Chapter 47

"I see. We can arrange for the requisite visits to the planet's surface, with suitable protective measures in place. No human has set foot on it so far, so we don't know what might be there.""

"Fine. That is about it for geology, I think, though Robert may have more input to give you. For geography, me and Mia could do most of the work from images, but we will probably want more detailed data for particular items, like variations in sea temperature, and especially any underwater currents going across oceans; the thickness of ice pack on an ocean; thickness of glaciers and their speed of movement; and that is just for data on the water cycle."

Bob realised he had not given enough information. "Sorry, I should have mentioned: there will be a meteorologist on the team, so that she can probably assist you with the water cycle questions."

"She? So you know who it is?"

"Yes. It is Mrs Helen Kempe, my wife. She is Chief Meteorologist for Rehome, but is willing to be seconded temporarily to this new task."

"I see. I would want to have a discussion with her before we start. I need to know that there will be no clash of personalities. If there was, we couldn't work together satisfactorily."

"Very well. That is a valid point. I have your address here on our database, so I shall get Helen to ring you to arrange a time for you to meet."

He closed his phone, and then it struck him: he had not yet asked Helen if she would do this! He tapped her icon and his phone rang hers. She answered, "Meteorology Department. How can I help you?"

"Bob here, darling. I apologise before I start. I committed you to a task without speaking to you first. Sorry, my love!"

She sighed. "O.K., Bob. What is it?"

"The Personalia have earmarked another planet for a colony that they want to fill with poor people from Earth; but they are not so good at selecting a starting site for the colony. Their initial choice got flooded within a few days!

As a result, they are asking for humans to select a colony site on the new planet. It needs a geologist, and geographer, and a meteorologist. They suggested you for that last position, and I just accepted it without thinking. I know perfectly well that I should check with my wives before committing them to something, but my enthusiasm runs away with me at times. Can you forgive me and agree to participate?"

"Actually, it sounds interesting, as I may be able to gather enough data to compare it to the other planets I surveyed for my dissertation. It will either bolster my conclusions from the other planets, or throw a spanner in the works. I would hate to have to reassess all my data from back then..."

"Well, dear, if you are interested, could you phone Mrs Smith at this number" - he keyed to send the number to her – and talk to her about it? It is Mya Smith you want. She and her twin sister are both graduates in geography, and they are both married to Robert, who is a geologist."

"Right. I will get on to that as soon as I can. I am working with today's data to prepare a forecast that has to go live in an hour or so."

"Oh. I'd better get off the phone, then. 'Bye!"

Peggy encountered her friend Susan, just as they were entering the school. "Hi, Susan. How's life treating you today?"

"Fine, Peggy. I have got myself a boyfriend!"

"Is this the one you went on a blind date with?"

"Yeah. He is a black guy, aged twenty, and," she leaned close to Peggy, to whisper, "I am not a virgin any more!"

Peggy's eyes widened, and she responded quietly, "That didn't take you long!"

Susan continued to whisper, "No, it all happened yesterday, after school. Tokunbo drove me to their farm, and introduced me to the family. Her daughter is married to the guy who settled the farm, and Olu's also a part owner. Olu is the guy that took my cherry."

"So, who actually is Olu, then? I gather he is not part of the family that got the land."

"Well, he is, now. His twin sisters married Winston not long ago."

"Wait a minute. Is this Winston the same guy that married Tokunbo's daughter?"

"Yes. Winston and Simisola are only a short time married."

"I get you. Olu is Winston's brother-in-law."

"He is now, but they have been best friends since childhood."

They were interrupted by a shout from a teacher. "Girls! You know better than to stand and gossip in the doorway when you should be getting to your classes. Get on with what you should be doing, instead of chattering. Now!"

The pair immediately split up, agreeing to meet at break time. The morning dragged for them, until they gat the chance to renew their discussion. Peggy knew what she wanted to hear.

"So you liked them, eh?

