RED FLAGS
EPISODE 20 & 21
“Oh my God! Suleiman” I said slowly like a whisper as I covered my mouth with my hand. I don’t know if I should hug him or not because he might be married so I just keep staring at him in shock. He looks more handsome, taller, well built and of course smells rich. He smiled at me as he pulled me closer to himself making me hit his hard chest as he hugged me tightly. We were in each other’s arms for some minutes before we pulled apart then he offered me a seat.
I didn’t know how to start a conversation with him because is been long have seen him. I just keep staring at him because he has changed and a lot of things as changed all over the years. I guess one thing they say about first love never dies or something because I keep checking him out secretly as I remember our memories together though with the bad ones.
“Anisha, control yourself. He might be married because you don’t expect him to stay single for the rest of his life and remember what he did to you back then. Don’t conclude he has changed because he is rich and more handsome. A lot of monsters live underneath handsome face ” I said cautiously to myself.
” How have you been Nisha,” He asked me calling me the nickname he gave me staring into my eyes.
“Very cool ” I replied him smiling sheepishly.
“I am so sorry for delaying your orders, it was my fault actually. I just came back from China not quite long when my personal assistant brought some files for me to sign before they can release the orders at hand and I coincidentally came across your name and I was so surprised how I didn’t notice you have been one of our customers for the past three years because I always signed all the paperwork before the customer’s order can be sent out. I decided to delay your order so I can be sure is the same Anisha I knew if not I would have come personally to your office but I didn’t want to put my hopes up. I am so sorry for the stress I made you passed through ” He told me apologetically and I wish he could know how is impossible to stay mad at him with the way he is staring at me .
“Is okay. Honestly, I was mad at first but not anymore ” I replied.
” How’s family? ” I asked the one question that has been bothering my mind.
“Well… I am still very much single for now, what about you? I guess you are happily married with kids ” He asked me.
I looked down and said:” I wish so but am still very single too, ” I told him and I could see some hint of happiness in his eyes.
” Wow, that cool,” he said and I nodded because our conversation suddenly went awkward after asking each other that one question. I didn’t want to sound too inquisitive as I wanted to ask him if he had a girlfriend since he said he is “single for now “. I was jotted out of my thoughts by the ringing of my phone. “Excuse me please,” I told him as I picked the call.
“Oh, okay. I will be right on my way ” I said to Stella who told me the people who came for the interview are already seated waiting for me and I forgot I was the one who schedules the interview for today. We are running out of fashion designer, sale attendance, sale representative and workers because my company keeps growing every day and the more we need to recruit more workers. I ended the call after I told Stella to move them to the board room that I will there in the next thirty minutes.
I stood up after the call ended and told Suleiman; “I am so sorry I will have to go ” I told him as I picked up my handbag.
” Is okay, I understand. Work calls ” he said and stood up from his seat and walked over to me.
” Can I see you after work, Anisha?” He asked me with pleading eyes.
I contemplated for a while looking into his eyes and said:” Yes “.
“I will come and pick you up at your office by 6 pm if that’s okay with you,” he asked me and I nodded my head in accordance as he walked me out of his office and the lady who I came to know as his assistant smiled at me as I came out of his office and I smiled back at her. I wanted to take the elevator I came in with but Suleiman told me that’s going to take some minutes so he leads me to his private elevator which takes not more than three minutes.
He made sure to escort me to the parking lot where my car was parked. I entered into my car and started the engine as I waved him goodbye and zoom out of his company premises. Bimpe call came through on my way to the office so I connected the call to my AirPods as I picked her call.
“Hello babe, guess who I saw today ?” I told her.
“Girlfriend, you know am not good at guessing so just tell me already because it sounds like a happy news by the tone of your voice,” She told me.
” I saw Suleiman today, you won’t believe he is the CEO of that popular fabrics company. He is now so f**king rich and I won’t lie he looks so handsome.
