Song of the chapter: Elastic Heart by Sia

...

Abena groaned in frustration and dropped the newspapers noisily on the centre table in her worn out mini flat that she shared with her step mother.

It was almost a week since the outrageous, yet tempting, offer by Mr. Ademi, and she had applied for every vacancy yet no one would employ her.

The hospital had called her the day before and gave her two weeks to meet up with the payments or they won't attend to the patient.

Every job interview she had gone for, the women looked down on her and the men asked her to sleep with them.

It won't be so hard if you just accept his offer.

This wasn't the first time a thought like that erupted in her head.

40 million naira.

That was the exact amount she needed to pay the hospital. After that, she would be free, and she would start over.

She stared at the vacancies on the newspapers.

Cleaner: 20,000 monthly.

Marketer: 55,000 monthly.

Teacher at nursery school: 35,000 monthly.

Driver: 22,000 monthly.

Personal assistant: 34,500 monthly.

It went on like that. It would take forever to pay up, and by then, the patient would be dead. She needed part of the money in a two weeks, or it was over.

As she picked up another newspaper, a piece of paper fell off the table. She picked it up, it was his card. Rumpled and all, but his phone number was there.

She had slapped him, true, but maybe he wouldn't mind. She dialled the number and decided to swallow her pride.

...

"She slapped you?" Joseph burst out laughing.

"It's not as funny as it sounds jare, you don't have to laugh." Tobi snapped but Joseph kept on laughing.

It was a saturday, and they were at the Quillox club playing a game of foosball in a private room.

"I love that girl! I told you shay. I told you it won't work. But you, acting all high and mighty, saying that no girl would reject that kind of offer. Next time, listen to your lawyer." Joseph chuckled, ignoring the deadly glares being sent his way.

"She'll call back." Tobi said confidently. "You'll see. And if she doesn't, I'm sure that there are other feisty, confident and beautiful women ready to do it." Tobi shrugged.

"That's why you picked her?" Joseph raised an eyebrow with a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Yes. I told you, I want a girl. And I want my daughter to be like her, with a lot more class of course." Tobi explained.

"You're such a snob." Joseph rolled his eyes. Tobi opened his mouth to reply but closed it when he heard his phone ringing.

He looked at the caller ID suspiciously before accepting it. "Hello... Yes, this is Mr. Ademi. Who's on the line?" He asked in in business like tone.

"Abena Omotosho. I'm sorry, the name doesn't ring a bell." He said rudely before looking at Joseph and flashing him a confident grin.

Joseph rolled his eyes but he still had a look of surprise. "Oh, I remember you now." Tobi smirked.

"Oh, you would like to accept my offer? Well that's good to hear. Although I have a few people who are also lining up for the job, I'll give it to you since you were my first choice." He lied smoothly.

"Well, meet me at the Oriental Hotel, presidential suite. My lawyer would meet us there." He said.

"Yes the money is still the same."

"No, I'm not going to sleep with you. I said that already."

"My doctor would check you first, in the morning."

"Alright. See you there."

He looked at Joseph with a huge grin plastered across his handsome face. "What did I tell you, ehn?"

"You're not normal." Joseph shook his head.

"Whatever. Did you prepare the contract" Tobi asked hopefully. "Yes, sadly." Joseph huffed.

"Don't be such a spoil sport. It's a perfect plan. And everyone goes home happy. I get a little girl, my mother gets a grandchild and finally leaves me alone, and pretty Abena gets her money. Everybody wins!" He said triumphantly.

"Okay okay, whatever. But you're going to enter wahala. You'll probably fall in love with the girl or something." Joseph joked.

"Haha. Very funny." Tobi retorted with a straight face.

"Just come to the hotel on Monday and stop saying rubbish." Tobi instructed.

"Whatever." Joseph said dismissing the subject with his hand.

...

"Wow. This place is... do you come here often?" Abena asked as she walked into the suite. She couldn't mask the surprise on her face, but Tobi looked bored. It was obvious he was used to it.

"Only when I have important meetings in the area." He said in a monotone voice.

"So this is important?" She asked still taking in her surroundings. "Yes it is. Now stop staring and come in." He ordered sharply. "Calm down. Nawa oh." She frowned and walked past him.

Joseph was sitting on one of the couches in the suite, and two other couches were there, diagonally positioned from it on both sides. There was a chandelier in the middle of the room and a flat screen tv opposite the three-seater couch were Joseph sat. A dining table was seen, a little distance from the couches, and she could spot a mini bar in a corner.

"Can I have something to drink?" She asked nervously. "Of course. Just no alcohol. You're going to be carrying my baby." He said dryly.

After having a glass of orange juice, they sat at the dining table, Tobi and Joseph on one side, while Abena shifted uncomfortably at the other side.

