Butterflies in a bee hive.
Let love find me
I’m in my bed, the white mosquito net is stretched out about me like a blanket with a billion tiny holes. Three minutes earlier, my neighbours generator was loudly roaring through my window but luckily, power was restored and they turned it off. Tonight I’ll sleep in the quiet, with only the crickets to bear witness to the night.
Lying down, head propped against my bed stead and staring at my phone. I am waiting for the notification ring, indicating that he had responded to a text i sent two minutes ago.
Who you may ask?
A mosquito just flew by. Making jest of me by flying so close to my ear, triumphantly. You’d think that after taking great effort to install the net around a mop stick - I don’t have bed poles - the mosquitoes wouldn’t get in but I guess my improvisation is no match for them.
So yeah who am I waiting upon at this ungodly hour? I’ve only met him three times and I’m utterly convinced that this man is my forever. Only, I need to convince him that I’m his forever too.
My phone chimes and I forget about finding the mosquito in my dimly lit and stuffy room. It’s not him. It’s Marla. She’s depressed again. I thought depression was a silent thing to go through. I thought it just takes you under without your friends or family getting a hint of it. Well, that’s not the case for Marla, she’ll just texts or calls saying she’s depressed.
Another text from Marla, she can’t find what to wear for the party tomorrow, hence her depression. Typical Marla, she’ll make me go shopping with her tomorrow. I better mentally prepare myself because that girl is a walking indecision.
I started to text Marla back when a call came in, it’s him. What!!!! Play it cool, breathe in, breathe out. We’re not desperate, only interested.
Did I tell you how I met him? It’s very picturesque and cute, when I think about it. We met at church, in a prayer meeting where we all stood around in a cicle to pray for the service. I was standing next to the book sales stand during prayers. A book had dramatically fallen to the floor and I bent down to pick it up. Upon rising, I placed the book back on the table and turned to continue praying but I noticed someone staring at me so intently. Man, everyone else was praying, it was kinda awkward for us to be staring at each other.
After the prayers were done, he walked up to me and said hi. Walked up to me? More like towered above me with a well chiseled face, and he smelled so good. Nigerians, in a bid to describe his stature of not being either fat or thin would say, 'he has body small '.
I roll on my left side and prop my elbow into the bed, raising my torso up a little bit. I made a mental note, "Let the phone ring for the second time and then answer it on the third ring".
On the third ring, I picked up the phone.
"Hey", his voice came across the phone, soft as a feather but deep as a well.
"Hey"
"I’ve been thinking...a-and praying abo-about you." His words stammered through the phone. Wait! He has been thinking and praying about who? Me??? This cannot be true.
His words met silent jubilee, so he continued, rushing every word.
" I didn’t want to do this over a text, but what do you think about going on a picnic after church on Sunday? I’ll set everything up, I just need your presence".
"Sunday, hmmmmm, Sunday works for me". I mean, after two decades and three years in the span of my life of being single, I might as well bask in the prospect of a relationship.
"It’s a date then. Do have a good night "
"You too" I said, before cutting off the call.
The wall seemed to become more artistic as I stared at it. Suddenly, the roughly patches of paint looked more like textured acrylic on a plain canvas. I stayed staring at the wall for some time, daring myself to believe that a handsome Christian guy had just asked me to a date.
My phone buzzed and I looked down at it in my hand. It’s Marla. Her life depends on us shopping tomorrow.
I pull it up to my face and text back, "me too". Mamma needs some new clothes for her date because the butterfly just entered the bee hive.
Here’s to 30 days of writing without restraint.
Day 29/30 (I missed yesterday but I guess it’s alright)
Till next time, love and light.
