PART 13
“NWALA: THE BITTERSWEET STORY”
©️ Opeyemi Akintunde.
As Inspired by the LIVING WORD.
I cried myself to sleep.
The day had been hell; from embarrassment to almost killing someone, to my mother’s drama. I just wanted it all to end.
I woke up around 11:00pm. The house was mildly quiet, I could hear my male cousins playing their game as usual… My throat was very dry, I needed water and thinking about it, I needed food. I had not eaten anything all day.
I stood up reaching for my slippers, when I saw the screen of my phone blinking. It was a call, and obviously it was Daniel… I was not in the mood for drama, but on a second thought, I knew he would not sleep if I didn’t pick up… I tapped on the receive icon and tapped the speaker icon, I didn’t have the strength to hold the phone…
“Hello” I said
“Oh finally, you picked”
“Daniel…” I was saying but he shut me up…
“Shut up and listen to me, I have done my part of becoming born again, you do your part of letting your mother agree about us”
“Daniel, did you call what you did becoming born again, No, that was a show of shame…You embarrassed me so much, I ran from church and almost killed a boy today”
“You ran from church or you deserted me” Daniel said
I was lost for words, Daniel was so self-consuming he didn’t care about what I said about almost killing someone that day, what he cared about was Him…
I was so pissed I ended the call. I was not ready to trade words with him…
I stepped into my slippers and I got a message notification, my first thought was it had to be Daniel, he was very good at typing angry messages very fast after our fights…
I ignored the text…
Then my phone started blinking again. I was so mad I wanted to tell Daniel I needed space, but on picking up my phone, it was Reuben calling.
“Gosh, why can’t you both just let me be” I said to an empty room
“The guy saved you today” the good thinking part of my brain reminded me.
I tapped on the receive icon, but he ended the call… He called again, but as I tapped on receive, he ended the call again.
“Is he flashing me?” I asked myself very surprised…
“Maybe he has run out of airtime”
I decided to call back…
He picked up in a rush
“Oh thank you for calling back, I didn’t want to use up my once a week calling chance” he said
I was a bit lost, then it occurred to me, that I had told him, he could only call once a week.
“I have been texting you all afternoon till now, and I didn’t get a single reply, so I thought if I kept beeping you would respond”
“So sorry, I have been sleeping… kind of cried myself to sleep since I got back” I said
“Cry? Why… Is it about the boy? He is doing great, he is a tough boy, I waited till I could see him and take a picture. That was the text I have been sending. I wanted to know if I could send you his picture”
“Oh! He is fine”
“Yes, very”
“Thank you…”
“We thank God…”
“Pastor Reuben…”
“Yes Reverend Nwala” he said laughing and I got the message he was passing, he wanted me to drop the title…
I laughed for the first time in that day…
“Thank you” I said again
“Once again, Thank God”
I decided to cut to the chase…
“You are a good person, and I know any lady will be fortunate to have you, including me, but…”
“But… you are committed to Daniel” he supplied
“Yes…”
“I understand”
“The thing is, if I leave Daniel for you, it will seem like I left him because of his background and that I married you for money”
“But will you be marrying me for money?” Reuben asked
“No…”
“If you were to marry me, why would you marry me?” Reuben asked
“Truthfully, because my mother likes you and knowing my mother, she never misses. If my mother says a man is husband material then he is husband material” I said resting my back on the wall.
“I am not asking about your mother, What about you?if you were to marry me, why would you?”
“I can only leave Daniel to marry you, if I realize you are best for me” I said truthfully and I slid down the wall to the ground.
“How can you know if I am better than Daniel if you don’t give me a try” Reuben said.
“Are you suggesting I start double dating?” I was enjoying the conversation. There was something relaxing about Reuben, just like his handshake…
“You don’t have to date me to know me, you could allow me to be your friend”
“You are my friend already”
“Not the once-a-week phonecall friend…” he said and I laughed
“You can’t know me if I talk to you once a week” Reuben stated
“Fine, you can call me twice”
‘Everyday” Reuben negotiated
“Four times” I moved a little
Everyday” Reuben stood his ground
“Five times” I moved a little
“Everyday” Reuben insisted
“Six times, at least give me one day of rest’
“Okay… Thanks” Reuben agreed to this.
Gosh! He was too courteous a human being.
“Have you had anything to eat since you got home” he asked
I rolled my eyes…
“You are asking boyfriend question?” I said laughing
“No…. I promise you; I am a man of my words… I am asking as a friend” he replied laughing
“Ok… I have not had anything… I will go downstairs to fix myself something”
“Doriens’ Eatery will still be opened, I could order something nice for you and have it delivered”
“No… thank you… I will drink cassava flakes” I said.
“Garri… Are you serious? That’s my food anyday” Reuben said sounding so excited
“Are you serious?”
“Nwala, Give me Garri and chicken and you have made my day” Reuben said
I laughed at the combination…
“Well mine is Garri and suya or Kilishi”
“Try peppered chicken… oh my…” Reuben said
We kept going back and forth for another five minutes, and that led us into talking about different types of foods we like and disliked… In between our talk, I went to the kitchen to get my Garri and thankfully mum was not in the living room.
We spoke for about an hour, my eyes were wide opened, thanks to the long hours of sleeping during the day.
Before ending the call, we agreed to meet at the hospital in the morning to see the boy…
To be continued
