Chapter 59

"Yes o..." Mrs. Michaels chuckled. "I couldn't be any more proud of him."

"Ehn-ehn, I heard you yelling at a girl outside earlier, was that the same girl who dumped your son on the wedding day in church?" Mrs. Eweala curiously asked now.

"Yes o... I wonder what that girl's mission is for coming here!" Mrs. Michaels said in disdain. "But whatever it is, she won't succeed because I'll keep an eagle's eye on her!"

"You should! But erm...Eucharia, I just hope that her presence here will not nullify the agreement we had or disrupt our plans?" Mrs. Eweala asked in worry now.

"Not at all! You of all people know that I always keep my word, Mercy. Trust me, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing will get in the way of our plans. Besides, I'm sure that Stephen will be so thrilled about our decision! I just can't wait to see the happy look on his face when I finally break the news to him! You should have been there to see how he fell so sick for months after Grace relocated to Amsterdam with you that I thought he would die. He was so depressed that he would not eat, talk to anybody or step out of his room for weeks. He only got over her and a bit better after he finally got admission into the university. As for that witch, if her plan is to rekindle her former affair with my son, don't worry, it will never happen because I shall be there to always frustrate her efforts! In fact, I'll do everything possible to embarrass and humiliate her until she packs up and leaves by herself!" Mrs. Michaels said firmly.

"Hmm!" Mrs. Eweala grinned now. "Eucharia number one! I trust you! I know you to be a no-nonsense woman! With you by my side, I'm very sure that no one would dare compete with my daughter over your son. I trust you, Nne! That's why I had to bring her back to Nigeria before it was too late! She was already going astray in Amsterdam! I don't want her to marry a white man! I don't want half-caste for children! I want pure Igbo blood in my lineage, and in order to detach her from that nonsense white man she was always hanging out with, I had to act quickly by relocating to Nigeria!" Mrs. Eweala explained.

"It's a good thing you brought her back to the country before things got out of hand." Mrs. Michaels agreed. "And also, thank God that my son is still unmarried, if not, it would have been a different story."

Just then, Jerry walked into the kitchen, holding Violet's hand. "Mum, I've someone to introduce to you."

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Later, the entire family and guests were all gathered around the long dining table for dinner. They were all sixteen in number and they consisted of Mr. Michaels who sat at the head of the dining table, Mrs. Michaels, the twin girls- Laura and Sarah, Emmanuel, Jerry, Rufus, Susan, Anne, Stephen, Grace, Violet, Doris, Mrs. Eweala, a male cousin and a male family friend. Anne sat across from Jerry, While Stephen luckily sat a little bit across from Violet and Doris across from Rufus.

With the help of her twin daughters, Mrs. Michaels served everyone and they instantly began to eat after she blessed the food with a short prayer. While some of them continued to chat and catch up on old times, Stephen couldn't take his eyes off Violet and he would sometimes glance at Grace who kept stealing glances his way and smiling at him. 

Susan noticed and began to scrutinize Grace while Violet simply focused on her meal, not so oblivious to Stephen's burrowing gaze on her. Halfway into the meal, Mrs. Michaels slowly rose to her feet after sipping some water. Then she gently hit the side of her glass cup with her fork to get everyone's attention. When they all finally quieted down, she beamed and began:

"I want to actually thank you all for being here in respect to our thirty-fourth wedding anniversary which is to take place in two weeks' time. When actually inviting my son over, I told him that I had a surprise for him, and right now, I'll like to announce it to the hearing of everyone present in our house tonight. I believe all of you can see this young lady over here..." She gestured with her drink at Grace who shyly lowered her gaze and smiled. "...her name is Grace Eweala and she has been a family friend right from when she was four years old. Not only did she really bond with our family, but she also did so especially with my son, Stephen. So, I stand before you all today to boldly and happily announce that Stephen and Grace would be getting married."

