THE CONTRACT
EPISODE 21
“What would I be doing in Canada? Abeg, I’m staying home.” She said nonchalantly, although she really didn’t want him to go.
“Are you sure? The h0tel room is really cozy.” Tobi wiggled his eyebrows and her jaw dropped.
“Tobi! Ew. We’re eating.” She laughed.
“I could provide desert.” He joked.
“Oh Jesus!”
…
“Remember to lock the doors every time. Don’t leave lights on when you’re not using them in case of anything like a high current. Don’t sleep off when you’re cooking. Don’t move furniture. Don’t over work yourself. I’ve instructed one of my guys to come over everyday and check on you. Chinwe would still come to cook and clean. No running down the stairs. Keep the house tidy. Don’t do anything stupid-”
“Abeg be going to where you’re going jare.” Abena cut him off, slightly amused.
“I just want to make sure you’ll be okay.” He sighed and looked at her.
“I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.” She replied, a small smile on herl-ips.
“Be careful. You’re the only one at home. Don’t sl!pand fall or anything, you know how clumsy you can be.” Tobi said quietly.
“Excuse me?” She feigned annoyance, placing her hands on her h!ps.
“It’s not too late to join me. Its a pri-vate jet.” He offered.
She was so tem-pted to say yes.
“Just get going. The fas-ter you leave, the fas-ter you come back home.”
Home?
He didn’t seem to notice her choice of words. And if he did, he didn’t seem to mind.
“Yes ma’am. Cook for me when I get back.” He said.
“Get me Canadian stuff.” She replied and he laughed. He pu-ll-ed her into a hvg and she relaxed in his arms, inhaling his scent.
“I know you”ll miss me.” He joked as he pu-ll-ed away, about to head for his car.
“What can I say? You’re growing on me.” She gave a cheekily smile and watched him get into his car and drive away.
She walked back into the large house and suddenly, it felt too big. Too empty.
…
Abena spent her days decorating the nursery with the interior decorator, or hanging out with Dera, trying to pas-s the time so that the week would go quic-kly. She missed Tobi, no doubt. And instead of her feelings to start diminishing, as she planned, instead, it seemed to be the same. Or even worse.
She had given the interior decorator the day off, because the woman nee-ded to sort out a family issue, so it was just her and the sound of the television drowning the silence. She surfed throu-gh the channels, not finding anything to watch. She heard the door bell ring and lifted an eyebrow.
She looked at the clock, 12pm, it was the time that the interior decorator normally resumed.
Didn’t she get the text?
She walked up to the door and opened it. “Uju, I s£nt you a text. Didnt you recieve-” Standing before her wasn’t Uju, it was a slim model like lady glaring at Abena, or more specifically, Abena’s stomach. She wore a b©dy con dress that was too short for her, and she shifted uncomfortably in the dress, meaning it was also too ti-ght.
Trying too ha-rd ?
“And you are?” The woman asked rudely.
“I should be asking you that question.” Abena replied, not re-ady to take any insult that would come her way.
“I’m here to see Tobi.” She said.
“Hes not around. He went for a business trip. Come back in like, four days.” Abena replied.
“And who are you? His baby mama?” She asked angrily.
“Nope.” Abena replied, popping the ‘p’. “Just a friend. Watching his house while he is gone.”
“I don’t believe you.” The woman sneered.
“I don’t care.” Abena shrugged. “Now are you going to leave a message, or are you going to keep on wasting my time?”
“Tell him Eniola c@m£ by.” She said.
“Will do.” Abena said and moved to close the door but Eniola st©pped her, and glared at her.
“Listen, whoever you think you are. Tobi is my man. We’re going to get married. And if I find out, that a low life like you, is taking him away… I would show you pepper.” She threatened.
“I have a show to watch, and I can’t miss it because a desperate idiot is threatening me over a guy she doesn’t own. plea-se move so I can close the door.” Abena replied and slammed the door in her face, letting her anger out on the door.
…
Abena’s sleep was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She checked the time, it was past two a.m.
Grumbling to herself, she reached for her phone on the be-dside table. She squinted at the caller ID, it was Tobi. She smiled in spite of her self and answered the call.
“Hey, are you awake?” She heard his husky voice ask. She missed that voice.
“No. I’m picking beans.” She replied dryly. “Of course yes I’m slee-ping you idiot. Its past two in the morning, what else would I be doing?”
His laugher floated from the phone and she rolled her eyes. “Sorry. I haven’t been able to call, so I decided to make out time this evening. I’m almost done with the contract, then I’ll come home.”
“How are you doing?” She asked.
“I should be asking you that. Are you alright?” He replied.
“I’m fine. Just sleepy.” She yawned.
“Sorry.” He laughed.
“No biggie. You should see the nursery. Its half done, but I like how it’s coming so far.” She said.
“I’ll see it when I come home.” He replied.
She bit her lowerl-ip. Should she tell him about Eniola?
“Yeah you would.” She said quietly.
She really didn’t want to tell him about her.
“I’ve missed you Abena. And your cooking. I’m getting used to it.” He chuckled.
“Well I don’t think I’ve missed you much.” She joked.
“Way to ruin the moment. You couldn’t just roll with it ehn?” He laughed and she rolled her eyes, forgetting that he couldn’t see her. “I’ve missed you too. I hate watching tv alone.” She said.
They were silent for a while, listening to each other breath softly.
“I’ll get you stuff when I’m coming.” He finally said.
“Good. Although what matters most is that you bring yourself.”
THE CONTRACT
EPISODE 22
Abena stood up quic-kly from her be-d. She heard the front door of the house open and someone walked in. She checked the time. It was almost twelve a.m. And it couldn’t be Tobi, he was coming in two days.
