WALKING ON WATERS

CHAPTER 1

The warm rays of the rising sun streak in through the half opened drapes of the bedroom curtains, bathing the room with the yellow morning glow.  I slowly drifted out of sleep, my eyes gradually adjusting to the light and my body embracing the warmth of the woman sleeping besides me.

  My lips curled up, as I buried my nose into the nape of her neck

"Good morning, babe." I pressed a kiss on her hazelnut-toned shoulder; she stirred slightly in response.

" Is it morning yet?" she asked, covering her face with her elbow.

"Yes, it is." I picked up the digital table clock besides my side of the bed "it is 6:30 am to be precise"

"Urghhh,don't tell me I have less than three hours to be at work this morning " she stifled a yawn, as she adjusted her hair bonnet.

"You can just skip today's work, if you are not up to it"

"Says who?"Her brows furrowed,as she sat uprightly stifling a yawn.

" Says me, your darling husband, my dear Yadah" I declared, as I tried to share a morning kiss with her, but her hand pushed my face backward, aborting my morning   mission.

"Why nau" I feigned a scowl

"Guy, I didn't brush before going to bed " she bluntly stated, stretching her hands.

"Dear wifey, Do I need to remind you   that both your good and bad breath are mine"I wrapped my hands around her waist.

"I do not disagree with that,just that I think it is unfair that I shared my  bad breath with you." She lowered her lashes, as she ran a hand along my arms

"Fine, fine, Doc.Yadah" I shrugged, lifting my hands in defeat.

"Thank you, my Gee" She bumped fists with me.

"Who is your Gee? My eyes quirked

" You, Yele Cardoso  is my forever gee, deal with it, Who is your guy, Yele is my guy"she chuckled as she makes some funny faces to me, trying to elicit a laugh from me

"What are you trying to do, Madam, that one no go work for me today ;Anyway, It is time for morning Devotion and it's your turn to lead"

"I know right" She fetched her I-Pad from her bedside. 

We started with a short worship song, after which she gave a short charge from the book of Colossians chapter four verse seventeen, admonishing and stating the instruction of how we are to do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

As she expounded on the scripture, I continued to stared at her, sometimes I feel am married to a future Pastor.I am married to a woman who is beautiful, intelligent and loves her creator dearly

  I count every day I have shared with her in the past four years as a privilege and a blessing.If anyone has informed me I would be so in love with not just my wife but with the idea of marriage, I would counter them.

    I didn't grow up in a chaotic home , the idea of marriage just never sat so well with me, I knew I was going to get married one day, but not so fast as I had walked down the aisle with Yadah.I never thought I could love someone wholeheartedly. 

I would always bless Jire and Oyinkan nuptials  for bringing Yadah to my path.  

I could still  remember  that day, I had managed to drag myself off; from my workstation barely making it down to Akin Adesola Street where the Bungalow Restaurant was situated, in Victoria Island. 

It was Jire and Oyinkan’s first meeting for the arrangement of their wedding rehearsals,The couple were meeting with us, their bridal and groom party to discuss what they would loved us do on the main day,”, was a physical meeting important, why not do an online meeting but anything would do as far it concerns Jire. “ I had grumbled.

The moment  I slipped through the restaurant door, locating the designated meeting point after scanning the crowded room, I noticed the low hum of conversations being held at the designated meeting point paused briefly, and eyes subtly turned my way, their curiosity lingering in the air like an unspoken question as I approached them. 

My footsteps faltered,  not that the weight of their lingering stares bore down on me,I just preferred the quiet outskirts than the bustling centre especially when I had shown up late.

Jire had welcomed me with an embrace, “Bossman, welcome. I hope finding the route down here was not difficult? “ His friendly demeanour greeted me, addressing the uneasiness that has been bestowed on me by the lingering stares of others. He had also gone  ahead  to justify my tardiness that day, finding some random excuse.

In response to his action, I apologised to everyone sincerely. The room, once tense, gradually relaxed. Smiles appeared, and the atmosphere lightened, showing that everyone had accepted my apology—except for one oversabi aunty. She maintained a composed exterior, her gaze still cool and detached.

 Despite the harmonious atmosphere that emerged after my apologies, her subtle glances still conveyed lingering displeasure as I took my seat. Internally, I felt less concerned; I had apologised to the host and others, including her. I didn't care if she was still offended—I wasn't about to grovel. I smirked and averted my gaze from hers.

 After a mini introduction of ourselves to one another, the bride and groom handed the meeting to oversabi aunty who by the mini introduction goes by the name “Yadah”. That was my  first time coming across a Nigerian with such a name. 

As She stood up to anchor the meeting , my gaze fell on her striking sky-blue Ankara gown which adorned her body like a garden in full bloom, its floral patterns weaving a tapestry of vibrant colours against her deep, curvy silhouette.  Her radiant confidence which to me seemed like nothing else but sheer arrogance at that first meeting transformed the gown into more than fabric, accentuated by the unconventional charm of her afro hair natural hair geng…smh. 

Yet, beneath the surface, a sense of annoyance stirred within me  as I listened to the her, a sense of irritation crept in with every word she spoke

As she went  into the expectations for our friend's marriage rehearsal, I felt her words carried a distinct air of condescension. The way she outlined what was "expected" seemed more like a lecture on propriety than genuine guidance. Her tone, a blend of superiority and implied authority, left an unspoken implication that she held the key to understanding the nuances of such occasions, leaving me with a subtle sense of discomfort.”This lady got to be a pro at this bridesmaid gig.” I mused with a teasing smile as  she dotted   the i's and crossed t's of what was expected  of us in the upcoming ceremony.

