Osar Adeyemi's Blog

Akeem finished his meeting and headed back to the office. The meeting had gone well. Everyone seemed motivated and charged up about making Ka-Tell a household name.
Profits were at their highest yet. The network was expanding across the different states, and Ka-Tell was getting excellent reviews from the media. Life appeared good, so he should be in a good mood, but he was not. He had not been for a while.
Everything seemed flat and empty to him. What was it all for? The constant money spinning, the drug-like high of a new achievement. What did it all amount to when all he felt inside was nothing but emptiness?
"There is a delivery here for you, sir," his personal assistant said as he entered his office. "I left it on your desk."
"Thanks, Linda," he said, striding into his office.
He got out a bottle of flavoured water from the fridge and took a sip before opening the big brown envelope that Linda had placed on his desk.
The address of the legal firm caught his attention first. He stared at it before scanning through the rest of the letter.Dear Mr. Kadiri,
My client has instructed us to file for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences…Akeem felt a cold pressure run through his chest as he read through the letter.
"You've finally done it," he muttered through clenched teeth as he pushed the letter away from him. He balled his fist and stared into space. So this was it. The legal end of his marriage.
He placed a call to his personal assistant. "Linda, I'm going to be busy for the next couple of hours. Please take all calls, and I don't want to see anyone unless it's an emergency."
He stared at the letter again. His mind took him to the night when he had seen Yemi and the guy she had been with. Was that the reason she wanted a divorce? Freedom to marry again?
He knew he probably shouldn't have done what he did, but seeing her that night at Justin's restaurant with that man had rattled him more than he cared to admit. The cool look she had given him to indicate that his presence there did not bother her had made it worse. There he was, barely able to stop his eyes from straying to her every other minute, and she had appeared totally unfazed, smiling and flirting with her companion.
"I Knew I Loved You" playing shortly afterwards had unwittingly presented him with the weapon to put her coolness to the test. He had seen her reaction to the song when she had looked almost involuntarily towards him and knew that she remembered. Not that cool then, he had thought to himself as he saw her face.
When Justin had come over and asked him if there was anything he wanted, he had asked if the other songs they had both liked could be played.
Lois had looked at him curiously when he made the request.
"I didn't know you were such a romantic," she remarked after Justin had left.
He had smiled without saying anything. She had still not known then that Yemi was in the restaurant, but when his eyes kept straying in Yemi's direction, Lois had caught on that something was amiss. Her eyes followed his, and that was when she had seen Yemi sitting a few tables away. He had felt sorry as he saw the hurt expression that crossed Lois's face. She was a sweet girl, and he didn't want to hurt her, but obviously Yemi still had a way of getting to him and making him act uncharacteristically.
He took another sip of the flavoured water and then walked across the office to the window overlooking the busy Lagos street below.
The contents of the letter flashed through his mind again. He smiled bitterly to himself. "You aren't calling the shots on this one, Yemi," he muttered to himself. "The divorce will only happen when and if I want it to happen."

Hi guys,

Hope you have all been doing great? I'm really so sorry that I have been a bit silent on this forum. I'm not just going to bother making any excuses so I will just say a massive 'Do forgive me'.

Thanks so much to everyone who has emailed me or left a comment on the blog to ask about my welfare. That was kind of you and I really appreciate it.

I have also had some emails from people asking me about 'After the storm' and how they can get it. It's just in ebook format for now and I know it's difficult for some people especially those that live in Nigeria to buy it off Amazon. So here's what I think (depending on the response I get) I will do to resolve the issue for now. I'm thinking of reposting the story on this blog again. Please kindly let me know if you are interested in following the story by leaving a comment on this post.


Sincerely,
Osar.

Hiya,

Hope you guys are all fine.

I am absolutely chuffed to announce to you that my book "After the storm" has just been published.
It's also a bestseller (on Amazon.co.uk) in it's category-African American Christian fiction!

                               Echoes of the Past - Chapter Six Cont'd

 "So what made you decide to go all the way with God as you say?" Teni asked Deji as they sat down in their mum's lounge the folloing Sunday. She and Feyi had attended his church with him again that day and she had to admit she had enjoyed the service. It was lively and they really had an amazing choir that could compete secularly any day.   "It was the things I saw around me that was the deciding factor.” He chomped on the roasted corn on the cobs that their mum had served them. "Shall I say, I did a lot of observations pretty early in life and came to the conclusion that nothing else satisfies but God."   Teni took a bite of her burger and looked at him thoughtfully. "But you were born into a Christian home."   "Officially yes." He agreed. "But mum and dad lived by their own laws."   "I heard that, Deji." His mum called out from the dining area where she was laying more of the barbecued food on the table. "And that's what I call impertinent!"   "I love you to the skies and beyond, mum!" Deji grinned. "But I'm just saying it as I saw it."   © Osaradeyemi.blogspot 2013

All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from osaradeyemi.blogspot.

                    Echoes of the Past - Chapter Six
     "Put me down, Fola!" Teni gasped as Fola carried her in his arms and strode towards the sea. They were at Marijas, the beautiful private beach on the Lekki peninsula he had told her about. "Fola, don't!" She pleaded but he just smiled and kept on walking. "I just fixed my hair; salt water can't be good for it!" She grasped at his tank top. "Fola, please!"      Fola got right to the edge of the water and looked down at her horrified laughing face. "Not to worry. I'll pay for a new hair do."      "I haven't got time to go to the salon again!" Her eyes widened as she saw a wave comimg towards them and he made as if he wanted to lower her into it. "Fola, please don't!"        He suspended her half way down as the waves crashed all around them but thankfully did not carry out his threat.
     "Coming to the beach is for getting wet." He laughed, lowering her on the sand again as the wave receded. He placed an arm around her and drew her close.
     "You’re such a caveman!" She giggled nestling against his side. "You got me frightened there."      "Caveman? I’ve just acted like a perfect gentleman!" He made as if he wanted to lift her up again  "Maybe I should just drop you in the water after all."       "No way!" She laughed moving away from him. He tried to catch her and she started to run on the sand. He chased after her and she had barely run for two minutes before he caught up with her, snagged her ankle and she went tumbling towards the sand. He broke her fall with his body just before she hit the ground.       "Fola, I swear I'm going to be full of bruises by the end of today!" She giggled as she tried to sit up.                To be continued.....   
 




© Osaradeyemi.blogspot 2013

All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from osaradeyemi.blogspot.

      Echoes of the past - Chapter Five - Cont'd

    

     Fola checked his phone and could not keep the scowl from his face as he saw that there was no missed call or message from Teni. He had called her several times that day and over the last few days but she had not taken any of the calls. It was hard for him to believe but he knew Teni was on the run again. They had gone out just once after their dinner at La Crae and then Teni's excuses had started again. She seemed to have a prefect reason why they couldn't meet anytime he suggested they spent some time together and then the truth dawned on him, the girl still did not intend to have anything to do with him. It was a whole new experience for him and it was even more frustrating because he couldn't put her out of his mind.      He deliberately didn't call her over the next couple of days. He was busy at work and he had to travel midweek to the KH office in Abuja. But despite his tight schedule, he still found himself thinking of Teni. He was angry with himself that he could still not resist the urge to check his phone several times a day to see if he had a missed call from her. That lady meant business, he thought to himself grimly. The thought didn't sit well with him at all. If she was that unaffected by him, then why on earth couldn't he forget about her?     He arrived Lagos Friday evening. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the nicely laid dining table. He opened one of the dishes and a delicious aroma floated across to him from the assortment of garnished grilled fresh fish. He didn't need to read the note propped against the flower vase to know know who had left the dishes there. Anjola, his former girfriend was the only one whom he had given the spare keys to his house to and he had  kept forgetting to take them back. She had called him while he was in Abuja and he must have let it slip what day and time he was arriving back to Lagos. Fola was aware that Anjola was still hoping they would revive their relationship, just like they had done in the past but he knew it was over this time. He couldn't see a future with her, especially not with the way he felt about Teni anyway. He frowned as he thought of Teni, she still dominated his thoughts despite all his attempts to ward off thoughts about her.     He had a shower, tried to watch some TV, but gave it up and headed towards the Ola-Daniel's house. There was no point deceiving himself anymore. He needed to see Teni. He was hoping she would be home and was glad when Risi, the Ola-Daniel's housekeeper showed him into the sitting room before going to fetch Teni. She joined him some minutes later. He just stared at her. She met his eyes for a moment before looking away.     "Hey." She dropped into the sofa opposite his. "I was not expecting you."   "I know." He could not stop his eyes from roving over her peach flowered top and blue denim knee length shorts, she looked so cute. "You were hoping I 'd just fade away, right?"  She played with the edges of the Throw pillow on her knees. "I don't know what you're talking about."   "I thought we 've moved past this stage?" He kept his gaze on her face but she refused to meet his eyes.    

