THEY CALL IT 'DADDY ISSUES' - CHAPTER 6

 With George, I could breathe easy. The world no longer felt like a turbulent ocean where I was the only one drowning. He was my calm in the storm. He knew the time I woke up every day, my school schedule every week, and the assignments I promised him I wasn’t struggling with until he got the truth out of me. He tried to find out things that got to me, but he said I never cried or complained about anything. 

We were at the restaurant where we first met, and we came here often. He opened the door for me to walk in, and on reaching the table, he drew out the seat for me. He made sure I was comfortable before he sat down. We ordered his favourite food, Coconut rice and salad, with crispy baked chicken wings and Eva sparkling peach wine. While we waited to be served, we spoke about random things.

 

“Babe,” he said, looking intently at the walls. “These beige and olive green colours go so well.” I joined him in looking at the walls.

“Yeah, it makes the place look calm. I personally think the way a place is painted determines how the people inside would act” I responded.

“Really? So, you mean I can’t just climb this wooden table because the place is beige and olive green?” He had a mischievous smile on his face.

“Yeah, that’s what I think. And I know you can’t do it even if this place had colours splashed all over the wall” 

“How are you so sure?” He asked, raising his thick brows.

“Because I know you, you are always so composed” This statement caused him to laugh, a deep, hearty one.

The waiter brought what we ordered. I could instantly smell the spiced coconut rice, and it smelled just right. Immediately, the waiter left, and we started eating. I nodded as I devoured the first spoon of rice. George laughed.

“These guys know what they are doing” I said, and George nodded in agreement. 

“They are really good” He paused, and shifted in his seat. 

“So, back to us” He continued. “You were saying you know me”

“Yes, I do. We’ve spent three months together, and I know what annoys you, what your favourite food is, I know your favourite football club is Chelsea…”

“Yeah, yeah. Dee, you know me, but it feels like I don’t know you” He said that and everywhere suddenly went quiet. “I’m not trying to make this awkward, but sometimes I feel like there’s a wall between us. You don’t react to sad situations, you always agree with what I say, and you apologise too often, you don’t talk about yourself enough, and you always say you are fine.”

“George, I don’t see the problem here”

“Well, I do” His eyes were stern. “It’s not just about the kisses, the dates, the hand-holding. We are a team, Daniella” The eyes softened.

“I’m sorry” was all I said. I didn’t want to offend him further than I already had.

“Babe, don’t apologise. I just want to know you as much as you know me, or even more. I want you to share how you really feel without holding back when you are with me” I nodded as he spoke.“Dee, promise me that things will change? We’ll talk to each other about anything. No holding back?” He looked expectantly at me, waiting for an answer. I just stared at my half-eaten plate of coconut rice.

“Okay, but I don’t think I should disturb you with…”

“Disturb me?” He cut in. “Your problems are my problems” He stretched out his hand and held mine, using his thumb to draw circles at the back of my palm. “You are a big deal to me” I just nodded and smiled. We continued eating. Soon, it was time to go. As we walked out of the restaurant, he pulled me close with his arms around me, using his thumb to caress my cheek. Immediately, we walked to the parking lot, he stopped me, and kissed me on my now very caressed cheek. The kiss lingered until he moved his lips to my ears and whispered: “I love you, babe”. I could feel the butterflies in my tummy. George made me feel like maybe, just maybe, I might not be a curse after all. 

  George and I were never in the same space alone, so I was nervous when he invited me to his house, but I agreed without question.

“I still don’t think you should be at his house alone unless you…you” Gloria said, but I cut in.

“Unless what?” 

“Forget it” Princess said, glaring at Gloria “Just don’t do what you don’t want to do”

He sent an Uber to my hostel. I went downstairs, confirmed the plate number he sent to me and got in. I was just there to spend a few hours with him; I wasn’t even sleeping over, so I didn’t understand why Gloria and Princess were worried. It was a thirty-minute drive, and soon, I was dropped off in front of a black steel gate. He stood in front of the gate in a pair of brown jogger pants and a plain short-sleeved body hug top. Immediately he saw me, his lips turned into a smile, he walked towards me and opened my door. I melted into the hug he gave me, followed by a peck on my lips. The Uber driver drove off immediately George paid him, and I followed him into a big compound with four apartments and a small apartment for the security guard. There were flower pots with flowers as tall as an average American Eskimo dog, all lined up by the walls on either side.

