“Yes baby I know it is for our own good but it’s really difficult to cope” Cheta said to Laolu who was on the other end of the line. Lately this was the tone their conversations took as Cheta had been complaining quite often about the long distance relationship.
Laolu was far away in the UK and she was here in Nigeria all by herself and trying hard to stay faithful to him; well it wasn’t that hard for her because she loved him too much to cheat but her main concern was him. How long could he stay without sex? Yes they spoke all night over the phone and then communicated via social media during the day but that was hardly enough, after all he was a man “good night baby, I love you too” and with that came the click sound she always dreaded.
Cheta laid on her back with her long braids sprawled on the bed as she cuddled one throw pillow in her arms and her ear phones still plugged in her ears while her mind drifted to how she had met this man she had fallen so crazily in love with.
2 years ago after she had broken up with her ex, Cheta had decided to take a long break from relationships and enjoy her youthfulness and the freedom that came with it. The break up afforded her a better opportunity to embrace her extrovert side; she started going out for drinks with friends, having sleepovers and taking vacations…life was never better for her and she hoped it would remain that way for a few more years but cupid had bigger plans; or maybe the heavens finally decided to answer her mothers’ fervent prayers as she met Laolu sooner than she planned.
“I should have stuck with my usual airline” a very impatient Cheta blurted into the phone when her friend Funmi called to ask if she had boarded.
“You won’t believe the flight has been delayed; now I will experience traffic from the airport when I land Lagos” she continued.
“Madam vex vex, I don’t need to see your face to know there is a frown on it” Funmi answered; laughing so hard Cheta had to join in and with that they ended the call.
“That call did you a lot of good you know, you are so lucky to have someone who can wipe away such a frown in an instant” said an unrecognizable voice which came from the guy sitting opposite her, Cheta looked up in amazement and wondered who the busy body was, he was so lucky Funmi had made her feel better else she was so ready to pour her anger on whoever the fellow was. If it was a BBM chat she would just reply “LOL” which was her polite way of dismissing idle talks but since he was right there she had to come a with a better way.
“Yes I’m lucky, one of his priorities is to make me happy and he has never failed at it” and with that her eyes returned to the candy crush game that had been keeping her busy.
Cheta did not see the stranger again and she wondered why she was even bothered. She had been a little bit disappointed that her dismissal tactic worked as the dude did not bother making conversation but she found a way to justify his behavior after all men were all the same; they wanted to be handed everything on a platter of Gold.
After spending a fun filled Sallah weekend in Lagos it was now time to leave as she queued to check in she only prayed that her flight would not be delayed again and she even wished she would have bought a one way ticket after all who dares to try out a new airline and then buys a return ticket?
Those thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a voice she was not so sure she had heard before but what the voice said had jogged her memory “Isn’t this the lucky girl that has an instant antidote to her frowns?” and when she turned round smiling she was glad to see a very welcoming smile on his face as well.
She had not really taken a good look at him the first time they met but now she could not ignore his very sexy looks and somehow instead of focusing on his eyes her gaze was fixed on his lips. They were far better than Mike Ezuronyes’ and for a minute she was lost till the impatient desk officer screamed “Next”!!!
“If only I knew he would leave the country in the long run I wouldn’t have begun this relationship” she said to herself as she unplugged her earphones to prepare for bed.
It was now 2 weeks since their last conversation and Cheta noticed Laolu seemed a bit distant.
During one of their ladies’ night out she confided in her friends Funmi and Adaeze but they shrugged it off saying it was typical of her as she worried a lot, Funmi even went ahead to remind her of when she had thought he was cheating shortly before he travelled but it turned out to be a surprise party he was planning for her, Adeaze also chipped in and said “this time it might me an engagement he is planning sef” and both ladies gave each other a hi five and laughed about it.
“You girls never take me seriously, I remember that incident but my intuition this time is different. It is very unlike Laolu not to return my calls or even acknowledge it with an SMS, he has shut down completely and I am worried.”
Adaeze who was always more sensitive was the first to speak “I think you should watch him for some time, it could be pressure from school since he will be rounding up soon. If he doesn’t give you any tangible explanation or the situation doesn’t change then I think you should start making plans to pay him a visit after all it’s been 5 months since you saw him last”, the rest of the evening went uneventful with Cheta quietly planning her next move which meant the countdown had officially began because knowing who her friends were they would ask her everyday starting tomorrow if Laolu had called or texted.
2 weeks turned into 3 months, Cheta had been Lying to her friends about the situation with Laolu, just yesterday she had told Funmi that they were back on track and he was even planning to come home during summer meanwhile the reality was that she had told Laolu she wanted to come and visit him and instead of his usual excitement he had given her a million and one reasons why she couldn’t come.
If he was trying to be subtle about his change in attitude this reaction of his just made it more glaring like someone wearing a red dress in a celestial church. She had hated lying to her friends but the embarrassment wouldn’t let her do otherwise not after how much she had flaunted her relationship to them and anyone else who cared to listen.
That night as she listened to his caller tone over and over she decided after the 5th try that she was never going to call him again, as difficult as it was for her to let go of a good man who had given her wonderful memories with no good reason for the abrupt change infact he had never even offered any reason not minding the fact that in her desperation she was willing to accept even a stupid one; Cheta decided to read the handwriting on the wall as ignoring it did not mean it wasn’t there.
Crying herself to sleep tonight, just like every other night in the past 3 months was inevitable as she had never imagined that a man she thought to be her Prince would turn out to be yet another frog.
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Ticiatowns is a writer extraordinaire with a passion for
entertaining and that she does through her vast imaginativeability touching fiction, lifestyle, inspirational and humor.
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