HIS PLANS

"Alex, are you really sure you want to do this?" Maiden asked as she jumped down from the veranda.

"It's the only way out. The only way I can free my parents from going to prison. The only way I can get back at Femi's betrayal," she said as she placed a cocoa seed in her mouth.

 "And the only way is by dying? Because marriage to Adrian is the same as dying," Bisi put in.

"I don't care. We will all get to die anyway," she said as she spit out the seed in her palm.

 "So, are you saying, we should start the marriage preparations?" Maiden asked with a little excitement and Alex eyed her.

 "If we are starting anything, they're going to be the ones to provide everything. We still haven't heard from them yet," she said.

 "Hmm, I can't believe this is happening. You are going to be married into one of the wealthiest families in the country. Well, I wish you the best. And maybe, who knows, Adrian might not be what people actually thought him to be," Bisi said with a smile.

"Adrian is everything people said he is. Don't give me false hopes. You guys should start preparing to receive my corpse," Alex said and they all laughed.

 "I want to see Femi and Asa's face on the day you will be married. I can't believe she is this heartless," Maiden put in.

 "Hey, I don't want to talk about those people. We should be talking about my life as a billionaire's wife," she said and they all laughed again.

"What is it going to be like? Wait, you will live in a mansion, drive in exotic cars, dress in expensive clothes, and probably even travel abroad!" Maiden said with excitement.

 "And you will no longer have to sleep on the mat, you will no longer sleep on empty stomachs, the world is going to see your true beauty!" Bisi said gleefully.

 "Why are you girls forgetting the fact that I'm going over there to be a slave and not a wife?" Alex asked and they all laughed.

"But a slave in the billionaire's Mansion is better than a master in the cocoa farm. Please embrace this life that is opening before you," Maiden said with a smile.

"Plus, her husband is a cutie!" Bisi said excitedly.

 "Wait.. I can't wait to hear your experience about your first night with him," Maiden put in.

 "You girls think that guy is gonna let me come close to him?" Alex asked.

 "Then you'll use your power of seduction. When he finally put in that something, in nine months we will be expecting twins," Bisi teased and they all laughed again.

 "Come on girls, I need to go home right now. My parents would be back from the farm by now," she said as she stood up from the veranda.

 "Ok babe, we will see you around," Maiden said and she smiled. 

**

As she walked into the house that evening, she was welcomed by the cheerful faces of her parents. She could see them sitting before the wooden table which was filled with a lot of items in shopping bags. Beside the table were cartons of alcoholic drinks and other packaged items.

 "Dear, you are back," her mom said with a smile as she walked in.

"What are these?" She asked curiously.

"Mateo was here today," her father spilled.

"And is that what the excitement is all about?" She asked as she sat on the floor.

"Here, he brought all these for the preparation of the marriage rites. And he gave your father the sum of 200 thousand naira for other preparations," he related cheerfully.

She kept silent and opened one of the shopping bags which contained a very expensive lace fabric.

 "This will be used for your wedding blouse," her mom said as she brought out the red colored expensive lace fabric that was designed with silver stones and beads.

 "You don't like it? It was shipped from abroad," her mom said with excitement.

She kept silent and continued viewing the fabrics.

 "Have you seen the shoes and the clutch? They're made with so much glamor," she continued as she reached for the other item on the floor.

 "Why does it seem like you guys are becoming so excited about this whole thing?" She asked from where she sat.

 "Excited? No o," her father refuted immediately.

 "I thought you were sick," she said with her eyes still on him.

 "Yes..yes..I'm..I'm..still sick," he stammered as he looked at his wife.

 "You are both forgetting the man that I'm about to get married to. We shouldn't be celebrating," she reminded as she turned her attention to the fabric she was holding.

 "Um…yes, but at least you will benefit a little from it. You will live in a better home, a home more better than this place," her mom said sadly.

 "But I'm not complaining about this place, am I?" She asked angrily.

 "Alex, we're sorry we had to make you go through this," her dad said with sadness.

 "It's fine. I get it. If I hadn't been sick in the first place, you wouldn't have owed the debt. And Mateo wouldn't have asked me to marry his son" she said as she stood up and walked out of the house.

 The chirps of birds could be heard as she sat under the cocoa tree that night. She began to think about all that life has in store for her. She thought about the man she was getting married to. 

The last time she had seen him was when she was little. 

She smiled as she recalled how she had met him sitting in the farm, under a cocoa tree. He was probably still a teenager by then. She could recall his handsome face which wore no smile as he had always kept a stone cold face since childhood.

 She and the girls were busy playing at the field when they saw him sitting under the tree, dejectedly.  The girls had teased her about him being her crush and she had no doubt been attracted to his handsomeness despite their age difference.

That day,she ran behind the cocoa tree he was sitting under. And then she stretched out her hand to offer him the cold chocolate drink she was drinking with her friends that afternoon.

