Chapter Two
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ven though Richard knew
the risk involved in meeting a strange girl and planning already without her
knowledge of making her his friend’s wife, he could not face Haniel and tell
him to give up the issue. His elder sister, Mary-May had been worried too for
Haniel since Richard told her about the talk he had with Haniel after school
that day. What could she do to help? Haniel had grown up with the talk of
meeting The One in school like his
father and planning the future all along. How could she face him and advice him
not to pursue that cause, not to follow that gray line, that golden path his
father trod.
The
life of a son of a father is either the faithful followership of that which
made his father successful or the struggle to abandon that which his father did
and is not successful.
Richard’s mother was a
columnist with The Brown Chronicle, a
writer with international award in her silver hand-bag. The mother had worn the
heart of her husband in school when he came second after her in a writing competition
held to mark their graduation from the most prestigious school, the famous
school which their kids are made to attend. But the difference with the growing
up in Haniel’s and Richard’s house is the simple fact that Richard’s parent did
not always sing the need for them to look for their mate there in school or to
chose who to remain with till forever comes at that age. They made this clear
so that the kids would not make any wrong choice and later blame them for
initiating them into their path.
That
morning as Richard led the morning devotion with his family, he prayed.
“Lord
God, we thank you for the gift of life and the gift of this day. We ask You to
bless it and make it fruitful. I pray also for my friend Haniel and his family,
meet them all especially Haniel at the point of his needs.”
Only
the sister answered a louder amen to
that prayer, and later the parents acknowledged they sensed something was
fishing but since it appeared to be intruding into someone else’s privacy, they
only told the children to be careful and help their friend to walk the right
path. And knowing the task ahead of her brother and his friend, Mary-May, who
took after her mother in writing, wrote a poem for Haniel where she hailed him
for identifying The One, but also pledged that he allowed his reason to guide
his decision and not his emotion. Although she had planned to sit with her
computer every night to write and make a career in writing, she also chose to
study Philosophy; thereby having the ability to think critically and
constructively, to evaluate situations, and to reach concrete conclusion
without committing any fallacy.
In
school, Richard gave the poem to Haniel who read it with reverence like reading
the Bible. Instantly, he replied, also in the form of poem. This was why
Mary-May loved him: his ability to write, especially replies to a given issue.
But as he write the reply, his gawk was scanning almost everywhere in the
school compound in search of Comfort. As he got to the closing line of the
poem, he saw Comfort and ran to meet her. Richard was engaged in a discussion
with a class mate, probably making enquiring too about someone strange in the
hall on Friday. It was the other person who drew Richard’s attention to Haniel
who practically, was running to meet Comfort. In an instance, Richard joined
him, walking briskly towards Comfort.
It was
their fourth year in that school and Comfort could not remember ever having a
close contact with Haniel or could she remember ever having anything to do with
him and Richard. They only greet each other when they met on an even path.
Comfort was the brilliant type, always top in the class, always seen with the
girls. She grew up with a catchiest father and a mother who once had the call to
become a nun, but could not answer it after graduating from Isiraojie Secondary School, because she had become The One for Onafowope
Kayode, the most popular basketball player. Seeing Richard and Haniel hurrying
up to her, she waited with lots of thoughts running through her head. She
turned squarely and faced them, praying that all should be well. As they got to
her, Haniel spoke up.
“Please, good morning Comfort. I know
you might be feeling like ‘what do we want this Monday morning’, but please
help me.” He paused and looked at Richard who gave him a ‘take it easy boy’
stare. Haniel got it and smiled.
Still not sure where the whole thing
was leading to, Comfort remained calm and pretended she was listening when her
mind was miles away and her heart in her mouth. Somehow she got the power to
speak.
“I am not getting anything here
please. Make me understand am not in any danger and that ...”
“No, no Comfort, you are not in any
danger. In fact am the one in danger.” Haniel said, looking at his friend this
time. But as his inclined role, Richard once again performed the spokes man.
“Han saw you with someone last Friday
and could not get his mind to rest since, throughout the weekend.”
Comfort smiled and looked as if she
had been expecting to hear just that. She said. “Last week I was with lot of
persons. May be if you describe better, I could recall.” But her smiling face
sold her out. She gave a sight of a person who had heard of the news before it
got to them. What did she know, why is she smiling? Is she mocking them? Haniel
thought.
Haniel drew closer to her and said.
“She came into the hall with us and registered for the examinations too. At
least that was what I saw her do, I don’t know if she actually wanted to sit
with us.”
“Have you seen her somewhere before
that day?”
“Nope, but I wish to see her again
please. It’s important I see her again Comfort. Please.”
“Both of you had not seen each other
before last Friday, and you are ...” she stopped. She was about to say
something but held it back, making Richard and Haniel more confused and this
time worried. But it least, it confirmed the fact that she was real.
Richard asked. “Is she real, Comfort?
I mean, can we get to know her before she comes around?”
“She is as real as the sun that is
shining on us now. And you might not know her well until you meet with her. She
can explain to you better who she is, and ...” she withheld something again.
Haniel noticed. And then she walked into the classroom, sat in her site and
folded her arms. Haniel went to her and sat down on the site next to her with
Richard at the other side. Haniel again said.
“Comfort please, who is she?”
Looking straight between their
shoulders, Comfort said. “She is the one with the most brilliant smiles I’ve
ever seen. She is the one with a heart that is open to every individual that
cares to enter. She is the one that cares for people she knows nothing about.
She is the one coming forth like a morning star, fair as a moon, bright as the
sun, like a creature from another planet.” Because her eyes were smiling and
were not blink, Haniel followed her gawp and beheld her, The One, coming into
the class.
