"Ggg..rrr...nnn..gg", Fola's phone rang bringing her out of her deep slumber.
"Urg", she groaned with a closed eye, searching for her phone on the massive bed.
"Ggg...rrr...nnn..gg", it continued ringing as she groaned again, then stood up from the bed.
Iremide's name flashed on the screen and she quickly picked the call.
With a sleepy voice, she said, "Hello Ire."
"Folake, I am disappointed at you", he blurted from the other side making Fola open her eyes wide.
"What is the problem? I have been here waiting for you all day but you are no where to be found. I am supposed to be the angry one here not you", she retorted.
"Shut your mouth", Iremide ordered.
"Your choice of words are insulting. What is the matter with you?", she asked him.
"Your secret is out. You thought I won't know right?", he said.
"What secret are you talking about?", Fola questioned back sharply.
"You kept the fact that you had sex with Olamide away from me. How could you?"
"What?!", she exclaimed. "I never had sex with him."
"I don't believe you. He told me himself."
"How can you believe someone who is in a psychiatric hospital. Olamide is insane, don't believe him. Don't you trust me?"
"I regret trusting you", he announced loudly.
"What is your problem Ire?"
"You are my problem", he responded.
"Ire......"
"I want you to get out of my house this minute. I don't want to see you in my house when I get there or else, I will show you the other side of me", he interrupted.
"What? Where do you want me to go by this time? It's 6pm already."
"I don't care."
"Ire, I love you. Don't do this to me."
"Get lost", he said and hunged up.
"I don't want to be here either", she yelled into the phone with anger.
She couldn't believe what just happened. She stared at her phone with disbelief. "Is Iremide for real?", she asked herself.
Her stomach grumbled but she paid deaf ears to it as she grabbed her veil and handbag.
She didn't mean to stay that long at his house since he told her his mother and sister travelled a day before it. This was to avoid fate repeating itself.
She recalled the day Olamide attempted to have sex with her.
"How could Iremide be so unreasonable to have believed someone who is no longer sane? Despite showing him so much love, this is how he wants to repay me?", she asked again.
"I'm done", she said and stormed out of the house.
Immediately, she got out of the gate, she was fortunate enough to get a shuttle to NDA. It was getting dark already and she hoped to get a bus home.
When she got to NDA, luck was on her side as she boarded a bus home few minutes after waiting. 40 minutes after, she was at the junction of her home.
She wanted to take a bike from the junction but then she changed her mind. It will give her the opportunity to think about her life.
She remembered the conversation she once had with her mother. She asked her mother if marriage was compulsory for everyone and her mother was flabbergasted at the question. She was now on the street of her parent's home and she was walking slowly oblivious to the absence of the usual bright light from the street light. She could recall her mother's response.
"Fola, how could you ask such a question? Culturally and religiously, it is a must do. Infact, every aspect of life."
"But mum, what about those Catholic sisters? Do you mean what they are doing is wrong?", Fola asked.
"Fola, where are all of these questions coming from?", her mother questioned with mouth agape. "You don't want to get married and have children just like I gave birth to you?", her mother asked her.
"Mum, I don't need to be married to have children. We have what we call artificial insemination and......", she tried explaining.
"Gbenu soun (shut your mouth), you better shut the idea out because your father and I won't take that from you."
"But mummy....."
"Don't mummy me, Fola", her mother interrupted.
That was 10 years ago. Fola sighed and said, "It is quite obvious that I have back luck in keeping a man."
She couldn't fathom why the society detest spinsters and sees them as irresponsible.
"God knows I have done my best. First it was Olamide, now Iremide... despite having to keep myself for 28 years hoping to get deflowered by the right man and at the right time like my father had always wanted. Despite the fact that I want to see my own children and teach them the benefits of staying pure and keeping their purity for the right man. I am done trying", she finalized aloud as she got to the gate of her home.
The gate was wide open and everywhere was in pitch darkness.
"Who could have opened the gate like this?", she thought as she brought out her phone to switch on her phone torch.
There were two different unfamiliar cars in the compound.
She got to the front door and noticed the house was also in darkness. Just then, her phone went off. She opened the door ignoring her fears and went in calling to her dad.
"Mum", she called again but there was no response. She perceived a movement and she jerked back in fear. She was about to find her way out when she felt a touch and she gave out a cry of alarm. The light came on.
"Happy birthday to you", they all chorused. "Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you."
Fola was still shaken and she gasped in suprise seeing Mr. Badmus, her friend, Boluwatife and husband with their 6 month old baby, Mrs. Balogun and her daughter, Ife, Biodun, then her mum and dad.
The sitting room was decorated and there was a cake with her name on it on a little table. There were wines and balloons all around it.
She search around for Iremide but he was nowhere to be found. She sighed sadly and covered it up with a smile as they all embraced her, congratulating her on her 28th birthday.
"Happy birthday sweetheart", her father said with a smile and gave her a hug.
"Thank you daddy", Fola replied.
"Happy birthday Folake", Femi greeted her and Fola thanked him giving the baby in his arms a peck.
"Happy birthday aunty Folake", Ife and Biodun chorused giving her a gift.
"Thank you my darlings", she bent to give them a hug.
"Happy 28th birthday baby girl. I missed you", Bolu whispered to her dragging her up towards her room.
"What's up? Did you miss me that much?", Fola quickly dropped the gift on the table and chuckled as she followed her.
"There is something I have been meaning to talk to you about", she said as they both entered Fola's room.
