Chapter 21

EYARE

I woke up to the chatter of birds chirping. With my eyes still closed, I searched for her but my hands came up empty.

The bed was still warm. Her scent filled my nostrils and I breathed in deeply. I loved waking up with her in my arms. Where could she have gone? I heard the creaking of the bed and felt it dip. Her scent was stronger now.

"Come here!" I said. My arms outstretched.

I frowned when she didn't fill them, but I was rewarded with her warm body against mine some seconds later. "Baby, where did you go?" I pouted. "I missed you." She didn't respond, so I opened my eyes.

She was smiling mischievously, a matchstick in her hand, poised against my ears. I knew what she was about to do. She thought my eyes were still closed, so I clamped them shut and lunged at her.

She squealed and started giggling as I tickled her. The matchstick dropped from her fingers and I got up and pinned her to the bed, holding her captive with her two hands. She was grinning from ear to ear and so was I.

I leaned forward to breathe in her scent, my hands sliding into her curly hair. She closed the gap and our lips touched. Within a twinkling of an eye, I was beneath her and she was tickling me. I wasn't having it, so I put my hands up in surrender and she ceased her machinations on me. I got a hold of her and once more, she was under me, her laughter like music to my ears.

"Okay, okay. Cease fire, please, I give up." She breathed heavily, in between sputtering giggles.

I flopped beside her and drew her to me, my hands sliding into her hair once more and drawing her face towards me for a kiss. I lingered on her lips for some minutes.

"Baby, we have to get up soon, we need to go pick up mum and dad from the airport." Yet, her hands were round my neck and she was clinging to me for dear life. I wasn't about to let her go just yet.

I deepened the kiss, my tongue mixing with her's. She broke away first, her pupils were dilated, I was sure mine were too.

"We really have to get up now." And she skittered away from me and got up.

I groaned.

I had forgotten her parents were coming in from England today and we had to go pick them up from the airport. It was still dark outside. I looked at the clock on the wall, it was barely five thirty in the morning.

I heard the shower going as I lay back on the bed, trying to catch some more sleep. I must have drifted off, because I was rudely awoken with a pillow hitting my face. I mumbled some unintelligible words and rolled over to the other side of the bed.

"Don't even start with me, Eyare. Get your lazy butt up, now."

"What time is their flight landing?" I was so comfortable right now, I just wanted to keep snoozing.

I heard her sighing impatiently.
"Nine o'clock, this morning." She replied curtly.

"Nine?" I gasped aloud. "So why on earth do we have to wake up so early?"

"Because I know you. If I don't wake you up now, you won't get up on time."

She was right. I was not a morning person. I could sleep through a hurricane. If it wasn't for her waking me up in the morning every day, I would probably get to the office in the afternoon, or not at all. I groaned again, rubbed the sleep from my eyes and got up.

She had a towel around her body and another on her head. I moved closer. She didn't notice, until it was too late. I tugged the towel from her body and it fell in a heap unto the floor. It was hilarious to see how she struggled to cover herself with her two hands in embarrassment.

I laughed at her attempt at modesty. "Seriously? I've seen all the goods, you know." I smiled at her. "Come here!" I made to pull her into my arms, but she pushed me away. "Playing hard to get, hmm? Alright, I'm going, I'm going." I whined as she beat me with the other towel used to tie her head.

Taking a shower was one of the best things in life. I rubbed the mirror that had clouded up with steam. I noticed the small bump on my stomach. Evidence of good living. I remember promising Osagiede I'd get her a personal trainer. It was time to fulfill that promise. Although I liked how she looked now. She had more curves on her and that gave me something more to hold unto. I touched my pouch again, shook my head and went into the room to dress up.

She was feeding Eseosa and also telling her a story. Eseosa was listening with rapt attention, eyes wide open. The spoon hovered over her mouth as Osagiede acted like it was a plane and brought it swiftly down into her mouth. Eseosa giggled and bits of cereal flew unto the floor. I watched them for a bit, smiling to myself. I felt a tightness in my chest at that moment.

Nothing! I mean, absolutely nothing can take me away from the two of them. I would kill for them, and I meant it.

Eseosa noticed my presence first and started squirming to get out of her mother's arms. She flailed her arms out and knocked out the spoon from Osagiede's fingers. I rushed to go pick her up before she fell down. She was a sight for sore eyes, my baby girl.

