Obinna was laying on his bed trying to take a nap when the ringing tone of his phone woke him up. When he discovered that the caller was his friend Michael, he quickly got up and grabbed the phone.

“Michael how are you doing?” He asked in excitement.

“I’m good. How is your babe?”

“Who is your babe? I hope you are not getting ready for gossip this afternoon. I don’t have the time,” Obinna warned him.

“I don’t blame you. The privileged to eat a home cooked food is turning your head,” Michael joked.

“My dear, I’m really enjoying myself. Immediately I come back to the states, I will just move straight to the gym because I’m sure that I will add lots of flesh.”

“So, what of your babe? Why are you dodging the question ,” Micheal pressed harder.

“Micheal, don’t allow me to spank you,” Obinna warned.

“Just tell me about her. Later, you can spank me,” Michael pleaded.

“Bros hmm!” Obinna paused and smiled.

“Talk now… please, ” Micheal urged Obinna.

“My dear, she is so cute. Forget about what we saw in the picture. If you see her…..hmm!” Obinna said with smiles.

“Wow! My friend is taken,” Micheal shouted in excitement.

“You are not serious. Who took you?”

“Guy stop keeping me in suspense. Tell me everything,” Micheal urged him the more.

“What do you want me to tell you. I just came back last week.”

“That is a long time…. Did she agree?” Micheal asked.

“Agree to what? I don’t understand you o” Obinna told him, pretending that he doesn’t know what he was talking about.

“I mean the marriage proposal, ” Micheal explained.

“Michael are you high? Is that how they propose marriage. I have to take things easy and study her,” Obinna asked in a feigned anger.

“I understand. But you know that you have just few month to stay in Nigeria. So, you have to be fast about what you want to do. You have prayed about her, before you met her. Even after meeting her, you love what you saw. So what is stopping you?”

“It’s okay sir. Please take it easy with me. I will do the needful,” Obinna promised.

“Who are you calling sir. Be careful!” Micheal warned.

“I will be careful sir. Actually you are right, delay is dangerous. Atleast I need to have a discussion with her to even know if she is available.”

“Hei! you mean that you have not done that till now. Are you kidding me? ” Micheal asked in wonder.

“I am Obinna, allow me to do things my way,” Obinna reprimanded him.

“No problem, I will be expecting good news.”

“Now, you are talking. Just be praying for me.” Obinna requested.

Immediately Obinna dropped the call, he looked through his window and saw Linda in the compound.

“I hope this lady is not here to see me?”He thought to himself. He quickly wore a trouser, T shirt and sneakers and went to their living room.

Linda was already there with Mrs. Paul and Uloma. She joined them in watching movies. Mrs. Paul wanted to talk but Obinna quickly interrupted her.

“Ulo what’s going on, why are you not dressed. “He asked while making signals with his eye.

“I’m so sorry, I will quickly get dressed now,” Uloma responded and quickly stood and moved to her room. She kept wondering what was going on.

“Hello Linda,” Obinna reached out to her.

“Hello Obinna. I actually came to see you,” Linda told him.

“Okay” Obinna responded, expecting her to say what she came to do.

“I actually came to say hello. You know that you’ve been away for a decade. Though it seems I came at the wrong time. You are going out.”

“Yea,” Obinna responded.

“I have to go now. Though, I don’t know if you are going my way so that you can give me a lift in your car?” Linda requested.

“Sorry, we are not going your way, ” Obinna told her.

“Alright, I have to take my leave now.”

“Thanks so much,” Obinna responded

Mrs Paul was watching through the window, as soon as Linda left the compound , she turned to Obinna.

“Obi, that is not how to treat a guest. Atleast you should have spared her some few minutes. Remember that this not America.”

“No mum, I treated her just the right way. I have told this lady severally that I am mot interested in having any relationship with her but she is adamant. I don’t know how she got my phone number. I believe she got it from Ngozi. If I don’t do this, don’t be surprised that she can come up tomorrow and said we were in a relationship. She can even say you are aware.”

“But she is beautiful,” Mrs Paul said with smiles.

“Mummy please leave me alone. Is it only beauty that we are looking for in a wife. If I present her to you, will you approve her?”

“No! I don’t want her. ” Mrs Paul said firmly.

Uloma was watching them as the discussion was going on. Obinna looked up and saw her.

