The Moment I Met You (Chapter 418)

By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

Early the following morning Chioma rose and chose the blue sweeter her mother had knitted for her. She paired the sweater with matching jeans and flats.  She did add a festive touch for the cold season; a red and green tartan scarf she had recently purchased.

Before eight o’clock, and after a breakfast of cereal and biscuit, Chioma headed off to work in a taxi. On her way to the office, Chioma rang Michael to know if he had left already to Abuja. But Felix answered instead; he said Michael was getting ready for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Moon Corporation’s Paradise Hotel, here in Eko Atlantic. However, Chioma could hear a muffled cough coming from the other side of the phone.                                                                                                

‘I have to go now,’ Felix quickly hung up.                                                 

Chioma could sense something was wrong. ‘Sir Ifedayo, please turn the car around, let’s go to the ribbon-cutting ceremony,’ Chioma said to the driver.  

 ‘Are you related to the owner of the hotel?’ the driver curiously asked Chioma as he adjusted the black-framed glasses on the nose. He was a fifty-something year old man. ‘Were you given an invite? Or are you going there because you watched the announcement on TV or radio?’

 ‘I just want to witness how a seven-star hotel grand opening looks like,’ Chioma replied quickly.                                                                     

‘But…if you go to the opening, you might be late for work.’ The driver was concerned about her, for he had a few times driven Chioma to work in his taxi.

 ‘Just go to Eko Atlantic,’ Chioma repeated herself. ‘Don’t worry, I will pay you for it.’                                                                                               

The driver was silent for a moment before turning the car around. ‘How about you go to your workplace first to get the permission of your boss before I take you to the place? It’s not easy to get a job these days, you know. At this time you can’t just lose your work for a grand opening of a hotel.’   

Chioma softly sighed before saying, ‘Thank you, Sir Ifedayo…but we need to keep going. I will ring my boss and tell him everything.’

 Chioma dialed Charlie’s number but it indicated; the number you have dialed is not reachable. Please try again later.                                        

Chioma frowned while holding the phone.                                                 

‘What’s wrong?’ The driver saw from the rear-view mirror that something was wrong with Chioma’s expression and quickly asked.              

‘I called his number but it was not reachable.’                                            

‘Maybe it’s poor network connection. Maybe you could leave him a text. He would read it as soon as he receives it.’                                                

Chioma looked thankfully at Ifedayo before texting Charlie Adekunle that she might be late for work.                                                                

‘I need to buy some medicine,’ Chioma quickly said as soon as her eyes caught sight of a medicine store. Before Ifedayo could ask her whether she was sick, Chioma had already opened the door and left. She came back after buying some medicines.

  The streets were already decorated for Christmas. Some places were decorated with bright white Christmas lights, there were Christmas trees while some, were draped with lights and life-size Santas, also nutcrackers statues, sleigh, and other Christmas cheery. Some streets were covered in star-decorations. Most of the streets decorations were based on the people living in that area.                                       

There were also evergreen trees on the roads, adorned with brilliant lights, which were lit. Stars were placed at the top of the trees symbolising the Star of Bethlehem and also, angels were placed to the top of the Christmas trees in order to symbolise the angels mentioned in the accounts of the Nativity of JESUS. Everywhere looked bright and cheerful, as the festive mood was set in. No part of Lagos was left without decoration. But then, everywhere was decorated according to the capacity of the people living in the area.                                                                 

  When the driver reached the venue of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ifedayo parked his taxi in a hidden spot, seeing that the cars that where at the parking lots were all luxury-cars.                                       

When Felix receive her phone call, he was extremely confused but immediately he got to the hidden spot and saw Chioma standing before a taxi, he smiled and asked, ‘Chioma, why are you here?’                    

 ‘Well, all the media outlets kept reporting about the grand opening so I thought I should come and feed my eyes,’ Chioma guessed. She knew that such occasion would be reported but hadn’t listened to it. There was no television and radio at her house, so how could she have heard about.   

 Felix had the smile of a perfect gentleman. He was breathtaking in his white turtleneck Korean style sweater. He topped off his white outfit with pale blue cashmere coat.  

‘You’re here to see Michael, right?’Felix teased her.                               

Chioma nodded shyly. ‘Take me to him…’                                                       

‘The function will soon begin.’                                                                          

‘Then I will stay here and wait for him,’ Chioma insisted.                        

Felix couldn’t just let Chioma stay in this hidden spot, so he blissfully escorted her through the secret entrance to where Michael was. Finally, Chioma spotted Michael lying on the sofa; his right hand was covering his eyes from the bright light. At this moment, Chioma felt that all wasn’t well with him. Could he be sick? What could he be sick of?                                                                                           

Felix turned off the main lights as he signaled for Chioma to go to him. 

Chioma nodded, taking large strides towards the sofa. Once she was near the sofa, she reached out to touch his forehead. He was burning and he didn’t react to her hand. He must have fainted from the fever! Chioma thought.  

 Chioma turned to Felix and asked, ‘He has a fever. Has he seen a doctor yet?’                                                                                                                  

Felix had originally thought that Chioma was here only because she missed Michael but judging by her anxious expression, he realised that she had found out Michael wasn’t feeling too well during the phone call with her.                                                                                                          

‘Michael refused to go. He says that it was just a fever and it will pass after he gets some sleep.’                                                                                

  ‘You shouldn’t have listened to him. But anyway, I bought some medicines on my way here. It’s from a cheap chemist store but trust me, they are not fake drugs.’ After speaking, Chioma hurriedly dug out the fever medicine that she had bought on her way here.                                    

‘I didn’t tell you he was sick, but you already found out and bought him medicine.’ Felix looked surprised. He reached for the mineral water on the table.

