A Short Inspirational Story by Praises Chidera Obiora
Sometime in 2008, I met this lady on this space. That was when Facebook had no profile pictures yet. Then Facebook still ran its first version on a Java phone.
I had met her at a time when the beauty of a lady was determined by the sound of her voice and laughter during phone calls.
I fell for her and her sweet voice. We bonded. Our feelings for each other became strong. Soon we fell in love with each other. Yet we never saw each other with our eyes.
The first time we fixed a date to see each other, I was very excited. I still remember how I went on a shopping spree for new clothes just to impress her.
I came along with my friend that day. He was my best friend; Patrick is his name. He too had heard her voice from the many phone calls I had with her. He decided to come along with me when I told him I was going to see her. She had spoken with him severally on the phone. She always told me our voices sounded the same, and she found it hard to differentiate them.
It so happened that when I saw her, I became ashamed of her looks. The love and everything I had for her washed away. Her sweet voice which was still evident had betrayed me into believing she was beautiful, but she wasn’t.
Her left chin, from her eyes to her jaw had been disfigured with hot water. It was an accident that happened when she was just a baby. Her lips were bent outwards, and her left ear was probably cut off by the doctors during surgery.
I felt ashamed of meeting her. I told my friend I was heading back home. I didn’t want to see her anymore. But he held my hands and dragged me. He said she had already seen us, and it was going to be rude of me if I turned back at this point.
So we had a plan. Hence I was no longer interested, I asked him to take my place, while I stood in as his friend. He hesitated for a while before finally accepting to play the game with me. He walked in front of me, giving the impression that he was the one all along, and I was the other friend she talked to on phone.
She ran happily to hug him. She embraced him tightly and even kissed him on his cheek. Then she walked to me and gave me a side hug.
While my friend did the talking that day, I only sat and watched. I had lost interest completely and all I wanted now was to go home.
That day I returned home and she called my number. I handed it to my friend to talk to her. Then she said to him.
“Praises, it seems your friend does not like me. He doesn’t like my looks.”
Patrick tried covering up for me. He told her I liked her. He said I was just not in the mood to talk because I was hungry and upset.
“Don’t try covering up for him Praises. I saw it in his looks. He was not impressed with me. But I could see you weren’t moved when you saw my looks. Thank you Praises.” She said.
When the call ended, my friend told me to make her my friend even though I didn’t want to make her my girlfriend. He talked sense into me. He told me it was not about the looks but the heart and character of the person.
“This girl will love and cherish you if you cliff to her and be her best friend. You don’t know what she will do for you in the future. This kind of people don’t have many friends. So they cherish the little friends they have.”
Even though I had given it a thought, we both discovered it was already late. We had made her believe that Patrick was Praises, and Praises was Patrick. She had seen our faces and bonded so well with Patrick. Telling her the truth was going to hurt her feelings. So my friend and I settled that he continued the friendship with her as Praises, while I just became Patrick.
We made her believe that my line was missing. Patrick’s line was given to her as the next available line to reach. This was how she ended up being transferred from me to Patrick without her even knowing.
Days went into months and months into years. Patrick and Faith relationship grew better and stronger. He took her as a bosom friend, knowing he could not date her. But she cherished the friendship and togetherness they shared, better than the lovers kind of relationship.
Last year on his birthday, she surprised him with a brand-new phone. To be sincere I was jealous. She has sent him cash gifts and tendered countless presents to him. He has also done the same as a friend. But somehow, I could not clique together with her any longer. She probably gave me that distance, after my show of mood and attitude towards her during that first day.
The funny part is that she still calls him Praises instead of Patrick. O Patrick had told her years ago, that he loved the name Praises, and chose it as his nickname. He told her that his real name was Patrick and he should be called that. But she said she loved the name Praises more and will call him Praises instead of Patrick.
This is how we have lived our lives for years.
Yesterday during our get-together, she stood up and held his hands. She thanked him for being there for her from the very first day to this very day.
“It is 12 years today and our friendship still blossoms like it was yesterday we met. Thank you for not throwing me away and being ashamed of me. Thank you for standing for me and being proud to hold me as your friend. Thank you for holding my hands and not letting me go. Thank you for being there for me when I am depressed, and for lifting me up when I feel down. Thank you Praises.”
Patrick took a quick glance at me and I bent my head in shame.
This would have been me if only I had looked beyond the fire burns on her face. If only I had looked beyond the ugly look of her nose and lips. If only I had looked beyond the missing left ear and squeezed skin and neck. This would have been me holding her hand and looking into her eyes if only I had seen the beauty in her heart.
This would have been me having a friend who would give her life to see me live. Yet I threw that opportunity away 12 years ago and instead, handed this precious friend to Patrick for a platter of gold.
I wish mistakes could be undone. I wish confessions could be made. I wish I could say I am sorry and things will fall right back into place.
I wish.
I so so wish.
But it is late already.
I had failed to see the goodness in her, but my friend did.
In memory, December 25th, 2008.
My name is Praises Chidera Obiora and I am the best at what I do.
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