CHAPTER four

MICHEAL

The cock-and-bull story my mother told me when I got to the house made my blood boil. How could she ask a total stranger to be my wife? She made it sound like there was something wrong with me that's why I needed prayers and her help to get a woman for myself.

For crying out loud, there was nothing wrong with me and I was well capable of getting a woman. I didn't need her going to church to pray for me like I had spiritual problems or health problems. She just made me madder and madder with her recount of how she met the lady's mother.

I mean how could she give me away to a thirty-year-old woman? Even if she was to find me a wife, shouldn't she be at least younger maybe early twenties but thirty? Thirty years and unmarried, there must be something wrong with her. Most girls I knew married at the age of twenty-six, twenty-seven or latest by twenty-eight but not thirty. For me, by thirty years if a woman wasn't married then there was something wrong with her character or she is sick.

The fact that she was well to do and unmarried said a lot about her. She might be very arrogant and disrespectful. Most financially stable women were and because of that men stay away from them. These women have no respect for men just because they are financially stable and see no need for a man. They just don't take bullshit and as such do not see the need to submit to a man.

Another reason could also be that she was very selective of her choice of man and because of that no man seemed to be good enough for her. People may say I am being sexist but I want my woman to be humble and also I want my woman to respect me.

I couldn't believe my mother for the choice she had made. Also, my dad was of no use. He just sat there starring at my mom while she recounted her story and said nothing. In fact, he was very supportive of my mom actions. Why wouldn't he? What was I even expecting from him? My dad was the type of man who allowed his woman to run the house. He raises little to no objections to my mom. Whatever my mom wanted to do, she did and my father always had nothing to do about it.

The only time you would hear my dad raising his voice was when he was talking to me. Whenever I did anything bad that made my mom worry, my father would be at my throat. At the moment, I knew he was just there to make sure I agreed to my mom's request. I should have known better than to think that he would help me dissuade my mom.

"Maa, believe you me, I am not getting married. I will get married but it will be in my own time and with the woman of my choice. You have done enough for me and I appreciate all of it but I can't do what you are asking of me now. I can't have a woman I don't know as my wife period." I said ending the discussion or so I thought.

"But the pastor said you two were destined for each other. You have to get married oo if you want peace. You have to." She said before doing her thing. She started crying. She sat down and started wailing as if someone was dead.

My father who had been sitting through it all finally spoke. "Listen young man, it takes a day to know someone. This is not the first time in the world where someone married someone they did not know and you won't be the first man to have married a stranger. Some people get married to people they thought they knew very well but would later find out after their marriage that, they actually knew nothing about the one they have married. You are marrying someone you know is a stranger and that makes you luckier than them. Look, I understand your concern but you have to understand your mom as well. she wants what is best for you and she is doing what she knows is the best. Let's make a deal. Marry this woman and if after a month you still don't like her then you can call it quits and no one will bother you again. How does that sound huh?" he said.

This was by far the longest speech my father has ever given in his life. To me he was a man of action and few words. His words made sense though but, I still wasn't willing. So many things could happen within a month and I had no idea if the things were going to be good or bad.

My mother was still crying. She had managed to squeeze out tears from her eyes that were right now running free upon her cheeks. I signed, "okay, one month, I think I can do that."

"Good," my father said. But promise me son that you would do your best to make this work. If this is going to be the first and last time you try marriage then give it your best shot okay."

"Okay, I promise but I would hold you by word. You said you won't interfere in my life again and that all the wedding expenses will be paid by you two, right?" I asked just to be sure and to let them know that I was still not going to contribute.

"Yes," my mom said wiping her fake tears."We will take care of everything. Thank you, my son. You have made your poor mother happy. If I am to die today, I will die a happy mother."

"It's okay don't start that." I said stopping her before she even started. "I am going to my house but can you at least let me first see her picture." I requested.

My mom hurriedly went for her phone and showed me her picture and I was amazed. The woman I was staring at was very beautiful. She was smiling and her dimples were showing. Her body was just the type I wanted. In short, she had a round ass and I was an ass man.

"What did you say she did for a living?" I asked again.

"She is the owner of Time and Chance restaurant. She started small as a street chef but later her business boomed and she now has a three-star restaurant can you believe it. A woman like her is a blessing and can help make you far more successful than you already are. She is very hardworking and not like the other ladies chasing men for money. It is hard to find a woman like her. She is an independent woman and you will like her." my mother said add more praises but she didn't know that she was scaring me.

Truth was, I was liking what I was hearing and seeing but, there was a problem. Most men were afraid of successful women and I was one of them.

If she was this successful then probably, she saw no need for a man in her life and might give off bad attitude. I didn't want a woman to lord over me and a woman like her might do just that. But the face I was looking at was quite humble. I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I was liking what I was seeing. She was the owner of my favorite restaurant and she had the exact body I liked so maybe this won't be so bad.

If we met and she was as humble as she looked and she proved she didn't play around with men to be that successful then, this might actually work but, if she was as arrogant as I suspected then it would be hell on earth for the both of us.

This marriage is going to be really interesting.

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