Song of the chapter: Cold Water by Major Lazer and Justin Beiber

...

Funmi had never seen her boss look so disheveled, but in the past month, it had become a usual thing.

He snapped at all the workers, frowned during presentations, had eye bags from lack of proper sleep, and he had lost weight.

She had to consciously bite her lower lip, to stop herself from telling him that she knew where Abena was, that Abena missed him, and that he should go and win her back.

He walked into the office that morning with a rumpled shirt and a loose tie. His hair was getting too high, and his beard was a little over grown.

He hesitated, and then walked back to Funmi, with a hopeful look on his face. "Funmi? Do you by any chance know where Abena is?"

'She's in my house!' She wanted to say, but instead she shook her head and his expression changed from hope to dissapointment and then to anger.

"Let me know if you do. I don't want to see anyone, apart from the investors from Australia." He instructed.

She nodded, and ignored the pang of guilt that swept through her.

...

"You need to see him, before he does something odd like donate all his properties to charity and then commit suicide." Funmi said.

Abena lifted an eyebrow and Funmi gave her a sheepish smile.

"Too much?" Funmi asked and Abena nodded.

"I know. I feel terrible too." Abena started, changing the topic back to the matter at hand. "But I've decided to see him."

Funmi suddenly had a huge grin on her face. "Finally!" She gestured, raising her hands in exasperation.

"Yeah. I miss him, and I'm prepared to go through all the hate, rumors and insults, just to be with him. I just hope I can take it all." She sighed.

"Honey, you're strong. If you can handle your crazy step mother, I'm sure you can handle whatever comes your way jare." Funmi said, engulfing her in a large hug.

"I guess." Abena shrugged. "I've already packed my bags. Thank you so much, for everything. You've been amazing, and loyal. Thank you."

"It's no problem. What are friends for?" Funmi grinned cheekily.

"Carrying their pregnant friends bags?" Abena teased.

"Only because you're pregnant." Funmi laughed, and stood up to go to Abena's room.

Standing up, Abena felt a wetness on her thighs. She looked down and cursed silently.

"Funmi?" She called. Funmi spun around and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

"I don't think I can go and see Tobi now." Abena pointed out.

"Why?" Funmi asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Abena looked down again and frowned.

"Um... my water just broke."

...

"So, you still have no idea where she is?" Joseph asked, relaxing on Tobi's couch.

"No. I've asked every possible person. Even Dalu!" Tobi sighed.

"Dalu?"

"They met once." Tobi said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Oh. So, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. She asked for space, but she's taking a long time and I'm getting worried. Plus, she's getting close to her due date." Tobi said, touching his temple.

"I'm sure she's fine. Abena isn't an idiot. She'll be safe. And she'll come back."

"What if she doesn't? Her life is much better without all my drama." Tobi whined.

"She loves you. That's a good enough reason." Joseph shrugged. "Now, you still haven't told me what your mum said after you asked her the question about if she cares about your happiness."

"Oh. Well..."

...

"Even if she makes your son happy?"

The question had come out before he even knew it, and he was already anticipating her answer.

"I want you to be happy, that's why I'm trying to keep you from all this women that only want you for your money." She had said.

"There's only one woman." Tobi said, confused.

"Yes, yes. But she's not from a good background. What if she's just with you for your money? We hardly have honest people nowadays." Mama explained.

"She's not like that. She hardly lets me buy things for her, she takes care of me, and she makes me happy. I'm happy, finally. I've never felt happy like this before. With her in my life, it's like, a sudden burst of sunshine." He explained. "God! I sound like a character from a book." He muttered under his breath.

His mother's expression changed from worry to amusement. "Yeah, I noticed."

"Noticed? What?" Tobi asked curiously.

"You're more... fun."

"Mama now!" Tobi whined.

"What? Just saying." She laughed. Then she suddenly frowned. "I'm sorry. I would have turned you into your father." She said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"What do you mean? What does daddy have to do with all of this?"

"Your father and I, didn't love each other when we got married. It's like what I was trying to do, with you. I was some rich sophisticated girl, and he was a family friend. Our parents set us up, and we got married in order to fulfil their wishes. Then we had you, just to provide a heir to his company."

She noticed the hurtful gaze on Tobi's face.

"Don't get me wrong. Your father and I love you, just not each other. That's when the cheating started. I'm not trying to justify his reason for cheating, he wasn't the only one in a forced relationship, and he went about it the wrong way. He was cheating with the girl he loved. He was planning to leave us, for her. The day he was planning to do that was the day he had the accident and died." She explained.