  Echoes of the past - Chapter Five

    
      Add charming to handsome and you get lethal, Teni thought to herself as she went to put the yellow roses that Fola gave her in a vase. That was exactly what Fola was, attractively lethal. She would need to muster all the cool within her to appear unaffected by him.
     She cast another subtle glance at him before leaving the reception lounge. He looked like an advert for GQ magazine in his blue and white button down checked shirt, fitted navy blue blazer and cream chinos trousers. He was obviously the kind of man that made clothes look good and not the other way round. She had seen him in sports wear, in a tux and now in this smart casual ensemble. The guy looked effortlessly cool in all the outfits.
      He asked about Feyi and the rest of the family as they made their way to his car. Feyi was out with Banji and her dad and Deji had gone out for a drink. He smiled when she told him that.
  "Yeah, I've heard Deji and his dad are very close."
  "It's sweet the way they behave." Teni laughed. "They act almost as if they are brothers."    They made light conversation on their way. He was easy to talk to and she found herself talking to him about her mum and family. He was genuinely sorry to hear about her mum's death and he told her about his dad who had died when he was in his second year at the University.
    She looked around as he led her into a restaurant in Ikoyi about twenty minutes later. It was a sprawling three storey building set on well manicured lawns overlooking the seafront. They were led to the table he had reserved for them. It had a good view of the sea and Teni was thrilled to see the waves crashing softly as they rolled on the beach.
  "This is beautiful." She wished they could take a walk along the water front later. It would be so fairytale-like with the stars spread across the skies like a glittery curtain.
  He smiled."Glad you like it."      A waiter came over to them and talked them through the menu, then withdrew again discreetly leaving them to make their choices.
  "Everything sounds nice but I'm not really too sure what I'd like." Teni said looking at the menu. Most of the meals sounded exotic and foreign. "I like to try new things so I want to try something other than the English cuisine." She said looking at the section of the menu where the more familiar meals were.
  Fola smiled. "I've been here before and sampled some of their dishes. Should I order for both of us?"
  "Please do."
  "We've got all evening anyway and you can always order something else if you don't like what I chose."
    She had to agree he had a made a good choice when she tasted the king prawn garnished spicy coconut rice with some sort of mixed vegetables and tomato sauce that tasted out of this world.
  "Beautiful." She said taking another forkful and savouring the rich aromatic dish.
  "Not too spicy?"
  "My mum is Nigerian, remember? I grew up eating spicy."
  He smiled. "So how have you been? Settling down some more?"      To be continued........



© Osaradeyemi.blogspot 2013

All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from osaradeyemi.blogspot.

     Echoes of the past - Chapter Four    
          Teni was stunned when Feyi's dad handed the keys to a brand new BMW 520 sport saloon car the evening before she resumed work. She stared at the keys then back to his smiling face before looking across at the grinning faces of Feyi and Deji. They had obviuosly known about it before now.   "But I can continue to use the car I’ve been driving!" She protested, feeling overwhelmed by the gesture.   Feyi made a face at her "Don't be silly. How can you compare a Beemer to a Kia? This will take your hot chick credentials to another high!"      Teni felt tears sting her eyes. She had given up trying to understand why this very nice family had decided to adopt her but it felt good to have a place in another home.   She could not resist the impulse and stood on tiptoe to kiss Feyi's dad's cheek. "Thanks Uncle Kola, you must be my fairy godfather."    He looked a little emotional at her gesture. "You’re very welcome, Teniayo."     Deji cracked a joke to lighten the mood and they all laughed before going out for a spin in her new car then spent the rest of the evening watching movies and eating spicy barbecued skewered beef or suya as it was called locally.      Teni felt Uncle Kola was just that little bit nicer to her because she shared the same name as his late twin sister. Teni had initially thought she probably resembled his twin sister, even though that would mean his sister also had to resemble Teni's mum too. She had asked to see the lady's pictures but there was no similiarity. So it had to be her name that evoked those tender feelings in him.   "Uncle Kola is such a sweet guy." Pamela said when she and Nicole came visiting two days later. She ran her fingers over the bonnet of the car. "I mean, look at the way he paid my Uni fees for two years, then got me a good job afterwards, not to talk of all the little things he still throws in."  "But he didn't get you a car like this." Nicole said, with the malicious glint in her eyes that Teni had grown accustomed to. "Maybe he likes Teni just that little bit extra, eh?"   A mildly annoyed expression crossed Pamela's face. "Sheathe your claws, Nicole. Uncle Kola buying Teni a car doesn't make me love him any less."  Nicole looked unrepentant as she admired her nails. "Don't let Feyi's mum hear you. She just may take exception to a young girl saying she's in love with her husband."  Feyi shook her head. "You're so twisted, Nicole." She said turned towards Teni and Pamela. "Feel like a swim, girls? The weather is absolutely boiling."       Teni was excited to start work at Vantres the following Monday. Vantres was one of the biggest advertising firms in the country and they had several big brands to their name, including many multinationals whose products they helped market. Her office was on the west wing of the sixth floor, the boring floor according to Feyi. It housed the accounting department and also the administrative offices. The other adminstrative offices were a floor above where Feyi's dad's and Deji's office were situated.  Feyi's office was on the east wing of the building.      She joined the other members of her department for a team brief and was taken round the department by her head of department, Dave, a pleasant young man somewhere in his early thirties. She found the staff friendly and easy going and she had a feeling she was going to enjoy working there.     Feyi and her met up for lunch at the office Cafeteria and they both swapped stories on how their day was going. Like Teni, she also had to report to an head of department. Even Deji who had worked in the company even before he graduated had had to start at a sub manager role when he joined the company.  "It's dad just making sure we’re properly grounded and at no risk of crashing the company he's sweated so much for." Feyi grinned as she tucked into her chicken roll "Well, it suits me for now as I don't have to be that responsible just yet."   Teni agreed with Feyi's dad's reasoning. Many times kids that were handed successful companies on a platter didn't quite appreciate the work that had gone into building them.      She was just rounding up for the day when she heard her phone ringing. She fished it out of her bag and her eyes widened when she saw Fola's number. She rolled her eyes. This guy wasn't letting up.   "Hi Fola." She said on connecting the call.   "How was your first day at work?" Came the now the familiar deep smooth voice.   "I’ve really enjoyed it." She reached for a post it note on her table and dawdled on it with her pen. "I think I'm going to like it here."  "Great. So what made it so interesting?"   "Everything. I like the relaxed atmosphere. The staff I've met so far all seem easy going and friendly and everyone seems to like their job, generally it seems like an atmosphere where one could really bring out one's potential."  "Sounds like they copied KH." He teased.   She could not help smiling. "Really? I'm sure Vantres is a much nicer place to work in."  "Don't be so sure, it's just your first day there, maybe you should check KH out before you make up your mind."  "Are you trying to poach me or what?"   He laughed "I'm just giving you some free advice on the best place to work; besides it would be cool to work in the same office as you." He added softly.   Office romance? No siree! "I already have a job, Fola and besides you can't even be sure I'd fit into KH."    "First degree in economics from UCL, masters in business admin from LSE? Impressive credentials, many companies would want to have you on board."   Teni was surprised "How did you know that?"   "I've got my sources."   She was still puzzled. "But I only just met you again on Saturday."   "That's a lot of time to dig around." She could hear the amusement in his voice. "Do you have anything planned for tonight?"   Warning bells flashed in her head, the player was on the prowl. "Um....sort of, going to have a long chillaxing evening."   "I had the same idea so let’s combine plans. I know just the perfect place to achieve that."   "I didn't plan to go out....."  "C'mon, Teni. I promise I won't keep you out late."  "Maybe some other time but not tonight."   "Maybe tomorrow?"   "I try not to go out socially during the week."   "I try not to make too many rules....I believe it stifles the fun out of life."   Not surprising, players are normally very flexible. "My rule works for me, Fola."   "Okay....Let's make it the weekend then."   "I'm not sure about that but I'll confirm it before then."     She was relieved to get off the phone a few minutes later. The guy sure had a persuasive tongue and she was almost tempted to give in to him and forget about what Feyi had told her but that would be like walking into a trap with one's eyes wide open.


