The Runaway Bride

Episode 11

When Tokunbo woke the following morning, it was to the ringtone of his phone. He was initially disillusioned especially having to wake up in the guest room, and then the whole drama of the night before came flooding back, making him to collapse on the bed before picking the unrelenting caller’s
call.

“Hey guy, what’s up?”
“Chris, how far, good morning.”
“I woke you, sorry about that, my fingers have been itching since last night and I just cannot help myself before I head to church this morning, what’s happening, did she go back
with you to the house?”

“Chris, it is a long story and to answer your question, yes she came home with me last night and I don’t know what to make of that.

I would have loved to come to church but I’m sure so many people heard it this morning in the news that she’s back and would be wondering why I am not staying with her,
see, we need to see. I think this is more than I thought it to be. ”

“That bad?”

“Worse, but in all sincerity, we have not
talked about it and I did not want to press her for any explanation yesterday”

“Wow, you know what? I will come there after service to see you”

“No problem, I and my loving wife will be waiting for you”

“Yeye boy, just take it easy and rest, hmmn?”

“I am and I will”

He ended the call and went into the bathroom to freshen up but changed his mind instead and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water, he was surprised to see Chinwe in the kitchen already, boiling some water for only God knows what.

“Good morning, Chinwe”

“Good morning,” she replied and walked out of the kitchen, leaving him to go about what he came there for. She returned later with her phone and sat down at the dining table right outside the kitchen.

Tokunbo decided to
take his water to the guest room and leave the kitchen for her; he could take his coffee later.

When he finished bathing and was fully
dressed, he noticed she was in the bathroom and went to the kitchen to get some food ready, he measured the right quantity of rice for the 2 of them and started cooking, hoping to make things easy for them both and maybe
they could talk about what is plaguing her.

When the rice was done, he removed the
sauce from the fridge, courtesy Chris’s sister, who had been helpful; he made a mental note to call her later for her help.

After defrosting the sauce, he fried some
plantains and set the table for them both, but was still surprised she had not come out of the room still. He took an extra effort of walking to the door, knocked on it twice and then opened the door and saw her lying on the mattress with the phone on her ear.

“Chinwe, breakfast is ready, let’s eat”

“Go ahead, I’m fine”

“You did not eat anything last night, neither of us did, it is just a simple meal, we need our strength so we could talk later”

“Tokunbo, I am fine, thanks and what is there to talk about? I already said what I wanted to say last night, yeah, hello, how was your night.” The call she was making came through and she ignored Tokunbo as she started talking with whoever it was she was calling.
Tokunbo retraced his steps back to the dining room and suddenly lost his appetite.

He however forced himself to take some of the food he cooked, knowing he could not survive long on just air and fear. He listened to her talk, she was not making any effort to hide that she was talking with one of her friends, probably calling her back to be sure they heard right.

More than ever before, Tokunbo felt he
needed someone to talk to, he sat at the
dining table for long even after eating the
food he dished for himself. He was totally lost on how to proceed with the information she just gave to him.

Well, he sure needed an explanation and if
she had nothing to say then who does?
He went back to the room and she was still on the phone. Instead of giving her the privacy of talking with her friend, he took his seat at the dressing table and watched patiently as she told her friend she really was back, but she kept avoiding the question, often telling
her friend it is a long story; I am back now, just forget about the kidnappers.
She obviously was upholding her father’s kidnap story. Tokunbo waited and soon caught her staring in his direction a moment or two before she finally ended the call and
faced him squarely on the bed..

“Are you through?” Tokunbo asked nicely

“What do you want?”

“An explanation on what happened 3 weeks ago, at our wedding, the message you sent and what you said last night that you no longer wish to be married to me. Let’s start from the most recent, this morning, when you said you already said all you have to say last night. Obviously, saying that again will take
me to my next question.” The calmness in his voice surprised him when all he wanted to do was cross over to the side of the room she was sitting and shake some sense into her, or
hug her or beg her to tell him what went
wrong.

“Okay, I already said all I have to say last night at my parents’ house I have nothing more else to say ” she replied sweetly.

“Okay, what was it you said?”

“That I no longer want to be married to you”

“Why?”

“Because we are just a result of our parents’ business merger”

“I thought we got past that about 3 months back and we agreed we liked ourselves enough to go ahead with their plans?”

“That was before I found out that you are just a son of a bi*ch with a past that has ruined another person’s future”

“Do you mind coming again on that, you lost me there?”

