Must Read: Taking Chances

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Taking Chances

‘Why are you up till now? It Ain’t good for your health you know’ Daisy said as she made her way to the back of the chair mama sat.
She was spending the weekend at Mama’s residence, it had been a routine since her sophomore year, and though now she has graduated and even
working, the tradition still stuck.

Daisy had been watching a late night movie when she noticed light rays from Mama’s study, she had then decided to go check on her since the movie had also ended.
‘am stronger than you think’ mama replied smiling, her eyes shut as she relished the pleasure from Daisy’s hand massaging her shoulders.
‘its midnight already, you need rest.’Daisy replied continuing her act.
‘or did a new order arrive from Nigeria?’ she added. Mama always worked into the night whenever that happened.
‘yeah, that and a lot more’ replied Mama sitting up.



Daisy stopped the massage. She had sensed something was amidst through out the day. Mama wasn’t her cheerful self. And now her words just confirmed it.
Daisy walked past mama, drew a chair and sat close to her.
‘I know something is wrong, why don’t you tell me what it is?’ she said.


Mama gave a painful smile, took down her reading glass and cast a glance at Daisy. Her expression unreadable. Daisy pulse raised involuntarily, she was worried.
‘Daisy Omo mi…’ she began ‘i don’t know how to put this across to
you…’

Daisy heart beat faster, that was a bad line to start with, the two
women were so close that no secret existed between them, why was Mama sounding like that!
Daisy made to speak, but mama shook her head signaling her to stop.
‘jó kin soro tan’ (please, let me finish speaking) she said.
Silence ensued for what seemed like hours to Daisy, she was beside
herself with worries, different thoughts coursed through her mind and
she couldn’t rein in her desperation.



Mama spoke then.
‘My son, called me just yesterday from Nigeria, it doesn’t seem ok over there. Jide…’
‘Jide what happened to him? Hope he’s …’ Daisy cut in.




Mama smiled shaking her head. It wasn’t going to be hard afterall, she thought.
‘Daisy, ni suru, mo ni pe ko Je kin soro tan’ mama calmed the agitated girl. (Daisy be calm, i told you to allow me finish)
‘quite alright, Jide is the reason for this discussion now, but nothing
bad as you think has happened to him. omo jati jati yen wa da da ni,
tori yen lon fin she yeye si nigeria’ mama said raising her voice in the
last statement. (that silly boy is very fine, and that’s the reason
he’s misbehaving in Nigeria).
Daisy heaved a sigh of relief. Her man of dream was okay, then what was wrong she thought.



Mama continued. ‘my son called me, and he was relaying to me how irresponsible Jide has become, especially with women, Jide ngbe awon Omo oloriburuku obirin to po si ile eko!(jide mingles with iresponsible
women that are all over Lagos) can you imagine that, at his age, he’s
not settled down, omo mi Adekanbi was married and has given birth to him
and his brother at that age. Yet he feels sleeping around is best for
him…’mama was shaking with anger now.
‘pls calm down mama, are you sure of this…’


Daisy cut in, she was
hurting with all mama was revealing and still worried over her working
herself up because of her health.
But Mama was not deterred. There really was no stopping her when she
became like this.
‘…ofcourse am sure! And to think his father and i are working hard to
see the company grow and see that our family name is untainted, yet he
disobeys him and even refuse to come to work, he keeps late night, going
from club to club, dancing around his life! ah! Ko ni da fun gbogbo
won, i swear!’ (it will not be well with all of them) mama completed
heaving with anger and a tear stained eyes.
Daisy watched on quietly, she was heartbroken, the picture mama had
painted made her feel Jide was actually cheating on her. A tear rolled
down her cheeks.


Mama saw the tear and held her hand gently.
‘Daisy omo mi, ma ke’ (my child do not cry).
‘its okay, am fine…’ daisy replied with a weak smile, there wasn’t any plausible reason why should she be crying over the issue, how would mama take it, it wasn’t as if jide was married to her or something. Only she knew her secret fantasy, what she should do now was console mama and not bloody cry! She wiped her tears.
‘am really fine, am worried about you that’s all’. She added and looked down
Mama considered the younger woman for some seconds, Daisy actually crying confirmed what she already knew and she was secretly glad because it meant her plan would perfectly work.
‘crying would not solve OUR problem you know…’she said. Daisy looked up then to find Mama smiling and staring at her. She was confused.
‘i know you like him, i know everything, even though its recent’. She continued.



Daisy said nothing, she was dumbfounded. How had mama known, she had guided
the secret carefully. But mama was insinuating otherwise. She was still aching inside from the hurt and even felt a strong force to protect her man from the claws of those ‘oloriburuku’ girls that filled Lagos.



Mama stroked her arm gently, ‘am really glad that YOU are the one who likes Jide, maybe also love him, and even though he might not seem the best option of a man for you right now, i believe that you are what he needs, your charm is enough to get him on the right tracks, and i want
you to help me’
‘Me? What can i do’ daisy asked confused, she wasn’t sure where mama was headed.
‘Yes you, iwo ni mo fe’ (its you i want)
‘mama i….’
‘its my plan to get him settled, and i want you to be his bride’. Mama dropped the bombshell, it hit Daisy like a tornado.
‘Bride!’ daisy exclaimed standing up. ‘you don’t…are you…i…will
he…i mean…its sudden…i don’t…there’s Peter…and what…’ she was stuttering for She was nervous.
‘Daisy calm down please’ mama pleaded. ‘i know you and Peter broke up last month, or did…’
‘No we’ve not’ Daisy replied
‘Then that’s not the problem, please think over this issue I know it’s a bizarre request i make, but help me out, lets save this
man we love’
Daisy sat down. What was she to make of this request? Marry Jide! Like Marry Jide! Was that a dream come true or what? She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
She slowly raised her head to see the expectant look on Mama’s face. Mama was indeed serious!
‘what about Jide, has he agreed to this?’ she asked.
‘He has…i mean he will, he has no option than to, your acceptance is
what i need now’.
‘Let me think over this’ Daisy replied calmly.

Painful Silence.


Mama stood up and patted her back. ‘Goodnight my child’ she said and
walked out.


Daisy kept still, she was deep in thought. Was he worth the risk?

The next morning, Daisy had told the over joyed woman that she accepted. That became a catalyst to series of quarrel, fights, austerity measures to subdue Jide.
Soon the proposal was ‘exported’ to Nigeria, its ‘importer’ Jide’s father and the ‘consumer’ Jide himself. It hadn’t been easy but the wedding occurred at last amidst fire and brimstone.


Daisy placed the last of the food on the dining table, the time showed that Jide would soon be back. All that travel through Memory lane was making her dizzy and emotional, she needed so much to rest.




If she had been thrilled and happy then, when she had accepted the proposal a month ago, she wasn’t now. She was living on hope that the man whom she had left everything in Boston to come ‘save’ would one day, see and and atleast thank her for her unsolicited gamble of taking chances with him.




She left for her room when she heard the noise of the gate signifying that he was back.