"So, my doctor has checked you out. He says you're good-"

"I don't see why that was necessary. What did you think? That I was malnourished? I have HIV? Or that I'm barren?" She interrupted him bitterly, already fed up with his rude attitude.

"Let's just get this over with. Joseph is my lawyer. He'll go over the details of the contract for you." Tobi stated ignoring her outburst.

"Why? Because you think I can't read?" Abena narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well you're not exactly fully educated, but it's because you don't have a lawyer present." Tobi retorted loosing his patience quickly.

"Whatever. Joseph, please go on." She turned to Joseph who tried his best to look as professional as possible. He wasn't okay with the plan, and he felt bad for the pretty girl who sat across him.

Joseph cleared his throat before looking at her. "Okay, it's simple. You'll be paid 40 million naira to have Mr. Ademi's baby. You'll be paid 10 million once you conceive, 10 million in your third month, 10 million in your sixth month and the final 10 million when you put to bed. Apart from the 40 million naira, you're not entitled to any allowances, your hospital bills are already paid for-"

"Since I own the hospital." Tobi pointed out.

Rolling his eyes, Joseph continued to speak. "If you don't get pregnant after three tries, the contract would be terminated. If you lose the pregnancy, the contract would be terminated but you would keep the money you've earned till that point. You would be required to visit his doctor on appointed dates given to you once you conceive, and after you conceive, Mr. Ademi would not see you until you're six months pregnant, just to check on you and all. You would not do any form of tedious work that would put the baby's health in danger, only desk work is allowed. After you give birth, you would never look for the baby, or even hold him or her-"

"Preferably a 'her'" Tobi cut in.

"As I was saying," Joseph continued while shooting Tobi a glare. "You would not take part of the baby's life, just give birth and disappear. Is there anything you would like to add?"

"No, nothing." Abena said quietly suddenly losing her confidence and the contract was placed in front of her. She held the pen and stared at the papers in front of her.

"Just sign here, and we're good to go." Joseph said pointing at the dotted lines. She drew a breath in and contemplated on whether to do it or not. It would be great to have the 40 million naira that would take all her problems away, but having a baby? That was an important thing to do, and it would be her first time. Her first child, would she be able to give it away?

Would she be able to go through nine months of pregnancy, and childbirth, just to have her own child taking away, bought for a sum of 40 million naira. She would be selling her child!

But won't it be worth it. For the one in the hospital, the one she has to save. It was a sacrifice she would have to make.

Tobi tapped his fingers on the table impatiently. "Having second thoughts?" He asked with a scowl on his face. "If you can't do it, I won't mind. I'll just find someone else who-"

"Who said anything about second thoughts?" She snapped before scribbling her signature on the paper and handing it over to Tobi.

Tobi scribbled his signature quickly with a confident smirk on his face before looking at her. She rolled her eyes and looked away, fighting the urge to wipe the smirk off his handsome face.

She had just made a deal with a devil, a handsome devil.

"I have to be in court in... thirty minutes." Joseph said while placing the contracts in a briefcase. "You guys can fix your next appointment. I'll see you. And don't worry, I've called an Uber." Joseph said patting Tobi on his shoulder.

"What appointment?" Abena asked after Joseph left. They were alone in an hotel room and Abena rid her mind of the thoughts of all the things that could happen.

"Babies don't just appear you know, you have to make them." Tobi said pouring himself a glass of red wine.

"I'm not going to sleep with you!" Abena blurted out and Tobi plastered an amused smile on his face.

"I've told you that won't be necessary. We would make the baby through artificial insemination. You'll just put the thing in yourself and thats it. Just meet me here by this time next week for the stuff." He said.

"Thing? Stuff? Abeg be more specific?" She asked with confusion written across her face.

"You know, the thing." He gestured but she shook her head still confused.

"Argh, so naive. The semen, sperm, the thing that makes babies." He gave an exasperated sigh.

"Oh. Okay." She said uncomfortably. "I'll be here."

...

Abena walked into the hotel room and saw Tobi sitting with a satisfied smile on his lips. How could he be so... jolly, when she was still unsure about what she was doing.

"It's inside. Don't spill it or anything. I worked hard for that." He instructed and she scrunched her nose in disgust.

"Keep the details to yourself abeg." She said while dropping her bag on the couch and going into the room.

She came back after a while and he stared at her hopefully. "I've done it. Calm down. Now what?"

"Now, we wait. You better get pregnant."

...

Tobi and Joseph sat on the couch in the Presidential Suite drinking wine. "Don't drink too much. We have to keep the remaining for the celebration." Tobi said.

"I thought you use champagne to celebrate?" Joseph asked revealing a bottle of champagne.