I thought all was over after that meeting not until this babe barged into my DM , some week later, budging me about what is expected of our roles  as per the Best Man and Chief bridesmaid to the Couple,  Through the pixels on my phone screen, I could see her messages unfolded like one digital guidebook. 

Emojis and exclamation points were sprinkled amidst her words, infusing a sense of excitement into the expectations she gently laid out , seeing all this I knew I could not carry out this expectations of hers , all that stood out in my mind was a way to tell Jire to find himself another best man“who was this lady kidding , did they give her a proper orientation about me at all” but at the end of the day, I found  myself tagging along  with a lot of “Oks'' I do not know whether I did that out of  my sheer curiosity to find out what she wanted to achieved through her arrogance or probably I was doing it for the sake of the one who I was doing it for. 

I would later find out that was one of the beautiful attributes of Yadah was that  She cherished her loved ones with an unwavering devotion, holding them in the highest esteem, their well-being and happiness intricately woven into the fabric of her heart and for that ,she would carry their matter over her head like nothing else matters. 

Down into the navigation of  the intricacies of the upcoming celebration, I became aware of her commanding presence which seemed both captivating and somewhat overpowering. Despite the initial irritation, I couldn't help but be intrigued by the unique fusion of her beauty, the unconventional allure of her afro hair, and the determined precision she and the event planner invoked into the wedding celebration. 

 At the end of each rehearsal, I could see Jire and his bride brimming with smiles and always sang her praises, even other groom-men and maids of honour wouldn't say less. Oyinkan was a bride at rest throughout the preparation with the help of a friend like Yadah in her life.Amidst of the wedding rehearsals, the clash of impressions unfolded, hinting at a complex dynamic that would later evolve. 

Little did I know that this initial encounter during the hustle and bustle of preparations would set the stage for a deeper connection and a surprising twist in our unfolding story.

  Then came the day where the sun of connection arose, casting away the shadows of unfamiliarity and  buds of what I would have  first called friendship which would  later be developed into something more beautiful and begin to bloom, painting our lives with the vibrant hues of shared moments and mutual understanding. I had just sunk into the plush armchair in my living room  ;with my weary eyes tracing the contours of my living room. 

The soft hum of instrumental music playing from my Echo Dot enveloped me, a gentle counterpoint to the relentless virtual discussions I had been in for some hours. As the weight of the stressful online meeting was being lifted, Yadah unexpected WhatsApp call came in, I had first ignored it because I didn't have an ounce of energy to match the prowess I thought she was bringing that day on the appraisal of our freelancing job of being a best man and chief bridesmaid however at the fourth ring or less, I picked up, only for me to received one of the weirdest info that day  ;Jire was calling off the wedding, I felt indifferent to the news.

“Really ;That's life though ”I spurted out my responses being monotonous, punctuated by long silences that echoed my apathetic disinterest in the conversation.

“Mister, what are you spewing out of your mouth, I just informed you  that your friend whom you are expected to be his best man just called off his wedding to my friend and the only thing you can say is  that's life though, My friend is here in my house crying her heart out, not knowing what to do and all you can say  is that's  life though,” She said echoing my tone, adopting a subtle mimicry in the cadence and rhythm of my voice."

 “I choose to just believe the best about you and Jire, I just hope you guys are not trying to toil with my Oyinkan's life cause this statement of yours is beginning to make me think otherwise”

“What do you mean by that ?” I cut into her conversation

“What would I gain in doing that, moreover am I even in Jire’s head to know what is going on there? ” I replied trying to recall if I ever remembered anything from my last encounter with Jire that could have given a hint that my guy was going to develop cold feet as the day of the knot-tying draw nearby

“I’ m sorry for my outburst, am just confused and frustrated about this whole thing, Oyinkan is at my place crying profusely, she had earlier informed me some days ago that she noticed some form of withdrawal from Jire, but I just dismissed her observations telling her  He was just tired from the stress of everything at hand, only for her to break this sad news to me ”Her voice, tinged with sincerity, flowed through the phone as she made he  apologies. I won't lie, the remorseful cadence in her words struck a chord that day a  the genuine tone painted a picture of her remorse, leaving me with a bittersweet sense of acceptance as the conversation unfolded.

“So what do you want us to do?”I asked, surprised at myself asking such a question and even using the word “us.''When did Yadah and I turn into peas in a pod that; could be used to qualify our name in a sentence? At that point, I care less about what I should or not be doing with her, all I knew was that an emotional capacity which I didn't  think existed in me came out on full display that day and that was Empathy, one cognitive skill I do not think I possess

 "For in Jesus' name, Have we prayed,  " Yadah's voice reverberated through the room, carrying the weight of finality as she declared the end of our morning prayer. The resonance lingered, echoing the fervour that had filled the space moments before.

 As the last words of the prayer resounded, I jolted back to awareness. With a surge of conviction, my voice cut through the lingering echoes, a loud "Amen" escaping my lips. The sudden fervour of my response shattered the tranquillity of my reverie, making it clear that I was not just a passive observer but actively engaged in the prayer's conclusion. Opening my eyes I could see my beautiful wife radiating with smiles

"Good morning, my love," Yadah chimed. 

"A beautiful morning to you and the happiest hour of our day,"  I whispered, sealing the sentiment with a quick, affectionate kiss on her lips.

"Yele !" A subtle gasp escaped her as her eyes widened, sparkling with a delightful astonishment.

"Yes,  dear wifey, Bad breath on my foot" I smirked as I changed into my workout clothes while a radiant smile bloomed on her face as she walked into the restroom.