It was 5pm and Special was all alone curled up on her sitting room cushion. Mrs Grace was absent as she had to retire earlier than expected that evening after she received a call from her son, citing that she was needed urgently. Special guessed it had to to do with her grand kids, because Mrs Grace was their baby sitter.
Special received her own call of surprise shortly after Mrs Grace left her apartment. It was from no other person but Hope!
The tormentor she knew as a step mother. Hope was calling to inform her about her Father's 65th birthday and retirement ceremony all in one celebration. It was scheduled to be a week long event and it was in three weeks time.
"Hope you are carrying your fat self here o?. There's so much work to be done as we are using a resort owned by the king for this occasion.It is unique celebration and I want it to be perfect. I was even told that the King may attend your Father's book launching ceremony. And am so sure, he will engage Treasure when he comes o".
Hope declared so triumphantly. Special choked on these declarations as it reminded her of Susan's marriage all over again. She was meant to go there as a maid to the family at almost 30 years of age.
"Oh! is my dad releasing another book?" She asked innocently to change the topic from her beloved Treasure of a daughter.
"Look at this stupid girl. Of course he is but you are never around to know things." Hope abuses to her over the phone made her wish most times to disappear.
"For your information, we are contributing money as his immediate family to get him a brand new car. Susan's husband's has brought 2 million already. Treasure has brought 500 thousand. You are aware you are the first child? You better bring more because you are the one he took care of more. Besides you don't have anyone you are feeding or taking care of."
Hope always belitted her at every chance and this cut her so deep this time.
"Oh! your father just came in, talk to him and you better not ruin the surprise we are planning for his gift". Hope whispered.
"Special my Princess" John spoke into the phone.
"Yes Daddy, good evening sir."
"Good evening my Princess! what a long time, it has been. How are you?"
"I am very fine Daddy and you?"
"I am well. I hope I will be seeing you at the end of the month. You have some three weeks to plan right for my birthday?" John sounded so excited on the phone.
"Yes Dad. I will definitely be there?"
"And i hope you would be coming with someone Special like a fiancee because you are not getting any younger my princess"
"Oh please, that your fat daughter has nobody. Treasure with her model like body has not secured a fiancee yet, its your fat nerd of a child."
Special heard Hope say in the background and she didn't know when she spewed out "I will be coming with my husband"
"Your husband? or fiancee? Did you get married?" John questioned his daughter sounding worried and excited.
"Special married? who married her? Is he a blind man?" Hope shouted to her father and Special heard it loud and clear.
"Oh please Hope am talking to her." John fired back.
"If she saw a man to marry her, I am happy for her o. Men nor dey marry that size this days" Hope said and bursted into laughter.
"How did you get married my Princess without informing me? Are you pregnant?" John asked
"No Dad, its just a court thing Dad. I have been very ill, hence I couldn't bring him."
"Special come with that husband of yours. Its a good thing o. Let him come and pay bride price when he comes." Hope sarcastically said.
"Am proud of you honey but are you okay? John asked his daughter.
"I would really like to see that young man who captured your heart."
"I will see you soon Daddy."
"Make sure he comes along with you"
"Yes Daddy I will. Take care of yourself sir".
Hanging up the call, Special wondered what happened to her as she has never told a lie before, how much more deceive her Dad. This was all Hope's fault. She was tired of being treated like a piece of rag not good for anything or anyone. Still shivering, she heard the knock at the front door which startled her greatly because she imagined she had been caught in the lie and they were at her front door.
"Who is there?" She queried.
"Its Derek ma'am!"
"Oh am coming?" She responded adjusting her T-shirt so it balances well on her shorts. She got up and opened the door for him using her body as a shield into the house.
"Good evening" she greeted sulking.
"Yeah good evening Beautiful" He responded looking into her eyes and she immediately looked away.
Staring at her from head to toe, Derek felt a huge pounding in his chest that he reached out to hug her. He almost called her "my peace of mind" as that was exactly how he felt at that minute. He had never felt such attraction to any woman in his entire life.
"Would you mind letting go?"
Special said as she disengaged from the hug. Having no other choice, she moved away from the entrance of the apartment.
"Please come in" Special invited him into her sitting room. Derek kept staring at her as he had never met a woman this full and gorgeous. Her sexiness was not on display, yet it was enticing. He could trace the moulds of her heavy breast covered in a half cup bra wrapped in the white T shirt. Special suddenly wrapped her arms around herself feeling so naked as she caught the man looking at her like she was some sort of food.
Taking the a portioned seat that Special showed him, Derek continued looking at Special as he could not deny or hide the fact that he finds this woman captivating. Since there was only one sofa in the sitting room, they ended up sitting close to each other.
"So what brings you here?" she asked trying to reduce the sexual tension in the atmosphere. She felt so seduced.
"I promised coming to check up on you.
How are you?" Derek asked.
"As you can see, I am doing very well".
"Its good to know. So tell me about yourself and family" Derek questioned.
"Should I get you anything to drink?" She offered being a good host.
"I could drink you".He replied. Special suddenly found herself blushing unnecessary at the young man. He was very handsome and sexy on the eyes.
