Chinedu picked Iphey up at seven after work on a Friday evening. Iphey wore
black pants, a burgundy camisole and black short sleeved classy jacket. Today
was special and so it deserved special attention. It was three months since she
had got together with Chinedu and everyday was a revelation of how good they
were together. She smiled to herself as she went to the ladies and slipped on
silver filigree earrings, slid on some gloss and did her eye makeup sprinkling
loose powder sparsely on her face.
Chinedu waited for her downstairs and she traipsed down in her heels and got
into his car, smiling a hello and buckling her seatbelt as they headed for Surulere
to one of the tasteful fast food places on Adeniran Ogunsanya way. They ordered
and began chatting idly about their families, careers, hobbies and values, Iphey
chatted on with no guile and Chinedu listened enraptured.
He murmured and added words that showed he was focused on the
conversation as opposed to some of the other guys and rich wannabes she had
been out with. He was not like most guys; he did not pretend to hear what she
was saying and then launch into his own project and he actually listened to her.
He must have a lot of practice she thought and then she stopped talking as
she noticed he was watching her intently, different emotions moving across his
face, too fast for her to decipher.
She stopped talking and laughed at Chinedu.
“What‟s up? You are staring at me like…” she shook her head then waved her
hand in front of her face “…I can‟t explain the look.”
Chinedu glanced at her his gaze open and his look sincere.
“I am looking at you because…” he pausing swallowing, an Adam apple she
hardly saw bobbing at his throat “I am humbled because I know that I could
never have met you in twenty lifetimes if God did not lead you to me”.
Iphey looked her Chinedu, blinked, looked at him again, she couldn’t stop the
tears that came to her eyes. She wanted to laugh but instead she just said, ”you
know you drive me crazy right?”
He just stroked the hand she laid on his thigh.
She smiled through the tears and blubbered, “when I think I have you figured,
you find a way to break my defenses however small they are…”
“Iphey…”
“Wait, let me finish…” she blinked to clear her eyes. “I wanted to give you
a chance but I needed to do it on my own terms…” she looked away like
he caught her in a lie or something, “…with barriers so I could maintain
a resemblance of safety. But every time I think I am safe, secure, you slam
through my defenses like they’re a pack of cards, disarming me with simple
gestures, simple words.”
“Listen to me…”
“No let me finish.” Iphey shook her head. “I can‟t but reveal all of me to
you…” she sighed in exasperation “…you make it impossible for me to
hold anything back from you”.
“Iphey…”
“Please, let me get it all off my chest, I have feelings for you. I fought it with
all I had like I do everything else, I looked for everything, every reason why I
couldn‟t be with you, I counseled me, gave me all the logical equations that
should make sense but it all failed and I am afraid…” she shook visibly “…I am
in love with you.”
Chinedu could not keep quiet after that declaration. “Iphey, I love you too.
Sometimes I feel it so much it scares me. That was what kept me coming back to
you even at those early stages you were so busy pushing me away. I am in love
with you too and I promise to do everything within my power to keep your heart
safe.”
Iphey wiped away the tears that had started dripping again. “Every passion I
feel is reserved for you alone,” she murmured her eyes glittering, her gaze was
trapped in Chinedu‟s.
Chinedu laughed and said, “Iphey, I want to grow old with you, I may not be
perfect but be reassured that I love you more than my life.”
Iphey laughed and then she murmured “I can be so silly and
fussy sometimes…” she muttered looking down and then she gazed into his
eyes. ”I am not usually like this, you bring out the unusual in me.”
“No Iphey…” Chinedu protested as he gazed into her eyes reassuring her ”I
love you cheerful or crying, it‟s an adventure getting to know you and love all the
different parts of you.”
“Chinedu…”
“Iphey”
Iphey turned her gaze on Chinedu and he froze in place, her heart slammed in
her chest as she noticed the effect she had on him; and she wondered at the
power he had over her. There was this great upheaval inside her and she knew
that come what may, she would always be connected to Chinedu. There was no
stopping this and no running away any longer; it was time she faced up to it.
