BETROTHAL

CHAPTER 5

It was the end of the month and Fola's madam paid her off as she stopped working.

Preparation were been made for her departure to the university.

Mrs Obed kept to her promise of getting almost all she needed. She was unable to get her a mattress but Fola wasn't bothered. She told her mother she would go along with the old mattress in her room while her mother insisted that it was too old.

A week before her departure, Mrs Obed was able to start the bedspread business and was advertising it from house to house despite her husband's constant nagging against becoming a street hawker.

Fola was in her room packing her things when her friend Bolu called her.

The second and third list of the students offered admission was already out but unfortunately, Bolu's name was not on the list.

"Hello", Fola said into the phone.

"Hey babe", Bolu said excitedly.

"What's up! What's with the excitement?", Fola asked.

"Nothing o, just happy for you", Bolu replied.

"Uhoh! You are sweet. That's why I love you", Fola said sweetly.

"Love you too. When are you going?", she asked.

"Next tomorrow by God's grace", Fola answered her.

"Have you gotten all you need?", she requested.

"Not all but almost", she responded.

"What is left?"

"Never mind, they are not that important. The first one is mattress but since I can go with the one at home, it is out of the question."

"Alright, what else?", she asked again.

"I haven't gotten a stove yet also."

"Ok, won't you come bade us goodbye?", She questioned Fola.

"Of course I will, if not for anyone, I will do that for my crush Biodun", Fola replied laughing.

"You don kolo for head, see you when you come then. I'm going miss you though."

"Yeah, I will miss you too", she replied feeling sad.

"It's okay, bye."

"Bye. Love you", Fola said and hung up with a sad mood.

"Eni toni ori koni fila, eni toni fila koni ori ( The one with the head has no cap and the one with the cap has no head). That is the reality of life", she soliloquized to herself thinking of how wealthy Bolu's family is.

She sat down lost in thought when she remembered what happened after Olamide and his father's visit a few weeks ago.

Her father scolded her for voicing out her opinion without consulting him beforehand and as usual, Fola gave him a reply which made her father  mad.

She had to locked herself up in her room to avoid his beating. Her mother sneaked into her room later that night to give her dinner.

"How was it?", she remembered her mother asking immediately she entered.

"I know him before now mum", she replied her.

"Really? How?"

Fola narrated her encounter with Olamide a month ago and finalized it by saying: "He is good looking quite alright but too arrogant to be my husband."

Mrs Obed smilled and asked: "So are you saying there is no possibility that you guys will work?"

"I doubt."

"Why if I may ask?"

"That is because there is a saying that: "Two caption can not be on the same boat. If it happens, then that is perpetual disaster. It applies to Olamide and I. He is bossy and I am stubborn, how then will a relationship like that work?" she questioned her mum raising her shoulders and opening her palms.

"But he is good looking, isn't he?"

"Mum why do you keep emphasizing on his good looks? His looks doesn't stand a chance with me, I look beyond beauty", she replied exasperated.

"What then is your major criteria in a man", her mother asked ignoring her question.

"I haven't thought of that mum but I like people for their pure heart, not fine face. Olamide only has a fine face, infact I don't like him a bit."

"Don't be so judgmental Fola. In every relationship, you need to accept your partner with their shortcomings because nobody is perfect. You have your weakness and he has it. Things can work well between you two if you are ready to acknowledge those shortcomings, address it and make amends. Why not look at him from a good side, do you see yourself liking him?", her mother stated moving closer to her daughter and holding her hands but Fola was silent.

"Just imagine you guys are knowing and seeing each other for the first time", her mother said again.

"Mummy I don't see myself liking him. This won't work."

"It might."

"Mummy why are you like this? Are you beginning to support them?", she asked her mother raising her brows.

Mrs Obed chuckled and said: "I am doing this for a reason. I purposely did not sit in the sitting room the other time too. So I am solidly behind you", she said and Fola smilled back.

Fola was jolted out of her reverie when her father came in unannounced.

"Fola when are you going to school?", he asked her standing by the door.

"Next tomorrow ni daddy", she said and stood up to continue folding her clothes into her travelling box.

"Mr. Garba said you should send your account number to him tonight. You will be receiving your monthly allowance from him for your upkeep."

"I don't need any money from Mr. Garba's family", she started stubbornly.

With a grim look on his face, he asked: "What do you mean by that Fola? What is wrong with you?"

"Daddy you are indirectly selling me off to those people. The more you collect, the more we become indebted. They will end up treating me like a slave", Fola said softly.

"Don't be childish Fola, sponsoring someone's education is not an easy task. This is a golden opportunity for us. Just take it and let the future take it's course. You are such a stubborn girl!", Mr. Obed said sounding upset.

"I took my stubbornness from you", Fola said and look away.

The statement touched a soft spot in her father's heart and he smilled. He entered her room and sat on the plastic white chair beside her bed while Fola continued what she was doing.

"Fola sit", he ordered softly. Fola stopped and looked at him before obeying.

"Fola I want you to know that no amount of money or gold can buy you because you are priceless. I am doing this in your own best interest because I don't want you to turn out to be a liability to your future husband. I know your dream of becoming a professor someday and I know I can't help you there achieve that. Be reasonable with me for once child", he finished and was met with silence.

Mr Obed patted her on the back as he stood up before walking to the door.

He stood by the door and said: "I will go and get you the cash from him. Be a good girl and remember the child of whom you are."

He was quite for a while before saying: "Always remember that I love and I want the best for you", he muttered and sauntered away while Fola uttered a sigh of relief.

*…............................*
Am I the only one having a bad feeling about Fola's current situation?😉

Her mother is not the only one having a feeling that some events are about to unfold. An event that will involve the hero and the heroine.

We all know our heroine is Fola so the question is "Who is our hero? Is Olamide worthy of being our hero and Fola's knight in shining armor 😂😁