The Father’s Love - 5

It's Judy Supremacy over here o

Before you go on, have you read Chapter 4?

You have?

Okay then, let’s get into Chapter 5🤭

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She was primped and pretty. Well, as much as she could manage under the circumstances. Her friends had gassed her into venturing beyond her comfort zone and applying a little more makeup than her usual slicked brows, mascara and lip gloss routine. Some eyeliner, blush and lipstick managed to make the cut this time around.

She let her short boho braids which were typically tied back frame her face, the results being a step up from her everyday look.

Finally done with all the additions and subtractions, she assessed the final look. Her dark skin sported an attractive glow, although her eyes broadcasted the nerves she was trying so hard to tamp down. She grimaced. Can't really do anything about that, can I?

Her dress, a simple but flattering sundress with a heart-shaped neckline teased the eyes without revealing anything. She rubbed her exposed arms up and down, attempting to fight off the chill that suddenly crept upon her. I should grab a shawl, she noted to herself. She glanced down at her sandal-clad feet and whispered a prayer that this would work. Lord, please.

Her anxious gaze slid to her phone innocently perched on the dressing table. If she tried hard enough, maybe she could will it to light up with the notification she so desperately wanted to see. Playing back the thought, she shook her head. Tolu, don't be ridiculous.

Right on cue, the sound of the door opening and the ensuing shout of, “Babe, I'm home!” caused her to relax for a split second, before her muscles coiled even tighter. Nonetheless, she took one last glance at her reflection and drew a deep breath before stepping out of the room. Showtime.

She met him bent over behind the couch, his hand to his heel as he divested his feet of his shoes. She paused for an extra second before she made her presence known. “Hi Jide, welcome.”

“Hi babe, thank you,” he responded as he straightened. She scanned his form, drinking in details that would otherwise be lost on her. Contrary to his sharp, put-together look in the morning, he looked undone this evening. He had lost the tie, unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves to the elbow. The ends of his shirt looked a hair‘s breadth from springing away from their tucked in position.

“How was your–wait.” His brows knitted together as he came to a conclusion. “You look very nice. Are you going somewhere?”

She smiled hesitantly. “Yeah,” she paused, gauging his reaction before adding, “I was actually hoping you would come with me.”

Surprise dawned on his face as her words registered. “Oh. Where to?”

She circled him. “Well…to eat out. It's been a while since we did that and I thought it might be good to get some outside air together.”

His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “Oh wow.” His face crumpled as his gaze shot to his laptop bag.

She read his face loud and clear, but that evening, she wasn't necessarily in a malleable mood. So she didn't back down. “Surely you can spare a few hours. Work can drive you hard but it can't deprive you of eating, can it?”

He opened his mouth to protest and she cut him off, placing an arm on his shoulder and staring him boldly in the face. “If it does, that's a HR violation. I should know,” she smiled lightly.

The struggle played out on his face. Until something gave way and his strained expression relaxed. “You’re right babe, thank you. Just let me get changed since I look sloppy at the moment.”

It took him all of fifteen minutes to reappear before her in the living room, freshly showered and dressed down in a crisp but casual white polo t-shirt, dark wide-leg trousers and some loafers.

“Hope this works for where we're going? I tried to match your outfit vibes.” He looked down at himself, gesturing to his outfit. “Did I do well?”

She smiled. “You look handsome, and your clothes are just right.”

His face lit up and he puffed his chest out and stepped aside for her to lead the way. The drive to the restaurant was silent as both Tolu and Jide wrestled with their thoughts.

Tolu viewed her husband through the corner of her eye, trying to gauge him. His eyes were fixed on the road, his face the very mask of concentration. One hand firmly gripped the steering wheel as the other idled on his lap, tapping back and forth in circular motion. At the appearance of his peculiar tic, a small satisfaction swelled within her. She wasn't the only one that was nervous.

However, the feeling died as soon as it flared the moment she considered the weight of what it meant. They were husband and wife for crying out loud, not strangers. They were not supposed to be this out of touch with each other.

That's what this night is for, she reminded herself. It was a step, albeit a small one, towards regaining a semblance of what they had lost somewhere along the way.

“So,” she started, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.

“Yes? Are you going to say where we're going now? I know you said I know the place and that it's in Surulere but you didn't go any further. You have to give me more to work with.”

“Really? It doesn't ring a bell?” She asked, arching a brow. It wasn't that much of a mystery aa far as she was concerned. “A restaurant with sentimental value in Surulere?” she pressed.

“But there are lots of restaurants in Surulere that we've gone to–oh,” Comprehension dawned in his voice swiftly as he finally put it together. “Sweet Angels. The place we had our first date. It was also where I asked you to be my girlfriend.”

“Yeah.”

He went silent after that, no doubt wondering what her choice meant. She could almost touch the curiosity rolling off him in waves. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it halfway, deciding better of it.