While a few people like Mrs. Eweala, the cousin and family friend, cheered, whistled or clapped, Stephen who had just sipped some water suddenly spat it out in shock on hearing his mother's last two words. "What!" He lifted his eyes to give his mother a confused and questioning look. Even the others around, besides Violet, Grace, Mrs. Eweala and Mr. Michaels didn't act surprised. In fact, Violet was completely indifferent to the news. 

"Mother!" Stephen called, perplexed and helpless. How could his mother make such a decision without asking him how he felt about it? He wondered as he turned his head to look at Grace in order to see her reaction but she seemed unperturbed which meant that she already knew before now.

Mrs. Michaels ignored him and said as she lifted her cup of wine in front of her. "How about we make a toast to this? Cheers!"

Everyone rose up with their own cups and clinked glasses together before settling down in their seats once again. Stephen glanced at Grace again and she smiled coyly at him before lowering her gaze as usual and he wondered why she was so shy. Susan, who was quietly fuming in her seat with her fork clamped in her fist after hearing the news suddenly lost her appetite while Violet remained impassive as she continued to eat. When Grace's mother started to congratulate Stephen, Stephen managed to force a smile at the woman, but deep down, he was mad at his mother.

As they all resumed eating again and also resumed the murmuring among one another, Mr. Michaels cleared his throat loudly, interrupting everyone and getting their attention. Then he said as his eyes roamed among Susan, Grace and Violet, "I think I might have a better idea...I think our son should get to choose for himself, Honey." He said to his wife, but loud enough so that everyone else could hear him.

"Chief, what are you doing?" Mrs. Michaels asked in a low tone then said aloud to the others with a nervous smile. "I'm sorry, but my husband doesn't mean what he just said. There's nothing to choose from. Stephen will marry Grace and that's final!" She said as sweetly as she could.

"Honey..." Mr. Michaels leaned forward now and said to his wife. "Marriage is not child's play and I don't think choosing a wife for our son is best. Stephen is a man and he's old enough to decide whom he wants to spend the rest of his life with."

"And the last time he did that, it only caused us shame and regret!" Mrs. Michaels replied her husband as she fixed a cold look on Susan.

"But he's no less a man and can try again. Honey, just as you had your plans, I also have mine and I'm sorry if I'm just jumping into yours like that without warning. During the short time of sitting here, I've had enough time to scrutinize all three of women..." He moved a pointing finger among Susan, Violet and Grace. "...and I have seen that one way or the other they are all interested in Stephen. I think it's best to make things play out on their own almost naturally... Let our son here decide whom he wants and we will give him just three weeks to do that and if by then he hasn't, then you can go ahead with your plans to have him and Grace married." Mr. Michaels said to his wife.

"Fair enough..." Mrs. Michaels hesitantly nodded after a brief moment of pondering, then she turned a scornful eye on Susan again. "But I don't know why you think this girl deserves a second chance after what she did to us!" She hissed in indignation.

"I don't think so too." Mr. Michaels replied. "But Stephen will be the one to prove to us if indeed she deserves a second chance or not."

"Thank you, sir." Susan politely said, relieved that the man had come to her rescue yet again.

"Okay, okay, okay...Wait a minute!" Violet scoffed, finally speaking after her long silence. "Is this some sort of joke or what, sir? I mean no disrespect sir, but are you actually saying that all three of us will have to compete for Stephen's love?" She asked in disbelief.

"Let's not call it a competition, young lady. Let's just say that we are only trying to find out whom my son is worthy of among you three. And not only will you three be under serious surveillance by every member of our family during your entire stay in this house, you three will also have to cohabit together by staying in the same room during your stay here so that we can see just how well you can get along." Mr. Michaels explained.

"Hell no!" Susan blurted then quickly clamped a hand over her mouth when all heads turned towards her direction.

"With all due respect, sir, I'm not interested in such competition, neither am I interested in your son." Violet bluntly said. "I came here just for the anniversary and simply because Jerry invited me, nothing else."

