To see another day...*

    “This was the beautiful work of art I received from “matan yamiri” “, my mother said. Dana as in Adanna. That is what I shall be known as from this point forth. I like to call myself Yve; as in Yvonne. Mum is Hausa; Hawau. Hence I call myself Yve. I feel like she birthed another beginning.

       The way they flattered my silhouette: clung to the waist I had gotten used to accepting that I lacked. The click they made as I twirled in front of my mirror. The “Jigida“beads had transported me to a world which I had been running away from all my life- Womanhood. Glancing at the mirror, I beheld the splendour of who I was-Igbo by birth, Hausa by blood and tongue, individual by choice. Yve.  Just then, did the realization of why I was being adorned flood my mind. I was to be carted off to the Essen Household. Married to them.  Everyone but me was of the idea that I had taken each breath just to see this day; but as I sat to get the damask scarf tied on my head, I knew I was making a mistake.

Dad walked into my room clutching a blue-bowed Shoebox. Blue Ferragamo flats. Très chic and comfy, with a matching teardrop purse.  I smiled sweetly as I gratefully let him play  Prince Charming and slip the shoes on my feet...”Your feet Dana.....” dad uttered ,interjecting my undefined , pure,  yet-to-be-dissected  thoughts “ they make me proud I stayed with you...”. One was shorter...but as dad held them in his hands, while he had one of the shoe pads slipped into one of my beauties, to aid balance; he revealed , “They show me just how far you have come...Perfection...Just by being Yourself....”...I saw that all that I needed, I already had...that was of course until I heard those heart-shattering words; Charles will be so happy that a woman of your strength of character would be his forever....GET ME OUT OF THIS FIX! That was all i wished i could utter at that pointy if only I could find my voice.

I finally heard a voice ask to be alone. As I watched everyone heed that plea with unease, I turn on the pod-deck and blast the speakers...pick up my phone and text NKEM.......

There is so much you need to know...Soon it will all be made clear.

A tale of two loves...Come with me into the tide burdened island of my past...for only then would the future be permitted to unfold...

In the prime of my youth...19...the age at which every mother lets it ring into your ears that they first beheld their spouse a year before, this girl was all but expecting to find love in the most unlikely of places to find young love; what’s more? I wasn’t in search of it. A gathering of sorts...Diverse people bound together by a thirst for contacts... a chambers’ Christmas dinner...I had been invited by a friend but he caught an undisclosed illness the week before and rather than join other friends and foes in discerning his ailment, I left a get well soon card at his hospital bedside and told him I would still honour his invite, for his sake as well as mine and told him I would still honour his invite, for his sake as well as mine. He smiled and said he was of the idea that I would be glad I  went.

7pm. I fix the necklace clasp; or so I thought and I prance to the door at the sound of the doorbell...Silence. When I begin to hear voices he is properly clasping the ornament round my neck. Femi Adeyemi. I smile and sheepishly mutter  “Dana...Adanna Membu. The rest of the night went by with such serenity that in my mind, it was a myriad of laughter...clicks of champagne flutes were as music to my ears which made me a tad glad (though unaltruistically,i must admit) that that Akintoye was indisposed. Like a princess scared to get her foot dashed, i asked to be driven home at 11.He gladly obliged and and we left the venue cards crammed caricaturishly in pocket,purse and exit bucket(the mini bin left there by the function planners knowing that hardly every contact we got at these functions were ones we wanted to keep....

As he openned the door of the passenger seat of the 3 Series...he tripped on the step and i instinctively caught him...he leaned in and kissed me...I only knew this cos he did it again...i let out a cautious smile...we drove home in silence...he led me home...kissed my hand and left. a minuite later...ping...add request...femi...accept...ping...i want to see you again...