Chapter 26: Chapter 26

ICTORIA'S POV.....

"Dad?"

I froze at Ayo's word.

His Dad? This is his father? Why was he so mad?

"Oh, so all those years of training went down the drain when you came to university that's why you don't know how to greet again."

Yep, this is a typical Nigerian man.

"Èkàálè sir." Ayo bent to prostrate to his father.

I'm pretty sure he's rolling his eyes in his mind.

"C'mon keep your greetings....You know I'm really disappointed in you." His dad said.

"What did I do?" You can see that he's fighting not to loose control of his anger.

"What did you do? I should be asking you! For a moment I thought you changed..."

"I don't understand." Ayo asked confused by his dad's words.

All I can do right now is to shut up.

"Your mother told me about that girlfriend of yours and I thought you'd changed for ones but then you still go around with commercial sex workers."

Wait what?!

"Dad what are you talking about?" Ayo frowned.

"Why is she here?" The man pointed at me.

Wait so all this is about me?

"Dad...."

"Don't Dad me....you're still going around with ashewo.(prostitute)....I don't know what happened, you used to...."

"Dad!"

"I said don't dad me! You're supposed be a good example to your siblings, but then you go around with women. And you expect to be someone great in life? If you keep up with whores you're never going to get married....."

"I am!"

"Not by going out with prostitutes all in the name of desire."

"I will not let you speak of her that way!" Ayo growled.

"Oh stop with the pretense...."

"With all due respect sir, it is really wrong to address someone you barely know like that." I finally spoke.

It's not my fault, it was getting really annoying to handle. Never in my life have I been called such.

"Don't you dare talk when I am. Didn't your parents teach you training?"

"Sir I..."

"I said not to say anything." He pointed a warning finger at me.

"Dad!"

"What?!" His dad turned abruptly to him

"What exactly is going on with you?"

"What is going on with you? You shouldn't be with her...."

"I'm with her cause I love her!" Ayo shouted.

Pause...

Reverse.

Replay....

What?!

Out of all this annoyance, I feel this flutter in my chest. It's just three words but it's done something inside me.

"And yes dad, you just insulted my girlfriend." Ayo added with anger.

There was an absolute silence in the apartment.

Maybe I'll just leave them alone......

"I think I'll...." I was about saying but his dad's movement made me pause.

"What did you say? I want you to say it again." His dad's voice was lighter now.

"Dad I said she's my girlfriend and I'm crazy in love with her." Ayo ran his hand through his hair, his eyes never leaving mine as he said those words.

There's that flutter again.

"That's just it. That's all I needed to hear."

Excuse me...

What?!

"What?" Ayo and I chorused

"Your mum told me about your love...encounter. I didn't believe, well not until now. And the best way to get you to say something is when you're angry or frustrated."

So all this was a .....

"Victoria, honestly I'm really sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. I didn't mean to, bad day at work added to it....." his dad faced me with a smile on his face.

Well it's good to know that he smiles.

"Um....I-it's okay." I shrugged.

I mean it's no big deal, your boyfriend's dad just called you names that are not appropriate all because he just wanted to hear some words from his son's mouth....sure I'll act like I don't care.

"So I guess I was interrupting something."

Wait, he knows?

Is it because I'm wearing Ayo's clothes?.....oh, wait, Ayo's only on boxers.

"Um..." I trailed off.

Right now, I would've been getting banged and be screaming on top of my lungs.

But then he came along, so he could hear this dude say three words.

Just had to spoil an amazing time.......

OMG what am I saying?

"I'll be on my way." His dad gave a curt nod to both of us and left.

Which kind bad luck be this?

"That was....weird?" I slumped on the chair.

"If not that he was my dad, I would have sent a knife at him." Ayo hissed and found a spot beside me, then pulled me onto his legs.

"Don't worry, we're gonna finish what we started." I smiled at him.

Why on earth did I say that?

"Seriously?" excitement flashed in eyes and also his...him.

How do I know that?.....my religion doesn't allow me to say the rest.

"Yes, but not today..." I added and he pouted. "And control that little thing." I slapped his chest.

"Little, you call that little, last time I remembered you were worried it wouldn't fit." He smirked and I swear I've never felt embarrassed like that in my entire life. I only lowered my face to hide the way it felt hot.

"You're silly." I picked a throw pillow and hit him with it.

He laughed at my pathetic move and my face heated up more.

Stupid boy.

