Molade was overwhelmed—a storm of emotions crashing over her as she stood there, her legs trembling. Shock, disbelief, anger. What she saw before her was impossible. How could this be? How could he be alive? No, it couldn’t be true. She collapsed into a chair, eyes locked on him, and whispered his name.
“How can it be? You are alive.”
He stared back, confused, as if she had lost her mind. “What do you mean, I’m alive? I’ve always been alive.”
“No,” she breathed, “you were dead. I was told you were dead. They said you were dead.”
“Did you see my grave?” His voice was cold. “You accepted it because it was easier for you to move on. To forget me. Your family never liked me anyway. You wanted to believe I was dead to fit the life you were used to.”
“You’re wrong,” she protested, voice breaking.
He shrugged, indifferent. “What can I do for you today?”
Molade stared at him, incredulous. “I didn’t come here because I was sick. I came because I saw a document with your name on it, dated three years after you were supposed to be dead. I had to see for myself.”
“You’re in luck then,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Now that you know I’m alive, are you ready to leave?”
How could he be so callous? Where was the man she had loved, the man she had married? His coldness cut deeper than any wound. “I see I mean nothing to you,” she said, her voice trembling. “The day I walked out of your life, you were dead to me. I don’t know you anymore. I feel nothing for you. I have moved on.”
Molade shook her head, tears brimming. He would never know the truth now. She was dead to him, and dead she would remain. Rising with the last shreds of her dignity, she whispered, “I’m sorry for wasting your time, doctor.” And with that, she walked out of his office, each step a painful echo of the life and love she had lost, found and lost again within a twinkling of an eye. He would never know the only chance he had to know—gone, just like that. She was dead to him
Clad in a simple leaf-patterned navy blue and white kaftan made from traditional adire fabric, Molade watched the cars speeding by on the Ibadan-Lagos expressway. Her thoughts drifted to another time when she made a similar trip. The road wasn’t this terrible back then; it took just a little over an hour to get to Ibadan from Lagos. Just like now, Jamiu was driving, as he had since her teenage years. Molade’s brow furrowed in thought as they journeyed toward the ancient city. Despite its proximity to Lagos, she could count the times she had travelled this road.
Her musings were interrupted when the car swerved off the main road onto a muddy path, dodging deep potholes. She jerked forward, saved by her seatbelt from hitting the headrest in front of her.
“Sorry, madam,” Jamiu apologised.
She waved him off, knowing it wasn’t his fault. A little effort from the government could fix the road, she thought, glancing around. Her mind wandered to the reason for her trip today, wondering if her findings would confirm her fears sparked by a document she had seen that morning.
Jamiu slowed the car beside a woman roasting fresh corn to ask for directions. As he prepared to drive off, Molade handed him a few thousand naira notes to give to the woman. The joyous woman quickly wrapped some roasted corn in newspaper to give them, but Jamiu declined and drove away. Molade watched in the rearview mirror as the woman danced with joy; the money would cover her sales for the day and more.
They arrived at what appeared to be a hospital. Molade gazed at the small building; its white paint had faded to grey and peeled off, and some broken windows were replaced with wood. A queue of people spilled out from the entrance, making her wonder how much busier it would be on a weekday.
“Do you want me to go in for you?” Jamiu asked, his voice filled with concern.
Molade offered a small smile. Jamiu knew her well, but why wouldn’t he? He’d been her driver since she turned sixteen, becoming more like family over the years. She had built a house for him, sent his children to school, and seen them graduate and secure jobs. To Molade, Jamiu was more than a driver; he was a father figure. Her friends often remarked on his long tenure, but Molade felt lucky to have him by her side. She trusted him like no one else.
“No, thank you. I’ll do this on my own.”
Molade stepped out of the car and joined the queue at the hospital entrance. A woman with a baby asked her in Yoruba, “Madam seti gba kadi yin wanni dayin loun laisi kadi”, meaning if she’d gotten a card yet and she would not be attended to without one, then kindly directed her to where she could get one. Molade was grateful; she was used to seeing her personal physician by appointment and wasn’t familiar with the public hospital’s protocols.
At the registration desk, she gave a false address and registered under a pseudonym, “Bimbo Jimoh,” wanting to remain inconspicuous. The young lady behind the desk eyed her sceptically, commenting that she didn’t look sick and the doctor was busy with patients. Molade grimaced, noting the abundance of unsolicited opinions in this place. She nodded politely, holding back a retort, and took her place in the waiting area, her mind racing with the potential revelations ahead.
Molade must have sat there for over two hours, the minutes ticking by with excruciating slowness. The air was thick with the murmur of conversations, the occasional cough, and the rustle of paper. Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed when her pseudonym, “Bimbo Jimoh,” was called. It took a moment to register that it was her turn.
As she stood up, a mix of anxiety and anticipation washed over her. She walked into the doctor’s office, the door closing behind her with a soft click. What she saw next left her stunned, a cold shock settling in her stomach.
She’d barely been at her place for ten minutes when she heard her doorbell ring. Whoever it was, it must have been someone close to her gateman to allow the person in. She could guess it may be Ola, Moses, or Emma, and she was not up to receiving anyone; she should have told Sule he was not to let anyone in, even the list she had given him.
Dunni opened the door and was not surprised to see Emma, her long-time friend and confidante. “Who asked you to come?” she asked, although she could guess that Moses, her childhood friend, must have put her up to it.
