CARELESS LOVER Part 7
IS HE THE MAN?
Mary wasn’t very happy since few days earlier. Based on this she called Agnes that early morning that she would see her while coming from office in the evening.
Immediately after work she braced to her car without the normal Tete a Tete after work. She thought of why her case was different from the rest of the world.
She found love late. Now that her heart seem to be opening up, she wasn’t sure of her ground. She got to Agnes, parked her car and walked in to her.
“Mary, Mary. The princess of the Mouton family. Wetin come bring you come here?”
“I no dey come your place before?”
“Mary, I know you very well. The Mary who’s been my friend will not come to say hi after work. What’s the matter?”
“I just want to change. I want a change.”
“You’re welcome,” Agnes responded, “Let me stop bothering you.”
Mary entered and slipped into one of the longer seats in Agnes’s home removing her shoes and suit. Her friend saw her so fatigued she had to leave her to rest for a while. Within a twinkle of an eye she slept off.
Agnes picked her phone and called Elder Mouton, Mary’s father about the whereabout of his daughter and that she seem tired and needed to rest.
After this she went into the kitchen to cook dinner. When she finished dinner she went to check on Mary and her presence woke her up. She looked at her watch and it was about 8:00pm. She rushed to wear her shoes to dash out when her friend stopped her.
“Relax for a while, I have called your dad on your behalf that you’re here. Food is ready.”
“I don’t feel like eating anything.”
“You wouldn’t tell me that Mary, come on.”
She forced her to the table and they ate together even though Mary only managed to take little food in.
“Can I go now?”
“Mary, you keep things to yourself and this I don’t like.” Agnes picked her phone again and dialed Elder Mouton. “Daddy, I have told your daughter, she is sleeping over tonight. She woke up late.”
“Let me speak with her,” Elder said.
Mary received the phone: “Dad.”
“Hope you’re alright?”
“Only a little tiredness, Mary replied, “I’m better now, only that it’s late to start coming over.”
“Have a good night rest. I’ll speak to your mom.”
Mary bid her daddy a goodnight and she dropped the phone.
“Agnes, when did I become your junior that you have to speak for? Why did you allow me to sleep for so long?”
“You needed rest – that’s all I have to answer and you needed somebody to confide in.”
They both cleared the table after the meal and they both went back to the living room.
“Where’s Emeka? Is he not yet back from work?”
Agnes laughed: “He’s out of town on official duty. It’s me and you alone tonight.”
“So you want a company?”
“No Mary, it’s you who need a company”
“How do you mean?”
“Mary, open up” Agnes lashed out, “you’re no longer a kid. What’s troubling you?”
“Nothing,”
“Okay goodnight,” Agnes said angrily, “Since you cannot confide in me let me show you to the visitor’s room.”
Mary held her back and tears began to pour down in torrent. Agnes held her and they both sat down and she allowed her to cry for a while.
“I need a husband.”
“But you have many men coming your way,” Agnes blurted out. “What is wrong with all of them?”
“Agnes,” Mary responded, “love doesn’t pick from many, love look for the one man in a million. Getting the one man has been the daunting task that has turned me to Praying Mantis in church.” Mary smiled wryly.
“One in a million,” Agnes nod her head, “Yet one thing I have come to know about the good Lord is that he doesn’t deny us his good gifts.
“His gifts, including a good spouse is around us if only we would open our minds to see.
“You don’t search for the mate like pastor would say, it’s God who brings him or her when we are ready. Only that we must be ready to embrace his offer.
“It is the Father’s good pleasure to give.”
“Agnes, thank you for the sermon. I have waited long to receive the gift but the gift seem to be eluding me. I have waited too long.” Mary began a second round of crying.
“Talk to me Mary.”
“I have always love Felix,” Mary confided in her friend. “I thought he will never show up. I kept praying and trusting God. Yet in my wildest imagination I didn’t believe he will ever turn to me.
“Moreso, for the fact that he’s rich and of the higher financial echelon I have to be careful. Far away I keep admiring him.
“Then he appeared in my life, since that moment I have not been in control of my heart. It’s as if Felix had taken my heart. I’m Felix prisoner of love.
“It has been his thought on my heart every passing moment and second. The issue attending this kind of love has also been growing fears.
“Felix is too good to want me really. Sometimes I have this weird fear that he’s out to use me and dump. You know I don’t think I’ll be able to stand such defilement. At other times I thought of him based on his level of early success as one who will be incapable of holding to only one wife in a lifetime.
“To confirm my fear, he’s not been so keen calling me regularly as other lovebirds do. He calls intermittently and many times dry in language.
“I remember when Emeka was courting you then, he lavished you with torrents of calls morning, afternoon and night. Since he bumped into my life I can count the numbers of calls he’s made.
“I’m afraid,” Mary sighed, “Is Felix really in love with me?”
Agnes followed through and she came in when she rested her talk: “Why would you allow the devil to keep your mind occupied unnecessarily?
“Your fears as I know for now are unreal, they are your imagination. For you to enjoy life and marriage live each moment.
” If you give in to such thoughts, they will sooner or later become your reality. As you think so you have.
“Failed marriages are often first imagined. Imagination has a way of attracting it’s own kind of spirit.
“You seem too much in love,” Agnes smiled.
“How about the fact that he doesn’t call regularly and doesn’t behave like the other people I know to be in love?” Mary queried.
“All men aren’t the same. One thing is that love should be ready to embrace everything in the package.
“Remember, Felix is a business machine. It takes focus and industry to build organization of his in that short while.
“And you need to know that to be romantic is different from being in love. Some romantic fellows are nothing but beasts.
“Give in to this fact that he’s inexperience in love matters as you can see him even in church. Being inexperience doesn’t mean one is not in love.” Agnes ended.
“Thank you,” Mary interjected. “I hope movie kind of love haven’t beclouded my mind.”
“Lest I forget,” Agnes brought out her phone, “See what Felix sent to me twice.” She handed her phone to Mary.
Mary read the last line of one of the chats: “Help me reassure Mary if need be that I’m always in love with her.” Mary sighed with relief after reading this.
“Let’s take risk on love. I have begin to trust his love for you; we still have many good rich people around.
They talked a little more and they stood to go to bed when Mary’s phone rang.
“… Just getting home from office,” Felix spoke. “We have a lot of issue. I’m tired my angel. I’ll call you tomorrow please. Goodnight.”
Mary wanted more of him but he’s already off the line.
“Mary,” Agnes spoke looking at her friend’s face, “You have falling altogether in love. Now I know better: It isn’t that Felix isn’t there but something in you wants more of him.” She patted Mary laughing.
“I love him,” Mary said unashamedly this time around.
“We roll on” Agnes relieved her, “I hope you’re better now.”
“Much better, thanks.”
They bid one another goodnight.
WALE ADEWUMI
