LOVE AND DIAMONDS(EPISODE FIVE)

Hello friends, new episodes ofLove and Diamonds will be up on Sundays till it ends. Special thanks to @oge_writes for editing this episode. Enjoy this episode.

RAYMOND

The past two months had been quite fun for me. I had never felt so alive since Olivia’s death. After the dinner with Nene, I wanted to see her more and more. Sometimes when she is leaving the hospital after work, I would corner her and convince her to go out with me to one of the restaurants located close to her house or her church to sit and talk. We had talked about different things. I had gotten to know her better through our talks. Talking to her had achieved a lot of things I couldn’t achieve even with all the visits to the psychologist after Olivia’s death. She was so good with Naeto maybe because she was a paediatrician but to me she was a natural. Nene made me see a different aspect of life ;the bright and funny side of life as she called it. She told me about losing her father at an early age to lymphoma. Her mother also passed on shortly afterwards and her brother who was a teenager then left the country in search of a better life and she hadn’t heard from him since then. I  felt sorry for her at that moment but I was amazed at how she had grown to be a very successful young woman. I asked her her secret and her response was ‘It’s God’s doing Ray. You know that trying moment when it seems that all hope is lost, when you have nowhere to run to, when the tunnel is dark? I experienced that Ray but the moment I handed all my worries to God, he took care of my troubles,I didn’t have to worry anymore. He already knows what you are about to ask him even before you do. Some people may think that you are putting all your eggs in one basket but there is nothing wrong in doing that because you trust the basket not to break the eggs. That’s my secret Ray, trusting God and he has never disappointed me.’ I was not really a church going person. The last time I remember going to church was at Olivia’s burial but I made sure Naeto went on Sundays with Lauretta. Nene had taught me  o say some thanksgiving prayers to God because that was the first step to being close to God. Sometimes, we ended our outings by attending the late evening mass at her church. Last Sunday, I had found myself in Church. When we did not see during the day, we spent hours talking on the phone till we slept off.
Naeto and I were driving back from our usual Friday’s night out when he called me from the back seat where he was, ‘my daddy.’
‘Yes buddy.’ I answered focusing on the road
‘Can we go on a picnic with doctor Nene tomorrow?’ he asked chirpily.
‘And why is that? I thought you saw her when she took you out for a milk shake yesterday?’
‘Because…….because….’ Naeto stuttered.
‘I am listening’
‘Because I want her to be my new mommy.’
I felt a sharp pang in my chest. I had thought I was the only person thinking along that line, I didn’t  know  my little boy was also thinking the same. It was no surprise that she had gradually warmed her way into our hearts and had decided to say.
‘Let me be the one to decide that buddy but you will still be considered okay. About the picnic, ehhm let me see.’ I pretended to think about it. I had already made up my mind to see her. We hadn’t really had time to talk or see each other that week due to my business. I had been trying to finalize the take-over of an almost liquidating newspaper and fortunately it came through yesterday. I really missed her smiles and laughter.
‘Don’t you have homework to do?’ I asked
‘My daddy, our teacher didn’t give us any homework.’ he replied pouting. I could see him from the front mirror.
‘Okay, you are lucky son but it depends on ...’
‘Depends on what my daddy?’
“If she is going to agree.”
‘She will dad.’ He said sounding so sure of himself.
‘And how are you so sure of that?’
‘Because I like her, she likes me, she likes you and you like her my daddy.’
‘Hmmm, we will call her when we get home okay.’
‘Yes, yes, I love you my daddy!’ he screamed excitedly from the back.

We got home and after showering and having dinner, Naeto came up to me and asked,’dad, can we call her now?’ I picked my phone from the side stool and dialled Nene’s number. It rang about twice before she  picked. She sounded so tired. We spoke for about three minutes. ‘Naeto wants to talk to you.’ I said and handed the phone to Naeto. We had decided to go to Gurara waterfalls. They chatted for about 20 minutes before Naeto yawned tiredly telling me he was already feeling sleepy. He handed the phone back to me and laid on the couch.
‘ I hope he didn’t wear you out because he has already fallen asleep on the couch.’
‘Haha, No he didn’t, you know I actually forgot I was so tired till he yawned. Thank you for the invitation. I was just thinking of a very good way to spend tomorrow after all the stressful time at the hospital.’
‘I wasn’t the inviter. It was Naeto who brought the idea. ‘Oh that’s so nice of him. Please don’t forget to give him two beautiful kisses for me.’

“I will dear’ I said. We talked for some 10minutes before we said our goodnights and hung up. I picked Naeto from the couch and carried him up to his room. I tucked him and gave him the two kisses Nene requested I watched him sleep for some minutes remembering how he was talking so animatedly to Nene and when he declared his love for her. I smiled. I can’t wait for our little family to be complete and with that smile still on my lips, I walked to my room, said some thanksgiving prayers to God and slept off.

