The voice you never hear

Adanna lay still and happy as I disentangled my body from hers. Eight am. The doorbell rang and I thought it best to answer it without waking her...Alas who was at the door but Tinuola!

How did she find me here?? She was my secretary. And no, I didn’t have a fling with her. She had trailed me here it turned out; soon after we had left because a certain relative of Eno’s unknown to us had spotted us leaving for Calabar last night and that had resulted in a storm of the Chambers by the aggrieved family asking to be told where her boss had taken their bride. She had covered for me though by saying she was unaware and that Dana had come to the Chambers to seek a Lawyer to underwrite her signing of publishing rights under the Pseudonym WINa A, for her new ghost novel 3 hours before their arrival and that she had proof of this .I’ve got to hand it to Tinu, she was abreast of the actual details from watching happenings around the Chambers, Soirées and all that and she neither asked questions or gave info. A true legal exec. Dad had wanted us to tie the knot just after I was drafted into the firm but we didn’t click as more than friends and we knew it was best to stay as such and right now I’m happy for it. I pranced around the Living room area while Tinu sat down patiently on the sofa, blending into the stillness of our surroundings. Just then, my princess woke up feather headed and filled with love in her eyes when she stopped short of calling me darling upon seeing Tinu. She looked at me intently trying to come to terms with the intruder; who sensed this and related fearlessly the ordeal of the previous night. “Tell them I left with my lawyer for the meeting and that I’ll be back in a week”, Dana replied.  “And if they push it, I’ll go home in 3 days-WITH Femi. I shuddered at the thought of how soon she was willing to put everything on the line for me. Does she know how easy it is for her to just marry this guy and live happily ever after?? Yes she doesn’t love him but he worships her and he still sends shivers through her innermost being. According to her, he would all but touch her and send her to highest heaven-but it would be short-lived as she would act up and call for me by his side. He’d vex and nag her over it for weeks, but as he worshipped her, she only had to let out a giggle and act pretty while he but held her hand and he was on top of the world again.  Asked why she couldn’t love him and she said it was because her heart was already where it never wanted to leave...With me... She gave a reason that made me sure she was mine.

Even pain the thought of you pulls me through.

Every morning, you make my joy new

As refreshing as the morning dew

Are life’s priceless lessons I learn from you

Make me feel like a Rose in spring

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And now...to Tinapa by boat. Those Hollandaise pieces won’t buy themselves. I’m proposing tonight...The ring has been paid for .Diamond and Sapphire. She once told me she didn’t care about the kind of stuff she got because it was all about the love for her. Agreed but I know that they will please her though, Na Hausa pikin she be con get Igbo blood join am so me I sabi sey as e no dey find my moni reach I no fit dull this runs.

P.s Can you keep a secret?

Femi.

The Realisation...

I disappeared into a world of my thoughts. I began to relive the good as well as the bad times of this relationship- The times when I knew I had wronged him or that I was hurt by him.  It wasn’t very long before Femi walked in and unknown to me he heard me say...

To the one that transports my soul without stress

The one that clothes me with his love better than any fancy dress

I pledge all my love

He said gently but firmly enough for me to hear, Je t’aime aussi Dana. It’s almost 10 pm and I’m starving darling hurry. I threw on a pair of shorts, a white gold-sequin- embroidered caftan and gold earrings. He was wearing a black caftan with silver embroidery, black trousers a black leather Rotary watch and black leather slippers. We decided to do the 30 minutes’ walk down the hill to the ranch restaurant the wind dragging us down hill as I thanked God I had a pashmina scarf to hand. Just before we walked in, I was given a bouquet of white roses by the usher at the door with a note that said:

Nothing but flowers for the Rose of my life while a glass of white wine was but for the Keeper of his heart’s vineyard.

I hugged him and we chose to sit on the mountain terrace for dinner, which we had noticed that we were too full with Love for ourselves to eat but we decided we wanted Afang soup in bowls with as much tender meat, snails and periwinkle as was possible and a desert of Caramel cake topped with Hagen Daaz Baileys Ice-cream.*

With dinner that light but tasteful and with the aforementioned soup being one that has been said and proven to leave young love in what we shall call a *State* by virtue of its aphrodisiac qualities, we had to be shuttled back to our chalet where we just found ourselves feeling almost subconsciously on each other as one kiss turned to two and our love let our rather patient hormones sweetly deliver a titillating explosion of *Amazing* I was ready...so as many of you as may be thinking it was non-aggressive advantage-taking for a want of a less criminal, it wasn’t. The notes I hit were ground-breaking I was happy. Away from the Status-quo. Away from the pain of a possessive sad man in love with the one that made him smile away the sorrow of another heartless beast of a woman. I was being that beast now but I was happy-tonight, now, here in this place with Femi...

