As choir practice was going on one Saturday evening, Zina kept distracting everyone with her movement. No one really knew what she was moving around for. Stanford who was the choir master did not mind her, he continued teaching a song.

After a while, the provost, Osas decided to confront her.

“Zina, where are you going to again? Your movement is distracting us ”

“If you concentrate on what you are doing, my movement will not distract you,” Zina blasted him.

“Zina , do you remember that I am the provost of this choir?” Osas asked.

“I don’t care about whatever position you are holding. When does it became a crime for someone to ease herself in this choir,” Zina asked in angry tone

“No problem. I will advise that as you go out now, wear diapers before you come back. By the time you come back, if you attempt to go out again, I will use the full force of my office on you. I will suspend you from this choir for period of three months ,” Osas warned.

Zina quietly walked out without saying anything.

Few minutes later, she came in carrying a bouquet. While Eric walked beside her.
Both walked straight to the choristers. Eric bent one of his knees and proposed marriage to Itohan.

“What kind of rubbish is this! Eric how dare you distract our choir practice in this manner?” Osas shouted in anger. He was angry because of the humiliation that action would cause Stanford.

“Why are you shouting like a mad man. I was reliably informed that the choir practice has almost come to an end,” Eric shouted.

“Can you listen to yourself. You said almost, why can’t you wait. Must you come in here to display your ignorance in the name of marriage proposal.” Osas shouted back at him. The choir members busted out in laughter.

“Osas be careful. I don’t know what is giving you the strength to insult me,” Eric warned.

Majority of the choir members were not happy about the scene they just witnessed. They felt that it was irrational on the part of Eric to come before Stanford and propose marriage to Itohan. The assistant choir master, Emeka had to tell him.

“Eric, what you just did is totally unacceptable. There are many places for you to have done this. Must it be when the choir master is still standing before the choir.

“If he doesn’t want to stand, while I propose marriage to my woman, he can sit. If he does not want to witness it, he can close his eyes. What matters is that Itohan has accepted my ring.” Eric said nonchalantly.

“Itohan I pity you. Look at you, beautiful, godly and humble. See where desperation has led you to. You just entered a lion’s den. I pray that you come back alive,” Osas told her.

Itohan stood and was fighting hard to restrain the tears that was about to fall from her eyes.

Eric moved close to her and presented the key of the new car she bought her.

“This for you my Queen. Together, we will swim on mighty oceans and prove to the world that our love have come to stay,” Eric told her

“You bought car for me?” Itohan asked in wonder.

“Yes. This is just a tip of the iceberg of the positive surprises that awaits you in this union. I will surely prove the neighsayers wrong. Please invite some of your friends, let’s go and celebrate.”

Majority of the girls in the choir ran to meet Itohan and were congratulating her.

Eric held Itohan and attempted to lead her out but she pleaded that she want to wait for the closing prayers.

Osas tried to call the members of the choir to order but some of the girls resisted him

” Osas please allow us to go home . We are in a celebration mood. Don’t come and spoil it for us” Love told him.

“Don’t mind him. Provost with empty pocket. See how real men propose marriage to their fiancee. Itohan has turned to car owner. Now that they want to offer us the opportunity to meet car owners, you telling me to come and sit down. He is not serious. I am not sitting,” Cynthia said in anger even as she kept admiring the diamond ring on Itohan’s finger.

“Choir master please, every day is not for long prayer. Please let’s go for a short . One. We have an outing.”

The choir master said a short prayer to dismiss the choir. Afterwards, almost all the girls ran after Itohan and Eric. When Itohan got outside, she discovered that Uloma was not among the girls that came out side to meet her. She quickly went back and met her arranging chairs and putting things in order

“Uloma what’s going on? Are you not going with us” she whispered to her.

“No dear, I can’t go with you.”

“Why? Are you not happy with me?” She asked with a slightly frowned face.

” My dear, whether I am happy or not does not account here. What matters is that you are happy. But then, I don’t want to go anywhere.”

“Even if you don’t want to go, please do it for me,” Itohan pleaded.

“Please understand me, don’t give Zina another opportunity to pour insult on me.” Uloma explained.

Itohan had to walk away sadly.

As they were busy arranging and cleaning the chairs, Uloma noticed that Stanford was really sad. She wished that there was something she could do to cheer him up. She didn’t know what to do, she continued with her cleaning.

“Uloma what are you doing here? You didn’t escort your friend to nkwobi joint,” Osas asked.

All the boys busted out laughing. Uloma did as if he did not hear what Osa’s said.

Osas stood for a while waiting for response. After few minutes of silence, he matched straight to her.