     She went out with Feyi for a drink the next weekend. They ordered their food and drinks and settled down in their booth. Teni was just about to tuck into the chicken roll she had had ordered, when Fola Lawal strolled into the eatery. She looked quickly away, hoping he wouldn't see her.   "What's up?" Feyi asked curiously as she saw her face.  "Don't turn around but Fola Lawal just came in."   Feyi eyes widened "Uh oh...has he seen you?"   "I don't think so...” She said as she cast a furtive glance in his direction. He was now at the reception desk and was talking to the girl behind the counter. Even from where she was sitting, she could see the girl smiling coquettishly at him as she took his orders. That guy must attract females to him like bees to honey. For some reason, she felt a little irritated. Anyone that was dating him would always have to look over their shoulder for his female admirers. Not my kind of thing, she grimaced inwardly as she turned her attention back to Feyi.  "What's with the face?"   She told her and Feyi laughed. "I told you that he has a way with ladies. Too fine for his own good..."   "Shh....He's looking this way." Teni whispered. Fola had made his order and was now standing aside from the counter, his gaze casually moving over the room.   Feyi shrugged. "Well, It's no biggie if he sees us. You can't avoid him forever. You both live and work on the Island and you’re bound to bump into him occasionally." She bit into her sandwich and then took a sip of her orange juice. "Hmmm....the lemon gives it a bit of a kick, just the way I like it."    Teni tried to concentrate to what Feyi was saying and kept her eyes studiously fixed on her face. She still hoped that Fola had somehow missed seeing them but her hopes were dashed when she saw him heading in their direction a few minutes later, his bags of take away with him.  "Hello Feyi, Teni." He said as he got to their booth.   Teni cast a quick glance at him, forcing her eyes not to stare at the way his broad shoulders filled the beige Armani T-shirt he had on over snugly fitted Levi's Jeans.  "Hi Fola, good to see you again." Feyi smiled back at him.  "Same here." His eyes swept over Teni's face. "How have you been Teni?"   "Good, and you?" She forced her eyes to meet his for a few seconds before looking away.   "I'm well, thank you." He said.   "How is Ka-Tell doing, Fola?" Feyi asked him.   "Good. It's been busy but we’re trying to stay on top of it."   He chatted with them for a few minutes, Feyi and him did most of the talking but anytime Teni looked in Fola's direction, she met his eyes on her. She didn't know why, but the guy made her uncomfortable. Like Feyi said, he was too attractive for his own good but she knew she would be setting herself up if she ever tried to date him. He would probably walk all over her and move off to his next conquest while she would be left nursing a broken heart.    Feyi giggled after Fola had left. "That guy clearly has a thing for you!"  Teni sipped on her orange juice as she watched Fola's retreating back. "I'm not interested in a player."  "Then you’ve got to act a little more naturally around him. It was so obviuos there was something going on between you too. All that eyeballing..." She rolled her eyes "And by the way, it was on both sides."  "No it was not." Teni protested. "I wasn't eyeballing him!"   "I know what I saw and by the looks of it, you’d better watch out so you don't fall prey to that guy."   

