HOW I MARRIED THE LOVE OF MY LIFE Some days start on a very bright note; so did this Sunday. I was already running late to church, it was going to take a miracle for me to get to church before praise and worship commenced. I stood outside our compound waiting for a taxi. All the taxis that passed by had passengers in them. I did not want to take the yellow buses; taking the yellow buses meant I would have to stop somewhere and then cross over to board Keke to church. Early in the year, I had vowed not to squeeze myself into Keke anymore especially when I am going to church. As I stood there waiting for a bus, a grey colour Highlander pulled up to me. The sole occupant of the jeep wound down the window at my side and pushed his head towards the side of the window he had wound down. “Hi, good morning; I’m looking… he mentioned the name of his church. “Errm…, if you go…” I paused not knowing whether to describe the way for him or to join him in his car since that was where I was going to. I quickly made up my mind and said “that’s my church; I am actually going that way.” “Can we go together then?” he asked. I accepted the offer; in ten minutes we were already seated in the church’s coaster bus waiting to be driven to church. When we boarded the bus, I was right in front of him; so I chose a seat before him. He followed me and asked if he could join me. I obliged him. He did not say anything until the bus was in motion. “Is the church far from here?” he queried. “No only that the space within the church premises must have been taken up by early birds” I replied. Before long, we were in the church; as we filed to enter the church, I waved and told him I was going to sit with my friends at a particular ‘Entrance’. “That’s okay, thank you very much” he said as he waved back. About two months later, I had forgotten about him until the day we bumped into each other at the church’s information center. I was on the queue to buy some media materials; when I looked back, I saw him coming towards the Information Center. I quickly turned my head to avoid our eyes meeting. I wasn’t sure he saw me that time; however it dawned on me when somebody tapped me on the back to say that somebody was saying “hi.” I looked back only for me to see this guy with a wide grin on his face. “How are you?” he asked from where he stood. When I was leaving the place, he beckoned on me to wait for him. I moved down towards the exit gate and stood. Soon enough he joined me at the gate and we proceeded to the car park. “How have you been?” I answered in the affirmative. “Do you know I have been looking for you since that Sunday?” I was surprised to hear that, I wanted to know why he looked for me. He laughed and pleaded I joined him for lunch that afternoon; a request I turned down. He opted to take my phone number instead. I honestly didn’t want to give him my number; I didn’t see why I should. I had to release my number to him when I noticed it was looking like an embarrassment on his part. The way he begged for the number, I thought he was going to call that day. I was wrong. He didn’t call me until after two weeks. When he called, he started by asking my name. “Do you know that I don’t even know your name; can you believe that?” he asked laughing. I didn’t say anything to him. “I am so sorry I haven’t called you since the day I collected your number. I forgot how I saved it. I was just scrolling down my phone when I saw a number I saved with the name of a church and I suspected it must be you.” I laughed at what he saved my name with. I queried to know how many other names he saved in that manner; he said it was the way I gave him the number that caused it. He asked if we could have lunch that weekend; typically I don’t accept offers from men until they have proven to me why I should. I asked him to tell me why I should accept his offer. He paused, kept quiet for a while and said “I am single, you are single; I won’t bother you if you were married.” “What a lovely reason” I said; laughing at the same time. He pleaded I should give him the opportunity of at least knowing me. I accepted his offer. We went for dinner same week. I was blown out by the experience of that night. It was one of those nights that every girl looks forward to. The type of night we read in novels. I kid you not. I was treated to some sumptuous dinner. I was spoken to by a man who knew the right chords to strike at the right time; I sat all evening listening to a soft-spoken man. His knowledge of Economics, history and Politics was breathtaking. When I mentioned to him I studied Economics, he took me through the Economics of our outing that night. He literally swept me off my feet. When we were done with dinner, he opted to take me home. An offer I rejected, as usual. He called for Red cab; he drove behind us until it was time to part ways. He sped up to us, wound down and said “do enjoy the rest of the night, Angel.” I smiled and waved back. Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to introduce you to Tony; the man who stole my heart, the man I have fallen for. Throughout that night, I kept asking myself what was wrong with me. I would have missed Tony if he didn’t bump into me that day in church. For the first time, I picked my phone and called Tony. “Thanks for the wonderful company and thanks for those wonderful stories and lectures too” I said amidst laughter. The following morning, Tony called me; he said he forgot to ask where I worked. When I mention the place, he asked me how much I was paid. He couldn’t believe how much I was paid. The moment we ended the call, Tony sent his email address via SMS with an instruction “send me your updated CV before the end of today.” The moment I saw that message, I forwarded my CV to Nelly my friend asking her to urgently attend to my CV. After about two hours, Nelly mailed back the upgraded CV which I forwarded to Tony. Two days later, I got a message inviting me for a chat. I called Tony to inform him about the message. “You don’t want to go?” he teased. I asked him to coach me on what to expect. He told me the general rules on how to conduct myself during interviews. He asked me not to short change myself when negotiating my remuneration. After the interview, I was asked when I could resume. I replied “in two weeks” I was asked to wait at the reception for my employment letter. It was like I was in a trance. After waiting for about one and half hours, the front desk lady emerged with my employment letter. I called Tony the moment I stepped out of the office. “Guess what Tony? I got the job!” Tony congratulated me and as usual tutored me on how to conduct myself in my new