Palm lines 2 - Episode 26

 

Ayo's POV

After church service dismissed, I noticed Ife didn't show up, just like she didn't the previous Sunday. I walked up to Tuni with a big smile on my face. 
We had planned on letting the whole family know we're dating, I already told Dad in advance too.
"Hello Sharon" I waved, "Hello Ayo, nice sermon by the way" she commented. "I better leave, not like o have anything to do . I want to leave you two alone" she looked at Tuni before leaving. 
"Today?" Tuni asked and I gave a nod. 
"Yeah today. Are you ready?" I asked and she shrugged as though she wasn't too certain. "I fear your mom would chase me out. She definitely won't accept me" 
"She has no choice" I answered then a church member called my attention. "Pastor Ayo, you heard when Daddy said all Minister are to meet" she dragged my clothes and I begged her to give me a minute and she left. 
"I'm sorry. I had plans to take you out and maybe then we can go directly home" 
"I'll wait" 
"I don't know how long we might take" I answered and she sighed. "Go

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. There are still a lot things I have to learn about being a Pastor's girlfriend; but one thing I know is that I'll have to get used to sharing him with everybody" she answered and I smiled.
The meeting took about thirty minutes and after I got out I saw her talking to some of the youth. She seemed interested in the discussion.
I waited and I tried to steal her attention so she could summarize but  she didn't. Suddenly I saw Abeebat tapped her and Tuni turned towards me and I waved at her.
"Two minutes" she mouthed raising two of her fingers up and I chuckled. 
She smiled then she glanced back at them gesturing and discussing. She walked towards me after five minutes. 
"You said two minutes" I pointed out and she laughed.
"I'm sorry"
"You seemed engrossed in what you were doing" "Yeah I saw Abeebat and I asked her if she was interested in joining the drama group and she told me she was and then she called some of the youth and tjeyy discussed why the drama club died out years ago and the difficulty they've experienced and I totally understand so I was advising on how I've manage to scale through in the industry. I know it's not  the same with the gospel world but the same technique can be applied. We were also talking about rehearsals time, I'm not sure of when I'll be chanced to have rehearsal with them because of my busy schedule and all" she explained and I was amazingly lost just listening to her speak.
"Okay what? You're making me feel uncomfortable" she said and I apologized.
"I'm really sorry. I'm just shocked at the transformation. When I look at that girl that walk into the church that day and who you are today within such short period, it's amazing" i commented and she smiled.
"The miracle of salvation, the best miracle one can ask of" she answered and I smiled. 
After lunch I drove over to the family house. Shope opened up then she smiled at Tuni and I. "Brother Ayo, Good afternoon " she greeted. 
"Good afternoon" she greeted me and we both walked in.
I requested for everyone's presence in the sitting room. I noticed Tuni felt uncomfortable when Mom walked in cleaning her hands on her wrapper.
"What's going on?" She asked and I requested she had her seat. I won't want her fainting on the floor after I break the news.
"Is everything okay? Why is she here?" She asked, "Mom" I held Tuni's palm. "It started yesterday but I want it to be official. I'm with Tuni now" I answered and she scoffed.
"With her as what?"
"Like with her?"
"How?"
"Mummy, what there that you don't understand? What brother Ayo meant is that he's ldating her or courtship as you guys call it. " Banke explained, "Iyawo wa (Our wife)" Shope sat down beside Tuni and mom hissed.
"Iyawo wo? (Whose wife?) Does this lady look like a person any reasonable person can court?" She snapped and I rose up.
"Mom I've made my decision"
"Ayo you haven't oh. What kind of mad decision is that?" She asked and I scoffed.
"Is this what you left Ife for? Someone that will ruin your anointing! You did not see somebody that will boost your anointing, someone that will make your spiritual life better. You want to marry a wayward girl" She answered. 
"You know what Ayo, I've heard enough, I better go." She walked away and I turned towards mom in anger.
"You haven't made any decision" she yelled again and I followed Tuni out. 
I found her outside leaning against the car. "I'm sorry I left" she apologized.
"No. I should apologize for the way she reacted" I answered and she chuckled.
"Not like I was expecting anything less.  I just have to put myself in her shoes, I wasn't exactly a saint when I walked in"
"How about your dad? He was kind of quiet" "He knows already" I answered and she exhaled. 
"I haven't done anything to your mom, why does she hate me so much?" "She'll come around soon. Come on, let me drop you off." I held her hands and she smiled. 

