Chapter Twenty

It was a sunny Saturday, and after doing all the chores that had seemed like they will never end, Bukunmi collapsed heavily on her bed, and lay there, staring at the ceiling, not thinking about anything, just trying to rest her back and free herself from exhaustion, maybe fall asleep while she was at that. 'Bukunmi," She heard her mother yell. Instantly, Bukunmi's eyes shut close, as she pretended to be asleep. Whatever it was that her mother wanted from her again, she certainly could not give it to her. She needed to rest, and hoped that if she decided to come up to her bedroom, she'd leave, and not try to wake her up in her usual fashion. At least, in the spirit of reconciliation, she should let her be. Many people hated Mondays, but for her, the day of the week she hated the most was Saturday, because she always had a lot of work to do, especially since she was the only female child in a Nigerian home. 'Bukunmi!" Her mother called again, and before she could decide on whether to answer her or continue pretending to be asleep, the door to her room opened, signifying that her mother had barged in. 'I know you're pretending to be asleep. Will you get up, or should I force you out of your bed?" Her mother asked rhetorically. Bukunmi knew she couldn't keep up with the pretence for much longer and just opened her eyes, and started flailing her arms and legs like a child, on the verge of crying her eyes out, covering her face with a pillow. Her mother let out a chuckle. 'No one's asking you to do anything, dear." Bukunmi removed the pillow from her face, then sat up and stared at her mum in disbelief. 'Really? Or is this just a ploy to get me downstairs, so you can shove another chore in my face, knowing I wouldn't be able to refuse since Grandmother is there?" Bukunmi questioned. A smile embraced her mother's face. 'I'd have said you were smart, but you're wrong today. Food is ready, so, come down to eat. Also, Nneoma is here," Her mum told her. 'Oh, really? If she's here, why didn't she come up?" Bukunmi asked, climbing out of the bed. 'Why would she come here when she's going to eat with us?" Her mother threw back at her. 'We could have just eaten our food in my room," Bukunmi said, as she was already heading out of her room. 'There's no winning against you, is there?" Her mother asked, with a sneer. 'Of course, there's no winning against me. I'm the exact replica of my father," Bukunmi said with a wide grin, and grabbed her mum's hand, so they could both leave her room. 'Thanks for inviting me to eat though, it means a lot," She said, shutting the door behind them as they both left. Mami had not always been annoying. She was most times, like all other African mothers, but not in the manner she had been a few months ago. She was glad her mother was finally back to being the supportive, caring and nice woman she once knew, and she really hoped that their relationship didn't go sour again. 'Hey, babe," Bukunmi called, on getting to the living room and seeing Nneoma battling with a video game with Ben. 'Hey, mama. How are you doing?" Nneoma asked. 'I'm fine, as you can see," Bukunmi said, and sat beside her, hugging her affectionately. Nneoma tried to shrug her off. 'I'm trying to beat this little guy here. When I'm done, you can hug me all you want," She said. 'And what makes you think she doesn't want you to lose? I'm her only brother, and you know what they say: blood is thicker than water," Ben said. Bukunmi wore a smirk, then moved over to his side, then embraced him tightly. 'Yeah, blood is thicker than water. You're my only brother and I love you very much that I don't want you to lose against my best friend," Bukunmi said, holding on tightly to him. Ben tried to wriggle free from her embrace. 'I get that you love me so much, but if you don't let go of me this moment, I'll fail," He said, in a tone of urgency. 