“You heard me, your stupid cruel act of 4
years ago has left someone’s life ruined,” she stood up and made to go outside but Tokunbo was fast enough to block her from leaving the room.

“No, you are going nowhere until you tell me what the hell you are talking about”

“you know what I am talking about” she said as she looked him straight in the face, the dark birthmark on his forehead disappearing to his hair brought tears to her eyes and she banked the tears from falling.

“I don’t know what the hell you are talking about and if you don’t start explaining now I swear, I will..”

“What, beat me, rape me ehn, Mr Tokunbo Ajayi? What would you do?” She went violent, hitting him and shoving at his broad chest as
she lost total control of her cool; ready to fight and raise hell. Tokunbo knew they dated for a very short time, but he never saw or imagined this side of her; confrontational, aggressive and daring. She kept beating and shoving on
his chest till he had to hold both her hands in one before she wears herself out.

She kept struggling with him until he
managed to pull her and push her to the bed, wondering what to do next, run and take cover or thrash the whole thing out; he stuck with the latter.

“Why would I beat or rape you? I meant to say lock the door and not open until we are ready to talk things out”
He watched as she breathed heavily on the bed as a result of her anger. She had pure cold fire in her eyes and that scared Tokunbo more than her tiny fists.

“Oh, really, why would you rape me? You should ask yourself the question or take yourself down memory lane, 4 years ago.”

“Chinwe, I swear to you, I don’t know what the hell you are talking about, I married you or rather I chose to marry you not because of whatever business merger your father has with my father. I married you because when I saw you, I liked you and when we talked.

I thought I found something in you that would keep me beside you forever, I thought the feeling was mutual and I thought it was. I am surprised of this crazy accusation you are throwing at me and I would like an explanation or a proof of what you are
saying.”

“Really? I almost fell for the poem, but you know what, I don’t care. I have been convicted to this life of marital blast with you and I will stay here while it lasts. Just don’t just expect anything from me.”

“I demand an explanation, for the allegations you are throwing at me for God’s sake!”

“Don’t you dare demand anything from me,
what you deserve is a bullet to your head,
animal!” That said, Chinwe stormed out of the room and when she slammed the door, Tokunbo was surprised it still hung on it hinges.

His feet could no longer carry him; he
slumped to the bed and covered his head with his 2 hands, wondering how on earth he got to this stage and what he did to deserve it.

But wait a minute , did she say rape? Him,
rape someone she knows? He had never ever forcefully taken a thing in his life, not even food, not to talk of a woman’s virtue; besides he knows just few friends of hers. Yes, he has heard her mention names, seen their pictures but has never met them one or one not to talk of…this is absolutely absurd. No she must be
mistaking him for someone else. What proof does she have and why is she so bent on believing the other person’s side of the story and not willing to listen to him?

Tokunbo remained in the room on the bed for several minutes, hoping she would come back to the room to continue the conversation.

Who was he kidding anyway, she would not come back to resume the session with him and he’s now scared of what next she might accuse him of, even though he was so sure she got it wrong when she said he raped someone.

>

The sound of the bell in the house announced a visitor and he knew it would be Chris; he went to the door and was not surprised to see him.

They shook hands and he came in with a
bag from a popular super mart around their block.

“What’s up? You look terrible, and did you sleep at all? Abi honeymoon don…”

When he turned around, the look in his eyes shut his friend up totally

“Dude, what’s up?” Chris asked carefully.

“Will you be going somewhere else?”

Tokunbo asked instead of answering his
question.

“Nope, heading home from here, where’s Chinwe?”

“Somewhere in the house, I am sure. Wait, let me change my clothes, I need to be out of here before I go crazy”

“That sounds serious, what on earth is going on” Chris placed the goody bags on the dining table and watched as his friend left him
standing there instead of answering his
question.

Chris sat gingerly by the dining table, he
could see from the plates on the dinning table that only one person ate. The second plate was clean. He removed the pate from the table and placed it in the sink in the kitchen and returned to take his seat. He stood again and took the bags to the kitchen, removing the eggs, bread, chocolate and a bottle of wine
he got for the welcome back toast.

Obviously that would not be needed now.

When Tokunbo came back to the room, he
walked to the door as if he expected Chris to follow him; he had nothing with him except his phone.

When he got outside, he saw Tokunbo giving instruction to the security man.