Saved by Love
By Olufunlola Adeola
Episode 20
Adara looked up from the design she was sketching behind her desk one late evening to see her sto-re opened by Akinlolu and a fair skinned lady come in on her CCTV.
The lady was wearing a lemon colored crop blouse with a heart designed on it with sequins and a black Sk-irt that had a split at her lower th!gh, flat black sli-p-on adorned her foot and her br@ided hair was packed up in a bun. Adara murmured,
“Not bad.”
Some minutes later, Adara heard a knock on her office door and she answered,
“Come in plea-se.” Akinlolu and the lady she saw earlier c@m£ in and she motioned for them to sit on the sofa while she sat on a single couch opposite them and she said,
“Akinlolu, this one that you visited us today, are we safe?”
“I try to show up, you know?”
“I have heard all about that . Won’t you introduce your guest to me?”
“Sorry, this is Tara Thompson and babe, this is Adaramola Zamani. My sister and our wife.”
“Hmm, Akinlolu, how come you were able to catch a gold fish like this? She is a fresh girl, you must have gone to the market with your two eyes opened.” Adara said and they all laughed then she asked Tara,
“Hope you have been able to pick out some clothes?”
“Yes ma, the dresses are very beautiful and elegant.
. I have seen the designs on the net somewhere
. I just feel like shopping and shopping. I could buy the whole sto-re.”
“Buy the whole sto-re?”
“See her mouth, if you buy the whole sto-re, there will be no Incognito and Ombré. You want to s£nd us out of the market, huh?”
“Let me hear you well. This is Incognito label, no?”
“Yes. Any problem?” Adara asked, exchanging a perplexed look with Akinlolu.
Tara suddenly screamed “Oh my God!”
“Okay, that’s enough screaming for one day. You are not at home Tara!” Akinlolu said, placing his hands on her shoulder to calm her down,
“Sorry. I am so sorry. Akinlolu, you never told me you know the face behind Incognito, do you know what it means to be sitting face to face with her? No, you obviously do not know.” Tara rambled on with excitement in her voice,
“Funny you, what is big about seeing me face to face? We are just designing small small dresses and ma-king small small money. We are not Gucci or
Marks and Spencer.” Adara said humbly,
“Aunty, you are teasing me, right? I have been looking throu-gh your every style on the net and being saving so I can come change my closet. So, this is where the great Incognito is holed up.”
“Can we like talk about something else ap@rt from shopping? Jeez!” Akinlolu said and they both turned on him and talked about other important things.
Akinola had travelled back to America a month before as his mission at the bank had been fulfilled but he and Adara talked online and did video calls.
Akinlolu introduced Tara to his brothers over video calls since they were both outside Nigeria.
Saved by Love
By Olufunlola Adeola
Epilogue
It’s been four months since Akinola proposed to Adara and he just c@m£ back to Nigeria for two weeks to make preparations for his wedding with her.
One fateful Saturday, Akinola was lying on Adara’s sofa,
“I nee-d you to go somewhere with me.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere.”
“When?”
“Tuesday. I will pick you up.”
“All right.” Adara agreed without asking for more details.
Tuesday arrived and Adara hopped into Akinola’s rental car.
“We are going to Lagos?”
“Yup.” Akinola said, staring straight ahead,
“What for?” Adara asked curiously,
“Wait and see.” Akinola said and she kept quiet . She did not un-derstand why Akinola was behaving so mysterious but she decided to go along with it.
It was no longer a surprise when Akinola pu-ll-ed up in front of the Zamani’s Villa.
“What are we doing here? How did you even know this place? Why the hell did you bring me here?” Adara demanded angrily as Akinola parked the car outside her father’s house.
He took her hand in his and said calmly, “Sweetheart, I talked to Akinlolu, I can’t marry you without your parents’ cons£nt and you nee-d to settle things with them before you marry me. Life is short!”
“They won’t want me back.”
“You gotta try.”
“I am scared.”
“Baby, I am here for you.” Akinola reas-sured and k!$$£d herl-ips lightly.
“Come on, let’s go in, don’t be a scaredy baby
. I got you, okay?” Akinola said and she nodded then they went to the gate. They knocked and their long-time gate man, Dongo, opened the gate,
“Kai! Aunty, you have heard about it too?”
“Alhaji sle-pt and did not wake up.”
“What did you say? What the fv¢k did you say?” Adara asked and not waiting for reply, she ran into the house only to see her mother and brothers and some strangers, all teary-eyed.
. Akinola c@m£ in as she asked,
“What happened? What happened to my Daddy?”
“Halimah, he has left me. He has gone.”
“No!” Adara screamed as she ran to her father’s room. Akinola went with her. As they got in, Adara sank to her knees in tears as she beheld her dead father and then Akinola said,
“Adara, get up! Let’s pray.”
Adara turned to him, giving him the look to ask if he is crazy, “Pray about what?”
“We are going to pray and he is going to wake up.”
“Akinola, this is not the time for jokes okay?”
“Baby, death is an inevitable appointment. You can decide if you want to keep it or you want to postpone it. Now, we are going to postpone this man’s appointment. Get up!”
Adara stood up shakily and took Akinola’s hand in hers,
“Jesus promised us that we will do greater things than he did and we will do it right now, I believe in God, do you?”
“I believe in God. Let’s pray.” Adara said, becoming confident.
And that was how the people in Alhaji’s living room started hearing voices speaking strange ton-gues which prompted them to go knock on the door
The two of them drowned the voices of the people behind the door out and prayed, not knowing how long but st©pped when Alhaji coughed back to life and registered his eyes on his daughter,
“Halimah?”
Adara was too overwhelmed to answer.
“Halimah.” Alhaji called again and Akinola nudged her to answer,
“Daddy.” Adara answered and the people at the door quietened.
“Where am I?”
“You died Dad. We prayed. I and my fiancé and God decided it was not time for you to go yet.”
“I want to know that God.”
“Praise God.”
“Hallelujah.” Adara shouted and that attra-cted the people behind the door to knock again. Akinola opened the door and they trooped in, disbelief coloring their face.
…….
Akinola and Adara, with God’s help groomed the entire Zamani’s family in the Christian way and of course, her parents blessings were totally given for their wedding which was the talk of the town for a long time.
The resurrection and conversion of Adara’s father made the news and got her and her family even more popular.
THE END!!!