My Instagram Love

Episode 8

I nodded affirmatively, widening my eyes for emphasis.

“Tundechukwu, me?”
“Yes, I’m talking to you. Do your worst.” I blurted the words out of my mouth, pointing a finger at her face the same way she had done to me before. “You can’t do anything! Nothing at all!”

Francesca smirked devilishly, taking lite steps towards me. “Fine. I agree. I know I can’t do anything to you since you are the man here, but if you know you want peace to reign in this house, please, please and please just give me back my laptop. That’s all I’m concerned about right now.”
“The same laptop I bought for you with my hard-earned money?” I asked, stressing the ‘hard-earned’ part the same way she had done when she complained about her data bundle before.

“Who cares?” Francesca frowned deeply. “It doesn’t matter. The laptop is mine and I want it back right now.”
“Sorry, but I can’t give it to you.”
“Look, don’t even dare me this morning, Tunde. Don’t make me do what I don’t want to do to you. I don’t want to unleash my wrath on you.”

I simply laughed mockingly. “Like I’ve said, do your worst.”

Angered by my mocking remarks and my cocky laughter, Francesca walked to her wardrobe, dipped her right hand into it and brought out a long multi-colored umbrella. To my utmost surprise, she threatened me by raising it up first, then she pointed it at me and started to walk towards me in a slow but steady process.

“What do you think you are doing?”
“Doing my worst like you said.”
“So what exactly do you have in mind?” I continued glaring at her face, keeping a firm hold on the Apple laptop. “Are you planning to beat me with an umbrella or something?”
“If that’s what it takes.” She affirmed, almost getting to my position.

“I can see you’ve completely lost your mind.” I said, taking a few steps back, watching her every move. “You want to beat me, Orji Tundechukwu, with a common umbrella? A whole me, your fiancé?”
“Yes. I thought you asked me to do my worst?” Francesca questioned mockingly, increasing her pace and swinging the umbrella she was holding tightly with her right hand in the air like it was some sort of deadly weapon. “Why are you stepping back? Wait for me if you know you are man enough.”
Fortunately, that was when the wooden door opened and my daughter, Alice walked into the room, crying profusely.

“Aunty Francesca, please leave my daddy alone.” She said amid tears, rubbing her cheeks with the back of her hands. “Please don’t hurt him. I’m begging you, ma.”
Francesca was greatly agitated by Alice’s presence. She loved my daughter to a fault so it was pretty hard for her to choose on what to do at that point.

“Smally, stay out of this!” She warned, glancing over her shoulder at Alice’s direction, still taking calculated steps towards me. ‘Smally’ was the nickname she was fond of calling my daughter almost every time.
“Please, ma.” This time around, Alice went on her knees with both hands entwined as she continued to cry more and more. Most definitely troubled by the appalling sight behind her, Francesca stopped walking towards me, stood still for a while, shot me a cold glance, shook her head pitifully and dropped the umbrella she was holding on the office desk.
“I’ve heard you, Smally.” She said softly, walked toward Alice and crouched on the smooth tiled floor next to her. She held Alice’s left hand with her right hand, caressed her wet cheeks with her left hand and added, “Don’t cry anymore. Okay?”
Alice nodded, using her free hand to wipe off the tears hanging below her lower lip. “Yes, ma.”

“You know I’ll never do anything to hurt you.” Francesca ruffled her full braided hair and caressed her forehead affectionately, sounding so remorseful. “Please get up. I’m so sorry you had to witness all this. I’ll make it up to you somehow. I promise.”
“Really?” Alice asked, managing to replace the sad look on her face with a radiant smile.
“Yes.” Francesca affirmed, returning a warm smile back to my daughter. “You can count on me like 1, 2, 3, I’ll be there.” She started to sing Alice’s favorite song by Bruno Mars, titled Count On Me, while winking at her playfully. “Continue it.”
“And I know when I need you I can count on you like 4, 3, 2, you’ll be there!” Alice sang along, grinning excitedly.

“’Cause that’s what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah.” Francesca concluded the chorus and Alice pulled her into a warm embrace. They hugged each other with so much tightness that I could even feel the priceless love they both shared from the little distance I was standing. They were both playful fellows who were so fond of each other like the famous Tom and Jerry cartoon characters. Even though they might not be in agreement most times, their hearts were undoubtedly inseparable elements and a key factor in their relationship. One could even dare describe them as mother and daughter sharing the same blood and bond.
Soon, Francesca pulled out of the hug, stood up, assisted Alice up to her feet, and shot me a rather fake smile.

“Sugarplum, please can I have my laptop now?” She straightened up, referring to me by the pet name she was fond of using on me especially when she was putting up a cheap facade. “I have some important things to do on it. I’ve wasted so much time already, and my clients might be annoyed with me. I’d really appreciate it if you could kindly hand it back to me.”

I studied her facial expression briefly and did a mental analysis of her crystal clear facade without saying a word to her. Did Francesca of all people just call me Sugarplum—after how many months of living like sworn enemies under the same roof?
I almost said something vulgar but I restrained myself not to do so, due to Alice’s presence in the room. I simply handed my fiancée’s laptop back to her, walked past her without sparing her as much as a common glance, leaned closer to my daughter’s position and whispered softly into her small left ear:
“Go and have your bath and change into something nice. Daddy wants to take you out to have fun.”