29. Meet Thy Parent

Daisy looked at the boutique shelves, the emptiness making her remember Lily's words, Simon is a life time changing opportunity for her, but she's angry at him for not telling her he's chief Akinshola son, though she called him an hour ago to inform him she had taken a decision to go see his parent with him, her head brood over how she smiled when Simon sounded so happy she was meeting his parent for dinner...

Though she wasn't comfortable with the fact she's going to wine and dine with one of the rich men in the country but she's got to push her luck, just like Lily said, it's a life time opportunity that needs to be grabbed with both legs and hands...

She darted her eyes from the empty shelves and dialled Laura's number again.., she tugged her teeth at her lower lip when once again her number was switched off, she wonder if she had seen what her beast of a husband had online....

Heaving in a deep breathe, she moved some of the clothes from the shelve to do some cleaning...., she ran her head through her head when she remember Matthew wasn't home the previous night, Tabitha words making her wish he never returns to her house...

Her eyes flicked to the boutique door prompting her to drop the napkin in her hand and walking towards the door when the person outside his door entered...

"What do you want...?"Daisy asked

Barry look around before speaking...."Am sorry for bothering you..."

Daisy suck on her teeth and refix her gaze on the shelf.....

"I..."Barry stuttered..."Can you do me a favour...?"

Daisy hesitated before turning to face him again..."What favour Barry..?"

"Can you talk to Janet...?"

"Tell her what...?"

"I believe you already know..., she told you, didn't she..?"

Daisy almost hissed at his statement.."If you're talking about how you sent a woman to insult her in her workplace, yes she told me..."

Barry sniffle, a bit abashed..."Okay.., i.., can you just beg her for me.., tell her am sorry again.."

"Why don't you tell her yourself man...."

"She blocked my line.."

"Try calling her with a different line.."

"I did, she ends the call and block the number whenever she hears my voice..."

"Then stop bothering her..."

"That's it.., i can't.., i love her..."

"Boy, you don't know anything about love.."Daisy said crisply before starting her cleaning...

Barry swallowed...."Can you do it..?"

"Do what..?"Daisy riposte refocusing her gaze on him again..

"What i just said.."

"No.."

"Please.."

"I can't Barry, if you want to talk to Janet, you know where to find her..."

"She doesn't want to see me.."

"And you think she'll listen to me...?"

"You're her friend..."Barry said, voice benign...

Daisy grunt before dropping the napkin..."Look Barry, i can't do it.., if you want to talk to her, you go do it yourself..."

"Please.., am begging you, all you have to do is tell her I'm sorry for what i did..."

"Why on earth did you do that to her in the first place...?"Daisy queried before folding her hands across her chest..

"I was angry..."

"Angry huh..!"

"She turned me to her cousin in front of that prat.."

"His name is Kenny.."

"Whatever his name is.., tell me if you were in my shoes, you wouldn't have done the same..."

"What i would have done is move on with my life..., breakups and heartbreaks happens everywhere and everyday...."

Barry look away, breathe into his palm before looking at her again..."Look, i know what i did was stupid.."

"Mm-hmm..!"

"Which is why am asking you to do this.."

"You think me doing this will help you get back with her...

"Am not getting back with her.."He cut in brusquely...."All i want is for her to forgive me for what i did.., i don't want her resenting me..."

"Well deal with it Barry.., she's going to resent you till she doesn't feel like resenting you.."

"And when will that be..?"

"Well if you know you know, you know..."

"What's that even supposed to mean..?"

"It means i don't know.."

Barry sigh, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he stare up the ceiling....."Just talk to her for me okay.."He said looking down at her..

"Okay..."Daisy shrugged a bit tired of his presence...

"Will you..?"

Daisy frown, her brows snapping together...."I'll try okay...."

"You think she'll forgive me..?"

Daisy stuck her nose in the air, his words flaring up her inside with disgust..."I don't know Barry..."