          Fola listened as Dan; the new business development manager that KH had just hired delivered a proposal in the conference room. There were one or two loopholes he could spot in the guy's analysis but overall it was not a bad proposal.      KH was planning to start offering customers a fibre optic link directly to their premises which would enhance the broadband services. What currently obtained with fixed telecomms operators was a fibre optic cable and copper link combination. The fibre and copper connection reduced the overall broadband capacity compared with if it had been a fibre optic link all the way. KH was already leading the private Telecomms business in Nigeria comfortably by a good margin but wanted to create even more of a gap between it and its closest competitor, Opti-Tel who currently used the fibre optic and copper link. They would be the first Telecomms Company offering that service and they were projecting that the public would love it. That would be two satisfactory outcomes. The happy public and a satisfied Ka-Tell in the sense that it was delivering quality service and at the same time, making good profits.       The implementation was going to be involve more costs for KH but they were planning to offset it by the volume of new customers the services would attract as well as those customers who were bound to defect from other competitors.      Dan finished his proposal and it came to the questions and answers time. Fola sat back and watched as questions were fielded to Dan by the other team members. The good thing about KH was that the staffs took ownership of the projects assigned to them and were prepared to critique it as thoroughly as possible so that the success of the product could be almost assured.    "Your idea sounds plausible, Dan." He said to Dan after the Q&A session was over. "But I think Sam and you may have to put your heads together and come up with ideas on how there could be a level of internal protection of the cable." He turned towards Sam, the telecomms engineer who was sitting towards his right. Sam nodded and Fola continued "Then of course, the marketing department would have to do their best to see that the new product is well received and allay any concerns the customers could have. KH is going to be doing some strong media drive over the next few months and we are sure the results would be more than satisfactory." He cast a glance around the men and women sitting around the conference table. "Dan's proposal is quite impressive but we need to fine tune it as much as possible."       He walked back to his office when the meeting was done. He had a full diary and he dived right in. He had a number of reports he needed to complete ahead of the joint meeting he was attending with Akeem and some other directors the next day. He saw the messages flashing on his computer. Two were from Akeem. He read them quickly and sent a reply before settling down to work on compiling the reports.      He didn't know how fast the time had flown by until his PA reminded him for the third time about lunch. He glanced at this wristwatch; it was going for three pm.   "Should I just order something in from the Cafe for you, Fola?" She asked him with a mildly disapproving look on her face.  He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "Thanks but I think I actually need to take a little walk and clear my head. I’ll just grab a bite at Pinto's." He said referring to the eatery down the road.     A few minutes later he got out of the elevator and walked briskly across the road towards Pintos. The lunch hour rush would be over now anyway plus the fact that more people favoured the staff cafe to the more pricey Pintos.      His eyes caught a lady as she made her way to her car and he found himself giving her a second look automatically. Same built and height but it was not her. He smiled as Teni's face flashed before him. That gorgeous girl who was wrecking havoc on his emotions. He had called her again just the day before and she had declined yet another invite from him. He would have shrugged her off his mind after the second time she declined spending time with him but putting her out of his mind was proving such a hard task. It had been that way since she almost crashed into him at that roundabout. He found himself thinking about her at odd times and just having the urge to talk with her and find out the thoughts flitting behind that gorgeous face.   "I 'm afraid the timing is not convenient. I’ll be going to fix my hair at the salon that day." Had been her last excuse when he asked her out.  "I could push the outing a little farther into the evening." He had come back to her just as smoothly.   "Um... I don't think that works for me." She said in that cool British accent of her's. "Maybe some other, time, Fola."   He liked the sound of his name on her lips. In fact if he was being truthful, he liked everything about her. Her combination of beauty and brains was intriguing and he badly wanted to find out what made her tick.  "You and I are going to be seeing each other again soon, Teni." He said to himself as he stepped into Pinto's. "Much sooner than you think."
           Teni threw herself into her job over the next few days, trying to get the hang of it and adjust to the working environment. She was shadowing Phil, another member of the team. They were both working on the same project which was to minimise the time it took for customers needs to be met. Currently everything was being handled by the relationship manager and Vantres wanted to free the manager up from those duties so that he could concentrate on his main tasks. Phil and her were to come up with a Business requirement document and were to do a presentation for the rest of the department in about a week.      Phil was a nice guy who was very good at what he did and he was confident enough not to need to show off. He quietly put her through the ropes and how the general rules applied to the peculiarity of the Nigerian environment and the expectations of the clients and she found her respect for him increasing as they worked together.      Fola called her again on Thursday and this time around she didn't take the call. She listened to the voicemail he left. He wanted them to go out that weekend. She text him later and declined his invite. He didn't call her all through the weekend she congratulated herself that he had gotten her message. Not that hard to shake off then, she thought to herself smugly until she got to the office the next Monday and a delivery man brought a parcel for her to sign for. She was puzzled and wondered who it was and what the slim case could contain.   'Thought you'd like these, Fola.' Was written in a confident scrawl on the little card attached to the case containing three elegant pens.      She smiled as she looked at the note again. It was a subtle reminder that he was still on the chase. She text her thanks and he replied immediately.   'Glad you like them. How was your weekend?'  'Very good, and yours?'  'Could have been better but I got by.'     She stared at what he had written. She knew where the conversation would lead if she continued so she just text him to have a good week ahead and ended the conversation. He called her two days later and asked her to dinner on friday or saturday and she told him she was having an early night on Friday then going out with Feyi and Banji on Saturday. He asked for them to go to Marijas on Sunday and she declined again, she had promised to attend church with Deji that Sunday and she was going with them to visit their mum afterwards. Fola's voice was quiet as he told her he would get in touch with her again. Teni felt somewhat guilty  at his tone but shrugged off the feelings. There was no point starting a journey she couldn't complete. Fola was too attractive and way too easy for her to lose her heart to.       Feyi and Banji had asked her to double date with them and a friend of Banji's on Saturday and she had a good time. She had met the guy, Lanre a few times and he was a likeable person. Good looking too, but not in a smouldering in your face way like Fola.        She didn't get any calls from Fola the following week and she felt he had finally gotten her message even though she also felt strangely deflated too. He would probably just move on to the next lady anyway. With his kind of looks, he shouldn't have a shortage of girls willing to date him. He'd probably have more problems trying to trim the numbers down.      She rounded up her work early on Friday, and then decided to make some calls to her family. Feyi was going out with Banji again again and Lanre was out of town but even if he was, she didn't feel like tagging along for another double date.      Her dad was enjoying his stay in St Lucia and she was happy to hear his relaxed voice over the phone. She had initially wondered at the wisdom of him making the journey her mum and him had gone on so often so soon after her death but it appeared to be working as some form of therapy for him as he revisited those places that that had been to together and relieved their happy memories. They talked about her work. He was glad she was enjoying herself.  "I know how hardworking and efficient you are."  He said with a note of pride in his voice. "Vantres is lucky to have you."   "So says the adoring dad." Teni teased.  "But I'm saying the truth." He insisted. "But anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing you again." His voice became quieter. "Maybe you can take some time off and come home when I get back to England. Your mum left some documents and a letter for you."   "Oh." She didn't even want to think of going through her mother's things just yet. The memories they would evoke would be too painful "Maybe it's just stuff about shares and things like that. You can help me sort them out, can't you, dad?"   "I believe it's more than that." His voice was still rather quiet. "But not to worry, We will sort it all out together."     She called Brendan next, he was still in the office like her and they chatted for a while before he had to run as he was running late for the train back home.      She tidied her desk and was just tucking her phone in her pocket when she heard a knock on the door. She thought it was someone in her department and called out for the person to come in and the next thing she knew was that she was looking into Fola Lawal's face.   "Hey." He said as he shut the door behind him. "Thought I'd pop by and see you."      Her office was fairly large but he appeared to have shrunk it with his height and the sheer magnetism that seemed to radiate from him. He was still in his business dress, a charcoal grey suit that had to be bespoke because of the way it moulded his broad shoulders and outlined his toned physique. A crisp button down white shirt and a silk grey tie with silver specks completed the look. It was the end of the day, Friday no less, yet this guy appeared as fresh and energy packed like it was Monday morning.   "Surprise." She was amazed her voice was sounding so cool. She had expected it come out all squeaky. "I wasn't expecting you. Was just about leaving the office. You would have missed me if you came ten minutes later than this."   He sat down in the seat she offered. "I know roughly what time you leave the office everyday."   She looked at him and he gazed back at her. She wondered who his informant at Vantres was. "It might still have been safer if you called before coming."  A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Would you have agreed to see me if you knew I was coming over?"   "Maybe..."  "I think maybe not." He held her gaze. "You’ve been giving off these vibes like you’re deliberately doing all you can to avoid seeing me."   "I don't get you." She hedged.   He arched his brow, the expression on his face telling her he didn't believe her. "You’ve had a perfect excuse to decline every single date I have asked you out on."  She shrugged "If the excuses were perfect, it may mean they are genuine."  "Or they are perfectly thought out so they appear genuine." He maintained eye contact with her. "So, tell me, why are you so bent on declining my invites?"  She looked away. She couldn't think straight with those eyes on her. "Well...."   "Well.......?"  "Hey, this is not fair; you are putting me on the spot here." She protested. Declining his advances was a lot easier on the phone.  "It's a simple question, Teni."  "Maybe It's because I don't know anything about you?"  "So go on and ask me anything you want to know."  She tried to think of a safe question but nothing was forthcoming. He just continued to look at her face.  "I have a better idea" He said when she didn't say anything "Why don't we get to know each other some more by actually spending time together?"  I can't. My wise momma told me not to play with fire. "I'm kind of busy right now, settling down to a new job and all that."   "Yeah, plus driving on the right side of the road and all that."  She looked up quickly and caught the amused glint in his eyes. "Yeah, plus that too." She agreed but could not help smiling.   "I can give you some driving lessons. See, I'm nice like that, even offering to help the lady that traumatised me."   She giggled "My driving is a lot better now, but thanks for the offer."   He smiled back at her. The single dimple on his right cheek making him looks even more gorgeous. She tore her eyes away and tried to remember Feyi's warning.  "You’re welcome anytime." He said. "So today is Friday and since I know you don't do week dates, we could go out any evening this weekend, right?"   "Let's see how that goes but I'll confirm it to you."   He shook his head "Nah. I'm going to just get a cryptic apologetic text declining my invite."  "You can't be sure about that."  "I'm hundred percent sure that's how it would play out." He placed his elbows on her desk and leaned forward "C'mon, Teni, It's just one little outing. Moreover I've been advised by my therapist that the best way to draw closure on my near fatal car accident is to have a discussion with the driver."  She shook her head. "That's blackmail, and it's so not fair."   He put on a solemn look but she could see the gleam in his eyes. "Don't blame me. I'm just trying to get some emotional healing here and I'm not sure how I'll survive if you put off the discussion indefinitely."    "I'm sure you'll find something to take your mind off." Or someone she added silently.   "I'll just think of the great time I'm going to have with you during our discussion tomorrow and er.... of course the healing process that it would initiate."   "I haven't agreed to seeing you."  "Do you have anything planned for tomorrow?"   She struggled to think up an excuse but failed miserably and having those smouldering dark eyes fixed on her certainly didn't help matters.   "Nothing planned as I thought." He continued when she didn't say anything. "So, beautiful Teni, would you do me the honour of having dinner with me tomorrow?"   She knew when she was beaten and just looked at him helplessly. He gazed back at her with an innocent expression on his face."What time?”   At least he had the decency not to look triumphant."Is seven pm okay?"   "That's fine."  She gave him the Ola-Daniel's address, packed up and they both left the office together. He waited until she got into her car before he went to his.      On her way home, she could not stop the silly smile that came over her face as she thought of Fola and his unexpected visit to her office. Although it felt like she had been rail roaded into accepting his dinner date, she had to admit that she was looking forward to it already. She remembered the way Fola looked in his impeccably cut suit. She could almost swear that guy got hotter anytime she saw him!   "You had better get a grip on yourself, girl." She tried to tell herself sternly. But the gooey smile remained firmly plastered on her face as she navigated her way through the busy evening traffic.






© Osaradeyemi.blogspot 2013

All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from osaradeyemi.blogspot.

Echoes of the past - Chapter Three




     "What 're you planning to wear to the party?" Feyi asked Teni as she came into her room. "You 've got to look your absolute best. You never know who you can meet at such events. "     Teni hid a smile. Getting Teni hooked up to a guy as quickly as possible was her new goal especially since she started dating Banji a few weeks earlier. Teni didn't see the point of starting a relationship. She had less than a year to stay after all but Feyi had brushed her excuses aside.  "Just wait until you fall in love and you 'll change your mind." She had such a serious look on her face that Teni had to resist the urge to laugh.      Teni was amused. She had had a total of one and half relationships in her life. The first one had ended because the guy felt she wasn't as seriuos about him as he wanted and the second which she called 'the half' didn't even take off properly because her boyfriend, if she could call him that, was insecure about her ambitions and couldn't understand why she would want to incur so much expense to attend LSE.   "What kind of a party is it going to be? Very formal?" She asked Feyi. It had been almost six weeks of leisure and ease and although she was grateful for the opportunity to relax that Feyi had provided but she was also looking forward to starting work at Feyi's dad complany, Vantres the following week.    "Evening affair kind of thing. It's taking place at Navagne hotels and gardens, that's one of the coolest five star hotels around."  "That means I 'll have to get a dress." She didn't think she had anything suitable to wear. Not to that kind of party anyway.     Feyi's eyes lit up as she surveyed Teni's figure critically  "You know what? We are practically the same size and I 've got a couple of dresses that I 've not worn yet. They 're really lovely, I 'll show them to you....." She stopped as she saw Teni shaking her head "Why not ?"  "No thanks" Teni said firmly. She felt it was time she began to decline some of the freebies the Ola-Daniels nicely threw her way ever so often otherwise it was going to take some serious readjustment when she returned back to the UK. "I 'll definitely be able to sort out a dress for myself."  Feyi frowned slightly as she eyed Tanya's set face  "I 'll be more than happy to accept a dress from you. Why can't you do the same?" She rolled her eyes. "You'd better lose that attitude. You 're my friend and you 've got to be free with me."      Teni looked at Feyi's exasperated face and smiled. She could not help loving this girl. "It's sweet of you to offer and not to worry, next time, I shall raid your wardrobe."      She was happy they were starting work at KH a week from then too. She was getting low on cash and getting a new dress and accessories would set her back some more and there was absolutely no way she was accepting money from either Feyi or her dad.



