None of them knew they would ever meet each other again. Talk about two parallel lines meeting. But of course, the world is such a small place!
Mama Ngozi has long been living with the guilt of her actions, without even knowing that she has long been forgiven! Her obvious regret of her past actions really touches Cynthia and brings back all the old memories, especially of Okechukwu. Oh God, how much she loved him!. With all the memories replaying in her mind now, she can’t help but miss him more. Her eyes are already stained with tears, but she is trying very much to ignore and push them away. She isn’t going to allow any unhappy memories ruin her happiest day, and certainly not on the account of Mama Ngozi.
And quite reliably, Stella, Edmond’s much younger sister who is Cynthia’s maid of honor, readily appears offering a cotton tissue to her. Cynthia gratefully accepts the timely intervention and now dabs the cotton at the corners of her eyes. She is flanked by Edmond’s reassuring arms around her shoulders, which she finds quite comforting.
She is too happy to start weeping again. Not even so now, with Aunt Christy by her left side and Helen on the other. Edmond shifts aside as the two women quickly appear from around the corner, obviously coming to comfort their baby in the mishap of the moment caused by the crying woman.
Helen and Paul witness the whole episode of the crying woman. They are simply short of words. Helen feels so proud of Cynthia, and Paul is also pleased by her response to Mama Ngozi. They are filled with pride for her and the feeling of having been good parents to her for these years.
Helen also has the opportunity to finally see Mama Ngozi, the woman who gave her reasons years before to wonder at the depth of a person’s carelessness and nonchalance. Though right at that crying moment, Mama Ngozi did not quite strike her as one with many resources! She seemed rather depreciated to Helen, in comparison at least to the picture of the woman painted in her mind all these years. If she wasted her given resources before, at least she now has the greater resource of peace. Helen hopes the woman will spend the rest of her days in less guilt now.
Christy, feeling very retributive and vindictive toward Mama Ngozi, but disarmed at the same time by Cynthia’s gesture, is close to Cynthia. She saw the little scene too, from the moment Mama Ngozi walked in. Right now she is hugging Cynthia with the love reserved for her these past years she has been missing her and Okechukwu. With every cell in her body, Christy loathes the woman that just walked away, and she mourns all the misfits that befell her loved ones in her absence. Christy is very sad that Okechukwu is no more; she found that out two days ago, when she arrived.
The death of Okechukwu has been a big distress to Christy, starting from the moment she asked of the dear boy, only for Cynthia to give her the sad story. Since then, she has been feeling so bad, imagining all Cynthia and Okechukwu have been through without her.
But Christy too has changed, looking quite older and very much sagacious. Cynthia is strong enough now to have successfully pulled her aunty out of the numerous tears that besieged her on the news of Okechukwu’s death. That strength was really helpful in making them all well enough for the wedding excitement and activities. Cynthia did cry at their reunion, but she only cried then with Christy as the stronger woman. This time she was the one that consoled Christy.
Cynthia now thinks briefly through all events of the past few days and concurs quietly, within herself, that she has many joys now. She slowly lets out a sure smile to herself between her tears, as she remembers the recently added item on her list of joys and triumphs.
With that smile of quiet satisfaction, she now quickly tears her gaze from the disappearing figure of Mama Ngozi. Cynthia eagerly scans the faces of her guests and now rests it on Comrade Ignatius Ezeh, where he is sitting with Professor and Mrs. Godwin Ezeh around a full set reception table. Comrade Ignatius Ezeh is a senior advocate of Nigeria and is a one-time regular lecturer at UniLag, but presently he lectures only for the postgraduate students at the university.
Sir Ignatius is a boisterous man and generously gives out very warm smiles. He is the president of IG Chambers and Franchise. He is a dashing man in his late sixties. And now he is Cynthia’s solicitor.
He has been contacting the best professionals in town recently, for the management, current market revaluation, and re-quotation of some old stock in Cynthia’s interest, for an equitable requisition of previous and existing dividends.
With his massive connections and his wealth of experience and expertise, some old family stock of Cynthia’s has been reopened and is now getting favorable considerations all around.
With only a minimal regression in the early years of the stocks, the stocks of Mr. Fredrick Obi, purchased from First Inland Pharmacy Plc and franchised at IG Chambers and Franchise, has appreciated immensely in the past twenty-three years. It has multiplied many times over the period, yielding a tremendous surplus that is quite outstanding now. The initial stock units were high, for that was where Fred had purchased his majority stock holdings.
Naturally, Fredrick named his wife as next of kin. But the only given address on his stock account record was his old home address in the city. Having moved to the village after her husband’s death, Susan couldn’t have received mail and the dividends on the stock.
After five years of mailing out notifications of dividends without any deflation or claims on the monitored account, First Inland Brokerage stopped sending the mail and closed the stocks—but it did not shut it down. Instead, it directed Endless Resource Ltd, Fredrick’s stockbroker, to provide accurate, up-to-date information on the stock ownership and resources. By protocol, Endless Resource licensed the arbitrage to his franchise company. With that, the stock security was insured.
The stocks’ value accrued silently over the years.
