Never Matter is the true love story of a thirty-five-year-old lady who found love in the least expected place …. with her boss. Doubts, distance and difference in social and family status set in, but love they say always prevails.
Let me officially welcome you to a new inspiring weekly penvoice blog series of ‘Never Matter’ which is a partnership content with Life of a Woman Naija TV.
Welcome!
Blog Series: Never Matter – EP 10
It was 6:30am when Betty opened her eyes. Immediately the memory of all that happened all through the night flashed through her mind, her smile was from one ear to another. She turned to find Demilade still sleeping peacefully beside her. With all the activities that went down for the better part of the night, she wondered how they managed to close their eyes at all, not to talk of having any sleep. But they did. Even if it only started around 2:30am.
She slipped off the bed without having to wake who she had shared it with. She had nothing on her so she started to pick her clothing materials one after the other that had been scattered across the room. She packed all and quietly left for the bathroom.
Betty stood in front of the mirror for a moment staring at her image. But with her mind far from her reflection. She still couldn’t believe what had happened last night. A tiny part of her mind had thought she was going to regret it the following morning. But there she was staring at herself without any iota of regret. She had had the most passionate night of her life and she was glad she was. How many times had Demilade made love to her before they had both made a pact to get some rest? Three. Three times. They didn’t talk much. But exploring each other’s body did all the talking. And each time was more beautiful than the other.
At some point, she wondered where he kept having the energy. Alas, where she kept having the urge to do some more. If by any chance sex was being eradicated from the surface of the earth, she was grateful she had experienced it with Demilade. The man sure knew how to work her body. The first time was slow, steady and wanting to explore. The second time was quick and while the third time was filled with love and appreciation.
Merely thinking of it made her body tingle. She wondered why she was getting ready to leave. She had promised to accompany her mother to see their family doctor for her regular check-up. The doctor was going to be on-call that Sunday and she had planned to be at her mother’s house by 9am before heading to the hospital for doctor’s appointment at 11am. So the earlier she had an early start, the better. Victoria island to Ogba axis where she lived wasn’t a short distance. So she’d better headed out in time. She would still have to freshen up and change her clothing at her place before heading to her mother’s.
She returned to the room fully dressed while she found Demilade still sleeping. He must have been really tired as she could hear the sound of his snore. It was faint but she could hear it. She knew his sleep was deep. Who could blame him? With the kind of night they had and most importantly, with the work he did, he was bound to be extra tired. Betty couldn’t bear to wake him. So she found a pen and a bunch of stick-it notes by the bedside, so she decided to leave him a note. She was being careful to sound neutral in her write-up. Yes, they had a night of passion together. But that didn’t mean they had made promises. She wanted what would come next to be based solely on his decision.
She ordered for a driver from one of the cab apps she had on her phone and the driver would be arriving in two minutes. She needed to be downstairs by then. She stood by the bed and looked at her boss’ gentle and peaceful form on the bed. She concluded he was far the sexiest man she had ever seen. She took in his form and wanted to appreciate the moment because it might just be the last time she would see him that way. She smiled to herself before she turned and quietly walked out of the room.
“Good morning Mummy.” Betty greeted as soon as her mother opened the door for her.
Never Matter – EP 10
“Morning my dear. You made it.” The slim older woman said as she glanced at her wrist watch. It was 9:15am. “Truth be told, I didn’t think you would come.”
“I promised I would go with you mum, didn’t I? Betty asked not bothering to enter into her mother’s three bedroom apartment. “So are you set to go? Cause there’s a cab driver waiting downstairs for us.”
Her mother’s gaze ran through her for a quick second and Betty sensed what was coming next. “And you couldn’t bother to put on one of your beautiful body hugging dresses instead of this Bubu that you chose to wear without a care.”
If her mother had known what it took her to be there, maybe she wouldn’t have concerned herself with the bubu she chose to wear that morning. She had first gotten to her house, had a quick shower and picked out that Bubu from the back of her closet to wear. She had almost been tempted to cancel with her mother, but wanting to know the state of the older woman’s health seemed to be more important than anything. So she decided she was going to focus on the mission. “Mum, we are going to the hospital ooh, not a fashion parade. So can we forget about what I’m wearing and meet up with the driver that is waiting for us outside.” She said half jokingly.
