LATE BOOM (EPISODE 4)

Femi could not hide her anger all throughout the weekend. That Dr Arowolo, he had insulted her one too many times. What had she ever done to deserve his insults? Now, he wanted to turn her into his play thing on top of everything else.
She had been so mad, she had called Ronke to tell her everything and even told her aunt. Both of them were righteously furious on her behalf and her aunt even had plans to go to his house and set him straight. Femi was glad her Aunt did not know where he lived and she didn’t tell the woman where he worked too before she carried out her threat. Her aunt was fearsome when she felt her children could be hurt.
On Monday, her aunt had armed her with pepper spray and warned her that if the “oloriburuku” tried anything, she should use it on his eyes. Femi left it in school though because she didn’t think Doctor Arowolo for all his evilness was actually violent.
When she got there though, she experienced a strange pang of disappointment when she realised he wasn’t home. Her disappointment turned to dread when he didn’t come home during her lessons all throughout the week. Ose had called her to ask her why the good doctor was avoiding her and she hadn’t had an answer. His attitude now felt worse than what he had said to her last Saturday and she couldn’t help feeling low.
“Ki lo fe? What do you want?” Her aunt asked when she described how she was feeling at Dr Arowolo’s absence when she went there “He approached you, you said you don’t want him, now you’re sad he’s not at home waiting for you everyday! Ha, your own is plenty!”
“Mummy, I just don’t want him to feel like he has to avoid me in his own house, it makes me feel bad” she tried to explain although the truth was, she really couldn’t rationalise her own feelings. She didn’t understand at all why his absence had cast a pall on her classes with Amanda and even the little girl had seemed disenchanted.
“Mummy, I don’t even know again!” She admitted.
Her aunt shook her head at her, “Children of these days!”
==
Fiyin spent a lot of time in his office these days. 2 weeks had passed since the scene with Femi and he couldn’t help the sour taste the whole episode left in his mouth. He figured he deserved what he had gotten from her but underneath, where it really mattered, he was shattered.
He hadn’t really put a name to his feelings for her but now he realised he was in love with her and it hurt him deeply that she thought he was the kind of man who would play with her emotions. He wasn’t perfect, God knew, but he had never gone out of his way to hurt another human being before and for Femi, someone who really mattered to him to believe he could hurt her just for fun really cut him to the quick.
He hadn’t initially intended to avoid the house, he had only wanted to do it one day so she could feel comfortable again but when he was driving home the second day she was due to come, he had realised he couldn’t quite stand the thought of being in the same place with her and not having her. He decided if she was going to be in his house and not belong to him, it was better he didn’t see her there.
Unfortunately, while he made that decision to preserve his heart from more hurt, he found that missing her terribly was just as hurtful as not having her. Now, he was stuck because having avoided her for this long, he didn’t know how it would seem if he suddenly appeared at home again after all this time. But he missed her, a lot more than he had thought he could.
What if she decided she was more comfortable with him gone? What if she preferred it that way? He sighed, receiving no answer from the walls in his office.
His phone rang, disturbing him from his dismal thoughts.
“Sir, Dr Tiwa is here.” Ozioma said when he picked.
“Let her know I’m busy and unavailable.” He told Ozioma. He dropped the call, not feeling in the right frame of mind to handle Tiwa. She had been selected as part of a Team of Doctors to represent Lagos State and Nigeria at an International Medical conference and although it was very good for the hospital, he figured Tiwa could celebrate without crowing about her success.
He had gone for such Conferences when he was younger and they were widely educative as well as entertaining and you got to meet several new people in your line of work. However, since he had warned Tiwa about coming to his office unnecessarily, she used the excuse of preparing for the conference to disturb him often and see him as well.
He had to give her credit though, she had gone about it so subtly that he hadn’t even noticed at first. If it hadn’t been for his dismal hopelessness centred around Femi’s rebuff of his affections, he might never have noticed that Tiwa was trying very hard at insinuating herself into his life again. Fortunately, it hadn’t worked and she had in fact, made herself into a rather annoying pest.