     Teni murmured her thanks as she took a glass of wine from a passing waiter. Banji and Feyi had stepped out for a walk in the gardens and she had assured them it was okay to leave her for a few minutes.      She looked around at the beautifully done up function hall of the five star hotel. Everything looked glitzy and glamourous. The ladies all appeared to be trying to outdo each other in various designs of evening dresses and the men looked sharp in their tuxedo's. Everywhere was lit up, the chandeliers that hung from the ceilings adding a magical glow to the hall.      She was glad she had made the effort to look good. The wine coloured evening dress she had bought for the occasion made her spa pampered skin glow. Feyi and her had spent the afternoon at the hair dressers and then had a full body work up at the spa. Teni knew the new hairstyle suited her face. That was another thing she liked about Lagos. They had superb hair dressers that could fo all sorts of things to her hair type and the prices were much better than what she had been paying in the UK too.        She allowed her eyes to move around the room. Some couples were on the dance floor and others were lounging around and talking. They had already had dinner and there had been a few formal presentations before that. The host of the evening, the man that Uncle Kola referred to as Akeem Kadiri had made a speech, thanking everyone for attending and especially appreciating the staff of Ka-Tell whom he said worked tirelessly to make the company what it was. Apparently there had been another party that had been held for all the staff of Ka-Tell but this was a smaller party for senior staff and Akeem Kadiri's friends. Teni was impressed by the guy's charisma. He spoke confidently like a guy that was very used to addressing crowds. She had also glimpsed his wife from afar. The lady was so pretty and Akeem Kadiri and her looked absolutely loved up.     Her eyes caught a familiar looking face and she almost did a double take as she recognised the man she had almost crashed into. She stared at him for a moment, hardly believing her eyes but yes, it was certainly him. He looked even more attractive in his impeccably cut tuxedo that accentuated his broad shoulders and lithe frame. He had a glass of wine in his hands and he was watching the couples on the dance floor with a lazy half smile on his lips. At that moment he looked towards her too and before Teni could look quickly away, their eyes met. There was a flash of recognition in the guy's eyes as they stared at each other for a moment and then he smiled. Teni smiled back in return and then looked quickly away. She felt embarrassed that he had caught her staring. She looked around the hall before casting a subtle look in his direction again. His eyes were still on her. She made sure she didn't allow her eyes to meet his this time around.   "Hope you 're having fun,Teni?" Deji asked as he joined her a few minutes later. "Where's Feyi?"  "Oh she popped out with Banji." Teni said and he made a face.    "Do you want to dance?" Deji asked with a twinkle on his eyes.   "Why not?" It was good to see him looking so relaxed unlike the busy guy he was all week. She told him so and he laughed.  "It's been a little hectic at Vantres with dad trying to shift more responsibility towards me but hopefully things should ease up a bit soon." He led her more towards the centre of the dance floor and placed his arm lightly around her waist as they started dancing.   "Hmmm....you can move." Teni teased "I thought it was just Wall Street indices that you know."  He laughed "But you 're one business minded lady too. Dad's says you 're a natural. We 're really looking to having you join Vantres next week."  "Me too." It was time to start putting all the business skills learnt at LSE to work. She enjoyed her talks with his dad and they could sometimes go on for hours discussing the merits/demerits of business ventures and mergers going on in different global corporations.        The music changed to a faster track and they changed their dance steps to go with it. She loved dancing and was impressed with Deji's moves and they both laughed and teased each other as they kept up with the fast beats.      "Whoa! We need to do this again soon!" Deji laughed as the track ended and he led her off the floor.   "Defo."     Feyi was still nowhere in sight and she excused herself to go freshen up in the ladies. She looked at herself in the mirror in the bathroom. Her face looked flushed with all that dancing. She touched up her powder and applied a fresh coat of lipstick to her lips before making her way back to the function hall. She was a little startled to see the handsome stranger now standing at the edge of the room where she would have no choice but to pass by him as she entered the hall.   "Hey, we meet again."  Teni smiled a little self consciously "Hi. Surprise."  "Very pleasant surprise." His eyes roved over her appreciatively "You 're looking very different today but I definitely can't mistake that face anywhere."  "So sorry about the last time....." Teni began.   "Hey, no need to apologise again. You were more affected than I was." He grinned and Teni could not help staring at his chiselled attractive face. The guy was such a looker and he probably knew it too. "I've thought about you quite a few times since then." His eyes flicked over her again as he extended his hand towards her "I am Fola Lawal."   "Teni Davies"   He held her hand just a fraction longer than necessary before he released it.  "Pleased to meet you, Teni. So are you a friend of the Kadiri's?"   "Not really. My hosts are family friends of theirs and I just came along. What about you?"   "I work at KH." He focussed his dark long lashed eyes on her. "So how long have you been in the country?"   Teni smiled "That question again. How do you know I've not been here all my life?"   "Remember I 'm the guy you traumatised and almost ran off the road by driving on the wrong side?"   Teni knew he was teasing her but she felt embarrassed. "It was really silly of me to....."   "I'm only kidding. But hey, you 're too easy to tease!" He looked at her with dancing roguish eyes "So tell me,  how long have you been here?"   "Two months....." Teni began but just at that moment, she saw Feyi coming towards them. "Here comes my friend, I 'm staying with her and her family."     Feyi got to where they were and Teni introduced them. They both knew who the other was and they all made small talk for a few minutes.   "Nice meeting you again, Fola." Teni said as she prepared to move away with Feyi.  "The pleasure was all mine." His eyes met her's and held it for a moment. "Can I have your number?" He asked.      Teni felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach at the look in his eyes. She gave him the number and he handed her his complimentary card. He gave her a small wave as she walked away but she was acutely conscious of his eyes following her as she walked across the hall.  


  "I still can't believe Fola Lawal was the mystery man you almost ran into!" Feyi said again as she stared at Teni. They had gotten back to the house about an hour earlier and were both lying on Teni's bed.  "I had no idea who he was at that time. I still don't know much about him." Except he was one of the most attractive men she had ever seen, she added silently.   "That guy is a good example of who not to get involved with." Feyi sat up a little. "He has a list this long....." She widened her arms as much as she could. "Of women that he has dated." She shook her head. "Nah, my advise is, stay as far away from him as possible."   "That bad?"   "He's worse. I know he's really hot and all that but he has such a reputation with women." She grimaced "Yet those ladies can't seem to get it and keep throwing themselves at him."   Teni didn't know why she was feeling deflated by the info Feyi had given her. "I certainly don't see myself throwing myself at an obvious player."   "But did you see the way he was looking at you? He was so obviously attracted to you and I don't think you 've heard the last of him."   "If he has that many women after him as you say then he won't have time to go after an unwilling one." She had thought him a nice guy but hearing half the things that Feyi had said about about him had just about put her off him.   "Maybe....but he's known as a charmer." She leaned over and took hold of her IPad from the table "Let me just show you a few things about him......"      She typed quickly on the key pad and his profile came up. Teni stared at the now familiar handsome face. He was dressed in a dark business suit but that didn't take anything from his rugged good looks. She read through his profile. He was respected in coporate circles and was described as a strong factor that contributed to the success of Ka-Tell, the telecommunications arm of Kadiri holdings or KH as it was popularly known. Besides his business profile, there was quite a bit written on his social life as well. He had been linked with a lot of beautiful women and like Feyi had said, was regarded as a playboy in social circles.   "Aha, there she is!" Feyi said triumphantly as she brought up another picture.      Teni glanced at the picture of Fola and a very beautiful woman at some function. The lady was looking up at him with adoring eyes while he appeared to be looking straight at the camera.   "This is Anjola, Fola's on, off girlfriend for a few years. He's had a number of relationships in between their breaks but she still sticks on."  "How come you know so much about him?"  "I had a friend that was seriously crushing on him so she used to follow every little detail about him." She laughed as she saw Teni's face. "No, not Pamela or Nicole!"   Teni relaxed. She could just imagine if Nicole had been the one. She would have been mad to hear he was even talking with Teni.  "So did he date her?"   Feyi shook her head. "Nah, the guy was dating this hot newscaster then and didn't even look in her direction. Of course he has long broken up with that newscaster chick since then." She sat back against the pillows. "But I heard he is a whiz kid when it comes to his work. Many companies including Vantres has tried to lure him in the past but he has stuck with KH." She shrugged. "It's just his private life that is another matter."  Teni had heard enough. "Well, good luck to him and his girls. Getting involved with a player is certainly not on my agenda."      But as she lay on her bed later that night, Fola's face flashed before her again. The roguish way he smiled and the way his eyes always seemed slightly amused. There was just something about him that made her want to know the real guy behind the attractive and sophisticated veneer, but maybe she was mistaken and he was nothing more than a guy who was aware of his sheer good looks and knew how to use it to good advantage.  


