OPULENCE. Final Episode 

Ade suddenly finds out Astrid has a boyfriend who has been like a father to his daughter for two and half years. He couldn’t take it anymore and walked out of Astrid’s life. Tiwa advices Ade to move on and let Astrid go. Opulence final episode…enjoy ?

Forgetting You

I battled through my emotions for months and finally got the strength to move on. I deleted photos and videos I had kept of her on my phone and my laptop. I didn’t want anything reminding me of her, letting her go was tough enough and I wasn’t sure I was completely over her.

I went back to the office after a couple of months and distracted myself with a lot of work.

Ayomide had a baby boy with Akin and at their baby christening, I met someone. She was an upcoming artiste, she sang beautifully and I was attracted to her voice. We started talking and I was attracted to her beautiful mind.  We started a relationship a couple of months later.
I wasn’t planning on dating anyone that early but I liked how she distracted me. She had a studio apartment, which turned into my safe haven whenever I wanted to get away from my busy life.

We spent a lot of time together, I like being around her because she made me laugh. She was a couple of years younger so she liked most of the things I was done doing. She liked to party, go for expensive vacations. Because of her music career, she needed the trips to sell her music. I joined her for a couple of the trips but I stopped because I had to work and managed my architecture firm.

It was her birthday that weekend and she wanted a big party to make a statement. I called Tiwa, she was into event planning and I wanted her to handle it because I had a lot on my plate.

“ Ade, the cake Jide wants, the baker is booked o. She needs to let my person do it, he is very good too. And also, DJ Vybz has a wedding this weekend so he can’t make it. I am thinking of booking Dj Kate, she is new but good”

“ do whatever you can Tiwa. I would let her know. I am entering into a board meeting now”

“ Okay. Let me know what she says when you tell her”

“yeah sure. Later then. Bye”

After the board meeting, I returned to my office and my secretary called.

“Miss Asha Wood is here to see you sir but she doesn’t have an appointment. Should I let her in sir?”

The name definitely rang a bell. I was surprised but not very surprised.

I hesitated then allowed the secretary to let her in.

“ Aren’t you a long way from home missy” I said.

She laughed.

“Please sit down. Can I offer you anything?”

She shook her head.

“No. I am fine. Thanks”

“ when did you arrive in Nigeria?”

“ A couple of weeks ago. I am actually working on a project here, it’s a documentary. I am into photography now. I had a little time today and decided to pay you a visit”

She seemed calmer, not the witty and energetic Asha I remembered.

“ How have you been?” she asked.

“ I have been well. How are you?”

“ Good thanks. You have a nice office”

“ thank you”

There was an awkward silence.

“so…how long has it been?” I asked.

She smiled.

“ six months I think”

“ How’s Luna?”

“ Very stubborn. She started school last month. She wasn’t adjusting very well at school but she it getting the hang of it now. She has made a few friends”

I smiled and nodded.

“ I plan on going to Angola soon to see her. When do you think you would be done with the documentary? Maybe we could travel back together”

“I can’t tell for now. I would let you know. And Astrid is fine. Thanks for asking”

I chuckled.

“ I was getting to that you know” I said

“ were you?”  she asked.

“ so how is Astrid doing?”

“ like I said, she is fine. She is working with Daddy now”

I nodded.

“ that’s good to know”

Asha nodded too then shook her head.

“ Actually Ade, I am sorry. I don’t know why I just lied. She isn’t fine. I am not going to look you in the face and lie.

Look, she has no idea I am even in Nigeria. She hasn’t sent me to beg on her behalf, nothing like that. She is on a trip with dad now, they are building a hotel in Tanzania.

See, the thing is, she really wasn’t interested in any guy after you broke up with her. She joined this pregnancy school my older sister recommended and she met Luis there. He is a gynaecologist but owns the pregnancy school as a private business. Most people came with their partners for the class but Astrid was always alone and that caught his attention and he decided to help her. He was there when Astrid needed someone. We knew they were together, but we also knew it was nothing serious because Astrid didn’t really define their relationship to us. We should have brought him up but we thought Astrid eventually would. You did pop back into her life out of nowhere Ade. I think she was looking for a right time to bring him up. I don’t know, I am only guessing.

My sister, loves you Ade. She loves you so much. She broke things off with Luis the very night you left, she was a mess for months till daddy asked her to start working with him so she could get her mind off you.

She even didn’t want to be around Luna, because she saw you whenever she looked at her. I saw the two of you together in Luanda and I have never seen my sister that happy”

“ I am in a relationship now Asha. I am trying to move on.  Astrid, she is something. I just don’t know if we are even meant to be. It shouldn’t be this hard if she was meant to be mine.”