He sighed again and looked at the time, 5:40pm. In a short while, Femi would have gone again and he would not see her today too. He closed his eyes and tilted his head backward suddenly feeling very tired.
==
Amanda stared at her teacher as she started packing up her books and prepared to leave. It was another week already and all her prayers for her teacher and her daddy to smile at each other like they used to before had been in vain “Aunty Femi” she whispered under her breath.
“Yes, dear?” Femi asked, surprised that the little girl was addressing her as Aunty, usually she addressed her as Miss.
“What is it?” She asked when she saw the small head bowed. She went to kneel beside her. “Sweetheart, what’s the problem?”
“I am sad.” She said quietly and raised shimmering eyes full of tears to look at Femi.
“Oh, why?” Femi’s eyes started watering too, she was quite distressed to see Amanda so sad.
“Daddy is very sad, he’s not talking or eating and he doesn’t throw me up anymore.”
“Why?” Femi asked, afraid of the answer and yet hopeful.
“I don’t know but I hear Aunty Ose telling mummy cook that it started the day he took you home, I wasn’t evedop, I just hear it. Aunty Femi, did you do anything to my daddy?”
“No, Amanda, I didn’t. I promise. I just……”
“Then why is daddy soo sad?” Amanda asked unhappily. “And he doesn’t come to our class again, why?”
“Amanda, how about I talk to your daddy? Ehn?”
“Okay!” she nodded her head.
==
That night, Femi laid in her bed, deeply confused. This whole thing with Fiyin was getting out of hand. It was bad enough when she was the only one yearning to see him, now Amanda was sad, Ose stared at her strangely and the cook was sure she was at fault somehow. And she couldn’t even see the man to ascertain if they were right or they were all just making mountains out of molehills.
Afterall, Fiyin could actually just have been really busy. Of course, it would seem weird that his busy days suddenly fell on the days she had to be there but she couldn’t really bring herself to believe that her rejection of him would have left him so hurt or disturbed, he would refuse to come home. More likely, she had stung his pride.
But the longer it lasted, the more she doubted that it was pride affecting him. And she was beginning to think she might have done more damage than she had thought. She had waited all night for him but he didn’t show up and by 8pm, she had left his house.
Tomorrow was Sunday and she didn’t have to be there but she would get there in the evening to see him. He wouldn’t be expecting her so she would definitely catch him at home so they could sort out this mess between them. Of course, the fact that she could see him after what felt like months of missing him and breathe him in again did not contribute to her decision in the least.
==
Fiyin returned home on Sunday afternoon with his daughter. He hadn’t really paid attention to the message and he felt sure that God would punish him for thinking about a woman when the message was being preached. He didn’t know how but he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about her. He was really suffering, hopefully that would make Femi really happy.
Later in the evening, he was watching TV and trying to understand why the vivacious actress in the movie had suddenly taken on Femi’s face. Of course, it couldn’t be Femi, Femi would never wear something so tacky, the shorts so short, the tank top was showing the woman’s breasts, that definitely wasn’t his Femi, even in her days of awful clothes, she was always decently covered.
He fell asleep on the sofa and woke up over an hour later and in the chair opposite, he saw Femi sitting. He smiled, realising that he was beginning to see visions but not minding in the least, he had missed seeing her.
“Hey, you look beautiful” he said, grinning.
Femi felt her heart roll over as she saw him smile at her. He was looking so relaxed and handsome, she couldn’t hold her own smile back. She had come in over 20 minutes ago with every intention of waking him but watching him sleep like a baby, she had been unable to disturb him.
Now, she smiled at him “Thanks Sir, you too.”
He stared, then blinked, “Are you really here?”
“Yes, I am.” she nodded.
He sat up and rubbed at his eyes. He could see clearly that she was here, in his sitting room. He had to stem the tide of joy he felt at her presence. “How are you?” He asked, wondering why she was in his house on a Sunday.
“I’m fine. Can we talk?” She asked.
“Yeah, let’s go to the study.” He stood up and she followed, noticing that he had lost weight. When they entered the study, he went to put on the AC while she stood by the door waiting. When he turned around, she smiled at him nervously.