I went back to the house and I found mom in the sitting room. Her focus was on the television but it wasn't on. She didn't even notice me come in. She must have been in a deep thought. 
"Good night Mom" I bent my head leaving and she called me back. "Mom" I argued,  "Come sit with me" she demanded and I did.
"If you're going to talk me into leaving Tuni, mom I'll have to tell you in advance to save your breath cause I won't" I answered and she cried.
"Ife is a good Christian"
"And what makes you think Tuni cannot be made into a good Christian. Whay am I saying? Mom she has changed."
"You don't know women, they're all hypocrites"
"Ife is an hypocrite and everyone knows it" 
"She loves you and she'll help you grow" 
"I want to help Tuni grow and I want her to help my weaknesses too. We'll compliment one another. Mom God called me to help people, to help her. I heard God clearly tell me to help her and I'm proud of the woman she's becoming"
"Your father said the same thing." She answered and it finally made sense why she was talking to me. Dad has definitely manage to confuse her, though she wasn't entirely convinced.
"She's the one Mom. I love her and you have to get used to it cause very soon we'll be meeting with her parents and I would really love to have her as a wife" I answered and she busted in tears.
"So I can't change your mind then" she asked and I shook my head. "No." I answered.
"You just have to welcome her and get used to her."

***
A dream had me wake up on tuesday morning some minutes before five. It wasn't about me in particular, I saw Sharon in a black gown as though she was mourning someone and Tuni wrapped her hands over her but she was too overwhelmed by the loss she fell on her knees then she placed her hands on a brown coffin. 
I woke up and I prayed against it then I called Tuni immediately, "Good morning" I heard her yawn. 
"Sorry I woke you up" I apologized, "Must have been important. What's up?" She asked.
"How's your friend Sharon?" I asked and she hesitated. 
"She's fine, why would you ask?"
"I had a dream about her" 
"That's weird, she's lying next to me. She slept over. Okay, what was the dream about? Should I be worried" 
"She was mourning over someone important." "Who? Me?"
"No. You tried consoling her but she wasn't consoled at all. It seemed like a big loss" 
She sighed. "Thank God it's not me" she answered and I laughed. 
"Can you tell her or her family to go on fast?" I requested and she hesitated. "Well.... How can I explain this to you, things are not okay at the moment so, telling them to go on fast will be like capitalizing on their unhappiness"
"I hope it's not a serious issue?'
"Uh... It'd blow away soon. Things are kind of hot now" 
"When things gets hot, families are supposed to draw close to each other or else the devil might as well capitalize on it too."
"Can we pray for them?" She requested and I agreed.