"You know you're cute when you blush." He raised my chin up for my eyes to meet his.

I held his gaze for a while but blinked away, already biting my lip. But I could still feel his eyes penetrating through me.

When did I become so shy?

"A-Ayo?" I stammered.

"Yeah?" His voice was low and almost in a whisper.

"Did, did you mean what you said before?..." I trailed off already feeling nervous.

"What did I say, I can't recollect." His brows furrowed a little.

"Tha-That you love me?" I finally decided to meet his gaze and they had this look, a look in his eyes like he was fighting, or contemplating about something within himself. That one alone was enough to make me look away.

I shouldn't have asked.

For seconds, none of us said anything, we didn't even move that you could hear us breath clearly.

Now I'm beginning to have strange feelings inside me. Like us being together wouldn't work out.

Why do I feel stupid?

"Victoria?" My heart skipped when I heard my name.

Ayo used his fingers to raise my chin so I can look at him again.

"I meant what I said. Every bit of my word. I do love you. I've always, loved you. I swear the feeling started growing right from when I met you in that bus. I knew I couldn't let you go that easy, not when I realized how fun it was to be with you....I'm so in love with you. I never knew I was gonna feel this way in life. Now it scares me to think you're gonna leave...."

Leave? To where?

"What? I'm not going anywhere." I interrupted

"No, I don't mean it literally. I-I just...you know what, just let's forget about that part. Let's focus on the present. And the present is that I love you and I...."

"I love you too." I cut in abruptly.

I had to talk, he was talking too much.

"Really?" He smiled

"Of course." I rolled my eyes.

I wasn't really understanding things when people said love is a strong word. I realized that when I met him.

"So...." I trailed off.

How did things get so awkward between us.

"Should we watch a movie?" He suggested and I nodded, snuggling into him more.

*******

9:23am (next day)

Victoria's POV......

"She has come back!"

I jerked back out of shock at the way Debby screamed.

"Yeas." Nessa shouted out too.

Okay what's going on here?!

"What happened?!" I copied their tone of voice. Shouting.

"Tell us. Just tell us, every single data of last night!" They were both very unusual.

"About...last night?" I asked still confused.

"Stop na. Tell us. Was it hot? Was he good? Was he huge?" They both kept staring at me with big eyes.

"Wait? You guys think....." I trailed off and my eyes widened in realization.

"Stop acting innocent jhoor. It was your first, we want to know how it went." Debby rolled her eyes.

"Okay, first of all, I'm still innocent, secondly, we didn't have sex....well we almost, it not for...."

"Almost?" Nessa and Debby gasped out.

Okay now they're beginning to look possessed.

"Yeah, almost, but didn't." I added.

"We want to hear it all, I'm sure his fingers touched you in places you never dreamed..."

Oh, he used more than his fingers to touch me.

Gawd what am I saying?

"Okay, Guys, this is really uncomfortable now." I forced my way out of their midst.

"I knew it, she's always acting holy holy but she's one kind big bitch." Debby laughed and I rolled my eyes.

Just leave them and they'll stop talking.

"Eh-ehn, and V. Your mum called, she says she's been trying your number since and it's not going." Nessa said before I disappeared into my room.

"Did she say why?" I asked

"No. But she says you should call immediately you get the message, that it's an emergency." My ears perked up at the word emergency.

Emergency? And she didn't tell me this since?

Was mum sick, or was it dad?

When my mum says emergency then it's never good.

"Hello, mummy, good morning ma." I greeted my mum over the line.

"Òkó mi, kaaro." (Good morning my child) My mum answered

"Mummy, wòn sò pe è pemi." (Mum they said you called) I kept with the Yoruba language.

"Beeni ooo. Oya ma bò nle nsi." (Yes ooo, just be coming home now)

That one alone increased my panic.

"Kilo sele, śe nkan o sele?" (What happened, hope nothing happened)

O my God, did someone die?

"No, sa ma bo nsi. Ola ni oooo." (No, just be coming home now, it's Ola ooo.)

My mind skipped beats I couldn't count.

Ola?

What happened to him?

Is he alright?

Blood of Jesus help me here.

"Mo n bo." (I'm coming) I cut the call and rushed out of the house, whispering silent prayers.

God, I will not cry over my loved ones in Jesus name.

No weapon fashion against me and the people I love shall prosper in Jesus name.

I will not die young, my family and friends will not die young.

Oh God please hear my cry.