'No, you won't fail, as long as I'm holding on to you," Bukunmi said, trying her best not to laugh. Ben knew she was deliberately trying to make him lose the game as she could be naughty at times, but still, she was older than him with ten years and he couldn't wriggle free from her hug, no matter how hard he tried. Nneoma was laughing as she concentrated on her game, knowing that even though Ben was going to win, it wouldn't be possible again with the way Bukunmi was holding him, restricting the movement of his arms and distracting him. At long last, Nneoma was able to outrun him and shoot all his players, then exclaimed a shout of victory as the game came to an end, with her being the winner. Bukunmi finally released Ben from her prison hug, and ran over to Nneoma's side, screaming in excitement with her, as they both made faces to make Ben feel more unhappy about his defeat. If looks could kill, Ben's cold stare would have long sent her six feet under the ground. Anger surged through him as his fists clenched like he could beat them up if they didn't stop mocking him, and it was as if tears wanted to roll down his eyes. It wasn't the failure that hurt him, it was the fact that he was being laughed at, and Bukunmi knew he hated it, but still did it over and over again. Alhaja Pelumi, who had been watching everything from where she sat on the dining table, waiting for food to be served, called him to her side, and he grudgingly went. She then placed him on her laps and placed his head on her bosoms, and started patting his head. 'Don't mind them. Agbaya lele yi (They are adults who act like they are kids)," She said. 'Egbón mi (My sibling) does this all the time, and she knows I hate it," Ben said. 'Pele (sorry). I'll ask your mother to give you two pieces of meat," She said. A smile lit up Ben's face as his grandmother said that. 'Yay, granny. You're the best," Ben said, and hugged her tightly. 'That's where they'll see you," Bukunmi said, with a sneer. Ben was about to give her a befitting reply, when a knock sounded on the door. 'Who could it be?" Ben asked. 'It's probably Mummy Agnes or Aunty Ezinne, who want to borrow something. I'll go get it," Bukunmi said. 'Let Ben go, before you chase them away with insults," Alhaja Pelumi said. Bukunmi chuckled. 'Granny, you know I don't insult people. They only make offensive comments, and I pay them back in their own coin. Simple!" Bukunmi explained. Alhaja Pelumi ignored her, and gestured for Ben to go. Bukunmi put her hands in surrender, and instead, turned to face Nneoma, who she hadn't seen in her house in a while. 'It's been a while. Why haven't you been showing up?" She asked. 'I could ask you the same thing, you know." Nneoma retorted, but in a joking manner. 'True. But, you know I'm quite introverted. You're the extrovert, and I've..." Her statement was interrupted by Ben's high-pitched voice. 'Look who's here," He said. Bukunmi turned her direction towards the door to see who it was that was at the door, that wouldn't let Ben allow she and her friend to converse in peace. 'Did you finally come to have a soccer match with me?" She heard Ben ask in enthusiasm. Soccer match? Was it who she thought it was? 'Where are your manners?" Bukunmi's mum asked, coming into view. 'Good afternoon," Ben said, wearing a pout. 'Come on in," Bukunmi's mum said, making Bukunmi more anxious. Tade heaved a sigh, his head filled with imaginations of the most terrible reaction he could get from Bukunmi, then bracing himself, just walked in. Bukunmi couldn't hide her surprise as she opened her mouth agape in shock. She had in no way expected his appearance in her home, especially because of the attitude she had given him all through the week. 'Ekasán, ma (Good afternoon, ma)," Tade greeted, and touched his foot as a sign of prostration. 'Ekasán, omo dada (Good afternoon, good child(, Bukunmi's mum said, and touched his back, wearing a broad smile on her face. Bukunmi watched in utter disbelief, as he proceeded to where her grandmother sat to reiterate his greeting. 'That guy..." '...is the annoying piece of shit I told you about," Bukunmi said in a hushed tone, cutting Nneoma off. Nneoma's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in disbelief. 'You don't say! You mean he's your boss?" She asked, also in a hushed tone. Bukunmi nodded in the affirmative. 'Wow. He's absolutely handsome, with a nice muscular build. He would have been perfect if only he didn't have those nasty qualities you spoke to me of," Nneoma said. 'My thoughts exactly," Bukunmi agreed. 'You never finished that conversation though, and we haven't really spoken much since then, because we've both been busy with work, and you had to travel for that conference, which reminds me: How did the conference go?" Nneoma asked. 'All that is a long story, babe. Listen, I just need to go up there and yank him outside, so I can ask him who the fuck he thinks he is to be barging into my apartment every now and then, showing up like he owns the place. He may be my boss, but that's only in his godforsaken company. In my home, I am my own boss," Bukunmi said. 