Meet Me Here – Episode 13

George’s Pieces Of Me

Hi guys,
New Update on “George’s Pieces Of Me”
It will be out for sales in August. Get ready! 😊😊😊😊

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Also, for those who missed it before…

Hakkunde is also coming soon!!!

written by yours truly 🙂

you can view the trailer here

You can’t miss any of these two. 🙂

 

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EPISODE 13 – THE FINALE

Amina waited until Mrs. Jacobs had taken the other girls downstairs for ice-cream before initiating a conversation with Tami.

“What is going to happen to them?” she started.

Tami took a moment to process the question but then, with a girl like Amina, she couldn’t predict the extent to which she wanted an answer to her question. “What do you mean?”

“Would you release my friends and I back to the North after a year?”

Tami cleared her throat. “The essence of the rehabilitation programme that my foundation runs is to ensure that you girls are ready to be reintegrated into your former society before we send you back.”

“So, you are really going to send us back?”

Tami nodded. “If you want to go back.”

“I am sure they don’t want to go back. We suffered too much.”

Tami took her hand. “Amina, I want what is best for you…for all of you. I am not going to ask you to go back if you don’t want to go back, but I am going to need you to take time to think about this.”

“I don’t want to think about that place.”

“That’s your home.” Tami replied, calmly.

Amina shook her head. “No. That’s a place. My home was with Baba, Hadiza, Jubril, Usman…I am not going back there.”

Tami took a deep breath and exhaled with a yawn. She was tired. She was fighting back the urge to fall asleep and the need to cater to Amina gave her more reasons to stay awake. “I understand.”

“I know you spend a lot of money on us and if you want us to repay you, we will. We will work. We will sell things for you. Just don’t send us back there.”

Tami blinked rapidly in shock. “What are you talking about? I won’t ask you to sell anything for me. You can stay in my foundation and my house as long as you want.”

“But you will bring new girls and need space for them too, right?”

Tami nodded.

“Then there won’t be space for us.”

Tami groaned. “Amina, there is space for you, okay? If we have to expand, we will expand. We would do whatever is necessary to make your lives comfortable. In fact, I am going to talk to Mrs. Jacobs and we would fast track processes for schooling in September, alright?”

Amina smiled. “You are an angel.”

“No. I am not.”

Amina shrugged. “You are my angel.”

“I guess I’ll have to take that.” Tami said with a smile.

Amina chuckled. “Thank you for being here for me.”

Tami hugged her. “You are always welcome, Amina.”

“I…I love you.”

Tami shut her eyes and took a deep breath. “I love you too.”

***

Tito shut the door after Kunle. “So, Dad went bonkers when the divorce papers came?”

“Yeah, like, Mummy didn’t even waste any time.” He said, sinking into the sofa.

She took her seat opposite him. “So, I am guessing you didn’t invite him to your wedding?”

“No.”

She sighed. “I really hate the way our family is falling apart. I guess it all started with me.”

“You have no fault in this, Tito. This was bound to happen. Dad won’t see past his ego and apologize to Mum for everything he has done. There is no point in her suffering because of him. If she stayed because we were kids back then, why should see stay now that we are grown and have our own lives. It’s selfish of us to want that marriage to stay because of us.”

She nodded. “I understand, but Mum loves Dad. I feel like she’s going to miss him.”

“It’s okay to miss him. What is not okay is that she continues to tolerate his abuse. That is not okay at all. It is emotional blackmail, which is worse than physical assault.”

“You have a point.” She replied.

He laid back on the sofa. “Tami and I are going to have a very simple wedding. That’s what we agreed on. No paparazzi.”

“Jokes on you if you think they won’t find out and gate-crash the wedding. Tami is a public figure and the way things went south because of Justin will have people snooping around your lives forever.”

“We’ll figure it out.” He replied.

Tito smiled. “I am so proud of you.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know how you did it. What you went through because of Justin was hard and I am so surprised that you guys are here.”

“I didn’t get here because of me. I got here because of her. I love her and I know that she loves me and what happened was a very old wound opening up in our eyes. It was left to us to figure it out. It could have broken us, but it has made us stronger. Tami gave me something to fight for. We make mistakes, but when it comes to the one you love, you see past their mistakes and help them to make it to the other side and that’s what Tami and I have done.”

Tito smile admirably. “I love you, bro.”

“I love you too, kiddo.”

Tito rolled her eyes. “Please, I am not a kid. Meanwhile, why didn’t you at least use Wura to make her feel jealous? I mean, you could have pushed her buttons like she did to you with Justin. Bruh, if I was you, I’d have milked it.”