"Oh, you're amazing! Where is she anyway. We agreed to meet here by 11:30." He asked while checking his watch.

"Dude, calm down. It's just 11:20. She still has ten minutes." Joseph said.

"This had better work." Tobi muttered. "Why? Having cold feet? Don't think your sperm is good enough?" Joseph teased.

"Excuse me! My sperm is better. I'm a sharp shooter, you should know that. I don't miss." Tobi boasted.

"How would I know that? Do I sleep with you?" Joseph rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Sharp shooters don't miss. You'll see." He said. Joseph opened his mouth to speak but Abena walked in.

"Finally. What took you so long?" Tobi asked standing up. "It's not even 11:30 yet. Calm down." She said irritated.

He handed her a couple of pregnancy test strips and Joseph handed her some more. "Read the instructions and do exactly as it says. They said you can't rely on one so use all of this." Tobi said dumping them on her. She looked at him with an amused smile.

"They say it one red line for pregnant." He added.

"No you idiot. It's two." Joseph cut in.

"What do you know. Have you ever gotten pregnant?" Tobi snapped. "I have two kids you idiot. It's two lines." Joseph retorted.

Abena raised her hand to speak but they didn't notice her. "I don't care if you have ten kids. I heard that it was one line." Tobi said glaring at his friend.

"From who? An idiot like you? Look Abena its two lines. Use like five of them." Joseph said without looking at Abena.

"This is my baby. I give the instructions, not you. Use six of them." Tobi said.

"Guys."

"Guys!" Abena spoke up and they looked at her. "First of all, its two lines. And I don't need all of this. I already did it." She announced.

"And?" Tobi asked with a hopeful look on his face. "I'm pregnant. Two red lines." She said with a smile on her face.

Tobi laughed in excitement. "Yes! What did I tell you? Sharp shooter baby!" He grinned as Joseph engulfed him in a hug.

"Congratulations man." He said with a smile.

"Are you guys gay?" Abena asked curiously.

"Ew, no."

"I'm married with kids woman."

"Good. I wouldn't want you to end up in prison, you can't pay me from there." She said laughing at their expressions. It was surprising how he could be so serious and then later, be so playful. When he smiled, he looked beautiful, she wondered why he didn't do that when he was out in the public.

"Well, go in there, and give me two red lines, again." Tobi instructed with a playful smile plastered across his face.

She rolled her eyes, still smiling, and took a strip before going into the bathroom.

Tobi laughed again and sat on the couch. Joseph sat beside him. After sitting a comfortable silence for a few minutes, Joseph asked "How do you feel?"

"Great. I'm going to be a father." Tobi replied.

"So the end justifies the means?" Joseph asked. "I thought you were happy for me." Tobi asked his smile disappearing.

"I am. Its great that I'm going to have a godchild-"

"And who said you'll be the child's godfather?" Tobi asked playfully, changing the subject.

"Hey! That's not fair. I allowed you to be the godfather of my first child. You have to do the same for me." Joseph whined.

"Did I ask you? You did it out of your own free will." Tobi chuckled.

"Abeg abeg, don't give me that. If you don't make me the godfather, I'll kidnap your child." Joseph joked.

Tobi was about to speak when Abena walked in. She threw the pregnancy strip at him and he shrieked like a girl before jumping up. She laughed.

Who knew a billionaire could be so playful?

Tobi Ademi, Nigeria's youngest billionaire can shriek... like a girl.

"That's your pee on that stick." He complained.

"Well it's your baby." She shrugged playfully.

"Money." She simply said with a serious expression on her face.

"That's all you ever think about. Won't you rejoice with us? We're having champagne, although you can't have any. I'm sure you won't mind fruit juice." He said.

"Just hand the cheque over. I have somewhere to be." She replied.

Rolling his eyes, he gestured to Joseph who brought out a cheque slip and handed it over to her.

"See you in six months. Keep your part of the contract!" He said as she was about to leave.

"Whatever." She said.

"Don't have sex on my baby woman!"

...

Second chapter!

What do you think of the book and characters so far?

Wahala means problem, or trouble.

Nawa oh is an expression, it can mean: 'it's a serious matter!'

In Nigeria, homosexuality attracts like 16 years in prison. Thats why Abena said what she said. No offense to any homosexuals. 😊

I just realised that my dog likes food more than she likes me 😢. After all the times that I forced her to bath.

Huh

Don't forget to vote and follow me. Also comment and let me know what you think. Don't be a quiet reader, share your thoughts and criticism.

Tell your friends and tell your friends to tell their friends.

Till next time my lovely bananas

☺

-Timi

P.S.

I just entered The Contract into the Nigerian Watty Awards.

You guys should check it out.

Search for Nigerian Watty Awards, it's like a book.

Please nominate the characters for the different categories.

Thanks

☺