Episode 23
BODE : Jade...
JADE : yes Dad...
BODE : I'm sure your mother has told you why we're here..
JADE : yes Dad
BODE : here are some of your father's relatives Mr Shipeolu and Mr Ajasa. They're here on your father's behalf and here is Mr Nate, he was the one your father sent to locate us...
SHIPEOLU : my dear, I'm happy to finally meet you. Its such a pity we didn't meet before now, but all the same I'm happy to see you and I'll love you to meet my family soon...
AJASA : Your father seeks your forgiveness for not been there for you all these while and he wants to make it up to you...
JADE : I thought he was going to be here...
SHIPEOLU : well...that's the problem, he's critically ill that's why he couldn't make it. He was involved in a ghastly motor accident that claimed his family's lives...
JADE : oh... no wonder he's looking for me now...so, if his family hadn't died he wouldn't have remembered me...
SHIPEOLU : my dear, please don't look at it that way...please...just let bye-gones be bye gone. Please forgive him...
JADE : sir, I'm sorry, but you can't expect me to just overlook what he did both to me and my Mum...he denied having anything to do with her, left her to nurse the pregnancy and the baby alone...its such a pity he's not a woman, so he can't understand how it feels.
SHIPEOLU : Jadesola...I understand you but please tamper justice with mercy...
JADE : please sir, I already have a father..this (pointing to Bode)...is my father. He was the one that was there when I needed a father. Please tell him to forget he has me as a daughter. Its too late...
SHIPEOLU : Jadesaola...I know you're not just a beautiful daughter but also a kind-hearted one too, and I know you won't want to see anyone in pains, but this man we're talking about is in pains for not doing the right thing and he wants to do it now before he passes away...
JADE : sir, do you know that I have no grand parents? That is, they died even before my Mum was 12 years old? Do you know that my Mum only became so close to that man you called my father because my Mum found solace in him? Do you know that after he left my Mum she had nobody to go to and her aunt with whom she stayed with sent her out of the house because of the pregnancy? You know why? Because her Aunt thought it was her husband that impregnated my Mum. And poor her, she had to do odd jobs just to survive? Now let's assume my Mum, while going through all those problems, lost the pregnancy, will he have anybody to look for now? Or let's assume she had aborted that pregnancy then, will he have anybody to run to now?...definitely not. So sir please kindly tell him that he doesn't have a child with this...(Pointing at her mother)...woman here.
(Shipeolu looks at Ajasa, then at Nate who has been eager to talk and beckons on him to take over)
NATE : em excuse me young lady...
JADE : (turns to Nate)...you're excused...
NATE : you see, I've only known Sir T, that's your father for a short while, but for the little time I've spent knowing him, I can tell you that he may have being the most horrible man before, but now, I tell you he's changed...
JADE : (cuts in)...oh please Mister...he's changed, he's changed now that he's lost his family? You know what, I can't blame you, I'm sure you don't know what it feels like to carry a child as if you were the one that impregnated yourself...you're a man, you can't even know what it feels like to carry a child or give birth to one in a very hard condition...
NATE : Ma'am, I may not know all these but I'm just been realistic...
JADE : (cuts in)...no, you're been very unrealistic. You really wanna be realistic, you'd go to that man and tell him he's got no child here.
NATE : I understand you...
JADE : (cuts in)...no you don't... Wait a second, let's assume that this man here...(Pointing to Bode) had not been a good and gentle man, let's assume he's one of those useless men out there who takes advantage of their wive's daughters, do you think you'll have any child to look for? Tell me? Do you know how many girls get raped daily by their mother's husbands? Oh...I've forgotten, we ladies are the most affected when it comes to sexual abuse...are those not part of the things you should always consider when you want to make a drastic decision that can affect a child's life?...but no, you men don't look at that. All you ever think of is the enjoyment that is attainable during sex....pardon me, for using such a word, but its the truth... If I had been a victim of sexual harassment all because my father rejected me, do you think you would even have found me? A lot of girls out there become prostitutes just because their mothers lived with the wrong men...
KANYIN : (comes in after a long silence)....Jade...(Coming to hold her)...
JADE : no Mum, we can't over look what may have been just because I was lucky...
KANYIN : I understand you dear...but we're christians, we just have to forgive...
JADE : Mum...
KANYIN : (cuts in)....sweetheart please let's forgive him...
JADE : Mum, I can do that, but that won't mean I'll accept him as my father, I mean, I don't need him anymore...