“Uloma are you not the one that I am talking to? Why didn’t you accompany your friend to her husband’s house? Is she no longer your friend?” Osas said sarcastically.

“Itohan is my friend . Nothing can come in between us by the grace of God. Please stop calling her names. She didn’t commit any crime. She just made a choice. She should not be crucified for it.” Uloma told him.

” I am not crucifying her. But we have to let her know that she made a wrong choice. You are aware of that. That is why you are not happy,” Osas insisted.

“Osas , I never told you that I am not happy.”

“You don’t need to tell me. It is obvious,” Osas insisted.

“Osas please allow Uloma to do what she is doing. Stop distracting her” Stanford warned.

“Don’t mind him. Let him be drinking paracetamol on a headache that is worrying another person. Instead of him to say that he is interested in Uloma, he is beating about the bush,” Emeka joked.

Uloma quickly rounded of what she was doing and headed for her house.

***********
Eric’s mum was in her house when the door bell rang. She opened the entrance door and discovered that it was Eric.

” My son is back ” she shouted in joy and rushed to greet him.

“Good afternoon mummy” Itohan greeted

“My beautiful daughter. How are you?”

She led them into the sitting room and quickly brought drinks for them.

“Eric my son. I’m so happy that you came. Thanks for listening to my pleas and coming to meet me. I am so happy”

” Thanks much Iye. You know that I love you so much. It’s just that I have been so busy. Even now, I’m rushing to somewhere but I made up my mind that I must see you today. Let me quickly introduce to you the lady I came with. Her name is Itohan. She is the lady I want to marry.”

“You mean that this beautiful lady has agreed to marry you, or you brought her for me to beg her to marry you,” his mummy asked.

“Itohan could not hide her joy. She was afraid when they were coming but all the fears has been erazed”

“Iye she has already agreed to marry me” Eric answered with smiles.

“Really, this is good news. Eric you have good eyes, just like your father. During my time, I was the most beautiful girl in my area. All the young men were rushing to marry me. Your father was lucky that I accepted to marry him.”

“Hmm! Iye but this was not the story that Baba told me,”Eric responded with smiles.

“Will you shut up my friend! What do you know,” Eric’s mum said with smiles.

Eric and Itohan busted out laughing.

“My daughter don’t mind him. I I’m I not beautiful?”she asked Itohan.

“Mummy you are beautiful!” Itohan complimented her.

“Thank you my dear. Please where are your parents? Are they in this city?”

“No ma, they live in the village.”

“Oh you live here alone?”

‘No ma. I live with my friend.”

“That your friend, is he a boy or girl?”

“Iye what kind of question is that. Do you expect him to live with a man.” Eric asked.

“Please forgive me. I’m excited meeting her. That is why.”

“Mummy, no problem. You can ask any question” Itohan encouraged her.

” Thank you my good daughter in law. Have you seen it? She said that I can ask any question. ”

She turned to Itohan,
“What are your parents occupation?”

“My father is a teacher while my mother is a petty trader?”

“Wow! Thats nice. Is he a teacher in a government school or private school?”

“He teaches in government School,” Itohan answered.

“Good, that means he combines it with faming to make ends meet,” Eric’s mum inquired.

“Yes ma, ” Itohan answered. She was becoming a bit confused.

“I believe that you used to help them with the farming when you were with them,” she asked again.

“Yes ma.”

“What of hawking things for your mother. Did you also help her to do that?”

“Yes ma”

“I really like you. You are from a good home. My son will marry you.”

“Thank you ma,” Itohan said, while breathing a sigh of relief

“I’m sorry for all the questions. I am just trying to know my daughter in law better,” Eric s mum pleaded.

“There is no problem about that. You are supposed to know everything about me,” Itohan told her.

“God bless you my child. Your parents trained you well. How many children did your parents give birth to?”

“Mummy these questions are becoming much. You must not know everything today.” Eric complained.

“Eric, please allow mummy. She is just trying to know me better. Mama please feel free,” Itohan came to her rescure.

“Have you seen it, she said that I should feel free. Please my dear, answer my question.”

“My parents gave birth to seven children.”

“Are you the last?”

“No ma. I am the first”

“No wonder, you look so responsible and matured.”

“Thank you ma.”

“How many boys did your parents give birth to?”

“One boy ma.”

“Ah! Your parents are blessed. Female children are the ones that take care of their parents at old age.”

“Thank you ma.”

“Now that you have agreed to marry my son, I hope that you have told other men you are dating that you are no longer interested in them?”

Itohan opened her mouth in wonder.

Watch out for the next episode.