Tuni's POV

I found Sharon on my bed on Monday evening. She was asleep so I woke her up, I noticed where she laid her head was wet. It was quite obvious she has been crying.
"Are you okay?" I asked and she sat up. "No." She answered and i sat on the bed. 
"What happened?"
"Do you think I'm a horrible person?" She asked and I shook my head. "Sharon you're not a horrible person, at least not by intent" I answered and she chuckled softly.
"Tasha kissed dad and now mom knows and she just kicked Dad out of the house" "I knew that girl was a bitch and I don't regret calling her a bitch. I'll call her bitch even in her face" I snapped and she chuckled again but this time tears rolled down her cheek. 
"I went to meet her and my greatest regret  was not slapping her"
"She's lucky it's  not my Dad she kissed. I'll just drop Christianity and I'll put her in her place. Did your Dad kiss her back?"
"It was his mistake and he regrets it"
"I can imagine how angry your mom is and I'm sure it won't be easy to forgive him like it was for me"
"Yeah... I feel like it's my fault" 
"Yeah it's your fault" I answered and she laughed.
"That doesn't make me feel better about myself"
"I wasn't trying to make you feel better" i answered and we both chuckled. 
"Maybe I could have just let her stay in a hotel"
"You think? What's done is done already, I believe all we just have to is commit it into God's mysterious hands" 
"I broke up with Felix"  she added and I smiled. 
"Thank you Jesus, lines are falling into pleasant places" "I can't believe you just used that analogy" she laughed.
"I'm serious, I'm already dating the man of my destiny, all that's left is for Shirley to leave Ade and he's yours" "Shirley said if I leave Felix, she'll leave Ade and if I eventually get married to Felix, she'll do her best to make Ade happy" 
"When did this happen? I'm I in this world at all?" I asked and she laughed. 
"I don't know. She's not a bad person" "What if she's not the right person for him?" I asked and she shrugged.
"What if I stay here? What will I do. Tuni I've been thinking about a lot of things and my career" 
"People underestimate the power of God in showing revelation. I've tasted of his power and trust me, I will never waste time to go on my knees and ask him to show me the way out of my problems" I answered then I stretched my hands at her.
"Let's pray to God" I requested and she gave me her hands and I squeezed it gently. 

