by Osar Adeyemi
He smirked. "Well, he'd better get used to it. His sister is taken."
Yemi smiled. "How is your mum doing?" she asked as he navigated his way skilfully through the traffic. He had told her that his mum had a heart condition and had been ill over the past few days.
"She's okay now health wise but somewhat moody. It would have been my dad's birthday tomorrow, and she is always a little emotional around this time every year." He smiled slightly. "It's not just her, though; we all miss him. Sometimes, it still feels a little crazy that he is really gone."
Yemi's eyes softened. She knew Akeem had been very close to his father. He had told her that a drunken driver had crashed into his father's car three years earlier, killing him instantly. "I wish I could have been there for you back then."
"Thanks, baby. It was a tough time then; dealing with the unexpected loss of my mentor and suddenly becoming the one that everyone looked up to at KH."
"You've done a good job of it, too. I read up a bit about KH, and it's obviously going strong."
Akeem smiled as he glanced sideways at her. "So you've been checking us out, huh? Finding out if I can afford to feed and clothe you?"
"Something like that." Yemi smiled cheekily at him. "Material girl like me needs to be sure that her man has a few pennies in his bank account."
Akeem laughed. "That is so not true! I've never met any woman who actively resists receiving gifts as much as you do, but you are mine now and have no choice in that matter."
Yemi touched his arm. "I don't want to belong to anyone else." She felt warm all over at the tender look he gave her.
A few minutes later, Akeem turned into the street where his house was situated. Yemi stared at the house as they drove through the electronically controlled gates. She still got struck by its beauty whenever she saw it. It was a cream-coloured architectural masterpiece, surrounded by well-tended lawns. Tall ornamental palm trees dotted the compound, giving the house the appearance of a beautiful aristocratic woman holding court amongst her admirers.
"Finally," she said as they got into the sitting room a few minutes later. She rubbed the back of her neck with her palms before stifling a yawn. "I'm not supposed to be this tired. After all, I had a nap earlier on."
"I still feel you're overdoing it. I know you have a target, but you've got to take it easy." Akeem eyed her slim frame. "You even look like you've lost some weight."
Yemi put her hand on her hip and struck a pose. "But I thought skinny was cool?"
He gave a low wolf whistle. "Gisele Bündchen had better watch out; my girlfriend is hotter than her!" He picked up the takeaway bags from the table. "But fashionable or not, I don't want you to disappear into thin air." He gestured towards the sofa. "You just sit down, and I'll sort this out myself."
"I'm not that tired," Yemi protested.
"Orders," Akeem told her as he headed towards the kitchen.
They chatted as they ate, and he insisted on clearing up by himself afterwards. Yemi watched him as she lay back on the sofa. This was one of the reasons why she could never consider him a "big catch." He was so sweet and caring that she forgot who he was. She was only reminded of his status when she went to his office or when they were with other people.
"Come here." She beckoned to him when he popped a glass of fruit punch by her side. "I love you," she whispered before touching her lips to his.
Akeem leaned in and deepened the kiss until she pushed him away.
"But you started it…" he said with a roguish gleam in his eyes. His gaze dropped to her lips and his head dipped towards hers again, but just then his phone rang. He ignored it, but it kept on ringing. He gave her a quick kiss, then touched her cheek lightly with his finger before picking it up and looking at the caller ID. He grimaced. "Sorry, baby, I have to take this call. It's Adil."
Adil was his younger brother, who lived in Abuja with his wife and their twin sons. He headed the Abuja branch of the KH office. Yemi was aware that Adil had flown into Lagos several times since she and Akeem had started dating, but Akeem had never suggested that she meet him. She had met all his close friends but was yet to meet any member of his family. She found it a little strange but didn't want to ask Akeem about it. She felt that would imply that she was pushing for commitment, and after all, they were still just dating.
∞∞∞
The golden orange rays of the sun were gracefully receding, giving way to the violet and blue hues of twilight as Yemi dressed up for her date with Akeem. She felt all tingly and warm inside. She remembered how nervous she had been the day before, when she had gone to check her results, and then had felt like screaming with joy when she saw that she had graduated with first-class honours.
"Yemi, Akeem is here," her mother said, coming into her room. Her eyes lit up with admiration as she looked at her daughter. "My, you look so beautiful!"
"Thanks, Mum." She didn't know where Akeem was taking her, but he had asked her to dress up. It was the first time she would be wearing the beautiful silk ink-blue Vera Wang dress that he had bought for her a couple of months earlier. The dress emphasised her small waist and showed off her slim figure, swirling softly around her feet as she moved. It had an embellished bodice, so she opted to leave her neck bare and just wore a pair of silver drop earrings with a matching bracelet.
After one last check in the mirror and her mother's approval, the two of them exited Yemi's room and made their way to the sitting room, where Akeem sat chatting with her dad.
"You look stunning," Akeem said, rising to his feet as Yemi came into the room with her mother.
Her dad beamed proudly. "She looks just like her mum when she was about that age."
"Don't I look the same now?" Yemi's mother teased as she linked her hands with her husband's.
