[This is the first chapter of the first story... Don't forget to take caution while reading. I love y'all]
THE trees breezed by while the setting sun followed behind the final rays of the sun coming through the window casting everything in its path in a light yellow glow. The silent hum of the motor vehicle and the light movement of the car as it journeyed through the mostly smooth road of the highway, the music blaring through the speaker had quieted down into the slow sweet melody of an RnB song giving the night an almost romantic feel. The breeze coming from the lightly opened window gently caressed my check, blowing my hair around my face and blurring my vision.
"You are awfully quiet?" The low voice of my driver who also happened to be my husband-to-be asked from behind the wheel. His voice sounded like sand paper to me now, I could remember when the sound of his voice cheered me up but now all I feel is disgust.
"I have nothing to say" knowing him, I know if I don't reply he'd keep asking the same questions in different format and I wasn't ready for that.
"You always used to be talkative…" he paused after that and I thanked God I was facing away from him because I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him.
"… But you haven't talked like you used to on this drive" he completed after taking a deep breath from behind the wheel. What did he think?
"I thought you said… you didn't like my yapping?" If he had only said it once, I'd have ignored him and just thought it was a slip but he made it his point to always say it at almost every chance he gets.
"I didn't…" he released the breath he had taken earlier before taking his second hand off the wheel and running it over his face.
"… I didn't mean it that way and you know it"
"Yeah right… I am just listening like you say I should be" I felt disgusted and knowing my face I knew I couldn't hide it and with that in mind I kept my face away and to the window.
"Fatima!" There he goes that raised voice again, the one that always come before he starts to shout.
"Fatima… why are you taking everything out of context. I never meant to sound overbearing" overbearing? Did he just say overbearing? Even his breathing close to me is overbearing, what does he think to achieve?
"You don't sound overbearing, you sound like the macho man you've always wanted to be" I couldn't hide the mocking tone I used after the 'macho man' and I hoped he didn't pick up on it.
"Fatima… don't do this right now" I remembered how he threatened to take us out, he didn't mean like to eat he meant take us out like to the other side. We aren't even married yet and he says all sorts!
"I am not doing anything Ola, you are the one asking the questions" I turned slightly to look at him just in time to catch that angry face he has when he thinks I am talking back at him.
"We are going to our parents place… you have to be on your best behavior and drop all this attitude!" That anger again in his tone, the anger that used to put her on edge and reck her but now she couldn't even feel anything towards him.
Anything but DISGUST!
"Ola, don't worry about me… worry about getting your anger in check so you don't blow off like a pressure cooker" I made sure to keep my time soft while I spoke and turned towards him with a small smile on my face before turning back to the window to see that we were coming to the end of the tree lines which means we were ever so close to the city.
The city, I remember growing up her and doing all the fun stuffs with my family. Her father made it his business to take them out to places and sightseeing as much as he could. He even took either myself or either of my siblings to work with him as often as he could.
"This has nothing to do with anger!"
"There you go… your voice is loud! Habah" I know this could be instigating behavior but I've had enough of him trying to paint me as the bad guy.
"Don't be such a little bitch! I am your husband to be and you'd respect me!" He shouted his voice even louder than the honking of the surrounding cars, before his voice would have caused me to jerk and turn into a ball in the corner but I had become desensitized to it and rolled my eyes.
"Husband to be…" I made sure the mock in my voice was audible but also sublime before I continued speaking.
"… rest… don't give yourself blood pressure. How old are you? That you want to be giving yourself high BP" I know I should be keeping quiet and just letting the man rant over and over by I was tired of having him walk all over me over and over.
"This is what I keep saying, you have no respect and you are just foolish" at least he only called me foolish this time and didn't call me the other slurs and words he usually uses. That's a progress for him, if I was in the mood I'd have cheered for him.
But nope! I couldn't wait to be in my parents house, at least I'd feel safer there. Finally coming out to my friends about what was going on had given me the courage I didn't realize I was lacking and opened my eyes to see everything for what it was.
He was manipulating me at every turn he got, he lies to me and verbally assaults me at even the slightest provocation but as if that wasn't enough, the last straw was when he hit me. Smacked me right across the face not once but twice in quick succession. I couldn't ever forget that night, the night when my head spun and my mind bugled.
Even my father had never hit me! Not once… and he had hit me twice! Across the face and he spilt my lip, gave me a black eye and bruised my face. That was the day the song died and the dance stopped, that was the day I knew that I couldn't for the life of me settled down with this monster!
Did he apologize? Of course he did! He sent me money, bought me bags and even bought me clothes. He had literally taken me on a shopping spree and bought me any and everything I showed interest in. Trust me, I was almost fooled for a minute but when I wiped my makeup that night, I saw all the reasons why I shouldn't let this sway me in anyway.
I couldn't recognize the girl in the mirror, the girl who looked broken and panicky, the girl that's almost turning into just a shell of herself. Did I collect those things he bought me? Yes but I wasn't going to have this turn into a cycle of abuse and have myself into a punching bag for him… Ola!
I remember when we first met almost like it was yesterday, he had just come in from the United Stated a few days before when my father insisted I meet his very good friend's son. He insisted I'd like him and that he was a cool guy.
Cool guy? I looked beside me wondering where the cool guy is, only if they could see him through my eyes. See the kind of monster he turned to in private. The match making attempt didn't work at first but after about three tries from the parents from both sides they went out on a date.
