Defiance

The guy walked up to her out of the blue
She didn't know him from anywhere
She was seated at a popular ice-cream joint
Enjoying her vanilla and chocolate ice cream with cashew nut toppings and waffles
She had been out of state for many months for her NYSC and had promised herself that
once she got back to civilization she would give herself an ice cream treat
He didn't buy anything
He was looking intently at her as he took his seat opposite her
She felt very uncomfortable
He: Your name is so and so, you are serving at Such and such local government,
you returned to the city yesterday for a short break
She: I don't understand. Are you also serving there? Have we ever met?
He laughed and pointed at someone at the ice cream stand
The person came over
She was someone she knew quite well
They were both serving at the same place but they weren't really friends
They hugged, the lady introduced the guy as her elder brother
She said they were getting their order when she sighted her and told him some things about her
He was just being mischievous coming on to her like that
They laughed it off
Even though they planned on taking their orders home
They all finished their ice-creams at that spot
They really had a nice time
He had a sense of humor like no other
She almost choked on her ice-cream several times listening to his rib cracking jokes
He was a lawyer, an artist and a wordsmith
He also had probing eyes, the type that can look into your soul without your permission
At a point during their conversation, he looked at her and he said "You look like you need a drink"
She wondered how he knew what she needed
She was thirsty but didn't try to get herself some water because she wanted to hold on to the taste of the ice-cream
He stood immediately and returned with a bottle of ordinary water
As he handed the water over to her
Their hands touched
She felt him
He looked at her and smiled
She suddenly wanted another cup of ice-cream
She was having the best day ever!
His younger sister saw the exchange between them'
She tacitly left them together claiming she wanted to check something in the mall
They just talked on and on
She didn't get it
How you could meet someone and within a few minutes you are just lost
Not lost in a bad way
Lost in a way that you are praying never to be found
Lost in a way that you are afraid to look at the time
Lost in a way that you want to look into the sun and command it to stand still
Lost in a sea of milk and honey and music and laughter
By the time his sister returned to the ice-cream outfit
He had turned her brain to sawdust
They exchanged numbers afterwards and parted ways
She couldn't describe how she felt that night even if she tried
It was a good feeling in a bad way
She had always been a self-dependent, happy and satisfied person
He made her question everything she thought was perfect
He opened her eyes to see her own incompleteness without him
She hung around her phone all evening after she got home
She didn't want to be the first to call him
He called eventually to her great relief
And then he told her he really wanted to see her again
She was almost in tears when she heard him say that
They agreed to meet at the mall again the following day
She was able sleep for a while that night
She was just giddy, like a teenager in love
She knew she was being ridiculous
It is dangerous to allow any guy tie her up in knots
She told herself it was the initial nerves and energy
She would calm down eventually
They met at the mall as planned
He didn't say much, he just held her hands as they watched a movie
It was a very bad move
She kept imagining things throughout the movie
But instead of imagining dirty erotic stuff
She was seeing herself in wedding gown, walking down the aisle, marrying him
She was just 25 years old
Marriage was not even in the plan for several more years
After the movie, as people were walking out of the theatre
He turned her face to himself and kissed her
It was a blindsiding kiss
Unexpected, unsolicited but it was good
She was out of breath in a few seconds and yes! she forgot where she was
She used to say only animals kiss an romp in public
They have not even defined the relationship as she was instructed to do
When she came up for air, she saw tears in his eyes
He looked right into her eyes and said "I think i am in love with you"
That was the last straw, she started crying too
It was love, straight from the heart kind of love
He was not proud to express his feelings and she was not reserved to express hers
They became an item afterwards
They started making plans of how to conquer the world
He wanted Jupiter and she wanted saturn
Soon enough her holidays were over and she had to return to her base to wrap up her NYSC
They talked everyday
They talked all the time
He would write stories for her
Send her poems
Send her text messages
Do audio voice notes
Played all sorts of silly jokes like "Don't listen to this recorded message until 6pm"
And she responded in kind
They had a world of their own
Only the two of them fit into it
They once played "Truth or Dare"
She dared him to come and see her in the village she was posted to as a teacher
He took a flight down to the nearest city and was with her before noon the next day
She literally melted when she saw him
How? Who made such a man and called him hers?
He stayed with her at her station throughout that weekend
He told her he would wait until their wedding night to sleep with her
She told him that was what she wanted, just to see if he would push
He didn't!
She didn't know if she ought to be happy or sad that he loved her that way
She finished her youth service
She told her parents her plan to get married
Her parents told him to invite him over for lunch on a Sunday
He arrived on time, behaved like a prince and everybody was blown away
Her mother said they needed to pray about it
Her mother called her three days later and said
"The prophet i consulted with said that young man does not have a long life span"
She didn't understand what her mother was saying
What has her man's lifespan got to do with marriage?
Her mother told her she was not in support of the marriage
later that evening when her father returned home from work, he was briefed
He also called her and told her he cannot support the marriage
"The prophet has never been wrong and only a fool will disobey him" said her Father
She cried all night
When her man called
She told him the developments
She tried not to but he could practically read her mind even over the phone
He didn't say a word
He stopped coming to their house
He stopped calling anytome she was at home
She too pretended she had obeyed her parents and broke up with him
She got a job and life went on
Two years later, she dropped her farewell letter by her bed
Walked out of the house as if she was going to buy something
Her man picked her up
They drove to his house, packed their bags and eloped to Scotland
She told herself even if he had only a year more to live, she would rather live it with him

PS: They'have been in Scotland for nine years
They got married the very year they arrived there
They have three children
Her parents eventually found out where they were after a year
Her parents refused all entreaties at first
But after she delivered her first child
Her mother travelled to Scotland to nurse the baby
Her Father had also visited
Her man now pastors a church in Aberdeen
She has had a happy and glorious life with him
When they contacted the Brother in Jeans and T-shirt with their story when her man fell ill
The doctors said he had stage four cancer
The brother in Jeans and T-shirt laughed and said "If you can defy your parents, what is cancer?

A light can never have darkness, You are light and cancer is a product of darkness

Go back to the doctor and tell him i said you don't have cancer"
They went back to the hospital and insisted on a second opinion
When the result was released, the doctors said the tumor had shrunk but they can still see it
Her husband said they should do the test again
By the time the third scan was done
The tumor was totally gone
He is still living a good and healthy life
You are your own prophet!