“Welcome to my house, babe” I stepped into a brightly lit living room painted in two shades of blue; the top half of the wall was sky blue, the lower half was sapphire. Paintings were hanging on the wall, a white dome-shaped chandelier in the centre of the ceiling above a cylinder-shaped centre table. Around the centre table were three grey-coloured barrel chairs facing a 55-inch Samsung Smart TV placed on a coffee brown shelf. There was a door on the left side of the living room which led to his kitchen. A moderately spaced kitchen, well furnished with utensils and storage shelves, a refrigerator, an electric cooker and a microwave found on the counter. It smelled of jollof rice and meat stock. The next door to the right of his living room was his bedroom. It was painted as the rest of the house was, sky blue and sapphire. His bed was at the centre, made with black and gold bedsheets and a blanket, on the left side was a coffee brown bedside table with books placed on it, while on the right, just a small distance from the bed, was a large window covered with white sheer curtains.  Opposite his bed was a three-door coffee-brown wardrobe, and a few steps to the right of the wardrobe was the door to the toilet, which I didn’t go into.

“What do you think about my place?” He asked as we walked out of the bedroom into the living room

“It’s so beautiful, babe” I replied, still staring at the chandelier. 

“Thank you” He said, pulling my hand gently to sit. “ I made food, I’m coming” He hurried to the kitchen and returned with a tray containing two plates of jollof rice and fried beef, along with two glass cups and a bottle of Veleta red wine. He placed the tray on the glass table just in front of where I sat. 

“The food looks so good. Hmm, I didn’t know you were such a chef” I said, smirking at him as he arranged the plates.

“I don’t like cooking, but of course, if my baby is coming, I have to cook” He sat down beside me and reached for my face, planting a kiss on my cheek. 

The food tasted as good as it looked, the savoury and spicy flavour hit my tongue on the first taste, plus the seasoning was just right, and the beef was delicious as well.

“Who taught you how to cook like this? This is so good”

“My mum did. She made sure all four of us were helping out in the kitchen when she cooked. My two sisters, my brother and I cook very well. I guess I’ll start cooking more since you like it” I blushed at the last statement. I was tempted to ask what other things his mum forced him to do, but I stopped myself because it meant talking about family, and I didn’t want that.

“Well, I’m grateful she did because God knows what I would have eaten” He chuckled at my response.

After eating, we started watching a movie. I sat on his lap, resting my head on his shoulder. The movie was a romcom titled People We Meet on Vacation. As the movie progressed, he kept stealing glances at me until he finally turned my face to his and kissed me. Soon, his hand found my waist, and he kept looking at my face. He grabbed the hem of my shirt and paused.

“Are you sure, babe?” He asked, and I nodded yes.

He pulled my shirt off over my head, exposing my pink bra, and left my black boyfriend jeans untouched. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead even though the air conditioner was functioning just fine. His eyes were now on my chest. He just paused and looked up at my face. 

“I can’t do this” He said as he pulled me up from his lap, leaving me in a very confused state.

“Please wear your shirt” He said, pointing at my shirt.

“George, why?” I asked, trying to find out if I did something wrong “What did I do?”

“No, it’s not you. You nodded yes, but your face said otherwise; you looked terrified. You’re not ready, and it’s fine. I just wish you had said what your face was telling me” 

I just stood there, with my shirt in my hand. He was right, I was panicking, and I didn’t know why.

 

He booked an Uber for me and tried to lighten the mood, but the awkwardness was still in the air. I got to my hostel, and per usual, I met Princess and Gloria waiting for me. I didn’t have the energy to talk, so I just changed into my nightgown and lay on my bed.

‘I’m sorry about today. Please let’s talk about it tomorrow. I love you, Dee. Goodnight’

‘I love you, too. Goodnight, George’