“ I saw you Ade, I saw how mad you were. It’s only a man in love with a woman who gets that jealous. You flew all the way to Angola to make things right. Don’t tell me everything is gone, all the love is gone in just six months because you met someone new”

I sighed.

“ walking away from someone you have loved that much is not easy. But if you eventually find strength to walk away that’s good. It gets good for awhile, until you start regretting it and missing them, because you realise no matter how much they hurt you, you love them. And you are never going to find them in any other person.

I am sorry, I didn’t plan to come here and give you a lecture but Ade it all comes down to you, do you really want to let Astrid go?”

“You know, she has decided never to be with any man anymore, if the man isn’t you Ade she doesn’t want him. I just wanted you to know. Your new girlfriend might be great and all, but does she make you feel exactly the way Astrid makes you feel? You have a woman that loves you, who is waiting for you. I know you love her too, you can deny it all you want but I can see it in your eyes”

She stretched her hand across the table and held my hand.

“Don’t let pride win Ade. Astrid and Luna need you. Have a good day Ademola Olatunji” she said and walked out of my office.

I was speechless.

That evening after work, I went to see Jide. I wanted to spend time with her and actually compare the way I felt with her to how I felt when I spent time with Astrid. She hugged me at the door and kissed me.

“ I didn’t know you were coming here babe” she said.

“ yes I missed you and decided to pass by”

“ I miss you too baby” she said and kissed me again. She ordered some food and we stayed in and watched some music videos. She was in my arms, her hand caressing my chest but I was thinking about Astrid and all that Asha had said that afternoon.

I hated Astrid so much for loving her so much.

I really thought Jide was the one to help me forget about her but I knew no woman could replace her and Asha was right, I was living in denial.

When I left Jide’s place I went to my father’s house. I wasn’t planning on going there. I was still very mad at him for lying to me but I needed him.

I went straight to his study. He was on a video call with some dignitaries.

I broke down to tears and knelt down in front of his desk.

“ I love her father. I love her. Who cares if she isn’t Nigerian?” I said.

My father ended the call and got up from his seat.

“ what are you talking about son?” he said walking to me.

“ I have tried father, to love other women. To move on and be happy, but she makes me happy. She makes me so happy! I can’t breathe dad, I can’t breathe if she isn’t by my side. I have tried to get her out of my mind, out of my heart but I just can’t. Please father, please give us your blessing”  I said holding this feet with tears rolling down my face.

My father held me up and hugged me. He hugged me tightly.

“ You have my blessings son. You have all of my blessings. Go and get your wife”

I left his study and called my secretary.

“The lady that visited me today Asha Wood?. Did she leave her details at the front desk when she came to visit?”

“ Yes sir”

“send it to me first thing tomorrow”

I called Asha the next day and met up with her at her hotel.

“Do you know where in Tanzania Astrid and your father are working? I need to see her”

“ I don’t know but I can get you everything you need ASAP”

“ Please do!” I gave her a peck and left the room.

I called our jeweller and asked him to design a special three carat sapphire and diamond engagement ring for me. He said it would be ready in a week.

I conference called Ayomide and Tiwa and gave them the good news.

“ Finally! yes! ” Ayomide said

“ how do guys feel about a trip to Tanzania?”

“Me, I am on board o” Tiwa said

“ I need to run it by Akin,I just can’t leave Mayowa”

“ well let me know. I am designing the perfect ring for her, and Farouk says it would be ready in a week. When I get the ring, then we all leave ”

“ we? Who and who are you going with again?” Ayomide asked

“ Daddy, mummy. Everyone! We are using the private jet”

“Ah! Ah! It’s a lie! Your father and mother going to witness you propose to a girl that isn’t Nigerian? I can’t miss this now?!”

“ does that mean Jide’s birthday is canceled?” Tiwa asked.

“ ah…I have forgotten about that. No, it’s not canceled. She has invited a lot of people. Let me call you girls back” I said.

Asha was calling she has gotten the information. She sent the details to me.

I went to see Jide after work the next day and told her my truth, we ended things. She cried a little but wished me luck. I wasn’t expecting her to be that understanding but I appreciated her for not making it hard for me.

I drove back home and discussed my proposal plan with my family. Kemi and Damilola decided to book a ticket and meet us in Tanzania instead of coming to Nigeria like my father wanted.

The jeweller finished the ring earlier than he had anticipated. He delivered it to my office before the week ended, he was very fast about it. That night I   couldn’t sleep. I kept going to check the ring, hoping and praying Astrid loves it. We decided to go to Tanzania that weekend.

We missed Jide’s party but Tiwa asked her partner to take over the planning and coordination.

Asha joined us at the airport, Akin didn’t want to miss it either she came along with Ayomide and their son Mayowa. We made sure the president of Tanzania didn’t make our visit to Tanzania known to the public. We wanted to be in and out of Tanzania quietly.

