PART 18
“NWALA: THE BITTERSWEET STORY”
©️ Opeyemi Akintunde.
As Inspired by the LIVING WORD.
“So this is what all the drama has been about? You want to marry your rich Bishop’s son?” Daniel said
“Daniel, there is nothing between Reuben and I, he is just my friend”
“A friend that brought you to school and was smooching you here before he left, Nwala you are such a slut…, so how many times has he slept with you?”
“Daniel stop it”
“Stop what?”
“Stop your stupid assumptions, I am not dating him”
He took my phone from me and went straight to my inbox, and oh my goodness, Reuben’s messages filled it.
“Obviously, you are just friends” Daniel said throwing my phone on the floor and stepping on it.
“Daniel stop it, stop it…” I screamed, ” That phone cost a fortune…
“Nwala, I have been with you for years, standing by you, even respecting your virginity”
“But now, you want to leave me because I am broke, No problem, I assure you, I will make it, this phone is just a reflection of what you have done to me. You have always made me believe love has made us equal, but thanks for throwing me to the ground where I belong and crushing me” Daniel said as he walked away…
I was too weak to know what to do…
I had two roommates; June and Shalewa. They were yet to resume, so I was the only one in the room. I laid on my bed, holding my crushed phone and all I could hear over and over were Daniel’s words. I felt like a betrayer. He was wrong, I was not going to let him be crushed. I was going to marry Daniel…
The next morning, I went to the phone shop in school and got a small phone that didn’t have internet compatibility. I recovered my line. The first thing I did was to call Reuben…
“Oh Finally! I was beginning to regret my travelling home last night… I have been calling since last night”
“So sorry, my phone got broken, it fell…”
“Oh my! Have you fixed it?”
“It’s beyond fixing”
‘Can I get you a new one?”
“No…” I shouted
Silence followed and I got my chance to speak before his manipulation weakened me again.
“Reuben this has to stop, I can’t do it”
Reuben was silent, then I guess he made sense of what could have happened
“Daniel?”
“Yes, he was here last night when you dropped me off, he saw me hugging you and…”
“He got angry and broke your phone?”
“Yes…”
“That’s not right”
“I know what’s right for me, and Reuben please, can we stop?”
“If that’s what you want” Reuben replied
“Thank you, so please no calls, and especially no text…”
He became quiet
“Are you there?” I asked
“Yeah…”
“No calls, no text”
“Bye Nwala” He dropped the call…
I felt sad for Reuben, but I had to do what I had to do…
By the time Reuben dropped the call, I was by the University garden.
I walked towards one of the garden chairs and sat on it. My legs suddenly felt weak.
I dialed Daniel’s number and I was extremely surprised he picked up…
“Hello”
“Daniel, can I have 10 minutes”
“Speak on”
“Daniel …” I told him all that had been happening honestly and how involved my mum was. I assured him that I had ended the friendship with Reuben…
“Daniel, for you to be sure that I belong to you, Get me pregnant… that way my parents will have no choice than let me marry you”
“Nwala”
“Yes Dee”
“No… I can’t do that… I want to marry you because I deserve you, not because I got you pregnant” Daniel said affirmatively
“So how do I earn your trust?” I asked
“You just earned it” Daniel said…
And that was how everything went back to normal…
To be continued…
