Inside Out, page 17
“How so?” he asks curiously.
Nkoyo hears the disbelief in his tone and raises herself to a sitting position.
Her fair complexion is mottled from crying. Tears stain her whole face, her eyes and nose are swollen, and she sniffs continuously.
Ekong is stunned to view his soon to be ex-fiancée as human and not a royal robot. Her face is devoid of make-up, something she’s never gone without before. It suits her. She looks fresh and youthful.
“Do you love her?” she asks in a nasal tone, a result of her crying.
A strange question coming from her but Ekong answers with a nod and the sincerest expression he could muster to convince her.
“Good…I’m in love too,” Nkoyo adds when she sees the confusion in his gaze. She just wants him to know that she understands what he is currently feeling. However, mouth twisting in a sad downturn, her face crumbles as another deluge of tears rains down her cheeks. This time she doesn’t cover her face. “He doesn’t love me enough to want me, though.”
Ekong watches in complete consternation as her face squishes. Tears pour down her smooth cheeks, a sight reminiscent of a child who’s denied candy and her best toys.
However, her comment means breaking off their engagement would be mutual. Ekong has the insane urge to jump up and shake out in his native dance, but years of protocol training in diplomatic reactions hold him back.
Instead, he pulls Nkoyo to himself and tries to comfort her, temporarily stamping on his elation. She had always filled his arms, but now he appreciates Wofai’s shape where he could wrap his arm around her and lift her up even while making love to her mouth.
Shaking his head, he tries to concentrate on Nkoyo. If she is this broken, then she truly is in love with this phantom man. Ekong wonders if the man is afraid of her strong character, the oppressing air of entitlement, or the fact that she is a prominent princess? He admits he only endures her high-handed personality because they are the same.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks considerately and is surprised to see her nod. All he knows then is that it will be quite a long night.
17
At first, Nkoyo thinks she will need a couple of days to stop crying.
It takes a week for tears not to bloom at the most inconsequential things, like a mushy scene in a movie. Then she becomes confident that she will leave the heartache behind in less than a month, return to her former regal self, and do something momentous with her life.
Well, she did something momentous with her life. However, she has to learn that the heart does not always follow the directions of the head.
Granted, the pain dulls, but sometimes, it blooms hotly whenever she experiences other couples being happy.
Like today which is Atan’s and Sara’s wedding day.
The old Nkoyo didn’t notice the palace head of security and cook were in love until her return from Atam kingdom.
Everyone else knows so much, so her father is the sponsor of their wedding.
The new Nkoyo is happy for the couple and suggests using the palace ballroom for the wedding reception, much to her parents' shock, pride, and pleasure.
Now, she enjoys sitting on the side-lines, sipping her wine, observing the newlyweds and reminiscing about the past month.
***
After bawling on Ekong’s shoulder the night she returns home, she, her ex-fiancé and his new fiancée share stories of how they found love.
Following the initial shock, they laugh at their parents’ antics. Wofai calls her brother Onen all kinds of stupid for not wanting Nkoyo.
Nkoyo warns Wofai to not tell her brother anything about Nkoyo’s broken engagement. She wants Onen to come for her because he realises he cannot be without her. Nothing less.
The monarchs of the three kingdoms—Efik, Atam and Ibibio—agree the turn of events is amusing.
Nkoyo is relieved there are no regal altercations or contractual consequences from the broken engagement.
In fact, new friendships are forged instead. The Ibibio king, Ekong’s father, is glad for a closer relationship with the Atam Kingdom. He only regrets not having a second son to try for Nkoyo’s hand.
It is a harmless joke. Yet, the comment sends a repulsive shiver down Nkoyo’s spine. Her mind and body will not tolerate anyone else but Onen.
Her parents are happy and relieved about the outcome, confessing that Ekong wasn’t suitable for her anyway. Instead, they hope she will find a man to share the forever kind of love, just like that do.
They don’t know she committed an emotional faux pas back at their friends’ kingdom. She found such a man and lost him. Or maybe she never had him in the first place.
