Lekki Sisi - S01 E41

Story 2 years ago

Lekki Sisi - S01 E41

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 41

Ranti picked me up in front of Circle Mall. When I entered his car, he gave me a warm hug and kissed me on my cheeks.

‘Are you ready for the surprise?’

I forced a smile. ‘Sure.’

He pulled away enough to look at my face.

‘Are you okay? You don’t look excited.’

‘I’m just a little tired.’

As Ranti drove out of the mall, he began to narrate how his trip had gone. The deals he struck. The millions he’d made. The new clients he met. I pretended to listen but all I could do was stare at the man I thought I loved. Only hatred was left in my heart for him. I was a wounded lion roaring in pain. My dream of a perfect marriage gone. My hopes shattered.

I will rise above this, I muttered. This was where I differ from other women. I do not stay down for a long time. The word ‘self-pity’ does not exist in my dictionary. I am a strong woman who will never give up under pressure.

All men are scum, I concluded. The very thought of marriage irritated me. It was time to focus on my career and build a great life for myself.

‘Did you hear what I just said?’ Ranti was staring at me.

‘Oh..sorry, I was distracted.’

‘Are you sure you are okay?’

I nodded and stared out the window. It took so much restraint not to hit him. I wanted to grab the steering from him and swerve the car off the road. I wanted to hit him until he bled and died.

We entered a beautiful estate in Lekki Phase I and stopped in front of a beautiful bungalow painted white.

‘Here we are.’ He said and climbed down.

I walked past a clean Mercedes Benz shaded by a blue umbrella into the two-bedroom apartment.

Beautiful décor. Posh sofas. Tiled floors.

Ranti reached for his pocket and brought out a bunch of keys. He held them out to me. ‘The key to the house and the car. I’ve paid the rent for two years.’

I stared at the keys. Wasn’t this what I wanted?

‘Thank you. I really appreciate this.’

Ranti held my hand and led me to the sofa. I resisted when he pulled me to sit beside him.

‘Tinuke, please sit down. There is something I want to tell you.’

I remained standing. ‘Say what you want to say. I’m fine this way.’

‘Tinuke, I lied to you and I am so ashamed of myself. I am married.’

My face went hot. So it was true. Hearing him confirm my fears broke my heart completely. When I had planned confronting Ranti, I’d thought he would laugh and say, ‘married keh? Who’s feeding you that nonsense.’

I thought he’d prove to me that there were two Ranti Fabunmi in the church and the married person was the other Ranti.

I lost it at that moment. I grabbed his suit and shook him. ‘You deceived me! You are a wicked and cruel man. I regret the day I ever met you.’

Ranti started crying. I mean heart-wrenching sobs. The tears poured down his face and for a moment, I stood there confused.

He reached for my chin with trembling hands. ‘I’m so sorry. Tinuke, please forgive me. I’d wanted to tell you from the moment we met, but I was scared you’d leave me. I didn’t know how I was going to survive without you.’

By this time, I was completely taken aback by Ranti’s reaction. In my life, I’d never seen a man cry. It was all strange to me.

I sat beside him and tried to calm him down.

He sighed. ‘I’m sorry you had to see me this way. I can be emotional when it comes to matters of the heart.’

He pulled me closer, running his hand over my tear-stained face. ‘I can’t live without you Tinuke. Please forgive me.’

‘I forgive you Ranti but I’m still shocked that you are married.’

Ranti clasped his hands and stared at the ground. ‘I am not in love with the woman I married. Our marriage is just one of convenience and every day I am tortured by the fact that I’d have to spend the rest of my life with her. Tinuke, I wished I’d met you earlier.’

He raised his head and gazed into my eyes. My wall of defence crumbled down like a pack of cards. The initial blow and agony turned to sympathy. I felt so sorry for him and wished I hadn’t been hard on him.