KAINENE


I woke up in the morning feeling quite energetic. I felt a smile creep up to my lips. I knew the reason behind my smile. I was so looking forward to the picnic. The last few months had been wonderful. You know that feeling you get when you are meeting a need somewhere or that you are filling a vacuum created in someone's life; that was exactly how I felt. Knowing more about Raymond was a hell lot of experience. It was full of ups and downs; how he had struggled from a young age to make ends meet having come from a polygamous home and the only son of his mother with two elder sisters and a younger one. I went about my usual morning routine after which I showered and wore a long maxi dress and a pair of blue flat sandals. I went downstairs to the kitchen to have a light breakfast and pack some food for the picnic. I was discussing with the girls when the bell rang. When I opened the door, it was Ray and Naeto. They looked breathtakingly handsome clad in white vests and black jeans trousers, black and white all stars sneakers and baseball caps to complete the appearance. I hugged Ray and lifted Naeto up and kissed him on the cheeks and tickled him which earned me giggles from him. I dropped him back on the floor and opened the door widely. 'Come in guys, please make yourselves comfortable I will be right back.' I went into the kitchen with Naeto trailing behind me. The moment Preye saw Naeto she screamed in amazement, “Wow, who is this handsome little man we have here, Kaine?”

Naeto smiled shyly and greeted 'Good morning aunties.'

“Morning my dear.”Amina responded.

'And he even has good manners, so beautiful.' Preye said with open admiration..

'He is Ray's son Naeto; Naeto, these are my friends Amina and Preye.' After some playful gestures, Naeto eventually warmed up to the girls as they tickled him and fed him some of the ice-cream from the freezer. We soon left the kitchen taking with us some food and drinks which we transferred to Ray's car and left for Gurara falls.
******

After some hours of playing in the water and tossing balls, we ate some of the food we had brought. Naeto was some meters away from us playing with his toys while Ray and I were sitting on the mat munching some apples engrossed in our silent thoughts. A few minutes of silence passed before we both spoke up at the same time.

'I'

'You know'


We both laughed then Ray motioned for me to continue.

'I am so happy to be here. This place is so relaxing. Nature at its best. It is as if Naeto and I are now beginning to think alike.'

'I feel the same too. I have wanted to unwind too. You know that take-over deal I have been trying to close finally came through yesterday. I am now the new owner of The Compass.'

'Wow, congratulations Ray, this really calls for celebration.' I said pouring some wine into the wine glasses we had come with. 'Why didn't you tell me yesterday?'
'Because you were so tired and I didn't want to bother you.'

I passed one of the glasses to him and  I sat down with the other. I toast to joy and more blessings. We sat together in silence for some minutes occasionally sipping the wine.
'Nene.'

'Hmm.' I answered my eyes darting to Ray's. The look on his face was expressionless but it was serious enough for me to listen. He dropped his glass on the mat and took my free hand with his two hands.

'Nene, I can't thank you enough for what you have done in my life and Naeto's. Ever since you came into our lives, we have experienced joy, laughter and happiness. Before we met you, we had lived our lives indifferently without any anticipation to see tomorrow but now, we look forward to seeing another bright new day. You gave us a new meaning to life. Even Henshaw noticed it the other day he visited. My boy even thinks of you as his mother and as for me, you are irreplaceable. I would have been worse than you met me. I love you Nene. I don't know but I am thinking of moving to the next stage with you if you will let me.”

I didn't know what to say. For a few minutes, I pretended not to have heard what Ray said. I looked down at the mat and drew some imaginary circles on it. He stared at me for a while before he used his finger and tilted my face up to look him straight in the eyes.
'Nene, I just want an answer.'
'I don't know what to say Ray.'

I  thought everything was happening too fast. You never know what the future holds for you. I liked Ray, I really liked him a lot maybe the 'love' word wasn’t a part of it but I couldn’t categorize it yet. I know I felt butterflies in my stomach and a surge of adrenaline down my spine whenever we were in close proximity. As for Naeto, he was so adorable. When he pouts especially when I am trying to be strict on him I can't help but grant him what he asks for.
'Just say yes Nene' Ray said his eyes filled with hope.

'Yes Ray.' I said deciding to take a risk at love even though I had loved before but it was all thrown back at my face. 'I will like to move on to the next stage with you but I need an assurance Ray, I don't want to be disappointed.'
'I promise not to disappoint you Nene.' We continued looking at each other oblivious of everything happening around us when Ray leaned forward towards me. I hope it was not what I was thinking but it was too late. I was already mesmerized by the look of love and admiration in his eyes. He continued leaning closer till our lips met when suddenly we heard someone shout behind us...

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