ADVENTURE OF A HEART EPISODE 6

   


             For two months,Dotun and Helen kept falling in love with each other. They were always together whenever they were free. If Helen was not on duty,she'll go to Dotun's office and keep him company and whenever Helen was busy in the hospital and Dotun was free,Dotun will be at the hospital. He came there so often that the patients there alsp fell in love with him. He had a sense of humour and he'll make the patients laugh and forget their pains. He also brought flowers for most of them time to time.
         Helen was very happy and proud. She'll walk around with her head high. She noticed the clear malice in some of her colleagues but she couldn't care less. If Dotun was in love with her,she in turn was crazy about him. She was surprised that Dotun was not proud. They way he mixed freely with people of lower status went to the very depth of her heart.
        One evening,Dotun who felt their relationship was strong enough,proposed marriage to Helen.
        True,Helen had often thought about the possibility of marriage with Dotun but she hasn't made up her mind. She wanted him and will love to marry him but her father was a tribalist. Her elder sister,Veronica who won a scholarship to study medicine at Oxford University,England, had married a white man and didn't even come home for traditional marriage. Her father had disowned her and refused to reply to all the various letters that Veronica wrote.Even the money she sent was returned to her and after that Veronica began to write to only Helen.
       Dotun was not from her tribe. She didn't know whether her father will consent or not. Another thing bothered her though! She hardly know Dotun. She felt the time was too short  but  when she expressed her fears to Kate. Kate advised her to throw all her fears overboard. She finally made up her mind to take Dotun home to meet her Father.


      Chief Nwoye Roberts was a retired school principal. He had spent most of his life in his hometown having attended his primary,secondary and university education there. He worked there,married a native woman and built his house there. He wanted his children to have the kind of life he had but various circumstances prevailed over him and he had to let Helen attend a boarding school in another state. He even allowed her work there after her education since no appointment could be secured  at the hometown.
        Over the years,Cheif Roberts had somewhat resented the views of tribalism. He missed his first child,Veronica. When he got the news that she was getting married to a white !man,and that she won't be coming home,he was angry and indignant. He had written to her stating his views but Veronica ignored him. He couldnt forgive her then but now he was sorry he'd been too hard. He made up his mind that whenever she came back or wrote ,he'll welcome her.but he didn't show any outward sign of remorseness. Ando his other children,Helen inclusive,he still remained a staunch tribalist.
     So it happened that when Helen and Dotun arrived at his residence,Chief Roberts was not surprised. He knew Helen would definitely marry from where she had been and because he loved Helen,he didn't want her to be unhappy. Helen was the only child that remainder him of his first love, Nkiru.
     He treated Dotun well and as if by magic,Dotun won his heart. When he asked Helen who he was,Helen who was surprised that Dotun got on well with her father decided to lay her cards on the table. She told her father that she was contemplating marriage to Dotun. If Helen had expected to see a storm and hearna roar,she was in for a great disappointment when her father smiled and asked her if she was sire she loved Dotun.