"Yes," Susan admitted. "They are all nice people. I got the impression that they are happier here than they were in Nigeria, but I didn't like to ask awkward questions, as I was their guest. Oh, and another thing happened. Olu revealed that he and Tokunbo were an item, and she told them she was pregnant with Olu's child. You could have heard a pin drop when that came out. After all, she is seventeen years older than him, but once they got over the shock, everyone realised they had to accept it, as that was what Olu wanted in his life."

Peggy was wary of saying too much, she tread delicately. "Is Olu going to marry her, then, Sue?"

"I think that's what he wants, but she is being very cautious. She keeps telling him he should find a wife his age or less, and then she might marry him as well. It is as if she is pushing him in that direction."

"You said that Olu was your boyfriend. What exactly did you mean by that, Sue? Just a boy to go out with, or what?"

Sue stopped to think about that question. "I am not really sure what I mean, Peggy. He impressed me as a lover, despite claiming he was almost a beginner; not that I would know any better, but it seemed fine to me. He said that Tokunbo was the only person he had experienced sex with, so I was the second woman that he had made love to.

He was hesitant at first, but when he got to work, he was amazingly competent: gentle and caring all the way. I actually had fun with him, before, during, and after having sex. I never expected that. I thought it would be all clinical and efficient, doing a job; but he was very loving in his approach. I expect that is Tokunbo rubbing off on him."

"No more than that? He did a good job of taking your virginity, and he is a nice guy. That's it?"

"Peggy! Stop pushing! I genuinely don't know where we go from here. He is willing to have more dates with me, he says, but I don't really know where it goes afterwards."

Helen Kempe invited the Smith family to the Governor's mansion. She concluded that if Bob was genuinely sorry for his actions, she should get the mansion for use as a meting venue. She told him so, after making the appointment, so that he could not challenge it without offending the guests. He stared at her when she told him, and appeared as if he would say nothing, but eventually came out with, "O.K., Helen, I accept the need to have the meeting here. Can I appear at some point during it?"

"Of course. A meeting at the Governor's mansion would not be complete with an appearance of His Nibs!"

The Smith family arrived early, but preparations were well in hand, and the meeting room was supplied with snacks, and the tea and coffee would be quickly provided. Robert Smith was in front as they reached the door, and he announced who they were. Invited to enter, he stood back to allow the twins to precede him.

The two very pregnant ladies entered. Helen admired their pregnant forms, saying, "Your first, girls?"

When they agreed, she congratulated them, but told them of her own trials through ignorance. "Make sure you get a regular medical check for symptoms of any ailments of pregnancy that you might not be aware of, so that it is caught early. I had trouble of that nature, but it was caught just in time, and my Hector arrived safe and sound; and more importantly, I survived!"

The ice being now broken, the girls all sat down to chat about babies while Robert sat back contentedly, admiring his loves as he did so. Helen noted this, and introduced a query.

"How did you three get together?"

Robert said he started dating Mya (or perhaps Mia: he was not always sure who he was taking out), and found himself falling in love with her. Confused by the identical twins, he did not know who it was he loved, and when it came to proposing, the situation was even worse. He had described his problem to a student friend researching on another planet. The friend commiserated, and promised to think about the choice facing Robert.

In a few days he was on the phone saying, "I was speaking to the guy in charge of our research team, and he told me that the Rehome colony had a marriage law that enabled multiple spouses to marry." He explained that if I went there, I could marry both of them, if they were agreeable. I took his advice and got the twins together and sat them down. I explained that I was facing a dilemma in that I loved either one of them, or both of them – I was not sure – but if they felt similarly towards me, I would be honoured if they would both agree to marry me."

He looked over fondly at the pair, and continued, "They looked stunned for a moment or two, then demanded proof of what I was saying. We got online and contacted the Rehome colony website, looked up marriage laws, and found that the story was accurate. One of the girls came over to me, kissed me, and said, "I will marry you, darling Robert." Then the other came over, kissed and said, "I will marry you, darling Robert." They then told me that they had been taking turns at going out with me, with me being none the wiser, and they had both fallen for me, but remained unsure who should marry me, until now. This solution suited them fine, and so we arranged to emigrate to Rehome as soon as we graduated. The graduation ceremony was later, so by that time we were married, and attended as a married trio, to the surprise of many at the university."