What will it be? How could he ask me what would it be? Was I a magician? Could I just faint and cancel the traditional wedding? I paced intently round my room for what I found out from mum were twenty uninterrupted minutes-and this is a girl that can’t exercise for more than 25 at a stretch. I intently searched my mind for the smoothest way to get away .I Looked at my searching mother, smiled and let my mouth open while I picked up an already packed bag filled with a black silk casual evening gown, flat pumps and a matching purse. It also had a fresh set of clothes for the next few days, even though I’d have to wear my denim pants twice but that’s the least of the issues now.”Mum I’m going out. I know it’s quite impromptu but I have to.” At that exact moment, I text Femi. “I’ll be @ yours in 1 hour. Get dressed. Book Aero tickets. Calabar tonight. Don’t ask; just do as I tell you.” Mum looked at the bag slung on my shoulder. “Don’t you have a smaller bag for this your unplanned outing? When will you be back? What do I tell your people? ““Let me worry about that mum---no tell them I said I needed to sign some things and pick up stuff for work.” A quick peck on her cheek and I’m off to the Island. By taxi, to avoid suspicion. I also made a quick stop at a glo shop to pick up the only sim that worked at my final destination and a number that nobody knew.  Femi looked distraught as I sauntered into his house. I smiled and told him I wasn’t married yet; to which he heaved a sigh of relief. He had booked the tickets as I instructed and as I had just handed in my latest Ghost novel which was to be called Under the Amarillo Tree, I had paid for one of the villa apartments in advance. We were ready.
At the airport, I spotted Ini, Eno’s cousin who was to be heading to my house for an after party. #WeBlessGod4ArmaniShades. She didn’t see me. We flew into Calabar in an hour. By 3pm we were on a five hour trip to paradise.


                                                          ***

We got into our Chalet exhausted, hungry and in need of a shower. I had asked the Concierge to get us some Chocolate powder and fresh milk from the dairy. Obudu was to be our home for the next seven days. I went to have a bath only to find out that my Jacuzzi was filled with lather and fresh rose petals...it smelt as though I had stepped into a slice of heaven as I allowed all of my being be numb to everything else in my life-Eno and his family who I had albeit heartlessly left to feel unwanted, my parents; well thankfully they won’t really feel the disgrace as they never really wanted the marriage anyway and I had given a tangible reason for my absence and Femi my love who I had left to find his heart while I fraternised with a man I presently despise...

Oh love and his feigned demise...

What ever will be...

The car stopped outside my door, powered off and we got out. Femi gestured for a hug which I walked into with a tad of caution. If I had not held his right hand in a clasp and stayed silent after a while, he would have been of the impression that I was one of such young ladies now popularly referred to as “Kele”. He was as sensitive to this as he was to my inability to respond to his note. He whispered that he was patient, would wait till I knew that I was ready and gave me a somewhat benevolent peck on the forehead and walked me up the stairs. “Have lovely night Angel”, he said as he reluctantly let my left hand out of his grip...

                                                                 *****

A still knock on my room door brings me back to the present...”Come in”. Mum walks into my room with a solitary pair of red and white roses in hand. “These are for you my dear child”, She says. Attached to them was a note made out like it were a royal parchment with “Dana O.” written in bold Italic handprint with metallic blue ink. It was something only Femi could do, although at this time, this had become something of revelry, with work and the guys taking so much of his time that it was just our love and our silent or understated acknowledgement of it that kept or restarted the fire of the first real mature love I had ever felt. I took a quick glance at my phone only to discover that he had replied my text...An early Wedding present  D...wait for it...I care...even now. Yes this was really his text. A seemingly unemotional affirmation of his presence was all he gave. Now, then, all the time...When did this even start? I unrolled the paper all rolled up elaborately for my entertainment and my heart stopped. This epistle before my eyes brought a tear near.

Brighten my life was all I asked,

I vividly recall when I look to the past

But right now you have become my all.

Even when you let my heart take a bad fall; it is always only for a bit.

You take me so high I forget I have feet

Gravity is but powerless to your love.

...

                                                             Even in Silence I hear your heart beat--------------

Faster...Stronger...Breathing Louder.

Gasp. Gasp, Shudder...High pitched Whisper

Damn I know I want this forever

Even as a revelry.

What will it be Dana?

We still have time...

“Love Me”

x