BELLA'S MEMOIRS (ENTRY #20)

THE PUZZLE

It was only September, but obviously Christmas had come early for me. Toni being pregnant meant one thing and one thing only, Yinka could now marry the love of his life. I knew it would be a bit messy and I would look like the fool who was played but I didn’t mind being the fool if it meant me escaping Yinka’s plotting claws.

Me: Wow! That’s great news, have you told Yinka?

Toni: That’s why I am here, Yinka cannot know I am pregnant and I need your help.

Me: No Toni, Yinka loves you. He would want to have this baby with you, you belong together all three of you as a family.

Toni: It’s not Yinka’s baby and I am afraid of what he would do to me when he finds out.

Me: How do you mean it’s not Yinka’s baby?

Toni looked around, we were in the compound and saw the guard standing in a corner and Abigail the housekeeper talking on the phone a few feet from us.

Toni: Please we cannot talk here. I don’t trust all these people, anyone of them could be on Yinka’s payroll. Where can we talk please?

Me: Do you want to come in?

Toni: That is dangerous. My coming here was risky enough. Please let’s go somewhere quiet.

I asked Abigail to get my phone, purse and keys and then we set out. Toni had on a pair of sunglasses and a hat; she was obviously very nervous.

Me: Why are you so scared?

Toni: Just keep driving please.

I drove to a quiet street in the estate and parked under a tree.

Me: I want to know everything. I thought you couldn’t have children, that’s what Yinka told me.

Toni: I can have children Bella. It’s Yinka who can’t and he doesn’t even know it.

Me: What?!

Toni: Yinka cannot have children Bella. He is a monster and I am glad I would never have to carry his child.

I gasped. Wasn’t this supposed to be the love of his life?

Toni: I met Yinka in the UK. My family isn’t exactly wealthy like yours or Yinka’s. My dad died when I was little and my mum did the best she could. Immediately after University, I got the opportunity to go to London for a few weeks on holiday. I had a six-month tourist visa but I decided to stay back because I felt I could get better opportunities there. I became an illegal immigrant and life was hell. I couldn’t get a job, all I did was move from one menial job to the other just so I could pay my share of the rent in a tiny flat I shared with three other girls and still have enough to send to my mother and sister back home. Anyways my friend from University came to London one summer and we were supposed to meet up somewhere she was having drinks with some friends. I went to meet her there and that was where I met Yinka. Sometimes I wish I could just turn back the hands of time, I would never have gone that night. He was attracted to me instantly and I was flattered but I didn’t feel the same way about him.

After that day, he started calling and asking to see me all the time. At first, I wasn’t interested at all but then I found out who his father was and truth be told that was why I decided to grant him audience. He began to take care of me financially and even though he shuttled between the States and Nigeria for work, he came to London as often as he could to see me. He got me a very comfortable apartment and not too long after he went to visit my mum and my sister in Nigeria. I couldn’t see them at the time because I knew I wouldn’t be able to go back to the UK if I came home since I had overstayed.

He started taking care of my family as well and my mum was so happy that she was adamant I make the relationship work so he would marry me. He even helped my sister get admission into a University in the UK and was paying her tuition.

 I had accepted my fate and started willing myself to fall in love with him when he started showing his true nature. The first time was when a cousin of mine was around from Nigeria and he came to visit me. My sister was away at school so we were alone in the apartment Yinka rented for me. At about 5am in the morning I heard a loud banging on my door and rushed out to see who it was. It was Yinka, I didn’t even know he was in the UK at the time so I was shocked.

 I opened the door terrified that something had happened and the next thing I felt was a slap that left me dizzy. He called me names, said I had brought a man into the house he was paying for. Started smashing and breaking things, my cousin came out and tried to stop him and they got into a fight. One of the neighbours heard the noise and threatened to call the police so Yinka threw my cousin out of the house. I became scared of him after that day. He started monitoring my every move and I was stuck because I was an illegal immigrant and didn’t have many options. My life became a living hell and I thought of turning myself into the authorities so I could be deported many times but I knew that would also mean my sister losing her ‘Yinka’ scholarship and my mum suffering here in Nigeria so I stayed in the toxic relationship. He was so obsessed with me it was scary. The second time was one day when I had gone out grocery shopping, I had a lot of bags to carry and as I walked home I ran into a guy from my building who helped me with some bags. When we got to the apartment Yinka was there and he accused me of inviting the guy over because I didn’t know he was around, he hit me again that day and started smashing things and throwing things around. That was when I told him I was done; that I wanted out of the relationship and would find a way to take care of my family.