“It does not matter who put me up to it. Emma replied, walking past her and dropping her bag on the sofa. She made a beeline to the fridge to help herself with a glass of cold water. Typical of Emma to walk in like she owned the place.
“It is so hot; this global warming is genuine and not some scam by the world out there.
Dunni followed her without saying a word. She was sure Emma had not come all the way to talk about the weather and was not in the mood for any discussion.
“I hear congratulations are in place—engaged and with a daughter, too!” said Emma, gazing at her pointedly.
Dunni waved her hand in denial, giving a small smile.
“So, when is the wedding?”
“Three months from now.”
“What! Who gives three months to plan a wedding? Does this guy know you have a whole community of friends and family who have been waiting for this day, and you both want to rush it like that?”
Dunni swallowed hard. She did not want to tell her friend that Tade had fixed the date without consulting her. He wanted the wedding to be before the end of the year, the same date as his previous marriage. Tade had already decided to use his church. He did not want the wedding to be in the month of his daughter’s and late wife’s birthday, which was also her birth month. Dunni had always dreamed of a June wedding and hated the idea of a wedding around Christmas. The season was too festive to add to the burden of planning a wedding.
“Tade did not see any reason to wait longer, and we both know what we wanted,” she said, hating herself for lying to her friend. How was she to explain how pathetic she had become to her friend going ahead to marry a guy who thought more about himself, his daughter and his dead wife over her, or at least it came across as that to her?
“Or he thinks you may change your mind.”
“Emma!”
“Don’t Emma me. I may be called many things, but I won’t keep my mouth shut when I see you making a huge mistake. Leaving a guy who’s loved you all his life for someone looking for a mother for his child and a wife to keep his home.”
“That’s enough, Emma! Dunni shouted and regretted doing so immediately.
“Who are you talking about that has loved me all his life?” Dunni asked, more upset with Emma than she had ever been in all their years of friendship.
“Do you seriously not know, or are you playing games with me?”
“Who is it?” Dunni asked, exasperated.
“Moses.”
“What are you talking about? Moses never had feelings for me. It has always been a joke on his part ever since he used his useless dice.”
“Yeah,” Emma retorted drily. “I am sorry to inform you that it appears you were the only one who did not see this guy staying by your side and playing the role of a fiancé, which you found very convenient.”
“Did you know about Moses’ supposed feelings for me?” Dunni asked quietly, afraid of what she might hear.
Emma laughed in derision. “Are you serious? I have been your friend all these years, and I thought you knew. Can you remember the day you walked in on Moses and me having a conversation about some mystery girl in our final semester? You said if he loved the girl badly and she wasn’t reciprocating, she did not deserve him, and he should move on.”
“Yes, I do, but what does that have to do with me?” Dunni rubbed her temples, frustrated by the unending circles to their conversation.
“Since you have decided to act clueless where Moses is concerned, you were the girl in that conversation. We have been waiting for your eyes to be opened, but it was not only your eyes that were closed; your heart was closed, too.”
“No way!” she did not want to believe Emma. There must be a mistake somewhere.
“Yes, way! Sleeping beauty. Moses has loved you all these 16 years. 16 years, this guy has stayed by your side, loving you in many ways some girls will only dream of, but you have been so blind. I hope you know what you are doing. I married Greg, who I love to the moon and back, and some days, I’m wondering what I got myself into. Now, think of what would happen if I had married some guy who I felt a maternal pull to his daughter. I’ll be out of the marriage now.
Emma stood up and slipped her bag over her shoulders. “I’ll see myself out,” she said, hugging Dunni. You are in a difficult situation, but I hope you think of yourself and that little girl and that you are doing your best for her in the long run. Should you be unhappy in that marriage, there would be little you can do for her.”
Dunni was left in tears. She did not think she had any more tears left. All she had been doing in the last couple of days was crying. Her misery increased when she thought of all the ways Moses had been trying to tell her of his love, and she had bluffed all of them, thinking he was teasing and just running with his dice prediction.
She missed Moses if what she was going through did not involve him. She would have gone to him to talk it through so she could run her thoughts by him. Moses had a way of breaking up situations and helping you see the bigger picture.
She grabbed her keys and drove to Ola’s place. She needed to figure out what she was searching for. If what Emma said was true, then Ola must have known all this while.
When she got to Ola’s house, she was so glad Ola opened the door instead of his wife. Dunni knew she looked a mess and wasn’t sure she could face Miriam right now with all the questions she could not answer. Dunni politely asked for his wife as Ola led her to his study. She could guess she was crashing on family time.
“Is it true?” she asked.
“What,” Ola asked, scratching his head obliviously at what she was talking about.
“Is it true that Moses has loved me for the last 16 years?” Dunni knew she must sound pathetic, but she needed to know. “Ola, please tell me. For the sake of all the years we have been friends,” Dunni pleaded.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t. Go to Moses and talk this over with him. You don’t need me; I am a third party.”
“You can’t, or you won’t?” It appeared that Ola would talk for a fraction of a second, and then it was gone. He shook his head. “I am sorry, Dunni. You need to talk to Moses.”
Fine!” she stormed out of his study, smacking into someone. She did not need to look at the face to know it was Moses. She could recognize the woodsy and aromatic smell of his cologne anywhere.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, looking up at his face and being shocked. It had been only 24 hours, and Moses had never looked this worse. His hair was uncombed. She felt terrible that she was the one hurting and causing him pain.
After this blew over, Dunni promised to start looking for another job. It was too obvious that things could never go back to what they used to be. The friendship and usual banter would be gone, replaced with a strained relationship.