She stared at him, wanting to ask him about what was on his mind but found that her lips did not cooperate with her. They stubbornly stayed sealed although she did not do a lot of pushing back. They would have time to speak when they got to their destination. He would probably bring it up then. And the food would be a good buffer between them to keep things from growing overly awkward.

She leaned forward, reaching over to fiddle with the radio. As though the heavens were in support of this endeavour, the car instantly filled with the sound of nostalgia, expressed through the soulful melody of Judy Great's evergreen classic.

She closed her eyes and relaxed in her seat as the melody washed over her. It was one of their favourite love songs and listening to it after so long ushered her into a different place, a lighter and happier one filled with the scent of budding love and nervous anticipation.

Eight years earlier,

She was almost positive she was bouncing in her seat. Her excitement was that palpable. But how could she not be excited? After a long and dry spell of little to no attention from guys, she was finally going on a date. Someone had seen her, liked what he saw and was interested in getting to know her better. Hallelujah o!

Even though she was twenty-four years old and logically, she still had enough time ahead of her to meet potential partners, there still persisted a nagging thought that the lack of male attention she experienced was a sign that she would end up alone.

So when she went to this personal development conference and found her seat partner stealing glances at her throughout the sessions, a mixture of hope and relief began to unfurl in her chest. The more he attempted to be sneaky with his staring, the more certain she was that he would say something of interest to her.

And she was right, they had barely finished making the announcement for the networking break before he turned to her with a charming smile on his face.

“Hello, I couldn't help but notice how rapt your attention was throughout the sessions. I must confess, a few of the things they said went over my head but I saw that you took notes. Could I see them please?”

She stifled her knowing smile. If that was how he wanted to play it, she could swing that way too.

He introduced himself as he received the journal she stretched to him. “Oh please, pardon my manners. My name is Olajide or just Jide Olanrewaju. I'm an audit professional. It's nice to meet you.” He stuck out his hand once more for a handshake.

She clasped his hand and found his palm soft and smooth to the touch. “It's okay, no worries. My name is Toluwanimi Adeleke. I'm in HR. Likewise.”

He smiled and released her, turning his attention to her notes. Although she had thought that asking for the notes was merely an excuse to talk to her, her confidence dimmed significantly as she noted his furrowed brows and intense gaze. He seemed genuinely invested in what he was reading.

Does that mean he's not interested in me the way I thought he was? Had she misread him? She wondered, starting to feel like she was deflating. She grabbed her phone and stood to her feet, deciding to make good use of the networking break. If she had looked back, she would have seen the panicked expression that darted across his face.

She only returned to her seat by the time the program was back on so he would not be able to speak to her. He didn't attempt to anyway, only resumed his game of stealing side glances. Maybe it's someone beside me he's looking at sef and not me, she mused.

She had all but given up hope when he ran up to her as she was stepping out of the venue. With a playful huff, he said to her, “Ahan, you walk too fast! Or is someone chasing you and the rest of us are not aware?”

She had rolled her eyes mildly, curious as to why he chased after her when she was by him all through the program. “Is something wrong?” She asked, raising a brow.

He then smiled toothily. “I actually just came to get your number. I'd love to stay in touch if you don't mind.” He paused a second, gauging her expression before hastily adding. “Or if you're not comfortable with giving a stranger your number, maybe your social media handle?”

She let him stew for a few beats as she made a show of contemplating whether or not to respond positively. “Hmmm..would I say you're a stranger though? Since I technically know your government name and what you do for a living,” she teased, wiggling her brows. “Unless you're a felon, in which case I can absolutely NOT give you my number.”

His smile widened, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You make an excellent point ma'am. It's lucky that I can confirm that I am indeed NOT a felon. So,” he stretched out his phone to her, waving it lightly.

And that was the beginning of something new between them. Although, it was not without a few delays in launching. He didn't text immediately, waiting three whole agonising days that left Tolu hitting herself for not collecting his phone number as well. Then she asked herself if she had really become that desperate. She didn't answer that question.

When his message came in, it was surprisingly not a text through to her number, but a message on another of her social media accounts. She had not been inclined to accept the message request until she checked out the profile and recognised the face staring back at her. It was the guy from the conference, the one she had been waiting for. Jide!

As they got talking, he explained the reason why he didn't reach out earlier. Apparently, his phone packed up the very same day they met and somehow, he lost her phone number along with it. Once he replaced it, he searched her name and went through multiple profiles until he found the one that belonged to her. She couldn't help but find his determination to speak to her sweet.

And thus began what social media would call the ‘talking stage’. As they spoke, she found that he was a great listener, smart, knew how to carry on a conversation well, witty, driven and career-oriented and importantly, he seemed like a good Christian man. Of course, she had met him in person and already knew he was easy on the eyes so by all accounts, he looked to be winning on the major fronts. In spite of their work schedules and other commitments, they still talked everyday without fail. It was only a matter of time before her heart started to flutter at only the very thought of him.