 She could still recall how their innocent eyes met and how he gracefully took the drink from her and then she disappeared into thin air without showing her face to him any longer.

A broad smile appeared on her lips as she reminisced about those moments. She sighed and placed both hands on her neck. 

But right now, the same charming innocent looking boy she had once had a crush on, has grown up into a monster. And here she was, about to become his wife.

The thoughts gave her migraines and she sighed and bit her lips in frustration. She heard sounds from the wooden gate and she turned to see someone standing outside the gate.

 "Who's there?" She asked as she stood up from the bench and walked over to the gate.

"Alex..," she heard his voice and she let out a sigh.

As she walked closer to the gate, she could see his huge figure leaning on the gate. 

 "What are you doing here?" She asked at once.

 "Alex, you've been avoiding me ever since the last time. You need to let me explain" he said as he raised himself up from the gate.

"Sorry, I have no time. I'm busy preparing for my traditional wedding as you can see," she said.

"Ife mi, you don't have to do this, I love you," he cried as he tried to grab hold of her hand.

"Don't even dare!" She yelled as she pushed his hand away.

"You won't even let me explain," he said sadly.

 "What? That you were deceived and seduced by Asa?" She asked with a scoff.

He kept silent and licked his lips.

"The truth is that I can't be with a man who allows himself to be deceived and seduced easily. It only shows how much you lack self control. That's not the kind of man I want to be with," she said with tears clouding her eyes.

"And you think, your soon to be husband has the self control you desire?" He countered in a mocking tone.

"I don't care. At least I didn't get to love him and he didn't claim to love me either, unlike you whom I gave my heart to," she cried.

 "We can talk this over, please give me a chance," he said as he tried to hold her hands again.

"Femi, leave!" She yelled. 

"Alex, I love you, remember what we shared!" He shouted.

"We shared nothing! Because all those things meant nothing to you, and they mean nothing to me either!" She cried.

 "Alex," he called.

"Leave!" She barked as she turned and walked back into the house.

 As she approached the porch, she could see her mother coming out of the house.

 "Who is making you shout?" She asked from the porch where she stood.

 She wiped her tears and sat on the porch. Her mom sat beside her and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing" she said as she wiped the tears off her face.

"My beautiful daughter, wipe your tears," her mom said as she wiped the tears with her palm.

"Everything is going to be alright. I've asked the good Lord to protect you as you venture into this marriage. I know this isn't what we had planned for, but who knows if everything happening now is happening for a reason?" She asked.

 "What reason? A reason that I should die?" She asked.

"No, you will not die. Look here my daughter," she said as she turned her face towards her.

 "Be strong. Play your own part as the great African woman I've trained you to be. Treat him right even if he treats you wrong. Do not talk back at him. Be respectful, hardworking, and tolerant. Just be yourself and do your part," she advised.

"Maami, it's going to be hard," she cried as she leaned on her mom's shoulder.

 "I know, but trust me, everything will be fine," she said as she patted her back.

 "When are they coming for the rites?" She sniffed as she raised her head.

 "Less than seven days from now," her mom announced and her eyes bulged.

**

He took off his glasses as he walked to the poolside. He unbuttoned his suit and handed it over to the guard beside him.

  "What took you so long? Hope you haven't forgotten that your wedding is tomorrow?" He heard a voice from the armchair in front of the swimming pool.

 He didn't reply as he unbuttoned the first three buttons of his white classic long sleeve. He sat on an armchair and poured drink into a glass.

 "You seem exhausted," Mateo's voice came again as he puffed out smoke from his mouth.

 "Your traditional wedding is tomorrow and you should be preparing for the big day," he said again.

 "Big day? I hope you aren't planning for something big?" He asked angrily as he turned to look at his father.

"No, of course not. It's just an indoor event," he said at once.

 "So what's the preparation you're talking about?" He asked as he sipped from his drink.

"Nothing much, your attire is ready," he said.

He pulled a long face and his mouth dropped open.

 "What attire? You think I'm gonna dress in all that gauche attire just to get married to that peasant?!" He thundered.

 "And what are you going to wear?" Mateo asked in surprise.

"It's none of your business what I will wear. Look, you forced me into this, and we're gonna have everything my way!" He pointed out.

 "Alright, as you wish," he said with a chuckle.

 "I'm off!" He said as he stood up immediately.

 "You didn't finish your drink?" He asked after him but no reply came.

"Such a troubled young man" he said as he smoked his cigar gracefully.

 As the clean black landcruiser sped along the road, he looked out of the car window. It was dark and there was a mild traffic at the ever busy road of Lagos.

The thought that he was getting married to a peasant girl was beginning to piss him. He let out a sigh as he leaned with his back on the car seat.

 He knew he had to agree with his father when he came up with the plan of sending her away after she must have bore him a son. But the truth is that he had other plans for her. Yes, plans that would see her run away from the marriage and never return, he thought as a smirk appeared on his face.