“The guy means business. He is genuinely interested in you. And you went out like this. Let’s help mother serve food and then we will shower and get properly dressed. We can even go out and he will find us”
We did as Chiamaka said. We served the food, took our bath and took Kosi for a walk. I wore a pair of jeans trousers and a spaghetti flowery top. The weather was hot in the afternoon. Chiamaka wore a short cotton dress. We enjoyed our stroll to visit our cousins and friends close by. When we got tired, we came back home, he was still there. Obinna and Ikenna joined father in the sitting room and they were discussing. Why were they so comfortable with this guy?
“You are back? Emeka said he would like to have a word with you. He asked my permission respectfully and I don’t have a choice but to agree. You can go under the tree outside; it is comfortable and you would have your privacy” I couldn’t believe I heard that from father. He agreed I talk to a guy privately. Emeka had charmed him surely.
I went with Emeka. The first thing he said was, “You smell nice. What’s the name of your perfume?”
“Intuition”
“I came back with some designer perfumes. I could bring one for you”
I didn’t respond. What exactly did he want? He hadn’t said anything.
“I told you my name yesterday. Emeka is my name. I don’t live in Nigeria, I live in Spain. I work with an oil company there. I come home at least twice a year to visit my family. Like I said yesterday, I saw you and was smitten. I knew I had to talk to you. Tell me about yourself”
I was quiet for a while trying to understand what he was actually saying before I replied. “You know my name. I am the last child and only daughter of parents. I have elder brothers; you’ve met them. I am in a secondary school in Enugu. I live with my aunt and her family there. I only come back home during the long holidays and the Christmas holiday”
“I knew you were not a village girl. The way you walked and talked set you apart. The lady with a child, is she your sister?”
“She’s my adopted sister”
“That is nice. What class are you in?”
“I am in SS 3”
“What do you intend to study?”
“Medicine”
“Wow, that’s interesting. If you can study Medicine here and pass the certification exams in Europe, you will be very well paid”
“I’m aware”
“You are rounding up this year?”
“Yes. Hope to enter the university next year”
“How old are you?” I was reluctant to answer. “Don’t be shy. I will be twenty-eight this year. It’s that simple. So, tell me your age”
“I will be eighteen”
“You are young, bright and beautiful. I am interested in having a romantic relationship with you which hopefully will lead to marriage. I will be travelling back in the third week of January. I will love to take you out while I am still here. Would you give me the honour?”
“I think you should be asking my father that”
“So, you only do what parents approve of”
“Yes”
“I will ask your father. You can come with a chaperone. I won’t do what you don’t want me to do” he replied with a sneaky smile on his face.
I looked at Emeka. He was dashing. He was what the romantic novels called TDH which stand for tall, dark and handsome. He was built but not too wide. He had swag. His clothes were on point. He looked clean; his hair was skin, no jewellery or accessories, smelt nice; very nice, wore clothes that looked expensive. He had a square chin, tiny well-carved moustache and sideburns.
He looked at me smiling even more. His smile seemed so genuine and it was disarming. I was falling for him. I didn’t know why he struck a chord in me but he did.
He came into the house and made the proposal to father about taking me out with chaperone. Father asked me if it was ok. I wondered why he asked me but I replied, “Whatever you say, father”.
“You can take her out but I don’t want you loitering around the village and don’t bring her back late. I know your father; I know your family. This is why I gave you audience. Your father is a good man; a godly man. I expect his son to follow in his footsteps. I will call him and let him know you visited. He will be offended if he hears it from another”
Emeka was surprised but I wasn’t. He received the audience he did because of his father not because he was comfortable or handsome or because of his intentions. Far from it