also chat each other up.
The last time they had really talked, Adara had told Akinlolu about a guy who wanted to d@t£ her and he was left with no choice but to tell her to meditate on it well before going into it but de-ep down, he wanted her to say no to the guy. She also told him about the reporters on her heel and he told her to only attend to them when she wanted to, she shouldn’t give in to pressure.
Saved by Love
By Olufunlola Adeola
Episode 12
A month later, Adara agreed to an interview with Dazzle TV and as she got there, Nana, the host of the show welcomed her, it was a live show and so at 02:00pm, the show started. At that same time, Alhaji Zamani who was resting in his sitting room tuned in to Dazzle TV. Akinlolu also switched on the Dazzle TV Application on his tablet as Adara had told him earlier about it.
The host gave the normal introductions and felicitations to her viewers and as she made to unveil her guest, Alhaja Wuraola joined her husband in watching while somewhere in South Africa, Akinola who had been feeling sick earlier that day phoned in sick at the Starling Bank br@nch he went to visit and decided to rest and so at that time, he put on his TV to that station and was surprised to see Adara on TV . He never knew she was that kind of public figure.
“Can we meet you?”
“I am Adaramola Zamani, I am the Couturier of Incognito Label and CEO of Ombré Fashion House. I am a Christian and I love Fashion.”
“Hmmm. So, when did you discover fashion and is that what you studied in school?”
“No. I studied Mas-s Communication in school but I liked fashion ever since I was a little girl
. I have always liked to mix colours and clothes. It gives me this satisfaction that I could actually create something and so I decided to go study more on Fashion instead.”
“What was your family’s reaction to your decision?”
“Supportive. My Dad was the one that foot my bills for studying abroad and they really believed in me. My Mum went with me to find a great location for my first shop.”
“Hmmm. What is fashion to you?”
“Fashion is life. It is my lifeline, designing and creating something. Fashion is me. It is what I wear, my posture, my figure, how I look.”
“Why incognito? And what is it all about?”
“Incognito, hmm, I just love it and the fact that it means we are not revea-ling our identity until now of course. Incognito like many other couture majors in dresses, dinner go-wns, office wear, casual dress, anything dress and men’s wear, we are crazy about it but unlike many other couture we range from African to Western materials. We also have a boutique section, Ombré Fashion Sto-re, we sell our wears and other clothes from other couturiers and of course the accessories.”
“Where do the ideas to style a dress come from?”
“Here I think.” Adara said tapping her head and chuckling, “It comes from anywhere, it might just be an idea, a mistake, a shape, anything.”
“I see so is it possible that there is a connection between the former Zamani Couture and this Incognito?”
“There is. I started Zamani Couture but due to some foreseen circu-mtances, it shut down but now I am bigger and better with Incognito and Zamani was just a ti-p of an iceberg.”
“Okay. With the state Nigeria is in and its economy, do you reduce the price of your wears?”
“No ma’am. If I can labour for 12 hours to get a dress done then my pay should be standard. If some people cannot afford that p@rticular dress other will. As these people they talk, no matter how they economy, take rise for Naija, lion no go chop gras-s.” Adara said laughing and Nana joined in,
“Yeah, yeah, that’s true. Is it true that you and your Dad, Alhaji Danjuma are at loggerheads with you because you changed your religion?”
“I would rather not go there but whatever I do, I do it because God is over all and I am not re-ady to turn back from the truth now that I know it is the truth.”
“Okay, how do you relax from work?”
“I love movies, lazing in be-d to see a movie and standing up only when it is very nee-ded, I do that a lot.
. I also love to swim.”
“And who is the lucky guy?”
“Lucky guy? No lucky guy yet o.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” Adara answered laughing
“Wow! How time flies, before you go, can you give our ladies an advice on fashion?”
“Okay, first, fashion is a material thing, do not turn it to your God. Second, people are gonna label you as too something either to too skinny, too fat, too small or too whatever but just be yourself and never forget that your dressing is never complete without your smile.”
“That’s true, thank you for honouring our invitation.”
“Anytime dear. Anytime.” Adara said and Nana wra-pped up the show.
Adara was glad the interview was over.
“Halimah is doing well and okay even without us, is that not enough for you to take her back?” Alhaja Khadijat asked after the show ended.
“Do not approach the matter.” Alhaji said and he went into his room. Akinola who had being watching the show with interest wondered about Adara, beautiful and elegant, he had watched the way Akinlolu’s eyes hovered over her. She looks like a rare commodity.
……..
Two weeks after Adara’s interview with Dazzle, Akinlolu went to see his boss in his office and after the greetings, Mr. Cole asked,
“Have you cleared the Simpson project?”
“Yes sir. I want to discuss some things with you sir.”
“You have my ears.”
“My brothers would like me to establish my Dad’s work in Nigeria but I don’t want to leave Pacesetter yet so I don’t know what to do.”
“Let’s see how this can go, uhm, your Dad majored in architectural equipment right? (Akinlolu nodded, “Why don’t you be a p@rtner to Pacesetter, it will even enhance our work instead of us always relying on HomeRose for our supply, we can just make a few changes like our name and maybe the Board of Directors and all that. You can bring in one of your brothers too and we discuss the profit but you nee-d to discuss it with them first.”
“Wow, that’s a great suggestion. It never crossed my mind.”
“That’s why I am the old man here.” Mr. Cole said and they both laughed
“Thank you, sir. I will talk to my brothers and give you a feedback.” Akinlolu said and they shook hands before he left.
To be continued