Off-Guard

They met during an election tribunal case
She was a lawyer
He was a politician
Both of them were small fishes in the pond
Her firm was on defending the 
"Winner's" mandate
He was a political associate of 
the "winner"
He approached her out of nowhere
She was just leaving the courtroom 
for the car park
He said, "Hi, can you spare me a 
minute?"
She paused to listen
He wanted to buy her lunch
She said "No"
He walked away
The next day he showed up at her law firm
He asked of her specifically
He claimed he had a business to discuss
They talked
He wanted to register an NGO
She told him the requirements
He showed up the following day with 
the requirements
He paid the fees
He talked about his feelings for her
She wasn't involved with anybody
She was waiting for the right guy to 
come along
Waiting...
She eventually agreed to have dinner 
with him
She needed to test the waters, see if 
he is for real
He treated her like a queen
But she was not so easily fooled
She knew how men are
He wasn't her first admirer
The attention span of men is very short
She wanted someone whose attention would
stay on her for life
She paid attention to his eyes while they 
were having dinner
A lot of couples and single ladies walked in
She deliberately chose a seat where he was 
facing the entrance
She wanted to see if his eyes would stray easily
It was his one and only test with her
If he passes she would give him a chance
If not, she would walk away
She was also paying attention to his conduct 
with his phone
Would he give her his full attention or 
alternate 
his attention between her and the phone?
She left her phone at home deliberately
She wanted to set a standard by which she would
 disqualify him without bias
As soon as they settled down, he switched 
off his phone
It was so unexpected, so unreal
How did he know to do that?
It was that gesture that softened her up
She left her flat with a "whatever attitude"
She paid attention to him after that gesture
His eyes didn't stray, not even when a lady with
a killer "Orange coloured mini skirt" walked by him
His eyes held steady, like a ship on the high seas
When she got home that night
She talked to herself
"Why are you feeling unsettled?
"What else do you want him to do?
"He was real, he was honest, he was sincere"
Be real girl, get on board this ship now or 
you will keep waiting for a better one
There was a nagging voice at the back of 
her mind
She was sure there is an untold story somewhere
She just knew it!
They went for a second date
It wasn't a dinner date
He took her to the golf club in the heart of 
the city
They went on a Saturday and it was fun
He knew how to make her happy even when 
she didn't
expect what he had planned would thrill her
He kept his hands to himself
It was almost as if he wasn't willing to 
cross that line
She noticed that at least three times
He wanted to touch her intimately
Drape his arm across her shoulder
Hold her hand as they cross the road
And whisper something in her ears
On all three occasions, he made the move 
but stopped halfway!
She would have welcomed it but perhaps he felt it 
was too early and didn't want to spook her
Their third date was a blast
A popular RNB musician came into the country
He took her to the show and they danced
It wasn't a formal proper dance
She wanted to encourage him to touch her
The music was the best excuse
She knew once hee crossed some barriers on the 
dance floor
He would be confident to cross them again off 
the dance floor
When they got home that night
They took the spirit of the dancefloor with them
She ate his "boli" and he drank her "chapman"
It was magical!
The next morning was a Sunday
She couldn't think of going to church
She just stayed in bed with him
Later that morning as she made breakfast
He told her he had a six-year-old son
He said it matter of factly and claimed he 
wanted to tell her before they had sex
But things moved very quickly and he felt it was 
better late than never
She asked him where the mother of the boy was
he told her she dropped the child and moved 
on with her life
He explained to her that it was one of 
those things
They were never married!
He was 37 and she was 32
She loved him already and felt that shouldn't 
be a problem!
They became steady after then
He would invite her over for the weekend
or she would invite him over unless he was 
out of town for
business or lobbying purposes!
The relationship was heading somewhere
She could sense it and she started preparing for it 
in her heart
One day she had a dream
She saw herself in front of his house
She was trying to open his door but another woman
was in the house and the woman said 
she cannot enter!
The next day she asked him
Is there another woman in your life?
He denied it
He was even outraged that she dared 
insinuate such
But she wasn't convinced
She just had to let sleeping dogs lie
The General election campaign started
He got busy, moving with the election train 
from state to state
She couldn't complain for the three months
That was his job and he loved it with a passion
But she was worried!
He had refused to introduce his son to her
She often wondered why!
He had also delayed introducing her to his 
family members
She wondered what she had to do to earn 
a proposal
By all standards, she had been very wifely!
She didn't want it to seem as if she was pushing 
for a ring
But she didn't want to waste her time too
She had no other suitor
He was all she had!
She resolved they would have a serious discussion
after the election
She needed to know which way they were heading!
She waited patiently and prayed
Eventually, the election was done and he returned 
to the capital
But everything had changed
He stopped calling as often as he used to
She would be the one to call and send him messages
Whenever she complained about him treating her 
like an afterthought
He would complain bitterly
They started having issues
He would throw tantrums and not call for days
She would throw tantrums and refuse to call too
Eventually, they will settle it somehow
But it never really seemed to be totally settled
Their earlier atmosphere of peace and seriousness
had been pierced by a strange wind
She called him often asking him to work things
 out with her
Their love deserved more than feelings
Their love deserved some hard, tough and 
determined effort too
The smooth road suddenly grew potholes
The ride, as a result, became bumpy
Their conversation became forced
Once in a while, he would be nice to her
She would see it as a turn in the episode 
and rejoice
The one day of joy would lead him straight 
into her pants
One he wet his beak he would become grumpy again
It was a pattern she noticed over and over
It wasn't as if she didn't also feel like 
having sex sometimes
But she wanted him for the sake of the relationship
to remind him of what they had and who they were
But for him, she felt she was more of an outlet for 
his sexual release
Nothing felt tangible anymore!
Eventually, she threw herself at God's mercy
She asked that God should let her know if there was 
a future for her with him
On the very first day, she started the fasting 
and prayer
A friend came visiting
They talked for a while and the friend 
convinced her to 
visit another friend whose office was 
close to her own
When they got to the office, a man 
(Marketer for a bank) came in
and started discussing with their friend
The man said "Do you know so and so, 
I was the one that
helped him open a bank account for his 
pregnant fiance two days ago!
The man spoke on and on
She sat there in a daze
The "So and so" the man mentioned was 
her man!
She picked her phone and sent her man a 
message
"Did you impregnate a lady called 
"This and that"?
He didn't respond immediately
But she knew it was true
He had moved on with another person 
while she had been placed on "hold"
She cried her heart out!
The next morning he replied to her message!
He said she had been the one forcing the 
relationship for a while!
He had logged off but she wouldn't let him be
As far as he was concerned, it is over!
She didn't even know what to think
How could love become so heartless?