"Of course you do, my dear. You are just as beautiful as ever."
"I quite agree, sir," Akeem joined in. "I can see where Yemi got her looks from."
They chatted with her parents for a while before setting off. Yemi was pleased at how easily Akeem got along with her parents. She could tell that they liked him a lot and were very impressed with his manners. Her parents had initially had some reservations about their relationship because of the differences in their ages and Akeem's social status, but all that had been erased when they met him.
"So how's my first-class honours girl doing?" Akeem asked her as he nosed his car onto the motorway. "Has it sunk in yet?"
"It still feels so surreal! I remember how shaky I was when I went to check the results."
"I was just as nervous as you were yesterday. When my phone rang and I saw your number, I was almost too scared to pick it."
Yemi laughed. "No wonder it rang for a while before you answered it. I thought it was because you were in a meeting."
"No, I was just biting my nails and hoping with all my heart that everything was okay."
"Well, I'm glad that it's all over," Yemi sighed happily. There were times when she still woke up at night thinking that she had to study before it would dawn on her that she was truly done with school and exams.
"Do you remember my family friend, Sesan?" she asked him. Akeem nodded. "It's always been assumed by everyone that he would graduate with first-class honours very easily, but amazingly he didn't. He came out with a second-class upper."
"That's still okay."
"You don't get it." Yemi turned slightly in her seat towards him. "Sesan is brilliant! Easily cleverer than me any day. So this is such a surprise to everyone."
"Well, now you've beaten him, so that should make you happy."
"Not really. I'm more puzzled about what could have happened to him."
"Like I said, he'll be all right. He does not even need a degree to be successful, but hey, let's not talk about academics or anything like that tonight." He gave her an injured look. "I'm still trying to get over the trauma of you rationing the time we spent together when you were studying for your exams."
Yemi laughed. "I'm all yours now, at yo
ur beck and call!"
A crooked smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "How about making that offer permanent?"
"How do you mean?"
"How do you think I mean?"
"I have no idea."
"Really?"
Yemi didn't reply. He glanced at her smiling, averted face and laughed softly before changing the topic.
"I've heard about this place. Everyone says it's so glamorous," Yemi said as Akeem pulled into the parking lot of Navagne, a five-star hotel that had been recently opened on Victoria Island.
"I felt I needed to take you somewhere really special tonight to celebrate your success," Akeem said as he parked the car.
They walked into the hotel and were escorted to their table. Yemi looked at the interior of the hotel in admiration. The lights from the chandeliers cast a magical glow over everything.
"Nicer and nicer." She said as they were seated in the VIP section, where Akeem had booked them a table.
"Only the best is good enough for my girl," Akeem said, pulling out her chair for her before sitting down himself. "It's good to see you looking relaxed again."
She leaned over and touched his hand. "Thanks for being there for me."
"I'll always be there for you, baby," Akeem said softly, taking her hand in his. "Always."
Yemi didn't know if it was possible to love him any more than she already did. He was everything she had always desired and more. "Me too," she said, holding his gaze.
The tender moment was interrupted by a waiter coming to take their orders. Some minutes later, another waiter brought their drinks.
"I'll likely be popping into my office at Abuja this week," Akeem said after the waiter had left. "And I'll also make a quick stop at Niger state to see my uncle."
"How long are you going to be away?" Yemi asked, trying not to feel deflated but not quite succeeding.
"Just four days. I'll be back before you know it."
"That's fine," she said quietly. "Your mum is from Niger state too, isn't she?"
"Yeah, same town as my dad."
"Is her family into business as well?"
"Yes, but also heavily into politics." He laughed. "They like to have a bit of power!"
Yemi listened as he talked about his mum's family, but she couldn't help comparing their backgrounds as he spoke.
A waiter brought their food a few minutes later. She looked at the food, but her thoughts were far away. She had deliberately tried not to think too far ahead, but she wondered what the future held for her and this man that she loved so much.
"Baby?" Akeem's concerned voice cut through her thoughts.
She forced a smile and took a small bite of the succulent scallops she had ordered.
"Mmmm, these are nice," she said, savouring the taste and trying to appear light-hearted.
Akeem arched his brows slightly, but he started eating as well. He told her about his mother's plans to renovate their family home. For someone who normally didn't talk much about his family, he was surprisingly doing a lot of it that evening. The renovations involved a whole wing of the house, and he joked about how his mother was trying to get him to take charge of the project. "I know she can handle it, but she likes to get me involved in anything she is doing as much as possible."
"You're her son."
He made a face. "She doesn't let me forget it." He went on with the description of what his mum told him to do at the house and what he felt needed to be done. Yemi tried to listen, but her mind kept wandering off as she continued to compare their family backgrounds.
"Pretty girls who graduate with first-class honours don't talk too much, do they?" he said after a while, dropping his fork and wiping his mouth with the napkin.
She was so surprised that she couldn't help laughing. This guy knew her so well.
"So what's up?" he asked.
Yemi took a sip of her drink before responding, "I'm okay."
He continued looking at her face. "Talk to me."
She sighed. "I was just thinking about how different our families are."
