O.L. Obonna

Prologue

“Hello?” Leilani answered her phone after it had rung a couple of times.

“Hello, Leilani.”

Leilani froze. She would know that voice anywhere; it was the voice of someone she would never forget. Folarin Balogun, her unforgiving ex-husband. It had been two years since she had last heard from him, two years since that fateful night when their marriage had ended abruptly. She almost dropped the phone in shock.

“How did you get my number?” she asked, slumping into her chair in the back office of her café.

Silence. Then Folarin Balogun responded quietly, “I got your number from Tega.”

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and waited for a couple of seconds. “What do you want, Folarin?” she asked in a very unfriendly tone. “You must have a reason for calling me.” Leilani knew that she sounded rude, but she didn’t care. She was in no mood to be polite to Folarin Balogun.

“He had hurt her so much. Back then, she thought she would die from the pain he had caused her. It had taken her a long time to heal, and now she was ready to move on. Hearing his voice again brought back painful memories, memories she would rather leave in the past, where they belonged.

“Leilani,” he called her name again, paused, then added quietly, “I am coming to London in two weeks, and I was wondering if we could meet up for drinks?”

“Leilani’s eyes widened in disbelief. She wasn’t sure she heard correctly. Folarin wanted to meet for drinks? She snorted, shaking her head in disbelief. She wasn’t dreaming, was she?

She had to be dreaming.

She pinched her cheeks to be sure.

Two years ago, he had refused to see her, to listen to her and now, out of the blue, he wanted to meet. She was aware he had visited London on a regular basis since their divorce, but he had never attempted to see her.

Closing her eyes, she prayed for strength to be civil to him and counted to ten. She always did that when she was angry, it always calmed her down, but today it wasn’t working.

“Leilani are you there?” his voice cut into her thoughts, jolting her back to the present.

“I am.” She paused to catch her breath. “What on earth are you talking about? And why would you want to meet me? You’ve got to be joking, Folarin!” she burst out. “Why on earth would you want to see me? What for?” she demanded angrily, wondering why she was even speaking to him.

“Leilani, please, if you could spare some time off work, we could meet at your café or my hotel. You can decide the venue, but I want to meet up,” Folarin continued in his calm voice, which aggravated her even more.

The cheek of him! He was really serious about wanting to meet up.

“You think I would want to meet up with you for drinks? I’m amazed that you have the gall to call my number. Right now, I’m more upset with Tega for giving out my number to you. You are the last person I ever want to see or speak to, Folarin, so please do me a favour: lose my number and never call me again. We have nothing to talk about.” She hung up and slammed the phone down on her cluttered desk.”

She got up, glanced at her watch, and grimaced. She had been working on a new menu for her café all day and was determined to get it done by the weekend, but she couldn’t, not now.

Folarin Balogun’s unexpected call had unsettled her.

She grabbed her bottle of water and drank thirstily from it as she looked around her small office.

This was her special place, where she put down all her ideas for the café, a place where she always felt safe. She was not going to allow a phone call from her ex to unsettle her and make her lose focus.

Determined to finish the task at hand, she sat down in her armchair and reached for her laptop.

*****************

“Folarin wasn’t surprised Leilani had hung up on him yesterday.

He had expected her to be angry and yes, she was right to be angry, but still, he was angry with himself for calling her and even more annoyed that she hung up on him.

And he was also a little bit tipsy.

Damn Leilani.

All she had to do was listen to him, was that so difficult to do?

He got to his car, a sleek black BMW X6, and fumbled with his keys, cursing when they dropped from his hands. Placing his left arm on the bonnet for balance, he bent down to look for his keys.

He located them by his feet and gave a whoop of delight.

Straightening up, he opened the door on the driver’s side and got in.

He squinted. Everything looked blurred. But he could see the wide road before him, so he was good to go.

Starting the engine, Folarin gripped the steering wheel and drove out of the restaurant premises, his eyes focused on the road before him.

He had only gone a few miles when he ran a red light.

He didn’t hear people screaming and he didn’t see the truck coming until it rammed into the passenger side of his car. The impact lifted his car, and it rolled over a couple of times, the windscreen shattering as the car tumbled down the poorly lit street, finally coming to a stop at the end of the road.

As his life flashed before him, Leilani was the last person he thought of just before the airbag deployed in his face.