Twenty
Just last week, Sir Ignatius re-evaluated all old and existing stocks under his franchise for the next end-of-business-year report, just three weeks away. He singled out a name that rang a bell with the little biography of a lady that had been making the news for the past couple of months. It also happens that this lady, Cynthia Obi, was one of his best students and in fact a favorite one during his days as a regular lecturer in UniLag.
It was mostly out of mere curiosity, and by the gracious act of his sincere inclinations, that he decided to call Cynthia in the first place. Regarding the shares, they have been ignored for years, and the dividends were never claimed ever since.
Sir Ignatius may or may not have still called Cynthia if he had known earlier that the share certificates are untraceable; they must have been misplaced over the years in uncertainty, or probably burned to ashes by the fire, among Fredrick’s other property and documents that were considered meaningless and useless by his uncles. The share certificates wouldn’t have made sense to the illiterate uncles, and neither would they have known what to do with them or the value they bear.
Ignatius is very happy that he called Cynthia up. He is in fact very pleased to discover that the “. . . in the eastern part of the country. Father, Mr. Fredrick Okoroafor Obi and mother, Mrs. Susan Ifeanacho Obi, both late, died when she was still very young. Adopted by a medical surgeon, a man of… She became an epitome of excellence. Graduate of International Law and Foreign Relations from one of our own prestigious universities, the university of Lagos. Nigeria truly has a very patriotic citizen in her, as she is now back in the country for… , having been in the UK for… Her wedding bells are seriously raising air, as golden whistles are blowing everywhere to herald the would-be one of its kind occasion. Both national and international eyes are on Nigeria, as . . .”, he saw in one of the dailies actually referred accurately to one of his best students—and that it promptly matches the description of an old, deceased client with outstanding share dividends.
And when both investor and next of kin are deceased, the value goes automatically, unless stated not, to the nearest existing fa
mily. And here was Cynthia to claim the remains of her parents.
In the week preceding her wedding, they met several times over lunch and breakfast. And yesterday night, Sir Ignatius was invited over for dinner alongside Fredrick’s old broker. The sumptuous dinner was in Cynthia’s home—Paul and Helen’s house. Christy and Edmond’s parents and siblings were all there, too, for the eve of the wedding and the reunion party.
Sir Ignatius now walks up to Cynthia with his wine glass in hand. He saw what just happened with Mama Ngozi, and he cannot resist coming closer to cheer up his best student. “You did well, my daughter,” he says.
“Thank you very much, sir,” replies Cynthia, rushing into his wide-spread arms for a big, fatherly hug.
“You have never disappointed me. And I know my best student is still the best gal,” he adds. “Weep not, child!” He raises her face to smile warmly at her, patting her cheeks.
“Thank you very much, sir,” Cynthia says again as she slightly eases herself out of the hug to look at his fatherly face. “I wouldn’t be what I am today without you. You were the best lecturer, so kind and ever so fatherly to us. That was what helped all of us to be good students.” She smiles at him, even with tears still dropping from her eyes.
“But the exceptional will always be exceptional,” Ignatius insists, holding her by her shoulders. He shakes strength into her and feels very proud of her. He now basks in the glorious satisfaction that his contribution through teaching is well worth the effort. With yet another outstanding example before him now, he is surely doing well.
“You look very beautiful, my dear,” he comments on Cynthia’s sparkling glow and her fine wedding dress.
“Thank you, sir,” she says, returning Sir Ignatius’ wide and infectious smile with her own matching smiles. “And sir, thanks very much too, in a very special way,” she adds.
“For what now?” asks Ignatius.
She hesitates briefly and then takes her time to announce, “For calling me.”
“You are welcome, child. Your father and I were very good to each other. And you, too, are very dear,” replies Ignatius, giving her a warm kiss on her cheeks and smoothly paving way for Edmond, who now appears from behind Cynthia, sliding his benevolent arms around her waist.
The newlyweds slowly begin to dance to the tune of “From This Moment” by Shania Twain, which the DJ timely clicks on for the bridal dance.
Cynthia is indeed too happy to start weeping at Mama Ngozi’s sudden reappearance and the consequent replay of old painful memories.
But later in the night, when everyone is gone and the ceremony is over, Cynthia cries and cries on her pillows. Whether it is of joy, victory, pain, or peace, she does not know—perhaps it is all of them. All she knows is that when she wakes up the next morning, she feels a lot lighter, more peaceful, and happier.
In the large, tastefully planned, and well-decorated bedroom in their very beautiful home in Lekki Peninsula, she curls around her pillows. She could still cry so excruciatingly for Okechukwu, as if he died just yesterday; it is a simple dawn on both herself and Edmond that she misses him a lot, and she probably will forever. Of course, Edmond is ever dutiful to console her in these tears from the pains of her life.
“It’s okay, baby, stop crying. Everything is all right now, like you rightly told the woman at the reception,” Edmond reminds her.
Cynthia looks at him disconcertedly and allows the tears to flow. It is really to be the last of such tears as far as Edmond can see.
