Mrs Allyson wheeled into the living room where she met her son deep in thought without noticing her presence. She stared at him for a while and decided to leave him be. So she went to the kitchen to prepare what her granddaughter would eat when she comes back from school.
By the time she was done and returned to the living room, Nathaniel was still in the same spot. He didn't even check on her while she was cooking like he normally does when he is at home. It's like he didn't know she was in the kitchen. She concluded that something is wrong and she needs to find out.
"Nathaniel. Nathaniel." She called his name when she wheeled to his side but he didn't move. "Adedotun." She said louder this time and he jerk awake.
He saw his mother sitting in front of him with a confused and worried expression on her. He adjusted his position on the chair and heaved a sigh.
"Yes mommy." He replied.
"What is it again? Are you back to this thinking? I told you it would do you no good. Everything is going to be fine."
"I don't know mom." He said rubbing his hand together.
"What is it?" She asked curiously.
"It is about the letter from this morning." He started.
Nathaniel had received a letter from his mother when he got back from work early that morning. He had done a night shift at the factory where he works. He didn't bother reading it and his mother had told him that she didn't open it either. He didn't think twice about it and he left it in his matrimonial room on Toun vanity and went to take his bath. Then he went to eat his breakfast.
He went back to his room to sleep after that. Some minutes after he woke up, he decided to leave the room to check on his mother when he saw the white envelope on Toun Vanity then he remembered the letter his mother gave him.
He wondered who sent it and what was in it. Then he walked over to pick it up, went back to the bed and he sat on the bed before opening the envelope.
It was after he read it that he went to the living room.
"The letter is from Toun father." He told her the truth.
"Toun father's?"
He nodded. "He wants to see me. He ask me to come to his office."
"Why? Why now? How did he know where we live?"
"He is a wealthy man mommy, he can get whatever information he needs."
"Then he must have know about your marriage with Toun. I think that is why he wants to see you." His mother said.
"You're right mom. I'm confuse right now. Why did he ask me to see when he knows?"
"A lot of things can be involve Dotun but I don't have any idea what it might be. But I don't like this." She told him her fear. "I don't trust those people. You remember what they did to you back when you were in school." He nodded. "I don't want them to do anything to you."
"He won't mom. Let's hope for something good."
The woman sighed but nodded.
"But mommy, please do not let Toun know about this."
Mrs Allyson frowned and said. "Why won't you tell her?"
"I don't want to. She have been worried about everything since her sister visited her in her office. I don't want to add her problem right now."
"You have to tell her Nathaniel. She is your wife and their daughter. It's not good if you hide things from her. And moreover, what if something happens to you? She is the only one that can help if something goes the wrong way. You can't keep her in the dark."
"I am not happy that I want to lie to her but I have to do this mommy. I have to keep it from Toun. She would be worried and she won't want me to go and see her father or better still she will want to come with me. And I can't allow that. It is best I face her father alone. We need to have a man to man talk and I think that is also want he want. I don't think he let her know about this invitation either. So let keep it this way for the mean time until I return."
"And what if something happens to you?" His mother asked looking worried and concern.
He took her hands in his. "I will be fine mom. Nothing is going to happen to me. And if I didn't return in four days time and no calls, then you can tell Toun. But I am sure nothing will happen."
She looked away and shake his head. She was scared of what they would do to her son. She didn't trust those people or what they can do. She knows how they step on the poor because of their money and power. They have shown a little of that side to her son while he was in tertiary institution. And she won't be able to forgive herself if something happens to her only child. She had already lose one child before and she don't want to lose another one.
She had agreed to let him marry the Adebiyi's daughter without their permission because she knows how much they love each other and she don't want to hinder them like they are doing to their daughter. And moreover that was what make her son happy and she would do anything to make him happy. And there was also her granddaughter who was already getting affected by the long distance relationship of her parents and she also misses her mother so much.
But she just hopes she didn't regret allowing her son to marry Toun. She did it for their own best and she hopes it won't bounce back at her. She wasn't ready to lose a child. And there was also his daughter. He can't let the girl lose her father at a young age. Her father had experience that and she won't let the innocent girl go through that too.
"Why don't you tell Toun and let her go and see her father herself? Please Nathan."
Nathaniel understand his mother fear and he looked her in the eyes and said. "It would be fine mom. Remember that is what you always say."
"Not in this case Nathaniel."
"Let's have faith mom. Let's be prayful. We don't know," He shrugged. "something good might comes out of it. Please understand me. I need to do this. I need to talk to Toun father alone. I'm going to tell him my true intentions and what I feel about his daughter. Let me do this. Please momma."
The woman closed her eyes before she looked up at her son.
"Okay. I will have faith. Ma fi adura tele o." She told him.
[My prayers will go with you]
He nodded with gratitude.
*****
Nathaniel took two days off from work to go to Abuja to see Toun father. It was his first time going to the man office. He have heard about his companies and wealth. But he have never been close to him.
He had only visited the Adebiyis' mansion once. And that was when Toun had falled sick in first year shortly after they met. She didn't want to call her parents so he decided to go with her to ensure she got home safely. But he didn't meet her parents at home. Just her nanny and other workers in the house.
It took hours to get to Abuja and he have to sleep over at an hotel since it was already late when he got there. And first thing the next day, he took a bus to the front of Mr Joseph company headquarters where he would be that day.