Ola followed her out. He did not appear surprised to see Moses. “A good thing you are here. Dunni came to ask me a question only you could answer. I will leave you both here. Please close the door behind you.”
Moses tucked his hands into his pocket, not without sending a silent thank you to his friend. He had come to talk to Ola. Just the thought of Dunni going ahead with the wedding was driving him crazy.
Dunni cast an evil look at Ola. “Fine!” Such an irony is the word she used when everything was far from being ‘fine’ in her life. Would discovering Moses’ feelings for her have been since they were teenagers make any difference to her? Was she trying to assuage the pain and hurt she felt? How could something you have wished for so long fall within your reach, and you could not take it?
Dunni returned to the study while Moses followed her, shutting the door behind them.
“Is there something you wanted to ask me?” Dunni could hear his voice, dejected and defeated, breaking her heart. Her upbeat friend, who would bring the moon down if need be, now appeared to have lost his zest for life.
She cleared her voice. Is it true about that day with Emma on campus that you were referring to me?”
“What difference would it make,” he asked gruffly, his hands still in his pocket as he walked over, closing the distance between them.
“No difference,” she lied. “I just need to know.”
“I won’t answer your question,” he said, holding her gaze as he moved towards her, closing the distance between them and entirely in her personal space. They had been this close before, and she had not bothered, but all her senses were up this time.
Dunni was the first to blink, “We have nothing else to say on this issue, and we can all go forward with our lives.
If that’s what you want.
She was sick and tired of Moses acting as if she had dumped the burden of the revelation on them instead of him. He should have kept whatever feelings he had to himself. The guilt was slowly eating at her, and she was looking for anything to get her out of this mess. It was supposed to be simple: She got engaged and moved on like Ola and Moses would one day. It was not something to be this complicated, a love triangle.
Moses stared at Dunni pretending he was hearing what she was saying. Nodding at each interjection while his mind was far away. Last night was the most miserable for him and Dunni coming today was the final thrust onto his bruised heart.
Completely lost in thoughts, he was brought back to the present when he felt Dunni tapping him or the electrifying sensation from her touch. ” You were not listening”, she reprimanded. He tried a small smile with the lame excuse of his body telling him to call it a day. He had thought she was here to let him know she had changed her mind and was ready for a relationship with him but she was still stuck in the best friend status bla bla that he was not prepared to hear.
Moses smiled at Dunni’s cute pout that always disarmed him. “You can stay and let yourself out. I have to go upstairs.” He could see the drop on her shoulders but was impressed with the front she put up, a brave smile and forced excitement. “Sure, I will let myself out. You go and have the much-needed rest.”
Dunni watched him go sadly and wondered if this was the beginning of the end of their friendship. She shuddered and willed that it was not real, and she would just wake up and find that she was in a dream and all the thoughts about the death of the beautiful friendship they had shared were simply what it was, just a dream.
The sound of a text coming through her phone was enough to convince her this was happening and not a dream. She could tell it was from Tade from the ringtone. She sighed she’d told him she was dealing with an emergency and would not be available this weekend. She liked that he was so understanding and did not pressure her into the details, which she was not ready to give at this stage. What good will come out of sharing the details when the problem persists.
Dunni let herself out, realising that this problem might eventually destroy her relationship with Moses. All previous optimism was lost. And with that realisation, she became angry with Moses for not understanding and for letting himself get carried away with feelings and complicating their relationship. By the time she got home, she was no better than before she left, and this made her sadder. She was angry that she could not be there for her friend at a time he needed her the most like he had always been for her.
She played about with the thought of breaking her engagement with Tade. Her engagement to Tade barely 48 hours ago was the best thing that had happened to her, she was still processing it and now Moses springs this on her. He was unfair and thoughtless to have pulled this stunt. How could he have done this to her just when Tade asked her to marry him? She knew she was not being rational but her thoughts were all over the place and nothing was making sense the way she wanted it to.
Tade was okay. He was easy on the eyes, a perfect gentleman who loved her. Maybe Moses and she would have had a chance, but she could not hurt Tade for something that could fail. If Moses and her were to happen they had 16 years to have done so. She had always compared most guys that came to her to Moses, he was the pedestal to which all men in her world had to live up to, even if she did not know it at the time, and they had always fallen short but with Tade, this was different. Moses was out of the country and there was no need to bounce things off him, to have carried him through the process of her relationship and not blindside him. Still, she was also the one who had guarded the relationship away from Ola and Moses, in the days he was known as, “Mr Flowers”. Her relationship with Tade was something real and she was not going to trade it for a whim, being away from her this long had clouded Moses’s judgment. If he was with her, he never would have pulled the stunt of proposing to her. Yes, she applauded herself for discovering the root of the problem, being away from her made Moses lose his senses. She would have reset it should he have been around like she had always done.
Dunni let herself into her house, exhausted. Her mind was a cacophony of what ifs, what shoulds, and should nots. She tumbled up the stairs crashing into her bed, curling into a ball and wept her heart out.
*** ***
Dunni’s eyes fluttered open, and she immediately felt puzzled, realizing she was still wearing yesterday’s clothes. Her head throbbed as memories from the previous day came flooding back. Staggering into the bathroom, she could barely recognise the face with the bloodshot eyes, smudged mascara, and dishevelled hair staring back at her through the bathroom mirror, hardly recognising. “What do you really want?” She questioned the face staring back in the mirror trying to come to terms with the harsh reality of her life but was only rewarded with silence.