Kunle laughed. “Why?”

“Come on, Kunle. There was tension there. You could have used it to at least give her a tip of the pain she put you through.”

“To what end?” he asked. “Tito, two wrongs will never make a right and if I had done that, maybe it would have shown that what I feel for Tami is not as strong as I thought it was. When you love someone, you’d understand they can make mistakes and if they want to make it right, you don’t push them away. I could have also done the same thing in another situation. It’s just my luck that it came from her broken heart, but she made the effort to meet me here. I am not going to trade that. Look, I love my woman, I won’t want to make her cry.”

“Awww, you sound so pathetic.” Tito replied, tossing a throw pillow at him.

He smiled, tossing it back to her. “Whatever, Tito. And don’t think I didn’t notice what you did calling Tami your sister-in-law in Wura’s presence. That was so rude. I am sure you see that I am not the pathetic person in this room.”

“Dude, I was being kind. I could have said my ex-almost-to-be-abandoned-my-brother-sister-in-law.”

He laughed. “Really? That is ridiculous. You and Wura were so close.”

“Well, Wura is a big girl. She’ll understand. People move on and she did too when you guys broke up. You love Tami and Wura can’t compete with that. You never talked about Wura the way you do about Tami, and she never talked about you the way she did about James to me. So, I’d just say it all made sense in the end.”

“I always knew James was a useless friend.” Kunle said with a laugh. “But he helped me take the decision to end things with her. It’s a shame both of them couldn’t figure things out.”

“Yeah, it is what it is.” Tito replied.

Kunle walked over to her, taking his seat beside her.

“What? Don’t get all emotional on me.” Tito said, hoping she’d curb whatever enthusiasm he came with to give her the pep talk because she was sure he could only talk about love to her.

“I am sorry about what our parents did to you but you know you can always find love again, right?”

Tito sighed. “You are so predictable, Olakunle. See, man, I’ll be fine, okay? Once your wedding is done, I’ll go back to Spain. This time, I think I’ll go to Ibiza and keep living my life. If I find love or love finds me, you’ll be the first to know and if it doesn’t happen, it’s alright. I have learnt not to fill my heart with expectations from the love of men. I do mine with God. He’ll fix me up in His time.”

“Come here,” Kunle said, pulling her close for a hug.

Tito smiled. “Now, you are so mushy. I love you, Kunle and I am proud of you.”

***

“Can you see anything?”

Muna scoffed. “Bro, you have a blindfold over my eyes, what exactly am I supposed to see? The dark? Because that is all I can see.”

Tife chuckled. “Be a good sport. It’s my type of surprise.”

“It had better be worth it.” Muna replied.

He smiled and took off the blindfold carefully. “Can you see anything?”

It was pitch black. “Tife, what are you doing? Everywhere is dark.”

Tife turned on the lights.

Muna gasped as she stared at her portraits on the wall of his studio. “Tife, what have you done to me?” she said, examining them. “God, I look so beautiful.”

“No, you don’t just look it. You are beautiful, Muna. You are so beautiful.” He said, joining her.

She turned to him. “Tife, I am not a model.”

“You are my muse,” he said, kissing her hand. “And…a lot more than that, my lady.”

She folded her arms. “This is such a surprise. I am so proud of what you’ve done here.”

“That’s not the best part. I am having an exhibition and I am showing off these pictures to everybody.”

“Okay, Tife, I am not sure about this.”

He smiled. “Why not? Muna, everyone would love it. They’d love you. You’d be everyone’s Queen.”

“I…I don’t want that life. If you are taking these pictures for you, it’s for you. I don’t want to be the centre of their attraction. I want to be the centre of your attraction…and most importantly, I’d only want to be your Queen.”

Tife exhaled. “God, what did I do to deserve this woman?”

Muna smiled. “God, what did I do to deserve this man?”

He laughed. “I love you, Muna. I love you so much.”

“And don’t I love you too?”

He smiled, taking her hand. “Now, to the better part of my surprise.”

“Oh, we are not done yet?”

He shook his head and opened the door to his office. It was set up like a restaurant. “I cooked for you.”

“Oh! This is new.”

He nodded and fetched a pill pack. “Just in case you struggle with your stomach afterwards.”

“Are you not a darling? You are about to kill me and save me at the same time.”

He laughed. “I am exaggerating. I cook very well.” He said, pulling a seat back for her.

“Well, let me be the judge of that.” She said, taking her seat.

Tife watched with bated breath as she took her first spoon.