The date… and even thing that can after it was a breeze and I almost couldn't keep up with it but our parents were really rooting for us. Rooting? They had literally put me on an ultimatum and told me I had to marry him to make their friendship stronger and keep the business in the family.
I didn't have anyone else in mind for marriage or that I was even seeing at that time, I was two years after university and a year out of NYSC working with my dad and just wanting to live life when all this happened. And all this led me right to this moment, in the moving car in the setting sun with the beast of a man as my driver while we road to my parents house for the part.
An engagement party, not for me thankfully but for another one of their friends children getting married to each other, I still can't understand why they made sure that their kids get married but I am guessing I'd have to be an exception to this rule.
The honking of the car drew me away from my thoughts and I looked forward to see that we were in front of my parent's estate. We liked to call it an estate even though it was only a few plot of land with their mansion on its grounds. The gate opened ushering them into the compound, I could sight my mother's greenhouse from where I sat in the moving car, I could remember as clear as day my mother working in there on her flowers and plants before she transferred them into her big garden and flower pots all over the house.
That thought brought a small smile to my face, I love the familiarity of being back here, the place I considered home. The car parked in front of door to the house and I made a move to open the door when I felt Ola grab my hand.
"I'd get your door for you, my dear" didn't this man just call me foolish a minute or so ago? The man had many masks, and he knew how to turn it all off and on as he wished. A monster!
I watched him get out of the car and walked in front of the car before coming to my side of the car, I tried my best not to burst into a fit of laughter at this but I closed my mouth.
"Thank Kind Sir" I say getting out of the car and just keeping a slight smile on my face as the the maids came out from the house.
"Miss. Fatima" I can recognize Clara's voice from anywhere and that turned my face into a big smile.
"Clara! See you! How's the baby?" I asked her as we embraced with laughter, the last time I had seen her she was a few months pregnant.
"The baby is fine Ms. Fatima. Welcome home" she said before turning to Ola and kneeling before greeting him.
"I thought you weren't going to greet me" He said looking down at her with a look I didn't appreciate on his face and that made my blood boil.
"Clara.. help me take my bags inside." I said directing her to the back of the car and she smiled before walking away to get the bags.
Myself and Ola turned to walk to the house when I stopped him at front of the door and took a deep breath.
"Ola… this is my turf don't come here talking to my parents staff like you run the place. I know you don't care much for workers but you don't talk to my workers that way" I watched his face as he looked surprised at me and what I had said.
"Oh… so you have the nerve to talk to me like this now… if I smack you" there… that's the anger I wish to provoke but not right now where nobody could see except the cameras
"You want to smack me on the grounds of my my father's house? Don't…" I said to him as I swing the door opened to see my mother walking to the door with a smile on her face.
"Omo mi! My own Fatima" I missed hearing the pride in my mother's voice as I could read it over her face also. She always looks so happy to see me no matter the time or what she was doing.
"Maami!" I said in the local way that she had thought me over time when I was younger and went to hug her. I almost didn't want to let go because I missed her so much.
"Ola Ola!" She hailed him after letting go of me from the embrace but she grabbed my hand and gave me a little squeeze.
"Momcy… Good evening ma'am" he said before prostrating on the floor and I almost snickered at him there on the floor and I wanted so badly to stump on his head!
"Ola mi… how are you? Bawo nise?" Momcy asked her voice sounding cheerful as he stood up from the floor and went to hug my mother.
"Fine ma'am… fine" he said smiling and even laughing with my mother.
"How's daddy?" He asked looking around as if expecting my dad to walk out to meet us but my Momcy smiled.
"He's not back yet from work… he'd be home in about an hour or two. Toba gb ope Fatima ti de Bayi… he'd immediately start rushing home" my mother said reaching for my hand again where we stood.
"Would you come inside and wait for him?" Mother asked him but he shook his head.
"I won't be able to mommy… you know I have to go to daddy's office before I finally go home" he said and I knew he just invented that excuse because he knew the tension between us would cause the whole thing to the awkward.
"Okay Ola. Bami ki mommy ati daddy" my mother said before turning to me
"I'd let you tell your man goodbye but be waiting for you inside" she said giving my hand one last squeeze before walking away from us.
"I'd be going now My love" him calling me my love sent a tingle of disgust down my spine and I wanted to hiss in annoyance.
"Yeah you should…"
"A hug?" He asked and I knew my mom was still close by so I went towards him and awkwardly gave him a hug trying not to be stiff.
"Bye…"
"Don't take your makeup off.., don't let them see" he looked almost worried but I knew he was only worried for himself and not for me or worrying my parents.
"Of course not Baby…" I said in a slightly mocking tone wanting to keep him on the edge and make him uncomfortable all the way.
"Take care of yourself" he said to me before placing a small kiss on my cheek and walking away from me and I watched him walk out of the door.
I released a breath I didn't know I was holding and shook my head finally feeling the weight lift from my shoulder that I knew I was holding on to. Hearing his car finally drive away I felt a tear slip from my eyes and run down my face.
Translations
Omo mi- My Child
Maami- My Mother
Ola mi- My Ola
Bawo nise?- How is work?
Toba gb ope Fatima ti de bayi- if he hears that Fatima had arrived like this
Bami ki mommy ati daddy- Extend my greetings to Mommy and daddy