“I’m just saying. You should dress nicely all the time. Because you never can tell who you might meet.” Her mother said.
Read Also: Blog Series: Never Matter – EP 9
The sound of Demilade’s phone brought him to life. He reached out to pick it from the bedside on his far right, “Hello.” He said without bothering to check who the caller was.
‘Hello sir,” The voice of Theo, Demilade’s Personal Assistant came to life.
“Yeah. What’s going on?” he asked with his mind juggling back to last night and finally wondering why he was alone in bed.
“You need to be in Palawan Island in less than 24 hours sir.”
“Why?” he asked even though he partially knew what was about to come because he had been planning that trip for a while.
“The one week well guided retreat of several international CEOs, most importantly the ones you have been targeting for business connections, is starting tomorrow in Palawan Island. Your flight to the Philippines takes off in four hours sir. I have also rescheduled your flight back to Port Harcourt. It’s in two hours.”
Demilade took a few seconds to process the information his PA just dropped. If he was to make his flight to Port Harcourt in two hours, he needed to leave his hotel now so as to avoid any form of traffic he might run into on his way to the airport. “Alright. Ummm…this is what you’ll do Theo. Go to my house, pack a few casual outfits for me. Take my traveling documents from the drawer on the right side of my bed. Then meet me at the airport.”
“Okay sir.” Theo said and ended the call.
Demilade looked around the room again for any sign of Betty, instead his eyes sighted the colorful notes that his mobile phone was formerly on. He picked it and he read;
“Had to leave earlier,
For an important hospital appointment.
Not for me though. For my mother.
You were sleeping peacefully,
So I didn’t want to wake you.
Talk later?!”
He smiled a little while reading the message. Even though he thought her message was too casual after the night they just shared. He expected more of a sweet, warm and erotic type. Could she still not know where she stood with him after their time together? Anyways, he would address that later. All he needed to do now was get himself to Port Harcourt, and then board another flight heading to the Philippines, before connecting a Ferry that would take him to the Palawan Island. In a rush, he jumped into the shower. In no time, he was dressed and packed, ready to check out which he successfully did.
As he sat in the rare seat of his car while Kamoru drove him to the airport, his mind flew to the activities of the previous night. He didn’t think he had ever been with someone that he kept wanting the more. His attraction magnetic pull towards Betty was way over what he could control. As much as it scared him of his strong feelings for her, he liked it even more. He picked his phone and dialed her number. He wanted to hear her voice. He needed to let her know the new developments. That he was going to be in the Philippines for a week… strictly for business. Betty’s phone did a couple of rings without any answer. By the time he dialed again, it had been switched off. He didn’t want to bother himself with that. He would call her again when he touched down in Port Harcourt before boarding another flight.
Never Matter – EP 10
Betty was climbing the last phase of the sixty-seven stairs that lead to the floor where her mother’s blood sample was being taken by some student doctors before the major doctor would take over. She had gone to get some food for her mother as she had earlier complained she was light headed. Immediately when she entered the ward, her mother informed her that she had a missed call. She remembered she had left her mobile phone behind before she dashed out. She reached for her hand bag and removed her phone. She pressed the power button but the gadget didn’t come up. She tried a few more times before she realized the battery was flat. She hadn’t charged it since the previous day party. And when she got home earlier, she had forgotten to plug it while she was freshening up for her appointment with her mother.
Betty immediately searched inside her bag to see whether she could miraculously find her charger in there. But obviously, it wasn’t there. She rushed out to meet the nurses she found at the front desk asking whether they had a charger she could borrow to charge her phone. Yes there were few chargers. But none could charge her phone. She was using one of the iphone models while most of the chargers available were for Android. She accepted her fate to be able to charge when she returned home. Although, she was quite pained because she suspected she might get a call from Demilade. That was, if he had not called already. She thought he might be heading to Port Harcourt in the evening or early the following day. Although, they had not spoken about it. She decided she would speak with him as soon as she left the hospital. If he wasn’t leaving that evening, she might just have snuck back to his hotel to see him, so they could maybe talked…….to really talk this time.