She got a golf club that she had ‘borrowed’ from Tobi’s study and ti-ptoed out of her room and down the stairs. It was still dark, but the person was putting some things down on the kitchen island.
“Freeze, or I swear, I’ll make sure you never have children again.” She threatened in a shaky voice.
“Baby. You’re alre-ady having my children, and is this the way to treat someone who has been away for almost a week?”
“Tobi?”
“Yeah? When am I getting my welcoming hvg?”
She let out a sigh of relief and laughed, walking over to the wall to switch on the light. There he was in all his glory, wearing a white shi-t and sweatp@n-ts, sm-irking at her.
“Well?” He opened his arms and she rolled her eyes before going into them, inhaling his familiar scent.
“What did you bring for me?” She asked as soon as he re-leased her.
“Ap@rt from my awesome self, chocolates mostly. They’re in the fridge. And we’re going for a boat trip tomorrow.”
“Yay! Chocolate. Wait, a boat trip?” She asked, walking over to the fridge.
“Yeah. I owe you one remember, for putting up with my mum. And if I brou-ght something like clothes and jewellery, you would have killed me.” He joked.
“True.” She said, taking a big bite out of a chocolate bar. She let out a satisfied m0@n and rested on the fridge.
Tobi looked at her, and gave an amused smile. “You shouldn’t make sounds like that. Or you would end up giving me more than a welcoming hvg.”
…
The week went by quic-kly. They had gone on his pri-vate yatch, though Abena wasn’t surprised that he owned one.
The week ended with another visit at the hospital, and Abena found out something about the baby.
…
Abena let out a sigh and stared at the mirror. “Hey. Welcome home. I made dinner, your favorite, Spaghetti Bolognese. Go and freshen up so we can eat.” She repeated to herself.
She jumped at the sound of Tobi entering the house.
“Abena. Hey, I’m home.” He grinned, loos£ning his tie.
“Hey. Welcome home. I made dinner, your favorite, Spaghetti Bolognese. Go and freshen up so we can eat.” She said immediately, saying everything she had practised, sounding like she was a recorded voice.
He lifted an eyebrow in confusion but shrugged.
As long as he was getting free food, and his favorite too.
They sat down in awkward silence, the only sounds that could be heard was the sound of the cutlery against the plates.
“Abena. What’s wrong?” He finally asked.
“I went to the hospital today-”
“Oh my God. Are you okay? Is the baby okay? What did the doctor say? I should have called him today, I totally forgot. I should probably go call him now. Oh Abena, I really hope you’re okay, if you aren’t-”
“There are two babies!” She blurted out.
“What?” He asked in confusion.
“Two babies. I’m having twins.” She said slowly.
A grin spre-ad across his face.
“Yes!” He shouted, pumping his fists in the air. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I said it! I’m a sharp shooter baby! I’ve got to call Joseph, and Mama would be so happy. Oh this is amazing Abena.”
“I want to keep one.” She said and immediately, the grin on his face vanished. He stared at her, anger bubbling slowly inside him.
“Excuse me?”
“I said, I want to keep-”
“I heard what you said, dammit!” Tobi roared, slamming his fists on the table ma-king her to jump in surprise. The plates jumped too, food spilling on the table, but that was the least of their problems.
“No. You can’t. That’s breach of contract.” He said, leaning on his chair, trying to be calm.
“The contract says that I’m giving Tobi Ademi a baby, not babies. So you’re only entitled to one baby.” She pointed out and he glared at her, glared at her for being so right.
“It’s about the money shay. Fine. I’ll give you another twenty million naira for the other baby.”
“It’s not about the money.” She snapped.
“Then what is it then? Why do you suddenly want to take the child? You and I know that you can’t take care of a child, you can ba-rely take care of yourself. Taking care of a child requires a lot of money Abena. You have medial bills, school fees, house rent, and all of that stuff. You think I don’t know, all the money I pay to you, you don’t have a dime left.”
Her breath hitched.
“I don’t care where your money is going, but my child isn’t going with it. You can’t separate my children, especially when you don’t have any money to take care of them.”
He finished, looking her straight in the eyes, her teary eyes.
“But I’m their mother too.” She said quietly.
“No!” He stood up angrily, and pointed a f!nger at her accusingly. “You are not their mother. You’re the carrier, an incubator . This is what you were paid to do.”
She flin-ched at his words.
“Don’t get your role twisted. And mark my words, I would take both my children.” He said, storming out of the room.
He then walked back in, took his plate of food, added another piece of chicken to his plate, and stormed out, muttering some things incoherently. Although he was extremely angry, a p@rt of him was filled with regret.
He wished he could take back the words he said. But he couldn’t.
…
The next morning, Abena stood by the blender, ma-king herself a smoothie. She had turned it off, then Tobi walked in, and opened the fridge. He took out a bottle of water and began to gulp it down when his phone started to ring.
He answered the call. “Hello?”
Abena then turned on the blender, really loud, then he started to shout over the phone. After his call, she turned it off and gave him an innocent smile.
“What the hell was that?” He asked.
“What?”
“If you think immaturity is going to get you to win, you must be mistaken. You have forgotten that I’m Tobi Ademi. I get what I want, no matter the cost.” He warned and stepped out of the house.
…
“What do you mean by she’s right?”
“I’ve checked the whole contract Tobi. Twice! There’s not one p@rt that says ‘babies’, everything says ‘baby’.” Joseph explained.
Tobi had gone to his house since he couldn’t go to his office, and explained the problem to him.
“For the love of God, you’re my lawyer. You didn’t even think of that?” Tobi snapped.
“Well how was I supposed to know that the girl was that fertile?” Joseph sh0t back.
“I don’t know! At least it was a possibility. You should’ve thought about it.” Tobi shouted.
.
.
What’s your take on this?
Who’s right between Abena and Tobi?
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 23