I took in all the information. My second informant is Scholastica. We talk sometimes. She gives me some information she is preview to. I try not to hear about things that don’t concern me and she understands not to bring such my way. I was giving her money and items for herself and the other two girls but one of them snitched and I stopped. I only give Scholastica. She was loyal to me.
I went home to stay during the holidays. I didn’t want anyone getting involved in my friendship with Dubie. I refused him visiting me in the house. Whenever he is around, I go to Abakaliki to see him. He asked me if I was ashamed of him.
“Why would I be ashamed of you?”
“You are hiding to meet me”
“I am not. I don’t want interference in this friendship; I want it to move at my pace. Seeing you in my home will raise eyebrows and definitely, I will have questions to answer. Once I am sure of what I want, I can only be sure after I graduate, you can then come boldly”
“When are you graduating?”
“Most likely December. They don’t rush us”
“That’s a long time to wait but I will”
“Wait? Wait for what?”
“For you to accept”
“You are funny”
He truly was. He would take me out and we talk and discuss everything. He never told me I love. We never discussed the relationship. He never made suggestive comments. He never stared at my body or looked at me lustfully. I was wondering if a man could be like this. Emeka would have bounced on me since if we were seeing this often during our courtship. I was more mature though. I knew what I wanted. He was cute, very cute and tall and slim.
Chiamaka was pregnant for her second child. Amanze did her the honours. He was still pushing for her to marry him but she just couldn’t bring herself to trust him. My parents and his parents didn’t know she was living with him. He wanted to prove to her there was no other person by cohabiting with her. Kosi was Amanze pride and joy. Now Chiamaka was pregnant, she prayed for a girl so she could have both s£xes and move on. She said Amanze blocked her chances of dating in Abuja. He shows up and is ready to create anywhere he finds her. She resolved herself to fate as he had her mother’s full backing.
Since Chiamaka knew so much about Dubie, I decided to discuss him with her. I had told her earlier about my confronting him and how it went. She seemed to like him. She was shocked that he didn’t make any advances at me.
“I don’t trust him. It is either he has a problem or he has a girlfriend. How can he see you every month and talk to you daily and nothing happens? As set as you are, the engine that has hardly been serviced and he is not begging for it? You need to check gear stick if it is working”
I laughed my head off. I wasn’t interested in knowing if the gear stick worked or not for now but to be honest her reservation tickled my interest. I decided to have that discussion with him without sounding vulgar or in need.
The opportunity came when Dubie told me about his friend and the girlfriend camping in his house for the week. He said the girl had colonized the kitchen but her cooking was horrible. He said he had to be ordering food from outside. His friend joined him in his room to eat while pretending to eat her food. It was funny.
“Nne, I hope you can cook”
“I try.”
“Don’t try o. I will have to send you to catering school when you finish so you will learn. It is not about book. A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I will love my wife to cook for me”
“Wife?”
“Yes”
“Who is your wife?”
“My dear, it is you I am waiting for you to finish school and I will marry you. I will pay any amount your people ask for”
“Why? Why did you choose me?”
“Something attracted me to you. Immediately I saw you, I knew instantly you were my wife”
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I was worried. That what exactly what Emeka said. What attracted them to me? I liked Dubie because we were developing a friendship and we could talk about anything. I could talk about having menstrual pain and he would want me to describe what I felt, how bad the bleeding was and when it would stop. He would find out if it had stopped and if I was better. We could talk about my patients. We could talk about my neighbours. Anything at all. I liked that very much. I didn’t mind being his wife but I had to meet his mother and be sure.
He said, “You are quiet. What is the problem?”
“Why haven’t made an advance at me at all? Why haven’t you attempted to kiss me or hold me”
“I hate to be rejected. If you say no, I will be devastated. I don’t want that so I have learnt to control myself”
“Are you sure that’s the reason or you have a problem?”
“Problem how? You mean not getting it up? You are funny”
“I’m just asking. Or maybe you have a girlfriend”
“I don’t have a girlfriend but I must confess I have girls that help me ease the tension when it builds up”
I shocked. Why would he tell me that? I was going with the self-control story but this broke my heart in several places. I couldn’t talk. So I wasn’t that special after all. Emeka kept himself for months and even years for me and Dubie couldn’t. I was unhappy. It spoilt my mood and my responses to him afterwards displayed it.
“Akwaugo, you made it clear what you desired was friendship, not a relationship. If we are just friends, why can’t I satisfy my urge somewhere else why waiting for you to decide? Let’s be realistic here. I love you and I have told you. You have only likeness for me which I can’t force. What am I to do until I am sure you love me?”
