Errrrrr, Love

‘Tell me everything’ Nene said, as we sat down by the pool of the hotel she worked after having bumped into each other at the mall the week before. We were secondary school best friends and communicated regularly until she had to go AWOL and now she was asking me to tell her everything when in fact, she had a lot of explaining to do and she knew it. Nevertheless, I told her about the time I lost it all, how Debo didn’t turn out to be who I thought he was, leaving me companion-less. Her eyes kept staring, asking for more everything. So I told her about my latest career development – I had just gotten my PhD – way forward, etc. ‘That’s all?’ She asked when I announced the end of my gist. ‘Nene, there’s nothing more to tell, it was you who went AWOL so you have a lot to tell’ I said confidently. She began to tell me about how good life has been to her even at the most challenging times, how she met a man who accepted her with her ‘love child’, how they were happily married. I was happy for her though a bit jealous, she had what I didn’t, a love child and a love life.

Debo was the closest I had gotten to loving anyone and he screwed it up for guys after him, I couldn’t trust any man anymore. Debo and I dated for seven years, seven young years of my life. Debo was the perfect gentleman who wasted my young years, well, I made it happen too so it wasn’t just his fault. He had the charm, the style and even the resources to back it up but I didn’t benefit from it, he benefited from me instead, physically and FINANCIALLY. I remember my mum telling me how she didn’t see our relationship going anywhere but I told her I was sure Debo would prove her wrong, he proved me wrong instead. I couldn’t believe he was married the whole time we were together until I found out his wife was my hair stylist.

 

She was busy screaming at her workers to hurry up on her hair and nails on the fateful day I found out saying she had to look like the wife of the prestigious husband of hers who was about to receive an award in Abuja. She continued gushing about how it was love at first sight for them and it was waxing even stronger, her workers blushed too. I smiled at her knowing that I had that kind of man, only to discover that it was the same man when she told one of her workers to bring out their wedding photos from her office to show I and other interested customers. They had two beautiful kids. I cut Debo off after my discovery and mourned the death of us for months which turned into years.

The weeks after were spent rebranding myself, trying to love my life, trying to be like Nene. She looked so good and had all the good things. I looked good too but I didn’t feel good, so I began working on my inner self. I was able to register at a gym for fitness sessions because the flexibility of my work allowed it. That was how I met Tom, he was everything I thought Debo was, even with better looks. He had a very gorgeous body and I wondered what it’ll feel like to touch it but I couldn’t show this of course. We became friends and discovered we both loved scrabble, I beat him the first time we tried though he made it look like he allowed me win but I strongly disagreed.

I still couldn’t believe that I had a crazily cute gorgeous-bodied faithful man to myself; I didn’t know that men like that existed. Death changes people, he was a deep lover and the only person he truly loved died of cancer many years ago so he had decided to be alone, he wasn’t ready to get close to anyone for fear that history might repeat itself.

Just when I was thinking about the outfit to wear to my date some months later with Tom Tom (that’s what I liked to call him) Nene called me crying saying she just got duped of all her savings and she couldn’t leave where she was because she was destabilized. I dashed out of the house almost immediately only to find Tom Tom and his friends I later got to meet alongside Nene, I was startled at the gathering. Tom went on one knee and proposed to me saying I was the best thing that happened to him. Not until then did I know that I was someone’s best thing, I couldn’t believe it. I had to pinch myself to be sure it wasn’t a dream.

Six months later, I was married to the most beautiful man in the world (mine) who in turn considered me the most beautiful woman. I finally found love when I least expected. Nene called some months later while I was cooking to say ‘Debo is dead, he died in the plane crash that happened yesterday’, I screamed. Tom, who had just gotten back from work rushed to the kitchen, ‘Lovey, what is it?’ he asked, ‘Debo is dead’ I said. ‘Then we should celebrate’ he said and he brought out drinks from the fridge with two glasses.

 

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