Meant to be

episode 2

****** “I can’t believe you’re stupid boyfriend denied you before his mother,…..” Angela’s best friend, Tope asked pacing up and down her room,

“My sister, that was what happened oo,… His mother insulted me to the extent that she called me a beggar and dropped some money on the table for me,….. Before dragging her son out of the restaurant “Angela explained to her friend

” I’m still surprised,… I can’t believe Richard is from such a rich home and he never told you about it,………. Seems you dont know this family very well,….. They’re among the top three richest family in this state,….. And i heard their mother is very wicked and powerful,…… You cant stand that woman’s anger oooo,…… You better start running for your life,….because that mummy’s boy cant stand for you when the heat is too much.. ”

” You know i love Richard,…. I knew he was from a rich home, but i never expected him to come from that family,…….. And he never likes talking about his family,…… ”

” Abeg forget your mumu love and stupid boyfriend,….You better be careful.. … ..by the way….. Have you counted the money in your bag?, “Tope asked pointing to my handbag

,” I didn’t bother counting the money jare…. Alot was on my mind….. …. Pls help me count it “she threw the handbag at her friend and laid beside her on the bed,…….
…”

” This is unbelievable,….. So this is how they waste money unnecessarily,…….. “Tope said counting the money

” You better concentrate and count well,….. ”

Angela and Tope have been friends since they moved from their mansion in Mariam Babagida estate Asaba to a remote part of Asaba,…. They attended the same secondary (Asaba Girls Grammar School) AGGS, Angela is very pretty and tall with a nice shape,… She outstands her mates in beauty,…. Her good heart has won her many favours from people,…. Tope is also beautiful but not as beautiful as Angela,….. She’s chubby and average in height…. Her father is yoruba while her mother is Ibo,she was born and brought up in Asaba,… She’s currently doing her NCE in Federal college of Education Asaba,.. Her parents are not as poor as Angela’s, they live in a three bedroom flat,…. Her father is a Civil Servant while her mother runs a salon,….. She has never supported Angela and Richard’ s relationship,…….

“Hmmmmmmm,… You have a hundred thousand naira here!!! “she screamed after counting the money

I held my mouth in shock, my one year salary is not up to that amount,…..
” babe, you’re rich,…. Oya come and give me my share ”

“Share ni,…….. Look at your face…… I’ll quickly write down what we need at home, i’ll use the money and buy them,.. Then i’ll give some money to my mother and father,…. ”

….. ” Wont they ask you where you got the money from “Tope asked her friend with a surprise look,……

” My mother will never ask,….. Only my father will ask where i got the money from,……….. But i’ll tell him i’ve been saving since i started work”

“Sharp girl,….. That’s good sha,…. Angela……. Don’t you think you’re neglecting yourself,….. So you’ll give everything to your family without buying anything for yourself? ”

” I would’ve loved to buy something for myself, but you know what we’re passing through in my family,…. My father’s security job is not putting food on the table,… I’m tired of my mother’s nagging,.i want to put smiles on their faces…. ”

” By sacrificing your own happiness?,…. Look at your hair,… Use little money out of it and make your hair,…… I can beg mummy to reduce price for you”

“Hair is not my problem now,…. We need to eat,. I must buy chicken today,… I’ve missed it”

“See your throat,…. You like better thing eeehhh”

“Before nko, who no like better thing,…….. ”

The ringing tone of Angela’s phone halted their discussion,…..

Richard was calling her, Tope forcefully snatched the phone from her and switched it off

” That boyfriend of yours needs to be taught a lesson ”

” i’m even tired to listen to him,….. You can keep the phone ”

She laid down on her friend’s bed to take a nap before rushing to the market to buy foodstuffs for her family.

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Richard sat on his double sized king bed trying his girlfriend’s number,…. Being the heir to Johnson’s empire,his mother made sure he lacked nothing,.. He doesn’t have a life of his own, his mother controls his life,…… He studied abroad and when it was time for him to take over his father’s business, his mother insisted on grooming him first before handing over the business to him,……he walks around with bodyguards because his mother believes she has many competitors , especially now she’s aiming the Governor’s seat,….. Richard is every girl’s dream man,…. He’s handsome and fair in complexion,….. His height and stature is what trip girls most about him,….. He possesses a charming smile,……. He met Angela, the day he sneaked out of the house to have fun,…… He saw a beautiful damsel chatting with a man in his late fifties at the gate of a company ,….. He watched her closely,… She later handed a food flasks to the man and left,….. He followed her until he was able to catch up with her,…… His expensive dressing made her know how rich he was,. He introduced himself to her and their love story kicked up from there,.. It was barely two months he met her,…….. He has only met her three times and these periods were when his mother travelled out of the country,…… The incident that happened in the afternoon spoilt his day,….. He had wanted to spend the whole day with his girlfriend since his mother was out of the country,…. He was shocked to see his mother enter the restaurant,………he hates himself for not being able to introduce the love of his life to everyone,…because of what he feel might happen to her if he does so,…. Now she’s not picking his calls,…….

