The Runaway Bride Episode 12

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“On no account should my wife leave this
compound, and no one is allowed to come in
to visit unless I give you the go ahead, I
should be back shortly and feel free to call me
when you need clarification”
“Yes sir”
“Chris let’s go”
Chris followed him back to the car, holding
back all the questions he would have loved to
get answers to immediately.
When he made the turning to his house,
Tokunbo’s phone rang
“Hello Mum, I am fine and she is fine too,
sleeping in the house…yes, okay, yeah, I am
out of the house for a little while… I should
be back shortly mum, the security guard is
there and see, I can’t be there every time to
prevent her from running away. I know,
yeah…thanks, alright.”
With a heavy sigh, he dropped the phone
back on the space between them and rested
his head back. One would expect his mood
would have improved since yesterday when
his wife was found, but he looked bitter and
sadder than he was the week before.
Chris maneuvered the car to the tiny space
left for him in his compound and waited for
Tokunbo to alight before packing in the tiny
space. Tokunbo went into the house ahead of
him and stopped at the door when he realized
Chris has the key to the apartment he was
hurrying into.
“Guy, what exactly is the problem? This your
mood is scaring the sh*t out of me”
“Open the door first” he said with a faint
smile.
When they entered his apartment, the heat
almost blew them back.
“Spill it out bro, I am curious and I hate the
way you are scowling and ready to pounce”
“She wants a divorce”
“what!”
“She does, when her parents asked what the
reason for running away was, she said she no
longer wishes to be married to me.”
“So she actually ran away?”
“Yea she did and the reason from what I can
gather from the nonsense she was saying this
morning is that my past action ruined
someone’s life.”
“Who’s life and what was that action of
yours?”
“The person’s whose life I ruined I still don’t
know, but can you believe she thinks I raped
someone? Me raped…?” He was now on his
feet, beating his chest as if he could not
believe what he heard. Chris sat back in his
chair and looked at his friend well, digesting
all he just heard and still could not put them
together to form a coherent flow of thought.
“I am lost”
“So am I”
“But you should have made her explain what
she meant with that accusation. That is too
serious to throw around carelessly”
“You think I did not try? She went crazy
asking if I would rape her too and she started
hitting me. Guy, I have never seen a thing
like that in my entire life. I liked this babe
like…”
“Calm down, we need to take this from the
top”
“I already thought about everything and I just
don’t know what piece I missed to solve this
whole puzzle. I am burnt out!”
“Let’s still think about it together. Could it be
she met your former girlfriend or someone
who has personal interest in you or what?”
“Who else have I dated in Nigeria since I
came back 4 years ago aside Susan and she is
married with a kid now. Every other girl I
dated would be in the United States and we
were clear on what the relationship was. The
last girl I dated before meeting her was Debby
and we ended everything months before I met
Chinwe and we remain friends”
“Still, could it be any of them said something
like that to her or what do you think?”
“I doubt that, she said it as if this person is
well known to her”
“What about girls you dated before traveling
out”
“I dated just Susan and you know it, she was
even the one that broke off with me”
“But can I ask you in all honesty?”
“If you ask me if I ever raped or molested any
girl in my life then I need to ask if you know
me at all, Chris?”
“I am not the enemy here; we are just trying
to reason through this whole thing together”
“I have never in my life, molested a lady or
come close to doing so. You should know me;
we have been together for how long now,
Chris?”
“I know, but what do you want to do?”
“If she said she found someone else and
would like to be with him, I might be able to
live with that, but she is claiming I raped
someone, then I have to see the proof and the
person. This will not end with me keeping
quiet about this.”
“That is exactly my stand on this, and she
might just be using that to unsettle you. Could
be she already has someone else?”
“Yeah, but why go through with the wedding
in the first place? Why go through all that
stress when I could have easily let her go and
be happy with whatever decision she made?”
I agree with you on that guy, this is
unacceptable”
“I thought the nightmare ended when I heard
she was returning home, but I never planned
for this”
“Don’t worry, God is in control”
“God, did you just say God?”
“Yes now, who else?”
“Chinwe is in control”
They sat for about 2 hours talking about other
issues, trying as much as possible to distract
themselves from the obvious staring them in
the face. When Chris’ sister returned from
church, they all ate together before they
drove Tokunbo to his house
“You know what came to my mind now? I
should just get home and find out she ran
away again”
“Stop thinking that way, she would not.”
“I hear you.”
****************************************
Chinwe chewed slowly on the sliced bread
from her plate, she felt terrible for not coming
to say hi to Chris when he came in the
morning. She always liked him and has
nothing against him. She just was in no state
to be courteous at that time. Her anger was
practically making her vibrate and being
courteous wouldn’t have been possible at that
time.