KANYIN : please dear...
JADE : oh Mum....(Thinking about it)...okay I've forgiven him, but I don't need to meet him.
NATE : please, I beg of you...look, after everything you said, I realise he doesn't have the right to come ask for your forgiveness...but please for my sake please I beg of you...come see him...
SHIPEOLU : my dear, I know you're no more a child and your father really came back late, but please, I am begging on his behave, please forgive him and go to see him.
AJASA : please...
NATE : please...
JADE : (turns to Bode)...Dad...
BODE : please let it go...please...
JADE: thinks for a while)...where is he?
NATE : in the UK...
JADE : what! That far? Hell no, I'm not going.
NATE : please, I beg you, if you don't agree to come with me, I can't go back. I'm stuck here till you agree to come see him...
JADE : (laughs)...you see, and you say he's changed? Why should he tag your freedom to my appearance...
NATE : no, no, its not that...
JADE : oh please, Mr Nate, tell him I've forgiven him but I'm not coming anywhere....
KANYIN : Jade...
JADE : (cuts)...Mummy please...(She turns to Shipeolu and Ajasa)....Uncle, can I call you that?
BOTH : yes you can.
JADE : Uncle please, I'm not usually like this, I'm very nice but the situation is just making me really angry. Please send me your address, I'll come and say hi to you and your family...
SHIPEOLU : I'll appreciate that a lot....(He winks at Nate to let her be)...so can I have your number?
JADE : of course Uncle....(She gives him her number).....
SHIPEOLU : we'll be on our way now....(Standing up)
KANYIN : okay, I'll see you off...
JADE : bye sir...
(Bode and Kanyinsola sees them off....)
KANYIN : don't worry I will talk to her. She's just still angry, she'll change her mind.
NATE : I really hope so...
BODE : don't worry, Jade is a very nice girl, she'll come around...
SHIPEOLU : Akin kept disturbing me to come and I'm happy I did, she's got his will power.
AJASA : She has most of his characteristics... Very outspoken and intelligent...
NATE : that's true she's a very strong woman. He'll be very happy to know what his daughter has turned out to be...
BODE : she's a strong woman. Always keeping to her principles, like her mother...
KANYIN : (smiles)...don't worry I'll talk to her and same....(turns to Nate)...
NATE : yes ma'am...
KANYIN : we'll get back to you...
NATE : I'd appreciate that a lot....
(After Kanyin and Bode went back into the house, Shipeolu tells Nate not to tell Akin(Sir T) anything about what just happened until Jade has agreed to go and see him. He agrees to make something up...)
..........................................................................
Later in the evening, Jade and Kanyin are talking...
KANYIN : why don't you want to go over there and see him, Jade?
JADE : Mum, because I'm at the verge of something better...
KANYIN : really?
JADE : yes Mum...(Sits up)...you see I met this guy about a month ago...
KANYIN : (cuts in)...another guy?
JADE : yes Mum and you know something Mum?
KANYIN : what?
JADE : when I first saw him, I felt he looked familiar...then I remembered we met at that conference in Port Harcourt...
KANYIN : which conference is that?
JADE : remember that conference..the one I went with Funmi and Tola?
KANYIN : ..(Tries to recall)...yes....I remember...
JADE : we met there...but it was as if it didn't end there...it was more like I'd known him somewhere else....
KANYIN : ...where?
JADE : Mum...remember the dream I told you I keep having about the guy that brought me a dress?
KANYIN : yes...
JADE : I had the dream again....but this time around he gave me the dress but he was wearing a singlet, and it was cold....so after collecting the dress from him, I asked him why he's not wearing anything and he said his shirt was in my bag.
KANYIN : in the dream?
JADE : yes. He said I've been with it ever since so I checked my bag and found his shirt there. Lo and behold the shirt was the same material with the dress he gave me only that mine is feminine....
KANYIN : and what has that got to do with the guy you met...
JADE : mum, this time around it was his face I saw...you know I've been having the dream but I never recognised the face till now....
KANYIN : (surprised)...have you talked to a pastor about it?
JADE : no Mum, I just had the dream again when I slept last night...
KANYIN : don't worry I'll take you to my pastor...
JADE : thanks Mum...
KANYIN : but do you like him?
JADE : actually Mum, that day we argued at the conference I hated him....
KANYIN : but didn't you recognise him as the man in your dreams then?
JADE : you know I'd not given the dream any attention then, till you now told me that I should still look out, that Yinka may not be the right man for me...