********************************
Demilade rushed to the international check-in point to meet up with his PA who was already waiting for him with his other luggage. He was late as his flight to Port Harcourt was delayed for close to an hour. He was one of the people the customs were doing a last minute check in for. When his hands were clumsy with his mobile phone alongside with his previous ticket to PH, he gave them to his PA to hold while he opened his luggage for checks. In a few moments, the customs were done with him and he had to rush off. He immediately bade Theo good-bye and headed off into the passage that led to the aircraft.
He was finally settled into the big jet in his business class section. He brought out his handkerchief to dab the bids of sweats on his forehead. He sighed to calm his agitated body down for a moment. Now he was relaxed enough to try Betty’s number again. Or to leave her a message of his movement. He deepened his hand into his pocket, it was empty. He frowned a little. He searched his two pockets, both were empty. He picked up his bag-pack and ransacked it in search of his mobile phone. He couldn’t sight it anywhere. He started to wonder where he could have left it. What could have happened. Just then, his mind pictured him giving it to Theo earlier at the custom point and his PA had immediately dipped it into his pocket to also free his hands. Demilade didn’t remember to collect it back from him.
Blog Series: Never Matter – EP 10
Doctor Richard had been Mrs Badejoko’s physician for the past four years. He had come to understand the woman’s body so as her character. As a doctor, you needed to be sure of your skills to be able to attend to the slim petite woman. In his twenty-five years of practice, he had never met an overly blunt patient who would tell you not to touch her if your years of practice was less than ten. Mrs Badejoko had had few quarrels with him and few of his staff over the period she had been going for treatments in his hospital. But it wasn’t long before they all became accustomed to her. Be respectful and don’t delay unnecessarily was her unspoken rule.
Dr. Richard had dedicated his life to his work. He never had time for any other thing or anyone. This was one of the major reasons that he was still single at the age of forty-eight. Most of the women he had tried having relationships with earlier in his life couldn’t cope with the demand of his job. Even after he had built his own hospital and he became an employer of labour, he thought that would change. But people demanded for his consultation more. So, he had decided that it was okay for him to be in love with his job more than his personal life. Mrs Badejoke had known this based on several personal conversations they had had over time. She said that her daughter was also more in love with her job which was the reason she thought both would be a perfect fit. She had promised she would drag her along on her next visit so they’d meet. Who was he to say no to Mrs. Badejoko? And besides, with all the wonderful things she had spoken about her daughter, he couldn’t wait to meet her.
He had just received her test results, so he would be seeing her or them in a while.
Demilade’s body was surely relaxed but his mind was far from being calm. He started thinking of how he could go around contacting people. He knew his office line by heart. He could call in, demanding for his PA’s mobile number. After which Theo could help him relay messages to whomever he needed to get to. Most importantly, Betty. But he still had several hours before he landed in the Philippines. Before speaking with her. Maybe he could have postponed the trip to the next day. He thought. Alas, maybe he could have even convinced Betty to accompany him. But he knew better than to postpone. The connection he had, to be part of the CEOs retreat, had told him how they operated. You made sure you are registered on the first day of the retreat or you are out for that year. You showed up alone without any distractions. Particularly, without any form of work. It was just strictly for over eighty international top organization leaders coming together to relax on an island. But most importantly, to connect business wise. One of his business associates who owned a popular advertisement agency in London had told him about the retreat. And he had also helped him to secure a spot. So showing up halfway into one week was not an option. Well, all he had to do was focus on his mission for the retreat just for one week…one whole week.
Betty had been waiting for her mother’s test results for over an hour. She looked at her wrist watch consistently wondering when everything would be over so she could go home and charge her phone. But it seemed, it would take more time. She just had to accept the situation. She relaxed on one of the iron chairs in the mini lounge where herself and her mother had been told to wait. She had checked the time for the umpteenth time when the matron walked up to them that it was their turn to see the doctor. She followed her mother down a long hallway that led to an executive door with a tag “Dr. Richard”. They walked in and saw a man in white lab coat over a blue Jean and a grey T. Shirt. He looked too simple to be a doctor. Betty thought. He got up immediately from his chair to greet Betty’s mother by bending his head a little as a way of respect while he warmly took Betty’s hand in his. He pointed at the two seats opposite his table for them to sit. Betty had heard about him from her mother as her doctor but had never had the opportunity of meeting him. Although she was expecting to see an older man in his sixties with the way her mother mostly talked about him. He was a man one wouldn’t call very handsome but he was subtly attractive in a way. He picked his words one after the other as if fully expressing himself was a crime. His calmness made her eager to listen to what he had to say. All of a sudden, her gaze dropped on his hands. It was slim and long. His nails were beautifully manicured in a way she often liked a man’s hands to look.
