I've never had that sense of being defeated and worrying so much about it. I would always compose myself and challenge it. But here was that moment in which I knew, defeat was going to rear it's ugly face. And I wasn't prepared to challenge it. As we went inside the sitting room, both men saw us and looked up.
"Ah, my son, so have you taken your decision?" Ola's father commenced.
"After a long consultation, the conclusion should be good." My father replied.
As we stood before the two men, I looked at my father and he looked at me. He must have probably noticed my worry and was trying to assure me everything would be alright. We stood facing them while Nancy sat beside them. It was like facing a panel of judges.
Ola had to speak and I was only hoping he would say something that would make my visit less embarrassing. I would leave his house knowing, it didn't work out between us. But I wanted to leave with dignity.
"So my son what have you decided?" Ola's father didn't want to waste time. He wanted the matter to be settled as quickly as possible. But my father stepped in with a twist I didn't see coming. I was a little distracted, when he asked me a question I least expected.
"My daughter, why are you still angry with him?" I stood firm and looked at him. As I looked at him I noticed Ola's father also staring at Ola.
"My son, why are you taking her anger so seriously?" Ola's father asked him. Both of us stood speechless and only turned to look at each other briefly.
Yes, I was still angry with the man I loved, and he was taking my anger so seriously enough to want to end our story. I felt so relieved and elated, I wanted to hug my father. He had saved me from what was about to turn into an embarrassing situation.
"Tola, you see how your mother is behaving? After she will accuse me of spoiling you. Where did you get your anger from? Is it not from her? Tell me what this young man has done that is hurting you to your bone that you cannot forgive him?"
"And you my son, why are you taking her anger so seriously? If you have done something to hurt her, why not apologize? It's like you are only putting more fire. You are not quenching the fire, you are pouring more petrol."
I heaved a sigh of relief knowing that I wouldn't go home disappointed. I was angry with Ola, but I was taking my anger too far, and it was spoiling my chances of really knowing him. In my mind, I was thanking both fathers repeatedly for their timely intervention. But it didn't end there. Ola's father spoke up again.
"Anyway there's still enough time for the two of you to make a final consultation." he said
"So both of you can go back to the veranda again. We will wait." My father said. I looked at Ola and he looked at me. I turned and faced Nancy and she nodded. Soon we were back on the veranda sitting down and staring at each other, wondering what had happened.
"Tola, how did your father know you were still angry with me?" He asked. I kept quiet as I didn't even know that myself.
"I have no idea," I replied. "And how did your father know you were taking my anger seriously?" Ola looked at me and then placed his hands to his jaws.
"Sincerely speaking, If I know where he pulled out that card he played, I would have told you." Evidently there was something both men were doing, that we as their children didn't know about.
After all, they gave us life; and they were very good friends. Could it be that they wanted to cement their friendship by having their respective children get married to each other?
Sitting on the veranda with Ola, I finally realized, that the two of us, were about to become the product of perhaps a carefully orchestrated family marriage arrangement.
An agreement that may have been made perhaps, when we were only kids. If this was the direction in which my life was about to go, I knew I had no power to change that decision. I felt stuck. Stuck because I finally realized it was going to be difficult separating from Ola.
Breaking up and going our separate ways could spell untold consequences for both of us. As we sat there in the veranda, I finally realized that Ola approaching me on the first day we met, wasn't a coincidence. His telling me he knew I was going to be his wife, wasn't a coincidence. And probably my mother getting upset over my refusal, wasn't just a coincidence either. Everything it seems, had been carefully planned and settled well ahead of time.
"Ola?" I looked into his eyes seriously. I could only imagine shocking him with what I was about to reveal to him.
"What is it?"
"You know we could be stuck with each other for life?"
"Me and you?" I slowly nodded.
"And how is that even possible, when I've already made up my mind to end this drama?" I remained silent as I felt he didn't realize what we were about to get into.
"Ola... ?" I paused and shook my head. " Ola go after another woman and you may never be settled in life again."
The worried look on his face told me my words had struck a cord in his mind. He jolted in his chair. He then placed his hands to his jaws and looked thoughtfully at me.
"Tola what are you talking about?"
"Try it. Go after another woman, and you will suffer the consequences." He laughed
"Ah Mass Communication, you really study am sha. See as your level of communication don dey advance." Here I was telling him something serious, and all he could do was laugh over it.
"Ola you dey find my trouble again?"
"Ah my baby." He came and sat down on the edge of my chair and placed his hands on my shoulders. It felt good having him close to me. I needed it especially after coming to the realization that we could be stuck with each other forever.
"Ha my baby, no vex. I take am dey play wit you." He turned my face with his left hand and bent his head and kissed me on my lips. It was a light kiss but good. I felt good and wished he could continue. But he went to sit down. I wasn't drunk, but I looked at him like I was drunk. I stretched out my hands and held his hands.
"Ola?"
"Talk to me, my baby. " I giggled as I held his hand.
"Can you from now on treat me nicely?" I asked bending my head to one side
"Better than Lanre?"Â He was provoking me and as much as I didn't like it, I smiled.
"Can you do that? Can you be around me as much as you can?"Â He sighed pulling his hand away.
"Tola? if there is something I need to know, say it. We have to go back in there you know?"
"Just answer my question and stop joking, okay?!" I raised my voice a bit.
"Listen, I promised never to treat you the way I did back at the restaurant. I made it clear after I kissed you, that there will be more goodies to come your way. What else is there?"
"Ola I asked you a very specific question and I want a specific answer?"
"Tola, am I under Police interrogation or what? And since when you turn to Police sef?"
"Ola be serious with me for once and answer my question."Â Ola looked at me like I was asking too much. He put his left hand into his pocket and held my left hand with his right hand.
"Tola? I always keep my promises and had wanted to surprise you in a special way." When he brought out his hand he was holding it in a fist. " Since you don't like surprises I won't surprise you any more." He opened his hands and I saw that he was holding a ring.
"Tola? Sometimes I find it hard to understand why I approached you on that first day and said I believe you will be my wife. I now know why. It is because I may never find another woman to tell that to spontaneously, that would wait for me. But you waited, you had the patience to wait." He slipped the ring onto my finger.
"Tola? Whatever turns and twists life takes, I want you to be there as my wife. Am I asking for too much?" Suddenly tears rolled down my eyes. I was supposed to jump up and shout. But here I was with eyes full of tears and I couldn't contain those tears.
He quickly came to my rescue by bringing me a tissue. I allowed him wipe the tears. As he wiped the tears I took hold of his hands and held them.
"Don't worry Ola, I'll be fine."Â He looked at me and smiled.
"I know, and you still have all the time in the world to say yes or no." I knew time was on my side. But I wanted to say yes immediately. I had to say yes. I got up.
"Ola? Let's go in." I told him. He hesitated before he got up.
"Are you sure you are ready? I mean are you sure it's what you want?"Â I nodded. I was ready, ready for the consequences of the decision I was about to make. I had decided Ola was going to be my husband. I had decided to tread on the twist and turns of this life in the company of the man I loved. And now, I had to tell this to my father, my mother, Nancy and every other person on the face of the earth.