Now, her heart rate quickens. She remembers the upcoming party for Wofai and Ekong’s engagement to be held in the Atam palace. Wofai’s parents sent Nkoyo a special invitation. One she couldn’t reject.
Despite being extremely busy organizing Efik kingdom’s economic resources, she still had to attend the event.
Sighing heavily, she manages to smile at some of the palace workers who seem freer with her these days. Nkoyo understands fully what queen Jesam meant by the loyalty of workers. Everything changes when her attitude changes. In fact, her recent close relationship with the workers helps her in information gathering for her new job.
The challenging job means she has less time to think about Onen.
But he creeps into her mind, still. Nkoyo wants Onen to want all of her—good, if she has any and bad. She wonders why he doesn’t fight for her. Maybe he doesn’t have the same feelings she harbours for him.
Over time, Nkoyo builds a wall around her heart as she prepares for Wofai’s engagement party when she knows she will see Onen again. She hopes her heart is strong enough to withstand the hurt.
***
Yes, King Liman and Queen Jesam think it possible to suffocate from too much guilt. Luckily for them, it isn’t.
My spirit colleague, Guilt, eagerly covers the king and queen with his special cloak when they realise they are responsible for their son’s unhappiness.
They won’t make everything better by confessing to pushing Nkoyo away from the kingdom. Their son will hate them for their actions, and it will have solved nothing.
There is some good news for them. Their daughter Wofai is engaged to Nkoyo’s former fiancé, and Nkoyo’s engagement is broken, making her available for Onen.
They confess their shameful actions to their counterparts in the Efik Kingdom. Then, the monarchs make a new plan to bring their children together again.
Hence the special invitation to Nkoyo for Wofai and Ekong engagement, which Nkoyo will have to honour.
One would think that these monarchs have their hands full with ruling a kingdom, enough not to meddle with other people’s lives, even if the other people are their children. But uh-uh, they are neck-deep into meddling.
18
Leaving Nkoyo’s bed on her last night in Atam palace is difficult for Onen.
Conflicted, he struggles to make the right decision, pulled in different directions.
He argues with himself, albeit mentally while alternating between holding her luscious body close and letting go.
At one point, his arms tighten around her so hard that she whimpers in her sleep. However, she lifts her hand and pets his chest to calm him down even in her sleep.
It is the most profound feeling in the world that she cares for him even while unconscious.
Touching her becomes a mistake, a cherished memory exacting unbearable torture on his mind and body. Leaving her bed turns into a stupid, albeit right decision. He locks himself in his room to avoid running after her when she departs.
He wishes she would come after him, demanding to remain with him, giving him the excuse to make the wrong choice.
But she doesn’t. How can she?
She made the first move, and the ball was in his court.
But integrity blocks his path.
Nothing else in his life hurts as much as losing Nkoyo.
Onen is going crazy with thoughts of Nkoyo. He made another mistake in taking her nightshirt. The scent of her clings to the dress and serves cruel and unusual punishment. However, he buries his face in it every night. Apparently, he is a sucker for pain.
Sleep offers no relief, not when his dreams are filled with Nkoyo’s face, her laugh, the feel of her. It is as though his subconscious is stuck on that last night with her.
He dreams about Nkoyo undressing and offering her naked, gorgeous body to him as some sort of sacrifice. Leaving him breathless as he explores the feast before him. His hands would roam her bountiful breasts, her curves, rounds hips. His eyes would roll, body trembling when he sinks his hardness into her, making love quite intensely, feeling the wetness of her clutch him tightly like a glove. But just at the point of fulfilment, he wakes.
It is a terrible, frustrating way to live. Apart from missing half of his soul, being with her was the first time in more than two years. He longs to have her again and is slowly going mad with want.
Onen’s personal misery extends to office hours. His productivity nosedives. Finally, he’s unable to remain there because everything reminds him of Nkoyo—the table where she sits looking relaxed and regal, her laughter as they share lunch.