The thought of calling in sick and staying home from work crossed her mind. But she knew that if she did, her partners, Moses, and Ola, would come to her like Navy SEALs on a mission, worried about her well-being. Despite struggling to get ready for work, she decided she would go in late after calling her mother. Her mind was in turmoil, and no solution seemed to bring her peace.
On her way to work, Dunni made an impromptu decision to take a detour, leading her on a four-hour drive to her mother’s house in Ibadan.
She poured out her heart, seeking guidance. Her mother’s advice was straightforward and wise. Marriage was about love, respect, and a shared future. When the initial romance and butterflies faded away, the friendship between the couple would sustain the marriage. Dunni had to make the decision, as she would be the one living with her chosen partner.
Her mother shared her perspective on both Tade and Moses. While she didn’t know much about Tade, she emphasised that Moses had loved Dunni for a long time, and she had witnessed his dedication and affection. Dunni was surprised to learn that Moses had been visiting her mother regularly, even before he left for China and had asked her mum permission to ask Dunni to marry him when he returned from the trip.
Her mother cautioned Dunni against sacrificing herself for the sake of Tade’s daughter, as love for the child alone wouldn’t be enough to sustain the marriage. She reminded Dunni that she wasn’t marrying the child, but rather Tade, and if her feelings for someone else surpassed those for her chosen partner, she might regret her decision.
Dunni listened carefully to her mother’s words, her mind churning with thoughts and emotions. It was a difficult choice to make, and she knew that whatever decision she reached would shape her life and future happiness and some people would be hurt in the process. The road ahead was uncertain, but she understood that she needed to be honest with herself and choose a path that aligned with her heart and aspirations. Discovering that Moses had already resolved to propose before his departure for China left her in a state of emotional turmoil. Her initial belief that his prolonged absence was clouding his judgment faded away like a puff into the thin air.
At the sound of the closed door, Dunni released her breath that she did not know she had been holding, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions that had just washed over her. Losing her best friend, Moses, felt like a crushing blow. Anger, sadness, loss, defeat, and confusion all swirled inside her, making it difficult to find a sense of clarity amidst the chaos of her feelings. Moses had been her rock, her go-to person for everything, and the one who stood by her side through thick and thin, without ever faltering.
As she sat alone on the carpeted floor in her living room, memories of their countless adventures, inside jokes, and shared laughter flooded her mind. She had always dreaded Moses getting married and the change it would bring to the dynamics of their friendship. Little did she know that the transformation she never anticipated would come from a place she hadn’t foreseen—a shift in feelings. But now that moment had come, and it hit her harder than she could have anticipated.
As the reality of Moses’ proposal sank in, the impact hit her with an intensity she could never have imagined. Her heart felt heavy with emotions she struggled to comprehend. How could she have missed the signs? Had he been dropping hints all along, and she had brushed them off as mere jests, as part of their familiar banter?
Dunni’s mind swirled with questions and conflicting emotions. She cherished their friendship deeply. Moses was that one friend who understood her like no other. Now, that bond was teetering on the precipice of change, frightening her to her core.
The tears began to flow uncontrollably, and with each drop, Dunni felt an intense pain in her heart. It wasn’t about Moses proposing to her; they had playfully entertained the idea before, and it had never bothered her. This time, though, it was different. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had betrayed Moses by accepting Tade’s proposal without even discussing it with her best friend. She wondered if things might have turned out differently had she and Moses laughed it off as they always had in the past rather than her taking him too seriously. She should have deflected him when he started and convinced him it was an unknown mystery lady, he planned on proposing. He did not have to be stubborn about it and insisted that she was the one.
Dunni knew she had to work through this with Moses. Their friendship was too precious to let go of without a fight. She had to make him see that they were destined to be friends, nothing more, nothing less. Yes, she could talk sense into him. They had both allowed their emotions to get the better of them, but they could overcome this if they faced it together.
The following day, after giving Moses some time to reflect, Dunni decided to visit him. She hoped that by then, he would be in a better frame of mind to discuss everything rationally. She was determined to remind him of all the incredible memories they shared, the unbreakable bond they had, and how they had always supported each other through the highs and lows of life. He was her brother for life and could not get away even if he wanted to pull this fast one on her. She refused to believe that he was serious. Moses was playing out one of those wicked jokes.
As she made her way to Moses’ place, she rehearsed in her mind all the things she wanted to say. She believed that they could find a way to navigate through this, as they had done with other challenges in the past. Their friendship was the foundation that had sustained them through all their previous relationships, and it would continue to be the anchor that held them together through this tough time.
The next day dawned with a mix of apprehension and determination for Dunni. After allowing Moses some time to reflect on the previous day’s events, she couldn’t wait any longer. She knew she had to face him, to have that crucial conversation they both needed. Hoping he would be in a more receptive frame of mind, Dunni set out to visit her best friend, the one she considered her brother for life.
Finally arriving at Moses’ doorstep, Dunni took a deep breath before knocking on the door. She felt a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. It swung open, revealing Moses on the other side. Their eyes met, and Dunni’s determined smile softened her tense features. She wanted him to see that she cared deeply for him and that their bond was worth more than any obstacles they would face.
“Moses,” she began, her voice steady yet tinged with emotion, “we need to talk. I know yesterday caught both of us off guard, and maybe I didn’t react the way you expected. But you mean so much to me, and I can’t imagine a life without you as my closest friend.”
