Perception – Episode 6


By Dr Ogonna Okeke

Amoge spent some time soaking in the beauty of the city. She took advantage of the gym facility by using the thread mill and other equipments.

She eventually went inside the room and slipped under her duvet after a cold bath . No sooner had she laid on the bed than she drifted off to sleep.

After some hours of sleeping,Amoge felt what seemed like an arm around her.At first she felt she was still dreaming, then she quickly turned around to see Arinze lying beside her and looking into her eyes.

“When did you arrive ?”Amoge asked with a cold voice .”About an hour ago , I just took a quick shower and came to lie down.

“You look so beautiful while sleeping. I didn’t want to wake you up,Arinze said . “So what have you been doing? ” ,she asked. “I have been staring at my wife, my gorgeous wife” , he replied .

“I see!” Amoge said with sarcasm in her voice and got out of the bed.She walked away to the balcony to get some space away from him. Arinze followed her .He came behind her and put his arms around her waist .”

Leave me alone!”, she screamed.” So all of a sudden, you remember that you have a wife? Eh!”.Do you know what I have been going through all these while? .

Arinze turned her around to face him.”I am so sorry for hurting you baby . Something died inside me when I saw your friend kiss you. I told you that I broke up with my ex on the day I planned on proposing to her. I caught her cheating on me with my best friend. My best friend Amoge! , he said with sadness.

“I actually came to take you to the airport that morning despite your alternative plans.However, It looked like you prevented me from taking you to the airport so that you would have a rendezvous with your ex”, he said to her.

Arinze told her that the flights to Venice made him think well about the situation. He said that he didn’t want to loose everything on account of distrust.

___

“We have to trust each other if we are going to make this marriage work”, Amoge said.” I am also sorry for not telling you that William came to my house but it was so late .I know that I should have pushed him away forcefully but I didn’t want to jeopardise our long friendship ” , Amoge said.

“All that is in the past now ” he said and held her in his arms. “Will you be able to forgive me for treating you so badly?. This is not how I want our marriage to start” he said to her while stroking her long hair. “I love you darling”, Amoge said.”I love you too babe!” he replied and kissed her gently on her cold lips.
 
“Let’s dress up ,have something to eat and start finalising arrangements for the Church wedding ceremony before our guests start arriving”,Arinze said to her.

They spent the next few days sightseeing and putting things in order. They loved the food ,drinks and the beautiful architecture of the city.

Amoge loved particularly, the late night gondola rides along enchanting Venetian canals with Arinze, especially the ones that had the gondolier singing traditional Italian songs.

___

It was the long awaited wedding day ,the excitement in the air was palpable.Their immediate family members and very close friends flew in to Venice to celebrate with them.

       Amoge  was in the hotel room with her Chief bride’s maid and sister getting ready for the wedding which was set for 6pm .Occasionally, her mum would pop into the room to ensure that they were  keeping track of time.

     Arinze was also with his brother and close male buddies chatting and dressing up for the ceremony .

It was 5:50pm.Amoge received a text alert on her phone which read : “My love,my heart beats for you.May our fairytale romance last till we are old, frail and perhaps using walking sticks.See you at the at the alter babe.” She giggled like a high school girl in love and replied” I am Yours till eternity and beyond “.

Amoge stood at the entrance of the garden with her dad by her side and maid of honour in front of her. Chinenye’s adorable daughter ;Olivia,who was the little bride,had already walked down the aisle scattering rose petals on the floor.

The view of garden which overlooked the lagoon was like paradise. The garden had a well lit spouting fountain which spilled water from various orifices .The reservoir had tiny light bulbs around it with water lily flowers arranged equidistantly from each other.

The entire perimeter of the garden had small vintage outdoor lamp shades mounted at strategic locations in the garden.

Amoge saw how beautifully arranged the fuchsia pink and white orchid flowers were placed around the wedding gazebo.

The longitudinal posts of the gazebo had white Italian Clematis vine flowers going from the ground to the roof of the gazebo.

The longitudinal posts of the gazebo had white Italian Clematis vine flowers going from the ground to the roof .

 
    The few guests available sat on gold seats arranged in two  short columns with the well decorated aisle in between.

      To the left of the gazebo was the  music area which comprised of a violinist, pianist , a saxophonist and a vocalist.

       Amoge looked forward to the gazebo area and saw Arinze wearing a sapphire blue tuxedo with black satin notch lapels on black trousers. His best man stood close to him. They watched with admiration as the little bride and maid of honour walked towards the officiating priest at the gazebo.

Amoge finally walked down the aisle with her dad beside her.He was proud of his little girl who had turned into a beautiful hardworking lady.

All eyes were on them .More on Amoge however, since she was the bride to be. They all stood as she walked to meet the man of her dreams.The violinist played a soulful tune which almost brought tears to Amoge and her dad especially at the point where he handed her over to Arinze .

“You are so beautiful “Arinze hurriedly whispered into her ears. He admired her gorgeous tumbled tulle wedding dress and well packed hair adorned with a white fascinator. Being a professional make up artist,she did justice to her already beautiful and well contoured face.