      Teni paused by the balcony as she made to take her ringing phone out of her pocket. She waved across at Uncle Kola who was sitting on one of the of deck chairs in the garden below. Deji and Feyi were playing a game of basketball at a court a little distance away. She loved this view from the balcony. She could see many parts of the rolling well maintained grounds on which the Ola-Daniels house was biult.      She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Fola Lawal. She debated within herself if she should take the call and decided it would be immatured not to. She was very capable of dismissing him nicely.  "Hey." His deep smooth voice came over the phone as she connected the call "How's your day going?"   "Very good, thank you and your's?"  "Good." He replied. "It was really nice seeing you at Navagne yesterday. Could hardly believe my eyes."  "It was a surprise for me as well." She was startled as she felt something soft rub against her ankles. She looked down and smiled. It was Lulu, Feyi's tabby cat. She bent down and stroked its silken hair and the cat purred softly.  "Hope you 've had some time to rest up after that late party?" She asked as she straightened up again.  "Yep. I've been up for a while though. I had some paperwork I needed to complete but that's nicely sorted out of the way now."  "You 've worked for KH for a while?"   "A few years. It's a great place to work in."   "I can see that, since you take work home." She said drily.   He chuckled. "Doesn't everyone do that? But anyway it's a habit I'm trying to break." She could still hear the amusement in his voice "How long are you in the country for?" He asked her.   "I've still got some months to go. I'm actually starting work at Vantres on Monday and I'm really looking forward to it."   "That's great. What role are you going you be working at?"   "I'm a business analyst so I'll be working along that line."  "Vantres is doing well. I'm sure you 'll have a good time," He paused. "You must have done a bit of sight seeing since you arrived?"  "Some. Feyi's been doing her best to get me to as many places as she can manage."   "Mmmm......Have you been to Marijas yet?"  The name sounded familiar but she was not sure and she told him.   "If you 've been there, you'd definitely remember. It's one of the most beautiful strips of private beaches around these parts. It also has a lovely restaurant that serves the most amazing fresh seafoods."   "Sounds good."  "I'm sure you'll like it. What's your day like tomorrow? I could pick you up and we could spend some time there."  "Um....I don't think that will be convenient. I was planning to familiarise myself with some work related stuff tomorrow. I need to get into work mode for next week."   He didn't push. "I understand. Maybe we could do it next week?"   "Maybe."     Teni disconnected the call a few minutes later. My scalp is not going to decorate your belt, Mr 'So very attractive' Fola Lawal she thought to herself as she walked down the stairs on her way to join the others in the garden.






© Osaradeyemi.blogspot 2013

All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from osaradeyemi.blogspot.

Echoes of the past - Chapter two

     Teni saw Feyi's smiling face as soon as she stepped into the arrival hall of the Murtala Mohammed international airport in Lagos. Seeing her friend in the unfamiliar environment brought a sense of reassurance to the feelings of homesickness that had assailed her as she stepped off the plane. 
     "Good to see you, girl!" Feyi said as they hugged each other. "It's great to have you finally here for a visit!" 
     "Same here and thanks for having me. How have you been?"

     "Good, good" Feyi replied taking her baggage cart from her despite her protests "You’re my guest so just relax, okay?"      They chatted during the fifty minutes drive between the airport to Ikoyi where Feyi lived. Teni was grateful for the air conditioning in the car. The temperature was a whopping thirty two degrees centigrade and she had felt almost overwhelmed by the heat when they had stepped outside the airport.      She looked around at the passing cars and buildings. It was definitely a long way from Dartford, the town in Kent where she lived. The houses were all of varied styles and were painted rather than the brick same patterned style houses that she was used to. The traffic on the road was light but the the motorists and even the bikers were so very horn friendly. She almost winced as she heard another loud horn. That would definitely take some getting used to.       There was more traffic as they got farther into the city and as they waited at a set or traffic lights, she saw hawkers with their wares on their heads or shoulders darting amongst the cars and trying to sell to the motorists. She could not help being concerned about their safety but Feyi just laughed when she mentioned it to her and told her the hawkers were used to it and knew when not to get on the road.      They soon left the more rowdy part of town behind and Feyi told her they were approaching the island where her home was. About twenty five minutes later, they turned off the main road and drove into a nice looking neighbourhood with very large detached gated houses. From the little she could see, they were all architectural masterpieces and she didn't need anyone to tell her that they were in the posh part of town.         She could not prevent her eyes from widening when Feyi drove through the massive electronically controlled gates of her father's residence. Feyi was a nice girl without any airs whatsoever but during their year at LSE, it had been obvious that she came from affluent stock. From the brand new Audi TT that she drove, to the cool apartment she lived in at Central London when most of their colleagues lived in shared apartments and as far away from the expensive London apartments as they could manage.     Feyi waved at the security men at their duty posts and drove further down towards a large sprawling house nestled amongst tall ornamental trees. Teni glanced around the well manicured lawns and the different flower beds that dotted the large grounds. This was certainly different from her recollections of Nigeria when she had come for her grandma's funeral or maybe it was a question of differences in the status of the people involved.     "Finally home." Feyi smiled as they came out of the car.      The front door opened and a uniformed maid came out of the house. Feyi spoke to her in her native language. Teni knew they were speaking Yoruba because that was the language her mum spoke too.    "She's going to get Kevin, that's our general handy guy to help carry your luggage in." Feyi told Teni as the maid went back into the house. "It's going upstairs so it's better he takes them up right away."      Feyi's phone beeped as she led the way into the house. She gave Teni an apologetic hand signal as she took the call and mouthed to her that it was her dad.      Teni looked around as she waited for Feyi to complete her call. They were in some sort of spacious reception that looked even more so because of the high ceiling to floor windows bordered on each side by very attractive drapes. Her eyes took in the beatiful paintings on the wall and the polished solid oak wood floor. She could see through the arched doorway into a large lounge. 
     "Dad said to say hello to you and will see you later as soon as he can leave the office." Feyi said, turning back to her as she completed her call.      Teni nodded. They chatted as Feyi showed her to the room she would be staying in. Teni fell in love with the room immediately. It was a large ensuite room done up in magnolia and chocolate brown which gave it a cool welcoming air. Feyi smiled at the delight on her face as she looked through the French windows at the beautiful garden below.    "You’ve got such a lovely home, Feyi." Teni told her sincerely.   "Thanks." Feyi smiled as she stood up "I'll show you round the house later but let me get you some call cards so you can call your folks."     Teni sat down on the bed after Feyi left. It was a long way from home but she had a good feeling about being there and she was going to make the best of her time in Lagos and return back to the UK fully refreshed and ready to start life with vigour.


     "So How's the driving going?" Feyi's dad asked Teni, putting down the newspaper he was reading as she came further into the dining room.
     "Fine, thanks, Uncle Kola." Teni replied sitting across him. She congratulated herself inwardly at the effortless way the title had slipped out. She was learning her 'Nigerianese' very well. Feyi's dad had teased her to stop referring to him as 'Sir'. She had wondered what to call him since she was aware that calling people that were older than you by their first names was considered inapproapriate in Nigeria. She also knew that younger people automatically called every adult, uncle or Auntie, whether related to them or not. So she had decided to start calling Feyi's dad 'uncle Kola' and he had not appeared to mind.     "Phillip told me you have started driving yourself around a little bit." He asked referring to one of the drivers.     "Yes I have. I still need a few more lessons though. Feyi said I need to drive the Nigerian way." Feyi had been teasing her 'polite driving' as she called it since she started her driving lessons. Teni found the driving in Lagos a little rough and that was putting it mildly.       She relayed an incident that happened a couple of days earlier to Feyi's dad. Feyi had been beside her as she practiced her driving and as they got to a roundabout, Teni had waited to give right of way to those on the left as Phillip, Uncle Kola's driver had told her to do but Feyi had hissed at her to get going as the unwritten rule was whoever first got to the roundabout had right of way. The other motorists behind her had appeared to agree with Feyi's theory judging by the loud horns that had blared out behind her during those minutes she had waited at the roundabout.      Feyi's dad laughed at what she said "Please try to be safe always and safety is going by the rules as much as you can." He passed her the jug of fresh orange juice. "Take your time with the driving until you are confortable."     At that moment Deji, Feyi's twin brother, came into the dining room.   "Hi dad, Teni." He smiled at them as he grabbed a piece of toast and began buttering it.   "Hello Deji, in a hurry?" His father asked.  "Yeah, I’ve got a meeting this morning on the mainland and I want to avoid the traffic." He poured himself a cup of coffee, took a sip then grimaced as it burnt his tongue.   "Yes, I remember you told me about it but I thought it was at midday?"  "It was rescheduled by the clients. But that suits me as I can get to other things on time. I'm meeting up with Tade later on today too. He's worked on a similar project before and he helping me tie up some loose ends."     "Oh good, I like the way that young man handles business." His dad replied. "By the way, tell him that I would like to see him before the end of this week if he's free."  "I think his weekend may be full already though. His cousin is getting married and he invited Feyi and I."  Deji glanced towards Teni. "You're still coming along with us, aren't you? Tade said to tell you that you're his special guest."          Teni smiled and nodded. She had met Tade, Deji's friend and she liked him. He and Deji attended the same church and he was a regular visitor at the Ola-Daniel's.       "All right then, but let him know I'd like to see him as soon as possible. Now about your meeting this morning," Feyi's paused and glanced towards Teni. "Sorry, Teni, I just need to discuss a few things with Deji."       Teni assured him it was okay and continued with her breakfast. She knew Deji was the one most primed to take over their dad's company than Feyi was. Feyi didn't seem to mind. She had told Teni she was planning to work at Vantres, the business her dad owned because it was expected of her and not because she had any burning ambition to run a coporation.      "Feyi said you girls are going to the mainland today for some shopping?" Feyi's dad asked after Deji had left.