“It’s okay,” he says again, holding her face in his hands as he wipes away the tears with two fingers. “It’s okay, my dear. We are together now. I am and will always be here for you, and with you.” He moves from his side of the bed to hers, wrapping the length of her body with his as they lie side by side.
Even in her jolt of tears, she is feeling relieved and so blessed by the warmth of his closeness.
“Come on, my love. Come and cry on my shoulders,” he says as he pulls her up, cuddling her. Cry them all out forever; it is going to be your last.”
She snuggles closer then, winding one hand around his neck and soaking her face into his chest as she sobs away the last sobs on his shoulders and in his arms. She is calmed here endlessly as she relishes the pleasure of his warmth and savors the sweetness of his closeness. Edmond is generous to satisfy her cravings by pampering her with so much tenderness. That is what she enjoys the most about him, and he is ever so doting.
Soon she pulls him over herself, entwining her body with his as they lie side by side. Edmond simply holds her that way, loving and admiring the woman he truly loves, the lady of his dreams!
“Thanks, sweetheart. Thanks for coming into my life.” Cynthia finally gathers her voice to speak to him, but it is a whisper. Then she quietly cradles him.
“You are welcome, baby,” he coos, pulling her ever so close, and much more closer into his heart and life.
She looks at his beloved face now, loving the glitter in those eyes that have forever held her captive. “You are very handsome, Edmond, and also very kind” she says thoughtfully.
“And you are so beautiful, my queen, and very sweet. The tears and pains cannot hide these facts. You are forever my beloved,” he murmurs softly in delight. Then, he kisses away the remainder of her tears off her eyes, cheeks, and lips, before covering the rest of her body with his. Before long, her special bridal night gown was off, and Edmond’s briefs are gone, too.
They reach their lifelong expectation of the eternal worship. Another might call it mere coital exercise, but for Edmond and Cynthia, especially knowing that they had patience to wait it out, it is what it is—a spiritual exercise.
Hours later
Feeling so much relaxed, she daintily elbows him on the bed and calls smugly, “Edmond.”
“Yes, baby,” he replies faintly, opening his eyes slowly from sleep.
“I love you,” she declares.
He stirs awake and simply pulls her leisurely back into his embrace. “I love you too, my love,” he whispers into her ears. “I have always loved you, and I always will. Forever, my beloved.”
“Forever, Ed. I love you forever.”
“I know, baby. I have always known that you love me. It gladdens my heart anytime I hear it from you. I like the sound of it, the way you say it!” He smiles at her with a knowing wink.
“And it pleases me to know that you love me more. I am very happy, just knowing that you love me,” she coos in her own way, wiggling herself closer.
“Yes, my angel. Nothing else could be better than loving someone you love and cherish,” he says, looking devotedly into her eyes again and touching her forehead tenderly.
Filled with words and wanting to express them all, her endless talk continues. “I am also happy and satisfied that you are the one who makes me a woman!”
Knowing exactly what she means by that, his heart sways visibly. Looking at her as she is looking so pretty, he feels so proud of her, knowing what a lucky man he is. And what a gift he is to her, too, that she is his one and only. His desires readily awaken as he says, “With all pleasure, my love. Any time!” Thereafter, he moves over now and straddles her. Then he kisses her mouth very passionately and tenderly.
She instantly turns into a goddess of love once again, heralding another phase of their spiritual exercise. Indeed, with Dr. Edmond, she feels all right.
And that is just the beginning of her happiness. Nothing could be better. She now has everything she dreamed of, needed, and worked for. She worked for money, peace, and love, and she is rewarded adequately and accordingly with money, peace, and love—even more abundantly than she bargained for.
Who said life is not fair, or that life cannot be better? And who said that money, peace, and love have to be mutually exclusive? Not at all! For one can still have, nurture, and make post
erity of them all, all at the same time. So it is with life’s many other sweet abundances.
Cynthia and Edmond are eventually blessed more in their marriage and endeavors. They have more fortunes to afford and maintain the luxuries of love and happiness that not everybody can afford. They are also blessed with four kids: three daughters and a son. To the surprise of her husband and everyone, Cynthia names her boy Okechukwu.
To anyone who says that dreams do not come true, that is not exactly so! Because patience outweighs all pressure, just like perseverance outlives persecution. But of course, such virtues remain more reasonable and lucrative, as long as one is quite sure of one’s dreams and purpose.
One dreams a dream, and the dream finds the one. One makes a bed and so one lies in it. It is just a simple natural law of attraction between a determined mind and its standing goal. Nature is always fair and just. Heavens would always reach down when mortals extend hands above. Always, it truly takes two to tango!
About the Author
Gertrude U. Uzoh is an insightful presenter, singer, public speaker, and writer whose social attributes always positively affect those around her. She is a detailed person who would rather not do a thing if she cannot give it her best. Always on the move for advancement, she believes in change.
She accomplished a BSc. Degree in Computer Science from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and will soon go for her Master Degree. She is a recipient of an Award for her contributions as a facilitator of Millennium Development Goals/Family and Community Life Education (MDGs-FACOLE) during her one year National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) deployment to Bauchi state.
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