Chapter 3: Honeymoon Postponed, Hearts in Waiting

Na me postpone our honeymoon by myself.

Even my mama ask, 'Abeni, you no wan travel? Na now people dey go Dubai o!' But I just smile, talk say work dey call.

Olumide dey busy for him company work.

E get one kind CEO stress wey dey show for him face. Every morning, e dey answer call, dey tap laptop as if e go break am.

Me too, I wan start work as scriptwriter for one production next month.

My own laptop dey hot, ideas dey scatter my head. My friends dey tease me say I don turn career woman overnight.

But the main reason wey I postpone am—

I wan keep am till maybe some small feeling go dey between me and Olumide, even if na small, real or fake.

I dey hope say all those film love go show small. Maybe honeymoon go be new beginning, I dey pray silently.

After marriage, me and Olumide dey flow well, both for house and for bed.

People dey talk say arranged marriage no dey sweet, but my own no too bad. We dey laugh sometimes, dey play Ludo for parlour.

He surprise me say he dey pay attention for some things.

Last week, he remember say I no dey eat oil for night. He order egusi soup without red oil, just for me.

Na only say our use of ultra-thin 001 change from two per week to two times, but na one whole box each time.

You fit imagine? The pack dey finish as if na gala for traffic. I just dey restock, dey act as if na normal.

Next morning,

I wake, body dey heavy. My eye never clear, I hear Olumide call me. E bring my slippers, say, 'Abeni, abeg help me tie my tie.'

My legs still dey shake when Olumide carry me make I help am tie him tie.

I dey wonder if I fit stand well. But I force smile, adjust my wrapper, begin work.

My head just blank.

I dey try remember script for work, but my brain no gree. Na only Olumide I dey see.

"Olumide, from now, for workdays, abeg..." I pause, then try talk am well, "Make we no dey too late, abeg?"

I dey choose my words. I no want look like person wey dey complain too much. Na Lagos, stress dey everywhere.

Even though I dey always crave Olumide body,

I no want make am look like I be nympho. Na just say Olumide sweet, e dey make person forget wahala.

Some things, if you too do am, e no too sweet again.

Na so Mama dey talk, 'Too much soup dey spoil fufu.' I reason am well.

"No be say I no wan do, but... for our health, make we keep am to two times a week."

I use 'health' hide my shyness. E dey easier to talk health matter than love for our side.

As I dey talk, I dey look Olumide face small-small.

I dey fear say e go vex or laugh me. But he just dey look, e mouth dey set like person wey dey reason deep matter.

My hand no stop, soon I don finish him tie.

I dey proud of myself. The tie stand well, e match him shirt. Na so my mama teach me say, woman wey sabi tie man tie go hold marriage well.

Anytime Olumide dey house, na me dey tie him tie for am.

I don turn expert. Even Mama Chinyere for next compound dey hail me, say, 'Abeni, you don catch husband well!'

Same way, anytime I wash my hair finish, na him dey help me dry and arrange am.

E go dey use old towel, dey blow my ear with small air. Sometimes e go play with the parting, dey touch my scalp gentle.

Sometimes I dey shy for am.

I dey look ground, dey cover my face with hand. E dey sweet me but I no wan show am.

But Olumide go talk, "Abeni, you feel say my hand no sabi? Husband and wife no suppose dey do like stranger."

He go laugh, rub my shoulder. Sometimes e go call me 'madam.' E dey always make me smile.

I dey cherish all these small things, like say na proof say Olumide love me.

If na another person, maybe e no go mean anything, but for me, na sign say we dey connect, even if na small.

But I know say he never fit forget him first love, that 'white moonlight.'

Sometimes I catch am dey look old pictures for phone, or e go dey hum old song for bathroom. I just dey observe, no dey talk.

But e no too matter. Na me go dey with am for future.

I dey comfort myself. Na present wey matter, no be past.

After I talk my mind, Olumide raise eyebrow small.

E eye dey shine, like say e dey surprise. Him body language dey sharp.

Him jaw sharp as he talk.

E voice deep, no dey shake. I dey look am, dey wait.

"Sorry, I lose control last night. But Abeni, me sef get needs."

E talk am as if e dey confess. I smile small, heart dey beat.

I freeze.

I no expect that level of honesty. E shock me.

He press him finger for my waist and belle through my pajamas, dey massage me gentle as he continue,

The touch dey calm me. E gentle, e no rush. My body dey relax, but my mind dey run marathon.

"Yesterday meeting finish late, na why we start late. I go try start earlier next time."

E dey explain as if e dey answer boss for office. I just nod, dey enjoy the small massage.

"Abeni, you dey feel anyhow for body? Make I help you rub balm?" Olumide ask like say e no mean anything.

If only e know say my mind dey scatter. Rub balm? For where! But I like the concern.

My face red sharp, I just manage talk one word:

I hide face, talk "...No." My voice almost break.

Olumide eyes come dark, him long finger hold my chin, then he bend down.

E look me finish, then take mouth collect my lips, slow and hot.

One hot kiss land.

I fit feel my blood dey rush. I almost forget say I dey tie tie for am.

Before I know, e turn to serious kissing, I no fit breathe again.

E carry me go, my head dey spin. I just dey float, dey hold am tight.

When my hand, as Olumide direct am, touch him six-pack, then go down,

Na so my hand dey shake, but I gree. I fit feel the muscle under my palm. Na there I believe say na my husband true-true.

My breath come dey rush.

E dey fast, e dey mix with Olumide own. We dey breathe the same air, dey speak same silent language.

After some time, Olumide talk, him voice don rough:

E clear throat, talk slow. I dey listen well.

"But, everything wey Abeni talk na correct."

He agree, even add smile. E dey support me, no dey argue.

"For our health, from now, pick three days for week, make we dey wake early dey exercise together?"

The suggestion burst my head. I dey try form fitfam, but Olumide dey raise am to new level.

Me: "..."

I just blank. Exercise ke? My mind dey wander. But I no talk, just dey laugh inside.

My world just scatter.

I dey think of which kain waka I don enter. Marriage and exercise, who send me message?