"Sir, she's right... She's not worthy to be part of this family." Susan said now. "...so you know who this Violet of a girl really is and what she does for a living, I'll tell you all!" Susan said boldly while Anne secretly tugged at her blouse in a bid to signal to her not to expose Violet, but Susan batted her friend’s hand away and continued. "Violet here, is actually a-" 

Susan was suddenly cut off by Violet. "Stripper!" Violet blurted without any shame, beating Susan to her wicked act of trying to let the cat out of the bag. When the heads of the family members and those who didn't really know Violet turned to stare at her in shock, Violet remained impassive and even emphasized. "Yes, I'm actually more of a pole dancer and less of a stripper!" Stephen looked away in disappointment and despair, unable to tell her to keep her mouth shut. "In case some of you do not really know whom a pole dancer or stripper is, it simply means that I earn my daily bread by seductively dancing for men while I'm clad in a bikini or very scanty clothes, and sometimes, to earn more tips, I reveal my boobs to men who go berserk when they see them. And just so you know, I'm proud of what I do for a living and I don't intend to give it up anytime soon. Hope I'm clear enough?" She asked, despite the shocked looks on the faces of most of them.

Stephen turned his head to glare at her as he rested his chin in the space between his thumb and index finger. He knew Violet had deliberately done this to irk him and probably make his parents instantly dislike her, and he felt like wrapping his hands around her slender neck and choking some sense into her. She just had to go run her mouth, didn't she? What a stupid girl! As the tension she had caused thickened in the atmosphere, a deafening silence ensued that you could almost hear a pin drop in the dining room. Stephen dreaded his Christian mother's reaction. He glanced at his mother and noticed that while she had her eyes fixed on Violet, her drink was trembling in her hand. When his mother finally recovered herself, she exploded.

"What!" Mrs. Michaels cried out. "Jerry, you brought a STRIPPER into my house?!"

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Jerry sheepishly swallowed hard and started trying to explain himself but he could only stutter. Mrs. Michaels turned a questioning look on her son next. "Stephen, were you also aware that this lady here is a stripper?!" Before Stephen could give a response, she suddenly flared. "What has gotten over the young men of this generation?! Can't you men ever find decent women to mingle with? Why did you all go bring not only a total stranger to my house but also a shameless stripper?!" Mrs. Michaels berated them, fixing a glare on all three friends who avoided meeting her angry gaze.

Violet quickly interceded now. "Mrs. Michaels, please do not blame them. I didn't want to come in the first place, believe me, but after giving it much thought, I was like- fuck it! Why not?" Violet said. "Besides, Mrs. Michaels, I really needed a break from that job of mine and this was just like a get-away for me." Violet rolled her eyes in a lazy manner while Mrs. Michaels glared at her in surprise.

"Listen to me young lady, you will not use such language in my house! This is a Christian home for Christ's sake and you are not allowed to use the F word and others like it!" Mrs. Michaels warned.

"A Christian home?" Violet scoffed, glancing around at the other faces surrounding her. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Michaels but as matter of fact ma'am, I cuss a lot and I do not intend to stop anytime soon. In as much as I hate to admit it, I think Susan is actually right and I think you all should also take to her advice. I do not deserve to be here in the midst of this honorable family, neither will I stoop so low as to compete for your son's love! Last time I checked, he's not the only man alive neither am I desperate!" Violet shot a glare at Stephen and he glared at her back. He was restlessly tapping his foot on the floor under the table in a quiet manner, and if only she knew what was going on in his mind right now, she would cower right where she was seated.

"Then I think you should leave immediately!" Mrs. Michaels tersely to Violet. "We will not incur the wrath of God by letting the daughter of Jezebel dwell in our midst!"

"No." Mr. Michaels suddenly countered in a soft voice. "She stays."

Violet sighed in frustration and disappointment now and her shoulders sagged since all her efforts had just gone to waste.

Mrs. Michaels turned to give her husband a surprised look. "Darling, haven't you been listening? You just heard what she said, didn't you? She's a stripper and there's no way that I'd want my grandchildren to come from a woman who has no etiquette and also uses swear words! Besides, I've put in so much effort into my daughters by bringing them up in the way of the Lord to let some Jezebel come into my house without invitation and initiate them into immorality and lead them to hell!" Said Mrs. Michaels indignantly.