She had grown tremendously in the last seven months and had been threatening to walk and disrupt anything in her wake. Her mum was not particularly looking forward to that, because she knew she would be everywhere, toppling things over. She was such a curious little one, moving around like a little hurricane.

"Da da." She said, flashing a toothy grin. My heart tightened with joy as I gazed at the beauty that Osagiede and I had made.

Osagiede sighed and stood up from the bed. "She's such a little tyrant. I can't wait for her to grow up."

Eseosa refused to leave my arms, but I had to dress up, so I put her on the bed, aided by two huge pillows. Knowing her, they would be on the floor in no time.

I hurriedly put on a pair of jeans and slipped on a shirt. Eseosa was already trying to climb down from the high bed. I hoped she wouldn't hurt herself in the process.

Luckily, Osagiede came in just then and saved her from a nasty fall. We were really going to have our hands full with her soon, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I was only too glad to have her with us after the health scare, some months ago.

By the time we had gotten ready and dressed her up, it was already 8am, so we decided to head out to the airport. It would take us about twenty minutes give or take, to get to the airport. Being a Saturday, the roads would hopefully be free, except party goers or people travelling out of the city for the weekend.

I got there with twenty minutes to spare. Seeing that we hadn't had breakfast, we bought some snacks and munched on them as we waited for my parents- in - law to show up.

Osagiede saw them first and waved and jumped up and down like a little girl. Her excitement was infectious. I was holding Eseosa in the carry on and she began giggling as she watched her mum.

Hugs and kisses were exchanged all around.

Osagiede's mum took Esoesa from me and she oohed and aaahed over how pretty she looked and how beautiful she was. Eseosa looked at her, a slight frown on her face, but after awhile though, she began to giggle. Osagiede's mum had won her heart and I was happy. We agreed to stop at a restaurant instead of going straight home.

As I ate my plate of chicken and chips, I looked at my parents - in - law. They looked happy and still in love after all these years. Mother whispered something in father's ears and they giggled like little children. He kissed her on the cheeks and they held hands as they ate.

I looked at Osagiede as she fed Eseosa. I really hoped someday after out children grew up, we would still be in love and happy together. That would be a wonderful achievement.

Osagiede was a carbon copy of her mum --- pretty with cute brown eyes. I instinctively knew she would look exactly like her mum when she grew older. Just like wine, the older it gets, the finer it becomes, or something of that nature.

Osagiede's mum had a certain grace to her. It was in the way she walked and talked. It was in her mannerisms. She was very dainty and proper, even while eating. Well I couldn't say the same thing for my wife. I silently laughed to myself.

"Would you like to share the joke with us?" Osagiede's eyes twinkled as she looked at me.

"Ah! I'm not sure you'd want to know what I was thinking about." This time, I couldn't hold back the laughter. It burbled to the surface and came out as full blown laughter. I threw my head back and had a real good laugh.

"Look at them, they look so happy together. So glad she married him and not that idiot. What was his name again, dear?" Mother looked at Osagiede, expecting an answer from her.

As quickly as the laughter had come, it evaporated into thin air and I immediately became sober. I knew exactly who she was talking about. Osagiede had gone still and quiet beside me. From the corner of my eye, I saw her glance at me.

"Mum! Please let's just eat and not make a scene." She glanced at me again, but I pretended to continue scarfing down my food.

That was akward!

No one said a word. Out of the blues, Esoesa began giggling, and that diffused the tense situation  as everyone paid rapt attention to her.

We got home and my parents in law checked into the guest room to get some rest. Osagiede put Eseosa in her crib, because she had slept off in the car on the way back.

I went into the room and my eyes were immediately drawn to a shiny object on the dressing table. As I got close to it, my heart began to beat faster. I would know that book anywhere.

It was the infamous diary, the same one in which I had found out I was a plan B. The same one that my wife had written she didn't love me.

A new page had been opened but it wasn't blank.

It read: I am back to take over - G!

Wait, what!?

Back from where?

To do what?

Take over whom?

As my heart picked up triple time, my fingers shook and I felt faint.

God help me. I wasn't going to be able to live this down if she was taken away from me.

No, I won't.

I shook my head to dispel the dark cloud that was suddenly enveloping me.