Endless Love October 15, 1995

affirm my course of love, she made me assure her that I was going to be circumspective and continent enough to not break her virgin knot before all sanctimonious ceremonies are fully administered.

Lovers in two different worlds! I think I enjoyed the love ride anyways. Honestly, the ride was frustrating and at the same time scintillating. There were lovely memories of that time that are hard for me to get rid of. The best part of everything was her telephony smiles, chuckles, and giggles which did get me over the moon. Yielding the whole scenery into the dear hand of fate, shepherded, I accepted everything with love. But little do I know that there is more to what was come already. And like every living being, I couldn beat against tomorrows imagination.

Because neither of us owns a handset of our own, we resort to our relatives; I used Tades while she used her Mothers handset. For fear of not getting her in trouble, we had certain cliche we used in communicating, like: The old clock is ticking for Call me back or lets talk. The blue sky over your head for I love you. The big fatty moon for I miss you , and the like. With these coded phrases, no one outside our wall ever got suspicious.

Minutes seemed like an hour, hours like a century. Everything was going on fine and I had no doubt our love bird in flight would crash, but not until one day. However, before that day, things weren the same as it was used to be. For days, she never dared to call or text, and when I did, she hardly would reply thereby, I lost the stimulus to try over again. It troubled me for days and diverse thoughts of the situation flooded my mind that it was grave. I had no audacity to journey that distance locale she lived. Even if I had permission, money was a big problem. I had no choice but to wait on her until she was ready to talk. Unsurprising, she did.

Seeing her uncoded call-me-back text appalled and surprised me on that tearful day. It was strange; It was passing strange. And I who am with a quick sense of judgment had visualized the whole trajectory before the big blow struck deep.

” Hello , her voice quaked. As I could sense the fear, and tenseness in her sweet tiny tendered voice so also were the joy and pretense as clear and resounding to ear. Theres something I want to tell you ”. Even if she never said that I knew there was something she wouldn hesitate to spit on me.

Okay, speak on. Im all ears , I managed with little composure.

” Ehm, you see, it wasn my fault… I had tried… I fought against it for days but you just have to forgive me . She paused for a while then continued. My father was more determined than any man could be , stressing further. I can carry … The words were too heavy for her lips but she broke it anyhow. We can be together, not anymore, because my father had betrothed me to someone and… please, just find a place in your heart to forgive me. I don mean to hurt you but at the same time, I cannot fail my parents ”, boldly and hastily said she in tears. And the call section was terminated.

Each of her words was sandy and understandable, yet I sensed the faked tears in the betrayals heart and deceitful eyes. But are those tears and pretense really necessary?

In my perplexity and hardness of heart, I tried phoning her back but the line couldn be reached. I tried and redialed but to no avail. Right there in the kitchen where I had stood by the door, managing a downward slide, I tried not to, but I broke down in tears. Tade held me close to herself, comforting me. For days I tried reaching her but the line was out of reach. Then I knew that she was made.

Was her love for me really in any way at all? How could someone claim to love and still hurt inconsiderably? Isn she the real villain in her fathers shadow then? A real villainous scamp and heartless liar who faked love and tears! O.M and Tade couldn help resolve these heartache questions of mine. They couldn argue either.

Weeks later, the news of her wedding reached us in the neighborhood. Truthfully though, her father had given her out in marriage to the Chief with whose help he had used to acquire the house they moved into. Still, do I care? She was over twenty years of age. Anyway, that was how the fetus of our love was denied the chance to see the light of day.

I had been deeply lost in the thought of this that I knew not when I arrived at aunty Ores place. She attended to me without hesitancy and henceforward, I was discharged.

It wasn too long a distance as I left her place that I met with O.M. You
e indeed a true born of your father. I had just finished digesting an ethical thought of you , I joked.

After an exchange of pleasantries, we embraced each other. As we walked on, we chat and laughed at other nostalgic events. It was fun; It was twilight fun. I made us pass through mothers shop perhaps she would still be open for sales but arriving at her place, she had closed the days sales already. Without further ado, we made our way to his place where we bade each other goodnight.

Knowing fully well that my strength was fading, I walked briskly on. Walking on, I pressed on the something wrapped in a black polythene bag that aunty Ore had given to me. I tried guessing what it could contain but succeeded not. The harder I tried more difficult it was for me to uncover, so I gave up. One thing about my mother is that whenever she sends anyone an errand she doesn expect that fellow to try to run a check to discover whatsoever it is her errand entails. Besides, the former had done a perfect job wrapping the assortment too. Its knots were bonded tightly.

I was dire exhausted and hungry when I got home. I began humming to announce my arrival until I was at the door. Knowing fully well ain no way my mother could escape the special sound effect, Maami, Im back , bellowed I with the last strength in me.

My food mustve been set, ready for consumption , I hoped.