If Omolade had stalled some few minutes more, Akin would have woken up and she would have chosen to stay with him rather than leave with Emma. Or would she have insisted on leaving while Akin pleaded with her to stay with him?... Who knows what would have happened? Who knows the kind of decision a person would make when they're attracted to someone or when they tend to overthink things.
When Akin woke up though, he was disappointed to find she wasn't sleeping by his side and instantly knew she had left. He thought he was clear enough about his intentions with her early this morning when he said in all the twenty-nine years of his life, she was the first woman that has ever made him feel this great. He thought they would wake up together in each other's arms. He was fooling himself obviously.
The rich also cry. Not really knowing his mother, losing his older brothers to death, with the kind of father he had... Life has really been rough and tough on him. He's especially been extra tensed and worried in recent days about what the outcome of his decision to leave the black fraternity would be. Especially now that they asked him to give a life in exchange for his own. The envelope they gave him that contained the picture and name of the person they expected him to kill, he left in his car.
He couldn't remember the last time he had a peaceful sleep like today. Pa has been right all the while. Something about her radiated peace towards him. He was in distress, and then he placed his head on her lap, and all his anguish just sort of seeped out of every orifice on his body. His storm suddenly became calm and peace encompasses him from inside out before he drifted off to sleep
He stepped out of bed and went to the bathroom to have his bath and prepare for work. He was hoping to slip out of the house unnoticed to avoid his uncle's probing questions about why she left that he knew his uncle would surely ask.
"Fuck!... Who am I deceiving? I knew he would be waiting for me, that sly old man!" He said under his breath when he saw his uncle was already sitting at the dining table to force breakfast on him like he usually does, and probably also asked questions about Omolade.
"Good morning Pa!..." He walked towards the dining area and sat on the chair opposite the one Pa Folly was sitting on.
"Good morning... Trust you slept well?"
"Yes, I did!..." Akin replied with a huge smile on his face. Pa Folly nodded happily with a smile of his own. He knew the source of the smile and he would wait till after he ate his breakfast before he asked for the reason why she allowed the girl to leave
"So what would you like to have for breakfast?"
"Anything would be fine Pa, thank you."
"Anything?... Not just cereal?" Pa Folly asked with a surprised look on his face.
"Yes, anything..." Akin who was already flipping through the morning paper said absentmindedly.
"A full breakfast then..." Pa Folly said towards the maid who was standing nearby. The maid immediately left to get the food prepared. She was also surprised, she happily relayed the breakfast order to Nana who in turn was surprised.
Breakfast was always like a tug of war kind of argument between the uncle and his nephew. Their boss would always ask for cereal or his own specially blended tea whenever his uncle insisted he must eat before he leaves for work, which always happens more often than not.
Nana soon appeared from the kitchen followed by the maid with a platter heaped with bacon, sausages, eggs, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast. The food was placed at the center of the table and Nana generously served and placed a plate in front of Akin.
They all watched in wonder as Akin picked up his fork and started eating, oblivious to the fact that his uncle, Nana, and the maid were watching him with huge smiles on their faces.
Pa Folly was happy. He looked towards heaven and whispered... 'Predestined! Thank you, God!' under his breath. He had hoped for something great in his nephew's life. Something that would be a source of happiness for him other than when he chose work as an escape from his problems. He knew she was the one the moment Akin brought her into the house in his arms.
'Predestination can never fail. What has been destined to be will surely be.' He thought to himself with a smile.
Akin tucked into his breakfast with gusto. "Why are you standing around? You all don't have to watch me eat you know. Not like I could sneak the plate under the table to the invincible dog sitting at my feet" he joked and they all laughed
"Because it's good to finally watch you eat good food more nutritious than cereal and that disgusting tea every time for a change."
"Yeah, it's good to take good food... But my herbal tea is not disgusting. It's very good for your health. You should also try it too Nana"
"No thank you!" Nana scrunched up her nose and immediately started walking towards the kitchen like Akin was about to force the said tea on her, closely followed by the maid.
"I'm happy..."
Akin directed his gaze from his plate to his uncle when he heard what he said
"With such a huge grin on your face..." Akin chuckled. "I'm not surprised, believe me. Your face is almost splitting into two with happiness... So tell me, why are you happy?"
"Stop trying to be stupid, it doesn't suit you!... You should go talk to her... Go get your woman."
Akin dropped his fork then, and looked at his uncle... My woman?" He asked and laughed. "Really Pa, aren't you taking this too far?"
"I thought you said you feel good this morning?"
"Yes, I indeed feel good... I slept peacefully, my taste buds didn't repulse me for the first time in many, many years... And it still doesn't change anything, Pa"
"It still doesn't change anything? What exactly do you mean by that?"
"It doesn't change anything because she did not want what you're anticipating."
"She didn't want?... How did you know that? Did you read her mind?"
"No, I didn't... But I made myself clear enough to her about how I felt and still she left."
"You made yourself clear in the few hours she spent here!?... When was that?" Pa Folly asked with an unbelievable look on his face "You're not one to talk much so when exactly did you make yourself clear?"
"Pa..."
"Akin!..." Pa Folly raised his hands to silence him, cutting him off mid-sentence. "How could you expect a girl to trust you with her life within such a short period?... It doesn't work that way son. Contrary to what you might be thinking, women don't think the same way you know. Some might think they could trap a man with their skill in bed... while some just see the act as a natural thing a man and a woman enjoy together.
I've taught you all women are to be respected no matter what... But don't make the mistake of judging one based on your experience with the other. Contrary to what some men have been saying around... All women are not the same."