Frustrated, he opts for physical labour down in the factory to get away from his thoughts. Paperwork piles up not because he needs help doing it but because he can’t stand his office for more than an hour at a time. He is glad the other admin worker’s maternal leave will end soon. The woman will have to clear up the backlog of work.
Onen is wasting away. He eats for survival, not enjoyment. How can he enjoy any other food when he remembers Nkoyo cooking for him? She made him feel like a god. If that isn’t love, he doesn’t know what is.
Onen groans out his frustration. He shouldn’t have let her go. Now, it’s too late, and it angers him.
Everybody stays clear of him because of his impatience. His parents barely say anything to him. Their concerned expressions are enough.
When his sister brings her fiancé to introduce to the parents, Onen manages to clean up his act and welcomes the man, a prince too, with a genuine smile.
Onen is happy for his sister, especially as she seems tame. Although he still teases her, she hasn’t taken the bait to scream as usual. She has overcome her issues, and Onen grudgingly accepts his parents’ plan might have been right.
If not for anything, it kills two birds with one stone for Wofai. She gets her confidence back and a husband that loves her.
Additionally, Prince Ekong is good for her. In the days he spent at the Atam palace, Onen observes how he behaves with his sister. The man is head over heels in love with Wofai and mirrors what Onen feels for Nkoyo.
Onen is ashamed he lacks the courage to keep Nkoyo.
Not hearing any gossip from his parents or Wofai, he assumes Nkoyo is still engaged. It pains him to picture her in another man’s arms. He wants to be with her and experience the same happiness his sister and fiancé are experiencing.
He knows it is possible with Nkoyo.
Even though he doesn’t show much enthusiasm for the engagement party planned in honour of Wofai and Ekong, he is looking forward to it. He is sure Nkoyo will come, and when she does, he will confront her and demand that she break her engagement because he cannot continue this way.
Life has become bland without her, and he wants some damn colour in it. If by some chance she doesn’t attend, he is going to find her and make sure she understands what thinking of her is doing to him. Diplomatic ties be damned. Nkoyo belongs to him.
***
Ekong doesn’t care if the decorations are awe-inspiring or not. He is simply ecstatic to be there, taking a giant step to make Wofai his, permanently. As the lady in question has recently become quite traditional in her attitude, he is impatient for his wedding night.
The party decorations turn the massive garden of the Atam palace into a wonderland. But it isn’t keeping his interest.
Instead, he is watching Onen, who wears a forlorn expression and seems disinterested in activities around him. The man looks as lovesick as Nkoyo.
Ekong is happy and wants others to share in the happiness, like his former fiancée. He is suddenly tempted to call Nkoyo and scream at her for being foolish and not coming to the party. What was she really doing back at Efik kingdom? Even her parents are here and having an enjoyable time.
It doesn’t seem right when his gaze catches Onen swallowing another glass of alcohol in a dark corner of the garden. The man looks staggeringly unhappy.
“Darling, am I that ugly?” Wofai comments when she sights his frown.
He pulls her close, his arm tightening on her waist. “Never. You are the prettiest woman here tonight. I was just frustrated about Nkoyo’s stubbornness. She should have been here. Your brother is steadily getting drunk,” he points out bitterly.
“Don’t worry much, my love. Onen is also quite stubborn. He could have gotten Nkoyo’s number to call and invite her over. The lady doesn’t want to seem like she is pestering him with her presence. I heard when she got here she’d displayed an abysmal attitude. Maybe she feels judged and ashamed,” Wofai explains, plastering her body on her fiancé’s side and loving it.
Coincidentally, as Ekong expels a particularly exasperated sigh, the monarchs of Efik and Atam kingdom are having the same conversation. Their frustration surpasses that of the engaged couple.
“I am so sorry, Jesam. I really thought she’d make it,” Affy says to her friend, deeply feeling the burden of owning the disappointing child.