I packed my things and went to my friend’s house for a few weeks and Yinka started calling my mother in Ibadan asking her to talk to me. My mother was constantly crying and begging me to take him back. I explained to her that he was violent and aggressive and I was scared but she told me it was because he loved me he was behaving that way. That jealousy is a sign of love. I foolishly took him back. A few weeks later, he proposed to me in front of all his friends, I was terrified but of course I said yes and then he decided it was time for me to meet his family so we sorted out my papers and I came to Nigeria with him. That was the beginning of my problems.

Me: What happened?

Toni: Yinka’s parents were very cold and distant and I could tell they were a bit disappointed at his choice of a life partner. Obviously they were hoping he would end up with someone like you, you know someone with pedigree. I stayed with him in his family house for a while.

She paused and stared out the window as tears started rolling down her eyes.

Toni: I was stuck and I was unhappy. I realized my period was a few days late and I thought I was pregnant. One evening Yinka’s father came to me and told me that he was never going to let me marry his son. I was very happy but I didn’t want to show it so I pretended to put up a fight and told him it was possible that I was pregnant for his son. He called me names and told me he was sure there was no way Yinka could be the father of my baby. The argument continued until he let it slip that he had known for a while that Yinka was sterile and there was no way i was pregnant for him. I was so angry I was going to march right up to Yinka to confront him but his father stopped me. He told me that the family doctor had informed him that Yinka was sterile a few years earlier after a health check and he had warned the doctor never to let Yinka know. He said he had great plans for Yinka and didn’t want him thinking he wasn’t man enough to accomplish great things because he was sterile, he also didn’t want it to become public knowledge that his only son couldn’t have children. He thought it would scar Yinka for life and affect his ambitions. He told me he would forbid Yinka to marry me and I would never mention to anyone that his first son was sterile to him, it was also in my favour since marrying Yinka would subject me to a life of childlessness. I agreed.

 He then told Yinka that he would let him marry me if it could be ascertained that I could give him an heir. Yinka took me to the family doctor but of course his father had arranged with him to tell Yinka that I could never have children. Yinka caved in and told me he could never marry me. I thought I was free and that would be the end of the relationship but when I tried to end things with Yinka it got dirty.

Me: What did he do?

Toni: Threatened me and my family. Told me after all he had invested in us and that he owned us. Told me my mother would end up on the streets and my sister would be kicked out of school. I tried to run away once but he found out about my plans even before I could act. I am his prisoner Bella. You might think that I have options but I don’t. I don’t even have a bank account in my name. Yinka has me on a very short leash – I am his slave. I am trapped. He is so obsessed with me, I can’t even break out of his tight grasp. The only way I can get out of this is if he leaves me himself.

Me: You are trapped yet you managed to get pregnant for another man. Who is the father of your baby?

Toni: I can’t tell you, it’s better you don’t know.

Me: If you didn’t want me to know why did you come here at all?

Toni: I came because I need your help. We have to work together to get what we want. Tell Yinka that when he marries you he can’t keep seeing me, so he would be forced to leave me and I can have my life back please.

Me: I thought you were here to make my life easier because your being pregnant meant Yinka could now marry the love of his life but instead you have come to mess up my head more. And to even make matters worse if I even end up with Yinka I would never have children. Could this get any worse?

Toni: Please don’t tempt fate.

Me: Toni who is the father of your child?

Toni: Christopher…Yinka’s PA

Me: What???? You are crazy Toni! Of all the men in the world…Yinka would have his head!

Toni: That’s the only man that I am allowed to be alone with, so it was only natural that we started developing feelings for each other and yes Yinka would have his head that’s why we have to help each other. Christopher and I are in love and we want to get married but Yinka would never take this kind of betrayal lightly you know that. We can’t hide the baby for much longer.

The situation was spiraling out of control and there was a new twist. The Duchess was working with Christopher the PA to stop Yinka from forcing me to marry him, yet Toni was here begging me to marry Yinka and make him end things with her because she was pregnant with the same Christopher’s baby. Something just didn’t add up.

Me: What has Christopher told you about my situation with Yinka?

Toni: Nothing. He knows you found out about Yinka and me that’s all.

Me: Does he know that you are here?

Toni: Yes he asked me to come and negotiate with you.

Me: What exactly did he ask you to tell me?

Toni: That you should tell Yinka that he can’t keep seeing me when you marry him so he can let me go and we can be together.

Me: Did he tell you anything about my grandmother and Yinka threatening my family?

Toni: No what is going on Bella?

Me: Toni, I don’t think you can trust Christopher and neither can my grandmother!