IMPERFECTION

CHAPTER ONE

MORNINGS AFTER

STATUS: SUPER FRENZY

"What on earth is this called from where you come from, "Pancake or Cake pan". Greg roared at the top of his voice, it was pretty obvious that he was more than pissed off.

It's been three days since we got married or should I say forced to the altar and that has been the most horrible moments of my life.

Greg stood in all his 6 feets glory height and looked down at me horribly expecting me to say something while I wished for a miracle of disappearance to happen.

My tongues were suddenly heavy, my eyes wide open as I could not find the right words to say.

My mother had always been the one to pacify me ?when I get my panic attack and this always happen when anyone shouts at me.

The last I had was when I argued with my father and refused to get married to a stranger that I didn't even know his origin. He was so pissed off at the fact that I didn't listen to him that he forgot all about my panic attack and screamed right into my face. Mother wasn't there to help me so I had to face the music myself and face the reality, I composed myself and kept on refusing till he told me he'll disown me if I don't get married to Greg.

I ended up agreeing because of mother, I was their only child and I couldn't afford to see tears in my mother's eyes, so I agreed to all this and got married to Greg.

I knew Greg was an arrogant, mad and selfish man after he said it right to my face that he'll never acknowledge me as a wife not even after marriage. He might be handsome with a chiseled nose, dimple and blue eyes; which is not common in this country. But he's very arrogant and I don't like him one bit.

I have to put up with this until I'm able to face him one day and tell him about a deal that I've been cooking up in my big head for months.

"Oh God" he groaned and I had to wonder what I did again.

"Are you deaf or has cat got your tongue?"

"I'm s-orry" I said quietly

He looked at me pitifully and didn't know what to say for a while.

"Do you even know how to cook?" He asked gently and I nodded negatively. As I said earlier, these past three days has been horrible, not only due to the fact that I married Greg but also because of the responsibilities I had to put up with.

I grew up in my father's empire as a little princess and when I got to the age where I was supposed to start learning the basic thing, my father sent me abroad for my university education.

I graduated from Loyola University in Canada and two days after, I was greeted with marriage proposal-In short, my life has been planned.

"Don't even go near my kitchen again, I don't want to see you there ever again" he warned and I nodded.

"Are you from a lineage of Agama Lizard?, cos all you've been doing is nodding your head" he complained and I groaned inwardly.

"So, what will you eat if I stop cooking?" He looked at me questionably

"What are you even saying?, you tried cooking water for noodles yesterday and for the first time in years, I had to fear for my life. You cooking or not doesn't make a difference. Stop cooking, please"

"Okay, I'll stop."

He didn't bother saying anything else as he proceed to pick up his car keys and made his way out of the house. I groaned loudly and started nagging as I packed the food from the table and went into the kitchen to clean up.

I picked a broom and packed up the mess that Greg made on the floor, that man is so hot tempered.

He's a fine, young gentleman, Pearl. You'll love him. I could remember my father's word and I shake my head at the painful thought. "You can't judge a book by it's cover, father" I muttered under my breath.

I quickly ran into my room to take a shower before going to work.

After the day's work and feeling all tired and exhausted, I dragged my lazy feet to my friend's office downstairs.

She looked up from her desk when I entered her office. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Her face was ashen, as if she'd seen a ghost.

"What sort of question is that?" I asked. "Don't you want me in your office?" I was taken aback. We had always welcomed each other's company.

"No sorry. It's not like I don't want you here., What I mean is, what are you doing at the office? You're not supposed to come to work today. You just got married last Saturday, and here you are at work on Monday. What of the honeymoon, moon honey or whatever?" Her hands flew up. "I mean, who does that?"

I pulled the chair from under the desk and sat down even if I wasn't offered a chair.

"Now, explain to me, what's going on, " she said.

I knew she wouldn't give up without me giving her a proper explanation, so I told her the lie I had concocted after deciding to go to work today.

"We were about to go on the honeymoon yesterday when my husband got an emergency call from the hospital telling him that the guy he did surgery on was having multiple seizures, so we decided to call it quits and have the honey moon here in Nigeria. And moreover, how many Nigerians go for their honeymoon outside the country?" ?She is not the first victim to fall for that lie; though, she's the fifth, and I believed more were on the way.

"Hon that's pathetic though, I know it's hard for you, OK but I also know you'll be fine." She ?said with the prettiest smile on her face.

"it's twenty minutes past four o'4'o clock already., Let's get going so I can drop you off. Or did you bring your car?"

