High Horse

From the first moment he saw her walk into the restaurant he knew she was his wife

He didn’t have any dream

He didn’t see any vision

He didn’t know her from Adam

But as soon as he saw her

His eyes stayed glued to her

How do you even talk to a lady like this?

What would you say?

She was dressed like freshly minted dollars

Her car keys screamed "out of this world" luxury

Her hair, her necklace, her hand chain, her wristwatch, everything oozed money

And he was a waiter

Catering to the needs of customers like her

He watched her guardedly

He didn’t want her to assume he was starring, and yet he starred!

His heart beating like a locomotive train

She waited for almost 30 minutes, made some calls and then made her order

She ordered salad and water

He avoided her table like a plague

Made sure those who served her did so with excellence

She spent roughly an hour at their restaurant and left

From that day he became restless!

He knew he would have his shot

He just had to be deliberate and precise

A week later she came in

By this time he had perfected his strategy

A customer satisfaction survey was given to her

She reluctantly took it and filled it

After she left, he took the form and copied her phone numbers

That night he wrote to her on ‘’Whatsapp”

“Every time I see you, I ask myself, what would it take to sit across the table from you and be washed in the gusher of your smile? What would it take to hold your hands and look right into your dancing eyes?

What would it take to place my head on your chest and hear the melodious sound of life as our hearts sync into one? What would it take?

If it will take silver, you will have to wait, if it will take gold you will have to deny me, if it will take the material, I’ll be immaterial! But if it will take courage, boldness, love, faithfulness, hard work and sincerity, my heart is asking, do you know I beat for you? ”

He deliberated about sending it, checked and rechecked the wordings of his message for errors and sent it!

She saw it!

It was from a strange number but it melted her heart

She couldn’t even dare ignore it

It felt very genuine

She responded.

“I am worth my weight in gold with everybody, but for someone I love, a sincere heart is enough”

He got the message and punched the air

He couldn’t sleep all night

Will she be true to her words?

They wrote back and forth to each other for several weeks

He was smart not to slip into the “dear’’, ‘honey’, ‘sweetie’ mode

He went straight to the point

Telling her about his day, describing his mundane and boring world to her in very colourful ways

She liked it

She took the time to respond, although less elaborately but she always responded

Her best friend saw her smiling at her phone like a roasted grass cutter one evening

Girls have an instinct for these things

Her friend prodded her

She spilled her guts

“I have a secret admirer, we’ve been talking for four months, I don’t know how he does it but every night and every morning, he sends me a message. A poem that lights up my day and brightens my dreams”

She showed her friend some of the messages

They were very good

Her Friend: “Do you know who he is?”

She: No

Her friend: Let’s find out

She: I have tried, he was very careful. On Facebook, he used my name and picture under the pseudonym “Umero uno”

I tried true caller, he was not listed

I decided to let him be

Her Fried: What about calling him

She: I tried, he wouldn’t pick

Her friend: Aren’t you curious? Don’t you want to meet with him? He obviously loves you

She: Sometimes the Idea of love is sweeter than the reality of love. I am just enjoying the attention at the moment. It keeps me warm at night. His words had been like a balm to my weary soul

Her friend copied the number to her phone and dialed it, without her permission!

He picked!

Her friend: Hi, this is so and so. I work with such and such limited. We have a package for the owner of this phone number but we cannot be sure of the name to use. Please who am I speaking with and may I have your address please? (All these while she was struggling with her friend for the phone)

He told her

“He works at her favourite restaurant. His name is this and that. He is a waiter.”

She felt violated by her friend, they had a row!

Her friend tried to apologize but she would not hear it

It was a flagrant abuse of trust and friendship

That night he sent her a message

“I felt you called me today.

I heard your voice in the background, muffled but distinct

I have not stayed hidden out of shame

I stayed hidden out of guile

I wanted to enjoy the idea of you

And make you settle into the idea of me

To make up for the making of me

As you may see me today before my tomorrow”

She felt very unhappy

His message had a finality to it

The dream had been taken away!

