*****THE FINAL EPISODE*****
Back in the parlour, Brenda didn’t look or seem unruffled by the bickering she’d had with Jide, neither was she angry at him, if anything, she was smiling warmly at her friend now, no speck of jealousy or rudeness on her face. For She was indeed happy for her friend at long last.
‘Now I see, what you couldn’t say in words’ Brenda said softly, then: ‘D–n girl! You rock!’ she exclaimed.
‘It has been awesome I tell you’ Daisy softly replied
‘Then what are we waiting for? On to get you set already! Work can bloody take a hike!’
‘Now you’re talking!’ Daisy exclaimed now and stood up, pulling Brenda with her. ‘just get ready to be blown away as I exposed the x-rated part!’ she added as they made for the hallway.
‘Bad girl!’ Brenda screamed and they both giggled as they bounced towards the
house like overzealous teenagers.
*****************
The international terminal of the Muritala Muhammed Airport was abuzz with activities this Sunday morning as both expatriates and Nigerians thronged its terminal. Some of them were arriving into the country, while others were going to the check-in gate to catch their flight. Few steps away was a woman and her little daughter standing at the Baggage claim, waiting to retrieve their luggage. Some others were queued at the ticket counter to purchase their flight ticket.
Daisy and Jide were seated at a corner holding hands, while they awaited their flight which was to leave at 9am. They were flying with Lufthansa airline. Daisy’s scanning eyes rested on that woman now towing her bag away, while she held her daughter as they made for the exit. ‘Pretty little darling’ she muttered and smiled, wondering how soon she would have a daughter just like that.
Jide had been quiet all morning. But then she didn’t have much to say herself. She was contented with the way his hand was holding hers all morning. She had also noticed with a feel of pride and joy, that he was now wearing his wedding ring and she just couldn’t wait to explore her world in Boston with him. She was so going to show him to everybody over at the hospital like a prized possession. A real Honeymoon to her, was supposed to last forever & not just only for a week set aside. So the journey was basically for him to learn more about her life. Mama too was excited and expecting them.
Her roaming eyes brushed past two females at the check in gate, but her mind didn’t registered the fact that they had quickly evaded her gaze to busy with the computer on their desk.
In the state she was, Daisy couldn’t be bothered by the fact that she was being watched or that she was the topic of discussion amongst the two less busy flight attendants.
And indeed, they were discussing about her and Jide.
‘Did she notice?’ asked the fair of the two
‘Haba Amaka, I don’t think she did, she was probably glancing around’ replied her accomplice
‘Mehn, the girl set die’ said the supposed Amaka.
‘Yes oh, but I dey trip for the guy abeg’ Amaka’s friend chipped in. ‘But they are married nao’
‘Yes I think. And such lovely couples too’ ‘Yes oh! their children sef, go make sense’ ‘They remind me of Jayz and Beyonce’
‘You don come with ur own! But na that kain marriage I want sha’
‘Na made in heaven things oh’ replied Amaka’s friend and they both laughed. But their fits of mirth was cut short by a feminine voice from the speaker announcing that their scheduled plane was ready and prompting passengers to start checking in.
Since it was their airline that had being announced, the two previously chatting female propped up for action, putting on their monalisa smile all ready to assist the already queueing passenger to ‘a safe and pleasurable flight with Lufthansa airline’ Daisy and Jide had also risen to join the queue. When the fair lady named Amaka saw them in the queue, she smiled, as that would enable her confirm their previous discussion about the seeming Jayz and Beyonce look-alike couples. And Soon it got to Jide and Daisy’s turn.
Amaka slightly stepped on her friend’s toe as she attended to them. Her face brightly lit up in smiles to expose her lovely gap teeth.
‘Welcome Mr. And Mrs Olukoya’ she read from computer in front of her. ‘It says here that you are headed to Boston and that you both have a return ticket back due in two weeks time?’
Daisy nodded and smiled in response. ‘…you’ve checked in your baggage I presume?’ ‘yes’ said Daisy.
‘Ok! Please move to the security cubicle over there. Thank you for flying with us and do have a pleasurable trip ahead’ she concluded with a smile.
‘Thank you’ Daisy replied, smiling. Then Still holding hands they passed through the counter and towards the security room.
‘I told you! They look so like Jay and Bee’ Amaka’s friend whispered excitedly. She had seen the light tone of Daisy’s skin and the dark hue of Jide’s, then off course with the almost levelled height, the slim dark girl needed no other signs to confirm her insinuation.
‘Na made in heaven things indeed!’ Amaka whispered, then eyed her friend. The two ladies giggled briefly at their secret gossip and star- comparism before they diverted their attention to the waiting passengers.
Out in the runway, as Jide, Daisy and other passengers trudged towards the airplane in a file, Daisy’s thoughts slowly drifted to another time, another situation and another companion.
It was the day she arrived Nigeria for the wedding.
Slowly, all the forgotten and suppressed memories started springing up, so much so was the intensity of the deja vu feeling that Daisy had to shake herself just so she could ascertain that she wasn’t anywhere close to that time of her life.
The smile that had crowned her face all morning suddenly fizzled out and in its place was a mixture of fear, doubt and anger. Daisy tried to push the thoughts and feeling away, but couldn’t. For the sudden thoughts seemed determined to keep up a mind game with her.
As she quietly battled with this new emotion that threatened to engulf her, she felt Jide gently squeeze her hands. Then Slowly, she raised sad, doubtful face at him, while his was smiling peacefully, oblivious to the inner struggles of the woman beside him.
Daisy noticed now that they were closer in the queue and it would soon be their turn to board the plane.
‘I guess a happily ever after awaits us, sunshine’ Jide said smiling down at her.
Then slowly, Daisy’s previously lost smile creeped up, back on her face.
The magical spell wasn’t more about what Jide had said, but totally about the way he had said it. It had been so open, so loving, so giving, so sincere. All of which, didn’t seem to be hidden under a mask of pretence.
Daisy’s smile spread wider all through her body now. The significance of the word he had said to her made her so. It was actually the longest he had spoken to her since today, and she never knew him to believe in ‘happily ever afters’. All of this lifted her fear and doubts about the future that had seemed uncertain. And so finally, she won the mind game.
The new Daisy, the one that had arrived Nigeria months ago to chase an uncertain dream, had stopped believing in happily ever after’s. But if it ever still existed, she mused, then it was guaranteed with this man whose eyes had entranced and held her forever.
And so gently she squeezed his hands too. ‘and I can’t wait to live it with you’ she replied softly.Stories from Topster–stories
Jide said nothing, there wasn’t much left to be said. Instead he drew his wife closer, placed a kiss on her forehead, then helped her mount the steps to the plane. Unconcerned with how the other passenger would interpret his gesture.
And so, this became the beginning of a marriage adventure for them, they would live through their lives, taking chances to achieve the happiness that existed between the ups and downs that life would surely throw at them. But the best of it all, was that they had grown wiser, learning from the school of life, friendship, love and family. And their love which had been tested and proven to be resilient under the heat of fire, could surely stand the rain and weather the storms of marriage till death would do them part.
*****THE END*****
Join us on TELEGRAM for extra stories: https://t.me/joinchat/P66PNVQ_gZbQApxLXp2Enw