ABUSED. Chapter 2

Over the next two weeks, Kayode apologized again and again. He started showing up at my workplace and my uncle's house; bearing gifts and confessing  everytime that he totally lost it. He said the anger was triggered by something he heard earlier in the day and seeing me with Kunle was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"I'm so sorry" were usually his first words after greeting me.  "Please forgive me"

Eventually I did, totally believing him. After he was out of the dog house, he eased up and we changed our routine and saw each other everyday. Even my uncle I was staying with accepted my absence. He took me to the cinema a month after the incident and was totally sweet. He got us both popcorn, it a bottle of coke for himself and sprite for me. We chose the seats in the last row and he put his arms around my shoulder, with me leaning against his chest over the arm rests. He had the most precious smile on his face the whole time, like he was happy to show everyone how glad he was to have me and I was once again assured that our ship would sail just fine.

We goofed around, threw popcorn on people's head and he stole sweet tender kisses with his sensual lips. Afterwards, we found a KFC around, where he pulled out the chair for me to sit and let me order for what I wanted to eat. We had our thighs pressed against each other the whole time



Christmas came and he invited me to come home with his to his parents which I thought was too soon but Kay assured me that it wasn't the duration that mattered but what we felt for each other and besides, he already told his parents he was bringing his girl home. I told my uncle about it and he begrudgingly accepted, telling me to be careful the whole time. Since we hadn't reached the level of having sex or making love, we didn't have a problem with being in the same house. I was excited to meet his parents as it signified a step forward in our relationship. 24th finally came and he came to pick me at home to his parent's house at Ketu. His mother was kind to the extreme. I knelt down to greet her as we were welcomed into the house but she was quick to pull me back to my feet.

"Oh, I'm so happy to have you two spend Christmas here. How's everyone at home " she cooed.

Then house was perfect with not a thing out of place and not a speck of dust in sight.

"Come to the kitchen with me, Jumoke. I prepared rice for breakfast. Shebi iyen naa daa" she said, breaking my concentration from my silent observation of my boyfriend's home.

"Beeni Ma" I said shyly, glancing at Kay as he stretched fully in the sofa and gave me  a tiny nonchalant shrug.

We ate and talked about everything there was to talk about. She asked about my background, my job and my childhood as we packed the dishes to the kitchen and Kayode joining me in washing. She eventually excused herself and said he had something to do in the area.

"So wassup babes, you like my mom?" he asked

"Yes o. I can't believe I was scared of meeting her. She put me at ease"

"Good, tori won like e gan. I'm sure you'll like my dad too"

His dad came a little past 8pm and the resemblance was undeniable, I became a nervous wreck as soon as I saw him. He was very  welcoming, a bit critical at first then loosened up. He obviously loved his wife very much as he waited on her, hung on her every word and gazed at her lovingly the whole time.

"How are your parents, are they in Lagos too?" he asked after supper

"No sir. They're in Oyo, I stay with my uncle here "

" You and my son attended the same uni or work in the same place?" he asked again, looking at Kay.

"Rara o. OAU lo attend. We met here in Lagos"

"Ehen... O daa. Does your uncle know that you're here?" he asked me with a penetrating gaze

"Beeni sir" I answered, fidgeting on my seat with the attention directed at me.

We watched dthe 9 o' clock news together before going to bed that night. The next morning was Christmas and since they're Muslims, there wasn't much activities around the house. His mum and I prepared rice for the family and chatted about any and everything till mid-afternoon, when his parents had to go visit their friends. We became so bored that Kayode ended up suggesting that we stroll along his street, then find somewhere to hangout before going back home in the evening.

"This is so much livelier than Ikotun" I said, smiling contentedly as I glanced at out interlinked fingers

"What do you expect?  This is my hood, where I grew up... Wonderful places produce wonderful people "

" See this one o, be deceiving yourself soogbo" I playfully swatted his arm and he leaned in to peck my cheek. "Why did you move out? Your parents stay here alone, you even have your old room here so I know it's not because of space" I asked curiously

He smiled brightly and then laughed out loud, poking my side and earning another swat from me. "Baby I'm a boss. You think I'll be comfortable with my parents watching my every moves at 26?" he laughed again.

We continued walking and chatting idly until we got to the end of his street and I noticed a pretty lady walking towards us, busy with her phone. I liked her hairstyle and was preparing to ask her for the name of the weavon she used when she looked up, saw us, widened her eyes frightenly and hastily crossed to the other side of the street, barely missed by a coming Okada man, who swore at her loudly.

"Subhanallah! Did you see that lady? She was so lucky" I said

"I know her jor, she's my ex and we didn't break up on the best terms"

I should have asked more questions but I didn't. What mattered was that we were finally good and I never felt more contented.