office. He made me promise him I will not let him down. I later met Tony that evening on a date; I thanked him for pulling his weight on the new job. Tony waved it aside saying I got the job because I impressed the interviewers. I laughed because I knew he was only being modest. Barely two weeks into my new job, Tony left the country to the UK where he had gone for a course. I wasn’t sure how to react to the news when he informed me of his impending trip. However, relief came my way when he reassured me that he would always be in touch that he would always be there for me. While in the UK, we chatted, texted on a daily basis; it felt like he was never away, expect that I missed his physical presence. Our love grew with the distance. Tony understood love languages; he applied them like balm on an aching body. His choice of words was out of this world; he made head swell whenever he chatted or talked. There was no hiding it, I had fallen for him. I was in love with Tony Before long it was time for Tony to return to the country. He called me to find out what I would want him to get for me from the UK. I didn’t know exactly what to tell him; I told him to get me anything of his choice. He teased me, telling me that I should always have a choice and stop allow people make choices for me. When Tony announced his return date, I was so excited. I couldn’t wait for the return of the man who had brought me so much happiness and love. On the day he was scheduled to return to the country, I went to the airport thirty minutes before the time their flight was scheduled to land. The excitement running through my vain while I waited at the airport can only be imagined. One hour thirty minutes later, Tony appeared with his luggage. He looked more handsome; more handsome than he ever looked. We moved to where the car he said he had arranged was parked; when we got inside, it was the same driver at my new company that came to pick Tony. For a moment I didn’t know what to say. Tony looked at me and laughed, “I know what you are thinking” he said. “When we get home I will explain to you” he said stroking my shoulder. In the house, he broke the news; he is the owner of the company that hired me. I was shocked to my marrow. He told me that he has two companies; he was not involved in the day to day activities of the company I worked for. “That was why I decided to get you employed in that one, if it was in this company that I manage, you would have known since” Tony told me. The following Sunday, Tony invited me to their family home in Gbagada to meet his parents. I have spoken with Tony’s mother many times on the phone, however, the thought of meeting her life made me a bit jittery. You know that kind of visit when you do not know exactly what to expect. Meeting Tony’s mother wasn’t easy at all; it was like a candidate attending an interview. She asked about my parents, where they were from, what they did and where we stayed in Lagos. I answered her questions to the best of my ability. Tony later told me that I was so impressive during my chat with his mother. I had gone about thinking I had impressed Tony’s mother. I was wrong. I didn’t know that from the day I met Tony’s mother, a big battle had developed between Tony and his mother. Tony’s mother insisted that I was not in his son’s class. She berated Tony for going out with a girl he only met on the road, a girl he employed to work in one of his companies. Tony didn’t mention the battle with his mother until the day she called me. “I have a message for you. Since Tony is finding it difficult to pass this message to you. See, Ihuoma, forget about my son Tony. Whatever you are doing with him is a waste of time.” I was so shocked to hear that from her; I was rooted to the ground with my mouth wide opened. I called Tony immediately; I called twice. Tony didn’t pick my calls. I tried again after about twenty minutes he still didn’t pick my calls. After about two hours, Tony called back. He apologized for not picking my calls that he had been in a meeting. “Tony, your mom called me today” I said to him, holding my breath. “When was that?” he asked, sounding like he knew she was going to call me. “About three hours ago” I replied him. “Please can I call you in the evening, I’m leaving for another meeting now” he pleaded. Tony later called me in the evening. He had called his mother to find out her exact words to me which she repeated to him. Tony apologized to me and asked me to see in his office the following morning. It was when I visited him that morning that he told me how his mother was not impressed about my background and the story surrounding how we met. Tony mentioned that his mother insisted that she would not allow her only son bring home a lady the entire family would not be proud of. I kept quiet throughout the entire discussion. Tony assured me that it was an issue he could handle. As at this point, Tony had not mentioned to me where our relationship was heading. I could only deduce his plan for us through his body language and his mother’s opposition to our relationship. As the days went by, the calls from Tony’s mother increased. She accused me of distracting her son; that Tony had never disobeyed her until I came into his life. To cut the story short, Tony’s mother refused all pleas from Tony and the emissaries we sent to persuade her to change mind. When Tony finally proposed to me, the mom swore the wedding was going to happen over her dead body. We tried as much as possible to change her mind. Tony and I met with her several times; at all times we begged for a change of heart, which she turned down. Tony’s father was dead, that vacuum made the whole thing very challenging. In one of such meetings, Tony asked his mother to mention why she didn’t like me? The mother told me that I was nobody and that their linage doesn’t marry anybody from an unknown family. We later reported the issue to her Reverend Father who got her to renounce her statement that our wedding would happen over her dead body. The intervention of the Reverend Father paid off. Or so I thought. Tony’s mother called him to say that he could go ahead and marry me. A week before our wedding, Tony’s mother travelled out of the country. She returned precisely three days after our wedding. When she got back she came around, congratulated us and left. Our relationship with her has remained like that ever since. Tony and his friends keep assuring me that she will change in the future when the reality that we are married settles in her head.
Posted on: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 21:09:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015