Hibernation

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