     "Yes, we are" Teni helped herself to another slice of toast "I’ve been having a relaxing time. I just hope I'll be able to get back into work mode after all this."     "Everyone needs a break once in a while." He smiled as he looked at her. "I know you said it's been a while since you visited Nigeria but do you still have any family over here?"     Teni shook her head "Not really or at least not anyone that can be called close family. My mum didn't visit much. We kind of knew our Caribbean relatives more than the Nigerian ones."     "Yeah...sometimes parents determine which side the kids tilt towards." He took a sip of his coffee "But at least your mum gave you a Nigerian name so that's some form of identity with us."     "It is and she insisted I spelt it correctly all the time" She grinned "I used to try to spell it with a double 'N' and a 'Y' when I was in secondary school but she was having none of it."    He smiled back at her. "Why would you want to spell it like that anyway?"    "I thought it sounded funkier."     He laughed. "Teniayo is a lovely name." He said pronuncing the full version of her name. "That was the name of my late twin sister."     "Feyi told me." She had teased Teni that that was probably why her dad liked Teni so much.  "She died before Feyi and Deji were born. In fact If I calculate right, she died about a year and three months before you were born because you are twelve months older than Feyi, aren't you?"   "Whoa! Can't quite follow the math but yes, I am about that much older than Feyi."   He smiled. "Having a first degree in maths does have its benefits but certain dates still get engraved in one's memory nevertheless."      Teni could identify with that. She would never forget the day her mum was diagnoed with cancer of the peritoneum, the day she died or the days preceding or following them either. She was about to ask him some questions about his late twin sister when Feyi came into the room.   "Hi dad!" She bent and kissed her dad's cheek and then grinned at Teni "I was faster than you expected, right?"   "Yeah, you’re getting better." Feyi had still been in bed when she had popped into her room a few minutes earlier and Teni had now learnt she also took her time to dress up so had not been expecting her downstairs anytime soon.  "Maybe a day out shopping was the magic word?" Her dad teased.   "Part of it but we’re not just going shopping today." Teni said as she helped herself to some scones, bacon and eggs "We'll be popping in to see mum as well and probably wind up at your office. Teni was saying she wanted to see the office and what Vantres is all about."   "Great. It will be nice to see you girls there. I was talking with Akeem Kadiri the other day and he was happy about the idea of you girls working at Kadiri holdings if you wanted to." He turned to Teni "Akeem is a family friend of ours. Deji did a year at one of his companies before he joined me at Vantres."      Teni listened as he told her more about Akeem Kadiri and Kadiri holdings which he referred to as KH. The guy was some sort of maverick business man that had achieved a lot in the Telecomms business.    "We’re still attending the dinner at his place in a few weeks time, aren't we?" Feyi asked her dad. He nodded and she turned towards Teni "His Company won the best Telecomms award third year running and he is having some sort of dinner party to celebrate." She explained to Teni "I'm sure it's going to be a really cool affair and who knows who one can meet?" She winked at Teni.   "I thought you had already met someone." Her dad cut in drily "Or who did you say that young man you introduced to me the other day was?"  "Well, he's not officially said anything yet so maybe coming along with us for the party and seeing how hot I am may just speed things up a bit!"   Her dad raised his brows. "Really? And who's getting him an invite?"   Feyi grinned "My dad, of course!"      Teni smiled as she watched both of them. She was already learning how close Feyi and her dad was during her one month stay at the Ola-Daniels. They pretty much joked about like friends and both Feyi and her twin brother, Deji were very free with him. They reminded her of the relationship Brendan and her had with their dad. She had also met Feyi's mum and thought her such a very nice person. She had almost gaped at Teni when Feyi introduced her to her. Feyi had laughed delightedly at the expression on her mum's face.   "I told you she was gorgeous, mum!" Feyi had teased, still laughing at the surprise on her mum's face.  "Indeed she is." Her mum had replied. "And obviously completely unaware of it too." She added, still looking at Teni's embarrassed face.    Teni had noticed that Feyi's mum had kept casting little side glances at her during that first visit.   'You guys never met my mum.' Teni had thought to herself.'Now that was someone really beautiful.'      Although she had always been told she was an exact replica of her mum at her age, she had never really believed that. To her, her mum was the epitome of beauty, both within and without and she didn't think she could ever attain that. Her mum had just had such depth, an inner strength of character that made her rise above anything petty. She had also had such a giving nature and the charities that she had faithfully worked with and helped raise funds for over the years had all turned up at her funeral to pay moving tributes to the kind of woman she was.      That strength of character had seemed even greater when she got more religious during that last year before her death and Teni had struggled to understand how she was able to retain it even during those terrible months when the cancer had ravaged her body.     She shrugged off her thoughts and forced herself to return back to the conversation between Feyi and her dad. Focus on the positives and the good times had been her mum's constant admonition to them when she took ill and Teni was going to do just that.



