My treasure – Episode 1

My Treasure {
@myLoveForLife
Episode 1
}

I waited anxiously for his new wife, Jennifer to arrive at his apartment. I took a quick glance at my watch 8:00.
I have spent the whole morning in the church and the whole afternoon in the reception and now it was evening and the Oche’s family haven’t still brought Jeniffer to me.
“When will this people arrive sef?” My twelve year old brother Shedrack standing beside me asked.
“I don’t know oh,” I replied. “Me sef I don tire oo.”
“Abi they are cooking food ne,” Shedrack said.
I looked at him in surprise. “Cooking food?”
“Yes na, you know after wedding, aunty Jennifer say she want to go home with her mommy, and youbknow that food finished towards the end of the reception, so maybe they went and cook food. I hope its indomie oo”
I laughed at his logic. “No no shedy, Jeniffer went to get prepared at her mommy’s house so that they will bring her to her new husband, and she will be here soon.”
“Why should they bring her, is she not a big aunty, can she not cross express, why she did not come by herself?” Shedrack asked and I stared as him in shock.
“How do you want her to come by herself after she just marry?”
Shedrack shrugged. “She can take bike.”
I laughed again and shedy glared at me.
“What?”
“In Nigeria,” I explained after laughing. “It is our custom for the parents of the newly married bride to bring her over to the house of her husband after mariage.”
He nodded as I explained.
“She don’t need to enter bike”
“Or keke”
“Shedrack!” I exclaimed in shock. “Don’t let me knock your small head this evening.”
“Brother James, you have married,” he replied immediately.
“So?”
“You are now big man,” he replied lifting his upper arms to depict a big man. “You are not supposed to be doing all these teenagers things.”
“So knocking my brother is now teenagera thing ba?”
“Yes na,” he answered confidently. “Or other thing like doing kiss kiss with aunty Anita.”
“Shhh,” I took a sweeping glance around to be sure no one is eavesdropping, my dad and moms .were still chatting in the sitting room so I guess they weren’t paying attention.”You can’t mention that at all, in fact don’t let me hear it from your mouth again, do you understand?”
“But daddy use to tell me to report if I see . . .”
“You will not see anything again, I have married and now the only person I love is my wife Jennifer”
“Hmmmm”
“Yes”
“But she’s calling”
“Who”
“Her”
I pulled out my phone which was half tucked into my trouser pocket and on the screen it displayed Anita with her picture above.
I sighed in frustration and hit the end button. Don’t girls understand when we say its over? Ugh
“Shedrack!” Mom’s voice sounded from the house. “The Oches are her, go and open the gate.”
Shedrack ran towards the gate to open it and I walked slowly towards the parking lot to welcome them. Just as they were stepping out of the car, my phone vibrated in my hand. I quickly took a look at it.
“Congratulations on your wedding, happy marriage”
Somehow in those six words, I could feel a little bit of remorse for letting go of her. Her family would have been the ones bringing her for me on this day.
“James!” I heard Mrs Oche called out to me.
I can’t beleive I allowed my mind drift away so fast. And my phone was still on and displaying Anita’s message. I slowly looked up, anticipating the worst but thankfully, she was a good couple of feets away from me. “Mommy.”
“My son inlaw!” She reached for me with arms spread for a hug.
I quickly hit the power button to turn of my screen before receiving the bear’s hug.
“James James,” Mr Oche called out, walking towards me with his car keys in his finger. “The boy I taught was playing with my daughter.”
I stared at him in shock.
Mrs Oche sighed in frustration and threw her gaze at her husband, this young man here don’t play with ladies.”
I look at her, nodding in agreement.
“He prays with them.”
“Ehn!”
“Just joking,” she points out casually.
“Anyways, starting from today,” Mr Oche continues. “You cease to be a boy but now a man, a family one.”
What on earth is wrong with this man?
“Yes,”
I turned around to see my father coming along with my mom trailing behind him.
“You will now show your responsibility by taking care of your new family, and I trust you will do so as I have trained you to do juat that.”
Now this one is talking some sense.
“Yes dad, I won’t let you down!”
“Thats my boy!”
“So, before it gets dark,” Mrs Oche suddenly spoke up, obviously bored of the advices flying around but still looking as excited as ever. “On behalf of the family of Mazi Oche, I present to you, James of the family of Ola Abiodun, Jennifer Abiodun.”
I swear I forgot Jennifer existed.
I threw my gaze forward and there stood Jennifer. I have seen her many times but I swear her beauty this evening made me shiver. Her makeup was well done, her hair was well braided and she had this gentle but killing smile which can make you forget your own existence, but still, Anita kept flashing through my mind.
Well, this is going to be one kind of a marriage . . .

tbc