Forced Marriage.

5. Persuasion

The weekend happened fast. I can't tell Ife I had a wonderful time  at the party or she would use it against me. I smile at myself as I walk into my mother's house, it's a small bungalow located in a densely located street with houses that looks just as cute as my mother's own. It's a very quite environment because it's closed and there is no much traffic or market everybody is basically always in there own house.
I'm happy she got the place out of my father, it took a lot of argument and  persuasion on my side to get my mother to move to this house.
"Hello mother, how are you?, I ask as I walk into the sitting room. I noticed a slipper by the door but overlooked it because she doesn't really have visitors, maybe it belongs to the girl living with her.
"You are a man, you should give her attention..." I overheard my mother saying to someone.
My eyes could not believe who I saw,
"Good morning mom,so you're here cozying up to my mom, hun, so what lies are you telling her?".
I put my hands akimbo, with a sly smile on my face because, he his definitely lying and there's nothing he can tell me to prove otherwise.
"Oluwaseyi, would you please sit down, i called you here because of Abel, do you remember the day you introduced him to me as your best friend?".
It was a year before I ran away from home, I was in secondary(high) school then and I just started to notice that my parents were not as happy as they appeared. My father never stayed at home but I always thought he had a wonderful relationship with my mother until I noticed when he's at home sometimes he wouldn't answer her and hi goes out and would not say where, mom was always worried, calling him and all that. I brought Abel to visit my mom because he insisted, we were friends in school okay but to me it was never more than that. Abel was the one who called and always wanted to visit. On this particular day, I was tense because my father came back from a trip the day before but he did not stay long before go left again, saying he had important work.
He practically stalked me home because I keep asking him to leave for he did not answers and I got home and he told my mom that he his my best friend and he would always protect me. I couldn't help but grin, Abel always got what he wanted, always, i never actually realised it but now it's supper clear.
"Yes mom, I remember better than you would expect and Abel we are married right, you won just like you always did".
"I don't understand, my dad told me about the marriage and i refused at first until I realised that it was you, if I did not agree you would have married some creep you don't know, is that what you want?. He asked, of course I don't want to marry a stranger.
"You could have told me before the whole incident".
That was a weak argument I thought.
"You know he did it to protect and he couldn't have because he found out that it would be you that morning and I  asked him not to tell you".
"Protect or not protect, Abel you had our friendship to consider, you broke my trust"
"Bella, I was thinking of you marrying another man, of what your father could do if things didn't go according to his plan, i swear I'm sorry it happened that way, i never wanted to break your trust, I love you Bella, and I'll do anything for you even tie myself to you when I know you don't like me any more than a brother".
He waited a while for me to talk, when I did not reply him he continued.
"Mirabella, I'm saying this in front of your mother and God today that I'll always respect your wishes and I'll never force you to do anything again, you can stay in the house because it's safer, if you don't want me to stay there I'll leave..."
"No,no,no you don't have to leave your house, what would you go, houses are so expensive, Seyi, right he doesn't have to leave?". She asked in a tentative way, I could never say no to my mother, I love and respect her so much.
"No mom, he doesn't have to leave his house for me, I just need some time to think it through". I smiled and asked her and told her maid to take good care of her.
"Abel, can we see outside"?.
He walked behind me till were almost at the gate,
"Abel"
"Yes"
"Using the love I have for my mother to persuade me isn't going to work all the time"
"I'm sorry, it is just that I've messed up so bad that I couldn't face you myself, I'm ashamed of myself, please forgive me, i want this to work anyhow you want it".
"Okay, you can come to your house and don't expect me to cook, wash or do those wife chores, I'm not your wife except on paper and I'm allowed to date".I walked out before he could reply or share his own opinion.
****
"Where the heck have you been?, I've been calling you all morning".
"Do you like the food here?"
"Yes, it's nice now answer my question".
"I went to my mother's place, she wanted to see me about Abel".
"Did I just here that idiots name", Clara said.
"Clara, did you just say idiot"
"Well, he deserved it",she said.
She's right I thought.
"Hope you did not forgive him?",Ife asked.
"Don't tell me you did because it's not going to be funny, so now you be those boring housewives- 'I have to cook for my husband...'"
"Wash his boxer's, Clara interjected.
"No, i forgave him because the did is done and I can't dislike another person Okay, and i would have gotten married anyway, its better it's him and I'm not housewife anything".
They relaxed and we talked about the club, Clara was mad I didn't call her because she and Simon were fighting and now as usual they've forgiven themselves.
"So tell me how is Jonathan?"I asked.
She told us how charming and nice he his and he his a boyfriend material as she has thought.
"So Ade or Opemipo, which of them do like?".