Never MatterOh my goodness was what Dr Richard muttered to himself when he sighted Betty walked into his office. He thought it was an understatement when Mrs Badejoko told him that her daughter was beautiful. She was simply gorgeous. So many women he had met expressed their beauty in the clothes they wore or the expensive wigs they put on. But this woman had on a simple Bubu made with an Ankara fabric with her natural hair packed in a ponytail and she looked absolutely amazing. He suddenly wanted to know her. He wanted to know what made this beauty tick. But how could he go about that? He wasn’t in the game of asking a lady out often. But the great thing about this situation was, he had Mrs Badejoko’s approval. Because in this case, he would definitely need her help.
Blog Series: Never Matter – EP 10
Adetutu Badejoko silently wished her daughter had not worn Bubu. But nonetheless, she didn’t miss the brightness in her physician’s eyes when he sighted her daughter. She knew her plan would work. No sane man would see Betty and would easily take his eyes off her. She had always been very proud of her daughter’s beauty and definite intellect.
Judging by the way Dr Richard had been looking at Betty, Mrs Badejoko knew that he was surely interested. She just hoped and prayed that her daughter would be likewise and would definitely not throw this one away just like she believed Betty had done with men in the past. What was left for her to do was create a moment for both to really talk. It wasn’t as if anything was wrong with her health. The result of her comprehensive blood test she already knew because she had done it last month. And her doctor knew this as well. He had looked at her and said, “This result is the same as last time ma’am. Nothing new.”
“For the sake of my daughter here, can you please explain to her my medical history. The improvement so far in my chronic Ulcer situation. While I step outside to get myself a drink” Mrs Badejoko stated.
Betty turned to give her mother a funny stare. ‘Mum, I got you a drink not too long ago.” She said gently.
“Well, I want another one which of course, I’ll get myself.” Betty’s mum said sharply. She got up and left the room. Leaving them alone together might just be a jackpot. She thought. It wasn’t as if she needed any drink. She would just get to the supermarket on the ground floor of the building and gist a little with the attendant. That should give the doctor some ample time to get a date or however they did it these days.
Read Also: Blog Series: Never Matter – EP 8Betty sighed before speaking right after her mother had left the office. “you can agree with me that my mum is a handful. Right?”
Dr. Richard chuckled to himself before responding, “We at the Diamond Hospital have been having a taste of that fullness for close to four years now.” He said.
“I can imagine.” she joined in his smile. “So tell me doctor, is she going to be alright?”
“Absolutely. Her BP is normal as long as she continues to take her medicine. So is her sugar level.’ He said as he looked through the test results he was holding. “I’ll just prescribe a certain blood tonic for her to start taking.”
Betty couldn’t deny the fact that she admired the way the attractive doctor picked his words one after the other. He seemed to let every terrible situation look extremely simple. Just the way he had calmly responded to the question of the Matron who had poked her head in to ask a quick question about a particular patient. If not for the fact that where she stayed was a little farther than where the hospital was situated, she would have switched medical centers. But she was one of the people who believed that where one received medical attention shouldn’t be far from where one lived. Maybe she might find a way around it. Her thought was interrupted with the voice of Dr Richard. ‘Do you mind sharing what it takes to be Mrs Badejoko’s daughter?”
Betty smiled for a moment before responding. “Well….all I can say is that you’ll have to be tough.” Dr Richard busted into laughter. Betty continued. “Growing up was like living on a military camp base. She’d wanted things to be done in a certain way. God helped you if you didn’t do it like that.”
“But I thought being an only child would make you get pampered.” He said, still laughing.
‘Pampered indeed. Nah. She gave me love and affection when needed. But when I messed up, it was like, she wasn’t my mother at all.”
“I can imagine. My parents were like that to myself and four of my siblings as well. But all in all, it was fun growing up with them.”