"Yes, I did. Thanks for the offer ma'am but it is not needed"

"See your life. I'm only trying to help you here"

I stuck my tongue out at her as we made our way out of the office building. I got home to realize that Greg wasn't in which I'm grateful for, I changed and went downstairs into the kitchen contemplating on the simplest thing that I could handle on my own. I took a pen and a book and was writing them down when I heard footsteps behind me, I looked back and to my greatest horror, it was Greg looking at me murderously.

I knew at that moment that I had just crossed my boundary.

Okay, so I have decided to give each chapter a status

Frenzy(easy to write)

Cranky( not easy)

Frenzy but a little Cranky, you know what that is.

This is imperfection, the first trilogy.

CHAPTER TWO

ONE METRE

FRENZY

I walked into the kitchen to see Pearl writing something furiously on a paper and crossing it out. I'm not sure of what she was writing but the moment she turned back looking at me with so much fear in her eyes, I realized what she was up to.

I don't even know the reason why I'm in this thing called marriage. I never imagined myself getting married not to talk of getting married to a girl called Pearl. I never liked her for once before marriage and I still don't like her a bit, we met once in New Orleans when she attended a friend's wedding, I was related to the groom and she knew the bride from her secondary school days. I was so surprised at her attitude that day that I ended up promising myself never to end up with a girl like that even if the world is full of apes and the two of us are the only humans. She has no respect for principles whatsoever, she's a high class spoilt brat, no manners, no composure, nothing.

You could have imagined the horror on my face when I realized she was the bride to be, I couldn't stop cursing myself over and over again for agreeing to meet the girl in the first place but the deed has been done. I had no choice but to tell it to her face that I can't even see her as a friend, not to talk of a girlfriend.

My father had forced me to agree to this marriage on the basis that it was good for the family business, Business that I'm not even involved in, my brother is in Charge next after my dad and I never had any interest in business, more reason why I went into the medical line, a neurosurgeon at that. Even when father won't stop complaining about me not helping with the Business, I know deep down he was proud of me. And my mother has been a pain in the ass since we were kids, always talking about how I'll control the East and my brother will ?take charge of the South.

"How was work?" She asked in a trembling voice pulling me out of my trance.

"Good, what are you...." She didnt allow me to finish before held on to my suit tightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I was hungry so I had to fix something without causing trouble. I didn't mean to go against your wish" She said looking up to me

"One metre, Pearl" I instructed and she looked at me questionably

"What?" I pulled her hands forcibly away from my cloth as I pushed her back a little.

"Stay away from me as far as a metre" I didn't allow the confused look on her face to linger for long before I told her the necessary thing that brought me into the kitchen.

"Mother is around, she wants to talk to us" I told her as I walked out of there.

"Good evening ma" I heard her greet my mom immediately she got into the living room. I watched as my mother moved towards her as if she was Queen of England.

"Come and sit beside me my child" My mother told her and she agreed willingly.

"What's this meeting all about, mom" I asked and which I received a glare for.

"I'm here for Pearl not you"

"Is that my cue? ?To leave I mean" I asked

"Young man, look here. I don't know the reason for all this your attitude but you will sit here and listen to every of our conversations"

"ohh God, what have I gotten myself into" I muttered under my breadth.

"How has he been treating you, Pearl?" She asked

"Fair enough mother" she replied shyly.

"If he doesn't behave, just call me or his father and let me finish him off just like that" I remained silent In my seat as I watched the two of them talking ?about things that I don't even have interest ?in.

The meeting ended quickly and I was finally allowed to stand from my seat and see mother off to her car. I watched as her car drove out of the compound before I went back inside to get out of my office clothes.

"Greg" she called running up to me

"Pearl, one metres" I reminded her as she controlled herself and stopped where she was.

"Aren't you hungry?" She questioned.

"More like, you're hungry, right?" I returned her question with another one and she nodded slowly.

"There's a food canteen down the street, you can go there to fill your stomach" I advised her

"Can't I just try to cook something here?" She queried

"So you can burn the whole house down as you didn't succeed in doing that yesterday when you tried to cook noodles" I looked at her angrily.

"Okay, what will you eat then?"

"Like you care?" I questioned her, hoping that will get her to shut up and leave me alone

I was about going up the staircase to my room when she said something that grabbed my attention.

"Look here and hold on a little, I don't know what's running up there in that head of yours and I don't even want to know. But I care, not because of the fact that you're my husband but because you're also human like me. So I care. But next time, I won't. So, I'm sorry" She apologized and as I was about to say something, my phone started ringing.

I brought it out from my pocket and saw it was mother. ?What again?

"Yes mom, did you forget something?"

"No, is Pearl there?" She asked

"Yes, she's here"

"Put the phone on loud speaker, I want to talk to the two of you" I touched the screen and the speaker turned on automatically.