Without knowing what he meant to do, he walked up to her and embraced her, he had missed her so much and he fully intended to apologise for hugging afterward. He was quite shocked though when her arms came around him and hugged him just as tightly.
He looked down at her face and when he saw her looking at him with her eyes shining and her lips inviting, he moved his lips to hers and soon they were embroiled in a hot passionate kiss. He held her so tightly and she held unto him just as close. When they stopped to catch their breaths, he asked against her lips, “Did you miss me?”
“Yesss…” She answered breathlessly and she saw his face change. His eyes filled with wonder and then joy, he kissed her again, this time with as much passion and excitement.
“I missed you….” he told her. “….I really missed you. Please tell me you thought about me, about us, tell me you think better of me, I love you, Femi…” he told her passionately. “I am crazy about you, please believe me”
“I believe you.” She nodded. She hadn’t come here for this but now looking into his eyes, she believed him and she didn’t want to keep hurting herself or denying herself something she actually wanted.
“Really? Really? You are telling the truth right?” He asked her doubtfully.
“Yes!” She laughed, “I believe you! But I don’t think we can be together, sir. I…”
“No, No, don’t say it!” He laid his finger against her soft lips. “Please Femi, I love you and I want you, quite badly. I can’t eat or sleep or think when you’re not around, you’re driving me crazy, please Femi give me a chance, I beg you. I’m not a bad person, I’m not wonderful either but I am kind and caring and please, Femi, just please.” He begged her.
“Oh, sir, I didn’t mean to make you so sad” She said noting the desperation in his eyes. She put her palm against his cheek and he rubbed his face in it, then kissed her palm. “I just don’t think I am the kind of woman you should be with. I am not gorgeous, or brilliant or…..”
“Femi, I love you, I love the woman you are. I love the way you smile, the way your eyes are so happy, I love your kind heart, the way you listen to me, I love how you love my child and all I am asking for is a chance to prove to you that I deserve you.”
His words brought tears to her eyes, “Oh really? What would people say? What would they think?”
“You know what? I don’t care, just tell me you want me and please, for God’s sake, stop calling me sir, okay? I like sweetheart better!”
She giggled. “Okay, sweetheart”
“That’s a yes, right?” He didn’t wait for her to answer though before he started kissing her again.
They heard a sound at the door and they turned around to see Amanda staring at them, curiosity in her eyes, “Aunty Femi, good evening.”
“Hi, Amanda”
“My Mandy girl!” Fiyin shouted, happily carrying her and threw her up.
Amanda giggled loudly, “Daddy, you’re better!”
“Yes, I am, Aunty Femi came to kiss all my booboos away.”
“Really?” The little girl asked, her eyes wide and staring at Femi.
“Yes, and she agreed to be my girlfriend, do you want her to be Daddy’s girlfriend?” He asked her seriously and he felt Femi behind him holding her breath.
“Yes, I do! Yes, yes yes, I knew it!” Amanda crowed. “Aunty Femi, will you be my mummy?” She asked Femi after her father dropped her.
“Erm…”
“Only after she becomes my wife.” Fiyin informed his daughter.
“But she’s your wife….” Amanda grumbled.
“Calm down baby, she’s just my girlfriend, wife is the one that wears white and carries flowers…”
“Oh, daddy!” She exclaimed, excited, “Like Aunty Mari’s wedding?” She asked, speaking of her father’s cousin.
“Can’t we do it tomorrow?” She asked seriously and Femi started laughing.
“Haha, do you want to chase her away?”
“No, Daddy, I don’t want her to go, I want her to stay forever so you can be happy every time.”
“Oh, darling!” Fiyin said, hugging his precious child.
Femi knelt down and hugged her too, “No matter what happens, I love you very much, okay?”
“Okay” she nodded and smiling happily at Femi, went out.
“Where were we?” Fiyin asked as he sidled up to Femi. “Here, right?” He started kissing her again and Femi forgot everything else she had planned to tell him. The man could kiss, Jesu!
Question: Any advice for femi and rival Tiwa