“Wow, I didn’t hear from him again after Kola (referring to her husband) took him to the hospital back then. I only knew he went abroad afterward but when I asked about him from Kola a year after you guys break up he told me he lost in contact with him “Bimpe told me.
“E …em….Who knows maybe….. I cut her short and said:” Don’t even have any wild imagination at all because he might have a girlfriend. What if he hasn’t changed? I can’t allow the same history to repeat itself and he might not even love me again. He might just see me as a friend you know ” I told Bimpe all the thoughts on my mind.
“Don’t stress yourself too much about it. Time will tell and what will be, will surely be so don’t think too much about it. Just go with the flow, I am sure God has the final say on your life and he won’t disappoint”.
” Yes o ” I replied as we switched to another topic.
” I just wanted to call you that your Goddaughter (Sandra her firstborn ) is on holiday and wanted to spend it with you so when should I bring her, ” She asked me.
” Oh, I have missed my daughter. Bring her tomorrow please” I told Bimpe and I could sense she just rolled her eyes at me since she knew how close her daughter is to me. We talked about other things for some while before we ended the call.
I got to my company not quite long and quickly heads to the board room. I was wowed at the number of people who came for the interview as Stella was busy talking to them I guess to buy me some time. They all stood up immediately they saw me and greeted me while Stella quickly walked towards me. I responded to their greetings and told them to have their seat while I pulled Stella close to me and whisper into her ears that: “They are too much “. She smiled at me and whispered back:” Who doesn’t want to work with Nisha Empire”.
I pinched her playfully and said:” Remember, you will be the one to put up with their attitudes so happy screaming more than before ” and we both laughed at my statement and the interview commence immediately.
I was exhausted by the time we interviewed the last person and realized I haven’t eaten anything since morning guess I lost my appetite immediately I saw Suleiman. I told Stella to get me some refreshment downstairs since we had a cafeteria in my company for the workers. I ate the snacks and soft drink Stella brought for me and took a nap in my office since I had a bed in the next room opposite my office. I woke up by five-thirty by the alarm I set on my phone and quickly had a shower in my office as I change my dress into a jean and yellow top with a matching turban to match since I have always had extra clothes in my office room.
Suleiman came to pick me up by 6 on dot. He gave me rose flowers and I thanked him as he leads me to his car and opens the passenger side for me. He entered into the driver seat and fire the car engine as we both headed to the restaurant he reserved for us. We got to the restaurant and were led by the waitress to our reserved table. We were both talking about our business as the waitress took our orders. After some minutes, our food was brought to our table and we both ate silently.
After we finished eating and our table was cleared, Suleiman suddenly held my hands across the table and said:” Nisha, do you still love me? looking into my eyes.
That came as a shock to me because I wasn’t expecting that so I was just staring back at him. I know you have the right to hate me after what I have done for you in the past but am a changed man now Nisha, I didn’t get married or be in a relationship all these years because the women I have met after you are not just you. I waited all these years for you even though I knew there’s a probability you might be married with kids but am glad you told me you are still single. Can we start from where we stopped? ” He asked me and squeezed my hands lightly this time so I can give him a reply.
“I … I honestly don’t know Suleiman, don’t you think it’s too early for this? ” I asked him.
” Not at all babe, I know you still doubt me because of how I treated you in the past and I regretted that every day of my life. I know this might be selfish of me but I keep praying I meet you single so I can correct my wrongs and treat you the way you deserved. Will you please give me chance to come back into your life and correct my wrongs?” He asked me.
” Can we just be friends for now? ” I asked him with pleading eyes and I could see the sadness written all over his face. Don’t blame me, once bitten twice shy so I need to pray about it before jumping into a relationship with him to avoid stories that touch the heart.
” If that’s what it takes to have you back into my life then I don’t mind waiting, ” He told me and I smiled at him as we switched to other topics gisting each other about what has happened in our lives all over the years.
