She continued smiling like she has accomplished something really important.
I ate my food in silence, trying hard not to think about the misery my mother has taken the liberty to schedule for me tomorrow. Now my tomorrow is ruined before it even started, all thanks to her.
The next day, after I and my mother came back from church, I decided to take a nap.
I was still trying to catch some sleep, when my mother came into my room.
"Louisa why are you lying down, are you not going for your date? Or have you forgotten you have a date with Ejiro today?"
"I know mummy, but there is still time, this is just 12noon, I need to nap a little"
I tried using a pillow to cover my head, but she came and collected it from my hand.
"What stupid nap, are you going to nap? Don't you know you are supposed to start getting ready now, so that you can have time to apply your makeup, and pick a dress? Or do you intend to go there without taking your time to get dressed?"
"Mummy it's just a date, not an engagement party, or even a wedding party, I will figure out what to wear when I wake up"
"It could be any of those, if you play your cards well enough, that's why I need you to take time in picking out a dress, a dress that would make him not be able to stop thinking about you, even after your date"
"Hmmm mummy, are you asking me to go seduce the man?"
"If that is what is required for him to get married to you, then do it"
"Mummy are you being serious?"
"Shebi did you see any smile on my face? Look Louisa, you have to get married this year, and my mission here in Lagos is to make that happen. So get up and start dressing up" She turned and left the room.
As she left, I stood up and got out a short black dress, alongside with a pair of heel pumps. I have learnt that the best way to live in peace with my mother is to indulge her once in a while. If her mission is to get me married this year, then let's see how it goes.
After picking out what to put on, I decided to go shower, and applied a light make up on my face.
By two thirty I was at already at the restaurant where we are supposed to meet, thanks to my mother who practically pushed me out of the house, now I have to sit and wait for Ejiro to arrive.
By few minutes after three, Ejiro arrived. He wasn't so good looking, but he was okay, he is tall, a little light skinned and was a little on the overweight side, looked like he was in his early forties, but he was okay.
"You must be Louisa?" He asked when he got to my table.
"Yes I am, and you must be Ejiro?"
"Yes I am, nice meeting you" he smiled at me, showing off his brown teeth, which I suspected but have been caused, from smoking too much tobacco. I quickly made a mental note not to allow him to kiss me at the end of this date.
"Same here, please do have a seat" I gestured to the chair opposite me.
Ejiro took a seat opposite me, and we placed our orders, and got talking.
Everything seemed to be going well, and even if he wasn't my type, I considered him interesting. But whatever we were having seemed short lived, because while we were still talking, an angry looking lady stormed into the restaurant, and the moment she sighted our table, she stormed towards us.
When she got to our table, she picked up the glass of juice Ejiro was having and poured it on him.
"Excuse me madam, but what is the meaning of this?" I asked in shock.
"You are excused, because this man here is my husband"
"What? You are married?" I Asked Ejiro who was quiet and kept averting my gaze.
"Not really" he mumbled.
"Not really? What do you mean by not really?"
"So Ejiro you are going to sit there and deny me? Are you going to deny your child too?" The angry woman asked.
He even has a child with her? I thought my mom said he was a widower? How come he suddenly now has a wife, and a child?
Did my mother even do her findings, before setting me up with this man? And why did he choose to go out on a date with me, when he knew he had a wife?
I didn't wait to hear the rest of the story, before I grabbed my purse and stormed out of the restaurant, I hate rubbish.