  "Now that Banji guy is what I call ultra cool!" Pamela, Feyi's friend sighed dramatically. "The guy is so fine!"   "And of course, miss Richie rich Feyi Ola-Daniels here has to be the one to snag him up." Nicole added as she stretched languidly on the lounger. "He practically ignored us and went straight to her." She rolled her eyes "Now that’s what I call so unfair!"      They had all gone out for a spot of shopping and were relaxing by the poolside at the Ola-Daniels. Teni looked longingly at the cool inviting water. The reflection on the sun made the surface appear glittery and inviting. She was certainly going to have a dip later.  "Was he supposed to fancy all of us at the same time?" Feyi quipped. "But not to worry, every girl's got her man. Some hot guys are going to be hounding you girls soon."  Nicole arched one perfectly shaped eyebrow "Yeah, I guess you can start handing out advice now, especially now that you've gone and caught the first decent guy I've seen in weeks." She grimaced "Seriously, girls, I can't wait to start dating properly again. It's been like three whole months I broke up with Alex and I'm yet to find a decent guy!" She scrunched her pretty face. "I'm going to have to put out an advert very soon."  Feyi grinned "I can just imagine how it would read, desperate chick looking for a hot man...." She paused. "Eh.....what are the specs you looking for?"  Nicole shrugged "You know me, I'm not fussy. Tall, dark, with a fine face of course." A dreamy expression crossed her face as she got more into her description "Rippling abs, six or maybe eight packs. Good dress sense, cool manners, and some coins in his pockets...."   "And you're not fussy?" Feyi laughed.  "Nope. That's what every girl really wants."  Pamela giggled. "I like the description but I like them a little older too. Any guy I date has to be at least five years older than me. I like being fussed over and those sort of guys know how to treat a girl right."  "Most older men may have been married before or have a baby mamma somewhere, don't you think?" Feyi said.  Pamela smirked. "There are ways to handle things like that. Baby mamma or not, I'll still have the guy eating out of my hand."    Nicole's lips curled cynically. "One'd have thought that history would have taught some people a few lessons but like they say, some people never learn."      Teni had heard that Pamela's mum had been a mistress or second wife as they called it over here to some wealthy man and had all the fine trappings until her dad passed away some years earlier. He had had a falling out with Nicole's mum before his demise and because of it, had left most of his wealth to his legal wife and kids. Feyi said that had made Pamela very bitter because it affected the lifestyle she was used to. Feyi's dad had even had to take over her school fees at some point and paid her way through University.  "I'll never allow myself to be cut out like my mum, she had her head in the clouds. I’m smarter than that."   "If you say so. But like I was saying, I love 'em muscles and a guy with a nice build gets to me anyday." She cast a sly glance at Feyi. "By the way, I saw that Tade guy the other day, now that's another guy I could so like, maybe I should....."   "He'll never look at a Jezebel like you." Feyi cut in a little abruptly. "Tade only dates 'saved girls' anyway."  Nicole smiled. "You know I used to think you liked that guy, and it's such a pity he never took any notice of you...." She shook her head in mock sympathy. "That's one guy that's been immune to little miss Richie Rich."   Teni tossed her hair. "I don't know what you are on about but I'm with Banji and I 'm more than satisfied."   Nicole just shot a mocking look at her before glancing over at Teni who had not joined the conversation. "What kind of guys do you like, Teni?"  Teni shrugged. "Well, I guess every one wants someone attractive but I'd get easily bored with a guy if he was just all about looks."   "But he shouldn't be too serious either." Pamela said. "The serious ones have all sorts of expectations about what a girl should be or not be. Remember Chris, girls?" She asked Feyi and Nicole and they both made disgusted faces. "We were classmates at Uni and I dated him briefly but the guy was so serious, he had made a set of plans for himself for the next five years and he wanted to draw up a list for me too." She wrinkled her nose distatefully. "He wanted to suffocate me. I discarded him as fast as I could."   Nicole laughed throatily. "He was already thinking you were just an airhead anyway!" She looked over at Feyi. "But no guy would let this babe walk away from him, not when he knows what he can gain by being affiliated to the great Ola-Daniels family."   "But you just said Tade never took any notice of me." Feyi said drily. "I guess he's the exception to your theory, right?"  "That's because of his weird beliefs." Nicole eyes glittered a little maliciously at Feyi. "Banji definitely ain't walking away. He must know he's onto gold by now."   "Are you saying guys fancy her because of her surname or what?" Pamela asked. "Sorry, I don't agree because my girl here is one hot chick!"   "The name definitely helps." Nicole maintained. "Now, if your dad owned one of the big companies around and your uncle was the governor of Lagos state, how many guys do you think you'll have eating out of your hand?"   Pamela shook her head at Nicole. "Feyi, don't even pay attention to Nicole. She's just green that Banji didn't go for her first."   "Darn right, I am." Nicole laughed. "The guy saw me first, chatted with me first but still went after Feyi so yes; I'm really green with envy."      Teni just listened to them talk. She was still getting used to Feyi's friends. Feyi told her they had all been friends since they were at secondary school and were supposedly close but somehow she just couldn't  warm up to them. Pamela was okay but Nicole just rubbed her the wrong way. She could also not shake the feeling that she was envious of Feyi. Oh, she smiled when she made subtle references to Feyi's father’s wealth or connections but Teni got the feeling it went deeper than that. Nicole appeared like someone who felt she always had to be the richest or prettiest girl in any group she belonged to.   "So seriously, you mean you’re really not getting us invites to the KH dinner party?" Pamela was asking Feyi.  Feyi sighed. "Unfortunately dad can only ask for so many invites and Deji, Teni, Banji, and I are going with him already."  Nicole took a sip out of the tall glass of fruit punch she had by her side "We've been displaced." Her eyes flicked over Teni. Her lips were smiling but her eyes had a cold mocking glint in them. "Displaced by Feyi's boyfriend and her new girl from UK."

     Teni dropped the groceries in the car boot, got behind the wheel and reversed out of the car park of the shopping mall. It was just perfect how things were working out. Feyi had just called Teni that she was not going to be home for some time yet.      It was Feyi and Deji's birthday the next day and Teni knew how much she liked Lasagne and wanted to surprise her with the dish and throw in a cake as well. Teni had been wondering how she was going to sneak out for the shopping without Feyi offering to go along with her when Feyi had told her she needed to fill out a prescription for her mum in Victoria Island and also run some other errands for her.      Teni could barely hide her excitement at the opportunity to dash to the shops and get things underway before she came back. She was so looking forward to making a nice meal for the family she had begun to think of as her adoptive family. They had done much more than she could imagine to make her welcome in the five weeks she had been with them that it would be an absolute pleasure to give something back, little though it was. Lasagne and carrot cake was something she could make with her eyes closed and she could even dare the Ola-Daniels's terrific cook, Peter to a contest over them.       She was lost in her thoughts as she got to a mini roundabout and without thinking, took the left turning. She realised in a split second that she was on the wrong side of the road and at the same time saw an oncoming car heading straight towards her; she veered wildly towards the right as she tried to avoid the car, her car skidded and she almost lost control. Heart racing wildly, she wrestled with the steering wheel as she tried hard not to apply her brakes too sharply but she knew her efforts were not going to be enough. But just as she almost gave up hope, the driver of the other car by some miracle managed to swerve towards the left and then pulled up sharply stopping just inches before the two cars collided.     Breathing heavily, Teni stopped the car and then realised she was still in the middle of the road, other cars had slowed down around them, thankfully It was not the typical busy Lagos road otherwise it may have been a different story and she would have caused multiple car crashes. She saw the the driver of the other car indicating to her to pull over to the other side of the road and out of the way of traffic.      She managed to drive a little way off the roundabout and pulled up by the side of the road, she turned off the ignition with trembling hands. She was still shaking all over, her heart racing at the near collision and what may have been. She took in gulps of air as she saw the driver of the other car striding towards her. She got out of the car shakily.  "Probably going to have a go at me." Teni thought to herself as she tried to steady her breathing. She had heard Nigerians could get quite irate when provoked and in this case, she deserved whatever she got.  "Are you okay?" The man asked as he got to where she was.  She was still panting and her legs felt slightly unsteady as she leaned against her car "I...I 'm really sorry. It was my fault, please do pardon me."  "I think you should sit down." The man's brows furrowed in a concerned frown as he looked at her still trembling form.  "I 'm fine." She shuddered to think why could have happened. Never mind what Phillip had told her, she definitely needed more lessons. Her driving was still not okay if she ran the risks of causing accidents  "Are you all right?" She asked the man, finally looking at his face fully.  "I think so." He replied, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He continued looking at her as if trying to make sense of what had just happened "You were driving on the wrong side of the road." He said quietly.   "I know and I' m really sorry." Teni said again, her apology sounded lame, even to her own ears. She knew then why had she done it?  The man shrugged "It's okay, thankfully, there's been no damage."  "Yeah." She glanced towards his black BMW four wheel drive. She was thankful that she had not collided with it. She would have hated having to give any problems to Feyi or uncle Kola. They were already nice enough without her giving them any extra bills.     The man looked like he was going to about to say something but appeared to change his mind, there was still a look of concern on his face as he looked at her. He must probably think I 'm a loony, Teni thought to herself, a loony on a suicide mission! Just as she was about to apologise again, his phone rang.   "Sorry I need to take this call." He said, holding up his hand before connecting the call.      She heard him apologising to someone about being late, she felt so guilty at what had happened and the obvious delay she had caused to his journey. He appeared to be coming from or going to the gym or something physical anyway. He was a tall guy with a lithe frame that showed he either had an active lifestyle or worked out a lot. His knee length chinos shorts revealing strong athletic looking legs and his V- necked tank top stretched tautly over his broad chest clearly defining the outline of his firm abdomen and chest.      She looked away quickly as she heard him rounding up his call. She didn't want him thinking she was checking him out on top of almost crashing into him.  "I think I’ll be on my way now." She told him when he had disconnected his call.   "Are you sure you are up to it? He asked, still looking a little concerned.  "I’ll be fine." Teni replied "Once again, I 'm really sorry." "Hey, quit apologising." The man said smiling in a slow attractive way as his eyes roamed over her face. Teni found herself looking back at him too. He had a rugged raw appeal about him. The chiseled attractive face, well defined cheekbones, strong jaw and those thick lashed eyes and brows made him someone that Feyi would refer to as a hottie.  "Like I said before, no damage done." He shrugged slightly "Well, if you are sure you are okay....I’ll be off too, you take care." He held up his hand in a slight salute as he moved off.     Yeah, take care and drive on the right side of the road, Teni added wryly to herself as she got into her car and drove off. She was still a bit shaken at what had almost happened. Such a nice guy though, she noticed he had waited in his car until she pulled away before driving off himself.     About ten minutes later, she looked in her rear mirror and noticed what she thought was the man's BMW behind her. She looked again to confirm and was sure that was certainly his car. She wondered if he lived in the same area as the Ola-Daniels.      He flashed his car indicator lights at her when she turned off into her street which meant he was aware that she was the one in front of him as well. She was a little puzzled. Had he deliberately followed her until he was sure she would get home safely? She found that difficult to believe. He couldn't be that gentlemanly, especially not when she had almost crashed into him! Nah! Maybe he had business doing in that area. 







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