Moses looked at her, his expression a mix of seriousness and vulnerability. He seemed unsure of how to respond, but Dunni pressed on, “We’ve both come a long way and we’ve faced so much together, and I want us to get through this too. You’ve always been there for me, and I’ll always be there for you. Our friendship is too precious to let a misunderstanding like this come between us.”
Her words seemed to resonate with Moses, and a glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes. He nodded slowly, and Dunni knew that he was starting to understand her perspective.
“I don’t want things to change between us,” she continued, her voice softening further, “Let’s promise to be honest with each other, to talk things out, and to always cherish the friendship we have.”
Moses took a deep breath, and a small smile played on his lips. “You’re right, Dunni. I value our friendship too. I don’t want anything to come between us either. Forget what happened yesterday.”
At that moment, a sense of relief washed over Dunni. They may have stumbled upon a bump in their friendship, but she was confident they could navigate through it together. As the days passed, they would find their laughter again, just as they always had.
With renewed optimism, Dunni embraced her best friend, knowing that their bond was stronger than any temporary confusion. Together, they were ready to face whatever lay ahead, reaffirming their belief that their friendship would endure for a lifetime.
Experiencing love and being loved in return is nothing short of a miracle.
“What about Becca?” Dunni asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.
“What about Becca?” Moses responded, more confused than ever.
“I thought you were into her. I thought she was the one you were proposing to,” Dunni replied, attempting a small laugh as she wiped away the tears streaming down her face. Moses sighed with relief, finally feeling like he was getting through to her.
However, his relief was short-lived when Dunni asked brokenly, “Why now?”
“It’s not now; it has been forever,” Moses said, taking her hands in his, never breaking eye contact. He felt at a loss, unsure of how to convince her. “I have been telling you all my life, but you never took me seriously. Our story should be written into a book and made into a film. I bet it could win the Oscars.”
“Because you were not,” she screamed, hitting his chest with her small fists, crying uncontrollably.
Moses gazed at her with increasing worry. Dunni was becoming more distressed by the moment.
“Tade proposed last night, and I said yes,” she said, lifting her left hand to show him the sparkling solitaire diamond engagement ring adorning her index finger. However, she realised that the ring was not there. She left it on her dressing table. “The ring is upstairs,” she said lamely, not accustomed to wearing it.
Moses felt a pain in his heart unlike anything he had ever experienced. His heart momentarily stopped as he struggled to breathe. “The guy you met about six months ago?” Moses asked, disbelief evident in his voice. “Please tell me this is a joke,” he pleaded.
Dunni shook her head, tears falling involuntarily.
“Is that what you want?” he croaked, tears welling up in his eyes, his voice breaking with emotion as he swallowed hard. How had they reached this point? Was the universe playing tricks on him? Dunni was his world from the moment she entered his life. It had always been her and no one else. He had tried two other relationships, but they couldn’t compare to Dunni. And now, what? He ran his hands over his head and across his face. This couldn’t be happening. He needed to do something. He stared at her, unaware that the tears on her face mirrored his own.
Pulling her into a fierce embrace, he felt her offer little resistance. “If Tade will make you happy…” he began but couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence. He wasn’t ready to let her go. How could he ever survive without her? She was his breath, his oxygen, and this was not just a cliché or words from a romance book. This was his reality. He had no life outside of her. The house he built had her input because he had always envisioned their future together. He had insisted on bringing her on as a partner in their firm to ensure she wouldn’t be lured away by another company.
Dunni is an exceptionally gifted architect, and while her hard work had earned her a leadership position in the firm they had built together, it was her beauty, personality, drive and sense of humor that had captured and won his heart. It had always been Dunni, his entire life. His heart felt torn apart. The thought of her marrying someone else was unbearable. There had to be something he could do. He had to convince her to give them a chance. She couldn’t simply jump into a relationship with a guy she had only recently met and discard someone she had known almost her entire life. There must be something in her heart for him.
Moses stepped back, lifting her chin with his fingers, looking deeply into her eyes, silently willing her to give their love a chance. He was devastated when she looked away. That was the answer he needed. If she couldn’t meet his gaze, she wasn’t ready to fight for them. He kissed her forehead, defeated, stood up and let himself out. His heart hurt so badly, and he struggled to breathe.
Time will always tell, but it is the patience we all lack.
Moses was growing anxious. He had attempted to contact Dunni multiple times but was consistently unsuccessful. He decided he would have to drop by her house unexpectedly to retrieve his keys. Though exhausted from his long flight and craving the comfort of his bed, the anticipation of seeing Dunni outweighed his fatigue. The route from the mainland to the island was surprisingly clear on this Saturday morning, a relief after spending hours confined to an airplane.
As he felt the ring in his pocket, a smile tugged at his lips. Regardless of the odds and Dunni’s seeming obliviousness to their mutual attraction, he was determined to propose to her today. He no longer wished to postpone this moment. His prolonged absence had affirmed his deep-seated feelings for her, and he couldn’t imagine life without her. Their dance of ambiguous relationship status spanning over the years would end today. Moses planned to make his love known, breaking free from the “best friend” label that had concealed his true emotions.
Settling back into the cab seat, he closed his eyes, a vision of Dunni’s warm smile filling his mind. Today would mark the beginning of the rest of his life with the only woman he could ever truly love, the woman for whom he would willingly sacrifice everything. In this life and any others to come, he would do anything for Dunni.
The cab pulled up in front of Dunni’s gate, and he stepped out, paying the fare and dialing Dunni’s number one more time. The gatekeeper was already outside, ready to assist with his luggage. “Oga welcome, e don tey we see you for here. I bin think say you and madam don fight, I no know say you travel fa” Meaning it had been long he saw Moses and thought Dunni and he had a fall out.
