Broken | ✓

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR: HE KNOWS

                           Ireti

I was woken up by a nightmare. I had not had one in a very long time. It wasn’t my usual nightmare. In the dream, I was holding on to Tife tightly but his hands were slipping out of mine. I kept struggling to keep him but his hands left mine and a strange man who turned out to be Jide took him from me. I fell to the ground weeping.

I woke up, panting with sweat taking up half of my face. On instinct, I got up and rushed to my parents’ room. I opened the door slowly and found Tife sleeping in between them. This sight reduced my rising pulse. I went to the kitchen and took a bottle of water then returned to my room.
I took a huge gulp of water and lied down with my eyes fixated on the ceiling. A notification popped up on my phone. It was a reminder. Stan and Ogechi’s wedding.

I wanted to sit it out but I had not seen Ifeoma since I arrived. She was in Ghana on a mini vacation when I landed but she came back the previous night and had vowed to kill me if I didn’t show up for the wedding. Besides, it would be a grave sin to leave Nigeria without linking up with Ifeoma.

“Which Nigerians fix their wedding on a Sunday?” I grumbled.

The wedding was in the evening so I had time to shake off the weird feeling that the dream brought.

The wedding was a formal themed wedding, suits, gowns, fascinators and all that, like a British royal wedding. Trust Ogechi to go all out. I opted for an emerald flay dress that stopped few inches below my knees and paired it with a black fascinator that had a net covering; it laid on my cheek bone, slanted to the side.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Calvin asked the fourth time.

“Yes, it is best I go alone so you can watch Tife” I knew he was going to feel out of place when he got there. Nigerian weddings are a lot different from White weddings and I was sure I would spend the whole time catching up with Ogechi.

“Fine” he sighed, “You look great by the way”

“Thank you” I pecked his cheeks.

“Tife, mummy is leaving” I called but he didn’t answer as he had his eyes glued to the screen.

I smiled chuckled and picked up my black clutch.

“Have a lovely time”

“I will, bye” I beamed.

When Ifeoma’s eyes met mine, we both squeaked like high school girls, jumping on each other.

“Oh my God, it has been forever”

“Yes, it has. How are you?” I held her hands.

“I am fine but enough about me, let me see that ring” she stretched out my hand.

“Damn, that is some rock” she complimented and I blushed.

“Why are you wearing Black?” she was wearing the same dress as me sleeveless with a V neckline but it was black.

“You even put on gloves. This is The Stechi fairytale not Queen Elizabeth son’s wedding” I teased.

“Oh whatever” she rolled her eyes.

“Where is your husband?”

“He is inside. We should go in too”

I took a deep breath before going in. One of the reasons I was reluctant to attend the wedding was because I would meet people I had not seen in a while. People I wasn’t sure I was ready to face: Jide. But I took Ifeoma’s hand and waltzed into the venue.
It was a garden wedding.