'No, mummy's your boss at home," Ben disagreed. Bukunmi eyed him, annoyance evident in her eyes. 'Who invited you into this conversation?" She lashed out at him. 'Calm down. My problem here is that I don't seem to understand what you meant by him showing up in your house every now and then. You mean this hot sexy boss of yours who is worth billions has come here before? You should be excited then," Nneoma said. 'He's not that hot," Bukunmi forced herself to say, knowing fully well that she was lying to herself. Tade Wellington was hot...so hot that she craved to see his bare chest time and time again, even though she hated him right now. 'He looks like he is," Nneoma said, with a shrug. 'What part of ‘he's an annoying piece of shit' don't you understand?" Bukunmi retorted. 'Still, give credit to who deserves it. Maybe he has a bad character, but that doesn't dispute the fact that he's sexy and he's making me want to get laid right this moment," Nneoma said in a seductive tone, then winked. 'My brother's here, you idiot," Bukunmi said, looking at her in extreme distaste. 'My bad," Nneoma said, admittedly. 'In her defence, I didn't hear anything," Ben said. 'And who's supposed to believe that?" Bukunmi retorted. Ben shrugged. 'Well, you've heard it from the horse's mouth. It's your choice to either believe it or not," He said. Bukunmi was about to respond, when the anger which had just been a little bit multiplied within her, on seeing Tade and her grandmother have a conversation in the Yoruba language, and Alhaja Pelumi was actually laughing hard. Not only was she angry, she was also jealous. She couldn't remember the last time her grandmother laughed because of something she said, and she couldn't stand the fact that it was Tade, who was the cause of her sleepless nights, also being the reason for her grandmother's happiness. It was as if he had felt her gaze on him, as he paused his discussion, and met her eyes, which he held, before turning back to her grandmother. There had to be a reason for him being here, and she was going to find out right there and right then. He couldn't just show up in her house like a lost puppy, expecting to be warmly welcomed, pretending that things were all right between them, and she was prepared to give him a piece of her mind. Bukunmi stood up and went to the dining table, where Tade and her grandmother were sitting and having a conversation. 'Sorry, grandmother, but I have to steal this young man now," Bukunmi said, avoiding Tade's eyes. 'There's no problem with that. After all, it's you he came to see," Alhaja Pelumi said, with a very weird laugh. Bukunmi ignored it, and motioned to Tade to get up and come with her. 'Lord, save me," He mumbled under his breath, as he stood up. It was at that time her mother knew she would come with a tray of food for them. 'Where are you taking him to? Won't you allow him to eat?" She inquired, with bulging eyes. 'He'll be back shortly. I just need to have a private discussion with him. Don't say anything further, mum. Thank you," She said, then walked away, making sure Tade was right behind her, then went to her bedroom, slamming the door behind them the moment he stepped in. 'We should be having this conversation outside, but then, my family will get the idea that something is wrong, and they won't let me be till I spill," Bukunmi said. 'Okayyyyy?" Tade drew out. 'Why are you here?" She asked. 'Umm..." 'You can't keep appearing in my house without informing me first, you know," She said, irritated by the way he stuttered. 'I just wanted to see you," He managed to say, highly bothered by her firm confronting voice, regretting why he had shown up in the first place. 'You saw me all through the week. Why did you want to see me again?" She questioned, folding her arms, and staring at him fiercely. 'I wanted to discuss something with you," He said. She shrugged. 'Then, discuss. Do it. I'm all ears," She said. 'Why have you changed towards me?" He asked. 'You know, I could ask you the same question. After all, you changed before I did," She retorted. 'What do you mean?" He asked. Bukunmi decided to be honest with him. 'We spent a blissful time in my hotel room and the next day, when I woke up in the morning, you were gone..." 'That's..." 'Let me finish, Tade," She said, eyeing him menacingly. Tade's mouth immediately went shut, knowing she meant business after calling his first name in the middle of the conversation. 