UNMARRIED AT THIRTY
EP 16
“Good evening ma, thank you very much for the food” Yinka said placing the plateful of rice on the bench besides them. “How’s work, how are you with the current state of living?” Toluwani asked as she took her seat beside him. The reflection of the light brushed against them and the cool evening breeze brought them great comfort. Like the spark of two wires, Yinka and Toluwani were deep neck in discussion that Toluwani forgot she was a boss and Yinka was her worker.
“So you believe that people are not equal?. Why do you think so?”. Toluwani asked with kin interest. She listened with utter admiration as Yinka talked.
“People are not equal, we’re higher than each other. What we should fight for isn’t human equality but human rights. We should have respect for everyone and people of all status must be treated with respect and dignity. For instance, you’re my boss and I’m your security guard, if i think I’m equal with you then I’m deluding myself and that delusion will pushed me to start disrespecting you and expecting to have same thing you have. What i should expect from you isn’t equality but humanity, that’s treating me respectfully while i do same. Like it or not, you’re my boss, even though i have liked you for a long time i still have to understand that you’re my boss and it’s inappropriate for me to call you and confess my feelings for you ” Yinka blurted out unknowingly.
He had unintentionally blurted out what he had hidden in his heart for a very long time. The feelings Yinka had for Toluwani was true but he understood how it would be interpreted by others, he was also aware that his chance of success was almost close to zero so he decided against showing any signs of love towards her.
Toluwani heard him clearly, she listened with her mouth wide open. She blushed upon hearing him spitting out those sincere truth through their conversation.
Toluwani’s family wondered what had kept her outside for over thirty minutes. She was supposed to returned immediately he gave the food to Yinka but half an hour had passed. The mother wanted to go check but the father stopped her.
“Let me go” he said with final tone. Toluwani’s father leaned against the door watching Toluwani and her security man engaging in a discussion. The attention she gave to him was something that intrigued her father.
“Since when have you developed this feelings?” Toluwani asked shyly like a young girl who was getting her first confession. Her heart was beeping, her body was burning, that moment she knew what she felt for Yinka. It wasn’t just an employer and employee relationship. She loved him, hearing him saying he had admired her for a long time made her heart fluttered. She wanted to hear it again, she wanted to hug him , she knew that Yinka was the man she would give a try.
“Madam, I’m sorry, i didn’t mean to say that” Yinka apologised when it dawned on him that he had said something unprofessional. “Don’t be sorry about anything Yinka, having feelings has no social class, you might not know if your boss Toluwani also has the same feelings too” Toluwani said, she couldn’t concealed her emotions. She wanted to embraced him, she fought hard against this physical touching crave but she failed.
A woman in love is like a drunkard, they both don’t see anything wrong until they’re sobered. This is why we pray that when we fall in love, we never fall out of it soon.
Toluwani’s father leaned against the door watching his daughter and Yinka, his heart was filled with heavy heartedness he wasn’t saddened by what he saw but he was worried how Toluwani was going to bear the scaring tongue of the people. People would say, she settled for her security guard because she couldn’t found a better suitor. People will spewed all sort of rumours around, he worried for his daughter but from the look of things, Toluwani was already drunk in Love. She wouldn’t listen to anyone until she was either mar or make.
George, laid on his bed facing the ceilings, he had counted the number of lines on the ceilings countless times. He replayed the pictures of Toluwani in his head and he vowed to confessed his feelings the next day. He tried to concentrate but failed, he picked up his phone and dialled Toluwani’s number. It rang twice unanswered, he threw the phone down out of frustration.
Toluwani placed her hand on Yinka lap as she talks. “Yinka, you said you likes me, if I’m to say yes to you, how would you take care of me and how sure are you about your feelings?”. “Madam, i — i–. I may not be able to provide you luxuries but I’m sure i won’t be a liability to you and i will love you with all my heart if you agree to date me. Also, i may not be a rich person but i can feed my woman”‘ Yinka was too marveled, it wasn’t in his slightest imagination that a day as such was possible. His heart was beating too fast and his voice skipped as he talked.
Toluwani was all green as he talks, she smiled from ear to ear. She could hear yinka’s heart thumbing hard like it d’ jumped out. She placed her hand on his chest and asked why he was breathing so erratic. “I– i–, i want to ask you to be my woman!!” Yinka said desperately. With everything that had happened so far, Yinka was already lost, he wasn’t thinking straight with his head but he knew that was the only chance he had to ask her out.
It wouldn’t be too much disappointment if she rejected him but from her reaction so far, Yinka knew she wouldn’t slapped him anyway.
Since Yinka received the loan, he had already decided to stop working as a guard, he had a day ago enquired about a second hand used car, price was agreed and he d’ pay for it the moment the body work was completed on it.
Toluwani felt like the happiest woman on earth, she forgot the difficulties she would face because of a relationship like this. That evening, that night, all that matters to Toluwani was kissing Yinka, hugging him and smelled his scent.
“yes, i will be your woman” Toluwani said happily as she placed her two hands on his shoulder. Yinka was stupefied, he was too surprised that he just stared at her lovely eyes. Toluwani placed her lips on Yinka and wasp into him. She kissed him lightly and more intimately, Yinka reciprocated her touch. He held her head and brushed down her hair to her neck. Their heights were almost equal though, Yinka was a little taller. He gently placed his lips against Toluwani, he breathed in her sweet perfumes. Her misty lips parted and they kissed each other aggressively and steadily. When Toluwani turned, her eyes, it met with her father’s, she instantly and timidly separated from Yinka. “Dad!!” She called apologetically.
She knew that whatever her love story was, her dad wouldn’t take it lightly.
“Let’s talk more tomorrow” she whispered as she turned to leave.
“Yes ma”.
“It’s not ma, it’s Tolu” she reminde
TBC
I’m Victor Achegbulu Oinu your Local writer
©Oinu 2023
*** The people will wag their tongue at you. The society will always despise you but as long as you’re not doing anything wrong or hurting them. You should give that ideal a try.
One truth we were never told was that “true love also fade away. True love also last forever. True love can come from anyone.
TRUE LOVE IS A MOMENT, NOT ETERNITY