He couldn’t keep his eyes off her all through the wedding ceremony.

The ceremony was very nice and precise. As they walked towards their guests,Amoge saw someone that looked like Lola. “This can’t be Lola” she said and went to take pictures with her friends and family .

Amoge loved the photo session. Just as they were about going into the hotel’s  restaurant  reserved for the reception of the guests, she saw Arinze’s maternal cousin Jason;holding Lola’s hand as they advanced towards the door of the restaurant.

      It was an intimate wedding reception. Amoge’s brother connected his laptop to the loud speaker so that he could play “Naija” songs when necessary.They danced so much that Amoge’s sides began to ache.Everyone showed off their best dance steps even the elderly relatives in their midst.

The ceremony ended and the guests came to bid Arinze and Amoge farewell before retiring to  their hotel rooms.

    Jason came with Lola to the latest couple. “Arinze meet my fiancee. I brought her with me to introduce her formally to you and your wife”,he said to them.

   Lola smiled at Arinze and Amoge. She thanked them for hosting them well.”It was a beautiful wedding “she said.

Arinze said “thank you “and put his arm around Amoge’s shoulder.” I hope that you will take care of my brother well?” ” sure, I will “she replied and moved her gaze away from Amoge.

Amoge said to Jason with a smile, so when did you guys meet? Lola interrupted Jason’s reply “6 months ago” she said in a fidgety manner “.Amoge saw how uncomfortable she was in her presence.

Jason said to Lola “sweetheart have you met either of them before?,”No!”she replied .”You look pale, i hope you are okay ?”, he asked with a little anxiety. Before Lola could reply, Amoge looked into Lola’s eyes and said “It was nice meeting the both of you! .I hope we shall see more of you guys in the future ” .

As  Amoge and Arinze went to their room,he asked her ” was that not the Lola that stole your ex boyfriend?”.Yes babe! What goes around, comes around! .See how she pretended and lied to her fiance.No remorse whatsoever on her face after all she did to me . “Don’t say that love,her actions , no matter how wicked they were,brought you to me. I am glad that you handled her well “,he said to her.

    They got to the elevator which took them to the floor of their honeymoon suite.One of the wedding gifts they received from Arinze’s parents was a 4 day  ,all expense paid ,lodging  at the hotel’s penthouse suite.

   Arinze and Amoge went into the room. Their jaws literally dropped. The suite was exquisitely furnished in Venetian style and the view of the lake was absolutely amazing.The living room area had an antique dining set ,a sofa with unique throw pillows ,facing a wide flat screen TV.

There was a small bar beside a grand piano. The paintings in the suite as well as other decorative items were beautiful.

The bedroom had a walk -in closet with a king sized bed .The mattress and sheets were the softest they had ever laid on.There were red rose petals with mini bar swiss chocolates on the bed.The marble bathroom had a shower and a jacuzzi facing the lake.

He unzipped her gown gently and undressed her.He undressed himself to reveal his well toned muscles. Arinze carried his wife to the jacuzzi and lowered her into the warm bubbly water.

He quickly lit the scented candles, switched off the lights of the bathroom and entered into the the jacuzzi as well.

He sat behind her and together they enjoyed the view of the lake while discussing the wedding ceremony in details. They eventually got into their white bathrobes and went to the balcony.

The cold night breeze was so relaxing. Arinze and Amoge decided to drink their cups of tea with biscuit while enjoying the scenery in silence. They didn’t have to talk all the time for either of them to enjoy each other’s company. Just being in each other’s presence and looking into each other’s eyes was priceless.

   Amoge interrupted the silence by saying “babe did you see Tunde and Olivia dancing during our wedding reception? “.I thought I was the only one who saw it ,Arinze said with a smile on on his face. Amoge replied,” the Olivia that I know was probably just flirting with him.

I saw some sparks flying between the two of them anyway.” Tunde, my best buddy has always been a principled kind of guy, I hope she doesn’t lead him on for long” he said to Amoge .Enough of the love birds, let’s go to bed darling ,my feet hurt”  she said.

They both went into the room and laid on the bed. Amoge promised herself that she would save her virginity for her husband. She felt a bit anxious lying beside him.He looked into her eyes and said” I love you so much. Thanks for making me the happiest man alive”.Amoge giggled and placed her arm on his shoulder. He kissed her aching lips and caressed her smooth curvy body.

Amoge looked at the love of her life.The only one who believed in her and brought out the best in her .The one who was the definition of love itself. She was glad that she had some one who cherished even the ground she walked on .She gave herself to him and they were one.

Amoge and Arinze enjoyed their honeymoon. It was a well deserved holiday from the stress of work .They got back to Lagos afterwards and Amoge moved into Arinze’s house.

It was a cool Saturday evening, Amoge and her husband were playing cards while eating some cashew nuts ,Arinze’s phone rang .”Hi bro,are you at home?” Yes , I am at home with my ‘ iyawo’ he said.”Okay I am coming over” the voice said.

