In The Instagram DMs
Love; The Nigerian Way - Chapter 3
GABRIEL'S POV
I was still in my head about meeting Oluchi that I didn't notice when Mom came outside and she was giving me that stare, the one where she was furious but trying to hide it. Last year, my heart would have skipped a beat, but now, I couldn't even fathom it. I was exhausted.
"Hey Mom."
"What was that?"
"Mummy, what was what?" Feigning nonchalance was probably not the best way to go, but at this point, anything not to get on her bad side.
"Don't play dumb with me, Gabriel. You know what I'm talking about. Why were you being so friendly with her and you just let her go hearing everything she said about not marrying your brother."
"Mummy, I already told you this... Aham is not ready for a new girl yet and you forcing him is only making things worse and I was just surprised to see her." She glared at me and I knew I had just made things worse.
"How dare you tell me what's good for my son and what's not? I know that if I don't make him, he's never going to see reason and he's just going to continue holding on to the past. Don't you ever dare lecture me on what's good or what's not good for my son."
"Yes Ma," and with that she turned and went inside.
I sighed in relief. At least all thoughts of Oluchi were forgotten. I followed her to the kitchen. "Mom, would you like to go out? I was thinking of taking you out since you hardly go anywhere and I'm free today."
She didn't bother turning to me as she replied. "I heard you the first time, I don't want to go anywhere."
It was futile to try, but I still wanted to. "We can go to your favourite restaurant, and we'd do everything you—"
"Gabriel, I said I don't want to go anywhere!"
A silence followed her words before I nodded and walked out. I needed to move out.
I went to Aham's room and found him on his phone, with his ear pods plugged in.
"What's up?" He unplugged one of his pods.
"Why are you here?"
With him, I could never tell if he was being serious or joking and I had a distinct feeling that this was one of those moments where I was misunderstanding his words. As if reading my mind, he rolled is eyes and sat up.
"Why are you here and not at work?"
"They gave me an off day,"
"Cool for you."
"What about you? Aren't you ready to go back to the office?" Aham worked in our dad's company, but in the past year, he had done everything from home and mostly decided to avoid the outside world. I hated it, but slowly, he had become amenable to his family, me included. It was progress.
"Please don't start with all that? That's how Mummy wants me to marry someone I barely know. I'm just glad me and the girl are on the same page because if they leave Mummy she'd handle everything herself."
I couldn't help my smile. "Yeah, I saw Oluchi when I got back. She basically confronted Mom with the whole thing. I was surprised. So you don't like her?"
"No, I don't like her, I don't even want to like her. Actually, I want to be left alone." He plugged his ear pods back in and focused back on his phone.
Three minutes of him talking was better than him not saying anything at all and I'd take that as the win that it was.
"Alright, take it easy though bro. You know you're the favourite child. You don't want Mom worrying too much about you."
He didn't react to my words but I knew Aham well enough to know that he heard me and that was okay.
OLUCHI’S POV
Three days in Abuja and I still couldn't get over the fact that the Duru's had an adopted son. The problem though was that I kept thinking of him beyond the fact that he was their adopted son. At times, I remembered how he recognized me and I didn't even ask him how he knew of me. The only logical answer was that it was my podcast, but still I wished I had asked.
When I told Mummy what Ahamefuna said, she basically insinuated that I was lying and the only way she was going to belief was if Uncle Mazi and his family told her and Daddy. I knew it was just a matter of time, but still I wanted to know when they were going to go so that these past two weeks of my life would be like a bad dream that never happened.
A call from an unknown number came into my phone, interrupting my thoughts and I let it ring without picking. If the person called again, I'd pick up. The call came in a second time.
"Hello Oluchi, is this you?"
The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. "Yes, who is this please?"
"Ahn ahn, so you don't recognize my voice?"
"Mrs Duru?"
"Ehen, now you’re talking. How are you doing now? How is Abuja?"
"I'm fine, thank you Ma and Abuja is fine."
An awkward silence followed my admission and if not because of my parents, I'd have asked her why she was calling, but it was best to let her bring it up on her own.
She cleared her throat before continuing, "See ehn, Oluchi, I think you should discard everything that Aham said to you that day i nugo, just let it go and the wedding will go on like planned."
This was absolutely what I didn't want to hear. "Ma, with all due respect, Ahamefuna doesn't seem interested in this marriage or me, he made that very clear when I was there and neither am I interested for that matter. I think it's for the best actually, I just don't want a marriage of this kind. It was never what I wanted for myself."
"So you won't just listen to me, this thing is for my Aham ehn, I need this marriage to work or else..." The words weren't said like a threat, instead like a plea and it piqued my curiosity once more. Why did she want him to be married so badly?
"Ma, I'm sorry, but that's not the way marriage works, at least not if it's done right and by the grace of God, I have freewill to decide... I'm sorry Ma."
Few minutes of silence passed without a word being said and I thought she had gone until she cleared her throat again. "Okay then, if that's what you say." And she cut the call without waiting for my response; no goodbyes uttered.
I was more involved now, I wanted to know why it seemed like there were way too many skeletons in the closet tof the Duru's and I wanted to have answers. I got on Instagram and began searching for Gabriel and it took me just ten minutes to find his page. It helped that he was already following me, but I couldn't be too sure it was him even though his username was @j.gabriel_duru because his page was totally empty. I decided to try my hand regardless.
@oluchi.njoku: Hey Gabriel, it's Oluchi. I just thought to message you. Hopefully, this is the right Gabriel Duru and you're not someone else. Can you send a picture so I'm sure I'm talking to the right person?
His reply came in 4 hours later.
@j.gabriel_duru: Hi Oluchi, good evening. I'm surprised that you'd text me but I'm not complaining. If by the right Gabriel you mean the brother of Ahamefuna whom you were supposed to marry and the one you met for the first time three days ago in the house of the Duru's who also happens to be a very handsome man, then yes, you're talking to the right Gabriel, but here's a picture in case you still have doubts.
I couldn't help laughing out loud and worse of all, he was right. He was indeed very handsome, but focus...
@oluchi.njoku: Yes, it's you. You can never be too careful these days, I just wanted to be sure and handsome?!?! Pleaseeee 🙄
@j.gabriel_duru: I'm going to pretend I didn't see that for both our sakes, but what brought you into my DMs today, I doubt you came looking for me just like that.
@oluchi.njoku: You're right. I have some kind of personal questions about your family and it's okay if you don't want to divulge but your mom called me today and was asking me to marry Ahamefuna, basically ignore all he said to me and still go ahead with the wedding.
@oluchi.njoku: I declined of course, but it was strange to me that a mother would want her child to marry when he clearly doesn't want it. It feels like she's forcing him and I know that it's done for girls normally, but I've never heard of it happening with guys before, so I think there's something going on, that's 1.
@oluchi.njoku: Why are they hiding you is my second question? I kept my word and never told my parents about it, but I do need a valid reason not to tell them because I think if I tell them, they'd agree with me that there's no need for a marriage if you family could hide something as big as a son. By the way, how did you know about me? I never asked, but since you follow me here on IG, I'm guessing either here or my podcast.
@oluchi.njoku: I'm done now. You can answer and please, I'd really like answers.
The three bubbles appeared and disappeared for the next five minutes, but a reply never came.
And the plot thickens....
Omo. Make Gabriel reply with elaborate info oh. 🌚 Na small thing dey vex me. 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