Day 1: Welcome to Nigeria

(Author’s POV)

The moment Debbie Obasi and Phoenix Mills saw each other for the first time in years, the flame that was almost out busted forth like an inferno and they couldn’t stop talking, completely ignoring the existence of Sterling who sat in the back seat of the Grey Chrysler, feeling sorry for his ill luck but decided to take candid shots of both friends while they spoke and he couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their conversations.

“So, tell me Debbie, any man in your life or did you actually follow my vow of celibacy?” Phoenix said, laughing out loud and Sterling couldn’t help but scoff; celibacy indeed!

“For a while I did but then when I started college here, I met this really handsome guy who indeed rocked my world and I had to give in. long story cut short, a year after college and starting my brand, we got married and now we have a 3 months old baby boy called Gerald, Gerald James,” Debbie said, taking a side glance at Phoenix while still focusing on the road.

“Oh wow, what is your husband’s name and what does he do?” Phoenix asked, curious about what her friend has been up to all these years.

Debbie chuckled and then said, “He is an architect and he owns his own company which makes him less available at home because he has clients to attend to and not that I am complaining but I do miss his company most times when he is out of the country,”

“Yeah, well, I do miss my baby and the fact that I won’t be able to see her for a month makes me feel sad; talk about motherhood. You know that were are both lucky that we didn’t experience post-partum depression or else all these men of ours wouldn’t dare leave us all to ourselves,” Phoenix chuckled but then saw that her friend wasn’t laughing along with her and wasn’t looking at the road either, “What, what is it?”

“Baby? You have a baby? When was this and what else have I missed?” she asked in sheer surprised and Phoenix couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s expression.

“Oh my dear Debbie, a whole lot has happened but I will tell you everything while I am still here,”

“I can’t wait to hear all of it either,”

“Maybe we could match-make our kids; what’s the gender of the baby?”

“She is a very beautiful baby with eyes like her mother and her name is Emerald, Emerald Tyrell,”

Then out of nowhere as if she just remembered that Sterling was in the car too, “I am so sorry, Sterling for stealing your wife to be away from you but i am sure that you know that I miss her a whole lot,” Debbie said as a form of compensation, “Well, guys, welcome to Hotel Castillo and I already booked the presidential suite for you guys while you are here,”

All three of them, coming down from the car, stared at the magnificent building that had people trooping in and out of it and its beautiful fountain that was erected right at the entrance of the building.

Debbie gave the keys to one of the valet who took the keys to her car and drove it to the hotel’s garage. After taking care of everything at the receptionist, the receptionist handed over the room key card to Debbie and thanked her. Taking the elevator to the presidential suite floor, they were all standing face to face with an incredible room that looked as though 3 extra rooms were added to it to make it this huge.

“Wow, this is lovely. Every décor in here is beautiful; that flower vase over at the extreme looks super nice and I’d like to have one,” Phoenix said, taking a look at everything before going to the bathroom to check it out too.

“Babe, I could definitely use some sleep right now and besides it’s late, so I am just going to shower and head straight to bed because I feel jet lagged,” Sterling said, picking up their suitcases that the bell-boy just dropped and dumped it in the wardrobe before taking his denim jacket off.

“Very well then, I am going to let you two lovebirds have some much deserved rest but from tomorrow, we will all have the time of our lives,” Debbie said before looking at her wristwatch, “Oh, it is almost 8pm and my beau must be back from work; so while y’all go ahead with your thing, I am just going to go over and do mine,” Debbie said, winking at Phoenix before biding them a good night and leaving the couple all to themselves.

Sterling sighed deeply, “Finally alone, now I can shower and have some much needed sleep,”

“Yeah, me too,” Phoenix said, quickly undressing and ready to enter the bathroom before held her by the hand, standing beside her in his boxer briefs and in all his glory making Phoenix’s eyes dilate with lust and swallowing down saliva.

“What are you doing?”

“We are going to shower together, got a problem with that? If no, then let’s go,”

Sterling pulled her inside the bathroom and locked the door behind them. Both entering the Jacuzzi at the same time, they both heaved a sigh of relief as the water gave them the much needed ease they both wanted.

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Out of the bathroom, they both changed into their pajamas before climbing on the bed, they were almost fast asleep when Phoenix’s phone rang and it was a video call from Mama Rosa and the sleep quickly left her eyes as she sat up straight and so did Sterling.

“Mama Rosa, good evening, how are you?” Phoenix asked immediately after Mama Rosa came into view.

“I am doing okay, Mija; how was your trip to Nigeria?” She asked, smiling lightly.

“Hola, Mama Rosa, you look fabulous, Don Luca spoiling you silly?” Sterling said, flattering Mama Rosa.

“Eiiissshh, Mi Amor, when did you learn to flatter someone? Yes, your Abuelo is treating me very micely and don’t forget that you guys just left here some hours ago,” she said, laughing at Sterling’s antics.

“It is almost a few minutes past 10pm over here and back there, it should be 6pm or something,” Phoenix said, rubbing her eyes and yawning a bit.

“Eh, Mama Rosa, where is your granddaughter?” Sterling asked, with the hope of seeing his daughter before going to bed.

“Ah, she is with her grandfather. She has him wrapped around her little fingers without knowing it yet,” Mama Rosa laughed, “But she’s had meal and should be ready for her nap time soon enough.

“But mama, we were hoping that we could see her before going to bed, will that be possible?” Phoenix looked at Sterling and then at Mama Rosa, with pleading eyes.

“I am sure that I can make that happen, let me just get her from her grandfather, hold on a minute,” Mama Rosa said, placing the phone down and he voice could be heard faintly speaking in Spanish.

Judging from the ceiling top, Phoenix knew that she was in the kitchen and that she had dropped the phone on the kitchen island. A few seconds later, Mama Rosa’s face popped back on the phone screen and this time, they could see daddy’s little girl staring brightly at the screen.

As if on cue, Sterling and Phoenix started saying words to their daughter as though she could understand a word of what they were saying.

“She always looks amazing each time I see her. It’s been just a few hours and I can’t wait to see her again; are you really sure that we could last a whole month without seeing her?” Sterling said, directing his question to Phoenix without directly looking at her.

Mama Rosa said, “Of course you both can, I am telling you, you both need this vacation more than anything,”

“I really wish I could touch her,” Phoenix said, yawning more and more and as if on cue, Emerald giggled and tried touching the phone screen and Mama Rosa played with her more eliciting more giggles from which was an adorable sight to behold from Sterling and Phoenix’s end.

“Mija, you look worn out, why don’t you both go ahead and sleep,” Mama Rosa said, cuddling Emerald close to her chest as she picked out a flower from the flower vase in the kitchen and placed it in her dark locks of hair making her eyes pop out more.

“Okay, momma, we are going to go now,”

Mama Rosa hung up and took Emerald to her cot and made her sleep early but on Sterling’s end, the couple was seen cuddling each other and making wishes on how they both wanted to see their daughter soonest before falling asleep in succession out of exhaustion but each of them waiting for the next day to begin.

To Phoenix, it was a countdown to making the second wish on her bucket least come through. Coming to Nigeria was wish number 1 and it was out of the bucket list.