Shoot Your Shot, Ladies! - Part 6

Please like, comment and share... Part 7 (The Finale) coming on Thursday, June 18

KOREDE

I’m sitting across Mr C… actually he said I should call him Ayoola… at this fancy restaurant, wondering if I heard him properly. Did he just say he really likes me? I can already feel goosebumps forming under my sleeves. Weird, I know. My heart feels like it is about to implode…or explode, whatever that word is. Mr C likes me! So Adesua was right. Even mummy D was right…. speaking of mummy D when I said she was my mother-in-law, did I hear him say he knows?

As I’m processing these thoughts in my head, I hear him plead, “Say something Korede…. What’s on your mind?... I hope I’m not scaring you off… Anything will suffice at this point.”

But all I can mutter is “How long have you known?” referring to him knowing about Mummy D. This man just said he likes me but I can’t get past the fact that he might have said he knew when I mentioned mummy D being my mother-in-law.

He looks down at our intertwined hands and back at my face and I can tell he understands what I’m referring to. “I found out on Saturday”, he replies. So he had known for almost a week?

I instantly remove my hands from his, “Did you have someone investigate me or did Adesua tell you?”, I ask, getting agitated.

He looks shocked at my reaction “Does it matter?”, he asks.

“Yes, it does. Which one was it, Mr C?”, I say through gritted teeth, clearly irritated at this point.

“Ah, I see we are back to Mr C…. Adesua didn’t tell me.” He replies, now rubbing the back of his neck.

“So you did investigate. Interesting… What else did you find out? ... Is my name really Korede or maybe I lied about that too?...” I can feel tears welling in my eyes already.

“Korede, please don’t do this”, He pleads; reaching out for my hands again but I remove my hands from the table instead.

“…Or maybe I lied about my husband dying too? Right?” I feel a tear slip down my cheeks. I don’t even bother to wipe my face.

“Korede, I am so sorry…. Baby, you have to know that...” He tries to reach out for my face this time.

“No! You don’t get to do that…” I stand up to leave “… and I am NOT your baby, Mr C!”

**********

Since I got home I have been thinking about the events that unfolded at Cactus. First, Ayoola says he likes me, and then he says he knew about mummy D. I still cannot understand what he thought he was doing when he decided to investigate me. Who does that? And he had the effrontery to call me baby afterwards as if nothing happened. Good riddance.

“Olukorede, what’s happening?” mummy D asks as she enters my room, “You’ve been looking lost since you got home today? What happened? Did you eventually discuss with him?”

“Mummy, I don’t want to have anything to do with that man again! I pray I never have to see him at work.” I roll my eyes.

“Ah ah ah… Rora oo… Did he reject you?” she says patting my back.

“Worse, mummy! Worse!! So I decided to do what you said. I sent him an email about trying to clarify things since Monday but he didn’t get back to me till today…. Then he replied saying we could discuss over lunch, so I followed him to Cactus during lunch break. I explained everything and he told me he likes me…”

Mummy D interrupts to say, “I knew it! Mo sọ bẹ...”

“…Mummy, I have not finished my story o…it gets interesting” I say, doing an air quote, “…As I was explaining that you are actually Nosa’s mum, he said I know. At first, I wasn’t sure I heard well, so I asked him how long he had known, he said since Saturday. Then I asked him if Adesua told him, he said no…. Mummy, can you imagine he had me investigated??” I raise my voice.

“Calm down Korede, what do you mean investigated?” she asks

“He did a background check on me after he came here on Friday” I reply.

“And?” mummy D asks.

“Mummy, you say And?... That is highly inappropriate! My God! How can you claim to like someone and run a background check on them?”

“How can you claim to like someone and lie to them, Korede?” she counters.

“But I didn’t say I like him…and you know it’s not the same, mummy… I did mine because I didn’t want to ruin my chances with him but his' was selfish.”

“And yours wasn’t?... See, he told you he knew the truth that you were living with your mother-in-law after you lied about it... He also told you he likes you regardless and you call that selfish?...”

“Ah..Uh…” before I can defend myself, she continues

“Korede, I know you might have built a wall after Nosa died, but don’t chase a man that is trying to pull that wall down… You lied and he found out. He didn’t judge you. He didn’t call you out for lying. He waited a whole week for you to be comfortable enough to tell him yourself… could he have gone about digging the information in a better way? Of course, he could have but he didn’t. Could you have told the truth in the first place, of course, you too could have but you didn’t…. and that’s why we are here today.”

She is actually making sense. I might have overreacted back then “What do I do now? I’m sure he’s very upset with the way I left this afternoon.” I ask, sincerely concerned.

“Do you know where he lives?” mummy D asks, and I wonder what she’s up to again.

“Not really but I can ask Adesua” I reply

“Perfect! Go to his house this evening and clarify things once more.” She winks and adds, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Please like, comment and share... Part 7 (The Finale) coming on Thursday, June 18