Jesam portrays a happy front for the benefit of her daughter, which, honestly, she is happy. However, she just cannot desist from feeling down for her son’s sake. She is torn by both emotions, not surprising as she loves her children equally. What happened between those two? Why do they both have to be so stubborn?
“Look at him, Affy. He’s miserable,” Jesam complains and takes a sip of her wine while managing to smile nicely at guests roaming the decorated garden.
“The party is a huge success, though. so many people are here for Wofai,” Affy says, trying to change the subject.
“I like the entourage from Ibibio kingdom, but we know some of these people are just here for the connections they can get and make. It isn’t every time the kingdom has three different visiting monarchs from powerful kingdoms. Additionally, there is the truckload of young ladies, which I’m not sure I did not invite,” she says snidely, and both friends laugh.
Young ladies are there to snag the single guys present at the party. It’s become a challenge to them. If Wofai, regarded as insane, managed to catch a prince, they also have a chance. And where else better than the engagement party that would be full of prestigious single men.
“Were we this obvious in our time?” Affy asks worriedly.
“Far from it, but Queen Uyai and her cohorts were,” Jesam points out, and they laugh. “We better go join the men. Liman looks as though the minister’s conversation is sheer torture.” they advance towards their husbands.
“My queens,” the minister solicitously bows as the ladies join them. The aspiring governor also tilts his body.
“Good evening, minister,” Jesam greets and nods regally at the aspiring governor, “I trust you’re having a fine time?” she asks with a pleasant smile.
“You throw a fantastic party, my queen,” the aspiring governor comments with a smile that isn’t so sincere. A moment later, Jesam knows why.
Introducing daughters to queens with single sons is in vogue. It is a blatant act that says, ‘hey, you have a son, I have a daughter. Let’s get them together and be relatives.’
“Have you met my daughter?” He pulls his skimpily dressed daughter forward, and Jesam recognizes her as the young lady who gives Wofai grief. “Nancy just completed her second degree from Birmingham University.”
Jesam tightens her lips, her smile barely pleasant. She is about to acknowledge the girl when a sight behind Nancy snags her interest. Jesam’s hand flashes out and grabs Affy’s own in excitement. Their eyes find the same view of interest. Nancy turns to find out what could be more fascinating.
Nkoyo advances into the party in a shimmering, navy blue evening gown that emphasizes her curves. She is a perfect hourglass figure. Her stomach may not have been entirely flat, but her impressive bosom and flaring hips hide her stomach well. The length of the gown drapes to her ankle, and a slash up her right knee flashes an alluring amount of skin as she sashays on sensible but sexy heels. Diamonds dangle from her ears and twinkle on her wrist. Her make-up includes a bold red on her lips, which stands out beautifully on her face.
“That’s my girl,” Affy whispers excitedly.
“And mine too. If my son would pull his head out of his ass and do the right thing.” Jesam extends her arm towards Nkoyo in welcome, something that had been glaringly lacking in her greeting of Nancy.
“Jesam!” Liman exclaims in a scandalized manner at his wife’s comment.
Asuquo chuckles while the aspiring governor and minister try to keep straight faces. The queen has just broken a whole lot of royal politesse.
“Darling! You gave us all a scare,” Affy says, rushing over to her daughter.
“I’m glad you made it,” Asuquo tells his daughter, sighing in relief at the sight of her. There is just so much moroseness a father can take from a lovesick daughter. He is also privy to Onen’s depression. That much gloom isn’t healthy.
“Let’s hope your boy takes it from here,” he whispers to his friend.
“If he doesn’t, I’ll reacquaint his behind with my belt. They must have missed each other after all these years,” Liman comments and shares a wide grin with his friend.
At the pleasure of seeing Nkoyo, they completely forget about the minister, the aspiring governor, and his daughter. The men have no issues.
But Nancy?
Nancy is incensed. Her eyelid twitches as she assesses the person Onen is pining for, a freaking fat bitch, she thinks snidely. Is this why he barely answered her greetings and didn’t respond to her earlier attempt at a conversation with him?