“Baby pls pick my call, i’m so sorry for not being able to man up to my responsibilities,…. God knows i love you so much,… I’ll explain everything to you when next i see you,….” He prayed in his heart,……. The door to his room opened and the least person he expected to talk to entered………

His mother walked in majestically, closing the door behind her.

“Son,….. Heard you’ve been indoor since you returned,… Hope you’re not sick” she asked looking concerned,………. He ignored her

She repeated the question

“Are you sick? ”

“Mother pls stop,….. Stop pretending as if you dont know what you’re doing to me,….. ”

” All i’m doing is for your own good,……. Dont make me look like a bad mother ”

” Mum, you’re a bad mother,…. You’re ruining our lives,…. Look at my elder sister,…. You disowed her because she married a man you dont approve of,…. You would’ve killed her husband if not because she threatened to expose our family secret to the press,…. But you didnt stop,….. You made sure her husband was jobless until they managed to escape to Ghana,…. What kind of mother are you,……. Where’s your husband, Mrs Johnson!? ”

A thunderous slap landed on his chic, he tried opening his eyes but he couldn’t,….. His mother’s diamond ring hit him in the eye and he started bleeding, he held the eye with one hand

” How dare you!!!!!!!!, how dare you talk to me like that,…. You think you’re a full grown man,… I’ll teach you a lesson you ‘ll never forget in your life,…… ”

The sound of a broken glass made her stop with her threats,….. The sound became louder, someone was breaking glasses,…..

” Not again,…… “she shouted
running out of the room and her son followed her immediately.

They both ran downstairs to the living room to behold a pathetic sight.

*******Angela returned home to meet her mother and siblings watching television,…… Her mother opens her shop anytime She has the strength to do so,…… Her husband spoilt her so much when he was rich,….. She used to be a housewife before things turned sour for them,….. She was forced to open the kiosk by her family members,….her laziness has contributed to the suffering of the family,… Angela opens the shop anytime she returns from her teaching job, it’s her efforts that has kept the kiosk growing,…… Her three sibling,Eric, Chinedu and Ebube are helping out the little way they can,……. Eric is in his SS2,Chinedu is in JSS 3,While Ebube the last child is in JSS1,they attend a public school because there’s no money to train them in a private school,…….

Angela brought down the things she bought from Keke, the driver helped her bring down the bag of rice, groundnut oil,1 carton of tin tomatoes, 1 carton of indomie, and other foodstuffs ,… The sound of the keke that drove out caught their attention,…. They all ran out to know who the visitor is,….

“Mama come and see what sister bought oooo”Ebube screamed out of joy,…. Their mother ran outside immediately
“Angela,. You bought all these with your money…. Chaii my daughter, my God will bless you,…. “she hugged her so tight,

” Oya help your sister pack those things inside the room,be fast about it”

They carried everything inside while Angela took the chicken to the kitchen,
“Mummy, where’s daddy? ”
” Your father has gone for his shift,…. I know it’s not yet time for him to leave, i dont know why he left so early,….. ”

” Hope he ate before leaving? ”

” I was sleeping when he left”
“you are always sleeping,…… Why are you not at your kiosk,…. You know this is where we get our dialy money from? ”

” I wanted to rest, so i closed for the day,… Or do you want me to die before my time? ”

” How can you allow daddy to go to work without eating,……You dont care about your husband,… Mama i’m not happy with your attitude towards daddy ”

” I’ll quickly slaughter the chicken and prepare a delicious meal for him,…. I’ll take it to him later in the evening ”

” You’re really taking proper care of your daddy,…. Pls cook fast, we’re all hungry too”she said going to open her kiosk which is infront their compound.

Angela went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for the family when she found out that there was no water in the house,…..

“Eric!!!, Chinedu!!!!! ”

They ran to her
.” So two grow up men like you are at home and there’s no water in the house,…. What have you been doing? ”

She ran inside and came out with a long cane,… She doesn’t spare her younger ones anytime they misbehave,… She took up the responsibility of being an elder sister and a mother to her siblings since her mother has failed in her duties.

