A LETTER TO YOU: Chapter 21 – The End
A LETTER TO YOU
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I began to murmur some silent prayers as only my lips were moving. I knew only with divine intervention can the mother of Martins change her mind.
Martins followed his mother to the bedroom but he tried to use his hand on his chest to tell me to relax that all will be under control as he smiled to me. Although, I was not a baby, I noticed some kind of distressed look on his face as he was only trying to prove hard like he has everything under control.
“Ehmm, so my wife, how is your parents and everyone in your house” Martins father greeted me with smile on his face. He was in support of our union but the question he asked struck me deeply as I remembered about the incident that led to the death of my family.
“Hmm, actually sir, I am an orphan” I replied with a little bow but then Bose coughed and I looked at her with the side of my eyes but she tried to hide her face.
“Ehyah sorry, things would have been hard on you now. How do you cope with challenges of life” He asked me as he was staring deeply into my eyes as if the answers were written there.
‘It has been God sir” I replied almost kneeling down again. I never imagined that this was how Yoruba culture is, as respect must always follow your answer especially if you are to marry their son or daughter.
“You see, my girl here (Pointing at Bose) told me she knows you very well” he said to me.
“Ehmm, you mean Bose, Yes sir. She is a friend of mine, we stay together” I said with a little smile while I looked at Bose with my left eye but she just looked away.
“That’s good, you see since my son hint me that he was bringing home the lady he wants to marry, I have always longed to see you. You see Martins is like my own right hand man, they are two but I lost my other daughter” He said and tried hard to fight the tears in his eyes.
“Am sorry about that sir” I said to him
As we were talking, Martins mother called Bose from the bedroom that she should come upstairs.
‘Am coming ma” She answered.
As she was going she smiled at me while I pretended to smile back but my heart was aching and my stomach had began to pain me. I thought I had a friend not knowing she was just a wolf in sheep clothing. But the reasons for her actions still baffles me.
A LETTER TO YOU: Chapter 21 – The End
As I sat down, his father engaged me in many discussions but I was absent minded in majority of his word, my mind was with Bose, Martins and his mother in the bedroom. It was as if I was hearing thin voices that was being suppressed. I began to strain my hear and using my heart to monitor their discussions as if I could hear ( you can imagine what I was doing then). I was just hearing thin voices, sometimes it will go up and sometimes it will reduce.
“So what about your relatives, at least uncle, aunties among other either from your father’ side or your mother’s side” His father asked me while Bose mother was just looking at us. Later on, she took excuse and left the sitting room to the other side of the house.
“Actually sir, when our parents were alive, we were not that close to our family members” I answered him expecting the reaction he was going to put up.
“You don’t mean it, are you saying you don’t know any of your relative, if not two at least one. No, you should know” He said to me as he was shaking his head.
I began to think again, the only person I know is Baba Kekere and with what he had done, can I really call him a relative, he never wanted me for something good, is it now my marriage that he would show up and claim to be a relative. My mind was filled with different thoughts and was praying that something should just postpone the day.
Hmm (She stopped writing and looked up as if she was going to talk to someone) you see, this letter I am writing, I want you to get learn your lessons if not two at least one, those of you that loves to pull others down because of your envy towards their success should beware, Nemesis is always at the corner.
It is true, I made a grave mistake of revealing my secret to the one I called my best friend. I learnt in a bitter way that it is not all secrets you share, there are some that must follow you to the grave. No one is to be trusted.
But a person with a good heart is more precious than gold. Anyways, let me continue with my story.
“Hmm, sir, actually, I know one of them, we do call him Baba kekere” I said and was now going emotional which he noticed.
“Oh no, my dear, you don’t need to cry, just take me as your own father too, my daughter should be of your age if not for death and since you are now marrying my son, I will be a father to you” He said but couldn’t continue with his word when Martins mother dashed out of the room with anger in her voice with Martins following her and asking her to handle things with care and not rush in taking decisions.
“Lai Lai (Never) My son cannot marry you” She shouted as she points at me to the shock of Martins father who asked his wife to calm down.
“Beatrice, what is the meaning of all these” He asked her while he stands up.
‘Please, I have said my word, Martins is not marrying her, I don’t know his problem, with all the ladies in Yorubaland that are decent, he wants to go for this after useless lady” She shouted on top of her voice. This time, the mother of Bose had joined in the gathering.
A LETTER TO YOU: Chapter 21 – The End
I was shocked at what she said, that was my past but who brought it up. How come she knew. I looked at Bose who just smiled a bit and then change her face to look stern.
“but mummy, I told you not to say this, that is her past, why are you bringing it up now” Martins said to his mother.
“Please, let me be, since you don’t have eyes, I will help you out’ She replied.
“Madame, stop all these things, everyone has their past. Don’t bring out words from my mouth this afternoon” Martins father said.
‘It is better you speak out, all I know is that he is not marrying her” she yelled.
“Mummy, calm down, all these is not necessary, I know why you are behaving like this, one you want a Yoruba lady but if I will marry a Yoruba lady, it will not be Bose, “Ko possible’{It is not possible” Martins said to his mothet.
“Ehn Ehn, may be I gave birth to you or you gave birth to yourself, you will tell me” His mother replied.
I was shaking terribly in the sitting room, Martins noticed this and came closer to me, he held my left hand and looked at me in the eye with a faint smile. He then whisper to me “You are not going anywhere”.
I could not smile back at him as I just wish everything would end.
“Mama Martins, here me well, you are judging my wife to be with her past because of what someone told you but do you know that your own daughter before her death was also in the game, I saw it in her diary” He said as he pointed to a little book on the table.
Hearing that, Martins mother was shocked and she became silent, she could not say anything as she moved to the diary and opened it. She read through some pages and shouted.
“Ahh, so she was the one that lure Alisa into this, but why” She asked no one in particular.
Bose having knew the game was up, out of anger reveal the most dangerous part.
“Sir and Ma, Alisa has no womb again, she can’t give birth” She said.
Everyone was shocked at the revelation, I could not believe my ears, my heart skipped faster and I fainted.
To be continued………
A LETTER TO YOU: Chapter 21 – The End
Okegbemi Ebenezer
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