Now, he had made the first semi-major move forward by asking her on a date. She was brimming with nervous excitement at the thought of how the night would go.

Right on cue, her phone's ringtone jolted her nerves some more as she listened for his smooth voice.

“Heyy my date. I'm outside, you said your place is number eleven right?”

“Yeah,” she breathed out. Playing back how she sounded in her own ears, she shook her head. Get it together girl. “That's right. I'm on my way out.” She added in a clearer voice, already locking up the door to her apartment.

His figure leaning by the car was the first thing she noticed as she emerged from the gate. She smiled at him as their eyes met, feeling self-conscious.

“You said to dress casual but fashionably. Did I understand the assignment?” She asked, spreading her hands out as she wiggled lightly in her dress.

He scanned her from head to toe, looking just a little dazed. “You most definitely did, Ms Angel.”

“Ms Angel?” She asked, her tone a tad disbelieving.

“Because that's the effect you're having on me right now,” he admitted, holding her gaze without shying away.

She broke the eye-contact first, laughing lightly to dispel the embarrassing rush of heat to her cheeks.

As they settled into the car, the distinct, soulful melody of Judy Great’s ‘Undying Devotion’ caught her attention.

“Yes, you, yes you, yes you
You'll have myy-y undying devotion
Come rain, come sunshine, come storm
Oh, oh oh
My love will be yours, 
My love will be yours, will be yours 
Eternallyyyy.”

She couldn't resist the urge to sing along with the chorus and before she knew it, Jide's deep timbre had joined in, their two voices creating a perfect harmony.

As the song came to an end, she looked at him in surprise. “I didn't know you liked Judy Great.”

“I don't like her, I love her! Her music is evergreen and it just has so much depth. It's Judy supremacy over here o. In fact I have all her classics.” He reached into the glove compartment for more CDs.

All the way to their destination, they belted out their lungs to Judy Great's discography.

The date hadn't even started properly and yet, Tolu already knew that she would never forget this day.

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Mo’s BTS Note

Merry Christmas my faves! I know, I know, I'm two days late but t’is the season after all😚 How are you doing and how's the festive season going on your end? Mine has been filled with food prep, cooking, more cooking, cleaning up after cooking and washing dishes. Fun right?😬

To think I thought I'd send this part out on Christmas day, I laugh in you naive girl😂

Anywayyy, what's important is that it's here now. Whaddya think? I didn't plan it to be this early butt we ended up getting a flashback to see what it was like at the very beginning for Tolu and Jide, before they became the way they are now. What does it tell you?

Fun fact: Judy Great is not a real musician, both her name, song title and lyrics were made up. Could you tell?

Now it’s what we’ve all been waiting forrrrr.

Reveal in…..

1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

TA-DA🥳

Sooo, what do you think👉🏾👈🏾 Are you feeling it? Did you guess the title right too? Or at least guess something close?😂

I designed it myself, can you tell?🤭 I’m sure you couldn’t tell, if not that I told you. Me sef, I’m a professional🙂‍↔️

Book me for design jobs guys, kayyy? Thankss.

If this is your first time coming across this series, please make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any of its juicy parts😚

And finallyyyy, gotchaaaa!😝

That’s not the real cover, I’m just playing with you😂😂

THIS is the real cover👇🏾

Okay I’m all out of tricks now, this is the real deal guys. You likeee?🙈

This cover is so significant to me, especially because it came at a time where I was doubting the whole point of continuing with this story. I was unsure about so many things, yet the Lord asked me to build in public and in spite of that, I’ll say it still felt lonely. I don’t know if it’s because my expectations were too high regarding engagement or because I was juggling a few things but I was just not having it.

As you could see with the first cover I showed you (which is not good, I know🤣), it was my first attempt. I had a vision in mind which I couldn’t properly execute so I just shelved the idea and said I’d continue without it, at least for now. Which meant that that was one more thing piled on to be unsure about and everything just accumulated and got to me.

But the Lord in his infinite mercy and kindness looked upon me in my despondence and breathed into me a fresh, clear vision for the cover. Not just that, He also equipped me with the wherewithal to execute it. It was a great comfort to me, like a pat on the back and a fresh reason to keep moving, certainty or no certainty, engagement or no engagement. I’m so grateful to my Lord🥹

I’m sharing this with you because this is a behind the scenes note after all, and also to encourage you. If you are growing weary on an assignment the Lord sent you on and doubting whether or not He’s still invested, trust me He is. He is still Oranmonisefayati, so keep your heart open and watch how He will encourage you🫶🏾

Okay, this has been a very long note. I started getting a little too comfortable there but don’t worry, I’m already going😅

Thank you for being here. I hope to see you next time with that article I promised you (hopefully before the end of 2025, God abeg🧎🏽‍♀️)

Until then, it’s

-All my love,

Mofeoluwa💚🧑🏾‍🎄