We checked into the hotel, Astrid and her Peter were lodging in.  Luckily, there were enough rooms to accommodate us.

Asha had already informed their father so he was in on it. When Asha settled down, she went to see Astrid and her father at the site they were working at.

She took a taxi so she wouldn’t raise eyebrows and my family followed the taxi, in a convoy but without the sirens because we didn’t want to draw attention to ourselves.

When we got there I was waiting for a signal from Asha in the car when I saw Astrid hugging Asha. She was very happy to see her.

“There goes my wife” I thought to myself and smiled. She looked so cute in her helmet and boots.

Asha texted me when she had gotten Astrid to sit and relax somewhere around the site.

She was having a sandwich and talking to her father and Asha heartily when I walked slowly and stood behind her.

Her father pointed at me and she turned. She chuckled and turned to look at her father and her sister again.

“ oh my God. I should have guessed you two were up to something” she said with her mouth half full.

She smiled and turned to look at me again.

She got very shy and covered her mouth.

Asha took the piece of sandwich left from her hand

then I knelt down in front of her and opened the ring box.

I didn’t talk, I just looked at her.

She looked at me too, it was obvious she was trying hard not to cry.

“ Are you serious Ade?” she asked then broke to tears.

I wiped her eyes and nodded. Seeing her cry made me tear up a little.

She looked at me again, her hand still covering her mouth, then she slowly nodded.

I placed the ring on her finger and kissed her.

It was a little loose because I didn’t know her ring size.

She looked at the ring and hugged me.

“ it’s beautiful Ade” she whispered.

She was startled when she saw my family clapping and walking up to us.

“ Welcome to the Family” my father said and hugged her.

“ Thank you very much your excellency”

“Congratulations Astrid” everyone kept saying and hugging her.

“ I am going to plan the perfect wedding for you” Tiwa said and hugged her.

She couldn’t work anymore that day, she asked the engineers and her other colleagues to cover up for her. We went back to the hotel to have lunch as a family. She made a video call to her mother and older sister and showed them her ring.

We spoke to Luna too, even though we couldn’t make sense of all the things she was saying we knew she was happy for us.

We made love that night. I had missed her so much.

The next morning, it was so hard leaving her but she had work to do.

“Call me everyday” I said while hugging her at the airport.

“ I will” she replied.

“ I love you”

“ I love you too Ade”

When she was through with her project in Tanzania, a couple of months later, we had our traditional marriage in Nigeria and in Angola.

We had the white wedding a month later in Greece. Our daughter made the cutest flower girl.

Astrid was so happy that day, she told me how happy she was when we danced at our reception.

We made headlines on every news paper in Nigeria; Ademola Olatunji is off the market.

A year later, we welcomed our son, whom I named after my father.

When our second daughter arrived, Astrid decided to be a lecturer, she wanted more time to be with our kids and I on the other hand decided to fly all over the world, building. The truth is, most of my best works are all her ideas.

“ She sounds like an amazing woman” Ken said.

“ She really is. But very late today to pick me up from the airport. She is usually on time” Ade replied and checked the time.

“ Maybe God wanted her to be late today on purpose, so you could finish your story and allow me learn something from you. I appreciate you for sharing your story. It’s been such an honour to have met you in person. I read about your family at the library when I was in the University. I never thought that one day, I would be seated next to you in an Airplane taking relationship advice”

Ade laughed.

“ God works in mysterious ways”  he replied.

“I need to go home to my wife now, after talking you at length, I really can’t remember why I wanted to leave her in the first place. I am going to fight for our marriage to work” Ken said.

“ That’s it Ken. True love is always worth fighting for. Your marriage is still pretty young, you can save it. Thank you for patiently waiting with me and for listening to my long sappy love story”

Ken laughed.

“ It’s been such a pleasure sir. I hope Astrid gets here soon” Ken said and smiled.

“ I hope so too. Drive safely back home. Good night”

“Goodnight sir”

Ken said then took his leave.

Ade placed his AirPods into his ear when Ken left, he decided to listen to the podcast he had planned to listen to on the plane before Ken sat next to him and started a conversation when he noticed he was the famous Ademola Olatunji.

He was five minutes into the podcast when he felt someone tap him gently on the back. He smiled before he turned.

“ Is this seat taken?” Astrid asked with a smile pointing at Ken’s seat.

“ No my pretty lady. For you, every seat next to mine is open”

She laughed and sat next to him.

“ I am so sorry for keeping you waiting honey. I got your arrival time mixed up” she apologised and hugged Ade.

“With a hug like this. I can’t be mad at you, honey. I love you”

The End

Thank you all very much for taking time to read OPULENCE. I really appreciate the love shown.
I know, I took you through a rollercoaster of emotions?. Until the next story, it’s goodbye for now♥️