"Do you know she left me because I'm a photographer...?"Barry gawked

"I don't know Barry..."Daisy said crisply

"She did.., that's why she made me her cousin and broke up with me because this Kenny guy look richer than i am.."

"Okay..."Daisy leered when she found no other words to say...

"It's not okay..., i loved her, it turns out all she wanted was the money..."

"Everyone wants money Barry, and maybe if you weren't very stingy with it, she wouldn't have left you if she really left you for Kenny because of that.."

"I was saving the money for us..."

Daisy winked before giving him a half smile..."Did you tell her that...?"

"I did.."

Daisy raised her brows..."Am sorry she left you.."

"Yeah, tell her am sorry i did that to her too..."He riposte before walking out of the boutique

Daisy took a deep breathe and returned back to her work...

********************

Daisy's eyes fluttered as she stare from Simon's car at the enormous house in front of her, The mansion loomed proudly behind creaky iron gates, perhaps only twelve feet wide at the front, but it stretched some thirty feet back like a giant shoe box. It was two stories high and had a one story extension at the rear for another building.... a small rose garden planted at the front added to the beauty in reminder to people, this was no ordinary man's house....

"Are you nervous...?"Simon asked, his mouth curving into a smile..

Daisy ground her jaw..."Why didn't you tell me you're chief Akinshola's son...?:

"Does that matter...?"

Her eyebrows waggled..."It does..."

"I just don't like mentioning my family name to the women i date.."

"Why, you think they'll jump on you because of the money even if they aren't interested....?"

"Yeah, something like that.."

"You thought i would do that..?"She asked tight-lipped

"No.., i never thought that about you, Daisy, you're different, and you're the kind of woman i want to spend the rest of my life with.."

"Well good men don't keep secret..."

"I wanted you to love me for who i am, not what i am..."

"Is that why you lied...?"

"I didn't lie, i just didn't tell you who my parent are.."

"You told me you're an accountant at Shola's enterprises, turns out you own the place..."

Simon heave a deep sigh as he drew his lower lip between his teeth..."I'm sorry.."

"What other lie have you told me...?"Daisy queried

"Non..."

"Are you sure..?"

"Am positive..."

Her jaw tightened as she look back at the house..

"Can we go in now...?"Simon chimes in..."They must be waiting for us inside..."

Her lower lip quivered at the thought of everything that could go wrong....

"Okay..."She said

He plastered a smile on his face.."My parent will be excited to meet you..."

"I pray so.."Daisy said crisply before coming down from the car..

*****************

Just stepping on the house alone made Daisy breathing rapid and shallow, she felt her pulse pounding in her temples...., she didn't want to chew on her lips or nails, so she found herself gawking on the insides of her cheeks, because between her heels and her legs shaking, she's afraid she'll trip...

Her eyes flick at the marvelous structure and design of the house before she leap a sigh of anxiety from her mouth reminding herself she's just meeting his parent....

"Jesus focus Daisy..."She whispered to herself..

A muscle twitch involuntarily in the corner of her eye and her stomach sunk with adrenaline as her eyes jammed the famous chief Akinshola and his wife climbing down from the stairs, both husband and wife dressed in yoruba attire...

"O dara baba irọlẹ"Simon greeted in their local dialect before leaning in for a hug...

Daisy manage a smile even though she was tripping hard in the inside..

"Good evening sir..."Daisy greeted going on her knees

"You must be the beauty my son spoke about..."Chief Akinshola said, a smile accompanying his words...

"Am flattered sir.."Daisy replied still maintaining her smile

"Daisy my mum.."Simon chimes in pointing at the elegant lady at Chief Akinshola side..

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ma'am..."

"You too young lady..."Mrs Akinshola returned, forcing a smile on her face..

"The food has been served, let us dine.."Said chief Akinshola..

With her hand on Simon's, Daisy managed to walk to the dining with them....