And then he blacked out.”

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Chapter One

Six Weeks Later

It was a busy Sunday, and Leilani and Ariana were on their way to the Kew Village Market. It took place on the first Sunday of every month between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and she never missed it. She loved visiting the quaint shops, cafes, and restaurants nearby; it was a delightful place to window shop and look for that odd unique item.

She and Ariana walked along Sandycombe Road towards Zita Elze Flower, her favourite florist shop.

They had just stepped inside the florist shop, when her phone rang.

She glanced down and smiled; her Aunt’s number was flashing on the screen.

Motioning for Ariana to continue into the shop without her, she picked up.

“Hey, Aunty Aubrey.”

“Leilani, I just called the café. Where are you?” was her Aunt’s reply. She sounded impatient and irritated.

“I’m on my way to Kew Village Market. Ariana and I just stopped to get flowers for the café.” She paused and added quietly, “I told you I would be out all day.”

“I know, I’m sorry for sounding short, sweetie. Can you come home, please? It’s important.”

“Why? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” She could sense her aunt was upset by her voice.

“Mrs Balogun is here with that stuck-up daughter of hers. How on earth did they get this address? I almost didn’t let them in. Please hurry; they said they need to see you, and I want them out of this flat as soon as possible,” her Aunt said and hung up before she could put a word in.

“Wow!” Leila mouthed in shock, sliding her phone into her pocket. She looked up, bewildered, as Ariana approached, her face buried in a bunch of flowers.

“Why do you have that look on your face, and who was that?” her friend of over ten years asked when she finally stopped sniffing the flowers. “These flowers are divine! Oooh, we are taking this bunch. Who was that?”

“That was Aunty Aubrey. She’s hopping mad. She says Folarin’s mum and Feyi just turned up at our apartment, asking to see me. That’s a big surprise, especially as we haven’t spoken in years. I wonder what they want and how they got my address.”

“Your what?” asked Ariana.

“You heard me the first time. Stop making me repeat myself.”

“I did! What do they want from you?” Ariana snapped, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t know.” Leilani shrugged, frowning. “Aunt Aubrey sounded annoyed, so I need to head home now.”

“I’m beyond shocked she even allowed them in. Snotty, horrible people!”

“Ariana!”

“What? Did I say something wrong?” her friend retorted, a defiant look on her pretty face as they headed back towards the café. “You’d better get going – and come back quickly, too.”

“I was looking forward to going to the market; I haven’t been in two months. I wonder what they want,” Leila grumbled. “I’d better hurry before Aunt Aubrey tosses them out on their backsides.”

“And with good reason, too!” hissed Ariana.

Leilani shook her head at Ariana, who was muttering curses under her breath.

“You know, I’m surprised they are here. Folarin got engaged a couple of weeks ago. I would expect his mum to be by his side planning an extravagant wedding, not here in London, halfway across the world.”

Ariana stopped, turned and gave Leilani a disbelieving look. “And you know about his engagement how? Leilani are you keeping tabs on your ex?” she asked.

“Of course not. Why would I do that? I just happened to see the article on a Lagos blog I’m subscribed to; I skim through the articles now and then. Listen, I’m going. I will be back before you know it,” Leilani stated, waving Ariana in the direction of the café.”

*************************

It took her less than twenty minutes to arrive at the apartment she shared with her Aunt Aubrey. The café she ran with Ariana was only around the corner.

Leilani took a deep breath and pressed the bell outside the three-bedroom flat.

Her aunt’s phone call had put her on edge.

She could still feel her ears ringing from her aunt’s screams.

And her Aunt Aubrey could scream, especially when she was upset. She knew from experience that if she didn’t show up soon, Aunt Aubrey would toss her unwanted visitors out without a care. Now she was standing outside her flat, dreading the moment she would face her former in-laws.

The door swung open, and her Aunt stood there frowning with her hands on her hips.

“Where are they?” Leilani enquired calmly as her aunt glared at her as though she had invited them over.

“They are in there!” Aunt Aubrey snorted, nodding towards the living room as she moved aside to allow her niece in. “Hurry up and get them out of my house as soon as possible!”

Leilani was sure her visitors heard her. “Aunt Aubrey!” she admonished, shaking her head as her aunt huffed and walked off in the direction of the bedrooms, muttering angrily under her breath.

