Hibernation
Her story
It started on a Friday
One of those days which started slowly and then gathered pace at the speed of light
I woke up at 7:15
Staff bus would be at my bus stop at 7:30
I dressed quickly
Then the zipper of my blouse got broken
By the time I was ready
It was 7:40
I raced to the bus stop
Staff bus was long gone!
A car pulled up, the driver specifically asked me if I could direct him to so and so limited!
My office
It was too suspect to be real
Those were the days of rampant kidnap for ritual or ransom
I didn’t say a word, I just walked away, looking left and right suspiciously
He drove away
I got a bus, got to the office 30 minutes late
Staff meeting had commenced
I raced into the conference hall
Found myself starring right at him
He was the external auditor sent to audit our company
He looked straight at me and smiled!
I was sure he knew who I was all along
Especially with that devilish grin
It made things a little awkward at first
But I was right to walk away at that bus stop
His story
It was sheer happenstance, nothing more
We had met before, briefly during an inter-quiz competition while we were in secondary school
Of course she wouldn’t have remembered who I was
But I recognized her as soon as I saw her file in my office
I was driving down to their office when I saw her
I decided to offer her a lift
Of course I didn’t expect her reaction
But I didn’t take any offence
I was a stranger as far as she was concerned
And security 101 says we should be wary of strangers
When I got to her office, I tried to break the Ice
But she was aloof, kept everything professional, avoided my eyes all the time
We did the auditing project for a week
Throughout that week, she was just cold
Her story
I was offended at first, put off a little by his childish prank at the bus stop
But his work was meticulous and thorough
It was our practice to appreciate external-auditors
Naturally, some of them would have been hinting at what they wanted us to give them
There was something about him that seemed to infer that he would take offence if such a topic was even broached with him
I was fascinated and impressed by his person
He was witty, patient, considerate and would rather teach than find fault
By the third day, I realized I was suddenly shy around him
I didn’t see that coming
Being self-conscious around a man had always been one of my signals for sexual attraction
I handled it professionally
If we all hump on those we are sexually attracted to
The world would be in chaos
He finished his job that Friday
We offered him a cheque for his ‘Inconveniences’
He rejected it
Something kept telling me ‘You won’t see him tomorrow’
So I walked closer to him and asked him if I could take him to lunch before he leaves
He paused, looked into my eyes and said ‘OK’
His Story
Lunch was a good excuse to apologize to her
To smoothen the obviously tough week she had with me around
She took us to a local restaurant
I ate very little but we talked a lot
At a point I realized she really liked me
But I wasn’t sure if it was professional or personal
So I said bluntly “Would you have dinner with me tonight?”
Her reaction was crazy, I saw it!
Her fork dropped, making a loud thud on the floor
She became nervous
I told her to relax, I was sorry if she felt it was inappropriate
Her Story
That question landed heavily
I was totally caught unawares
And then he apologized, he was going to take it back
I looked him in the eyes and I said “I have to go if I will be ready on time for dinner tonight”
And I left him there
I had to go
I don’t have a dinner gown
I have never been to dinner with any man in my life
I was 28, a lady just enjoying her spinsterhood
I rushed to the mall to get me a ‘Marry me” gown
I knew I loved him when I paid the bills
I couldn’t have spent that much on a fake feeling
His story
When I saw her that evening
Coming right out of her flat
I knew I would marry her
It wasn’t a feeling or a thought
It was a knowing, like ‘’It was written”
I reminded her of the inter school quiz we participated in several years before
She remembered but she didn’t remember me particularly
I told her all the questions she answered and how she dressed
She couldn’t believe it
I had been infatuated with her for many years
And now she was in my arms, dancing to Lagbaja’s songs at Motherlan’
Her story
I remembered him from the quiz
But the picture of him I had in my head as a 15 year old was so different from who I was dancing with 13 years later
I saw that 16 year old boy as an ‘obnoxious know it all’ who couldn’t bear to miss even one question in a mathematics duel with a 15 year old girl, but this new man is matured, warm and kindhearted.
I had been a bookworm all my life
Academic and career success were a natural projection for me, I never for once bothered about love or having a relationship.
It was simply too expensive to combine such with my academics while I was in school. I was pursuing a first class degree and ICAN at the same time
I kissed him, right there and then, I just wanted to know what it would feel like…
It was heaven
His story
That was our first date.
We danced
We ate
She kissed me
I kissed her
We went berserk at the back seat of my car for the rest of the night
Just kissing and talking and kissing some more
Their story
We got married a year later
Today our marriage is 10 years old
We have three children
Joy Mukoro
Amazing