“Chinedu, everyday with you is an adventure and it‟s the ride of my life, I
don‟t know what tomorrow holds but I know this, God has got us…”
“Iphey, the first day I saw you, I knew you were meant for me…” He paused
as he saw Iphey frozen in fear, visibly shaking, he drew in a sharp breath and
“…I know it has taken a while, me getting you to believe in me and what I am
about…” he gazed steadily into her eyes, ”…but even though I am not certain
what the future holds, I know great things are in store for us, there is so much
promise and so much greatness ahead of us, all we need to do is take each day as
it comes trusting ourselves and trusting in God.”
Iphey smiled and seemed about to speak and then thought to herself, „This
man is the man of my dreams, I am in such a wealthy place, my fears still speak,
they tell me if I ever lost him, but would fall; my faith though speaks louder, it
tells me this man was created just for me and that if I can just take God‟s hands
and trust him, we are in for the greatest adventure ever lived‟
Iphey smiled and hugged Chinedu with everything she had in her
slight frame.
He pulled away slightly after a short kiss and looked into her face. Iphey
noticed he was avoiding looking into her eyes.
“What is it?” She asked.
“Nothing.” He hedged.
“Nedu spit it out,” she laughed. “I know you too well. What are you trying to
hide from me?”
He laughed and finally met her gaze. Chinedu took a deep breath and took
both her hands. “I did not plan to say this today or here or even this way…”
Iphey was confused. Was this the end? After the happy declarations of a few
minutes ago? “Chinedu, what is it? Did I say something wrong?”
“No, no, of course not!” He moved closer. “You said and did everything
right…” His phone began to ring. He did not even look at it before switching it
off. He paused again.
“Chinedu, please tell me. Whatever it is, just say it!”
“OK, OK.” Chinedu took another deep breath. “I want to marry you Iphey, I
want you to be my wife…”
Her lips were rounding open by this time. Iphey’s breath came quick and fast,
and she pressed both their hands under her breast as if to stop her racing heart.
“Iphey will you marry me?”
Iphey looked up briefly in shock to see Chinedu waiting on her answer, half in
anticipation, the other half as vulnerable as a child. His eyes glittered like
lightning but held Iphey‟s gaze and waited for her to do something, anything to
show that this was what she wanted too. Iphey gazed into Chinedu‟s eyes for a
second or so and then she fluttered her own eyes shut to hide her confusion.
Nothing had prepared her for this. Being with him was everything she had ever
dreamed of; in the short time they had been together, she had come to depend on
him so much. She had tried to hold back many times in case it was not that
serious and things did not work out, but Chinedu had a lust for life that was
contagious and what he wanted he got. He did all he did with passion, a quality
sometimes alien to her except where work and family were concerned.
When they went out together, he was always the center of attention wherever
they ended up. His full throaty laughter made her heart soar and then made her
smile every time. She had tried to maintain her routine so that he could be a part
of her life and not take over her world but many times she would find herself
listening for the sound of his car, the distinct slapping sound of his Joe Bloggs
shoes and the jingle of his keys. He invaded her space slowly and consequently
her life. She could not deny how his eyes lit up and her heart jumped in her chest
every time he turned up at her doorsteps and she looked forward to his warm
embrace, she could hug him forever. Why could she not spend the rest of her life
with him?
She weighed her options. It was true they had only been seriously dating for
three months but their first date had been in November last year, six months ago.
From that day, he had been making inroads into her emotions, her mind and her
family. The fact was that if every thing worked out as planned, she would be
gloriously happy and content but if not, she would never ever forget him. She
would be torn and having her heart broken would be an understatement. She
would forever miss his presence like a part of her; her soul most likely would be
fragmented, forever lost to her. Her family, friends and her work would suffer
because she would be unable to ignore the loss.
She glanced up at him and wondered if she was willing to risk her life with
him like that. Who was she fooling? It had long been out of her hands, only the
decision she would make was in her hands. Her lashes flirted with the silken
texture of her face and her eyes widened with complete openness, not caring who
could see the naked emotions on her face. She saw the possibilities for all the
good that could come and she saw the dangers flash before her eyes and she
knew this was the moment she had been waiting for all her life.