“Jason is coming over” Arinze said to Amoge. When? Amoge asked . “He is on his way already “he replied .

Amoge went into the kitchen to prepare a quick snack for Jason .In about 20 minutes, the door bell rang and Arinze went to usher in the expected visitor.”Wow! you didn’t tell me that you were coming with Lola” he said with a fake smile on his face. “You’re welcome dear ,make yourself comfortable, he said to Lola. “

Arinze went to the kitchen to inform Amoge of Lola’s presence. “Jason came with Lola he said to her ” What’s she doing here ? Amoge replied with a frown on her face.

They both went back to the living room to see the guests. Jason told them that they were just coming from a wedding and decided to visit them since they were in their neighbourhood.

Amoge offered them some refreshments and sat beside Arinze. After a while, both men started discussing about work and Arinze said to Jason;”come and have a look at the model of the new mall project I spoke to you about earlier”.

Jason followed Arinze into his study.As soon as Amoge heard the door shut behind them,she went to where Lola was and said “you certainly have guts coming into my matrimonial home uninvited .Aren’t you tired of all your lying and scheming ?”Amoge said to her.

Lola replied Amoge with a low voice “I am so sorry about how I treated you in the past.I thought I loved William but It was just infatuation, besides he kept comparing you to me, so I ended the relationship”.

     “I  really love Jason. Please forgive me. Don’t tell him about what I did to you .He hates it when he is lied to. This could end our engagement”.She pleaded with her.

“Don’t you think that you should just tell him that you atleast knew me in the past . What’s the big deal?.We have all moved on.”You don’t understand, Jason is a perfectionist and a bit judgemental ” she said to Amoge.

Jason stormed into the living room and walked up to Lola and said “So you have been lying to me all these while.” “Lying about what?” Lola replied. “Why can’t you speak the truth, I heard everything you said to Amoge, everything ! .”I am going to ask you one last time ,”why were you begging Amoge for forgiveness ?”.

Arinze came into the living room when he heard all the noise .”Jason you are supposed to be getting your contractor’s number from your second phone. What’s going on? “.

” I am sorry bro! but I just need answers from Lola, he said to Arinze . Lola told him how she and Amoge were best of friends in secondary school .She confessed to hiding the love letters , Amoge’s crush ;William sent to her and how she sabotaged their relationship.

” I am so sorry Jason. I am a changed person. I didn’t want you to know about the shameful things that I did in the past ” , she said to him .

She went down on her knees and begged Jason.” I do not have any other secret, please forgive me for lying to you.I denied knowing Amoge because I was afraid ” she said to him.

Jason looked at Lola with disdain and said to Arinze “how could you have hidden all this from your own brother? “.

He walked away from everyone and went to his car.

Lola ran after him .She opened the car door and went inside before he couldstop her.

Amoge saw them arguing with themselves in the car and after some minutes, Jason drove off with her.

Amoge had mixed feelings about what happened. A part of her was happy that Jason was finally realising the kind of lady he wanted to marry but the other part of her remembered the good old days in secondary school. The remorse written all over her face plus the tears ,made her feel sorry for Lola.

Later that night, Amoge got a call from Lola. “Amoge I am finished! .He has left me”.”What happened ?”Amoge asked .”When he went to  drop me off at my parent’s house, I asked him to come inside for dinner. He refused and said that we need to move our wedding forward. He said he feels we don’t know each other well enough”.

“Please beg your husband to plead with him.Afterall it’s not like I cheated on him ” Lola said to her.

“I will see what I can do .Just calm down!” Amoge said.

Months Went by. Amoge decided to start a training course to teach people how to be professional make up artists. She was preoccupied with getting the ideal location for the studio that she almost forgot that Arinze’s birthday was in a couple of days.

She decided to plan a surprise birthday party for him.She invited his close friends and relatives in Lagos as well as hers .Amoge booked his favourite restaurant which specialised in local delicacies.

It was the day of the surprise birthday party. Arinze’s brother Jidenna called him in the morning. “Hi big bro! , happy birthday! , how are you celebrating your day?.”No plans Jide.It will be a quiet one for wifey and I “he said to him.”Why? Okay ! Meet me at our joint by 5pm so that we can hang out for an hour before you go home to celebrate with Amoge”. Arinze agreed to the plan and hung up the phone.

As soon as Arinze and Jidenna went into the restaurant at the previously agreed time,they heard a loud scream “Happy birthday Arinze !”.Amoge came out from the crowd to hug her husband.

“I can’t believe you hid this from me .Thanks a lot babe” he said to her with a smile on his face. “Anything for you darling, you deserve even more” she replied .

As the guests were mingling with each other, Jason sat down with Jidenna waiting for the food they ordered to arrive. Jidenna saw a family friend come in through the door and went to greet him.

Jason sat alone scrolling through his phone messages. He heard a female voice say to him;”a penny for your thoughts “.My name is Olivia what’s yours?

…To be continued

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