Recounting her childhood to Dr. Richard was more fun than she thought it would be. They both re-enacted their parents ‘ attitudes and had a huge laugh about it. For a while, she forgot how she wanted to rush back home to power her phone. Gisting with this doctor was so easy and smooth. Until one of his nurses had called him on the phone that his attention was needed somewhere in the building. He scribbled Mrs Badejoko’s prescription into a white note and passed it to her daughter. Betty got up to want to step out of the office when Richard asked, “Can I have your number? So when next I’d want to share stories about my life as a little chubby boy growing in the midst of four girls, I’d know who to call.”
Betty stared at his slim frame from head to toe surprisingly. “You don’t mean it. You were chubby as a boy?” she asked.
“Trust me, it is a story for another day.” He brought out his mobile phone from his pocket and started dialing her number as she dictated. “So it’s nice meeting you Betty. I’ll give you a call one of these days.” He said as they both walked out of his office. He immediately climbed the staircase in the left corner of his office’s door while Betty walked down the hallway heading back to the waiting room. She asked if any of the nurses had seen her mother. She was directed to go to the supermarket on the ground floor.
When Mrs Badejoko said she was going to get herself a drink, Dr Richard knew it was his cue to make magic happen. He had never had issues starting a friendly conversation with an opposite sex. But all of a sudden, starting it with the strong woman sitting in front of him became a big issue. He didn’t want to say something that would turn her off. He wanted their friendship to be smooth. Although, he didn’t know where the question of being Mrs Badejoko’s daughter came from. It sounded high school-ish but it kind of worked. They had ended up having a great conversation that had made both of them laugh. And he also got her contact. That was definitely something. He would try and take it slow and steady. He wouldn’t rush it with her. The fact that she wasn’t married or hadn’t taken anyone home to meet her mother didn’t mean that she might not have someone in her life. It might not be serious yet. Richard thought. But he was willing to earn his spot. He would get to know her and earn her respect first. Then he would make his move. At least, that was what gentlemen do. He thought.
*. *. *
Betty’s eyes went to the big round clock she hung on the wall in her living room. It was 8:15pm. It had been over four hours since she had finally gotten home. She was glad there was electricity. The first thing she did was power her mobile phone. She had tried calling Demilade even as she was still charging. It rang for a while with no response. She wondered why it was like that. Maybe he wasn’t where his phone was. At least, she had seen his missed call notification. She had decided to give him time. But hours later, she had called again with no response. And he hadn’t even tried to reach her back. Could it be a message to her that he had gotten what he was after and moved on? She doubted if Demilade could do that. With the kind of night they shared. He hadn’t just had sex with her. He had made passionate love to her. Revealing how he felt every step of the way even if he didn’t say it. That couldn’t have been a lie. Except if he was that great of a liar. At least, what did she know about him anyway? Absolutely nothing.
Never Matter – EP 10
She decided to call him for the last time. If there was no response, then she would let him be. She dialed his number and it began to ring as usual. Just then, he picked. “Hello Demilade. What’s going on?” she asked immediately when she noticed the line had been picked.
‘’I’m sorry ma’am, this is not Mr Martins. It’s his PA Theophilus. He’s out of the country on business. You can try and reach him in a week or more. I’m sure he’ll be back by then.” Theo paused for a few seconds before speaking again. “The caller ID says your name is Betty.”
‘Yes please. Betty.”
“Alright ma’am. I’ll tell him you called. Have a great night.” The voice said and ended the call.
Betty couldn’t believe what had just happened. Her thought and fear was finally confirmed. He had started avoiding her by giving his PA his phone to answer her calls. This exactly was the drama she was telling Hauwa she didn’t want. What was she going to do? Not even when she was hopelessly and madly in love with him. She still would not accept. No. Maybe there was a mix-up somewhere. How could he travel all of a sudden like that? Even if he did and he couldn’t reach her, couldn’t he have left a message or something? What exactly was going on? She needed answers. It looked as if somebody was playing pranks on her. Because none of what was happening was making any sense to her. She was going to wait. Wait till the next day before thinking of what to do. Meanwhile, she would have a long sleep and not allow any of this to bother her. She just hoped that the sleep she was craving for would come soon and she wouldn’t have to think about this all night.
