AMBER ROMANCE

Amber Romanx

When the hearts knows

Chapter sixteen

Uche couldn’t believe how naïve she was being, couldn’t she see that he was in love with her. Yes she couldn’t see he accepted. He hadn’t told her and he suddenly didn’t know how to. In all his life he had only told a woman once that he loved her and she nearly wrecked his life.
“I don’t blame you for thinking that way but that is not the reason I want to marry you, we are meant to be together, you and I” he smiled at her
“People get married because they love each other Uche”
He slowly held her in his hands “Yes they do” he answered “But we have more than love going for us honey, if we really open our eyes we will see”
He was hedging she knew but she couldn’t seem to bring him to tell her the real reason and she decided to stop asking.
“So what do you think about my castle” he asked trying to distract her and at the same mentally kicking himself. He was known for being in control. Why did he have to ask her to marry him when he wasn’t ready and why was he not taking back his proposal, she has given him enough chances to do exactly that.
“It is paradise.”
He wondered what she was referring to as paradise till he recalled that he asked a question.
“We just have time for a dip in the pool before we get ready for dinner.” Reluctantly Nma followed him out of the hall to the pool side.
“You know we can skip going to dinner at my mother’s place, we would have more fun here”
“Now that is tempting but she invited us Uche, me especially. First impression matters”
He smiled at her “So you are no longer terrified that she prefers Angela?”
“You prefer me. That’s what matters”
Without waiting Nma dived into the waiting pool. As Uche was about to dive in, his phone rang and he went to pick it at one of the tables beside the pool where he had left it earlier. Nma watched him speaking on the phone before she knew it Mrs. Ekpo served him some papers which he shuffled as he spoke on the phone. That gave her time to think about what her decision was going to be. Was she going to marry him like he said, because somehow she could feel it in her bones that they have more going for them than love? she looked at him again so relaxed and working as if he asked a woman to marry him on a daily basis while her inside were mushy and confused. She grew upset she wondered why he was working when he was the one who said they should forget about work and spend the day together. Angrily she turned her back to him and swam to the other side of the pool.
“Sorry about that” he murmured behind her startling her. She didn’t even notice him enter the pool.
“It was an emergency I needed to give some people instruction concerning my coming trip.”
“You’re forgiven I wasn’t actually annoyed.”
“Really I’d be surprised” he teased.
“I was but momentarily”
“That’s better but you can do more.”
“Alright I was angry but....”
“No buts I’m sorry”
“You’re incorrigible” she said hitting him on the chest.
“Looking for trouble again?”
“No I’m not” she begged as he started swimming towards her.
“Don’t you think its time we go get ready for your parents house considering the long drive ahead of us”
“You’re right” he said with obvious reluctance.
“I’ll race you out of the pool” she said and started swimming as fast as she could. But Uche was the better swimmer so he came out first and helped her out. She walked round him and pushed him in.
“I won” she said and ran inside the house. Inside, she didn’t know where Mrs. Ekpo kept her over night bag and she didn’t know where to find the woman.
“There you are you little minx” Uche said behind her.
“Waiting for you to do your worst”
“Really he lifted her up running upstairs. There laughter and noise echoed throughout the house. Mrs. Ekpo hearing them sighed happily at last the time had come, he had found someone to love.

Nma sat beside Uche in the sports car.
“What time are they expecting us” she asked?
“We still have enough time”
“I don’t want to be late first impression matters”
“Don’t worry my family loves you already and it wouldn’t matter if you’re late”.
“Oh I know one member of your family who is not so keen on me”.
“My Mum, you’re mistaken she adores you, after all she took the trouble of inviting you personally”
“Yes I know still I have my doubts”
“Even if she hates you, you have nothing to fear. I am with you”
“That’s what gives me courage”
She smiled at him and he put his hands over her shoulder and hugged her.
“I am the one you are going to live with, don’t let them scare you” he squeezed her shoulder and removed his hands around her to concentrate on the road.
She smiled at him while her heart was racing, she knew she was going to dissuade him from his thinking that they were getting married. She was not getting married to him if he didn’t love her. She could also feel butterflies in her belly, she was nervous about meeting his family, especially his mother. She wondered if Angela would be there, no she wouldn’t Nma concluded
Self consciously, she smoothed her dress. The gown was a knee length body con tube gown, black in color and she topped it with a silver puffed sleeves jacket and high heels silver shoes, the peep toe type. She didn’t want to appear over dressed and she was very impressed with her chic look and Uche thought so too.

