The Huntress

He didn't look married
I checked
I checked his fingers
They were ring free
He was wearing a pair of jeans 
and a shirt
He looked young, (single young) 
not married young
I stepped closer to him
Trying to smell his perfume
I know perfumes very well
I know what a man would buy 
for himself 
I also know what a woman 
would buy for a man
His perfume was strong, very 
masculine and real
I taped him on the shoulder
He looked my way and smiled, 
his body language was open, 
relaxed, he was undisturbed 
about offering me his attention 
in a public place
"Can I see you later?" I asked
He looked somewhat puzzled 
but nodded
He didn't say a word
We were on a queue in the bank
I was standing right behind him
His turn came, he went to the 
cashier and transacted his business
Then it was my turn, it took some 
time to resolve the issue I had
But it was done 
I steeled myself from looking 
around for him
If he waited because I asked him to
that was a very good sign
If he couldn't or didn't
That was also a good sign
I liked him but not if he was 
married
When I stepped out of the 
banking hall
He was waiting for me in the 
parking lot 
Out in the open
He smiled and asked me what 
I wanted him to do for me
Even though I drove and had my car 
in the parking lot of the bank
I asked him for a ride
He obliged me immediately
He was a man of very few words
He asked me where I was going 
and I told him
He drove silently 
I asked him why he was running 
errands for a stranger
Was it a habit?
He said no!
Why was he helping me?
He said because I asked
Are you married? I asked him
He looked at me and drove on
I didn't know what the look 
meant
Was he saying yes or no?
I introduced myself
He smiled 
He got me to my destination
I asked him if he could wait 
for me
I wanted to pick up some things
He said fine
I didn't keep him waiting
When I got back to the car
I told him I will like to buy him breakfast
He smiled and said he was 
fasting
He was a Christian
God-fearing
Wow! 
He drove me back to the bank
We exchanged phone numbers
I told him I wanted to talk to somebody
I had been back in Nigeria from Australia 
for weeks and I had not had a decent 
conversation with anybody apart from 
some of my family members
All my friends were abroad
I was lonely! 
I didn't tell him I was lonely
It was inferred
I needed the time I spent with 
him
It made me feel like a woman
Made me feel I can still attract or 
arrest the attention of a man
I traveled out of Nigeria at 19
I returned at 29
And I felt like a total stranger in 
my own country 
He didn't call
I desperately wanted him to
How else would a woman tell 
a man she was available?
Unless he was married...
Or gay...
Or in a relationship...
Or fasting...
I settled for the fasting thing
My ego couldn't take any other excuse
I waited three days
Then I sent him a text 
I thanked him for his time and 
patience
I suggested that I would like to 
reciprocate
I have two movie tickets
Would he like to hang out?
He didn't respond
After two weeks of checking
the phone often to see if he
had responded, I gave up
One morning, my phone rang!
It was his phone number
I picked the call
It was a female voice 
She said "Please who are you 
and why are you calling my boyfriend? 
Why are you sending him 
messages and trying to lure 
him to come to the cinema 
with you?
You are a prostitute
Keep away from my man
Go and get your own man!"
She called me names and cut the call
I loved it!
Wow! 
He wasn't married
His babe is the jealous type
They were the easiest to 
dethrone
I was already slipping into depression!
I was bored and couldn't land a job yet
I needed a purpose, something to do!
Her call was a lifeline
She gave me a glimmer of hope
Things are not so bad... 
I tried his phone number on Facebook
I got all the details needed
His office and her picture
I could have done the research earlier
But I didnt want to get into someone 
I cannot have that way
Later that day he called
He said he was scrolling through 
his phone and saw the call 
He obviously, knew his girlfriend
He knew she was a troublemaker
I milked the situation
I acted hurt
He apologized
He came to see me the next 
day
I was careful not to overplay 
the victim thing
He was grateful I was so 
mature
His girlfriend had opened the 
door
I graciously stepped in 
He started calling me more 
often
I am a very likable person
I really liked him
We had no official 'this is where 
we are going' talk
We just loafed
Somehow, nature won
Familiarity led to touches 
and deep conversations
He told me he was praying 
about his relationship when 
we met 
He wanted to know if his 
girlfriend was the one to 
take the next step with or not
Apparently, he met me during 
the fast
Apparently, God has spoken
Three months after his girlfriend 
called me
We kissed
It was a very good kiss
Oh my God!
The tension had been building
We just erupted! 
He met my folks
I met his folks
His girlfriend realized she 
had spoken my relationship 
with her man into being
She came after me
I baited her, goaded her, 
ignored her
She got to her breaking point
She snapped!
She came for me in front of his church
Gave me a very dirty slap 
He broke up with her after 
that
Like I said
The jealous ones are the easiest 
to get out of the way
He introduced me to his pastor 
and his church
We picked a wedding date
Started marriage counseling
One of our counselors was 
very impressed with me
He got me a very good job! 
I married him a year later
Today we have two children 
and I keep a very good home!
There was something about 
him from the moment I laid 
my eyes on him
Perhaps it was the fast he 
was observing or fate
I am sure of one thing! 
Without a doubt, he is my 
husband and i am his wife! 
Ps: This story reminded me of
the Godfather by Mario Puzo
The one character that struck
me in the book was Sonny!
He had weakness
His weakness was his temper
His weakness also had a trigger
It was his younger sister
When the enemies of his
Father wanted to kill him
They paid his sister's husband
to beat her up
Sonny heard and in a fit of temper
wanted to go and deal with
his sister's husband
That was how he was ambushed 
and killed!
Jealousy is like anger
It is a weakness that makes
a loser out of a winnable case
If you keep your wits about you
you will see the enemy coming
a mile away!