"What is it? Are you having any problem with the baby?", she asked with concern.
"No, it's dad..."
"Dad, what happened to him?", Fola inquired with panic.
"Dad proposed marriage to Mrs. Balogun", she announced.
"What? Really? That's nice. I am happy for him. Iremide's mother is a good woman", Fola said.
"I am not in support of it", Bolu blurted with a sad face.
"Why?", Fola lowered her voice seeing the sadness on her friend's face.
"It's just two years Folake. Isn't it too early? I just don't feel like letting him..."
"Bolu, don't be selfish. That man gave you out in marriage to Femi because of his selfless nature. You should do the same for his happiness."
"Iremide's mother rejected him", she announced.
"What? Why?"
"She said she still loves her husband and she is not ready to replace him. Her husband is dead for almost 10 years Fola yet daddy's wife died just 2 years ago. I am pissed at him."
"What you don't understand is that mummy also wants dad's happiness. She wants you two to be happy. That man is lonely. You left him when he needed you the most. He does things alone and sleeps alone. He needs a woman."
"He is not the only one at home na. Biodun is there with him and the maids we employed ever since I got married."
"Who is talking about maids? You are silly. I am out of here", Fola said standing up with anger.
"Babe, I'm sorry. I just don't want...."
"Sorry for yourself silly girl", Fola said and she went out of the room.
She stumbled upon Iremide as she got to the sitting room. He was crouching down on one knee with a ring in his hands. Fola could not understand what was happening. She looked around the sitting room to see the excitement of their faces including Boluwatife who followed her back to the sitting room.
"So this was all a plan?", she asked within her.
"I have search and search....I search the East, North and South all to no avail. I search the West and I found you. I have known you for half a decades now and I can tell virtually everything about you. I tried to stop my heart from beating for you but it wouldn't listen. I tried to stop thinking about you all to no avail. I tried to stop loving but it was a disaster. Then I made a decision to follow what my heart chooses. My heart kept choosing you over and over again. Folakemi Adejoke Obed, will you do me the honour of becoming the queen of my heart and the mother of my unborn kids? Will you please marry me?", he finalized waiting for a reply.
Folake was with an expressionless face and every other person was waiting for her sharp 'Yes' but none was forthcoming.
Mrs. Obed furrowed her brows in worry at her daughter's reaction. She was dreading what Fola's reply would be.
"Why the reaction earlier this evening?", she asked Iremide who smiled and replied, "It was just a trick to bring you down here without being suspicious of what was going on."
"I am daft enough not to suspect a thing. That was uncalled for. You broke my heart."
"I'm sorry my queen. I did not mean to. Will you marry me?", he reminded her of his proposal.
Fola looked up at her parent and they both mouthed a yes while others nodded at her in approval.
"Fola", Iremide called.
"It will save me the stress of going for artificial insemination so the answer is Yes", she replied with a smile.
They all chuckled at her weak sense of humour and applaud them. They congratulated Iremide and Folake on their engagement after Fola accepted and took the ring from Iremide.
"Good news", Mr. Badmus announced making Folake break away from Iremide's embrace.
"Today is a great day indeed. Today marks Folake's 28th birthday and her engagement day. Also, today marks the day she was recognized as a two comma's club member. Congratulations", he said to Fola who ran towards him and engulfed him in a tight hug.
"Daddy, thank you."
"You are welcome. You are going to the award night in 3 months time."
"I'm going to Phillipines?", she asked with a wide eyed.
"Yes and then to Dubai on all expense paid trips."
"I'm so happy. Thank you for the support. God bless you."
"Amen."
"Which one is two comma's club? What does that mean?", Mrs. Balogun asked with curiousity.
"It means Fola will be celebrated in the millionaires circle in 3 months."
"How did that happen?", Mrs. Balogun asked again.
"La Buena Vida to the world", Fola, Bolu and Mr. Badmus chorused in reply.
"Oya tell me about it", Mrs. Balogun said moving close to Mr. Badmus.
Iremide held Fola's hand as they moved out to the verandah. "Let me go back inside to get us chairs."
"Ok", she replied silently and smiled at him.
He came back few minutes later with two plastic chairs as they settled in.
"You scared me with those hurting words. I thought I had lost you", Fola said looking straight and rolling her hands on the ring on her finger.
"It was just a plan. I am sorry", he grinned. "Thank you for all the sacrifices", he said.
"Thank you for choosing me", she replied.
"Thank you for being Fola. Thank you for being a strong woman. I am truly blessed to have you."
Fola laughed. "Mr. Badmus gave you a break from work all because of this proposal?", she asked and he nodded.
"When are you resuming work?"
"Next week", he answered.
They was complete silence as they were looking at the stars in the sky. Iremide heard a sob and it jerked him out of his thoughts.
Fola was crying. He knew instantly that it was tears of joy.
Cries that were meant to emit the unspoken words of hurts and embarrassment, cries emitting the pain she had gone through. Cries that were silently telling him that she was happy and sad at the same time.
Happy that her dreams were finally coming to reality. Happy that all the hurts were now a thing of the past. Happy that she came out of life's challenges stronger. And happy that she was finally going to be a wife and a mother.
Iremide drew her closer as the sobs increased. He placed her head on his chest which was beating fast as a result of his racing heart and he relaxed on the chair with different thoughts running through his mind.
He wanted to make her happy and give her the best he could.
Because she was his lucky charm!