As she was walking towards them,
Haniel stared and got lost in it. His heart jumped into his open mouth, sweats
ran down his forehead. The force of her pleasantness was everywhere in the
classroom. Everyone, both girls and boys were made to look; Richard too. Maybe
now he knew why his friend was practically dead to this girl. But before anyone
could do anything, the student union president followed right behind her. She
smiled at Haniel and walked to her site. As he and Richard were leaving for
their own place, six pews away, Comfort said.
“Her name is Deborah. Deborah Ogbe-Anaju.”
Back at his place, Haniel could not
concentrate on what the president was saying; and was grateful the man was saying
much but giving instructions on the need to make the hand-over ceremony of the
union a hitch-free event. Richard told him the details later. As he noticed the
long hairs which fall on the neck of The One, he said within himself.
She
is a golden lily in the dew, she looks as sweet as an apple on the tree, as
fine as a melon in the cornfield, gliding and lovely as a ship on the sea, a
damsel, a Greek goddess.
The moment the president left the
hall, Haniel rushed to where Deborah was sitting and said.
“Please, I would appreciate it if you
come outside with me; there is a confession I have to make”
“Confession you said?”
Confession in did! Or what could one
call this feeling, this hidden agenda of winning someone’s heart for ever, if
not a confession. At first, he thought she would not even look at his face; but
with her now, she wore a smiling face, and it was welcoming looking into the
bright eyes. He strongly believed that she and Comfort must have shared something
concerning, either him or Richard or both of them. He glanced at where Comfort
was sitting and saw her looking like she had seen a fiction movie come real.
Deborah hesitated for while but
agreed to go with him. And when she stood, Haniel took her hand in his and led
her out the hall. They made for the school’s garden with a pond close by.
Sitting on one of the garden benches, with Haniel still holding her hand, it
took them like a decade of silence before Haniel found his voice.
“What a damsel you are Deborah.”
“Thank you.” She answered blushing.
“You are a paragon of beauty.” Haniel
added as he looked away, picked a stone from the ground and threw into the
pond. Turned to her again and said.
“My name is Christopher Haniel. I
hailed from the Middle Belt Zone of this Country. I am the last child and the
only male child in my family. I ...” he began to stammer.
Are these all he has to tell her to
win her over to his place and keep her forever? This part is hard. His parents
did not tell him about this part. They did not tell him he had to say something
and made some personal introduction. They did not tell him it’s going to be
this difficult wooing a girl. But how did his father did it to his mother?
Since he is the true son of his father, what gave his father courage and words
and determination, would also bring that charm over to him as he prepare to
launch another trail.
“My friends call me Debby.” Deborah
picked up the conversation. “And I understand what you are about to say.”
“You do?” Haniel said with surprise
in his voice, on his face, and within his being.
“Yes. And what will be of me if I’ve
not asked question about you before now?”
Fear gripped him. What! She has asked
questions about him? From the wrong source maybe. May be Comfort. Maybe...
She continued. “What will happen if I
say I’ve heard much about your performance in school and your ability on the
field of football?”
Haniel sat speechless, just looking
at her. “You mean that someone told you somethings about me?”
“Haniel, I’ve seen you several times
in almost all your daily activities; and you wore good quality I admire in a
friend.”
“One day we will be more than
friends.” Haniel added quickly.
She smiled and continued. “Han, I’ve
loved you for over thirty days now. But since nature itself does not allow us,
the females, to always take the first step towards starting a relationship; I
refused you to know it. For I thought you might consider me too cheap, which
you know it’s an insult to the female gender.”
The hand of time has changed. The
dial is now running backward towards where Haniel did not expect. This morning
is the first and best of the days of his life. This day is the beginning of the
rest days of his life. This is it! Where had she seen him and know him and like
him and love him and want him? Who had told her about him, about his activities
and about his plans? Who?
She began to cry with the reason that
she had done something she never thought it’s right for a girl to do. She has
opened up her heart to a guy who only asked to confess to her, and now she is
the one confessing to him. Now what? She thought to herself.
I’m
not going to let him see that I want him badly. The first thing my mother told
me before I came to this school was about her days here too. She too came to
this school for a sport’s competition and met my father. She was not the best
that year, she came fourth in the female relay race. And as she broke down
crying over her lost, a smooth palm came on her shoulder and when she looked
up, it was Tabitha Oni - her husband. Can that come around again?
While Deborah was lost in her
thoughts, Haniel too was fighting his. He looked directly into her bright eyes,
and like God blew the breath of life into Adam the first man, Haniel spoke
speechlessly into her heart.
I
don’t know what is happening, either to me or to you, but I don’t really care
what is happening. I’ve loved you before I met you. Live now, live with me
forever. Please.
Still looking into her eyes, he
repeated his thoughts backwardly.
“Please. Live with me forever. I’ve
loved you before I met you. I don’t really care what is happening, either to
you or to me. I don’t want to know.” And like his life as just began, as if he
was holding a ring in his hand, he said. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure” She answered tearfully.
“Can you be my girl, my wife, the
mother of my children?”
“Let it lie till after school hour.”
And she stretched her left hand towards his face, stroked his cheek and walked
away without looking back.
He stood with thoughts running
through his entire system via his veins. Is that all she has to say to him
after the earlier show of I love you like
death? What is she trying to prove to him now, that she has gotten his
heart and walked away like she did not mean what she uttered? He too has been
kept in utterance snare, so much afraid to let his words entrap him. The only
tool that could hold one captive for ever had been used by them. It would be
only him if she did not really mean her words. This is seriously an utterance snare; his recently developed
word. The most prestigious gift of writers: creating words, new words out of
the existing ones; Utterance Snare.
