Once again we were standing in front of the two men that had given us life. I was going to share with them the good news of my decision. And Ola was about to communicate to them, his proposal to me. We had good news to give the three people who were waiting to hear from us. But looking at them, I realized they had already anticipated us.
On the table in front of them was a bottle of champagne and five glasses. They were poised to celebrate our decision, after hearing what we were about to tell them. It was as if they already knew what we had decided. Ola's father didn't waste time in speaking up.
"So I hope this time your consultation went well?" He asked us. We kept quiet and looked at each other. This was a decisive moment and communicating our decision, meant the world to these two men.
"Ola, my son, being the man, why not tell us what you've decided?" Ola's father asked him.
"Yes baba. Well I proposed to her. I mean..to be my wife." He replied. There was silence as each men and Nancy, observed us. Their stares got me thinking, I and Ola might have to go back and fix some issues again. I didn't want that, I just wanted everything to end now. But my father came in with a last minute spoiler.
"My daughter, have you sincerely forgiven him now that he has proposed to you?" I looked at my father and remembered why we were sent back into the veranda the first time. Thinking of that, I knew where my father was going. And just as I thought, he said it.
"Because once you accept to be his wife, there will be a lot of forgiving to do. He will make you angry sometimes and in most cases you will not even like to forgive him. But you must try and learn to forgive, is that clear?" He asked me. I nodded.
"And you my son, since you have made this proposal, if she accepts it, then she will be your wife. It will be your responsibility to care for her. She will annoy you sometimes, but don't put more fire. Try and settle it with her in a loving manner. Is that clear?" Ola's father asked him. Ola nodded and looked at me. I knew then that I had to say something.
But I couldn't .
I could only raise my hand up and show them the ring. Showing them the ring it seemed , gave me the courage to say what I wanted to say. I went ahead and said it.
" Dad, I accept his proposal. I have decided I will be his wife." There was enough silence after my words to hear a pin drop. Nobody said a word making me feel there was still something that had to be fixed. The two men looked at each other and then looked at us.
"Is that all, have you concluded?" Ola's father asked. I and Ola nodded. He looked at my father and they both looked at us.
"Well in that case this calls for a celebration. " He concluded. He got up and opened the champagne and poured into each of the glasses and passed the glasses round to each person present.
"So finally, after much consultation, they have agreed to get married. My friend what is left is to fix the day of their wedding, abi?" He asked my father.
"Yes, but let's talk to their mothers first and then agree on a date. You know we cannot decide anything by ourselves." My father replied.
"That is correct. So Ola? Tola? We will talk to your mothers and fix a date for the wedding, is that clear?" We both agreed and then we all sat down to a quiet evening. Nancy came over and sat beside me and nudged me.
"Baby, so your journey don start o." She said smiling at me.
"Nancy, abeg." I was happy but in a sad way. Nancy noticed it and called me out into the veranda to talk to me.
"Tola no be wetin you want?" She asked surprised I wasn't happy.
"Nancy, abeg."
"Aha, which one be abeg. I no understand you again o."
"Maybe I'm just too excited." I told her.
"So excited you are sad?"
"Am I sad, Nancy? So you don turn to Ola wey dey put petrol for fire?" Nancy laughed.
"You dis girl. See you?" she said
I looked briefly at the sky while we were there. I knew I couldn't go back in there and say no. I didn't want that. But I suddenly felt being the future wife of Ola, was too big of a responsibility. I feared not being ready yet for this task.
"Nancy?" I looked at her and wondered if she would understand me in what I was about to tell her.
"What is it, Tola?" she asked.
"I'm happy with the decision I made." I told her.
"Yeah, na wetin I wan hear. I no wan see sadness. Me I wan dey your wedding."
"Ha Nancy, since Tunde left, it's like you've found your freedom." Nancy laughed.
"Tola, who will I thank? Na you."
"Nancy I didn't do anything o."
"No talk am again o. You know when you told me, that it's not the end of the world if Tunde leaves me?" I nodded, " Na now I know wetin you mean."
"So your eye don open, abi?"
"Babe you open my eyes, o." I laughed. " Tola you dey laugh? no laugh o. You see na when I dey gist with your father and Ola him father naim I know say, I've been wasting my time crying over Tunde."
"Wait o Nancy, let me understand this, have you finally decided to dump him?"
"Tola, I have my degree. I no need to beg man again o. You see your father and his friend, see names wey dem dey mention. I was surprised." I stared at Nancy and saw a woman determined to start a new life.
I was about to do the same, going in a different direction. And I didn't carry the same enthusiasm as she did. She wanted to go ahead and make a career for herself. I was about to become a housewife and eventually a mother. This was going to be my life now, and it was about to shatter my dreams of becoming a top-class manager.
I had always wanted to be one. But life it seems had other plans for me. I shrugged at the thought of wasting my life not pursuing this dreams. It was a fear I had to share with Nancy.
"Nancy, I might be happy with my decision. I love Ola, but I feel this isn't a responsibility I should shoulder too soon." Nancy 's expression changed from one of happiness to someone who could slap me for having wasted her time.
"Look Tola don't you ever say that again. Ha you sef, na now wey things don work out you wan change mind?"
"Look Nancy try and understand me... "
"Wetin I wan understand? No let me vex o, Tola. Abi you wan make I commot hear wit shame?"
" Look Nancy just listen to me now. Please, Nancy." I implored her.
I was desperate for Nancy's attention and she didn't want to hear me. That is until I told her, I might go back inside and say no.
"Hey, Tola? No do am o. You wan put shame for your father body?"
"Nancy, I feel I am running too fast into a responsibility that is too big for me."
"Look, marriage is a responsibility. It doesn't matter whether you enter it now or much later. The responsibilities are still going to be the same."
"Except, I'm too young, Nancy. I'm only 26."
"Is that your problem? Abi you still wan play around, still enjoy wit other guys before you settle down?"
"Ha Nancy, no, I'm not like that o. You sef know now."
"So wetin be the problem? Babe na opportunity o. I will advice you to accept it. Refusing it, you might end up being single for a very long time." I sighed, frustrated I couldn't make her understand what my fear was.
I knew waiting much longer would mean Ola might end up with some other woman. But this wasn't my fear. My fear of how I had rarely seen him up until this moment, made me feel, it could happen again. And I didn't want it happening in the marriage. After a few more minutes in the veranda I and Nancy went inside. It was then that my father told me, it was time for us to go home.
We left Ola's house and accompanied by my father, who followed behind me in his car, I dropped Nancy off at her house and then went home. We got home a little after 11pm and sitting in the parlor was my mum. She had folded her hands across her chest and was watching the television.
I greeted her and was about to go into my room when my father came in. He looked at my mother and then called me.
"Tola come." I came and standing beside my father we faced my mother. " Show your mother your hand. I stretched out my hand with the ring on it.
"Fola? You have a wedding to prepare. The young man finally proposed to your daughter and she accepted." It should have been good news we brought home. But here I was standing beside my father, and my mother completely ignored us.
"Fola are you listening to me?" My father asked her. She looked at him with suspicion and then cast an unfriendly look at me. Noticing this my father told me to go to my room.
"Tola, it's best you go to your room and let me talk to your mother." I nodded and left them and went into my room. I sat down on the bed admiring the ring Ola had put on my finger, but also worried, about how my mother would react.