KANYIN : okay... But notwithstanding, we'll still go to my pastor after church tomorrow...
JADE : okay Mum, but I'm going back to Lagos tomorrow...
KANYIN : so soon?
JADE : yes Mum...Yomi and I have decided to start a business together.
KANYIN : who is Yomi?
JADE : oh, that's his name.....
KANYIN : haha...me, I don't like that o. Someone we have not prayed about? We don't know if he's right for you yet and you're already talking of starting business with him....
JADE : (laughs)....oh Mum, we're still friends o, we're not dating yet. And we want to start the business together because he lost his job too. So he just wants to make use of his gratuity before he spends it all....
KANYIN : so you're starting the business as friends?
JADE : yes Mum. He has not even shown me he has any other kind of interest in me apart from friendship and business...
KANYIN : ehn ehn.....okay. Then we should pray about it on time before he shows interest, once he's not right for you please let the relationship be platonic so that the right man can show up...
JADE : okay Mum.
KANYIN : and back to what we're saying, Jade please you have to go and see that man before he dies...
JADE : (surprised)...is he about to die?
KANYIN : oh...my, I forgot to tell Nate to show you his picture...may be next time...
JADE : hmm... next time. I don't know why we're even bothered about him, after all we don't need him...
KANYIN : yes we don't, but we need him to die peacefully...
(That sentence keeps ringing in Jade's ears...)
...........................................................................
(Meanwhile Lanre is at Yomi's house...)
LANRE : you should have seen the way Mr Briggs felt that day when we told him we couldn't find the design in our archive, he nearly went mad...
YOMI : but I told him I had a problem with my system, you should have told him that was when we lost it...
LANRE : my mind didn't go there. But I knew you still had it in your personal system.
YOMI : that was because I did the work at home so I just copied and brought it to work.
LANRE : I know...so tell me, how did it go?
YOMI : I don't know who gave him my number o...the man just called me...
LANRE : (cut in)....I did...
YOMI : (shocked) you did!
LANRE : yes. I knew you had no job and the man wasn't ready to use any other design except that one. Secondly, I knew he'd come back to us for the construction after you've designed it for him....
YOMI : hmm....Lanre! If Mr Briggs should know what you did...
LANRE : he can't...
YOMI : okay o....
LANRE : so, are you through with it?
YOMI : yes. I finished it today, I'll deliver it to him next week.
LANRE : okay....
YOMI : I should give you a kind of commission you know....
LANRE : what for?
YOMI : you brought the job for me nau....
LANRE : oh no, I have a job you don't, you needed it man....don't worry I'm good...
YOMI : you didn't ask me how much he paid o...
LANRE : how much?
YOMI : seven.
LANRE : Seven million?
YOMI : yes
LANRE : wow! How did you pull that off?
YOMI : oh well...the guy was desperate...and remember, I own the design originally and what's more, he said he wants to buy the design from me, that I shouldn't make it for any other person....
LANRE : haha....then that amount is too small....
YOMI : wait till I tell you....how much he'll buy the blueprint...
LANRE : okay...that's separate abi?
YOMI : yeah seven was for redesigning it...'Cause he doesn't know I have it in hand...
LANRE : oh....so he'll pay for the original blueprint separately?
YOMI : yeah....and I won't have a copy again...
LANRE : so how much did he say he's paying for that?
YOMI : we've not talked about it, he just proposed that to me the last time we talked.
LANRE : okay...
YOMI : don't worry you'll get your cut, trust me.
LANRE : I've told you not to worry...
YOMI : let me....you're a good friend...
LANRE : (cuts in)....that doesn't need to be paid for favors....
YOMI : but needs to be compensated...
LANRE : that has always been your problem, you love spending...
YOMI : let me....oh, less I forget, I've decided to start a designing company....
LANRE : what is that one?
YOMI : I'll design for people of course...
LANRE : and the construction?
YOMI : we let it out for now, till we work on that....
LANRE : we?
YOMI : yeah Jade and I.
LANRE : that Babe?
YOMI : yes
LANRE : haha....when did all that start?
YOMI : we talked about it this week and we've decided to do it. We'll market together while I design...
LANRE : hmm....Yomi! That's your way of making sure you're close to that girl abi?
YOMI : don't blame me...
LANRE : (laughing)...I got you there! But are you sure she's not taken?
YOMI : on Larry! That's the best part, she's just off a relationship with one nagging fool who doesn't know what he had....