Uche pulled to a stop in front of the big mansion that belonged to his parents. There was no doubt that she was nervous even though there were million of reasons why she shouldn’t be. Going to see her future parents in law if Uche was serious was important to her because they would turn out to become the only parents she would have and she wanted them to genuinely like her. It wouldn’t do any good for them to become enemies. If so they would end up antagonizing her wedding plans. No matter how much she loved the man, she wouldn’t be totally happy if the parents didn’t approve or some members of the family didn’t approve, especially if the person was going to be her mother in law. She thought wearily.
Try as much as she could, she couldn’t say how loyal Uche was to his mother. Though he seemed to have a will of his own, she had seen him put her in her place at Eva’s party. Still mothers have this uncanny influence on their sons and most shared a very deadly closeness with them. The measure of influence Rose had on her son she didn’t know. She would never know because she never had a mother. Maybe that was why she was able to understand Uche’s father better. She thought and heaved a sigh. Then she stopped, what was she thinking, she was not getting married to Uche. How could she be thinking like that? No way was she not going to let this get into her head. She turned to Uche.
“Finished day dreaming, it is about time we got out of the car”
She became embarrassed, she wasn’t aware that the car had stopped and that he was talking to her. “I am ready to meet anyone now even count Dracula”
He laughed “My father will be pleased at the comparison. Very well shall we?”
He came down and went round to open the door for her
“Did I tell you how lovely you look tonight?”
“You have but what woman minds being complimented several times”
He chuckled softly leading her to the direction of the building. Before they got to the door, it was thrown open by smiling Eva. Nma gave quiet thanks for the familiar and friendly face. It was more than she could ask for, to begin the evening with Eva’s smiling face rather than Mrs. Okoha’s sour one.
“Oh! Welcome Nma, you look as lovely as ever” she beamed, hugging her and kissing her on both cheeks.
“Mom is in the kitchen, come in and meet everyone” she ushered them in. “Everyone is in the great hall. And Nma congratulations!” she said earnestly.
“Thank you” she answered wondering what she was congratulating her for. They entered the room and were shocked to see it filled with people. Uche smiled, he turned to Nma.
“That’s my mother for you; she loves to have parties”
She didn’t expect all these people, she thought she was coming to meet only the parents, maybe Eva and Charles and no one else. Suddenly her breathe caught in her throat, standing a few feet from her was Chucks, the Nigerian international football star, voted most sexiest man twice in Europe and Nigeria.  She had met the man before but seeing him again was breath taking. She wondered why women didn’t fall at his feet everywhere he went. Standing beside him was Stanley. They have this aura about them that reminded her of Uche. The two of them walked up to them. The footballer punched him playfully at the stomach.
“You are a mean bastard” he accused
“You are getting married?” the other punched him and Uche held his stomach. Nma gasps with concern; she thought that they are being too rough with him. Then what they said dawned on her, getting married, how did they know that? That was what Eva was congratulating for. How did they know? What did he do?
“Where have you been all my life” the footballer asked distracting her. He took Nma’s hands and kissed it. He held it a little while longer intentionally to annoy Uche. Uche snatched her hands away from him. Nma thought that was rude but there was something about this friendship that she was yet to understand. Uche turned to her
“Sweetheart, these are my friends, you have already met them. The pretty face is Chucks and the monkey is Stanley”
She smiled at them.
Uche led her to a seat; she had been introduced to a lot of uncles, aunties and relatives that her head was reeling with their names. They were all very friendly and earnestly congratulated Uche on his choice of bride. She wondered how she was going to get out of the marriage now. To everyone here, she was practically married to Uche. She and Uche were going to have a long talk after this night. But for now, she was going to enjoy being his fiancée.
“I’ll go and get you a drink” he said and left. He came back bearing two drinks one for himself and one for her. Nma sipped the drink wondering where Uche’s mother was, was her disappointment so great that she could not bring herself to come and welcome her.  She thought sipping her drink slowly while conversations whirled above her head.
“Hello darling surprised I was invited”
Nma’s head shot up at the familiar voice, she couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Angela standing before her in a provocative black shiny short gown which clung to her body like a second skin. She was standing with her parents.