“Babe?” he called. “Please don’t keep me waiting too long.”
She looked into Chinedu‟s eyes, hers solemn and quiet, stretched her hand
across the table and grasped his own. She looked into his eyes steady and sure,
his features beautiful. They could be hard edges one moment and then suddenly
soft and compassionate. She looked at his build, he was well toned all over with
not a layer of fat, all pure muscle or at least that is what all the ladies say. He
carried his brown slacks and neutral colored shirt like a work of art; he wore his
hair short and simple brown leather strapped Calvin Klein watch.
She searched his face, her mind wandering, praying to see the future, to see if
he would hurt her, how much he would hurt her. What gave her the courage to
go ahead was this: he was a man of integrity with strength of character and a
heart full of courage, she looked at him from the corners of her eyes the way only
a woman could watch, and she knew that this was the only man for her, a man
comparable to her; they fit like a perfect waltz in all things. She turned limpid
pools of her brown colored eyes at him and knew exactly what her answer would
be. Yet when she spoke, her voice little more than a whisper.
“Yes.”
Chinedu met her soft gaze then but his face was hard, as if ready for battle
prepared for whatever came, even a negative answer.
“What did you say?” he asked in a strong voice.
“Nedu,” her voice lifted an octave higher, “I love you and I‟ll marry you,” she
ended smiling.
She saw relief in his eyes and barely glimpsed his lips descend towards hers,
she did not wait for him to land but met him halfway as their tongues dueled and
clashed with the force of the attraction they felt one for another, absolutely
unimaginable.
She was a bit taken aback and gasped as she felt like he consume her whole,
she was vibrating from head to foot at the power behind the kiss they shared and
could feel the desire pumping through her veins, she felt Chinedu deepen the kiss
again and she made a move quickly as she placed her hand on his chest to stop
him.
“Nedu…” she groaned in half surrender “We are in a restaurant…”
She tried to glance around but her gaze was caught in his. He kissed her a
little slower, nibbling here and there and then he withdrew, removed a black
object from his pocket then knelt in front of her, opened the box gingerly to
reveal a simple silver band, nothing setting it apart, except for the fact that he
was the one giving it to her.
“This is my mother‟s…” he smiled “I have been carrying it around for the last
few weeks hoping for a perfect time to give it to you.” He smiled simply “This is
not an engagement ring, I didn’t know I would propose today. But it is a gift to
show you that you’re the only one for me. As it is, I don‟t think there will be a
better time than this,” his voice was a whisper by this time.
Her passion-darkened eyes had filled with surprise he talked and now as
slipped the ring he held in his hands to her already outstretched hand and unto
her finger inch by inch, a strange calm came over her. Then the enormity of
responsibility the ring on her finger placed on Iphey‟s shoulders hit almost
immediately. She had entrusted her heart, soul and mind to him with seven
words, to the one man who had a chance at breaking her heart and she, though
her logic tried to point her in another direction, refused to pick another, how
difficult was it anyway?
“Nedu…” she whispered in fear and awe, “your mother’s?”
“Yes and I want you to have it. You will be the mother of my children and
mine too.” His smile spread joy over her heart and she wrapped her fingers over
the simple ring.
“I love you Nedu, thank you for this.”
“I love you too.” He punctuated this with a kiss.
Her phone began to ring almost immediately.
“I should have switched this off …” she muttered apologetically as she
glanced down at her Nokia BlackBerry “…Oh, it‟s James my sister‟s husband
and I need to take it.”
“Go on,” Chinedu waved her ahead. “I’ll go settle the bill.”
Iphey smiled at him and admired his backside as he walked away. And then
she focused on the phone and what James was saying.
“You want to see me? Can I come with Ngozi? No? OK, where? Alright, I’ll
soon be there.”
She hung up just as Chinedu returned. “I have to go home now. James wants
us to meet.”
“No problem, I’ll take you there if you want?”
Iphey was grateful for all his help so far in locating James but now she felt she
should do this on her own. She had to speak sense to James to return to his
family and best if he wasn’t defensive already that she came with someone.
“No thanks,” Iphey finally replied. “If you can just take me home?”
“Sure.”
