On my way to Mama Nkechi’s restaurant, a handsome young man walked up to me to introduce himself.
He was quite polite, courteous and eloquent while he spoke.
Based on my quick assessment of him, I was more than ready to mingle at that moment. I told him my name and the neighborhood in which I stayed.
He offered to pay my bill, I was too interested in the package to decline his offer, I thought it might seems as a rebuff. He got my contact and as well my social media handle.
Later that day, we chatted and in addition to his good looks, politeness and eloquence, he had a good sense of humor too.
I had loved him already. I had already said yes before he proposed.
One thing leads to another and he found out my weakness.
In his words, ‘It’s over, you’re an epileptic patient. I’m sorry I can’t get married to an epileptic patient.’
Those words struck my chest, brought tears to my eyes and regrets to my soul. I could have hide it from him, but for how long?
Uhm!…I sighed. At that moment I knew better, I hid my tears and regrets from him.
Regardless of his actions, I still loved him, I summoned my courage to talk to him.
‘Mike, but we were supposed to fight this thing together. If you love me, you will stand by me till am whole.’
He responded, ‘Not in this life’, he slammed the door and walked away.
Wow!…he had come back, ‘Can you please forgive me babe? I didn’t mean any of those words I said, I was aghast, I’m truly sorry, please forgive me.’
Uhm!…I sighed, I wanted to be strong, I wanted him to fight for me, I wanted him to prove what he meant and prove things that he just said. I had to make him wait. What then can I do right now?
I said to him, ‘I’ll not forgive you, leave my house this minute.’
‘And you think there will be love without forgiveness?’
‘Baby, you told me to stand by you, why don’t you give me the chance to prove to you that I’m more than ready to stand by you?’
‘You know we can fight this thing together, don’t you?’
My heart melted, he was good with words, or maybe I had already forgiven him in my heart.
Perhaps, we were meant to be together!
‘I forgive you love, but promise me you’ll never leave me again.’
He promised.
Mike and I got married and had children, but he turned out to be a different leaf.
His attitude changed, he shut me out of his personal life.
Uhm!…where did I go wrong?
I have to go to bed with swollen eyes and get up with bandaged feet, he’d laid his hands on me.
As days roll into weeks, weeks roll into months. I thought he would stop, I thought my loving Mike would be back, yet it continued.
Uhm!….But I stayed, I had made a vow.
A certain evening, I waited for Mike’s arrival as usual when he returns from work, but he didn’t show up.
His phone wasn’t connecting. His colleagues didn’t know about his whereabouts.
He had resigned a day before. His only friend I knew had traveled abroad, his only surviving brother from the family of five—Dad, Mum, Simi, Mike, and Desmond— had relocated to some undisclosed location.
Uhm!…Has Mike left me again?
No, I refuse to believe that.
Has something bad happened to him?
But there isn’t no police report.
Mike never returned.
He never called me.
He left me without a trace. I still say my prayers every morning and late evening, may God protect him and keep him safe.
If I can’t find him, his children will.
This is my story, and my name is Orekelewa Aduni Badmos!
Creative Writer and an Avid Reader.
Interesting story ?
Reminds me of the single black moms in Detroit. It takes a lot of courage to be a man..
Wow…amazing
Love can be dangerous…but we are willing to take risks for it because that is worth it..
Coming to the men who do this kind of nonsense…FUCK YOU?