Scars (Romola 2)

59: Why, Mide?

Olumide ran back the way he'd come, up the stairs to the back of the stage; where both sides of the tent formed the make-shift hallway. He darted out of the tent in time to catch Romola following after a slim woman with brisk footsteps.

"Wait" He called out.

But Romola went on like she hadn't heard him. Well, she couldn't. Not when he was over 100 metres away from her. He set his feet to run as the car started to move.

"Olumide." His mother's voice sent shock wave running through his body.

He fought everything within himself to ignore his mother's voice and keep running down the side of the tent. If only he could see her for another minute. Maybe a brief second to ask her the question that kept rummaging through his mind and kept him from sleeping at night.

"Olumide, don't you dare go after her."

He turned to her now, his heart falling apart from the middle. "Mom."

"You'd better not be doing what I think you want to do. Are you crazy?" The feathers on the top of net-hair cover shook. She wore a matching coloured Ankara in the form of a simple gown with a blue lace edge. The same Ankara he'd delivered to his father.

If he didn't go after Romola now, he was sure he would go crazy. "I have to—"

"You have to what? What was that stunt you pulled in there?"

He looked back towards the road again but the car was gone. Along with his mystery woman.

He felt his mother's hand on his cheeks, drawing his face to hers. "What are you looking at?"

Romola was gone. Again. She'd slipped from his hand again.

"I didn't do anything."

"You didn't do anything?" The shock in her eyes didn't move him. "You proposed to Yetunde."

Yes. The biggest mistake in his life. But what did that matter now? Romola was gone. He'd seen her for a brief moment and even if God had brought her back into his life, his actions had stated another thing.

"How could you propose to her?" His mother continued.

"I thought you wanted me to get married."

"I did. But you just don't go and up and do things like that. We discuss things as a family and if, if, you really wanted Yetunde, your father and I would have made it happen. We would have done the necessary preparations."

Olumide itched to turn around and find the small green car that Romola had come in. But he couldn't chase a car. Especially not in this state, when he was drenched in his sweat, even as the wind played with the tips of the tall grass behind the tent.

"But even if." His mother continued. "Here, you are, proposing to one girl and running after another."

"She isn't just another girl."

"I want to know what she was doing here. Who invited her and how in the world you thought it was a good idea to propose to Yetunde like that? That's not how things are done."

"Then how?"

"How? How?" His mother screamed, her veins bulging around her neck. "You didn't even give us a clue."

"Well," Olumide stuck his hand in his pocket. She just wanted to take over the whole thing and peddle it to some gain for the family and her business. Maybe thwarting whatever plan she would have come up with would be the only satisfaction he would get from this engagement. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"I hate surprises and you know that."

That was her problem. Not his. If Ajoke's situation wasn't so dire, he would've assumed that his mother and sister had planned this whole thing. Except for Romola. The wild card in this whole thing.

He turned away from his mother and began to walk back to the tent. His wallet was somewhere in the backroom. Olumide had asked them all to drop anything that would stand out on the groom men uniform and his pocket wasn't that deep. If he drove fast, he would still be able to catch up with Romola.

His mother gripped his hand. "I'm talking to you, Mide."

"And so?" He shrugged his hand off hers.

Her eyes widened. "Are you talking back at me?"

"What? It's not like you really care that I get married. You just want to plan this whole thing. The way you planned Ajoke's wedding with Tomiwa. For your own benefit."

"I did a good thing. They're a great couple—"

"Did you? Are they?" Maybe this could take the noose off his neck. Even if his sister was afraid of facing up to their mother. He wasn't. Not now. Not while his own head was on the guillotine.

"Yes. He's a billionaire's son and she's the perfect wife. I did my research. He's the prefect son-in-law."

"The perfect son-in-law?" Olumide sneered. "of course."

"What is this all about? That stupid speech you gave up there. Are you truly in love with Yetunde?"

Maybe this was the time to tell her. To let the cat out of the bag. Maybe his mother would save him from Yetunde.

A hand hung around his neck from behind. The light perfume reminded him of a female clothes store infiltrated his nose as his sister came around and stood before him. The sun glinted on her eyelashes and she smiled as she hugged him, keeping her broken arm away from him. "Mide, congratulations."

"Ajoke."

She cut off the rest of his words with a tight hug, resting her head against his chest. "I knew you could do it."

Their mother asked, "What was that useless girl doing here?"

"Don't worry about her. Yetunde showed her pepper."

He feared even more for Romola now than he had when Vicky called him a oward. But Vicky was right. In one way he was a coward. In another, there was Ajoke to think of.

"Ajoke, did you know that Olumide was going to propose?"

"Yes. But not like this." Ajoke placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wasn't it romantic?"

"Romantic is not the word I would use. Why would he do it like that?"

"Mummy, don't worry. Let's start preparing for the wedding." Ajoke flitted to their mother's side and locked her hands with her as they walked back to the back door of the tent. "At least he's made an effort."

Olumide stopped mid-stride. "Ajoke. I can't."

"Mummy, we'll join you." Ajoke waited till he caught up with her, after their mother had entered the tent. "What's the problem?"

"I proposed to Yetunde."

"And I'll call my lawyer this evening."

Great. He let out a breath. Space to breath became available in his lungs. Maybe that's what he would do. He would string on this engagement with Yetunde for as long as he could while his sister worked on her freedom. For now, he had to find Romola. And he had to explain what she had seen and why she'd seen it.