“I am more family than you realize, we are kindred spirit” she added for Nma’s benefit.
Uche stood up to greet her parents and Angela used that opportunity to hug him. He disengaged himself from her body.
“So this is the girl who captured your heart” Angela’s father asked without guile, drawing Nma to her feet and clasping her hand in a warm hand shake. “A lovely wife you’ve got yourself my boy”
“Oh! Daddy you are so old fashioned, she is not yet his wife. They are just betrothed” said Angela maliciously.
“It amounts to the same thing” the old man stubbornly insisted.
“Actually your dad is not mistaken, Nma is definitely my wife, and we just need to legalize the processes
“Congratulations” Angela’s mother said with daggers shooting from her eyes. It was easy to see she wants Uche for her daughter. If looks could kill, Nma thought as they drifted away.
Just then Uche’s mother walked in majestically in a rich burgundy evening gown that showed off her still youthful body. “There you are dear” she said walking towards Nma. Nma was confused, she didn’t know if the smile was meant for her or for Angela who was standing behind her. She stopped in front of Nma and drew her to her feet, hugging her dearly.
“Has everyone met my new daughter?” she called and everyone responded accordingly.
“She is lovely isn’t she? My son made a wise choice wouldn’t you say? She asked boldly laughing at their comment. She drew Nma to side; Nma was too stunned to speak. She could see Uche smiling at her like I told you so.
“Surprised?” Rose whispered to Nma. “Come with me” she said and Nma followed her. “You may call me Rose, everyone does unless you’d rather call me mother” she said as they entered the kitchen. She turned to face Nma. “I know you are surprised”
“Too stunned to speak I would rather say” laughed Nma nervously.
“I know you would be wondering why I have been rude to you”
Nma nodded
“The truth is I was very glad he brought you to Eva’s party rather than Angela”
“Now I am really shocked” said Nma.
“Let me shock you more, even then I wasn’t sure you were not another Angela but after my visit I was convinced you are the best my son could have”
“But you left angry that…”
“I was impressed that you care for my son and not for what he is”
“Still I brought I him, I did as you asked” Nma said praying that the woman didn’t change her mind and believe she was here to hold her to her promise.
“But I didn’t do it so that I would sell my clothes moreover he wanted to come”
“I know” Rose answered “I invited him myself with a threat only a mother can pull off” she smiled kindly at Nma
“What threat?”
“You see my son is a stubborn man and likes to be in control always. He never liked people telling him what to do or how to live his life. He hates it most when he feels like his decision has been influenced by someone, you know what I mean?” she asked.
“I think I do”
“When he was younger, if I wanted him to turn right, I would ask him to turn left, he would of course do the opposite because he doesn’t want anyone meddling in his affairs. Of course this doesn’t mean that he doesn’t pay heed to good advice”
“I know what you mean” Nma’s eyes narrowed in understanding. It was now clear to her why Rose practically labeled Angel her daughter in law at Eva’s party. “I now understand” Nma laughed. Not only that, it was also clear to her why Uche was so stubborn.
“He must have been a handful when he was growing up”
“He was more than a handful” she smiled at the memory. “There were four of them plus Eva” she laughed remembering.
“Four of them?” Nma asked puzzled.
“His friends, Chucks, Stanley and Charles, I practically raised them”
Nma laughed at some of the pranks Uche and his friends pulled when they were younger. And she was still laughing at what Rose told her when Uche walked in.
“How could you Mom?”
“What?” Rose asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes?
“You are telling her all my childhood secrets, next you will be showing her those horrible pictures you of took me when I was a kid”
“Now you have reminded me, I’ll do just that”
“You just dare” Uche looked quite shocked and his mother laughed. She turned to Nma
“Maybe not today but do remind me to show you some other time”
“I wouldn’t dare forget” she smiled at her.
“In that case I had better get you away from her before she does just that” Uche said leading her out of the kitchen.
As they were coming out, they bumped into Uche’s father who immediately whisked her away, pressing a drink into her hands. “So the old man can tell the future” he asked
“So you can, neither of us could tell then” she said, it pained her that the man might yet be disappointed when she told Uche she was not going to marry him, she thought trying to see where Uche was but she didn’t see him and his father distracted her by his comments.
“I saw it coming and I am mightily happy about it”