The security asked him to wait at the gate after calling Toun father. He did not know what they talk about but he obediently sat with the security guard watching different people and cars enter the company.
He sat outside with the security for almost four hours. And when he couldn't take it, he asked the security guard that attended to him when he came.
"Isn't Mr Adebiyi yet in his office?" He asked.
"I don't know. His secretary ask me to tell you to wait for him." The security guard answered him exasperated.
"I've been waiting here for four hours now. Can't you help me call his office again?"
"Were you blind when I called him an hour ago? If you can't wait maybe you should go." The man answered him angrily. Then he hissed and looked away.
Nathaniel heaved a sigh. It's been more than an hour that the man called the office but he remained quiet. He waited quietly for another five hours with the security men who were busy eating, and talking loudly among themselves. He watched them make jest of some people who comes into the company. They hailed some and talk about the good things they do while others they mock one thing or the other on their body or car.
When he realized that it was already getting late and at that rate he might not be able to return to Ibadan that day. He went to meet the security men where they sat talking to each other.
"Please help me call him again if he is around. I need to see him. I'm still going back to Ibadan today. Please. Or should I go inside to ask of him?" He said politely despite deep down he was angry.
"Oga calm down. His secretary told me he would call me when he is free. Be calming down. Abeg leave me jare." The security man that had attend to him when he came replied him rudely, hissing loudly. Then he turned back to his colleague saying. "I don't tell am make he calm down and he still dey ask me mumu question. Na me be oga secretary." He hissed again.
Nathaniel was speechless. He don't even know what to say to the rude man and he decided to go back to where he was sitting.
"Mr man." Someone said and he turned back around. It was a man listening to radio who had been quiet among the other men. He sat at a corner on his own and he was obviously the oldest among them. Even more older than he was.
"Yes sir." He answered him.
"Why do you want to see Mr Adebiyi?"
"Actually, he is the one who asked me to come and see him." Nathaniel answered him.
The man looked like he was thinking about something, then he turned to the man who had answered him rudely.
"Santigo, go and call Mr Adebiyi secretary and tell him about the man waiting here."
"Baba she said she would call me when Oga is ready." The so called Santigo said.
"Do as I say now Santigo. I don't know what is your problem."
The man grumbled but he stood up and went into the security room to make another call.
"Thank you sir." Nathaniel appreciated the elderly man.
He waved it off. "Don't worry he will call the secretary now."
"Thank you sir." And the man nodded.
Santigo came back outside and he said to Nathaniel flatly.
"She say she dey come o."
Nathaniel nodded and he replied insincerely. "Thanks."
It's hurt him to know that Toun father intentionally kept him waiting outside with the security and not in the reception.
"Wetin you wan see oga for sef?" Another man asked him. "I never see you here before."
"Habeeb mind your business." The elderly man said to the man who had asked him question and Nathaniel nodded gratefully at the man. And he went back to seat to wait for Mr Adebiyi secretary.
Few minutes later, a young woman came to meet him. She had a smile plastered on her face. She said something to the security men and then motion him to come with her.
He stood up dusting his trousers and smoothing his shirt and then followed her into the building.
He looked around and marveled at the building. It was really big and there were a lot of people in it already leaving. He had only enter such kind of building once. It was an engineering industry at Ikoyi in Lagos when he went to submit his CV.
He took an elevator with the woman said to be Mr Joseph secretary. The man office happened to be at the middle of the building not at the top floor which was surprising. And he secretly wonder why.
They came out and he followed her to a table where another woman sat. She was looking more older than the lady whom he came with and her facial expression was cold and not friendly at all.
The lady said something to her and the cold secretary asked him to sit while she called her boss. The other lady nodded at him and went around the desk to her seat beside the cold woman.
After the woman was done with the phone call, she looked at Nathaniel from head to toe with a look of disgust. Then she asked him to enter the office, gesturing with her head before looking away.
It took Nathaniel a while before he took a step to the front of the office. He couldn't believe what the man had done to him. He had intentionally left him at the gate post for hours while he was in office. And it sincerely hurt him.
He was very hurt by it.
It made him look like a fool. Like a nobody. He just embarrassed him.
He heaved a sigh.
And he moved toward the direction of the office and he opened the door that lead into the office. He realized that he wasn't nervous like he was when he was leaving his home and while he was waiting for him at the gate. But instead he was furious at the man and he balled his hand into a fist. Then he stepped into the cold office.
"Good day Mr Adebiyi." He greeted between clenched teeth.
The elderly man raised his head from the file in his hand. Then he looked him up to down before adjusting his glasses. .
"And you are?" He asked, exasperatedly.
Nathaniel chuckled lightly finding it to comprehend the man. He knew the man knows who he was. There was no way he would enter his office without knowing who he was. Moreover they've met once and he don't think he had forgotten his face that easily.
He tried to suppress his anger and he answered the man calmly.
"I am Nathaniel Adeolu, your daughter Toun's husband." He said and he was pleased to see the reaction on the man face.
The man scowled at him, staring dagger at him. He was certain that if look can kill, he would be dead already. But he was pleased with it. That serves him a little for keeping him waiting. Nathaniel thought.
"You are not my daughter husband Nathaniel Adeolu." The man said with gritted teeth.
*****
Hmmmm.....
Nathaniel is finally in Toun father's office. Let see what comes out of the visit in the next chapter.
Don't forget to vote and tell me what you think about the two characters.
Thanks for reading.