   ‘Well, I thought he could be having fever so I told the chemist man to give me medicine that would stop fever,’ Chioma sighed and said.

 Following the instruction of the doctor, Chioma took out two pills and took the mineral water from Felix. She then forced the pills into his mouth after supporting him up with Felix.                                                      

As the water was poured into his mouth, Michael suddenly woke up. Upon seeing Chioma, he asked in a hoarse voice after swallowing the medicine in his mouth. ‘Why are you here? Don’t you have work today?’                                                                                                        

‘You didn’t tell me you were sick, since I found out I couldn’t be at ease, so I had to come straight to this place,’ Chioma replied.                     

Michael stared at her, revealing a pleasant smile. He had thought that she would never come to him anymore, but here she was worried about him.                                                                                                

  ‘I still have to go to the ribbon-Cutting. I’m sure that the guests have arrived.’ After speaking Michael wanted to get up, but Chioma gently pushed him back down.                                                                            

‘The ribbon-cutting isn’t as important as you. My work isn’t as important as you.’ Chioma’s eyes reddened, even she was surprised by how worried she was when she found out Michael was sick and also by how angry she was after she realised he was hiding it from her. Why shouldn’t he hide it from her? She wanted him to stay away from her, even after severally coming to her for them to smoothing their relationship.                                                                                                                

Michael was stunned. He watched as tears stole into Chioma’s eyes and immediately he reached out his hands to touch her face, ‘Honestly, you didn’t have to be so worried, I’m just a little unwell. I didn’t tell you because you might push me away again. But it wasn’t a big deal.’                                                                                                                    

‘I would never have pushed you away. I know that I have hurt you so many times but anything regarding you, no matter how small, matters to me…I am angry with you.’ Tears streamed down her face.              

‘I have taken the medicine, are you still angry?’  Michael looked at her anxious face and revealed a slight smile.

‘How can I stay angry with you forever? But next time this happens, are you not going to tell me again?’ Chioma stared at Michael and asked.                                          

‘I’m sorry.’                                                                                                 

‘Michael, I just want to care about you. We should rely on each other even when we are at our weakest. I love you so much, I will die without you.’ After speaking, Chioma was surprised she could be bold enough to tell Michael how she felt. ‘From today onward, I will never let anyone get in the way of our relationship.’                                                       

After hearing her words, Michael was silent for a couple of seconds before reaching out his arms and pulled her into his embrace, ‘I won’t hide anything from you anymore that I promise.’                                  

Chioma teary smiled, punching Michael’s chest playfully before tightly wrapping her arms around his waist.                                                               

This kingly-aura man was the kind of man that made decisions without batting an eyelid neither was he the kind of man to show his true self to others. However, the woman in his arms was worried because he had a simple fever. To him, she was the only one that was qualified to see his true self.                                                                             

The lovebirds happily embraced each other in silence, drinking from each others fragrance and warmth.                                                            

  ‘Are you okay now?’ Chioma asked worriedly.

  ‘You’re the medicine that cured my fever,’ he whispered as he caressed her oval face.

Chioma smiled, looking up at his handsome face, and the feelings that she had towards him swelled, making her feel warm and very full, as if her heart was completely filled up by him.

'I'm sorry you have to go through all that,' Michael whispered as he tightened his grip and pulled her closer. Then, he leaned his head forward and looked as though he was about to kiss her.

Chioma blushed and put a hand against his chest. smiling, she looked at him and said,‘Don't try to seduce me here. I'm sure there are  lots of CCTV everywhere.'                                                                                                          

 'That's right. But, i still need to give you a rewarding kiss.'  Michael lowered his head and gave her a rewarding peck on the lips. 

A moment later, Chioma phone began to ring. It was Charlie Adekunle calling. But Chioma was still with Michael.        

Chioma furrowed her eyebrows but didn’t say a word. However, Michael took the phone from her hands and said, ‘I won’t let him fire you…but I still want us to return to Abuja.’                                                

Chioma lowered her head when she heard the request in his voice. If she were to go back to Abuja, was she going to continue working at Star Restaurant? She wanted a better job and a better house this time.                                                                                                              

Felix came in to inform Michael that everyone has arrived. He helped Michael stand up. This man was looking gorgeous in his Stuart Huges Diamond Edition black suit. The luxurious suit took almost 800 hours for its completion and was made from different materials like wool, silk and cashmere as well. The suit jacket has fine lining enhanced with diamonds, which undoubtedly, increased its price and made it the most expensive men suit in the world, not only because of its look but also the materials used in making the suit as well. Michael had bought the suit for 900,000 dollars.         

Chioma looked at Michael and said, ‘I should go now. The taxi-driver I hired might be waiting for me.’    

  ‘I will bring you there after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.’                        

Chioma refused. ‘You need to rest after that. Besides, you have already spoken with my boss and he assured you that he won’t fire me. Please, you need to rest, okay?’                                                                                     

Chioma was firm. Looking at her, Michael felt that he would be hurting her if he insisted on bringing her to the office. He wasn’t angry; all he could do was admit defeat.                                                                                   

‘I agree but I will escort you out. This time, you will leave through the main entrance.’                                                                             

  Chioma did not refuse. Michael took Chioma by the hand and they headed for the main entrance. Felix followed them behind beaming from ear to ear. 

This was the first time Felix saw Michael and Chioma holding hands after she was forced to break up with Michael. He looked happy, even though he had wanted to somehow to be the man of her dreams. He was still glad to see his brother happy.                                                                            

There were too many people at the venue, and when they saw Michael intimately holding hands with Chioma, they couldn’t help but sneak photos and also let their mind run wild with thoughts.