Moses chuckled quietly to himself, keeping his thoughts private. He could always rely on Musa to say the most outrageous things while still managing to be amusing. He never ceased to be amazed by the man’s unfiltered audacity and wondered how Dunni, known for her short patience, managed to put up with him.
**************
Dunni awoke, her vision blurred, struggling to discern whether the relentless throb in her head was a symptom of a migraine or the persistent knocking at her door. For a fleeting moment, her surroundings were unfamiliar. But soon, the memories of the previous night engulfed her. The dinner, the proposal, camera flashes, and Tade hurriedly leaving her at her doorstep with a promise to see her the following day.
Reflecting on the proposal gone awry, Dunni found herself with a barrage of unanswered questions. Tade, as always, had adeptly sidestepped her inquiries. The mystery that now shrouded her engagement seemed to cast a larger shadow than her initial excitement. She had believed she knew Tade well, but the enormity of her acceptance of his proposal has raised a lot of questions, perhaps she had been misled. Maybe she only knew as much as Tade had permitted.
She was in the dark about his friends, had never met his family, and the closest connection was a family friend she had encountered at the restaurant the previous night. With a goal to research the woman online, she tried to remember the name. It seemed it was time for her to seek out answers on the internet if they were not forthcoming from Tade himself.
Still half-asleep, Dunni fumbled under her pillow for her phone. The cold metal against her skin caused her to wince. The weather was still mild for the time of year, yet her air conditioner had the room feeling like mid-winter, requiring her to slip deeper under her warm duvet.
Blinking her eyes open, she gasped at the time displayed on her phone. It was 10:36 AM on Saturday and she had 22 missed calls! The constant banging was not in her head but from the door downstairs. She grumbled, reaching for her housecoat draped over the edge of the bed. Slipping into her house slippers, she shuffled her way downstairs. Moses was the only one audacious enough to barge into her home so early on a Saturday, but he was in China. Or was he due back this week? she pondered.
Peering through the peephole, Dunni squealed, realising who was at the door. She swung it open and launched herself at Moses with the force of a cannonball.
“Wow!” Moses chuckled. “Had I known I would receive such a welcome, I would’ve donned full body armor.” He pulled away to look at her. She appeared to have lost weight and seemed utterly exhausted. He could tell she was still overworking herself in her typical fashion, and he felt a pang of guilt for his extended absence and lack of support on their ongoing projects.
“You’ve been working yourself to the bone, haven’t you?” he observed.
“Says who?” Dunni retorted. “I’ve been slacking off and falling behind on all my deadlines.”
“You mean your self-imposed deadlines that are always a month ahead of the actual ones.”
“They’re still deadlines,” she argued.
“Can I sit down? I just got back from the airport and dropped by to pick up my keys,” Moses requested.
“I am so sorry,” she apologised leading the way to her living room.
“Why didn’t you tell me when you were coming? I could have had someone clean your place before your arrival. It was tidied up about two weeks ago and I sure the dust has built up again and not to mention the stale air.”
“That should be fine,” Moses responded nonchalantly, sinking into the sofa while Dunni looked on at him, realizing how much she had missed him and excited to share her engagement news.
“Why are you looking at me that way?” he asked Dunni.
“What way?” Dunni countered, grappling with whether to disclose her engagement news now. She would have preferred to, but he had just returned from a long journey and had numerous things to sort out after being away for six months.
“You have that look, when you’re about to burst with information and struggling to contain it. Your twitching right eye and pursed lips always give you away,” he pointed out.
Dunni chuckled. “You know me too well, but whatever I have to say can wait. I’ll call the cleaner to pick up the keys for your place while I whip up a quick breakfast for you. You still have some clothes in the guest room. You don’t need to go to your place yet, rest here and I’ll drop you off later.” She rattled in one breath.
Moses smiled, wondering how long it would take for Dunni to realize that they were meant for each other.
Hours later, they sat comfortably, engrossed in conversation. “I have something to say, and I think you do too. So, you go first,” Moses proposed, a serious expression shadowing his face that made Dunni raise her eyebrows in curiosity. “If you have something to say, you better go ahead. I’m sure your news will overshadow whatever I have to share.” She had a suspicion that Moses was going to announce that he had met someone and was thrilled that they both had good news to share.
“I think you should go first,” he insisted.
“Nope, you go first. Let’s give the man who just returned from the moon the honors,” Dunni joked. “You mean China?”
“It might as well have been the moon. We barely communicated while you were there. It felt like you were swallowed up by their world.”
“The word ‘busy’ doesn’t even begin to describe the work out there. We complain about work in Naija, but those guys are like slave drivers, putting in 14 hours and more like it’s nothing. Being a proud Nigerian, I had to show them that we’re up to the task. It nearly killed me, but my pride wouldn’t let me back down.”
“You were about to work yourself to death for nothing. Can you drop this national pride? After all, we’re all realizing that we’ve been scammed, and our dreams shattered by each new leadership.”
“Naija for life, and Naija to the world,” Moses chanted.
Dunni flung a pillow at him. “Says the man who’s been out of the country for nearly half the year.”
“Why is such a beautiful, accomplished woman like yourself still single?Don’t tell me all the eligible guys in Lagos are blind.” Tade teased. Dunni had always detested people who referred to her looks. She often argued that people rarely refereed to a guy’s looks in discussions but more to their accomplishments. She was vocal in pointing that out to whoever cared to listen. Tonight, this was not the case, she strangely latched onto his every word and turned mushy all inside.
