Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Five years have passed since Precious stepped her foot on the soil of Lagos State.

Five years where she held unto the promise she made with Bethel. Two years ago, her parents finally got married after Grace considered her.

Last year, her mother gave birth to a baby boy named Derikenye, an Ijaw name which meant laughter is mine.

Precious graduated from the Niger Delta university and was posted to Lagos for her youth service.

Over the past five years, she was in a relationship but she never put a hundred percent gut into it as she didn't want to break her promise to Bethel.

There were times she prayed she wasn't making a big mistake waiting for Bethel since he was unreachable since the last time they saw.

Precious stared at herself in the standing mirror; today, 18th of January 2024, she was going to meet Bethel at Lekki leisure lake as promised.

She thought of all the possible changes on how and she wondered how he looked now.

She thought of chances where he had forgotten her and how she'd swear for him if she did.

She held onto his mother's necklace, believing her to come back for it and she prayed he came back.

Precious wore a baggy dark green Chino short with pocket that stopped mid thigh and a chiffon off shoulder crop top.

She matched a white canvas, she released her curly human hair weavon from her hair net.

When she looked at herself and was pleased with herself, she carried her chain purse and left her room.

She was nervous as soon as she entered the lake, the breeze from the sea gushed her sending goosebumps on her skin.

She was uncertain and she prayed, he came. She kept walking around until she bumped into something hard or a person.

"I'm so sorry!" They both said together.

She looked at the male person she hit, he looked familiar, she thought but shrugged it off as she walked away.

An hour an half passed and still no sign of him, Precious began to bother.

She touched her neck to hold onto Bethels mother necklace when she realised it was gone.

She panicked looking at the sand to see it fall on it. She kept walking slowly while looking on the sand to trace the necklace.

She kept walking until she saw it on someone's hand. She gently approached the person and realised he was the guy she bumped into earlier and he seemed to be in a deep conversion on his phone.

"Yes, I'm looking for her, I saw someone that looked at her and also saw my mother with a necklace but I can't find her." The guy said.

That made Precious curious, he was looking for someone and found his mother's necklace. Could he be Bethel? She thought.

He was dressed in white all through. A white shirt and trousers. He had an undercut hairstyle on. He was lighter in complexion than before. He was taller and his face was more mature than before.

He raked his hands through his hair like he was frustrated already.

"Hello." Precious said to him as soon as he ended his call.

"Yes, how can I help you?" He asked, his voice so deep and suave.

"You...you have my necklace with you." She stuttered.

He was quiet for a while and looked at Precious

"Precious!" He said after a while.

"Bethel!" She smiled.

Immediately Bethel pulled her closer and claimed her lips. The way he claimed her lips showed he had craved for them and Precious was quick to react.

"We..we are in public." Precious said in a whisper and huskily.

"We have so much to talk about." He said and dragged Precious away with a smile on his face.

They were now in his private pontoon boat chatting and talking about their lives for the past five years.

He graduated from Harvard university with a degree in Business and the University of California, Los Angelo's with a degree in engineering.

He first of all went to Harvard to do a two years course in Business and then to california to do a three years course in engineering. He graduated last year.

Precious told him of her parents who were married now and he talked about his father who apologised for his attitude and wanted to build a relationship with him again.

"I have a confession to make." Precious spoke up after a while.

"Go on." He gestured with his hands as he sipped his wine.

"I...I...i dated..other...guys." precious stuttered.

"It's...it's okay right?" She asked.

"Are you with him now?" He asked firmly.

"No...not at all, I broke up with him in my final year." She replied.

"Then that's good." He smiled.

"I would have castrated him." He said.

"I also have a confession." he said.

" I have a fiance already. " he said firmly and kept his lips on a straight line.

Precious looked at him waiting for him to laugh but he didn't laugh. Her heart began to race, her knees got weak and she look at him with anger.

She was speechless and hurt.

"You...you...are...engaged?" She asked, trying to confirm what she just heard.

"Yes." He said confidently.

He is doing this intentionally, he is smiling, he wants to hurt me. He knows i would be hurt and still yet he speaks with so much pride, Previous thought.

"You are mad!" She yelled.

"You should not have showed up if you would only break my heart, you hear me! You can't change, you are still heartless and proud! What have I done? Tell me?!" She yelled with tears in her eyes.

"That's not what I mean." He said calmly.

"What do you mean? To rub it on my face that we were never of the same status or to tell me you have someone better. I knew this would happen. You are crazy! Mad! Stupid!" She cried and crumbled to the floor.

"You are misunderstanding what I just said." He spoke softly and knelt down to look at her.

"I have no other woman in my life. I'm not engaged to anyone but I'm planning to engage you." That's when she saw a diamond ring in his hand.

She was shocked, she saw the smirk on his face and wanted to slap it off.

He wanted to engage me. Why not just say that and make me break down this way, she thought.

She looked at him for some seconds before she walked away. He wouldn't make her cry and get her to answer him!

"I'm so sorry precious." He said softly with concern.

"I did not expect you to take it that way. I'm so sorry. I was wrong and you are right." He said.

He walked closer to her and hugged her from behind. The warmth of being in his arms brought a delightful sensation to her. His smell was delicious and only made her want him so close.

His hot breath fawned on her neck and made her satisfied as she closed her eyes to feel the pleasure of whatever he was doing.

"I know we've been years apart from each other, people change and things change but I would very much like it if you would give me the honor and make me the happiest man alive by being my wife." He said and she gapse.

"We won't get married immediately, while engaged we will get to know each other more and spend more time." He said.

Precious turned her head around, his hands now rested on my butt, She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him closer to her height level stretching her legs and claiming his lips.

It was soft but too intimate. The kiss was slow and sweet just like their first kiss. Kissing him brought back some memories as teenagers.

He deepened the kiss, the kiss was not like any other kiss, damn it, Precious thought. She could feel my sexual desires rising up.

She haven't had sex with anyone before, though it came to her most times but she resisted the temptation.

He pulled away and she gave him her hands to put the ring on it.

This was just the beginning of their story, they knew there is more to come and this was the first step.

After three months, they told their parents of the engagement, his father had no issues which shocked Precious but Bethel told her how that single fight changed his father. His father regretted his action about how distant he was with his only child.

After a year, they got married.