“You are not yet dressed up,” Obinna asked her.

“But we didn’t plan to to go anywhere. Besides, I don’t even know where you are going to” Uloma responded.

“I want to go and get some ice creams. Can you please accompany me?”

Uloma looked at Mrs. Paul.

“Why are you looking at mum. Do you need mum’s permission to go out with me?” Obinna asked.

“Obinna, where are you taking her to?” Mrs. Paul asked.

“Mum, what’s this this now? I don’t like this?” Obinna said with smiles.

“You don’t like what? Is it that you don’t know where they are selling ice cream or you can’t buy ice cream alone. If you knew that you desperately needed a company, you should have gone with Linda. Must it be Uloma? ”

” Mum, I don’t know where they sell ice cream. Afterall, I just came back. I have been out of Nigeria for 10 years. Secondly it must be my sister that will take me there.”

“Oh really? Then you should have told Uloma to go and carry you from airport. ”

Mrs. Paul turned and face Uloma,”Do you want to go with him?”

“Yes mum,”Uloma replied and Obinna smiled triumphantly.

“Then why did you allow me to be wasting my saliva. I’m here fighting for you,” Mrs. Paul asked her.

“Mum, you are embarrassing me,” Uloma protested.

“I will be waiting outside. Remember that we are going with your car. ” Obinna told her.

Uloma was surprised at the place that Obinna took her to. It was so beautiful that Uloma had to comment on it.

“Wow! This place is really nice. I have not been in this kind of place. ” Uloma said in excitement.

“Does it mean that your fiance doesnt take you out” Obinna asked in a bid to get information from her. But Uloma smartly dodged the question.

“You said I should remind you to send a message to a friend?

“Yea, thanks,” Obinna replied.

They ordered for ice creams. As they were busy with their ice creams Obinna delved I to the reason he brought her to the place.

“Ulo, if I tell you that the first day we met was not the first day I heard about you, how will you feel?”

Uloma smiled, you are not actually giving me a breaking news. The clothes and shoes you bought clearly showed that. I tried asking mum some questions but she refused to answer me. She said I should ask you.”

“So, why didn’t you ask me?”

“I was waiting for things to unfold by itself.I know that I will definitely find out one day,” Uloma replied

“Are you in a relationship? Please forgive me for being too forward. I stylishly asked the question before now and you stylishly dodged it too”

Uloma busted out laughing,” Obi, so you know that I was avoiding the question?”

“Yes, I knew. Can you please answer me,” Obinna pleaded.

“No! I’m not in any relationship. ”

“So what of the Stanford guy?” Obinna asked.

“What! Who is feeding you with this information. You know a lot” Uloma shouted in surprise.

Obinna smiled,” but you have not answered my question.”

“Stanford is my friend. No strings attached,”

“Ulo see, I know this might be strange. It might not be the best way to do it. But this is Obinna. This is my way of doing my thing. I actually came back to Nigeria because of you”

“You came because of me?” Uloma asked in wonder.

“Yea. Actually, dad has told me a lot about you. She didn’t tell me to marry you. But he was always saying good things about you to the point that I started wishing to know more about you. I also tried to pray about you. I just decided to come to Nigeria to see you. My plan was that if I come and I didn’t like what I see, I’ll just move on . But from the moment I set my eyes on you, I was convinced that we can move together. I have also been observing you since I came. I’m actually happy with everything I saw. But unfortunately for me , I don’t have the final say in this matter. Everything is in your hand. I want to marry you. Please say ‘Yes’ to your brother,” Obinna pleaded.

“Do you want to marry your sister,” Uloma managed to say with smiles.

Immediately they got home, Uloma went to Mrs. Paul’s room.

“Mum, there is something that I want to tell you.”

“Go ahead ,” Mrs Paul urged her.

After few minutes Uloma was still reluctant to talk. She does not really know how Mrs. Paul will take the news. After waiting for a while, Mrs. Paul had to help her.

“What is hard to say? Did Obinna propose marriage to you?”

Uloma nodded while still facing the floor.

“Obinna is a gift to any woman he will marry. I trained him, so I knew him very well. I was afraid that America may change him. But for this few days that he has been with us, I realised that he is still the Obinna that I knew. Pray about his proposal and give him an answer as you are led. ”

Watch out for the next episode.