Hey guys, thank you for your patience and for keeping up with me until what is now the end of this interesting blog series. From the feedback, I am glad to know you have enjoyed it.

The next 3 parts will take us through how things end up with our three featured couples.

BODE AND MOTUNDE GEORGE

AYOKUNMI AND OLAMIDE

DATONYE AND ESTHER IBIWARI

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BODE AND MOTUNDE GEORGE

CATCH UP ON THEIR STORY HERE (1) AND HERE (2)

MOTUNDE

I walked out of the room, my eyes filled with tears that burned my cheeks as they flowed down my face. My vision got blurry and I could barely see through the tears that almost blinded me. I didn’t know where I was going, but I kept on walking.

I heard Bode calling out my name but I couldn’t bear to stop. I couldn’t bear to face him, I couldn’t bear to face the shame of telling him what had triggered me to react the way I did. This was supposed to be a get away, a time for us to bond and love on each other like we always do.

“Motunde, please stop, you’re scaring me” He had finally caught up with me and had his hand on my shoulder.

I stopped. He turned me around to face him and held my head in his hands, looking into my eyes. It was all it took for me to breakdown completely in his arms. I sobbed uncontrollably.

“Everything is going to be okay, I promise” He said, as he put my head on his shoulder and stroked my hair gently.

A few moments later, we were walking on the beach. The beach front was well lit and there was the calm of the night, and the bliss of star gazing, as we both listened in silence to the sounds of the waves as they pushed back and forth. We picked a spot and sat on the sand, side by side, my head on Bode’s shoulder.

I can’t say I felt any better but being with Bode always gave me a sense of security, a sense of safety and I always felt protected. My most confident moments were when I was with him, but tonight, even though I felt safe with him by my side, I was scared shitless of how things might change when I’d eventually tell him about this part of my life I had kept a secret all these years.

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BODE

Sitting there with her on the beach, I had a sinking feeling that something was terribly wrong. I had never seen Motunde so distraught and scared in our 11 years together. I knew she wanted to say something but was having a hard time expressing herself. I remained silent and waited patiently till she was ready.

I could feel the anger rise up in me as I listened. With every word that came out of her mouth, I could feel the clench in my heart get tighter. The feeling of helplessness that overwhelmed me in that moment made me even more angry. How callous can a human being get?

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MOTUNDE

The expression on Bode’s face as I narrated my story made me nervous. The thing is, there was no expression. There he sat, not a single emotion betrayed. I had began anyway, and with every word, I felt all the pain like it was happening afresh. The pain washed over me, but I didn’t stop talking. Even though I was in pain, I felt a heavy burden lifted off me.

My mum died when I was 14 years old and I assumed my life had come to an end. I was her only child and that made it even worse. We were really close and pretty much did everything together. I didn’t know how I’d live without her in the picture.

My parents separated when I was 8 years old and I only got to see my dad on some holidays when he was available. My mum was my primary care giver, my only care giver. I didn’t know how I was going to cope, I was totally devastated.

I moved in with her sister, but it wasn’t for too long. She had been making plans to relocate with her family and their visas came through barely 4 months after I started living with them. It was decided then that I would have to go and live with my dad.

I didn’t know what to expect, I had never met his new family. He had married another wife and they had a set of twins who were a lot younger than I was. Kayode and Korede, a boy and a girl, were 5 years old.

My mum had raised me to be independent and self sufficient, I never had to rely on anyone to take care of me. I could cook my food, clean and organize my space perfectly well. My dad’s wife, Aunty Tola, took to me immediately. She was much younger than my mum and quite very timid.

I helped her around the house and also helped her with the twins. There really wasn’t so much to do, there was a cook and a nanny. Living with them wasn’t half as bad as I assumed it would be. It was as if my moving in was all Aunty Tola needed to be a happier person.

My first year with them, I noticed she would retreat into her shell when my dad was at home. The moment he travelled on any of his many business trips, I would see a more playful and vibrant human being altogether.

I wasn’t very surprised, my dad was a very authoritative person, an oppressor, It was one of the major causes of the separation from my mum. It was either his way or no way at all. This played out clearly in his marriage to Aunt Tola, I felt really sorry for her.

My relationship with him was almost non existent. Although, he provided everything I needed for my education and a monthly allowance for my personal needs, he didn’t care about my school work or how I was faring with life. He never asked and I never thought to share.

I had just celebrated my 15th birthday and gotten into my final year in secondary school when my ordeal began. Aunty Tola was pregnant and the pregnancy was taking it’s toll on her.

She had become very sickly and her doctor had put her on permanent bed rest. Seeing as she couldn’t do much around the house, she went to stay with her mum till it was time to have the baby. She took the twins with her.

My dad would go away, sometimes for weeks, and would only come back for 2 or 3 days before setting off again. I was left by myself most of the time and I didn’t really mind. I was used to being alone and always found ways to keep myself busy.

“He was home from one of his trips, Bode. I was already in bed, sleeping. It was his roaming hands on my body that woke me up. I was so confused, I didn’t understand what was going on. He put his hand to his lips as a sign for me to be quiet.

He kept telling me how it was time for me to take care of my daddy. How he had given me everything I need and now it was my turn to take good care of him.

It was obvious what was about to happen but I didn’t fight back Bode, I couldn’t find the strength, I was numb and he did what he did. And it wasn’t just that one time, it was every time he got a chance and It would have been his word against mine, who would ever believe me?

I would lay there time after time, as he came into my bedroom in the hours of the midnight to have his way with me. And every time I would betray myself by letting him have his way.

I started to play scenarios in my head each time he came, to distract myself from the pain and the shame of my own biological father having sex with me”

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BODE

I couldn’t bear to listen any further, all I wanted was to take the pain away from her. I got up and pulled her up into a hug. She was no longer crying, I could sense she felt relieved. I kissed her and wrapped her in a hug again.

“You’d never have to relive any of this, ever again Mo. I promise. I am sorry you’ve had to keep this to yourself for so long. I love you babe and nothing will ever change that. Ok?

Anytime you need to talk, let me know, I will always be here for you.“

I kissed her again and took her hand in mine, and we walked back to our room in silence. There wasn’t much left of the night, we got into bed and cuddled till she fell asleep in my arms.

I watched her sleep, looking so vulnerable and couldn’t stop thinking how sick the man must have been to sleep with his own child, not just once but repeatedly.

Motunde’s secret made us closer than we already were and I became more intentional about taking care of her, especially mentally. I needed her to be at her best so I could also enjoy the best of her.

Occasionally she would talk about some of her experiences. Talking about it was a healing process for her and I was ready to walk with her on that journey.

We still have the best sex ever and the role play is not as often. She’s learning to enjoy sex as herself and with me as her husband, not as other people playing out in her imagination in a bid to block out pain.

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THE END…

I’m a firm believer that what we become as adults is deeply rooted in the experiences of our formative years.

I’m glad Motunde had a strong support system in Bode. We all need that one person who will continue to love us even with our dirtiest secrets.

I hope you enjoyed it… I’d drop the next part with Ayokunmi and Lamide soon.

Love from your favorite storyteller,

Jay