Thorn between episode 73

TITLE: TORN BETWEEN

WRITTEN BY OGECHI ALABI

URENNA’S NARRATION 10

Stanley did everything within his might to beg for my forgiveness but I was resolute. I was not going to be with a cheating and highly deceptive man. He was everything I dreamed of but he lacked integrity.

He went to see my sister in her office. She said he cried and asked her to plead on his behalf. She wanted me to consider him but I refused. I knew he would only perfect his skills at lying and I did not want to spend the rest of my life investigating my husband who could not keep it in his trousers. I was very hurt and gloomy after the breakup and worked as a robot. I was no longer smiling and happy anymore. Monique and some other people observed and asked me what was wrong but I did not say anything, no one needed to know my business.

Kennedy came to my lodge to talk to me. That talk sealed the fate of the relationship. Stanley had said he talked anyhow so why did he send him to me? Kennedy informed me that Stanley had been unable to eat or sleep. He was sorry and he wanted another chance. He said my ignoring him would not make things better, it was wiser to sit with him and address the issues. This was reasonable talk but I told Kennedy there won’t be a need for that because I knew where to draw the line in a relationship where the other is a liar. I hated lies and I had told Stanley that many times.

“But you made it difficult for him. How do you tell a full-grown man that he cannot have sex with you and anyone else? Haba now! You are not giving him, you are not helping him to release and you expect a miracle? He will cheat now. He loves you but you do not love him at all. If you did, you should have given a little access. Not as if he cheated every day, it was once in a while. You made him look like a fool in our presence. He couldn’t even kiss you. What are you hoarding it for? Isn’t it a man that will still get there?”

“Tell Stanley I will forgive him after another man has disvirgined me and had his fill. Then I will know we are equal and we can reconcile. Once he agrees, he should let me know. My residency is almost over and I will be away for two months before I return to serve the nation. I will use those two months to understand how much he needed the sex I was not giving him.”

“What is wrong with you? Do you feel you are all that? I told Stanley to drug you and have his way with you but he claimed you are from an influential family and it wouldn’t end well if not, you would have been treated like other girls. I do not have time for good girls. He regrets not doing what I said because you would have had no choice but to remain with him. Stanley genuinely loves you but you cannot see it. No man is faithful, they hide it very well out of respect for their woman. He brought yours close to home. I warned him you might catch him and you did. I will tell him what you said.”

Stanley called with a strange number and begged to meet with me. I suspected he might want to do what his brother had suggested so I declined. I told him I had moved on he should do the same. He refused and came to the hospital. I came out of the hospital on my way to the lodge when he walked up to me.

“I just want to talk,” he said to me.

I walked with him to the side of his car. He wanted me to get in but I refused. I stood to listen to him. I had changed, I had lost some weight due to the breakup. He had lost so much weight and I felt for him. He apologised again and begged me to reconsider my decision but I told him I couldn’t be with him. You could have had any girl in Lagos, why did he choose a girl where I worked, it made no sense and interestingly, I wouldn’t have caught him. He said Peace was safe.

‘What about Monique?” I asked.

“What about her?”

“Was she safe too? Was it safe to bring your girlfriend and your secret lover in the same car for the same event? You disappeared and left me with Collins for hours meanwhile, you were with Monique and Peace.”

“Who told you that? They are deceiving you, I am telling you the truth. I wasn’t with anyone that night the way you are thinking.”

“I have evidence, should I show you or give you a chance to speak the truth for once? I have never considered another guy since we were together. Men hit on me constantly but because I made a commitment, I never considered it. I am free to date now and this time, I will take my time to choose who I want to be with. I will get to know the men and not rush into what I will regret later.”

“I am ready to change for you. If we can get married now, everything will be fine and I will not desire another woman. I want to meet your parents and make my intentions known. I love you too much for another man to steal you away from me. I have endured enough, I want to make it official now.”

It sounded good. It sounded like what I would have loved to hear but I always had reservations about Stanley. It was nothing serious but something told me to be careful of him and that was why I didn’t trust him completely to give him my heart. Here he was willing to marry me and somehow I did not trust his motive to be real love. I asked him to give me time to think about it. There was nothing to think about, he was a lying cheat who would do anything to get into bed with me to win.

Back at the lodge after I had bathed and had a meal, I decided to call Collins and find out through him what Stanley was truly up to.

“I can’t believe you called me,” Collins said in excitement. “I can come to you right away if you just say the word.”

“I wouldn’t mind that I feel down right now. But, I have had a meal and you will be coming out here for nothing.”

“Seeing you is not nothing. I will come over.”