The last couple of months had been all that she could dream of. Tade was attentive and kind, and they found time amidst their busy schedules to be together. It was customary to wake up on weekends and drive to his place, where they met without Toni. He rarely talked about himself, and that was one aspect that bothered her a lot. She would talk her head off about her family. Still, when she asked about his family, he grunted intelligible words or found a way to talk about something else. She knew he had a twin sister who was married and lived in the states.
“I could say the same, why a handsome, incredibly wealthy medical doctor, despite being a widower, has not to be snapped up by the Abuja sharks and Lagos cougars.” She loved the sound of his laughter, deep like the waves of the ocean, a low sound building up to a crescendo and filling the space between them.
“You make me sound like a slice of meat on the market.” “Unfortunately, I think that’s the truth. Take a slow turn to your left, my right. There is this woman about your age sitting with a guy in a white kaftan whose been stealing looks at you since we came in. I feel so sorry for her companion.”
Tade snapped for a waiter and discreetly looked in the direction Dunni had pointed. “That’s Made Brown, the chairman of the board of directors at Lekki Consultant Hospital.” Your hospital? She asked, eyebrow raised in question. “She looks young.” “Being born into a pool of trust funds from your great-grandparents has perks.” Tade laughed, but it was a little bit tight this time, “please excuse me. I need to say hi.”
Dunni sipped on her glass of wine while she looked around. The Oceanview was one of the highbrow restaurants on Victoria Island, and a meal here could probably buy her house. How does someone in the medical profession afford such a lifestyle? She should be asking those questions, but she’d never broached the subject for some reason. Maybe because she also had money that she worked for and was not handed down to her, so why should someone else’s source of wealth be scrutinised by her. She rationalised, and Tade’s could have been handed down to him.
She had to know. It’s not like she was a social climber or gold digger; after all, she could afford a reasonable lifestyle on her own. It is not like Tade moved in this circle. However, his clients appear to waltz in and out of the corridors of power, the creme de la cream of Lagos and Abuja society, old money, new money, and the political and ruling elite.
Who is Tade Braithwaite? She shrugged. With time she’ll get to know all she needs to know. You never approached your client without digging into who they were. The voice in her head chastised her. It sounded too intrusive doing that to someone close. Where is trust? She argued. In business, you want to know all the possibilities that could come up. You were prepared not to be blindsided. Matters of the heart were vastly different from the cold calculation of money and service-changing hands.
Dunni had no idea. Tade had been sitting before her for a couple of minutes until he snapped a finger in her face. “Where’ve you been. Dunni managed a small laugh. “Nowhere. No idea I had zoned out. How is Made?” “She should be okay as long as she keeps out of my affairs.” Dunni could see the rigid set of his jaw. He looked displeased but tried to hide it. She wanted to know more about this Made that seemed to upset him and his background.
The food came, and they delved into the sumptuous meal of mashed yam with spicy fish sauce and grilled lamb chops. All her questions were pushed to the back seat of her priorities. “This is exquisite. I did not know what to expect. Dunni closed her eyes, savouring the mashed yam’s softness and the spicy sauce’s sweetness. Tade inhaled sharply, and he wanted to kiss those lips. No human should look this sexy over a simple meal. Dunni opened her eyes like a daffodil in the morning sun. “What, she asked, mouth opened, oblivious to what she was doing to Tade?” Tade let out a soft growl. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? “Nothing. I am not sure how long I can keep away from you.” “Are you travelling somewhere?” “No. I am not thinking of it, but would you mind a weekend trip to Idara Resort in Calabar?” “Too tempting, but I have got so much work this weekend.” “You work so hard. Do your partners ever consider a lighter load for a woman?” “Is work about gender or capability?” Dunni asked, mustering all the self-control she could. One thing she could not stand was a reference to her gender when it came to working. Working with Ola and Moses must have blinded her to the sexism out there.
“I am sorry, Dunni. I did not mean it that way, and I was looking for more time to spend with you.” He took her hands over the table, looking into the depths of her liquid brown eyes. “You do so much to me, and I never thought I could feel this way again.” Dunni smiled. It felt good to be desired, but she wanted more. She wanted him to fall head over heels in love with her. She wanted him to ask her to marry him. Dunni knew she said she’d go with the flow, but she wanted to become Mrs Braithwaite. “I love you, Dunni.” Before she could respond, Tade was on one knee, just like how he was the day she fell in the superstore a few months ago. He had this beautiful ring with a diamond solitaire in a blue ring box. She knew it was a diamond with many colours reflecting in the light.
Was this man telepathic? How could he know the two questions in her heart just now? She loved Tade and had questions that needed answers but could wait. Dunni hated Tade’s Tarzan and the damsel in distress moves but also liked how he looked out for her and how she’d become the centre of his universe along with his daughter. Here was a man who had suffered so much loss and was still willing to put out his heart, and it only made her melt for him.
“Yes, yes, I will marry you.” She imagined Moses’s disapproving look and dismissed it immediately. Tade slipped the ring into her left middle finger. He cupped her perfectly sculptured round face in his hands. “I promise always to make you happy.” Dunni could not be happier as she gazed into his eyes and lips, wondering if there would be any magic if he decided to kiss her. Dunni had never been kissed, and Benji’s sloppy kisses in university days indeed cannot be counted. She still gagged from the horror of swapping saliva.