LANRE : oh really?
YOMI : yeah...giving me all he opportunity in the world to take her up....ain't I just lucky?
LANRE : oh you are! You really are...
YOMI : she's wiped everything about Bimbo off my mind...she's like a pain killer and an eraser at the same time...
LANRE : so are you guys dating already?
YOMI : oh no, I've not told her. I'm taking my time. I want to be sure she loves me. I don't want to make the same mistake like I made with Bimbo the other time.
LANRE : I understand...but what if she doesn't?
YOMI : ha!....I'm not sure I'm ready to let go that easily....you need to see her Lanre she's a diva....and what's more, very intelligent...
LANRE : wow....I'd love to meet her soon...
YOMI : you will....
...........................................................................
(Mark is at Hyke's place with some call girls...)
HYKE : its funny you're not with Jade today...
MARK : she's gone to Ibadan.
HYKE : oh...
MARK : yeah she went to see her Mum.
HYKE : okay....you better take up one of these girls and have fun....
MARK : hmm.....(Thinking about it)...let me see...(He starts looking at those girls brought for Hyke)....I'll pick that one...(Pointing)...
HYKE : she's all yours...(Winks at the girl to go to Mark)...
MARK : did I tell you that Bimbo called me?
HYKE : again?
MARK : I tell you....she said...(Explains what Bimbo said to him)...so I called Jade and she confirmed been at the bank.
HYKE : with a guy?
MARK : oh..that I didn't ask. Come on, asking that will be somehow, remember we don't have a commitment yet.
HYKE : but do you think you can trust her?
MARK : yes. If she's dating someone she'd tell me. I know Jade.
HYKE : hmm mm.....but if you ask me, I think you should tell her how you feel already...
MARK : even after what happened with Bimbo?
HYKE : yeah and that Bimbo, keep giving that girl a good F- -k, 'cause I think she still wants you man...
MARK : you think so? After all the embarrassment sheshe got?
HYKE: why not? Some girls are like that o...they have no shame....
MARK: no I dont think so....
HYKE: do you want to bet it wit me?
MARK: how?
HYKE: send her something expensive and believe me, she'll come running into your hands....
MARK: nah...she wont...
HYKE: I just said we should bet it now.....okay I'll send it on your behave then....
MARK: but I don't want this to affect what I intend to have with Jade....
HYKE: oh come on....no it won't....after all you said Jade has gone to Ibadan and it's not as if you've told her your intentions yet .....so let's just have this little fun with Bimby here before she gets back....
MARK: hmm....(thinking about it)....
HYKE: trust me, it will be fun...
MARK: okay, let's see how it goes....
,,...........,..................................................................
Aftrer talking to the pastor, Jade extends her stay, her mother's pastor had told her to do some fasting program in order to know Gods mind for her. He put off her phone till the day she was going back to Lagos. On the day she was about coming back, she got two different messages on her messenger, one read:
.."Hi Jade, I've been trying to talk to you for sometime now, even though you said you don't want to pick any calls. I want you to know that I've missed you so much, not seeing you for about two weeks now... I hope you're not angry with me....all the same,.... I want you to know that not seeing you for this long has really made me know how much I've missed you... Don't be surprised I said that but that's the truth. I don't know how to tell you this yet, but I think I've fallen in love again with you....so please let's talk about it when we see..."
And the second one read:
Hi Jadesola, been a while we talked and believe me its as if it's been years....You may take this for a bluff but I think I have fallen in love again with you....that's the truth. Although I've been thinking of how to tell you but I don't know how you'll take it....but believe me, this time its for real and I'm not mistaken about it....your love has eaten deep down into my bone marrow, more in a way that I can't seem to control. My thoughts, my mind are both filled with nothing but you....I Dont know if what I'm doing is right or wrong but the truth is not talking to you for so long is not making things easy for me and I have to voice this out some how....I hope I'll be able to face you when you come back...
.............,..............,................................,..,.
Bimbo was at home that Saturday when she received a delivery from a courier company. She signs for it and opens it immediately. Inside was a beautiful gold plated necklace, with a tag that comes with it saying, "I guess I was wrong, I don't know how else to beg for forgiveness but if this way is not bad, I will love to make amends, I'll be home the moment you get this, your appearance at my place shows I'm forgiven, but if you don't wanna come, I'll understand that its really over....but all the same please accept the gift as a peace offering. Thanks"
BIMBO: hmm....
To be continued..
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