CHAPTER 2: THE INTERVIEW GOES WRONG
910 Words
BRIDE FOR HIRE – CHAPTER 2: THE INTERVIEW GOES WRONG
8:00 AM. Sunday. Canada Immigration Office – Victoria Island, Lagos.
The room smelled like old AC and nervous sweat.
I sat across from Officer Martins, a stern woman with a name tag and zero patience.
Tobi sat beside me. His hand was on my knee under the table. For “authenticity.”
It was warm. Too warm.
*Officer Martins:* “State your full names and date of marriage.”
*Tobi:* “Tobi Bolanle. Chinaza Bolanle. We married July 13th, 2024. Civil ceremony.”
I almost choked.
July 13th was yesterday. And it wasn’t real.
*Officer Martins:* “Where did you meet?”
*Me:* “Uniport. 2019. He was engineering. I was literature.”
*Officer Martins:* “What was your first date?”
Tobi opened his mouth. I kicked his ankle under the table.
*Me:* “Kilimanjaro. Ikoyi. He ordered jollof. I ordered chicken.”
*Officer Martins looked up.* “You hate jollof.”
Tobi froze.
*Tobi:* “I… I’ve grown to like it.”
Officer Martins didn’t blink. “Interesting. Most Nigerians who hate jollof die on that hill.”
She slid a file forward.
*Officer Martins:* “Mr. Bolanle, your mother’s statement says you proposed at Eko Hotel yesterday. Describe the proposal.”
I looked at Tobi. He looked at me.
We had not discussed this.
*Tobi:* “It was… private.”
*Officer Martins:* “Private doesn’t count for immigration, sir. Tell me.”
I grabbed his hand. Squeezed. Hard.
*Me:* “He got down on one knee. Said I was the only person who understood him. That he couldn’t go back to Canada without me.”
It sounded real. Even to me.
Officer Martins watched us. Too long.
*Officer Martins:* “Okay. Last question. What’s your wife’s biggest fear?”
Tobi went quiet.
He didn’t know. We never talked about it.
I squeezed his hand back.
*Me:* “Losing family. That’s why I’m here.”
Officer Martins stared at our hands. Then she stamped the file.
*Officer Martins:* “Provisional approval. You’ll get final confirmation in 48 hours. Don’t leave Lagos until then.”
Tobi exhaled. I let go of his hand like it burned.
---
*12:00 PM. Car Park – Outside Immigration Office.*
Tobi slammed the car door.
“You lied,” he said.
*Me:* “You didn’t know the answer. I saved us.”
*Tobi:* “You said my biggest fear is losing family. How do you know that?”
I looked away.
Because Auntie’s cancer file was in my bag.
Because I saw it in his eyes when he said “deportation.”
Because we’re both scared of being alone.
*Me:* “Lucky guess.”
He stepped closer.
*Tobi:* “Don’t lie to me, Chinaza. Not about that.”
For a second I thought he’d kiss me.
For real.
Then his phone rang.
*Mrs. Bolanle:* “Did it work?”
*Tobi:* “Provisional approval. But Mum, we need to talk. This isn’t sustainable.”
*Mrs. Bolanle:* “It is for 48 hours. Bring her home. Press conference is at 4 PM.”
He hung up. Looked at me.
*Tobi:* “You’re not ready for this part.”
*Me:* “What part?”
*Tobi:* “The part where everyone thinks we’re in love.”
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*3:30 PM. Mrs. Bolanle’s Mansion – Press Room.*
Cameras. Reporters. “Bolanle Heir Marries Longtime Girlfriend” on the backdrop.
Mrs. Bolanle had me in a ₦800,000 lace gown. Hair done. Makeup done.
I looked like a bride.
I felt like a fraud.
Tobi stood beside me in a navy suit. He didn’t touch me. Not yet.
*Reporter 1:* “Tobi, how long have you two been dating?”
*Tobi:* “Five years.”
Five years. We met two days ago.
*Reporter 2:* “Chinaza, what do you love most about him?”
I opened my mouth.
And said the first true thing I’d said all day.
*Me:* “He’s scared. But he doesn’t run.”
The room went quiet.
Tobi looked at me like I’d slapped him.
*Mrs. Bolanle:* “Perfect. Photos now!”
Flash. Flash. Flash.
Tobi put his arm around my waist.
His hand was steady. Mine wasn’t.
---
*8:00 PM. My Room – Ikoyi Mansion.*
Dreame notification again.
*“Chapter 1 hit 8,900 reads. Top comment: ‘AUNTIE NEEDS CHAPTER 2 NOW!!!’”*
I posted Chapter 2 at 8:05 PM.
By 8:15 PM, 1,100 reads.
My phone buzzed. Unknown number.
*Message:* _“Chinaza. It’s me. Tobi. Come to the study. Now. We have a problem.”_
I went.
Tobi was on his laptop. Canada Immigration website open.
*Tobi:* “They flagged us. Someone sent them the Eko Hotel photos. Said we met yesterday.”
*Me:* “What do we do?”
*Tobi:* “We have 24 hours to prove our relationship is real. Or I’m deported.”
He looked at me.
*Tobi:* “Real means more than holding hands, Chinaza. It means kissing. In public. For the cameras. Tomorrow.”
*Me:* “You can’t be serious.”
*Tobi:* “I’m very serious. Unless you’d rather I leave and you lose the ₦450,000.”
I stared at him.
The guy I was supposed to hate.
The guy I was starting to understand.
*Me:* “Fine. One kiss. For the cameras.”
*Tobi:* “One kiss.”
He stepped closer.
And I realized I wasn’t sure I wanted it to stop at one.
- Writer
