“After that recording, you don‘t know how sorry I am.”
“I know how angry I am!” Aunt Isioma retorted. “To tell the truth, if Gladys had given me a hint of the problem between the two of you before she convinced me over the phone to hold on to my stock, I would have refused. Sometimes you rich men are just too arrogant for your own good. You all think women are after your money.”
“Excuse me, but what did you say about the stock?” Edward had wondered at the coincidence. Not that she owned shares, but most private owners did not attend general meetings.
“Oh, so you don‘t even know.” Gladys‘ aunt laughed scornfully. “While you were busy simmering in your anger, my niece was looking for ways to save you. I mentioned some shares I owned that the lawyers wanted to sell. I had even given orders that that effect, and if not for my niece, it would have been lost to you. My broker would have sold to your rivals.”
She‘d returned to Lagos a couple of days after the phone conversation with Gladys. Instead of signing the proxy form like she usually did, she informed her lawyers to inform the acquirers that she would attend the meeting and vote personally. It was a good thing Gladys had picked up on the sale or Edward would have been left with the short end of the stick.
“I only guessed she must‘ve done that back in the hall when you voted.” Edward whispered. “Thank you so much again, my lawyers mentioned this just before I travelled but I was too busy to follow it up. I‘m grateful for what you did. I wronged Gladys even more than I thought...”
“You‘re right, Gladys is not very happy right now. These last few weeks have been hard on her. She hasn‘t been eating well and neither has she been sleeping as she should.”
Edward put one hand to his head, “I‘m so sorry,” he muttered. “Aunt Isioma, I promised myself I‘d go to her once I finished the meeting. I have to leave now.”
Aunt Isioma‘s voice was mellower. “Well I wish both of you good luck.”
Edward stood and moved to the door with hurried steps.
He told Bonny to drive him to Eleko Beach. That was where he had the dream last year that made him begin to understand what she meant to him. Once they got there, he sent Gladys a text to say he was sending the driver to come pick her up and where to meet him. He waited for her at the exact spot where he‘d realized that she could be the woman for him. As he stared out at the surging sea, he marveled at how long it‘d taken him to accept that fact. He knew he‘d made her really angry and also hurt her but he wanted her back. He would do anything if only to convince her of that.