Daisy wowed at the table laden with delicacies of different kinds, Everything you can think of, and things you have never dreamed of, lies in wait to be devoured.... roasted cow meat and pigs and goats still turning on spits. Huge platters of chickens stuffed with savoury fruit and nuts...., fishes drizzled in sauces and dipped in spicy concoctions, Countless cheeses, breads, vegetables, waterfalls of wine, and streams of spirits that flicker with flames situated on the table....., she heave a deep breathe and murmur to herself...., she has arrived...

"So young lady...."Mrs Akinshola drilled in with a fine accent...."What's your name...?"

Daisy feel unsettled by the question.., she thought Simon already told them her name..."Daisy.."

"No last name...?"

Daisy swallowed forcefully..."Jersey.., Daisy Jersey.."

"Are you a graduate...?"Mrs Akinshola asked taking a bite of the meat..

A flush crept up Daisy's face at the sound of the question, but still, she swing in a smile..."University of Nigeria, Nsukka"

"And what is your qualification there?"Mrs Akinshola queried..."Ist class, second class, or perhaps, a pass...?"

Daisy sigh and balled her eyes into Simon to body tell him she wasn't okay with the questions...

"Huhh..."Simon slurred.."Mum.."

"I want to know her Simon.."Mrs Akinshola riposte.."She's going to be my daughter-inlaw..., i just want to know if she knows what it takes to be the daughter-inlaw of this family.."

"Honey.."Chief Akinshola chimes in...."That isn't necessary.."

"Darling.."She pout...."You know who we are in the society, it's very accentuate to know if the soon to be new member of the family have the right grades to match our standard..."

"A second class Ma..."Daisy sneer...

"And why my dear, is it a second class, you didn't read...?"

Daisy's jaw clenched.."I did.."

"So did you further your degree...?"

Daisy simpered before answering..."No Ma'am..."

"My son attended one of the best university your little fickle brain cannot dare to think, he got the best and highest degree there is, do you actually think you can get married to my son with your second class result..?"

"I love her Mum..."Simon chimes in..

"Oh son.."She coos..."Love is not everything, have you forgotten everything i told you, when you said you were bringing a girl home, i thought you meant Gladys..."

"Gladys and i broke up a long time ago mum..."

"People break up to make up son, how many times do you think your father and i broke up before we got married.., Gladys is the right woman for you, she's pretty, she speaks eight foreign languages, her father is rich and like her name, she gladens my heart..., you can't just bring a gold-digger from the street and say you want to marry her, are you high..?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt Ma'am..."Daisy chimes in, irrìtation sweeping across her face..."Am not a gold-digger.."

A cruel smile circled Mrs Akinshola's face.."Who's your father...?"

"Jersey.."

"And what does he do..?"

Daisy bit her lip.."He was a farmer..."

"Was.."

"He's late now.."Daisy said crisply...

"Well I'm sorry for your loss dear, but with your standard, i don't think you fit into the Akinshola's family..."

"Honey..."Chief Akinshola cut in.."Do not say that to the girl, anyone can fit into any family..."

"Gladys can.."She replied with a cringe at Daisy..."Am just not sure about this one,... she look like those girls who wait in line in the streets of Asaba at night."

Resentment hammered Daisy and she was almost at the verge of latching out....

"That's enough mum..."Simon snarled..."I love this woman and am willing to spend the rest of my life with her..."

"Son, we move with people of our calibre..., take Gladys for instance, her father is the vice president of Zimbabwe and he owes verse companies in any country you can think of.., that is the kind of family i want you to marry from, not every good thing on skirt you should love son, love and marry a girl who befits your status and ours.."

Anger dawned on Daisy as her breathe rose and fall..., the moment a tear fell from her eye, she stood up....."Excuse me sir.."She whimpered, push the chair aside and began to walk away not caring if she got a reply or not....

"Mum..."Simon's voice rumbled low before he stood up to go after her.....

"That wasn't fair on the girl honey.."Chief Akinshola said

She scoff.."She's not good for our son.., she even wears fake eyelashes..."