“Promise me you won’t hurt us – Toni and me.”
“I promise,” Dunni assured solemnly like she was taking a vow. She was not someone who took promises lightly, and she knew she would stand by her words through rain or sunshine.
Tonight was her night. She could read the question and hesitance in his eyes. She moved closer to him, bidding him kiss her, oblivious to all the others in the restaurant. They were just in their world. The fire sparks and tingles on her feet were none like she had imagined. The kiss was slow yet demanding, simultaneously sensual and chaste but with promise. They probably would not have stopped without the flash of a camera.
“What was that?” Dunni asked, more shaken from the emotions she felt than from the surge of flashes from the camera. Tade swore, “let’s get out of here.” Dunni did not fail to see the death glare Tade directed at Made on their way out. How could such a beautiful moment be abruptly broken? She knew enough body language that all was not well, and her 15 minutes of romance was just a commercial interlude on reality highway.
Dunni loved the feel of Tade’s hand around hers as he marched out of the restaurant like a man on a deadly mission. They were intercepted by the restaurant manager rushing out to apologise. At the same time, two huge 6 feet 3 inches men led the cameramen out of the premises. “We will credit your account with us as compensation for the unfortunate disturbance,” the distressed man offered.
Who is Tade? Too many questions were racing through her head and now did not seem the appropriate time to ask. He was like a totally different person after the flashes of the camera. Suddenly there was this air of someone accustomed to wealth and influence around him. Had this always been there, or was Dunni only noticing it.
Molade’s digging into Dunni’s background leads her on a journey of her past.
Jamiu had been her driver since she turned sixteen and stayed with her all through the years; He was more like family to her. She had built a house for him and sent all his children to school. They were all graduates of the prestigious University of Lagos.
She also helped secure jobs in their different disciplines across her companies. Jamiu was more than a driver. He was a father to her too. And while he was her driver for the world, she held him in high esteem and accorded him the respect of an elder. Her friends’ marvelled that he’s been with her for over three decades and think he is lucky to still have a job. Molade considered herself the lucky one that he was still with her; she could not trust anyone like the way she trusted Jamiu. The man will take a bullet for her, which was no exaggeration.
“No, thank you. I will do this on my own.”
Molade came down from the car and walked towards the hospital entrance to join the long queue of patients waiting to see the Doctor.
“Madam, seti gba card? A woman with a toddler resting on her hips asked and began directing her where she had to get the card, explaining that she won’t be attended to without one. Molade saw her personal physician every month by appointment and was not familiar with such protocols. She graciously accepted the kind woman’s direction and went to register for a card.
When asked for her address, Molade had to rattle her brain to give an Ibadan address as she did not want to give her actual address. She also registered under a pseudonym, Bimpe Jimoh, which sounded like a regular enough name.
The young lady at the registration looked at her and asked what she wanted to see the Doctor for. She stated that she did not look like someone was sick, and the Doctor was very busy and only attended to sick people. Molade grimaced and swallowed the nasty comment she wanted to belt out. They do have a lot of people with unsolicited opinions in this place. She nodded in understanding, not trusting herself enough not to say something that would make the girl decline to issue her card or stop her from seeing the Doctor. After all, she had no idea who was standing before her. Lagos shook at Molade’s presence, and this mouthy little know-it-all ordered her like she was her errand girl.
Molade sat in the waiting room for over four hours until it was finally her turn to see Dr Braithwaite.
Coming here was not the best of ideas, but she needed his immediate family to know he had left behind two children. The question they would be asking is, why now? It was finally time to let her kids know who their father’s family was; if she was accepted by the family, she would let the children meet their uncle. Lekan was the sensible one of the lot. Thirty-four years was too long, but it was better late than never. She recalled the last time she saw her three-month-old husband, Lanre when he walked out on her.
It was no news that Molade’s family had not approved of Lanre and even accused him of being a gold digger. So when Lanre requested a loan to build a hospital, she panicked and blatantly refused to loan Lanre the money. It was her way of protecting him and preventing her family from saying, ‘I told you so.‘
It was her way of pushing him to succeed on his own merit without assistance from her or her family. Molade needed him to do that so she could return to her father and be the one to say, ‘I told you so.‘
She did, but she lost him in the end. She lost him before she finally lost him forever, and death was faster than her forgiveness.
Bimpe Jimoh! Bimpe Jimoh!! Bimpe Jimoh!!! It took her a fraction of a minute to realise she was the Bimpe Jimoh being called. She picked up her bag and stood up to go into the Doctor’s office. It was now or never. It was not that she had not tried to reach the Lanre before. The first was when she realised she was pregnant after he left. She was told he had travelled out of the country, the next time was over 25 years ago, but she was told he was dead. Yes, that was what her father told her when she insisted they reach out to him to let him know of the children. He had the right to know he had two kids; she argued until her dad gave in and returned with the news that shattered her completely. She picked the pieces of her life and faced her business and her children.
Molade convinced herself she was doing the right thing. She owed her children the opportunity of meeting and get to know their father’s family. Dr Lekan will be the bridge to making that happen. She let herself in, and nothing prepared her for the sight she encountered on entering the office. Molade stared in shock and disbelief, unable to utter any word.
The flow of questions fluttered in her head, she could hear the screams in her head, but silence in the space she shared with this stranger who looked so familiar. Was she hallucinating? Was she going mad, or was she dead? Molade felt suddenly tired as she succumbed to the darkness that enveloped her.
21stcenturybelle 