'When I realised you weren't by my side, I went to your hotel room to see if you were there. There, I was informed by that nosy attendant that you had checked out. I thought to myself, ‘Well, maybe he had an impromptu appointment'. Guess what? I was wrong. I swallowed my goddamn pride and called you on the phone several times. I still was like, ‘You know what? He's probably busy, he'll call me back soon,' but hey! I was so freaking damn wrong again. This attendant guy was just like I should use his phone to call you, and I did that in his presence..." She paused for a while to catch her breath, and blink away the tears that were already forming. Guilt pricked at Tade's conscience as he watched her narrate all he had done. He had come there in the hopes of confronting her, but even before she was done with her explanation, he already knew he deserved the attitude he had been getting from her. She continued, 'I called you with his phone in his presence, and you picked up the call, meaning that you were deliberately ignoring my calls. Do you know how hurt I felt? I waited for you to call back, but you didn't, Tade, you didn't. I stayed back in Ogun State even after the conference was over, not because Charles asked me to since he wanted us to spend some time together, but because I wanted you to call and ask why I wasn't back yet, but apparently, you didn't even notice my absence..." 'Wait, wait, I'm not following. Who is Charles? Is it that dwarf I saw you talking to at the hall's entrance?" He inquired. 'He's not a dwarf," She objected. 'He's what then? And why are you even defending him?" He asked, showing how annoyed he was. 'Is that the bone of contention right now?" She retorted. Tade bit his lower lip, mumbled an apology, and gestured for her to go on with what she had been saying. 'Finally, I resumed work, then you spoke to me rudely, then ignored me throughout that day. If you were in my shoes, how would you have reacted?" She asked, refraining herself from tearing up. He heaved a sigh. 'I felt like what happened shouldn't have happened, and I wanted to make it clear that I was still your boss and you are my personal assistant..." Bukunmi scoffed. 'We could have still gone back to how we used to be, pretending that nothing ever happened between us. Your actions towards me made it even more obvious that something had happened, and to be honest with you, it made me feel like crap," She said to him. He nodded his head, agreeing with her statement. 'I made a big mistake and made things really weird between us. I guess I'm truly a jerk, and I'm sorry, Bukunmi. Trust me, I really am," He apologised, sincerely. Bukunmi just sighed and looked at him, wondering what she was supposed to tell him, asking herself if she could forgive him. 'Please, please, please. I promise not to act like a jerk again," He apologised. She stared at him, checking out his eyes to know if he was truly remorseful, or if he was just apologising because he knew his apology was all she wanted. He stared back at her, and they both felt it...The little poundings in their hearts, longing for each other, not knowing why. He placed his palm on her cheek, and moved closer to her. Like a magnet, she was attracting him and he knew it wasn't right, but somehow, he couldn't resist her. He must have cast a spell on her. A few minutes ago, she had been on the verge of crying, but now, she felt this strong desire for him. It wasn't normal, it wasn't supposed to be so. 'I think I like you," He said, not wanting to hold himself back any longer. 'How do you know when you like someone?" She asked. 'Well, I'm not the same person I used to be, and that's ever since you came into my life. I think that's more than enough to know I feel something for you," He replied. 'I think I like you too. I don't usually care, but I've been doing stuff I wouldn't usually do to catch your attention, and that's more than enough to know I feel something for you," She said. He drew her close to him, pulling her into a smothering embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not resisting, and his arms were around her waist. The thoughts that flooded through their minds was on if they were going down the right path, and although it was crystal clear that things were most likely to not be in their favour, but for the moment, the desire they felt for each other was stronger than any pessimistic thought. They knew they shouldn't be together, but how could something that felt so right be so wrong?