Amarachi's hand flew over her back. She let out an agonizing scream, her grip over her husband's hand very tight that she could break a bone in his hand. She let out a whimper as another pain shot through her back, teeth grounded together as she tried to hold in a scream. Running down her legs to the floor was water.

"Amarachi, is something wrong" Aunty Dammy who was closer reached for Amarachi and was the first to speak. "You look distressed" she said with worry.

Cynthia moved away from Lola to meet her daughter in law. She was fast to get to Amarachi and held her hand.

"What's wrong Amarachi?" Cynthia asked, care laced in her voice.

"My...my" Amarachi found it difficult to speak. She took in air to fill her compressing lungs and exhaled hard.

"Baby" Makinde called, clasping a hand over his wife's hand. The phrase of endearment had irked his mother. She shot him a look under her eyelashes which many were oblivious to including him "Are you al....."

"Her water has broken!" Mofe announced, eyes wide looking at the floor.

The mood shifted from relieve to panic. Everyone's heart galloped in their chest before worry saturate every part of them. Tola came closer. Everyone's senses became alert at the situation on ground.

"Jesus!" Aunty Dammy exclaimed like she was seeing a woman in labour for the first time.

"Amarachi, you have to get up" Cynthia tried to help. With the help of both her mother in law and husband, Amarachi got to her feet. When another contraction hit her, causing pain to spasm though her back, she let out a tiny yelp. Her back went stiff so also her legs.

"Someone should call a nurse" Richard chipped in noticing what had happened. "Mofe" Richard called.

At the strident call of his name, Mofe sprinted down to call a nurse. Within minutes amidst panic and fear, Amarachi was led down the hallway by the older women except Dammy. She could barely walk. Every second, she let out a whimper and painful cry. A stretcher arrived and she was taken away on it.

While some stayed back to know when Damijo will wake up, others followed Amarachi. Every now and then, Amarachi would shriek, grip her husband's hands as she spew out words of annoyance. Water broke free from her pores including her eyes. The minute she was taken into the delivery ward, they all backed away. Makinde rubbed his palms together. He exhaled pacing the hallway as his wife's kept screaming. Each scream that emitted Amarachi made the hair at the back of everyone's neck rise. Among those who could not settle down was Cynthia. Cynthia tried calming her son down. She would walk back and forth, pray in her heart that her daughter in law gives birth safely.

"This is not going to happen again. I promise you Makinde!" Amarachi screeched with every part of her body.

During the hours Amarachi spent trying to push out another being into the world, Damijo woke up. Rebecca was the first to get to her feet when the news was broken to those around. She let go of Richard's hands as tears broke free from her eyes.

"Thank you so much doctor" she gripped the young man's hand. The young man gave her a smile as she continued to thank him and shake him, more tears streaming down her tired face.

"You are welcome ma'am" the doctor kept repeating.

"Can we see him?" Rebecca asked sniffling.

"Yes, you can"

Those present were few of Damijo's children and grandchildren. Everyone had wanted to get in but the doctor stopped them saying they were too many. They divided themselves into groups. Rebecca went in first. Aunty Dammy, Lola, Aaron and Sarah, followed. The rest stayed back.

"Damijo" Rebecca called, sweeping across the room to meet her husband. Her tear gland dripped. She took her husband's hand into hers as she sat on the seat.

"Dad" Aunty Dammy called moving closer to her father. "You old man" she joked with a laugh causing her father to smile. "You scared us" she leaned in to kiss his forehead.

"Grandpa" Lola called, heading closer to the bed. She dropped her bag at the end and held his other hand.

"Hey dad" Aaron smiled at his father. Sarah sat at the end of the bed with a little smile.

"Hi everyone" Damijo smiled, his voice small and tired as he skimmed his gaze around. His heart swelled. He felt loved. There was a twinkle in his eyes despite how tired and sick he looked. "My darling" he raised his hand to Rebecca's face.

"You scared us all" Rebecca got hold of his hand.

Damijo let out a shaky breathe.

"Oh please, what's wrong again?" a bead of tear left Lola's tear gland.

"It's might be my time" he croaked out.

"Don't speak that way" she rested a hand on his cheek. Damijo's laughter came out strained.

"He is a nice guy. I know I have chosen right for you"

"Don't speak about Josh right now. Think about your health" Aunty Dammy scolded shooting her father a hard look. Damijo gave her a smile. The weak smile wrenched her heart.

"Leaving my loved ones behind makes me sad. I have to make you see what's right before I leave. He wants to marry you. He likes you even though it is not love" Damijo continued.

"Don't be stubborn Damijo" Rebecca scolded giving his hand a light squeeze. "You are not going to die. Stop speaking like you are"

"A man knows when his time has come"

"Stop!" Rebecca said, her voice breaking and a bead of crystal rolled down her cheek. "You have to see another great-grandchild. Amarachi is in the labour room. Don't you want to hold one more great-grandchild?"

"You would want to see my kids, grandpa" Sarah squeezed his leg a bit. Her eyes were glassy with tears. "I hate this" she pouted looking down. Wanting to hold back tears, a tear fell. Sarah slammed her palms over her face and let her tears fall.

