The Odds Are Against Me - Episode 27

 

"Who is that?", I asked turning back and looking at her, as she pointed.

"Is that Lola I'm seeing. I thought she wasn't invited or who invited her?", Funmi asked rhetorically.

"Are you asking me?. Since she is here, I guess someone invited her", I said.

"Okay o", Funmi said and drew her cloth up a bit, as we continued walking towards the church. We entered the church and sat by the second rows of the pew . The wedding activities had started, and Bella was walked down the aisle by her father. Her face looked overwhelmed with happiness. She smiled as she walked slowly with white veil that was used to cover her face. During the exchanges of vows, I was taken aback to when I did it the last time. It brought back an everlasting memory I had at the alter with Funmi. I smiled and gazed at them, when the pastor proclaimed them as a husband and wife, commanded them to kiss each other, and they locked lips.

After the wedding had finished, we all left to the venue of the reception. While outside the church, I waited for Funmi, and she strutted with Sheila and they came to where I stood. I had carried Anderson and Bola to the back of the car, while I stood beside the opened door waiting.

"Dear, I hope you are not angry with me. I was discussing something important with Sheila", she said.

"Hey, Sheila, how are you doing?" I asked facing her.

"I'm good," she answered with beam of smiles.

"Err, Funmi, we will discuss more when we get to the venue for reception", Sheila said and waved at us, indicating that she was about to leave.

"Wait, I want to ask something

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. How come Lola is in this wedding?", Funmi asked.

"Woh, leave that matter. You know Lola and her behaviour of tagging along. I will explain later," she said and gesticulated. We entered the car, and drove to the venue. When we got there, we alighted at the compound where different cars were packed..

The compound was tiled and the hall building was painted ash. There was lot of balloons hanging in the air, outside the main entrance. We had a red carpet which people stepped on as they marched into the hall. The inner part of the hall was big and spacious. The chandeliers and fans dangled on the decking above each tables. The tables glowed as different glass cups, plates and other things were littered on it. Not long after, everywhere was set and ready, as special people were called to sit at the tables reserved for them which came with name tags. I sat with Funmi and my children on the same table reserved for us with Sheila and her husband. Her children didn't come with them. 

"Hey, Sheila, that's your husband, I guess", I said and extended hands to Sheila's husband.

"Hey, what's up?," he said and accepted my hands. That was the first time we were meeting since I knew Sheila.

"I am Afamefuna, by the way," I said.

"I am Tunde," he said. We chattered away and discussed about other things.

***
The couple danced down the hall with the bridesmaid and groomsmen, to the place reserved for them. The MC came with the usual wedding talks, then other activities. A man came to crack jokes. Some children came to perform choreography and dignitaries gave speeches after the couple parents had finished. Bella danced really well and I taunted Funmi with it.

"So, you have a friend that can dance this way but you don't know how to dance", I said.

"Not like you can dance too. We are perfect match for each other," I said and we giggled.
The aura the party presented was scintillating. There was sumptuous food in abundance. People ate and drank to their satisfactions. Some government officials were represented and police men and women assumed the roles of bouncers in an event.

"Phew, I'm so tired. Well, all my friends are married," Funmi said immediately we got home. We got home around 8:00PM and our children had slept off at the back seat of the car, while we drove home.

Read " Resuscitated Hope " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. Immediately, we got in, I carried Anderson in, while Bisi carried Bola. We took them into their room and tucked them in.

"Really? What about Lola presence you were worried about earlier today?" I asked sitting in the bed with only my brief.

"Forget that one. I heard she pleaded with Bella and Sheila to grace the wedding. She bought the fifty thousand naira asoebi," Funmi said.

"Oh really?" I said.

"Yes, I guess she came to look for a rich available suitors with little money she have. Well, that's her business. If not that I hardly discard people, I'd have done that to her long time ago," Funmi said. "I need to take my shower and have a good sleep. No need to waste time talking about her".

After she was was done taking her shower, she jumped into the bed and laid down. I switched off the light, and we slept off. The next day, Funmi went to work and I decided to take a stroll after I was done performing my online activities with my laptop. On my way, I bumped into someone.