Chapter 22: Chapter 22

"So, what are you doing now?"

Jimi raised his head from his laptop to look at his mom who just strolled into his room.

"Working," he replied succinctly and she sat at the edge of his bed.

"I have no business with your work, what I'm talking about is your life," she enunciated while eyeing the laptop on his laps.

Jimi's face dulled but he still fixed it on his laptop, he knew what Soil was driving at.

"My life is good, I don't have any problem," he replied.

"You do," she deadpanned.

He looked up from his laptop and his gaze fell on Soil who in turn eyed him.

"I have a stable job, a good health and a life people pray to have," he claimed.

Soil raised her chin before chuckling, "But, there's one thing missing," she pointed out.

His face twisted before he turned back to his laptop, "There's none I know of."

Soil scoffed.

"One, you are working today which is the second day in a new year when we are still in celebration mode receiving visitors, two, you have no new year resolution, three you'll be twenty nine in few days time and you think it's not time to settle down!" She critiqued while raising each hand according to the numbers as she pronounced.

"Soil, please this is a new year."

"Which makes it time for you to rearrange your life," she alleged before snatching the laptop from him.

"Mom!" Jimi shrieked.

"Good, you know I'm your mother, so, you have to listen to me," she said before standing up to drop the laptop on his work table.

"I always listen to you," he pointed out as he stretched out his legs.

Soil got back to her sitting position before talking, "Well, you haven't done that in the past few years."

He tipped his head to her side, "I know I've always listened to you, even when you instructed me to study International Relations instead of my interest, Visual Arts."

"And it's for the better, you don't regret it or do you? Anyway, I'm not here to discuss that with you, I'm here to talk about your plans to being a responsible man," she proclaimed.

"I've always been a responsible guy," he insisted.

Soil chuckled.

"Back to the question, are you planning to make this year a profitable one or a futile one?"

"My years have always been profitable," he claimed and Soil shook her head.

"You know what I'm talking about," she pointed out.

He drew in a long breath before replying, "God, Mom, you need to stop this, I'll get married when I meet the right person."

"Ehn, you're still looking for Miss right, you better turn the wrong person to Miss right my darling son, there's no Miss right anywhere oo" she interjected.

"You always find the answer to everything," he smirked.

Soil fluttered her lashes, "It's because I'm your mother, that aside, so, there's no lady in your life, hope it won't escalate to the extent of seeking divine intervention for your head bayii? Should we go to church tomorrow?"

Jimi clasped his hands behind his neck.

"Soil, it's not like I'm forty or sixty, there's still time, it's Kemi that doesn't have time, you should tell her that."

Soil lifted her shoulder in a half shrug, "At least, she has a man in her life and if you aren't aware, I'm going to start planning their wedding next month."

Jimi's eyes grew wide as she dropped his hand and turned to his mother.

"What! They've only been together for three months and you want them to get married?"

She gave a half shrug, "And so? No time to waste, she's going to be twenty nine this month and you expect her to date for two years abi what? I'm…"

He cut in, "But, Soil isn't that too early, they might not even understand themselves well yet not to talk of being life partners, they need to ...."

She held up her palm to stop him, "Which understanding do they not have? Mark is your best friend and you know almost everything about him, he has been Lisha's childhood friend, now, what else do we need to know? Maybe you don't know that since the day Kemi introduced him, I've prayed and fasted about it…"

He interrupted, "And it was revealed to you that they're heaven made?"

She clapped as her face creased into an excited smile, "Of course."

"And you're certain that you weren't praying for Mark to be the heaven made or even dreaming about him?"

She eyed him and pursed her lips before talking, "What do you take me for? See, they're old enough to get married."

"And have you spoken to them about it?"

Her excitement reduced as she shook her head, "No, your dad and I just talked about it last night but don't worry about that, we'll speak to them, now, that aside, moving to you?"

He scrunched his brows before talking, "Mom, don't you think you're dictating for them, it's way too early."

She hung her head for some seconds before replying, "It's for their benefit, it's not like the wedding would be right away, anyway I'll talk about that with your sister, now to you, I said?"

He looked away and Soil slapped his laps.

"Aw, that was painful," he rubbed his palm on his laps and squeezed his face.

She gave a dismissive wave of her hand before talking, "How far with you and Li baby?" She raised her brows with a knowing smile.

"Nothing," he replied succinctly before leaning on the wall.

She lifted her brows, "What do you mean by nothing? I know the eyes you do give her, so, what's nothing there?" She ended it with a smug smile.

He folded his hand around his neck before replying, "You know nothing."

She eyed him, "I know you guys like each other."

He shook his head.

"Okay, Mom, you're right."

"So, what's stopping you guys from getting married?" She opened her palm widely.

Jimi bobbed his head before answering, "Nothing, we can even get married tomorrow," he said in a sarcastic tone.

She threw one of the pillows at him and he was quick to dodge it, she readjusted her sitting position before talking, "I'm not joking here, now, let's switch to serious mode."

He laughed before talking, "Serious mode it is."

"Now spill!" She instructed.

The laughing lines on Jimi's face disappeared instantly, then he decided to talk.

"You know, I talked to her during the Christmas party, she…"

Soil bounced on her toes in ecstasy, "So, now she's…"

"Sit down, it's not what you're thinking, she turned me down."

Soil's face darkened immediately as she joined Jimi on his bed, "Why? What happened? Did you do anything wrong? Did…"

Jimi cut in, "You're only bombarding me with questions, at least, you should listen."

"Oya, talk, I'm all ears," she readjusted her sitting position.

"Well, that day she met me in a compromising situation with Nikki but I don't think that's the reason because she took it well, she…" he went on with the explanation.

"I've always known that, that Nikki is up to no good, she's always trying to prove she's above Li baby whereas she isn't," she punctuated it with a hiss and Jimi smiled.

Then she continued, "So, what's the next step? You have to convince her against that mindset of hers, no one doesn't deserve the other."

He nodded, "I'll try."

"Good, then we can start the preparation for your wedding alongside Kemi's own too," she said with a dancing smile.

Jimi's eyes opened widely upon realization of what she just said, "Mom! It hasn't even started yet and you're planning wedding."

"It's good to plan ahead."

He smirked, "Not in this situation, anyway, you've gotten your answer, can I work now?"

"You can, but expect me here in the next hour oo," she proceeded to stand up, "Mind you, it's Lisha or no one else."

A smile appeared on his face, "Of course."