She went to the restaurant the next day, he was off duty

She called him, he picked, and they met at a park

She liked him but what would she tell her father was wrong with her?

He was “a nobody” whose most valuable asset right then might be her phone number

What would she tell her friends

What would she tell the world?

He just wouldn’t cut it

He didn’t even mention a relationship

He just told her he had always loved her and he was happy he was able to spend that moment, however brief with the love of his life

She tried to accommodate him for that day, make his five minutes under the sun as painless as possible

He didn’t let her pay for anything

He had pride!

That was good

He also talked a lot less, he looked at her with such intensity she saw his bare soul

As the left

He walked her to the car

She stylishly put a bit of a distance between them

She doesn’t know who might be passing

She didn’t want people to see

He noticed

He smiled and paused a bit to give her some more space

She got into her car

As she drove all, he waved and bowed curtly

A wiry smile on his face!

That night, he called her friend

He said he wanted to thank her for pushing them to meet

He had become comfortable with the writing routine and lost the courage to push for what he truly wanted

He was happy the bead had broken

He rang off!

Her friend cried bitterly

What had she done?

The young man was content to love in secret

But she knew her friend

She knew their love bubble was a mirage

She just wanted the young man in question to see her friend for who she really was, and move on!

Her friend would never date anybody beneath her father’s approval

A poet can never be in that category

She went to the restaurant the next day

Met the young man

He was writer, a first class graduate of literature and a waiter by day!

Her friend asked to see some of his works

They were quite good

Her friend pushed for his works to be published

Also pushed for his employment at a private university

Within a year, he was better placed

He had a good apartment and a car

He wore his best suit

Called the love of his life

“Can we see please?”

They met at an Italian restaurant

He filled her in on his recent leaps

Didn’t mention the role her friend played (That was the friend’s desire)

Asked her if he could call on her and take her out once in a while

She laughed!

She said: My Father has four houses in four major cities of this country and one abroad before the age of 30, anybody that will marry me must match his achievement or surpass it! I don’t do poor or barely enough!”

I am happy for your upward stride in life but you can never get there fast enough for me! You are 28, a junior lecturer and writer. We would just be wasting each other’s time!

He understood

After the meal, she stood to leave

He didn’t stand

He wanted her to leave alone so that people won’t see him with her

He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable

She left

He waited a bit

He drove to her friend’s house

He was not heart broken, he was motivated to do more with his life

Her friend was asleep

She kept him waiting for a few minutes while she freshened up

She opened the door

He drew her close

He kissed her

Right at the door of her father’s house!

She kissed him back

They were there for like forever

Eventually their flight landed

Her friend: Why did you do that?

He: I know you love me but you would be talking about a friend code now and deny me the opportunity to love you back

I wanted you to know that I understand and that I am grateful. I will like to love you back

Please think about it.

He left

She went to see her friend that evening

They talked about many things

They talked about him

Her friend: Can I date him?

She: You can do whatever you want but know this, if you date him, our friendship ends

Her Friend: Don’t be like that. You said you don’t want him

She: Yes, I don’t but I do not want to see him. I don’t want to know if he succeeds or fails. I have made my decision and I don’t want one day tell myself I made the wrong decision based on my observation of his relationship with someone close to me. So if you choose him, don’t come looking for me anymore!

Her Friend hugged her!

They had been friends for eleven years!

They both cried

She left.

Later that night, her friend called him

Her friend: Are you at home

He: Yes

Her friend: I am at the door

He opened his door

She was standing right there!

He pulled her in

He kissed her

She kissed him

He opened the bottle

Its content gushed out

She needed that night

To be sure her decision was right

It was!

They got married two years later

He founded his own printing press

Consulted for churches for their writing jobs

Consulted for big companies

Became a millionaire

He built houses in his country and travels abroad a lot

He never bought any house abroad

He had four children

Three girls and one boy

Their marriage had its patches but is now 12 years strong

She is now 42

Still single

Very rich

Waiting for the man of her dreams

The End