26 sTake me homes (1/2)

”Alright, I guess it is my turn”

”Yeah”

She gave nervous laughter and said ”But you won already. Mine is nothing close to yours”

”That's not our agreement. I want to hear yours, talking about it helps. What is troubling you?”

”Ok” she took a deep breath and began ”Five years ago, I met Tony in a library back in my university days and we fell in love. It wasn't quick like in the movies, I took my time to ensure we were truly in love and to the best of my knowledge we were. I gave him everything, my heart, body, and even virginity. It was perfect, why won't it, I was in love. We shared everything, I knew everything about him, met every family member. We were going to get married after NYSC. What a fairy tale?” She paused, emptied the glass, and mashed her face afterwards.

Peter, who has been paying undistorted attention, took a sip and asked the barman to refill her drink. He knows she needs to be high to be able to unbundle her heart to him. The barman refilled her drink, and she asked him to keep the bottle.

”Tony was my friend, lover, and brother. Aside from him, I was close to just my roommate Maryjane. Oh, how fond of him she was. She contributed a lot to my falling in love and sustaining the relationship. I don't blame her, Tony was sweet, romantic, caring, never cheated and never raised his hands against me” she hesitated, regret and pain growing in her soul. She needs something to quench the feeling, so she drank, emptied the glass, refilled it and emptied it again.

Peter took the bottle, preventing her from taking more saying ”No, I think you have had enough”

”No, it is just beginning to kick in”

”You know what, let's stop the story” Peter suggested.

”Why? Do you think I'm drunk? Or it is too painful?”

”I think it is getting you back into the mood, am trying to get you out of”

Ignoring him, she continued ”We graduated and were posted to different states for NYSC. We didn't let that end our beautiful relationship. We kept in touch and took turns in visiting each other. Service ended, I got a job at the bank and Tony began managing a growing hotel. Everything was going as planned, and it was beautiful up till the evening he visited and told me he was traveling to Canada.

I just didn't see the point of travelling; he has a good job and me. What other thing was in Canada? Tony convinced me, everything was to be gained in Canada. He swore on his grandfather's grave, even uncle's grave that he will come back for me. ”He has loved me for five years now and nothing has changed, what could possibly change now?” his words. Last year, he travelled”. Judith hesitated, tears forming in her eyes. She went for the bottle but Peter shifted it from her reach.

Voice laced with the pain she continued ”Two months after he got there, he was sending me money; we spoke constantly over the phone, chatting whenever we were free on Facebook. A month ago, his number stopped connecting, he stopped coming online. I could no longer talk to him in any of the chatting platforms and he never called. I called his family and they said he stopped talking to them too. Monday this week, Maryjane sent me a picture of my dear Tony with his just wedded wife” she concluded and broke down weeping softly.