She scrolled on her Facebook page and could
not but laugh when she saw so many
Facebook updates tagging her and thanking
God for her safe return from the hands of the
kidnappers. She just finished with her mother
too, who said some people from the church
returned home with her to thank God on her
behalf and asked if she could make time for a
proper thanksgiving the following Sunday.
The arrival of a car at the gate drew her
attention away from her phone. She had
checked earlier and found Tokunbo’s car at
the garage, obviously his friend drove him
down.
She weighed her options running inside the
room and avoid him again or just face him
and get it over with. Considering how close
the two are, she is sure Tokunbo told him
everything already. How long can she hide
anyway?
As the door to the sitting room opened,
Tokunbo who was in front, followed by Chris’
sister . Chris was taken back at seeing her at
the dining table. She liked the look of surprise
on his face and would have laughed if things
were different.
“Hi Chris, welcome everyone” Chinwe greeted
them brightly. Chris did not know what to
make of the greeting as he glanced between
his friend and his wife. He expected hostility
or her absence again, but definitely not her
warm greeting, especially since she looked so
sincere.
“Hi Chinwe, it is good to have you back” Chris
crossed to her side and gave her a hug,
staring at Tokunbo as he did.
“That must be your sister, you guys look alike,
Hi, I am Chinwe, please sit down”
“Thanks ma, welcome back. We are happy to
have you back” Nkiru, Chris’ sister replied
nervously.
“Thanks, what would you like to have?”
“Anything would be fine”
“Please, wait while I get you something”
Tokunbo could not believe the new Chinwe in
front of his friends, she was playing the
lovely host when he knows full well that she
would love to be out of here because she
hates him for sins he does not have an idea
about.
He sat down on one of the chairs, feeling like
the guest instead of the owner of the house as
his wife returns from the kitchen with a tray
containing a pack of juice and 4 cups, yes 4;
Tokunbo counted again to be sure. When she
placed it down on the centre table, he saw
that there was a plate containing biscuits too.
Tokunbo watched as she poured out the juice
into the cups and handed it to his friends,
giving to him last. He wanted to catch her
eyes to be sure she knows who she was
serving last. Tokunbo thanked her politely
and placed the cup on the small round coffee
table beside him as he watched his friend try
to make conversation.
They all soon fell quiet when there was
nothing left to say that would not go back to
the real thing they would like to talk about.
Tokunbo stood up and put on the TV, making
extra efforts to skip the local stations while he
looked for a suitable station that would fill in
the silence.
“Leave it there, that should be Wednesday’s
match, you did not watch it” Chris said
suddenly
“Let your sister talk, at least you already
watched the match”
“She loves football too”
“Nkiru, do you want me to change the
station?”
“Yes, take it to 21, there is a comedy show
airing at this time”
Chris gave a playful shove on his sister’s
head, as Tokunbo obliged her
Tokunbo took the seat he vacated, looking at
his wife from the corner of his eyes as she
took a sip from the cup she had in her hand,
watching the comedy with her shoulder
shaking slightly from the laugh she tried
holding in.
Chinwe stood up and went to the kitchen; she
decided to step up her game of shocking
Tokunbo and his friends. If there should be
anyone hanging his head in shame, it should
be him not her, so she made a mental
decision to be as free as she could be with his
friends and family. For all she cared, she
already told him what she wanted to say, he
either deals with or not.
Chinwe earlier found some plantain in the
kitchen, probably from what he had left after
that morning’s cooking. She heated up the
rice and stew, fried fresh plantain and before
long, the aroma already got to the sitting
room. Tokunbo watched in surprise as she set
the table for 4, yes 4 and seeing her try to
handle different things at once, Nkiru stood
up to help her, between the 2 of them the
table was set; rice, stew and fresh plantain
for the 4 of them.
Tokunbo looked at his friend’s face and he
shrugged as if to tell him, what choice do we
have as he stood up to join them at the table,
stopping beside his friend to tap
encouragingly on the shoulder.
They ate with very little said. Pass that please,
take this was all they said throughout the
meal and when they finished, Nkiru helped in
the kitchen to clean up. For a while, Tokunbo
felt he would be nice to have his friend stay
with him forever, if it would make the entire
nightmare and the drama of the morning stay
away.
When Nkiru returned from the kitchen, Chris
announced they were ready to and Tokunbo
almost begged them to stay a little while, but
he did not. He stood up and accompanied his
friend and his sister and was surprised to see
Chinwe follow them. When he got to his car,
Chris turned to Chinwe and said…
“Chinwe, whatever it is, God is in control, just
trust in him and take care of my friend. He is
a good person, believe me.” That said, he
joined his sister in the car and Tokunbo
waved to them as the car drove away,
wondering what he said to Chinwe.
They walked back inside the house together
looking like normal couple to the ordinary
eyes even though they were not holding
hands not talking as they walked in, but they
look good together.