“Would you be happy to hear I have been with someone else too? I also have urges. While we are waiting, I can satisfy them with random guys”
Dubie’s voice changed. He sounded angry for the first time I knew him. “Why would you want to do that? It is because of you I am doing this. If you admit to loving me then I will stop but it is not a license for you to be promiscuous”
“But you are doing the exact thing. Why is it ok for you to do it and promiscuous if I do it?”
“I am a man; I am supposed to have experience for both of us. You don’t have experience and it is best you learn it in the confines of a marriage being taught by your man”
I laughed. I reminded him I was married for four years before it scattered. He laughed when he replied, “Married. You call that marriage? The man is an old man
and couldn’t handle you, if he could there is no way you would have left the marriage. When you experience me, you would understand”
I couldn’t fault that. I hadn’t experienced him. Emeka and I had a very interesting s£x life which I cherished. I enjoyed being with him. Was there a better experience? Was I missing out on something?
When I mentioned it to Chiamaka, she went “Ehen, I said it. Maybe he meets those ladies before he comes to visit so he is not tempted. How can he see you and not want to ‘do’? As per him handling you, do not keep your hopes up. Men that make mouth end up a huge disappointment. I think you should sample that thing before you accept any proposal so you won’t live in regret. At least I am sure of Amanze’s own. The few others I tested were nothing compared to his. That’s why all the ladies in Abuja want him”
“Chiamaka, how did they know he can perform?”
“He sends them a picture of his manhood and they want to have a taste. I told him it should just bring in enough money. Those contracts the women are giving him is not free. I will only give them what is left”
“Amanze wants to marry you. After this baby marry him”
“I am still thinking about”
I never brought up the issue again with Dubie. I would be through soon and then I will know where my feelings lie.
Auntie Nneoma came back with my things for Uju’s wedding. The shoes she got me were silver and nice. I don’t wear very high heeled shoes and she knew. The heels were just 5 inches. I liked them. She bought my jewellery and other accessories. This was my first time of being a bride’s maid and I ended up a chief bride’s maid. I didn’t want to spare any expense.
I was going to stay at Uju’s house a day before the wedding. The wedding was slated for October 1st which was a Thursday. I planned on coming back to Enugu on Sunday. Emeka had called but I refused to entertain his questions on the things
he should get for me. I asked my cousin’s girlfriend (auntie’s Nneoma’s son’s girlfriend) who was a model to shop for me and send down through auntie Nneoma. She did and I was glad.
I took my time to pack. I made sure I had clothes for every day and evening I would be there. I packed my pieces of jewellery, cosmetics and toiletries. My perfumes both from Emeka and Dubie were packed for the trip. Dubie booked and paid for my flight. I told him I would see him on the day of the wedding and after. I wanted to assist Uju as much as possible since I was coming a day before. I had Uju’s address.
The driver took me to the airport. It was my second time flying on my own. Auntie Nneoma was impressed when she saw me come down to leave. I wore a pair of light blue jeggings with a white tank top and a solid dark blue cropped denim jacket. I wore them with a 3inch heel ankle boots. Auntie bought me the human hair which I fixed the day before. It was very long, about 24 inches, straight human hair. I did the centre parting. I made up to travel. I was going to burst into Uju’s house looking like a billion bucks.
At the airport, I was the centre of attraction. Guys walked up to me and wanted to talk to me. I wasn’t interested. The guy I sat beside on the plane wouldn’t stop trying to talk me. He offered to drop me off as his driver was coming to pick him up. I had planned on taking an airport taxi to the house. I turned him down on second thoughts.
When we arrived, I picked up my luggage and walked out of the arrivals. This man followed me still trying to convince to go with him. I refused and walked ahead when I walked into Dubie. I was shocked and so was he. What was he doing at the airport? We were supposed to see after the wedding. He was not sure I was the one, he had to look again. The guy noticed us looking a each other and left me.
“You look amazing. I swear, I didn’t recognize you. Babe, you look hot” he said when he could find his voice.
“Thank you. What are you doing here?”
“How would I stay back when my woman is coming in today,” he said this a bit loudly for people to hear.
He took my box and we went to his car. He kept looking at me from the corner of his eyes and smiled knowing what he was doing.
He drove me to have lunch at Calabar kitchen in Ikeja to have pounded yam and fisherman soup. It was my first time tasting such food and I enjoyed it. He took me from there to the address Uju gave me. It was a hotel in Victoria Island. Her fiancé had booked the suite of the hotel for her. Dubie didn’t want to come upstairs with me so we went our separate ways at the reception. He gave me a paper bag and asked me to open it when I get upstairs.
As I got into the room, I saw Uju doing her nails and fixing her hair. Everyone in the room was quiet when I came in. that was the desired effect I wanted.
“Baby girl you look beautiful. My God, you look amazing. See transformation. This your figure na die!”
“Thank you”