He came to the hospital and not the lodge. I did not want anyone to see us together and conclude anything. I met him and we drove out to a restaurant in Ikeja. We sat by the poolside and we talked. Collins was cool and I enjoyed talking to him. He flowed easily and the atmosphere was always chilled. When I told him what Kennedy said, he laughed and said, “He has always been a stupid boy. It just means you have to have your guard up at all times even with me. If I have an opportunity with you, I will take it.”

I also told him Stanley proposed. He had a good laugh. He asked me, “Are you seriously considering his offer? He wants to save face from being dumped by a virgin. He wants to brag about being your first and now owning you. We both know he won’t change and he will be better at hiding it. He fought with Peace some days back. I had to lead her out and he told me I could have her if I wanted.”

“And did you?”

“I don’t want someone he rejected. He has never said that about you, he can never. If he sees us together, he would either me or I kill him. A girl should put a value on herself just as you did. Those who appreciate value will want the lady. It is that simple.”

It sounded funny coming from Collins. I didn’t know him well, but with his association with Stanley and Kennedy, I believed he lived their lifestyle. Maybe I had not given him a chance. I enjoyed his company, although I had no emotional connections with him. I saw him as a friend.

I couldn’t eat because I was full so he bought some food for me. It was so much because I could not decide on what I wanted. I enjoyed the way he pampered me effortlessly. He was a smooth guy. Let me not forget to add that most of the ladies had their eyes on him. He took me back to the hospital. It was late, and I decided to hang around there. One of my colleagues was on duty at O&G. She said they had a case of multiple gestation and I was available to partake in the delivery.

When I got into the outer theatre, I found out only six doctors apart from the Consultant were ready for the delivery. I was glad that I was able to scrub in. As we entered the theatre, I saw Dr Paschal had joined us. The delivery was smooth and I admired the confidence of the consultant as he delivered the quadruplets. The Pediatrics Consultant was at hand to receive the babies and move them to their incubators because they came early and they were underweight.

By the time everything was settled, there were three other surgery deliveries scheduled. We were exhausted at the end of the day. I stayed back at the hospital to stop myself from thinking about anything. Work helped me to divert my mind from my situation. I went into the office to rest before leaving for the lodge and I met Dr Paschal there. He was also resting. When I came in, he looked up and saw me.

“Please shut the door, I need to talk to you,” he said to me. I came in and sat down. “I saw you with a guy today. He picked you up. He is not your usual guy. I heard both of you broke up. I understand you are heartbroken from the breakup and have been sad, but why does everyone have to know? You are a smart young lady, should everyone be in your business?”

“No. Someone is spreading the rumours and I wonder what they stand to gain by doing so.”

“Stop being sad and bounce back to your real self many people have fallen in love with. And, this new guy, be careful. You might be using him to get back on your man, but you might just be destroying your reputation.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

“Anytime. I like you and I don’t want your reputation to be ruined. I told my colleagues to look beyond your outfit to your commitment to your career and they have seen it. You are still young and men will be at your beck and call. Even the blind can see you are beautiful, your type will get snatched by the highest bidder. Although you do not look to me as someone interested in monetary gains from a man.”

I didn’t answer him. I brought down the food from where I had locked it away. It was about 11 pm and I was tired and famished. When I opened the cupboard, the smell of the food hit our nostrils and Paschal announced shamelessly, that he would love to have some food. I set the food on the table and went to get plates and cutlery. The office was quite small and was a place we could hide out and rest. Both of us in there was just enough space. Paschal asked me to lock the door so no one would see us together. He did not want rumours to fly unnecessarily.

After the meal, he thanked me. He was too tired to move and I was too, He put his legs on the table and placed his head on the top of the chair. I lay on the small couch. I fell asleep not long after. We were both comfortable in that small space. We slept for four hours before we were awoken by some knocking on the door. I woke up first and then Paschal did. He asked who it was and the person apologised and left. He stood up and left the room and returned a few minutes later. I also left to ease myself.

“Thank you for the lovely meal. I slept peacefully for the first time in this hospital. Maybe it’s because you fed me well and you slept here with me.”

“You are welcome.”

“Tell me about your boyfriend, you were so invested in that relationship that you did not notice anyone else.”

“Was I? I don’t think so. I believe I was more focused at work not to notice anyone. If anyone was interested in me, the person never spoke up.”

“They were all intimidated by your wealthy boyfriend. Many of us are not from rich homes. Who can compete for a woman’s heart without money.”