” Sister pls we’re sorry,…. We told mummy to give us money to buy water,…. She said she doesn’t have money,…. Pls it will never happen again,. “Eric pleaded

She was angry at her mother’s negligence of her responsibilities,……. How can a mother be so lazy,.. She can’t take proper care of her family,….
She angrily went inside and brought out money and gave to her brothers.. They rushed down the street to fetch water.

***********She was done in some hours time, she prepared rice and chicken stew,.. She packed her father’s food neatly in a foodflask and headed to where her daddy walks as a security guard.

******* Daddy Joe was so happy for having a daughter like Angela, she has helped healed his wound these past years, she has sacrificed alot for his family,….. Daddy Joe was an international business man, he owned many chains of businesses,….. He was loved by all because of his generous nature,…… His friend introduced him to a new business, but unfortunately for him,….. The ship surveying their goods capsized, he lost everything,…… He even borrowed money from the bank using his house as collateral,…… The bank seized his house and cars,….. He went bank rupt in one month,….. This was how he ended up working as a security guard in one of the soap producing company in his new area,…

Angela loves her father so much, she is ready to sacrifice all she has to make her father happy,….. The bond between them is inseparable,…. Her father confides in her as a wife,….. And she doesn’t disappoint in giving him listening ear.unlike his wife….

“my daughter, how did you manage to prepare such a sumptuous meal, it’s been long i ate such food,…… “her father asked devouring his meal

” Daddy i’ve been saving since i started work,….. I collected all my savings and bought things for the house,…. ”

” My daughter, God will bless you,…. He’ll surely bless you with a good man to always make you happy,…… ”

Her mind went to Richard,… Is he going to make her happy,….she remembered she have not switched on phone since Tope threw it inside her bag,…….

” Daddy i need to start going,…… It’s getting dark, make sure you return early in the morning,…. I’ll keep on praying for you ”

” thank you my daughter ”

She boarded a bike and went home……

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Richard couldn’t stop crying at the thought of what transpired in the sitting room some hours ago,.. The sight they met in the living room was pathetic,……… It shattered his heart,……..he ran to his room and locked himself after the incident…………. ..he has attended to his wound and it has stopped bleeding,……. He took a warm bath and retired to his bed,…….. He needed someone to talk to,…. He went on Skype,….thank God his sister was online…. The sight of his
Sister lightened him up a bit

He has been secretly chatting with his sister without the mother’s knowledge,….

“” Wowwwwwwwwwww, what happened to your eyes Richie? …. You have a swollen eye”

“Yeah, the tigress hit me”

“Oooooopss, sorry about that,… Hope you locked your door”

“Sure ”

” So what happened again ”

He narrated to her what happened at the restaurant, and how he spoke to her,…..

“Sorry about that,…. Just remember you’re the man in the house,…… Don’t allow her to dictate your life to you,…… I really need to see your lover ‘s face,….. She must be a goddess to charm mummy’ s boy,…. ”

” Yeah she is, i love her so much,…. You need to see this girl,….. She’s so beautiful and i love her guts,……. ”

” Enough of your girlfriend abeg,….. Remember our plan,….. Act the fool and get what we want,….. ”

” Yeah, i wont forget that, how’s Jeff,…. And my cuties”

She brought her two lovely twins before the camera to say hello to their uncle

“Hello uncle,……. “they chorused

” My bundle of joy,…… I love you all so much,….. ”

Drop of tears could be seen flowing down his chics

” Richie boy, pls dont start,…. This is not our agreement,….. I’ll stop talking to you if you continue like this,……. ”

” Sis, i’m sorry,…. Just that each time i remember how shattered our home is, it tears me apart,…. I cant visit my niece and nephew,…… Cant we just have a happy family?,.. Why is God punishing us through mummy,…… Why is mummy so heartless,. In the quest for power and fame,…. She’s becoming powerful as the day goes by,….. I don’t have a life of my own,…… My friends are all laughing at me…. ”

” It’s well,…. Very soon, all these will end,.. Trust me,….. Ok?, now wipe your tears,….. ”

She cheered her brother up by telling him how successful her husband has become,…… They would be going to The States for vacation,…. He was so happy for his sweet sister.

They ended their chat,…… He remembered his girlfriend, he checked the time and it was 11pm…..he decided to allow her sleep,…. He would call her first in the morning.