So, This is Love? Episode 16 – Judith Onyoyibo

So, This is Love? Episode 16 – Judith Onyoyibo

I just woke up from a nap when Stephen came knocking.

I sluggishly got the door.

“Did I just interrupt your beauty sleep?”. He jokingly asked.

“Not at all”. I replied smiling.

I noticed he was with a Pink fancy bag.

“What do we have there?”. I asked whilst offering him a stool to sit on.

When he was sitted, he dipped his hand into the fancy bag and brought out a small box. He opened the box and brought out a diamond ring from it.

Kneeling on one knees, he said;

“I should have handed this over to you yesterday when you agreed to be my wife but the proposal was absolutely not planned for yesterday. This is me proposing to you formally”.

I was just blushing like a teenager.

He cleared his throat and continued;

“Eseoghene Cecilia Janet, please will you marry me?”.

I stretched out my fingers whilst blushing really hard.

“Yes!! I will marry you”. I responded grinning from cheeks to cheeks.

He carefully slid the ring on my finger. I have never seen a more beautiful ring.

I gave him a very long hug afterwards.

Thereafter, I tried kissing him but he politely evaded it.

I was kinda embarrassed.

“Why won’t you kiss me?”. I asked.

“Because I’m scared of what it might lead to”. He replied without meeting my eyes.

“Really? Don’t you find me attractive? Huh!”. I pressed further.

He reached out for my both hands.

“You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Your smile is so captivating that I can’t even get enough of it”. He said calmly.

“But why won’t you kiss me?”. I questioned.

“Not until we get married”. He said and let go of my hands.

I felt bad and guilty at the same time. “Do I really deserve this man?”. I wondered. I am not even a virgin for crying out loud.

“Now, get dressed”. He said.

“Where to?”.

“Let’s celebrate our engagement”. He replied.

I tried changing in front of him but he quickly turned his back at me.

Guilt and regrets swept through my body. I felt bad for not treating my body with decency for the past years while this man in front of me treats me with utmost respect, even more than I respect myself.

I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes.

When I was done getting dressed, he drove to a fancy restaurant. He had already reserved the whole restaurant just for the both of us.

“How long have you been planning this”. I asked completely mesmerized.

“Just today”. He said smiling.

He helped me with my seat, while I sat pretty like an Angel.

When we were both seated, a saxophonist came and started playing romantic tunes.

This really changed the ambience of the whole restaurant.

A waitress came and brought in sea foods as the first course.

While we eat, the saxophonist kept playing.

After a while, the waitress came in to clear the table. She came in with the second course. It was a Korean delicacy.

He kept on teasing me because of how I was eating the food as though I was eating poison . Village girl like me.

We ate the third and fourth courses. I was already very full.

Cakes and snacks were served as the last course.

I couldn’t even take more than a bite.

“Thank you babes”. I said smiling.

“Babe? Huh! I love the sound of it”. Stephen said and we both started laughing.

“Stop making me shy”. I pouted.

“When should we see your parents?”. He asked out of the blues.

My heart skipped. I haven’t heard nor spoken with my parents for years.

He noticed the change in my countenance.

“What’s the problem?”. He asked.

“I haven’t spoken with them for years”. I admitted shamefully.

“Good gracious. We can start by calling them tomorrow if it’s okay by you”. He said.

“Aren’t you going to ask questions? Won’t you call me a prodigal daughter? Why don’t you ever blame me?”. I fired.

I don’t know if it was guilt that made me transfer aggression at Stephen or something else but I was sure it wasn’t because of what he said.

“I know you will definitely tell me when you feel like it. Moreover, even if I blame you or call you names, it won’t undo what is already done. The only thing I can do is to guide you through the right path “. He said calmly.

I felt more guilty by how he handled the whole thing.

“I am sorry for yelling at you. I am just a damaged girl”. I said tearily.

He held my hands.

“Let’s get healed together. I will never blame you for anything. If you haven’t spoken with your parents for years, it’s either it was to protect your mental health or because you didn’t know better then. Either ways, it isn’t your fault. Are you ready to settle things with them yet?”. He asked.

I nodded in affirmative.

“Good! We’ll settle that tomorrow. Now, let’s enjoy our evening”. He cut out a piece of cake and fed me. I was chewing and crying at the same time. It was a very funny sight. We both started laughing.

We had lots of fun before he drove me home.

The next morning, on my own accord, I called my mom.

My mother couldn’t stop crying when she heard my voice.

“I’ve missed you so much my daughter”. My mother broke down in tears.

“I am sorry mama”. I apologized whilst crying.

“Why did you cut us off? What did we do to deserve that?”. My mother asked.

I narrated how they made me feel. Their constant nagging and ridicule despite the fact I was in an all time low then.

“You people pushed me to the edge. I felt I didn’t deserve to be alive”. I cried.

“We really made you feel that way? My goodness! We didn’t know. I am sorry my child. Please forgive us”. My mother pleaded.

That really made me realize that our parents in their bid to love us may unintentionally hurt us in the process. I also realized that sometimes, we should communicate our grievances to them without holding back because they may not really know how bad their actions makes us feel.

My mother and I both apologized to each other. I also spoke with my dad and settled scores with him.

They were both blown away when I told them about my engagement.

“When are we meeting him?”. They both chorused.

“Next week Saturday”. I replied.

“Next week it is”. They replied excitedly.

After the call, I realized that I didn’t even consult with Stephen before picking a date for the introduction. I quickly called him to apologize.

“You don’t need to apologize babes. I can’t wait to meet my in-laws”. He said excitedly.

“What a man!”.

To be continued.