“I don’t understand. Anyway, no one requires wealth to ask a lady out, it requires self-confidence. It is not about what you have now but the prospect of the future. We have seen several success stories. I like an assertive man or even a friendly guy and also a generous guy. You don’t need to buy me the whole world but within your financial capacity, give thoughtful gifts. My ex-boyfriend took me out, but he rarely handed me money. He took me to Portugal though, I can’t deny that. But guess what, I could afford everything he did for me by myself. So, it is not about his money but the thoughts he put into making me happy.”

“It is easy to say this because you dated him. Why did you break up with him? I know you must have ended the relationship.”

“He cheated on me with a colleague. He denied it and when I got the proof I needed to label him a liar. He wants to marry me now.”

“I heard the reason he cheated was because you were not letting him in.”

“I don’t get.”

“You refused intimacy with him. Is that true?”

“Where did you hear this? Who is telling you things about me?”

“I wanted to know everything about you so I can protect you. It’s a good thing you held onto your dignity. Many girls don’t understand the importance of being chaste. Medically, it is also in the woman’s best interest. Rich guys cheat a lot because they believe their money can buy any girl, and the girls remain with him because of the money.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but even broke boys can be unfaithful and you know it. They are even more unfaithful than some rich guys. It has nothing to do with money but character.”

“You are 100% correct. I have seen it often here but I try to avoid gossip. I only listen to conversations concerning you. I correct some misconceptions some staff members have about you and try to ensure you are in the right frame of mind. This breakup affected you. You should move on or forgive him. He is a nice guy, I liked the way he was so dedicated to you.”

“Did my father pay you to look out for me? I don’t trust him not to have. You are too interested in my life.”

“Urenna, I wish he had asked me, I would have done it gladly for him. I’m doing this to protect you from yourself. I had an interest in you but I wasn’t bold enough to let you know how I felt bad about it. When I wanted to, your boyfriend showed up. I have watched you from a distance since then.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? We worked together many times but you never mentioned it.”

“If I had, would you have considered me? I am not from an affluent family, I am the first of five children and I have responsibilities. I do not know nice places in Lagos to take you to. I don’t have a car, how do I impress you?”

“You already did. The first time we met, your words of encouragement helped me survive. If you had stepped forward after then, I would have considered your proposal.”

Paschal’s reaction changed for the first time since we began to talk. He couldn’t look me in the face anymore. I smiled as he looked away without saying a word for a few minutes and then he said, “The guy this evening, are you considering him?”

“He is my ex’s cousin so no,” I replied.

“And you are sure it is over between you and Stanley, I do not want anyone coming for me. We have to keep the relationship quiet until the coast is clear.”

“Relationship?” I asked.

“Yes, or do you need time to sort out your issues with both men?”

“Are you asking me out?”

“Yes, I have told you I like you but I always felt out of your league. But tonight I am convinced it might work. But for now, I would want it to be quiet. People talk too much and I don’t want that. I want us to enjoy what we have in secret.”

I didn’t subscribe to a secret relationship because I knew some guys dated different girls and asked for their relationship to be secret so the other ladies wouldn’t know about it. But I did not sense that with Paschal and I knew if I was going to do this, I needed to know him better. We were two very busy people but we had to find the time. I was rounding up housemanship in less than a month and here I was starting a secret love affair with a senior colleague. I couldn’t ask any more questions.

Paschal came closer to me. He held my hands and said, “I hope I am not pressuring you into doing something you don’t want to do. I will wait until you are ready, no matter how long it takes. You are so beautiful and please don’t forget to wear your smile. I want to see it every day.” I nodded in reply. I could not talk and everything went so fast. We were both becoming tense as we stood close to each other. “I have to go. Thanks for making my night beautiful.” He tried to peck me but I turned abruptly and his lips landed on my lips. I wanted to pull away, but I couldn’t stop myself. The kiss got deeper and he pulled me closer to him. I knew I was in trouble at that moment if I didn’t stop it so I placed my hand on his chest and slightly pushed him away. He stopped and looked at me.

“I’m sorry I got carried away, your lips are so soft and succulent. I could kiss them all day and night. Thanks for letting me taste them.” I could not respond. “What time are you on call? I am on call this morning. I need to take a bath and rest for two hours before I resume. What about you?””

“I’m on night.” I managed to say.

“Let’s go then. I will see you off to the door. You can leave. Once you tell me you are ready for me, I can now discuss it with you. Is that ok?”

I nodded. He saw me to the back door. He gave me a head start before he came out.

I got into my room and asked myself what just happened. I had my first kiss with a guy I look up to. I touched my lips and looked at them in the mirror. I smiled and my smile stared back at me. Paschal was right, my smile was captivating.

Tbc