I heard my phone ring in the morning; I glanced at the caller ID, it was Ayo then I looked at the time and I realized it was just twelve minutes before five. 
Why would he call at that time? I asked just before picking up. 
When  he asked me about Sharon, I was shocked since she was beside me. "She's fine, why would you ask?" I asked looking at Sharon once again.
Apparently he had a dream about her. I wanted to know if It was something to be worried about and he revealed to me that he saw her mourning over someone.
"Who? Me?"
"No. You tried consoling her but she wasn't consoled at all. It seemed like a big loss for her" 
I sighed i relief.
"Thank God it's not me" i answered and he laughed. 
He then requested that the whole Savage family should go on fast but I didn't buy the idea because of the current situation in the family.
"Can we pray for them?" I suggested and he agreed. I couldn't sleep any longer so I picked up a book and Bible writing on it as inspired. 
Sharon woke up the following morning with a smile and It made me happy. 
"Okay what happened?" I asked. "Have you suddenly turned into a wizard?" She asked and I laughed.
"Depends" I asked.
"You orayeet for revelation. Doesn't just happen quickly? Cause I had a dream, I was teaching, I had an academy. I was teaching arts and I was happy but I don't want to teacher. I don't know why I was happy" "Your mom's a teacher" 
"It was a really big academy, I flew in and out of the country. It was amazing"
"God communicates through dreams. Maybe he's trying to tell you to stay in Nigeria and make impact. You can make people care about art, find out potentials, start a TV show" I suggested and she laughed.
"I'll need funds"
"Don't you guys own like half of Lagos?" I asked and she laughed again. 
Suddenly I remembered what Ayo said, "Sharon?" I called out, "What?" 
"It's a dream Ayo had, but don't worry you head about it, everything will be fine" 
A lot of good things resurfaced that week, the movie finally ended and Bunmi threw a party. There was a lot of hype on the movies and premiere was around the corner. 
I attended an all actor's summit that was held in Ikoyi and then I had contacts with Jacob Duke, a major movie producer that has set a toll for movies in Nigeria.
Afterwards I got called up by a mega movie producer. We met at his office the following day which was a Friday and I engaged him in discussion about his movies.
"You're going to go far Tuni. You know I'm a kind of producer that works with specific actors. I can make you a millionaire over night" he commented with his igbo accent and I laughed.  
"Thank You Sir. So what do you want from me? You must have called me for something" 
"I've heard a great deal about you and I was wondering if you would like to work with me in a movie I'm currently working on" 
I opened my mouth in shock. "Jesus!" I muttered. "Oh my God, that means a lot to me Sir. I'll really love that. I've dreamt of this moment all my life" 
"You'll be playing the role of a striper who will later be working hand in hand with the police to catch a bad guy. You know how I love the action" he roared like a lion and I faked a smile. "What's your opinion about the plot?" He asked and I suddenly felt uncomfortable on my sit. 
I was thrown off at the mention of striper. I knew it was going to have a little nudity involved so I bowed my head. 
"Are you okay"
"Yes sir"
"It's something I've had in mind and when I saw you at the summit, I knew instantly that It had to be you."
"Thank you Sir"
"I can see the casting already. You anO.C, Chiamaka and many more. So what do you say?" He asked and I picked up my bag from the other chair where I had placed it. "I'll have to think of it" I answered.
"I'll have to go now Sir. I have pending plans but thank you for considering me. I'll let you know my answer" 
****
I entered into my car and I felt hot tears roll down my eyes.  This was all I ever wanted for my life, a day when I would become so popular that my name would be on people's lips. 
A movie with Jacob Duke will change my career. For a moment I began to have regrets and second thoughts. Maybe I met Ayo earlier than I should have. 
My car broke down on the way and I called Ayo to send someone over but he came by himself. "How long have you been using this car?" He asked after opening the bonnet.
"Since I graduated. It was my graduation gift four years ago after I had second class upper in theaters arts" I answered and he laughed. 
"Do you think I need another?" I asked and he smiled.
"We might have to put that on our plan" he answered and I smiled. "Our plan?" I asked and he chuckled.
"Remember I told you about the actor's summit I went to and that movie producer that wanted to see me"
"True. You were supposed to meet him today right? What did he say"
"It was a movie offer?"
"And?" He asked, "He wants me to play a role" i answered and he gazed at me. "Oh..." He paused as though he had read my mind.
"How many men will you be kissing?"
"You make it sound bad"
"I'm not judging you Tuni, it was a question" 
"I'll be playing the role of a striper" I answered and he laughed disdainfully. "So you'll be stripping?"
"Baby, this is all I ever wanted. Ever since I took the decision to be an actress, I wanted the popularity and now it's here and there are a lot factors trying to fight against it"
"For example me and the church"
"Urgh!" I scratched my hair. "This is annoying! I mean it's all I ever wanted"
"Who's arguing with you?"
"Your expression" "I don't think it's my look, maybe it's your conscience. Tuni you said it yourself, we were meant to be. You can as well make your own choice. Tuni, I'm not against you acting but my opinion is that I'm not going to have a wife that goes around showing her nudes on movies."
"You just said wife" 
"I was planning on proposing" he answered and I cried. 
He entered Into the car then he started the car. He stepped out putting his tools back into his tool bag. 
"I have to go.

Read " The Picnic " by the same author ( Essien Eno )

. Just let me know whatever decision you make" he added leaving and I quietly watched him drive off.
Mrs Erika called me almost immediately and I picked up. "Good afternoon Ma" I cleaned my tears. "Have you heard from Sharon and Ade?" She asked and I shrugged.
"No. I haven't Ma"
"Sharon didn't sleep home last night. I thought she was with you or Ade, Ade is not as the restaurant neither is he at his house. Do you have any idea where they might be?" She asked and I shook my head.
"No ma. Have you called them?" I asked, "What kind of question is that?" She snapped, "Ade's workers have not seen him since yesterday. Apparently he didn't show up for work and he hasn't been picking up his calls which is worrisome. I'm scared, what might have happened?" She asked and I shrugged.
"Maybe they reconciled and they're probably hitting it off somewhere" I guessed and she rolled her eyes.
"It better be" she answered and I could sense the fear in her voice. I immediately called Sharon's number.
"The number you're trying to call is currently switched off" I heard and I groaned. I had my problems already, the last thing I needed was another one.

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