"Pearl, can you hear me?"

"Yes ma, I can hear you" she replied

"Okay, so I want you guys to know that I'm not getting younger. I need a grandchild and I want you guys to do something about it tonight" I was so furious that I ended the call and I clenched my hand in a fist, I had expected pearl to react the same way only for me to look up to see the little witch grinning from ear to ear.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

THE PROPOSAL

FRENZY

I was at work that Thursday afternoon, a week after our marriage, when my daddy called me to come see him at his office that was only a few blocks away. His office is in Lekki while mine is not far from there. I quickly left my office after taking permission from my boss.

"Hey daddy, you called me" I said immediately I entered his office

"Yes, sit down" he looked up from the document that he was working on.

"Your secretary isn't around, she went out?"

"Yes, she ran away immediately she heard you were on your way here" I looked at him questionably

"You're joking, right?"

"Of course, you should know I am. You guys might not be on good terms but that doesn't mean she'll run away" he stood up from his seat and went to bring out two envelopes from the drawer at the other side of the room

This office room as been my favourite place in the world before I left for Canada, I played hide and seek and different types of silly games, more reason why I love coming here to reminisce on old times.

"Take a look at this" I collected one of the envelopes from him and open it to realize it was a wedding invitation.

"Your secretary is getting married. That's good, but why did you call me here?" I don't want to believe he called me here just because his secretary is getting married.

"You're attending, right?" He queried

"Was I invited in the first place?"

"Yes, you can come along with Greg" I gave him the you must be joking look. This people won't stop disturbing my life, is it a must for Greg to go to the wedding

I'll have to start composing my words now. Ahh, Jesus.

"Before I forget..." He said trying to get my attention to him. "The main reason why I called you here was to ask you if I can help talk to Greg for your honeymoon" He removed his glasses and placed it on the document he was working on.

"I don't understand you"

"Let me talk to Greg so he'll allow you guys to go for your honeymoon outside Nigeria" He said with a determination on his face.

At that moment, I didn't even know what to say, I just stood up from my seat and made my way to the door. If I'm to go just like this, nothing will change but I have to let them know their stand this time around.

So I turned around to face my father

"Daddy, I don't understand what's going on with you parents, but I beg the four of you in the name of God, please leave us alone. We're old enough to make our own decisions. You got us married, fine, but please don't keep us married"

I turned the door knob and made my way out if the office.

The way these parents are behaving is really starting to get on my nerves and I need to do something about it very soon. It was already late so I couldn't go back to work, I had to go straight home to fix something before Greg returns home.

To my own dismay, I entered to see Greg sitting there on the dining table, he looked up from his phone when he heard the door open.

"Hey, how was your day?" I greeted him not because I wanted to but for formalities sake.

"I thought you wouldn't come back home, I finally thought my prayers has been answered" he said while feigning disappointment.

"You know what bro, I actually thought the same thing" I said as I made my way to my room.

"Your mother called me" He said stopping me in my tracks. "She was talking about the....." I didn't allow him to finish what he was about to say before I stopped him.

"You don't have to tell me, I don't want to hear" I turned on my heels and was about going before an idea came to mind.

I walk to the dining room and pulled a chair from under the table before setting my bag on the table and facing Greg who was busy looking at me questionably

"I have a proposal for you, not even you alone. Us" I said waiting for his reaction.

"A proposal, Are you for real?" He queried

"Yes" I replied

"You mean, a job proposal?. Are you dumb or something?, do I look like someone who needs a job" He said with disgust

"Let me finish what I started before you start insulting me. What is wrong with your head?" I was angry and I knew it. He's just an arrogant prick that would never change for anything.

"You're so mad and crazy that I don't even know the reason why I agreed to marry you" I declared

"I'm not mad and crazy, it is you who has something going on in your head that nobody knows about"

"Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night"

We were both silent for like three minutes before he decided to break it.

"What is the Proposal?"

"Now you're interested right, big head" I asked smiling

"Just say it. I don't have all the time in the world"

"So, I've been thinking for a while now about this proposal and it is all about our marriage. It's not a new thing between the two of us.

I hate you, you hate me and we can't really make a real couple"

"Yeah, that's true" he confirmed my words

"So, therefore, let's make a 10 months contract, we'll divorce after 10 months if there's no improvement in our marriage" I said with a determined look on my face.

"Okay, so what you're saying now is that, we should live like a normal couple and if there's no improvement, we should divorce"

"No, we're not going to live like a normal couple, just the way things are now. Let it continue that way"

"Ten months is too much for me, let's make it six months"

"Six months, it is then" I said with an evil smile on my face.