Always Yours

Two

      

  
DESIRE

"Mummy watch me go wheee." Tara squealed as she went down the slide and landed on the floor. She giggled and climbed the slide again.

I sighed and shook my head at her, her lovely pink dress she had been so excited to wear this morning was now smeared with dirt all over. I'm starting to regret getting this playground done for her, it only means more clothes to wash for me.

The backyard was full of men working all over to set up her playground, since she didn't have any friends around here I decided to build her a playground at the back of the house to occupy her. Tara is such an energetic girl, always flitting over the place, taking care of her leaves me more tired than I get at work.

I sidestep two men building a swing and enter through the backdoor. I had bought this house from a lady who had built the place for her mum but she passed away and the girl didn't have anything left in Nigeria and went back to the states and sold me the house. I had spent all my savings on it but it had been totally worth it, the house is everything I wanted and more.

A two bedroom bungalow in Surulere with a large living room, two bathrooms, a garage, a dining room and kitchen and what's even better was it came fully furnished. The backyard had been intended for a garden but a playground for Tara was much better.

After having Tara I couldn't stay at an apartment anymore I needed a stable home to raise her and the house had come just when I needed it. In retrospect it was probably not a wise choice to spend all my savings on a house when I had just had a baby but it all worked out in the end.

The backdoor led to the garage and I walked round my Toyota Venza to get to the other side, since I didn't have a store room although there was a closet where all the cleaning equipments were stored beside Tara's bedroom, every other thing was kept in the garage, all the moving boxes and Tara's crib as well.

I opened the door and stepped on something pointy, I yelped in pain and grabbed my injured foot. I looked down at the offensive object and it turned out to be one of Tara's Lego.

"That child is always leaving her toys all over the house, one of these days I'll give her a good spanking." I pick up the Lego and make my way to the kitchen for a glass of juice. Imagine, this one even got all the way to the garage.

I open the fridge and bring out a carton of Five Alive orange juice, I get out a glass cup from the shelf and pour the juice. I finish it in one gulp and sigh.

Damn I never knew I was that thirsty

I pour another glass for Tara, she'll definitely be thirsty when she's done playing and cover it with a glass cover. I put the carton back in the fridge and pick up the Lego from the counter. I'll have to take this back to her room for her.

Just as I make my way out of the kitchen, my phone vibrates in my pocket and Invincible by Zara Larsson blares out.

I take the phone out of my short's pocket and the caller ID makes me smile.

"Hi Nathan, how are you?."his sweet voice comes through the speaker and my smile widens.

"Hello beautiful, I'm fine how have you been?." he says.

"I'm fine jare that your goddaughter sef no let me rest."
I'm fine that your goddaughter won't let me rest

"Leave my sweet Tara alone o that innocent angel, you're always accusing her of different things and she's such a calm and quiet girl," he says in a mock stern voice. Just as he says this, I catch a glimpse of Tara through the kitchen window as she bounces on her trampoline, her squeals can even be heard over the sound of machines and the men working.

Yeah calm and quiet indeed

"You won't even call me if I don't call you ehn it's not fair o Desire," a shiver runs through me at the sound of my name. The way he calls my name always makes my skin tingle, he has this foreign accent that always trips me anytime he talks.

"Nathan you know it's not like that I've just been really busy but I promise to be a much better friend from now on hmm am I forgiven?."

"Hmm I'll think about it. I'm just kidding you know I can't be mad at you." I can practically hear his smile through the phone.

"Thank you so much Nathan you're the best."

"Don't thank me yet, I need a favour from you. There's this wedding I have to attend next week, a friend of my cousin is getting married and I want you to accompany me as my date you know I can't go alone," if he was here right now I'm sure he'll be batting his impossibly long eyelashes at me and I giggle.

"Why are you giggling?." He asks and I tell him it's nothing. "Well will you come with me?."

I sigh and run my hands through my hair. Nathan has been asking me out for a long time now and I know he's in love with me and I like him but I'm not sure about us getting together and going with him to this wedding might just get his hopes up and make him think I've accepted his proposal.
"Nathan you know..." I hesitate.

"Let me just stop you there I know what you're thinking and no this is not a date even though I'd very much like it to be one. This is just you doing me a favour." he says and I smile.

"Well...if you put it that way then I can't refuse you."

"Good girl," he says and I growl at him, if he were here right now he'd probably pat my head like a child even though he knows I hate it when he does that.

"I'm beginning to reconsider your offer." I tell him and he laughs.

"Bye Desire and give Tara a kiss for me." He cuts the call and I put my phone back in my pocket.

Nathan is such a sweet and handsome guy, any woman would roll around in joy if he so much as gives her a glance, with his 6"2 height, his muscular frame, fair complexion, mocha eyes and curly hair he is to die for, and his accent is enough to drive anyone crazy. Most of the time I can't help but stare at his pink lips every time he talks to me but getting into a relationship with him doesn't feel right to me.

I had met him a month before I had Tara, I had gone to a convenience store in the late hours of the night and had gotten attacked by a thief trying to steal my wedding rings, he had pointed a knife at me and demanded for me to take off my wedding and engagement ring but I had refused, they were the only thing I had left of my marriage and I couldn't bear to part with them.
Nathan had come to my rescue that night and had beat up the guy for me. He had walked me back to my apartment that night and we've been friends ever since. He had been the one to hold my hand in the labour room while I yelled at everyone present in the room.

The thought of that night makes me aware of the necklace around my neck and the heavy weight hanging off it. I had taken my wedding rings off and instead used them as a pendant for the chain. I'm fully aware of their meaning, I'm still very much married to Akin even though he doesn't know my whereabouts or that we have a daughter together.

I grab the rings and run my fingers over them, I can easily go back to Akin but the question still remains. Would he still want me back after all this time?. What would he do when he finds out he has a daughter that I hid from him?. And most importantly can our relationship ever go back to what it once was?.

I don't have the answer to those questions and I'm not keen on finding out anytime soon.

I head to Tara's room to return her Lego and as I open the door, the state she's left it in makes my skin red in anger.

"Tara." I yell.