Tobi just stared at her, not knowing what to say, or how to react.

"I would have turned you into your father." She whispered in a shaky voice.

"Mama, it's okay. It's going to be okay." He said with a reassuring tone, sitting beside her and pulling her small frame towards him.

"Mo ni fe re, omo mi. And if Abena is the one that would make you happy, then it's Abena that you would be with."

...

"See. I always told you, your mother isn't a total snob that hates other people." Joseph said matter-of-factly.

"You've never said that to me." Tobi replied, rolling his eyes. "If I recall correctly, your words the last time were, 'your mother is just a total snob that hates other people'."

"I hate your good memory." Joseph grumbled.

"Hater." Tobi shrugged.

"Honestly, your life right now can be a soap opera." Joseph joked. "The Weird Life of Tobi Ademi."

"That's the best you could do?" Tobi asked, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up."

Tobi laughed as he reached for his ringing phone. He stared at the caller ID in confusion.

It was Funmi. Funmi never called him.

He answered the call and by the end of it, he sprang up from his chair hurriedly.

"Whoa! What is it?" Joseph asked, standing up in worry.

"Abena's water just broke. They're headed to the hospital now. I need to go." Tobi said frantically, getting his wallet and phone.

"So she was in Funmi's house. Sly." Joseph said, nodding to himself.

Tobi just rolled his eyes and ran out of the house.

"Dude! You're not wearing shoes, and you didn't even take your car keys. See this mumu." Joseph called after him.

Tobi ran back into the house, looking for his shoes. He hurriedly put them on, and then went into the kitchen. He returned with his car keys and a bunch of bananas.

"The baby bag. I almost forgot the baby bag." He muttered to himself, going up the stairs and into the nursery. He returned with a yellow bag which had a few clothes, blankets, pampers, baby wipes, and other things that the babies would need before coming home.

Abena had packed the bag, two months earlier, because she was afraid that she would forget and then have nothing to wear for her children when she gives birth to them.

"I'm going to be a father." Tobi muttered as he walked out of the house. He unlocked his car and threw the bag into it, and the bananas.

"You knew that nine months ago." Joseph rolled his eyes but his friend just ignored him.

He got into his car and shut the door, just as he was about to turn on the ignition, Joseph knocked on his window. He rolled it down and looked at his friend with a raised eyebrow, but Joseph said:

"Go get your family, and my god children."

...

😆😆😆

What do you guys think about Mama now?

Mo ni fe re, omo mi - means I love you, my child.

Mumu simply means... stupid.

I would like to know, who's your favourite character in The Contract?

I can't pick my own because picking my fav character is like a mother picking a fav child 😊😉, so I love them all equally.

This chapter was short but, the book is coming to an end anyway 😯

I just ❤❤❤ the song of the chapterrrrrr!

What do you think about this chapter? Excellent? Okay? Poor?

Who is anticipating the arrival of our twins????

The Contract now has more than 10k reads and more than 1k votes. Honestly, I didn't even think it was going to get this far. Thanks for your comments, votes and follows. Thank you silent readers, though you guys can make my day and pay me for my lack of sleep by voting and commenting 😉😆😊

You guys should check out Becoming Miss Popular by (my sisterrrr)

Send me more interview questions guys! I would be posting the interview soon ☺

Dont forget the Nigerian Watty Awards people. Deadline to vote is the 31st of July 11:59pm Nigerian time. In order to vote:

1) download the book called The Nigerian Watty Awards (if you haven't done that yet

2)Go to the part titled: Voting part 1

3)Comment beside the following with a +1

Best female character: Abena

Best male character: Tobi

Best couple: Tobi and Abena

Writing Queen: @blackxbelle

Best undiscovered: @blackxbelle

Giggles and tears: The Contract

4) One vote per person please or else your vote would be cancelled.

5) Go to the part titled: Voting part 2

6) Comment beside The Contract with a +1

7) Only one vote is allowed.

Thank you guys 😆😆

Advice, suggestions, criticism, they are welcome. Let me know what I'm doing wrong or right.

Don't forget to:

Vote - You! Don't leave here without pressing that star button 😉

Comment - Let me know what you think. I'm a writer in training.

Follow - i'll follow back. I promise

Share - tell your friends and tell them to tell their friends.

Keep on being amazing, my lovely bananas;

☺

- Timi