BELLA'S MEMOIRS (ENTRY #12)

THE ADVENTURE

I felt like an actress on the set of a movie with an incredibly expensive budget. Forget the fact that it was my first time on a private jet, it was also my first time in London. I had left America only once while I lived there and it was to go on a student exchange programme in Spain for three months. When I told Yinka he laughed.

Yinka: So you mean you have never been to London?

I shook my head.

Yinka: Dubai?

I shook my head again.

Yinka: Wow…that’s strange. You and I have a lot of travelling to do.

I blushed…I was always blushing around him. He had an effect on me that I couldn’t explain. It wasn’t a physical attraction like with Okechukwu, it was more of a butterfly in my belly kind of feeling that made me incredibly shy around him. He was so easy to be with, so sweet and calm. With him everything was…easy!

Me: Do you have a girlfriend?

I had absolutely no idea where that had come from but considering the fact that the image of Ese in nothing but Okechukwu’s t-shirt was now permanently engrained in my memory, I had to make sure there were no “Eses” in Yinka’s life.

Yinka: Wow. You don’t waste any time do you? You just go straight to the point.

I blushed again. He got off his seat opposite me and came to seat beside me. We had been in the air for about an hour and we had been talking the whole time.

Yinka: I just got out of a complicated situation.

Me: Explain complicated.

Yinka: I was engaged for about a year but we had to end things a few months ago. I won’t deny that it was very difficult for me but I have moved on and so has she.

Me: Why did you have to move on?

Yinka: She had a hormonal imbalance and the doctor said she may never be able to get pregnant. I am the only son of my parents and my dad wants nothing more than for me to settle down and have children to carry on his name, so he did not give his consent and we had to end things.

Me: I don’t understand why you could not marry her, there are other options. You could have tried IVF or adoption. If you really wanted to marry her you should have, your family’s opinion shouldn’t be final.

He laughed.

Yinka: Bella you’re so cute. When you come from a family like mine, marrying “well” in every sense of the word is an obligation and not a matter of love. And yes…we did try IVF, that’s why we were engaged for a year. We tried to get pregnant so my father would give his consent but nothing worked.

Me: And so you ended things with her?

I was in shock that was so unfair!

Yinka: Actually she ended things with me. She felt she was tying me down, wasting my time and she didn’t want to be the cause of a rift between my father and me, so she ended things. I would have married her regardless, even if she never got pregnant and even if my father never gave his blessings but she didn’t want that.

I could see the pain in his eyes. He was obviously still hurt or still in love with her.

Me: I am so sorry to hear that. Who knows maybe you might just end up with her.

Yinka: I doubt it. After we ended things she moved away, she didn’t tell me where and I have deliberately made no efforts to find out where she is. I think it’s best that way.

Why is love such a complicated thing?

Yinka: So the guy from the party, have you sorted things out or it’s still complicated?

Me: That has ended. He just doesn’t seem to think we should be together for reasons only he can explain. Plus he’s moved on so it’s pretty much over!

Yinka: Wow. Ok now that we have both established that we are single, can we please focus on getting to know each other and having a great time in London. I volunteer to be your very own tour guide if you would have me.

Me: Do I have a choice?

He laughed and a few minutes later I fell asleep with my head on his shoulder and his arms around me.

I stayed with Yinka in his family home in London for three days. It was a mansion and I had an amazing time. He was so attentive, caring and sweet but a bit of a workaholic. He would remain locked up in his study all day and then in the evening he would take me sight-seeing. Not like I minded, I had used the time to clear my head and figure out what I wanted to do and I couldn’t wait to tell him about it. The night of his event was amazing, his lecture was so inspiring and I couldn’t believe he was only 29 years old. He was so accomplished. We stayed back after the event for cocktails and a photo session and then we headed back to his family house.

Yinka: You were amazing tonight Bella. Very calm and poised. I like the way you carried yourself, you looked really good on my arm.

I hit him playfully.

Me: I am not trophy wife material!

Yinka: I didn’t say you were a trophy wife material. I simply acknowledged that you are the sort of woman I should have by my side.

The conversation was getting a bit heavy for me. I had been so wrapped up in my rebound guy plan, it hadn’t occurred to me that maybe, just maybe I was also Yinka’s rebound girl. He sensed my uneasiness with the topic and so we had a quiet ride back to the house.

When we got home, he walked me to the door of the guest room where I was staying like he usually did but this time he didn’t hug me and say good night. He leaned against the door and watched me as I fumbled around in my purse for the keys. Did he want to come in? Was I to tell him doing “it” with him was out of the question? My hands eventually stopped shaking enough for me to find the keys. He followed me inside, I was super nervous and very shy all of a sudden.

Yinka: Why are you so nervous? I am not going to do anything you don’t want me to.

Me: I know.

His hands were in his pockets and he came closer.

Yinka: So do you want me to kiss you?

I nodded. It was nice, easy like everything else with him. It lasted a few minutes and then he left the room. It was our last night in London and we were to leave in the morning. I didn’t need to be told, after the kiss it was confirmed…no sparks!

