LoveToRead:
Now, what kind of question was that? I asked myself.

'The two of you are beautiful,' I answered.

'I know, but who's more beautiful?'

I laughed shortly under my breath. 'I won't answer that.'

'Oh, come on, Alex. Is it not a harmless question?'

'A brother should not answer that kind of question.'

'Are you too not taking the brother stuff too far?'

'No, I don't think so.'

She smiled and placed the side of her head on my right shoulder.

Oh Steph! I remembered madam's warning. I was determined that no matter what it would take, I would not allow passion to truncate my moving up the ladder of prosperity. No, I will not be blinded by passion again. I must remain in the good books of Madam B. I would not flout her directive.

'Can you please stop the car?'

I was surprised. 'What? For what?'

'Just stop the car, will you?'

I slowed down and pulled over by the side. Darkness was fast approaching.

'What is it?'

'Kiss me, Alex.'

'What?'

'Just a kiss. Just a kiss.'

I shook my head. 'Steph, listen, your mummy is right ...'

'Can't you say anything without referring to her?'

'But she's right. Please, let me be your brother.'

'You aint my brother, Alex.'

I sighed in exasperation. 'Listen, I ...' She hushed me with a short but deep kiss. I had to force my mouth away.

'Steph, please and please let's stop this game.'

She smirked. 'I'm not playing any game. I only asked for a kiss, and I've got it. Now, let's get going.'

I sighed again and moved the car forward. This is dangerous, I told myself. I must kill this passion before it killed me.



By eleven thirty, madam and I were driven to the airport for the mid-day flight. Once again, we travelled by first class. We arrived the federal capital by 1.00 p.m. We took one of the executive cabs to our destination. It was a fine, white duplex located at Wuse district. I later learnt that it was owned by the Da Rochas.

The area was not as urbanized as Asokoro, but it was highly urbanized too.

A uniformed security man opened the gate for us. Madam had secured the service of a housemaid who would serve us during the period we would stay. Madam paid the cab driver generously and asked him to be around the following morning by eight. It was a nice building with fine interior.

There were two sitting-rooms, one downstairs, and one upstairs. The bigger one was the one downstairs. There were seven bedrooms in all in the main building, minus the boys’ quarters. The maid took madam's bags to one of the bedrooms upstairs.

I was to take the room next to the dining-room, which meant I would be downstairs. This time, I would be staying a bit far from Madam B. I welcomed the new fixture.

The maid prepared lunch of ‘semovita’ and 'ogbonno' soup and we ate. As usual, madam said she preferred fish to red meat.

Thereafter, she went up to have a siesta. I remained in the sitting-room, watching movies on the television. A couple of hours later, madam came to join me. She was in casuals.
She ordered the maid to serve us fruits juice and peanuts.

I sipped my juice and munched the crunchy nuts as I watched the television.

'Can you please pause that movie for now,' madam said. 'I'll like to talk to you.'

What she wanted to say must be very important for her to say that, I thought. I paused the movie and faced her.

'I need to explain some things to you,' she said. I nodded but kept quiet.

'First, I need to tell you more about myself. I'll start with when I was a baby. I grew up not knowing my parents. I grew up in an orphanage.'

I was greatly surprised. 'Really?'

'Yes. I got affection from the foster guardians, but that could not be like from real parents. But even at ten years old, I always believed I would live in amazing luxury. In education, I was able to get OND and HND in Business Administration from Yaba Tech. By then, I had met my husband, who was just an upcoming engineer. Within five years of marriage, we started having stupendous prosperity. I have no doubt I gave him good luck.

‘But before I married, I had always believed I would have two daughters. I'm not a psychic, but I was gifted in certain knowledge.'

I remained fascinated to her story. What she was saying was amazing.

'I once had a dream - that was many years ago. In it, I set a table before my daughters. They had all sorts of assorted food on the table, more than what they could finish. They were really enjoying themselves. Then, I saw a boy passing by holding just some biscuits. I asked the boy if he would like real food, and he said yes. I then invited him to join my daughters at the table, and he gladly did so. Within me, I was happy to assist that boy. In that dream, my mind kept saying treat him like your son. I then woke up. Alex, you're that boy.'

I opened my mouth in wonder. 'Me?'

She smiled kindly. 'Yes. Ever since the first day I set my eyes on you in the church, the dream came all over and my mind said this is the boy in that dream.'

I was too stunned to say anything.

'You can now understand why I treat you the way I’ve been treating you. You're like my son.'

I became so emotional I didn't know when tears dropped from my eyes.

'I thought I should let know this, so that you'll know where I stand.

I nodded. 'I'm glad ma, by your goodness and kindness.'

She nodded too. 'I will always wish you the best in everything.'

'Thank you, ma. I'm grateful, ma.'




The Sugar Mum: https://okadabooks.com/book/about/the-sugar-mum-the-steamy-version/35123