Unfulfilled promises 46&47

Unfulfilled Promises

Written by Audrey Timms

Episode 46 and 47

Her friends consoled her. They encouraged her to come to school the following day. She refused at first but after much coaxing, she agreed.

When she got to school the following day, she thought people would point and laugh at her but no one took notice of her. Everything was the same. She however saw some people staring at her in an unusual manner and realized that some of them were at the restaurant that particular day. She nearly died of shame. When she got to her department, people greeted her in their normal way but some stared also. She heaved a sigh of relief. She had thought that her department would be worse.

After classes, she went to sit alone in the restaurant sipping a drink, waiting for her friends. She noticed that some people stared at her and she caught a few girls giggling. She took her aunt’s advice and ignored them.

Collins came to sit astride a chair facing her and looked at her in an odd manner. She and Collins had become friends even though it didn’t work out between him and Jenny.

“Hi Collins.” she smiled at him but he just stared at her making her alarmed. Had he heard?

“Is it true?” he finally asked.

“What?” she fearfully asked.

“What happened on Friday afternoon at Flavor? Is it true?” he inquired softly.

Oleng lowered her head and nodded. “Yes, but I guess you heard an adulterated version of the event.”

After a while, Collins said, “Please tell me what actually happened.”

Oleng took a deep breath and told him everything, the story of her life. He was silent for a long time when she was through.

“When my cousin told me the girl I said must be my future wife is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I didn’t believe him.” he informed her as if he was in great pain.

She was shocked at the wife bit.

“Yes. I know I have hidden it well but I’ve been in love with you all this while. Jenny was just a cover up. I used her to get close to you. I was prepared to wait for you. I was prepared to wait for you to get out of your shell,” he went on, “I thought you were pure, innocent…priceless. I kept day-dreaming of our wedding. I made a bet around me that you’d be my wife in future because I was prepared to wait for you.” he lamented bringing tears to her eyes.

“But I guess I’ve lost my bet. You’re indeed a wolf in sheep’s clothing…O God! Are there no more virgins above the age of ten?” he cried to himself and stood up.

He bent so he was at her eye level. “I’m one, that was why I was so happy when I thought you were also. I guessed wrong.”

With that, he walked away leaving her in so much pain.

She had to use all her strength to control her tears. She couldn’t cry in public which would only make matters worse. She pulled herself together and left the restaurant. She knew she had lost a good friend. Collins had helped her in so many ways. He pulled a lot of strings for her in the department and she liked him. She never knew his feelings for her ran so deep. She was sorry she had hurt him but that had all been in her past. Didn’t he realize that? She shrugged and quietly walked into the busy road.

Life was so unfair to her. Would she carry this burden for the rest of her life? She wondered.

Would she get married? She had to admit that the ache was still there and was even greater now that it had been re-opened. Losing both Erics still haunted her. She literally shook herself. She had to pull herself together and get on with life or it would pass her by. With that thought, she pushed the thought of both Erics to the bottomless pit in her heart. She would live her life without him.

Episode 47

Oleng looked at the bank manager who to her was smiling foolish, not smugly like he thought he was and thanked him. She quietly got up from her seat and walked away with her head held high. That was the last time she would visit the office. She had come there for materials for her project but the bank manager insisted on going out with her first which would of course end in a hotel room but she refused. To hell with him, she said inwardly.

When she got to the banking hall, she thanked the customer care officer who had been of immense help to her. She ignored the others who probably thought she intended going out with their boss. Well, it was their own headache. Oleng knew she was looking good in her cream corporate shirt and black skirt with high heels so she was not surprised when both, male and female customers stared at her instead of filling their slips. She cat-walked her way out of the bank. She was almost at the gate when she heard her name. She wondered if the bank manger had changed his mind.

“God! Is this really you?” she heard behind her.

When she turned around, she screamed. Standing before her looking handsome even in his youth corps member uniform was Dave. Not minding that customers pouring out of the bank and security men were staring at them, she hugged him.

“My God! Is this really you?” he said again and she laughed.

“I can’t believe my eyes also.” she said happily.

“What are you doing here? Where have you been? Where did you disappear to?” he enquired all at once.

She laughed. “One at a time, Dave.”

“You can’t blame me. I haven’t seen you in six years.”

“I know.”

“Can we go somewhere to talk?”

She shrugged. “No problem. Are you through here?”

