CHAPTER 1
*TOBI*
Walking down the aisle
You make me wanna cry
This angel's about to be mine
Finally,you are for real
No longer that girl in my dream.
Oh baby,stay here with me...
If them tell you things about me
My baby, don't believe them
I'm a very good guy...oh oh oh.
If I tell you say I love you
My baby, please believe me
I no dey lie yeh,yeh,yeh.
Stay with me forever
Our love will last forever
No man can put asunder
What God has joined together.
I've heard this song *forever* by Johnny Drille a couple of times but today, thinking about this song gave me some kind of joy as I watched Thelma walking down the aisle to me.
God!
She's so beautiful.
More beautiful than I have ever seen her.
And the fact that she is finally going to be mine today brought tears to my eyes.
My best man had to practically tap me on the shoulder to stop me from breaking down.
If you had seen the hurdles,the obstacles Thelma and I had passed through to get to this day then you'll be over the moon with joy for us.
I am Oluwatobiloba Owoeye.As you can see,my name is long so I'm called Tobi for short.
As a child,I grew up in a very poor family but I never hated my parents for being poor because they showered my siblings and I with love.
I am the first child,thus,my dad always looked up to me as someone who would bring the family out of poverty.
He worked his bones out...my parents worked so hard in order for me to complete my education.
As a child knowing where he was coming from,I made sure not to disappoint them.
When I graduated from Unilag,I got a good job at a multinational company.
I was finally able the make life comfortable for my family and that gave me a great sense of joy.
But my whole world tumbled upside down when she came back from the states.
Thelma Boyowa,my boss's daughter.
She was everything guys like me aren't supposed to want.
My heart registered her as the one but my brain registered her as off-limits.
Rich and classy women like her always end up with wealthy men not some guy who is her father's employee.
While she visited the company,I admired her from afar but that was all I could do...no more...no less.
Things escalated out of control when her father, Jacob Adenuga Boyowa wanted me to be his daughter's mentor at work....to teach her everything about taking risks and securing investments.He wanted her to know everything about his business because she was his only child.
That meant we were going to be working together every weekdays.
Fuck!
I can still remember anytime I got home after working with her,I would lay down on my bed and wank fantasizing crazily about her.
I tried to be professional with her.
I really did tried but when we travelled to London to secure a deal.....I couldn't fight the attraction any longer.
We both went out to celebrate but she drank too much and later that night,she came into my suite and told me she had been dreaming about fucking me.
I couldn't resist.
I know I should have resisted a drunk lady but when she palmed my dick....all my moral thoughts flew into Oblivion and we had a mind blowing sex.
The next morning,we wanted more and just like that....we became friends with benefits.
From friends with benefits,we couldn't stand being apart from each other.....even at work,we made out constantly at the restroom.
It wasn't just sex.
It was a burning desire.
A magnetic pull that neither of us could get freed from.
We both didn't want neither of us to be with anyone else.
Though it took so long before we came clean about what we truly felt for each other.
I couldn't summon up enough courage and tell her that I love her because I feared that I might not be good enough,she deserved someone greater.
She couldn't summon up enough courage and tell me that she loves me because she feared that her father might not approve of me.
Jacob really hates people from poor background.
When he found out about Thelma and I's affair....he threatened to fire me and make sure I don't get any job in any other company so Thelma had to end things between us.
For weeks,we just stared longingly at each other.
For weeks,we passed by each other,our hearts breaking inside.
It was the first time,I wished I came from a rich family.
She didn't mind that though but she didn't want to hurt me.
Jacob arranged a marriage for her with the son of a senator who had chains of companies.
That was when all hell broke loose.
I was ready to lose my job...lose everything.
And she was ready to disowed her own father for me.
Jacob threatened me multiple times but I just couldn't lose Thelma to another man.
If I do, I'll never be the same again.
He finally agreed to leave us alone.
Thelma and I had thought his sudden approval of our relationship was suspicious.
Like hell,I thought he was going to do something drastic to us but since then,he didn't do anything.
Maybe,he finally gave me a chance to prove to him that I can take care of his daughter.
Even if I give Thelma material things all the time, she's not after that.
She's just one unique woman.
Sometimes,you wouldn't know she comes from a wealthy family with the way she behaves, she's so kind and generous.
She's the sweetest person I know.
Even if I'm getting married to his daughter,he still doesn't like me.
With the way he always glares at me,I know he hates my guts.
As Thelma meets me up at the altar,she smiled broadly behind her veil and everything seems lighter and brighter.
Jacob hands her over to me with a scowl on his face.
We slowly turned to face each other.
Thelma and I.
It was time for our wedding vows.
Vows that I intend to keep forever.
Thelma held my hands and caressed them softly.
"Tobi,you have been my best friend,mentor, playmate,confidant and my greatest challenge.But most importantly,you are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever have imagined and more loved than I ever thought possible.You have made me a better person,as our love for each other is reflected in the way I live my life so I am truly blessed to a part of your life which as of today becomes our life together.
Today, I take my place as your wife.May our days be long and may they be seasoned with faith,love, understanding and respect forever and ever.Today is the beginning of the rest of our lives."Thelma said with tears of joy rolling down her cheeks."I choose to spend today and all of my tomorrows with you"She added.
I stared into her eyes, needing her to believe everything I say.