"Oh Grandpa" More tears rushed down Lola's face. "Don't do this to me. Don't do this to any of us" Lola begged.

"When I am gone" he halted, coughed hard. The ECG machine shrilled a bit then stopped. "Will....will....will you marry Joshua?"

Lola shut her eyes hard. What a request from her dying grandfather? A dying man's wish? Her heart bled? Marry Joshua? That's a very big steps. She opened her eyes to meet Damijo's smiling eyes. Someone had told her that a smile with the eyes is the purest and most sincere smile.

"Grandpa" she rasped.

"Will you?"

"Grandpa" she sobbed, their interlocked hands tight. She swallowed "No" she shook her head"

"You won't fulfil your grandfather's dying wish" he gave her a little weary smile.

"Stop this, Damijo" Rebecca who was already a water work mess begged.

"You are strong old man" Aunty Dammy said with a courage that had crumbled. Her watery eyes were full to its brim.

"I doubt it" his eyes drooped. He forced his eyelids to open. "Even if I beg" Lola pressed her lips together. More tears rushed down her cheeks. Oh God! She hated situations like this. "Will you, Apeke?"

She swallowed hard before she nodded her head "Yes! I will! Do not die on us!" Damijo gave her a weak smile.

"Oh, you won't make this young lady do this" Rebecca cried.

Aaron had nothing to say. What he felt, he could not explain. All he knew was his father was slipping away and that broke his heart but as a man, he had to hold many things in.

"You can't do this dad" Aunty Dammy moved closer. "We have many more matchmaking to do for Lola" she smiled taking his hand from Lola's clutch.

"A promise" he directed his words to Lola.

"Yes, I promise I will marry him. Just don't do this to us" Lola wept, her grip tight around her grandfather's frail arm. Rebecca sobbed behind them. "Don't die on us. We all love you"

"I love you"

"I love you too" slowly, Damijo's eyes closed.

The ECG machine screeched. The lines on it became straight indicating there was no life. A scream left Rebecca's lips. She wailed as wails emitted many lips. BJ allowed his stagnant tears reel down.

"Some should call a nurse!" Aunty Dammy shouted too shaken to believe anything that was happening.

"No! No!" Lola screamed. More tears rolled down Rebecca's eyes.

"Grandpa, please! You can't die on us! No!" Sarah wailed.

"Don't do this to us! I am sorry" Lola cried harder. "I promise I will marry him! Just wake up! Please!"

At that moment, Cynthia walked into the room with Richard. The noise from the room had brought the rest in. Cynthia's eyes grew huge. What nonsense was Lola saying? Marry him? No!

"Just wake up! I will marry him!" Her daughter wept over the man's still body. The machine shrilled with a straight line indicating he was gone. "I am sorry!"

Lola dropped to her knees. The room became the one filled with chaos, sorrow and tears. Cynthia had come to tell them Amarachi had given birth to a boy and here, they have lost a family member. Damijo's family members sat and stood around his still body, the ECG machine still screeching. They wept and those who could not weep felt the ache in their chest. The doctor and two nurses came in but they knew what had happened. Thy have lost a patient. The wails continued when Damijo moved. His body shifted. Samson who had noticed shrieked.

"Jesus! Grandpa is waking up!" He said baffled, getting everyone's concentration.

"Damijo" Rebecca shifted to hold his hand when he stirred. "Oh my God!" Rebecca cried. "He is waking up!" Damijo lifted his eyelids. His lips broke into a wide grin. Gone was the weary and tired look. Everyone looked at him confused.

"What's happening?"

"Did you all believe that?" he sat up. "Oh sweetheart" he looked at his wife. "Lola has promised to marry our choice. Let's prepare for a wedding"

"What?" Lola squealed, eyes wide at what was happening.

It turned out that Damijo's illness was all fake. He played it to make her agree. Pretending to die was to add spice to it. When Lola had repeated those words countless times over his unconscious body, he woke up, hale and hearty to everyone's shock.

"So, why don't we begin wedding preparations?" he beamed getting off the bed.

"What? Grandpa!" a lone tear fell. "How could you?" Lola asked.

Damijo laughed. "Rebecca, give me the number of that event planner that plans our events"

"You deceived me! You played me!"

"You played us all" Aunty Dammy shouted. "How could you dad?"

Many who were still in the state of shock could not talk.

"Sorry everyone. You can't be as smart as this old man" he pats his chest

"Alright! I am not marrying him again. Since you are hale and hearty, I take back my words"

"We don't break promises Lola. You have promised" Lola's lips opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. "I promise I will marry him. Those are your words not mine"

"But I thought you were dying! I was fulfilling a dying man's wish"

"There is nothing we can do now. Inform the groom's family she has accepted" Damijo announced getting down from the bed.

Defeated, too shock to say anything, feeling used, Lola fell to the ground and when the first tear broke free, she let the rest out with painful wails as others felt deceived, angry and too foolish. How could someone play them all so deep until they believed he was dead?