Tunmise | Completed ✔️

Chapter 18

Picture of Mrs Atuegbu above ☝️☝️

Tunmise

"Mum, dad. My girlfriend, Tunmise." He announces.

I courtesy as a sign of respect and his mum does something unexpected. She wraps her arms around me pulling me in for a light hug. Her perfume smells so expensive.

"Good evening, Mrs Atuegbu." I greet when I pull away.

"Call me mum, dear." She smiles, I return the smile before turning to his dad.

"Good evening, sir."

"Ah, welcome, my daughter." He says, "How is that friend of yours, Niyi, is it?."

"Niyi is fine, sir." I say politely.

"You're even more beautiful than my son described you." His mum says to me.

My heart flutters. Why the hell was I even scared again?.

"Mum, dad, I'm sure the food is already getting cold." Dinma announces making her presence known.

Once again, Lota wraps his arm around my waist and leads me to the dining room which is through the other door. He pulls out a chair for me and I thank him before sitting down, he then takes the seat at my right and Dinma stays at my left. The table is already set and we say the grace before eating.

Oma serves the food and soon enough, we're all eating. The food: rice, fish stew, salad and roasted chicken, is really nice.

Midway through the food, Lota's mum starts to ask me questions, she asks me about the state I come from, my parents, my siblings, my plans for the future and some other things about myself. When the dinner is over, I assist Dinma and Oma in clearing the plates ignoring Lota's protests.

The entire kitchen is white. White walls. Polished white marble tiles. White cabinets line the walls. A polished white marble countertop. The far wall is made of glass and through it, I can see a large pool. God knows how rich his parents are!.

"My parents clearly like you." Oma says when we're in the kitchen and out of earshot.

"You think?."

"Obviously." She then puts some of the plates in the dishwasher.

"Ehen, Tunmise, I really need to know what you did to my brother." Dinma says but I detect a hint of playfulness in her voice.

"What happened to him?."

"Did you see how he was staring at her throughout dinner?, Oma, don't tell me I was the only person who noticed this."

"You weren't o. Our brother has fallen in love." Oma says.

"I'm sha happy it's you he fell in love with, not all those white girls he met while he was abroad. Keep him o, iye?." Dinma says to me.

I nod.

If only she knew.

"Did you guys make the food?." I ask.

"Yeah, you liked it shey?."

"Yes, it was delicious, thank you."

"No need to thank us, you're our brother's girlfriend, you're like family now."

I open my mouth to reply when Lota walks into the kitchen.

"Sorry ladies, but I might have to interrupt this discussion. I need my girlfriend back." He wraps his arm around my waist kissing the side of my head.

"Yes, show us that we are lonely and you have a faithful companion." Oma rolls her eyes.

He bursts out laughing. "Your words sis, not mine."

He leads me out of the kitchen to the living room where we watch TV with his parents while engaging in small talk over a bottle of red wine.

"Chilota." His mum calls, "Have you heard from Jessica in a while?."

"Not really, mum. Why?."

"Well, I spoke to her mum yesterday, she said Jessica was coming back to Nigeria sometime next week."

"Really?, I've missed that girl." A smile appears on his face. Jessica must be really special to him.

"Yes, and it'll be a good time for her to meet Tunmise, don't you think so?."

Lota shoots me a glance.

"Yeah, I do."

We spend the rest of the evening in a comfortable silence till Lota decides it's time for us to head home.

His family sees us off and we all walk to his car.

"I need to have some time alone with Tunmise, she'll join you soon, son." His mum says to him.

He leaves me and his mum alone.

"I want to be honest with you." She begins, "When Chilota first told me about you, I instantly developed a feeling for you, I didn't hate you, I just didn't like you,  first of all, he said you're a Yoruba girl and I know it's wrong but that even gave me more reasons not to like you. But his dad spoke to me and told me how good you were in the four years he knew you as his employee, he changed my mind partially about you but not totally."

"But seeing you here today has changed my mind completely. Chilota said you're like a rose in the midst of thorns. You're beautiful and I love how my son's eyes light up whenever he speaks about you and that is why I wanted to meet you because I wanted to see the woman who has captured my son's heart, the woman who he has fallen in love so deeply with. My son loves you very much and he trusts you, I don't want you to do anything that will change that because trust is the most important thing in a relationship. You're a nice girl and I know my son won't do anything to hurt you. I give you both my blessings. The Lord himself will guide you both."

I say 'Amen' before hugging her.

"Thank you ma, Thank you for giving your blessings."

A smile appears on her face.

Lota is waiting for me in the car when we're done talking. I wave at them goodbye before entering the car.

Halfway through the drive home, I ask Lota for his phone to call my phone which I left somewhere in the car before I met his parents but now can't find.

He hands me his phone.

I go to his keypad dialling in my number but it appears on the screen since it's already saved. My heart races when I see what he saved my number with:

My Rose🌹❤️.

This means his mum wasn't just bluffing.

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