Chapter 45: A Public Love.
Adebayo Family Mansion.
The Adebayo estate looked different that morning. Gone were the usual sleek cars parked in perfect rows and the polished silence of wealth. Instead, the driveway was filled with canopies, the loud chatter of aunties, the scent of fried puff-puff in the air, and the steady beat of talking drums.
Tammy stood in front of the mirror in the room Rita and Anjii had practically turned into a glam station. She wore a wine-and-gold aso-oke that shimmered under the light, her head wrapped in gele so beautifully tied it looked like an architectural masterpiece.
"Ehn ehn, see my baby," Rita whistled dramatically. "If Jeremy doesn't faint when he sees you, I'll faint on his behalf."
"Abeg don't faint," Anjii said while balancing a plate of meat pie in one hand. "You know Nigerian aunties will just step over you and still ask if you've eaten."
Tammy laughed, even though her heart was pounding. This wasn't just another outing. This was a Yoruba traditional marriage rite. And though it was intimate, Jeremy had made sure it was done properly, with both families present.
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Outside, the sound of bata drums echoed. The ceremony had begun.
Jeremy's family arrived first, dressed in matching navy blue and silver aso-ebi. His mother looked regal, his father stoic, his uncles and aunts proud. They carried gifts—yam tubers stacked in woven baskets, bottles of wine, boxes of sugar, salt, kola nuts, palm oil, even a fat live goat bleating angrily in a corner.
"Why do they always bring goat?" Rita whispered to Anjii.
"Symbol of fertility, my dear," one of the aunties answered, overhearing. "May you too one day bring twins for your family."
Anjii choked on her meat pie. Rita burst out laughing.
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The ceremony started with "knocking on the door" (Ìkún yàlé). Representatives from Jeremy's family knocked at the symbolic "door" of the Coker family, asking for the bride's hand.
"We have come with good intentions," the Alaga Iduro (spokesperson for Jeremy's family) declared, kneeling in front of the elders. "We have seen a beautiful flower in this household, and our son wishes to pluck it."
Tammy's father, visibly emotional, nodded but still tried to play his part. "Flowers are not cheap. Which flower do you want to pluck? Do you think our garden is for anybody?"
The crowd chuckled, clapping.
Jeremy's side presented kola nuts, money, and gifts to "open the door." After some playful back-and-forth, the Coker family finally "allowed" them in.
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Then came the engagement rites (Ìgbéyàwó Ìbílẹ̀). Tammy was called out, veiled in a shawl, and escorted by Rita and Anjii, who danced shamelessly to Burna Boy's On the Low blasting from the live band in between the drumming.
"Tammy baby, move your waist!" Rita shouted, twirling her in front of the guests.
Tammy, embarrassed but smiling, joined the playful dancing.
When she reached Jeremy, she was instructed to kneel before him. Jeremy—looking devastatingly handsome in agbada—dropped to his knees too. Gasps filled the crowd.
"This is our tradition," the Alaga Iduro said proudly. "But see how this groom humbles himself before his bride. May your home be filled with love and respect."
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Next came the proposal moment Jeremy had orchestrated. After the symbolic prayers, he took the microphone.
"My people," Jeremy said, his voice steady but full of emotion. "Tradition says today we honor family, culture, and God. But I want to honor more than that. Tammy…"
He turned to her, holding out a ring that sparkled like sunlight. "You were never part of my plans, but you became my entire life. I don't just want to be your husband in name. I want to be your partner, your shield, your friend, and the father of our children forever. Will you marry me—properly, fully, in front of family, in front of God?"
Tammy's breath caught. The crowd erupted in "awwws," the aunties already ululating. Rita and Anjii were literally jumping.
Tammy looked into Jeremy's eyes, her heart swelling. "Yes," she whispered. Then louder: "Yes, Jeremy Adebayo. But on one condition."
The drummers paused dramatically.
"I will never lose myself. My independence is mine. My dreams are mine. I want to be your wife, but I will also be Tammy—always."
Jeremy smiled like she'd just handed him the world. "And that is the woman I fell in love with."
They sealed it with a kiss, while the drums thundered, women ululated, and the goat bleated as though in celebration.
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The elders concluded the rites with blessings—sprinkling water, praying for wealth, children, long life. Tammy and Jeremy were showered with money as the DJ switched to Fireboy's You and then Joeboy's Beginning. Rita and Anjii were the first to storm the dance floor.
"Yeees!" Rita shouted, twerking in her gele. "Our girl is officially a wifey-wife now!"
Tammy laughed, held Jeremy's hand, and let herself be pulled into the circle.
For the first time since the chaos began, she felt free. Loved. Whole.
This wasn't just a ceremony. It was her public love story—burning brighter than betrayal, brighter than shame, brighter than fear.