Lekki Sisi - S01 E80

Story 2 years ago

Lekki Sisi - S01 E80

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 80

DIVINE HOPE MONTESSORI SCHOOL

The men began to arrange the toys into the different rooms. The school looked very colourful. Everything was almost ready in preparation for resumption of the new session. I remembered I had a meeting the following week with the marketing and creative team.

We left for Lagos the following morning. Yetunde flew out of the country that night.

A week after Yetunde left for the United States, I returned from a meeting with the M.D of Zach Tech to find Patrick sitting in the reception, reading a magazine. Seeing him was such a relief because I was so drained out by the meeting and furious with the terrible way I’d been treated by the M.D who felt because I was a woman, I had nothing serious to offer. I’d left his office almost in tears.

‘You look upset.’ Patrick said as we entered my office.

‘I had a rough day. Business is like that sometimes.’ I pulled out a bottle of chilled apple juice from the fridge while Patrick got two cups from the cabinet.

‘I didn’t mean to bump into you like this.’ Patrick said as I filled the cups.

‘It’s fine. You came at the right time.’

I emptied the glass and refilled before sitting beside Patrick.

‘Dad was at my house this evening.’ Patrick said.

‘Oh. Nice. He told me he had a meeting but he would be travelling back immediately after the meeting to attend a function in Abuja.’

Patrick placed a bunch of keys in my palm. ‘He sent his wedding gift ahead.’

I looked from Patrick to the bunch of keys. ‘What’s this?’

Patrick smiled. ‘The duplex. Our wedding gift. He has given me the contact of the lawyer who’d help us with the papers.’

My eyes widened. ‘How are we supposed to live in that big house alone.’

Patrick brought a small box from his pocket and gave it to me. ‘This is from Shade’s mother.’

I opened it to find a beautiful necklace and a matching pair of earrings.

‘This is so beautiful.’

Patrick stood up. ‘That’s what I came to deliver. I think I should leave you to work. I’ll pick you up at 5.’

I pulled his hand. ‘Please stay a little more.’

‘But you have work to do.’

As if to confirm Patrick’s statement, Cynthia, my secretary came in to inform me that some men from one of the big firms we managed were at the reception waiting to see me.

Patrick stopped at the door and faced me. ‘Can’t we just move this wedding date closer. Mehn, this body needs to be fed. Wedding night, come abeg.’

I laughed. ‘Bro, the patient dog eats the fattest bone. Besides, our wedding is next month. It’s here already. But until then we wait.’

‘Definitely. We don’t negotiate where sexual purity is concerned. Lest I forget, I’ve booked our flight to Paris. Every other logistics has been settled.’

I jumped in excitement. My first trip outside the shores of Nigeria would be my honeymoon.

That evening, Mimi went with us to see our new house. I was mesmerized as I moved from one wing to another. I could hear Patrick and Wale’s voice from the other end of the house. There were three rooms downstairs and about four upstairs. Dad had changed the chairs in the sitting room and brought in new sets of dining chairs. The master bedroom was the largest room with its own sitting area furnished and neatly arranged.

The housekeeper, Kike, introduced us to the chef and other domestic staff. I wondered what I’d be doing with a chef. I was definitely going to cook my husband’s meals. As we walked down the stairs, laughing at Mimi’s jokes, I had just this prayer on my lips.

Lord, help me to always stay at the center of your will. Thank you for the blessings you have given me. But Lord, I hold all of these material possessions with loose hands. May I never struggle to release any of the things you have bestowed on me. I pray for the grace to follow you daily.

November 17th. My wedding. Dad sat beside me as we drove to the church.

‘I’m so proud of you.’ Dad said.

‘Thank you Dad.’

I was nervous. I knew that the only way to stay calm was to talk about other things. So I began to narrate to dad the deals I’d pulled in and some of the challenges I was facing. At first, Dad looked at me, puzzled. But when I kept talking, he relaxed and listened. He gave me tips on how to handle difficult clients. He laughed when I told him about Zach Tech. He said immediately I left, the M.D of Zach Tech called to tell him how he’d drilled me and how I was the true daughter of my father. By the time we got to church, we had spoken so much about business and deals and ways to get the staff to be more proactive. I was very relaxed when we got to church.

Tola and Wale had been joined an hour earlier. Now was my turn. The moment had arrived.

Slowly we walked into the church, father and daughter, hand in hand. I saw mum sitting somewhere in front, in a purple aso-oke, her beautiful gele decorated with stones. She looked radiant. When I raised my head and saw the bridegroom, the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with, I couldn’t help but grin. He looked smashing in his navy-blue suit.

This was a journey of faith for us. I prayed quietly for the grace to be a true helpmeet to Patrick. God’s unstoppable love had been revealed in my life, his mercy had shown up and pulled me out of the ditch. I was hoping to reflect such depth of love in my home in the face of any challenge or storm. The song that I had woken up with that morning began to play in my heart as I stood before Patrick.

Oh the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God

Oh it chases me down, fights till I’m found,

Leaves the ninety-nine

I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it,

Still you give yourself away

Oh the overwhelming, never ending reckless love of God.

I have met with love and that love is God.

T H E E N D......

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