After I got home that day I started praying to God to please give me a sign about Suleiman if he is my husband because I don’t want to get hurt again after want have passed through. I saw different signs which clarify he is the one for me but to be sure I went to my Sheu place and I haven’t even told him anything before he told me “He is the one for you”. I thanked him and after two months of getting to know Suleiman I accepted his proposal to be his girlfriend and he was the happiest man on the earth that day. At first, my mum was very cautious about him because she still looked at him as the past Suleiman but am glad he proved it to her that he is now a changed man. I made sure to tell him about all my failed relationships and marriage because is better he hears it from the horse’s mouth than him to hear it from an outsider. I told him about how I bleed for almost six months and he told me he doesn’t care about my past because he is in the present and that’s what matters.
I fell in love more with Suleiman as each day passes by because my boyfriend made me feels like the only woman in the whole world and I couldn’t ask for more. We both acted like school teenagers who just fell in love forgetting I am clocking forty in the next two years while he is in his mid-forties. Kola and Bimpe were both happy that we finally got back together after all these years.
SIX MONTHS LATER ******************
These past few weeks, Suleiman has been acting weird around me and I don’t know his reason for that. He has not been picking my calls and anytime I went to his office he is either not around or always busy and I knew he was avoiding me. I decided I was going to pay him a surprise visit to his house because I hardly visit him since we both agree to abstain from pre-marital s*x. After all, our emotion is always heightened anytime we were both with each other so to avoid breaking our vows so we both agree to always meet in a public place to keep our emotion in check.
“To the hell with keeping our emotions in check,” I said to myself angrily as I entered into my car around six am in the morning so I can meet him at home before he goes to work. I got to his house and honk on the gate. His Gateman opened the gate for me as I drive-in. I alighted from my car after parking and greets his Gateman as I head inside. Despite me not coming to his house often, I always had his house spare key with me so I didn’t bother knocking on the door as I opened it with my key.
He wasn’t in the living room as I entered so I headed upstairs to his room. I was so mad at him for acting like a baby so I didn’t bother knocking as I barge in and I met him just coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his lower waist and droplet of water falling from his hair to his chest that shows his defined abs, couldn’t help but look, damn my boyfriend is not only handsome in the face, his muscle is so …I don’t even know And …his six packs, damn his beautiful, I see myself falling in love with him again. My anger flew out of the room as I checked him out and said to myself “Someone please tell me this man isn’t 44yrs old because he keeps aging backward.
He grinned at me when he noticed I was checking him out and I pretended to roll my eyes as I remember what I came for in the first place.
“Why have you been avoiding me like a twelve years old boy? I asked him. If I in any way offend you at least you would have called me and tell and not just act like a baby by giving me a cold shoulder “I told him and was surprised when he went into his closet room leaving me alone.
“Seriously, are we doing this now ?” I raised my voice angrily at him as I followed him into his closet room. I moved closer to him and yanked the tie he picked from one of the drawers that have different set and colors of ties. He looked at me and pulled me closer to him as I struggled to release myself from his hold but he is way stronger than me. I stared into his eyes as he kissed me lightly on the lips and released me as he suddenly went on his knees in front of me and brought out a ring and I gasped because I didn’t notice that was what he came to pick in his closet.
“Nisha, I know I have hurt you in the past before which makes me a terrible man leading to our break up many years ago and I realized if I can’t marry you to correct my wrongs doing after seeking the help I deserve then I rather remain single for the rest of my life. These past few weeks you can notice I have been acting weird around you because I can’t wait any longer for you to be my wife and the mother to all my unborn children but am scared you might reject me again for the second time ” he said and a tear drop from my eyes and his too. I wanted to give you the best proposal ever and I was mad at myself for the coward I am, so am sorry I will be giving you a bedroom proposal.
“I want to try again if, …am still privileged enough, …..to have you as my wife,” he said looking into my eyes, my tears blinded me, as my lips trembled and he was also a crying mess too.
“If you give me another chance to do this, I promise to treat you right and love you for the rest of my life. Will you please marry me and become Mrs. Suleiman?” He asked me.