Vanessa: What do you mean no sparks?

I had just gotten to Lagos and Vanessa had come straight to my house and was now watching me unpack.

Me: Simply what it means…no sparks!

Vanessa: I don’t get you! A guy takes you to the most expensive restaurant in town and shuts it down for you, drives you around town in a bullet proof Bentley with an escort car, flies you out to London…private if I might add, shops for you at Harrods’s, treats you like a princess, hasn’t tried to sleep with you and you say no sparks??? Please define what sparks mean to you, because a platinum card being swiped on my account at Harrods’s is enough to get me electrocuted.

Me: You are such a drama queen. What I mean by sparks is that feeling you get when you kiss someone and your whole body just wakes up and you feel like your feet are off the ground. In short you feel like you are having an out of body experience.

Vanessa: That is jazz… Juju. Not any rubbish sparks! Please don’t mess this up, give the boy a chance.

Me: A chance at what? He has not even called me since we landed. Maybe he didn’t feel any sparks too.

Vanessa pretended to collapse on the bed in frustration and we both laughed.

My phone rang then, it was my stepmom…Ms. A.

Me: Good Afternoon Ms. A.

Ms. A: Bella your dad is really mad at you.

Me: What did I do?

Ms. A: Why didn’t you tell us you were going to London with Yinka?

Me: How did you find out about that?

Ms. A: This is why I tell you to read the papers. The event he spoke at in London, the pictures are in the newspaper. You guys look good together sha. Call your dad!

With that she hung up.

Vanessa: What was that about?

Me: Busted! Pictures of me and Yinka turned up in the dailies today.

Vanessa: It can’t be so bad otherwise Lagos Ville would have carried it.

She picked up her phone to check and then she said

Vanessa: Oh-oh.

I grabbed her phone from her. There was a post on the Lagos Ville blog and this time they had “confirmed” I was Yinka’s girlfriend. I didn’t know what to do so I called him.

Yinka: Hi Gorgeous. Miss me already?

Me: Yinka, our pictures are everywhere. They are calling me your girlfriend.

Yinka: Yes about that, I think it is better we stick to that story. I don’t think it would be good for you if it looks like we are just having “a thing”.

Me: What are you trying to say?

Yinka: Stick to the story Bella. If anyone asks you, tell them you’re my girlfriend. Going into a meeting now, stay out of trouble.

He hung up and I stared at my phone in disbelief.

Vanessa: What did he say?

Me: Vanessa, I am dating the Vice President’s son.

I refused to go to the house to see my dad and so he came to The Villa totally unannounced and unexpectedly. It had been two days since I returned from London and may I add, I had not heard from Yinka in those two days.

My Daddy: Bella, I specifically asked to see you two days ago and you ignored my message.

Bella: I wasn’t ready to have a conversation with you.

My Daddy: Fair enough. I admit I went overboard with you and that Okechukwu boy but I was trying to protect you. The boy is obviously trouble but I see that has ended now right?

I nodded.

My Daddy: Good. I believe Yinka is the sort of man you should be with. I have asked around about him and he seems to have a good head on his shoulders.

Me: Daddy! There you go again! I am not a child you don’t need to go around investigating every single guy I meet. I am turning twenty two in a few weeks, I am capable of making adult decisions!

My Daddy: Ok I apologize. I just want to do what’s best for you ok?

Me: Ok Daddy. Thank you.

I thought it was a good time to tell him what I wanted to do and so I did.

Me: Daddy, I think I want to go into Event Planning and PR.

My Daddy: Wow. That’s a complete change from Finance but I am glad you have made progress deciding on a career path. I have to be in Abuja for the rest of the week, we’ll talk more when I get back at the weekend ok?

Me: Ok Daddy. You have been going to Abuja a lot lately. New clients there?

My Daddy: Some things in the pipeline darling.

Later that evening Yinka finally called.

Yinka: Hi Gorgeous. How are you?

Me: I’m fine thank you. Not like you care.

Yinka: What is that supposed to mean?

Me: I haven’t heard from you in two days.

Yinka: I have been incredibly busy Bella and you not hearing from me in two days doesn’t mean I don’t care or that I am not thinking about you.

Me: Well that is unacceptable. No matter how busy you are you can at least send a text or something.

Yinka: Ok I apologize. I didn’t call to fight. I called to tell you my dad has asked to meet you.

Me: What? Why?

Yinka: Obviously, he’s heard about you. He called to ask me if I was serious about you, I said yes and he said he’d like to meet you. So I wanted to ask if you’d like to fly down to Abuja with your dad this evening because I am in Abuja at the moment.

First of all, I wasn’t sure I was ready for a relationship where my boyfriend thought it was okay to go two days without speaking to me, travel without informing me and somehow knew my dad and his itinerary.

Me: How did you know my dad was going to Abuja today?

Yinka: He is coming to see my dad. Don’t you know your dad is trying to become the next governor of Lagos State?