Akeem smiled. "Yeah, you're right. No one has graduated with first-class honours in my family yet. We're not that intelligent."
She knew he was deliberately messing. "I'm not talking about that."
His eyes grew serious. "I don't know what you're talking about, but whatever differences there are dissolves in the face of our love. You do love me, don't you, Yemi?"
Her eyes met his. "You know I do."
"Then that's all that's important. Just make sure you always do. I don't think I can survive if you ever stop."
"Strong guy like you?" she teased, feeling herself relax again.
"I'm like putty in your hands." His gaze was intense as he looked into her eyes. "I never knew any woman could make me feel this way. From the moment I set eyes on you in that Hawes and Curtis shop, I knew you had to be mine."
"And are you mine?"
"Body and soul," he replied softly. He reached into his pocket and brought out a little black box. Yemi's eyes widened as he went down on one knee before her. "Yemi, I love you with all my heart," he said gently, taking her hand in his and looking into her eyes. "Will you marry me?"
Yemi could not speak. She had imagined this moment, but now that it was here, she didn't know what to say.
"Yemi?"
"I love you, Akeem," she replied, looking into his eyes. "And yes, I will marry you."
"Thanks, babe," Akeem replied, slipping a gorgeous diamond solitaire ring on her finger. "You've made me a very happy man." He kissed her finger after putting the ring on.
Yemi held up her finger, and the ring sparkled prettily as it caught the lights from the chandelier. "It's so beautiful." She didn't think she could ever forget this moment as long as she lived. "And it's a perfect size too. How did you know my size?"
"My secret." Akeem smiled at her. "I'm happy you like the ring, but we can always choose another one if you don't."
Yemi shook her head. "This is perfect, and it means even more to me because you picked it for me."
His eyes locked on hers. "I'm so glad I can look forward to spending the rest of my life with you. I love you so much."
"I love you too, Akeem."
Chapter 4
Akeem arranged for Yemi to meet his mum about two weeks later. He picked Yemi up from her house, and they chatted lightly as he drove towards Ikoyi, the highbrow area on the Island where his mother lived.
Yemi was a little nervous. She had changed her outfit three times before she finally decided on a dress to wear. But despite her nervousness, she was looking forward to meeting the mother of the man who meant the world to her, and it would certainly be nice to have two mothers.
She could hardly wait to get married to Akeem and it was a pity that they would have to wait for a year before they could. Her father had insisted that she complete her youth service, which was the mandatory one-year programme every newly qualified graduate in Nigeria had to render to the nation. She knew her parents felt that she was still a bit too young to be getting married and were using the one year programme as an excuse to delay it.
"We're almost there," Akeem said some time later, turning into the street where his parents' home was located. Yemi looked at the large, detached, gated properties along the street; each of them appeared to be vying for a best architectural design award. A few minutes later, Akeem drove through the massive wrought-iron gates of his family home and raised his hand in acknowledgement of the security men at their post. Yemi glanced at the lush, well-tended lawns as he drove further in. Everything looked stately, from the tall palms that lined both sides of the driveway and the beautiful flower beds that dotted the large grounds to the lovely fountain in front of the house.
A uniformed maid opened the door for them. She greeted them and then led them to the sitting room. She spoke to Akeem in Hausa before leaving the room.
"She said my mum would be here shortly," Akeem explained to Yemi, and she nodded. She had starte
d trying to learn Akeem's language but knew she still had a long way to go. "What would you like to drink?" he asked.
Yemi gave him a small smile, trying to still the nervousness rising within her. "Thanks, but I'm okay for now."
He squeezed her shoulder lightly. "I'll take you around the house later. I'm sure you'd like to see my old room."
"Of course."
He reached for the remote control and switched on the TV. She glanced around the sitting room, taking in the elegant settees and the beautiful Persian rugs that adorned the gleaming marble floors. The drapes that hung from the ceiling-to-floor windows were rich in colour and texture and added to the general opulence of the room.
Through the arched doorway, Yemi could see another open space that looked like a slightly lower floor from where they were seated. It seemed to be another sitting room with different-coloured settees placed strategically. She could also see a massive spiral stairway leading upstairs. Everything she looked at oozed class and elegance.
She thought about her own father's sitting room back in Akoka and the comfortable but worn sofas. There was always bound to be something out of order no matter how much Bose tried to tidy up. This sitting room, on the other hand, looked like it was brand new, everything so orderly that she felt uncomfortable. She suddenly felt a little homesick and longed for the familiar comfort of her home.
Just then, Akeem's mother came into the room. Yemi had seen pictures of her, but she appeared taller in person. She was dressed simply in a floor-skimming kaftan made of some wispy, butter-coloured, lace fabric. The simplicity of the outfit emphasized her beauty, but it was her eyes that caught Yemi's attention the most. She had piercing, steely eyes, and those eyes were sweeping over Yemi at the moment. From the expression in them when they rested on her face again, Yemi felt as though she had been examined and found wanting.
Yemi stood up. She had practised some words in Hausa, but for the life of her, she could not remember a single one of them. "Good afternoon, Ma."
