After the storm by Osar Adeyemi Page A

"And I'll also make a quick stop at
Niger state to see my uncle."
    "How
long are you going to be away?" Yemi asked, trying not to feel
deflated but not quite succeeding.
    "Just
four days. I'll be back before you know it."
    "That's
fine," she said quietly. "Your mum is from Niger state too, isn't
she?"
    "Yeah,
same town as my dad."
    "Is her
family into business as well?"
    "Yes,
but also heavily into politics." He laughed. "They like to have a
bit of power!"
    Yemi
listened as he talked about his mum's family, but she couldn't help
comparing their backgrounds as he spoke.
    A waiter
brought their food a few minutes later. She looked at the food, but
her thoughts were far away. She had deliberately tried not to think
too far ahead, but she wondered what the future held for her and
this man that she loved so much.
    "Baby?"
Akeem's concerned voice cut through her thoughts.
    She
forced a smile and took a small bite of the succulent scallops she
had ordered.
    "Mmmm,
these are nice," she said, savouring the taste and trying to appear
light-hearted.
    Akeem
arched his brows slightly, but he started eating as well. He told
her about his mother's plans to renovate their family home. For
someone who normally didn't talk much about his family, he was
surprisingly doing a lot of it that evening. The renovations
involved a whole wing of the house, and he joked about how his
mother was trying to get him to take charge of the project. "I know
she can handle it, but she likes to get me involved in anything she
is doing as much as possible."
    "You're
her son."
    He made
a face. "She doesn't let me forget it." He went on with the
description of what his mum told him to do at the house and what he
felt needed to be done. Yemi tried to listen, but her mind kept
wandering off as she continued to compare their family
backgrounds.
    "Pretty
girls who graduate with first-class honours don't talk too much, do
they?" he said after a while, dropping his fork and wiping his
mouth with the napkin.
    She was
so surprised that she couldn't help laughing. This guy knew her so
well.
    "So
what's up?" he asked.
    Yemi
took a sip of her drink before responding, "I'm okay."
    He
continued looking at her face. "Talk to me."
    She
sighed. "I was just thinking about how different our families
are."
    Akeem
smiled. "Yeah, you're right. No one has graduated with first-class
honours in my family yet. We're not that intelligent."
    She knew
he was deliberately messing. "I'm not talking about
that."
    His eyes
grew serious. "I don't know what you're talking about, but whatever
differences there are dissolves in the face of our love. You do
love me, don't you, Yemi?"
    Her eyes
met his. "You know I do."
    "Then
that's all that's important. Just make sure you always do. I don't
think I can survive if you ever stop."
    "Strong
guy like you?" she teased, feeling herself relax again.
    "I'm
like putty in your hands." His gaze was intense as he looked into
her eyes. "I never knew any woman could make me feel this way. From
the moment I set eyes on you in that Hawes and Curtis shop, I knew
you had to be mine." 
    "And are
you mine?"
    "Body
and soul," he replied softly. He reached into his pocket and
brought out a little black box. Yemi's eyes widened as he went down
on one knee before her. "Yemi, I love you with all my heart," he
said gently, taking her hand in his and looking into her eyes.
"Will you marry me?"
    Yemi
could not speak. She had imagined this moment, but now that it was
here, she didn't know what to say.
    "Yemi?"
    "I love
you, Akeem," she replied, looking into his eyes. "And yes, I will
marry you."
    "Thanks,
babe," Akeem replied, slipping a gorgeous diamond solitaire ring on
her finger. "You've made me a very happy man." He kissed her finger
after putting the ring on.
    Yemi
held up her finger, and the ring sparkled prettily as it caught the
lights from the chandelier. "It's so beautiful." She didn't think
she could ever forget this moment as long as she lived. "And it's a
perfect