Improvised Plan #ProjectNigeria

9- Meet The Family

Saheed:

Three days after Rexford's wedding, I am memorising lines, pacing from one end of my suite to the other.

"We met during an Adekunle Gold concert. We bumped into each other... No, this is a stupid story because I don't even listen to Adekunle Gold's music! Where does Ola get these ideas from, for crying out loud?"

Frustrated, I walk towards my fridge for a drink of water and ice, fuming at Ola's tendency to drag me along into impromptu issues. The worst part is, her family, especially her father, had demanded to see me, the man who had allegedly 'snatched' Ola's heart.

"You didn't tell me your father is part of the people I have to meet," I had protested yesterday when she had told me. We had been lounging by the pool with Nonye and her annoying boyfriend, and I had been busy with work on my laptop, so busy I didn't have the energy to admire the numerous bikini-clad ladies giving me sly looks.

"Dad and I aren't really close anymore, but Nonye told him about you. She has such a big mouth," Ola had replied, equally annoyed with her friend. She had been wearing a deep green, one-piece bathing suit underneath her black chiffon kimono, and her hair was in its usual two corn rows, the ends touching her breasts.

" Then why are you obliging your father? "

" He's my father," she had simply replied.

"Oh, I know. Deep down, you want to please him. A part of you wants to make him proud, to show him you can take care of yourself," I had teased. I knew the feeling, because I had been there myself.

"Don't be ridiculous."

Taking a sip of my Chapman, I had smirked at her. "We both have Daddy issues. And I'm not going to see him. Tell him I travelled."

"Come on."

"You do know this whole show was just for Nonye? And a week is over already?" I whispered, so Nonye and Mark Anthony wouldn't hear me from their own umbrella a few meters away.

"Saheed, don't be like that." Ola had shifted closer, frowning. There had been small frown lines between her eyebrows. And for some weird reason, I wanted to reach out and smoothen them with my thumb.

Her father does not sound like a nice man. And I have never met the parents of any of my lovers, for whatever reason. Not that Ola and I are lovers, but this was not part of the plan. Suddenly it felt like I was losing control of the whole situation. Meeting her family meant cramming lies, pretending in front of maybe a dozen people who know her too well, and looking committed. In Nigeria, meeting family is a code for, 'We are serious about each other and hope to get married one day. In fact, we are marrying next week'.

"Or, you could tell him I couldn't come because we broke up. Isn't that going to be convenient?" I had smiled at the brilliant idea.

"He won't like that. And I don't know how to pretend to be heartbroken."

"Tell him I was an asshole. That should further endear me to him."

"Saheed, it's just one night. A few hours instead. My Dad isn't going to bite. He just cares enough to want to know who I'm with-"

"Pretending with," I correct. "Because in a few days, we will be over. What will you say then?"

She seemed to think about this for a while. "Allow me to handle that."

"I really don't want to."

To my surprise, she raised her voice. "Saheed, baby please," she whined.

I blinked in surprise. "What are you doing?" I had whispered.

"Baby, you know how much this means to me. Please?" Her eyes had widened and her lips had pouted, her voice had softened, taken on a childlike quality mixed with something I suspected to be seduction.