"You see something you like?*
Derek teased the gorgeous woman before him and she blushed flawlessly. He liked how honest her emotions were on display unlike some calculative women he had met in the past. They were sophisticated but none was this real.
"How was your day?" He asked her to defuse the tension exuding from her.
"It was okay" She answered looking so sad.
"why so sad? Are you feeling any pain?
"No! not at all. I am very okay. I am good." She reassured him.
At that moment, her phone began to ring and she was hesitant to receive the call. After some seconds of hesitation, she pressed the answer button.
"Hello?"
"Mummy said you are married. To who? when?" Treasure asked her rudely over the phone reminding her once again of her predicament.
"I will call you later. " Special quickly responded and turned off the phone. Sensing her anxiety, Derek became worried.
"Is everything alright?" He asked.
"Yes everything is fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah I am. its..just...Can I get you something to drink? for real this time" Special asked trying to distract herself from the line of conversation.
"I am not thirsty for a drink. I will let you know when i am. Now what is it? you can always talk to me."
The aurora of authority was so evident in his voice that Special felt compelled to obey him. Seeing how nervous she became, Derek drew closer to her on the cushion.
"I want yo be your close friend Special. Please don't drive me away"
"I told a lie" She blurted out and put her hand over her face like a big baby. He wished at that moment that she was his baby.
"So?"
"A big lie Derek"
"To who"
"To my family. Especially my Dad" Special sounded defeated.
"What is the lie?" Derek asked already amused at the sight before him. Special peeped out of her palms.
"I said I was married" Derek couldn't help the laughter brewing inside as he let it.
"Oh you find it funny" She attacked gently.
"A little bit funny Special. Okay so i have to ask, are you married?"
"I said I told a lie"
"Why would you tell them that? And if they are your family, Where were they when you were getting married?"
"Do you want the short version or long version of the story?" Special asked.
"Long version. Something tells me, I am going to love it."
"You really like stories then" Special teased.
"No! not at all.I like your story because I like you." Special blushed again and visibly relaxed as she spoke to Derek.
Telling him the conversation with her step mother and Father was easy, although long, yet she didn't talk about how much she suffered in the hand of that witch who calls herself Hope.
"So because you were embarrassed, you rejected being single and alone.Hmmm interesting" Derek commented.
"Yeah, but i am not embarrassed to be single and alone.I just don't want..." Special could spill out her true emotion.
"Your step mom treating you poorly." Derek helped her.
"Yes. sort of. I don't want to be the maid or the out of sort child"
"Okay.I totally understand you"
"Thanks Derek. So what do I do? Should I call my Dad and apologize or just runaway from attending the whole event. I know this option would really break his heart"
"Then consider yourself married in the court as of today."
"You are so funny Derek. I wish it was that easy. Men rarely ask me out or even take interest in me. So where would I see someone?"
"Special I said you are married not looking for whom to marry" Derek corrected.
"Married To who? Who will buy such lie and flow with me? I live alone with zero friends."
"You are married to me." Derek announced confidently and Special was captivated.
"Excuse me?" She asked to be sure she heard him clearly.
"We would go as a couple my Special dear. I will get a court statement saying we are married so they don't doubt your claim." He explained.
"But....but I don't even know you" She stuttered.
"Then we get right unto it because the time is limited. We have only three weeks to know each other."
"This doesn't feel right. They would know that I am lying once they see us together".
"How would they know Special!"
"I mean look at you"
"What is wrong with me?
"You are handsome, you speak well and you seem successful. Who would ever imagine a person like you would be interested in me."?
"When you stop seeing the negative about yourself, you would realize how honoured I am to be in your company.
"Besides I have never asked what do you do for a living."She exclaimed still looking for an excuse. "You drove a convoy to the hospital and back. So tell me, what do you do for a living?"
"I am a jeweler"
"Whoa!!! so you sell gold jewelry?" Not wanting to reveal so much about himself, Derek nodded.
"Hmm something like that"
"But you are not a northerner"
Derek bursted into laughter.
"So Only northerners are jewelers?"
"So sorry for my incomplete knowledge.
You know Our king is also a jeweler but of diamonds."
"Really?" Derek asked trying to find out how much she knew.
"Do you know the king personally.?"
"How would I? am I even up to the servants around him?I don't. I have heard stories about him. But I haven't seen even a picture of him."
"oh!" Derek exclaimed satisfied that he was safe.
"Yeah. by the way, do you earn much from it?" Special asked so innocently.
"Yes I do. Its pretty lucrative if you know what you are doing... So Special back to our court marriage."
"I really don't want to force you into something so shady." Special objected.
"You are not forcing me. I am doing it because I want to. I'd do anything go make you smile."
"Aww that's almost too sweet to say to a stranger."
"Oh so I should say I would do anything to make you cry?"
Special laughed at his sense of humour.
"In fact in the spirit of our new marriage, I suggest we get dinner." Derek offered.
"I can warm up something for you to eat."
"No Special. Let's go out and eat something really spicy"
"I should change into something presentable then." Special stood up to excuse herself and Derek pulled her back into the cushion which made her trip and fall on his thighs. Starring deeply into each other's eyes, Derek knew this was his and no one else's.