“Forget here. It’s no longer important. You are much more important.”

She laughed. “Lead the way.”

“Sure.”

They went to a restaurant close by. They sat down and Dave ordered soft drinks for them.

“So tell me. What happened?”

“It’s a long story.”

“It always is. I’m all ears.”

“Well, to cut it short, my mum woke up one morning and decided I needed to relocate here. She seized my phone and laptop so I couldn’t tell any one I was leaving. When I got here, I sat for my exams and made all of them. I got admission into the university here to study banking and finance. I’m in my final year. I went to that bank to search for project materials.”

“Didn’t you think of us? Didn’t you even think to come and look for us?”

“I tried. Believe me I did. I tried, but my mum would hear nothing of it. I had already made up my mind that I would go back to look for all of you after my graduation.”

“I still can’t believe I’m seated before you. When my friend in the bank said, ‘D--n, look at that gorgeous babe’, I looked up and was shocked to see you looking drop dead gorgeous, leaving the bank. I had to follow you to make sure. I knew you were going to be beautiful but I never envisaged that you would be this gorgeous.” he complimented her grinning while she smiled shyly.

“You’re not looking bad yourself.”

“Really? “He laughed. “O Oleng! I’m so glad to see you. I, Zinny, Marvy even Eddy called your number to no avail. We tried finding you on facebook but you were not there. Even messages to your yahoomail kept coming back undelivered. We even went to your house but we were told you no longer resided there. We missed you. We all missed you. I missed you. I thought your mum sent you to school in Saudi Arabia. I thought one of her customers probably told her to bring you there. I never knew you were just a few hours away. Calabar for that matter where I was posted to. How come I didn’t set my eyes on you all these months I’ve been here?”

She shrugged, all smiles. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s fate. Maybe this is the best time to meet.”

“When I have just two months to leave? I’ll be leaving here by July.”

“Then we have to make the most of it.” she grinned but became serious again.

“Do you still communicate with the others?”

He shook his head sorrowfully. “Not really. Eddy schooled in Lagos. He studied Geology. I think he just started working in an oil company in Delta state. Zinny is in her final year in a private university studying Nursing. Marvy is also there studying Pharmacy. She’s also in her final year.”

“What about you?”

“I studied petroleum engineering in Uniport. And as you already know, I was posted here last year June. I’m serving in an oil company here through my uncle’s connections.”

“Big boy.” she teased and he laughed.

“Oleng,” he solemnly called and she knew what was coming.

“Yes,” she answered in a small voice. Her drink suddenly became very interesting to look at.

“What happened between you and Eric?”

She shook her head as tears gathered in her eyes. She couldn’t believe the thought of Eric still made her cry. She took deep breadths to gain control of herself. She felt it was due to seeing Dave again. Sweet memories were beginning to crawl back into her brain.

“Eric is a forgotten issue.” she finally told him, albeit firmly.

“That can’t be. You guys were just too close. I was shocked when I heard you’d broken up. We all asked what could have destroyed the friendship we all called made in heaven.”

“Dave, Eric hurt me. He broke my heart. He abandoned me when I needed him most. He broke all the promises we made to each other.” She raised her head to look at him and he saw the unshed tears there. He was sorry to see them.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. Eric seemed too nice to actually abandon you.”

“Are you calling me a liar? Did he tell you something else? What did he tell you?” she angrily asked.

“He didn’t tell me anything. Eddy told me he came to Nigeria for his parents’ anniversary. I wasn’t around then. I wished I had seen him then, maybe I would have heard his own side of the story.”

“I don’t care about his own side of the story.” she vehemently said shocking him.

“Oleng, I sincerely think that if given the opportunity, you guys can resolve your differences. I really would like to see both of you back together again.”

“That’s a tall order so don’t count on it.” she solemnly told him, keeping him quiet for a while.

He smiled. “Does it mean I can’t call you Erica again?” he teased hoping to soften her heart but he was dead wrong.

“Yes! Please don’t ever call me that awful name again. My name is Oleng. If you ever call me that name again, I’ll never speak to you again.” she declared robbing him of words again.

He stared at her. He wondered for the umpteenth time what had destroyed the two love birds. It was a shame because he had already day dreamt of how their wedding would be.

He stared at the girl he once and truth be told still had a crush on. She was more beautiful than ever. Her skin shone with a glossy silkiness. Seeing her again stirred the old feelings he had for her.

To be continued