The Dilemma Part III BY …Lanre Oyenuga

The Dilemma Part III BY …Lanre Oyenuga

It was such a relief Dotun no longer needed to keep his relationship with Grace shrouded.

Without formal notifications, he made it apparent to everyone that worked with him: staff, associates, consultants, etc, Grace’s presence and position.

Grace has moved in fully into his home! They worked out together thrice weekly and some neighbours are obviously envious.

Well made Lunch now came with him to the office from home. He dropped Grace at her office before proceeding to his.

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They attended meetings and social functions together. Despite the huge gap in years between her and his friends, everyone always asked how he found such a well brought up beauty?

Even the wives liked Grace. Some wives concluded it was Ikę, Dotun’s demise wife, who divinely arranged it. While not failing to use it as their opportunity to prod their husbands to be like Dotun.

The weekend after Mr. Donald’s acceptance of Dotun’s proposal, himself and Grace travelled to see him in the village.

They took along enough gifts (according to the family head), to host a dozen guests a whole week. Donald’s people loved Dotun!

Donald was overjoyed! He was the envy of all men. Even the Royal Father sent greetings to him. The roysl messengers returning with a carton of half a dozen Spanish wines.

No man in Donald’s entire community of 12 villages, has had an in-law built him four flats for rental and another building for sale, ALL IN LAGOS!

Donald thanked God for Dotun.

With a portion of the deposit from the sale of his second building, he has already started building a decent bungalow in the village, to live in, on two plots.

It is in this house he shall marry out his Barrister daughter to a multimillionaire! Life couldn’t be rosier for a retiree!

Dotun decided there was no better way to resolve the potential rogue-wave Grace’s revelations about Moręnikę may throw up. He opted to visit his children abroad to tell them his decision one-on-one.

He wanted to take Grace along, but she pleaded that he went alone. He could not bear leaving her for 6 weeks, and she also. However, her reasoning convinced him.

The matter was best handled between himself and his children. They knew her already: her presence was not as important as the resolution.

Grace believed Moręnikę needed the intervention of a psychiatrist. She felt strongly she has not had a closure of their Mum’s sudden death and believed Moręnikę had adjusted to this very wrongly.

Dotun made the trip, leaving Grace, who offered to take a two months leave, in order to effectively run the businesses in his absence.

This turned out to be a very wise decision, as Grace saved over N20m on all ongoing projects by the time he came back.

If indeed Ikę sent Grace as the wives claimed, she sent the best!

The Florida encounter with Moręnikę was stormy!

The men were happy at their Dad finding true love to settle down with.
If they had any reservations about Grace, they neither mentioned nor showed it.

Both were rather curious about how Dad was able to ‘toast’ such a young beau?

Dotun had to manage the disclosure to Moręnikę. She stormed out of her house the moment he told her he’s had decided to remarry.

Everything Grace told him about his daughter he saw played out to his bewilderment.

For days, Dotun was treated as a stranger in his daughter’s home. A home he paid more than 75% of the cost and asked her to pay up the balance in order to own?

After his fourth week in Florida, Moręnikę finally asked who he chose, according to her words, “to replace them with”?

This gave Dotun the opportunity he’s was looking for, to share his observations with his daughter.

He asked her how she felt when Ikę, their Mum tragically passed on?

Moręnikę quickly returned to her protective shells of denial. “It’s okay”, she said.

“It is not okay Moręnikę”, Dotun replied lovingly. “Her departure has eaten you up deeply Moręnikę”. “You have not found closure since then”?

“Look at what you’re doing to yourself”? “Yes, you hide behind this successful consultancy, but that is not life”?

“We all lost someone very dear to us”!

“Your Mum was what held me together”. Her death would have destroyed me, but for the fact that I knew I owed her the successful upbringing of our Children”.

“You and your brothers kept me going”?

“And you chose to destroy that bond by bringing in a strange woman Dad”?, Moręnikę quipped angrily!

“I have found closure Moręnikę”. “I want you to do the same”.

“You have hurt for too long Moręnikę”.

We cannot continue to hold on to a past beyond what it is, a beautiful memory”.

“I found true love Moręnikę”!
“Different from what you can give, yet complementary to yours and your brothers’”.

“I’m getting married to Grace Moręnikę”. Dotun said softly: expecting the worst from his daughter.

Yet, the reactions he got from her shocked him to his marrows!

Moręnikę eyes turned flaming red! Her voice sounded guttural.

Do you mean Grace Donald Dad? She questioned like one ready to put out a job on an enemy.

“Yes sweety, same Grace”, Dotun responded.

“Do you have anything against her or our relationship”? He queried.

“So Grace disregarded my warnings and still came after you Dad”? Moręnikę asked angrily.

“Well, I’m glad she did Moręnikę. But for Grace, I wouldn’t have known my daughter has been suffering in silence all these years”.

He made out to hug her.

Moręnikę allowed him hold her, but it felt as if he held a robot. She was totally not responsive to his touch: cold as a statue!

“Well Dad, since you have chosen Grace over me, what’s the point in coming all the way to Florida, except you have also come on her behalf to help her rub it in”?
Moręnikę asked with no emotion but hate in her voice.

She broke herself loose and continued in her tirades.

“No thanks for coming Dad”! “Tell your Doll she may have all the best body and behaviour under heaven, but I Moręnikę Alade, will NEVER accept her as a member of Dotun Alade’s family.

And with that she waved good night, entered into her room and refused to even drop him at the Airport the next morning, as was the tradition.

He called the airline for his complementary chauffeur driven car.

As Dotun laid in the comfort of his first class cubicle in the aircraft returning to Nigeria, he reviewed the past fifteen years of his life and scored himself as having done well across board.

He was determined to help Moręnikę in any way possible to overcome what he has confirmed as a near-psychiatric case.

This he has discussed extensively with her younger brothers and decisions taken.

Dotun was however determined to go ahead and enjoy the rest of his life regardless of Moręnikę’s animosity, threats and blackmail.

Grace shall become Mrs. Dotun Alade at the earliest, and he will give her the choice of how she wanted her wedding.

He also contemplated the post she should occupy in his businesses? She’s earned her stripes!

Dotun pressed the call bottom, and immediately a cabin crew appeared.

“Can I have a glass of your best Champagne”?, he asked the smiling crew.

Yes Sir, I’ll do so immediately.

He unhooked the on-board telephone. Time to call his darling, Grace.

Tomorrow, she should not go to the office, businesses can wait.

The End!!