“I can see that you are” she told him, wishing that he would stop talking about the marriage, she looked around for Uche, and she needed rescuing from his father. There was something very fatherly about him that threatened her emotions. She was afraid she would be telling him her whole life history. The smile left her face when she saw Uche and Angela standing together, she had her hands hooked in his elbow.
“Knocked the wind out of you huh” Uche’s father asked quietly beside her, looking at Uche and Angela. “Think nothing of it. If he fancied her in any way, he wouldn’t have asked you marry him” he smiled kindly at her. “That one has been running after him as far back as I can remember and she is not likely to stop now”
Maybe he is right, she thought bitterly but Uche didn’t have to encourage her. The way he was nodding and smiling at whatever she was telling him would get people wondering which of them was his fiancée. She thought in outraged jealousy. Then a niggling thought rested on her mind and refused to go away. What if Uche was marrying her because she was virgin and untouched? What if that was the only reason. It couldn’t be for sex, she thought, he could get that from anywhere easily.
“She is doing it for your benefit” Mr. Okoha said “Don’t let her triumph by looking jealous”
“I am sorry if I look jealous but I can’t just help it” she smiled at him
“Then do something about it”
Nma gave him a worried look “I don’t want to act the jealous fiancée by interrupting what seems like an interesting conversation” murmured Nma.
“What are you doing here looking while the she devil is chatting my son up” Rose said coming to join them, Eva joined them too. “If that was Charles I would have gone to rescue him”
“Dinner has been announced and I had better go and rescue my son”
“You don’t know how long we’ve prayed that he doesn’t marry her” said Eva.
Nma let out her breathe.
“I will do the job” she moved away from them. She planted a sweet smile on her face and moved towards Uche and Angela. She got to Uche’s side and hooked her hands to his elbow; she reached up and kissed him on the lips. “Dinner is ready honey”
She looked up where her in laws were and they were nodding with approval and encouragement at her.
“Uche that means you’ll be leading two women into the dinning hall; I have no escort after all” Angela said.
“Sorry honey, not today” Nma smiled at her. “Tonight happens to be my night” she smiled at Uche
“See later Angela” Uche said to her,
“You can bet your life on it sweet heart” she cooed.  He wasn’t looking happy probably at her behavior. Nma wondered what his grim face meant but she put it down to the fact that he didn’t like her rude intrusion.
At the dinner table, she was placed beside Uche’s father and Uche next to her but next to Uche was Angel much to her anger.
The meal was beautiful and she was enjoying herself better because Uche showered her with his undivided attention. She could see how Angela was struggling to monopolize his attention. And sometimes it seemed as if she had succeeded especially when she mentioned family events that Nma didn’t witness but Uche made up for it by touching her every now and then. Sometimes subconsciously or sometimes he would just look at her and ask her if she was alright. He left no stone unturned in telling his family who he preferred. She thought smiling happily.
“Penny for your thoughts” Uche whispered leaning down towards her.
“I was thinking of how much I feel welcomed here” she smiled at him. There was no way she was going to tell him what her thoughts were. He smiled with satisfaction. “I told you so”
“I have never had this many people shower attention on me”
“You are going to be my wife, so you would be getting a lot of attention from so many of them for different reasons, some good, some bad and others greedy”
She didn’t have any answer ready for him, they were not getting married why was he insisting on the joke they made at the heat of the moment? Even if he meant it, they couldn’t just get married just like that. Marriage is a serious business, a sacred ordinance and you don’t go into it out of a joke. Then why did you allow everybody to believe that you are getting married? A voice asked. To that she had no answer. Uche had already told his people they were getting married somehow before they got here, and just to spite Angela she went ahead with it. And right now she might have put herself into something she can not get out of. Her prayer was it remained a joke. But she knew it was no joke. He wouldn’t lie to his family. But wasn’t this what she had always wanted, to marry him? She asked herself. Yes it was what she wanted but not without love. She answered. You can build love, another voice whispered. The truth was whatever feelings he had for her was very strong and could be love but he hadn’t accepted it yet. But if she married him, he could come to know that no feelings could be as strong as what he was felt for her other than love. If she married him, she could help him accept his true feelings for her, she would be so good to him that he would not help falling in love with her. She turned as Uche’s father smiled at her and engaged her in a conversation.