Leilani walked into the lounge, stopping as the two women standing by the window turned and looked at her.

Taking a deep breath, her face devoid of emotion, Leilani faced her in-laws for the first time in two years and asked calmly, “What are you both doing here?”

“Is that how you greet an elder where you are from?” the younger of the two women barked, her face a mask of anger. It was obvious from her stance that she would rather be somewhere else than here.

Well, the feeling was mutual, Leilani thought.

She didn’t want them in her flat either.

Leilani counted to ten and said, “I wasn’t speaking to you, Feyi. I was addressing your mother, and if you are going to be rude, then I suggest you both leave my house. So, I ask again, what are you both doing here?”

“We need your help, Leilani,” Mrs Balogun said, glancing at Leilani.

Leilani moved further into the living room, dropping her bag on a stool.

“What for?” asked Leilani again, looking anywhere but at her ex-husband’s mother.

“Not even a greeting, Leilani?” Mrs Folake Balogun asked quietly.

Remembering her manners, Leilani apologised, “ I’m sorry. How are you, Mrs Balogun?” She looked straight at Mrs Balogun and Feyi.

“I am fine, my dear. It’s good to see you,” replied Mrs Balogun.

Leilani said nothing, waiting for her in-laws to speak.

She felt sad that they were meeting under these circumstances. It hurt to see Mrs Balogun here in her house, looking uncomfortable, but truth be told, she couldn’t bring herself to be more accommodating than she was.

She hoped her former mother-in-law would understand and not blame her. The break-up of her marriage had been bitter; she was surprised her Aunt had even allowed them into the shared apartment.

“Why are you here?” she repeated.

“Folarin was involved in a serious accident last month,” Mrs Balogun said.

Leilani looked up in shock. Her heart slammed into her ribs.

Folarin had gotten engaged weeks ago. He had also called her weeks ago.

“What on earth are you talking about?” she asked.

“Folarin was in an accident, Leilani,” Mrs Balogun replied.

“Oh my God, is he okay? How bad is it?” she wanted to know.

Mrs Balogun nodded. “He is fine, he is so much better now, but he is still in hospital.” She paused and added, “That’s why we are here, Leilani.”

“Oh,” was all Leilani said. She reminded herself that she had no right worrying about Folarin Balogun. He was dead to her.

Willing herself to control her feelings and act as though news of his accident hadn’t bothered her, she looked down and studied her fingers.

When she spoke, her voice was calm.

“I didn’t know about his accident. I’m glad he is getting better.”

“But how does that concern me?” She continued to scrutinise her hands as though she had just discovered that she had five fingers. “We also have mutual friends, but no one said anything to me, not even Tega. What I still don’t understand is why you are here. I’m sorry, Mrs Balogun, but what has his accident got to do with me.” She finally glanced up at her in-laws, a frown marring her smooth forehead.

What did they want from her?

Feyi stepped forward, her anger unmistakable on her face. “And you couldn’t call. He was your husband once!”

“And now he is my ex-husband, Feyi, so I’m under no obligation to inquire about his health,” Leilani said, clasping her hands before her. “What do you want? Folarin practically threw me out of his house and left me with nothing except a damaged reputation! I am fast losing my patience with you, so please tell me why you are here.”

“Folarin was in a coma for weeks after the accident. He woke up a couple of days ago and has been asking for you. Dr Amachree says he has partial memory loss, which is common with most head injuries. Thankfully, he only hit his head on the dashboard, with no lasting injury so far, apart from his hazy memories. He thinks you both are still married. Post-traumatic amnesia, the doctor says. Right now, he has no memories of his life after your divorce. It’s been almost a week since he regained consciousness, and he has shown no sign of improving or regaining his memories. He thinks you just travelled to see your Aunt,” her mother-in-law explained.

“So?” Leilani shrugged. “I just asked you what all this has got to do with me?”

“He’s been asking for you, Leilani. Two nights ago, when he asked to speak to you, and we said we couldn’t reach you, he had a panic attack…” Mrs Balogun’s voice broke as she looked up at Leilani, her eyes filling with tears. “We need your help. Folarin needs… no, I need you to please come back home with me and help Folarin.”

Excerpt From

When Love Lasts