Muna smiled. “Tami and I are so lucky. The men in our lives don’t just understand that cooking is a survival skill but are damn good at it.”

“Does that mean you like it?”

Muna shook her head. “No. I love it and I love you.”

“You love me because I can cook? You are using me. I am shaking right now.”

Muna laughed aloud. This was one thing Tife brought to her life. Lots of laughter, sunshine and love. It was something like what her Dad brought to her mother, just that with Tife, a lot more Muna-passion-like. In that moment, she was sure of where she wanted to be in fifty years – By his side.

***

5 YEARS GONE

“Muna, all I am saying is you’d look good in this dress.”

Muna held the dress out before Tami. “No, I’d look like a whale. Pregnancy is changing my life. This is what Tife has done to me. I’d never forgive him.”

Tami chuckled.

“What is funny? You looked amazing when you were pregnant with Jemimah and I’m here trying to stay alive. To think that I was the one with more joy back in the days.” Muna said with a deep sigh.

“Mummy, why is Aunty Muna so mad at my little cousin?”

Muna turned to Jemimah. “Young lady, I am not mad and when you get pregnant, you’ll understand.”

“Jemimah, go and meet your Dad and your sister before Aunty Muna unleashes the Muna on you.”

Jemimah nodded and scampered off.

“Oh God, Tami…look at us! We are now wives! I can’t even show off my summer body.”

Tami smiled. “Muna, I don’t know what to do with you, but now I have to go and make dinner for my hungry family. You’ve kept me in here for hours with your rambling.”

“I am not rambling. Tife says we should go to the beach to chill but that’s because he can still show off his body and I can’t. Why is God punishing me?” Muna said.

Tami laughed and dragged Muna downstairs with her.

“Dinner is ready!” Kunle announced.

Tami smiled. “Baby!!!! I almost forgot I married an award-winning Chef.”

Kunle kissed her. “You are welcome, babe.”

“Yuck!” Jemimah said, closing her eyes.

Muna stared at Jemimah. “What is doing this one? You’ve not seen a kiss before?”

“Hey, Aunty Muna, how’s little George doing? Is he kicking you again today?”

Muna groaned as she turned to Amina who had just come in from the kitchen carrying a tray of barbequed chicken. “You even have a name for him? Leave me alone.”

“Daddy, the chicken.” Amina said, passing the tray to Kunle.

Kunle gave her a high five. “Keep up this way and you could be my sous chef at work.”

“Perfect!” Amina replied.

The doorbell went. Jemimah rushed to the door. “Grandpa! Grandpa! Uncle Thief.”

“It’s Tife, young lady.”

Mrs. Ibekwe laughed, as she carried her granddaughter. “Do you now want to beat her?”

“Hello, everybody.” Dr. Ibekwe greeted.

Tife walked over to Muna. “Hey, baby.”

“Dear Father of my unborn son, how are you?” She replied.

He smiled. “I am fine. I got you Chicken Sharwama.”

“Finally, some good news. Bring it here. Amina says our son’s name is George, so his name is George.” Muna said.

“Just like that?” Mrs. Ibekwe asked. “Na wa o. I get name for him o. Okwudili.”

Tami watched with a smile as everyone went back and forth on different matters. She soaked in the noise and admired Kunle from afar as he catered to everyone. He ran his book store and was a leading Chef in the country as well as a super Dad to Jemimah. Amina was in the university studying law. Muna ran her own clothing line. Tife, a big shot photographer who had tonnes of celebrities on his client list. Her parents? They were travelling the world and donating some of their money to her foundation.

In the end, she had won in life and it was all down to the most important things – Family and Love.

 

THE END

 

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps over fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”

– Maya Angelou

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Words will never be enough to say how grateful I am for your audience.
#MeetMeHere has been such a rollercoaster​ and full of emotions.
I’ve grown attached to the characters in the last 13 weeks and I wish I could keep writing but as it is with characters, they live, they breathe and they know when to say goodbye.
Thank you all for your interaction, comments, tweets, and your lovely outpouring of emotions. It’s been endearing. 
And for those​ who have been waiting for the last Episode, it’s here…now you can binge read. 😁😁😁
This isn’t goodbye as my next work, my first published work, “George’s Pieces of Me” #GPOM would be out for purchase in August. It’s an anthology – a collection of poems and short stories. I’m so excited to share it with you all.
I’d keep you posted on details for the book release and other events for physical meet ups. 

Stay up to date via my personal Twitter @tomi_adesina and Instagram @tomiadesina
Thank you once again.
Love,

Tomi Adesina 💚