Moses stared at Dunni pretending he was hearing what she was saying. Nodding at each interjection while his mind was far away. Last night was the most miserable for him and Dunni coming today was the final thrust onto his bruised heart.
Completely lost in thoughts, he was brought back to the present when he felt Dunni tapping him or the electrifying sensation from her touch. ” You were not listening”, she reprimanded. He tried a small smile with the lame excuse of his body telling him to call it a day. He had thought she was here to let him know she had changed her mind and was ready for a relationship with him but she was still stuck in the best friend status bla bla that he was not prepared to hear.
Moses smiled at Dunni’s cute pout that always disarmed him. “You can stay and let yourself out. I have to go upstairs.” He could see the drop on her shoulders but was impressed with the front she put up, a brave smile and forced excitement. “Sure, I will let myself out. You go and have the much-needed rest.”
Dunni watched him go sadly and wondered if this was the beginning of the end of their friendship. She shuddered and willed that it was not real, and she would just wake up and find that she was in a dream and all the thoughts about the death of the beautiful friendship they had shared were simply what it was, just a dream.
The sound of a text coming through her phone was enough to convince her this was happening and not a dream. She could tell it was from Tade from the ringtone. She sighed she’d told him she was dealing with an emergency and would not be available this weekend. She liked that he was so understanding and did not pressure her into the details, which she was not ready to give at this stage. What good will come out of sharing the details when the problem persists.
Dunni let herself out, realising that this problem might eventually destroy her relationship with Moses. All previous optimism was lost. And with that realisation, she became angry with Moses for not understanding and for letting himself get carried away with feelings and complicating their relationship. By the time she got home, she was no better than before she left, and this made her sadder. She was angry that she could not be there for her friend at a time he needed her the most like he had always been for her.
She played about with the thought of breaking her engagement with Tade. Her engagement to Tade barely 48 hours ago was the best thing that had happened to her, she was still processing it and now Moses springs this on her. He was unfair and thoughtless to have pulled this stunt. How could he have done this to her just when Tade asked her to marry him? She knew she was not being rational but her thoughts were all over the place and nothing was making sense the way she wanted it to.
Tade was okay. He was easy on the eyes, a perfect gentleman who loved her. Maybe Moses and she would have had a chance, but she could not hurt Tade for something that could fail. If Moses and her were to happen they had 16 years to have done so. She had always compared most guys that came to her to Moses, he was the pedestal to which all men in her world had to live up to, even if she did not know it at the time, and they had always fallen short but with Tade, this was different. Moses was out of the country and there was no need to bounce things off him, to have carried him through the process of her relationship and not blindside him. Still, she was also the one who had guarded the relationship away from Ola and Moses, in the days he was known as, “Mr Flowers”. Her relationship with Tade was something real and she was not going to trade it for a whim, being away from her this long had clouded Moses’s judgment. If he was with her, he never would have pulled the stunt of proposing to her. Yes, she applauded herself for discovering the root of the problem, being away from her made Moses lose his senses. She would have reset it should he have been around like she had always done.
Dunni let herself into her house, exhausted. Her mind was a cacophony of what ifs, what shoulds, and should nots. She tumbled up the stairs crashing into her bed, curling into a ball and wept her heart out.
*** ***
Dunni’s eyes fluttered open, and she immediately felt puzzled, realizing she was still wearing yesterday’s clothes. Her head throbbed as memories from the previous day came flooding back. Staggering into the bathroom, she could barely recognise the face with the bloodshot eyes, smudged mascara, and dishevelled hair staring back at her through the bathroom mirror, hardly recognising. “What do you really want?” She questioned the face staring back in the mirror trying to come to terms with the harsh reality of her life but was only rewarded with silence.
The thought of calling in sick and staying home from work crossed her mind. But she knew that if she did, her partners, Moses, and Ola, would come to her like Navy SEALs on a mission, worried about her well-being. Despite struggling to get ready for work, she decided she would go in late after calling her mother. Her mind was in turmoil, and no solution seemed to bring her peace.
On her way to work, Dunni made an impromptu decision to take a detour, leading her on a four-hour drive to her mother’s house in Ibadan.
She poured out her heart, seeking guidance. Her mother’s advice was straightforward and wise. Marriage was about love, respect, and a shared future. When the initial romance and butterflies faded away, the friendship between the couple would sustain the marriage. Dunni had to make the decision, as she would be the one living with her chosen partner.
Her mother shared her perspective on both Tade and Moses. While she didn’t know much about Tade, she emphasised that Moses had loved Dunni for a long time, and she had witnessed his dedication and affection. Dunni was surprised to learn that Moses had been visiting her mother regularly, even before he left for China and had asked her mum permission to ask Dunni to marry him when he returned from the trip.
Her mother cautioned Dunni against sacrificing herself for the sake of Tade’s daughter, as love for the child alone wouldn’t be enough to sustain the marriage. She reminded Dunni that she wasn’t marrying the child, but rather Tade, and if her feelings for someone else surpassed those for her chosen partner, she might regret her decision.
Dunni listened carefully to her mother’s words, her mind churning with thoughts and emotions. It was a difficult choice to make, and she knew that whatever decision she reached would shape her life and future happiness and some people would be hurt in the process. The road ahead was uncertain, but she understood that she needed to be honest with herself and choose a path that aligned with her heart and aspirations. Discovering that Moses had already resolved to propose before his departure for China left her in a state of emotional turmoil. Her initial belief that his prolonged absence was clouding his judgment faded away like a puff into the thin air.
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