PART 22
“NWALA: THE BITTERSWEET STORY”
©️ Opeyemi Akintunde.
As Inspired by the LIVING WORD.
Being in a relationship with Reuben was a different ballgame. It was love wrapped up in maturity. He would buy me gifts and flowers like every two weeks. We knew when to act like lovebirds who were drunken in love, and we knew when to discuss serious issues.
There was no stones unturned with Reuben, he wanted to know everything about me, my hopes, my expectations, my fantasies…
Just like he had hinted in the early days of our friendship that it was the day I gave him a yes he would tell the world about us, he indeed told his parents about us.
Reuben told me they were surprised especially with Daniel’s fiasco at the church.
“What about the boyfriend?” His mum had asked
“They are not together anymore, he was her childhood sweetheart, and that was why the young man was threatened by me” Reuben had said
“So that’s why he came to church announcing his right over her. I am happy she didn’t end up with him” His father had said speaking In my favour.
“Good to know, but I hope the gentleman won’t be a threat to your relationship?” Reuben had told me his mother had said in concern.
He told me, he laid her fear to rest.
I, however still had the fear and three months into our relationship, something life changing happened. I could sense Daniel’s hand in it.
Reuben had become a regular visitor on campus, it was no longer news that we were dating. I had even become a popular face on social media, thanks to Mass Communication students in my school, who had done a story titled “All you need to know about Pastor Reuben Acme’s lady”
Like Seriously right?
The drill was that Reuben would come Saturday morning and we will spend the entire day together. By 9:00pm he would retire to his hotel room. By 5:00am on Sunday, he would leave to get to the 2nd service.
That fateful Sunday morning, he had called my line to tell me he was leaving. We gisted for about 15 minutes as he drove. I ended the call telling him to concentrate on his driving.
Forty minutes later, I saw his number calling as I was leaving the hostel for service.
“Hello Baby Boo” I said
“Hello… Hello… The person that has this phone don have accident, e don die”
“Hello… What are you saying?’
“Accident for Aguro junction. Shebi you are his wife, he store your number as ‘My Heart”
“Yes… uncle please take him to the hospital, I am coming, please he can not die”
“Hospital? Ha! I don’t want police case”
“Please! I will defend you… please”
“Ok… but Aunty, this Uncle is dead ooo”
“The hospital can revive him”
At this point, I had created a scene, because I was shaking and crying, where I was in the hostel.
“Take it easy… what’s wrong?’ My roommate June asked…
I couldn’t hear what they were saying, I put a call through to my mum, I walked away from the crowd that was gradually forming around me..
‘Mummy, a man just called that Reuben has been in an accident and is dead at Aguro junction, Mummy I am finished”
“What! Jesus… He was coming from your school?”
“Yes…”
“Ha! I am finished… I am on my way”
My life was shattering as each second passed by. In my head, I was telling myself this was Nemesis catching up with Reuben and I for treating Daniel the way we did, or was this destiny’s way of bringing Daniel and I back together or was this Daniel himself getting his revenge?
” He is dead!”
“He can’t be dead!”
To be continued.