After the meal, he made excuses for them, telling his parents of his travel plan. “We’ve had a long day; we just came from Eden Castle”
After that, good byes were said and almost everyone invited them for dinner but they remained reticent.

Back in the car, Uche drove leisurely using one hand to massage his neck; she pushed his hands away and helped him to rub it, massaging it rhythmically.
“Thanks for today, I really enjoyed myself”
“I’m glad you did”
“You are traveling next tomorrow right?”
He nodded
“What time?” she was thinking of doing something special both of would enjoy before he traveled
“I don’t really know, I’ll run by the office in the morning, then I have meeting. I will fly out shortly after that”
“Won’t you miss your flight?”
“No I have a jet and my own airstrip”
Nma’s mouth was gaping open surely this was the kind of thing one read in novels. She knew that the Okoha’s were wealthy but she didn’t know how wealthy. Even the tits bits and gossip she read and heard about them didn’t even go half way in preparing her for wealthy man she was getting married to. She was sure if his posterity decided not to work, they would live wealthy and happy. She thought amazed.
“You’ve gone very quiet, are you tired?” he asked her bringing her back from her thoughts.
“A little, I was just thinking”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Oh! Just this and that, nothing important” she answered
“You seem to be making a habit of it” Uche told when he saw her reluctance in telling him her thoughts.
“A habit of what”
“Thinking and most times you don’t seem to recollect what you are thinking or they turn out to be unimportant things”
She heard the bite in his voice and stopped massaging him and looked at him. “I was thinking of how little I know you”
“Too late for second thoughts, our wedding dates has been announced”
“That is it, how did everyone get to know about it even before we got there?”
“I told them”
“Without my…. I thought…. we were joking Uche”
“I remember telling you I was dead serious”
 “People don’t just get agree to get married at the spur of the moment”
“But we did” he rejoined
“Why do you want to marry me all of a sudden?”
“I hope you don’t think it is because I want to sleep with you”
“Then tell me the truth so I wouldn’t think that”
“We will be good together”
She smiled calmly and heaved a resigned sigh. Why was she wasting her time thinking he would ever come to love her? She thought with defeat. She turned to him calmly ready to give him a piece of her mind.
“I will never, ever marry a man who does not love me”
At that point Uche knew it was either he faced his fear, risk another heart break by telling her or face a worse fear, losing her. He looked at her and knew that the latter would be more disastrous. And then he asked himself why he was resisting telling her. He searched his heart and realized that his fears were purely selfish and he even cringed at the thought of it.
“I love you” he said


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