Is That a 'No'?

John could barely sleep at night. He had been awake for what seemed to him an eternity. His heart was racing fast, his mind exploring and cross-checking the plans he had put in place to propose to his girlfriend. He hoped the ring was beautiful enough. Darn it! If she wouldn't like it, he could always get her another one. He made the right choice to put her best friend, Yemi, (an event planner) in charge of the whole plan. Yemi should know her better. "It's today, baby! We'll be together forever. Bachelorhood was dope. I'll definitely miss it. But it's time to be a man!" He mused.

He promised himself to marry her in six months. There was no time to waste. He thought of Bayo, his colleague in the law firm where he works in Abuja, who had been engaged with his girlfriend for over three years and still hadn't married her. Damn! Poor girl! He just fixed a ring round her finger to keep her off limits. What the hell were they waiting for, a sign from above? Tragic, real tragic! In Nigeria, getting engaged is no sign of getting married. Not at all. Young men dread the mere thought of getting married. First, because of the cost of hosting a befitting wedding. The cost of bride price in the South Eastern part of Nigeria could kill a suitor. That is why so many men begin their marriages bankrupt. John had always thought that bride prices should be mere symbolism, or else they should be scrapped. Second, because of what marriage itself entails. There are so many 'woke' young men and women on social media, with their phantsamic demands. 'Woke' young people pay heed to married people who get paid to 'shake tables', while they remain unmarried. John often joked that tomorrow these same girls would begin to ask "God why?" and attend Prophet Odumeje's church for solutions. John's mind went to the cost of organizing the proposal dinner considering the catastrophic meltdown of Nigeria's economy, and he muttered under his breath, "Well, she's worth it."

His alarm beeped, and he quickly muted the sound. He knew how his soon-to-be fiancée loved her sleep. His 'fiancée-to-be' was stretched on the bed, beside him. He could hear the sound of her soft breathing. He loved to listen to it and it gave him calm. He often teased her that she snored like a baby dragon. She would laugh until her stomach ached. It was their second year together, and Mary had been fantastic so far. She was a wonderful cook; he could kill for her meals -his friends who often ate in his house vowed to kill him if he didn't marry her at the end. She was a good communicator -she knew when to talk and when not to, how to make him laugh, what to say to him when he was angry and he'd calm down. She didn't give much of a problem -she wasn't a drama queen. She was also pretty and well-endowed (her boobs and hips). She was perfect.

He remembered asking her what would be her response if he proposed to her, and she smiled saying "I'd be thrilled." Her smile meant the world to him, and he'd do anything to see her smile.

He got off the bed, washed himself up and came out of the bathroom. Mary was seated on the bed, with her back on the head rest. She smiled as he leaned towards her and kissed her on the lips. She smiled more brightly.

"Big day ahead?", she asked.

" Yes, I've got a presentation before the board members. That was why I didn't come home last night, remember?"

She paused a bit and acted surprised, "That's right. You know you could eat something before going."

John dressed himself up, planted a kiss on her neck and reminded her of their special dinner in the evening at Tantalizer's. She walked into the bathroom to prepare herself for work.

Tantalizer's. It was 7:03 pm. John had already waited about 20 minutes when doorman slid open the entrance door for Mary to come in. She looked as elegant as ever -fair in complexion, pink-lips, bright eyes, her dashing figure - in her red gown. She seemed surprised when she entered. She noticed the lights were dim and the restaurant was full -which is a rare occurrence on Tuesday, as on any other weekday. She could feel the stares of eyes from the dark on her. Who wouldn't stare? She was beautiful, she knew it, but didn't care. She was only after what would make her happy and give her peace of mind.

John waved to signal her to the table. He stood and pulled her seat. She sat, and he sat opposite her. She apoligised for her lateness. There's an unwritten rule about dates and dinners: the girl must be late. It's in the constitution. Abuja, apart from being far less populated than Lagos, had very wonderful road networks. Congestion in Lagos roads started as early as 4:30 am. There was a popular joke that, if a Lagosian visited Abuja and saw the free flow of traffic in the evenings, he would think it was a setup. Another one had it that, if one's wife were in the labour room and the husband was called, by the time he would get there, the child would've finished primary school.

They talked and laughed about work, the social events they attended together, and their mothers. John's mother was full of drama. She could make an angel look bad and a saint look like a scumbag with ease. She was a fighter and a go-getter -her husband was an idealist who could fantasize about how things ought to be, and yet offered no tangible contribution. If not for John's mother, John and his 3 siblings would've been living in squalour, daydreaming alongside their father about what they could've become if not for some imaginary circumstances. Mary's mother, on the other hand, was very humble and good-natured. She passed those values onto her daughter. Mary hardly mentioned her father, because he abandoned them while they were little. And she vowed to work as hard as possible to make sure she wiped the tears her mother shed in order to raise her and her two siblings.

After some seconds of silence John started, "We've been together for two years now, and you know how much I love you...." She was not interested in the preamble, she was already getting nervous, just like any girl who senses that she's about to be proposed to. Just pop the damn question!

He took a knee, looked her in the eye and said, "Mary, will you marry me?"

Immediately, the lights in the restaurant came on and she found out that the restaurant was filled with their mutual friends. Whispers of "awwnnn" and "say yes!" floated from one side of the hall to the other. Many thoughts saturated her mind. She could hear many voices -it was real chaos up in her head. In her calm, caring manner, she knelt down to John, held him in her hands, and said,

"I really do, I want to. But-" the onlookers gasped in shock. "But you slept with Yemi, my best friend, two nights ago." She said pointing to a chic lady in yellow skimpy dress.

"How did I know? She took a photo of both of you while you were sleeping after sex. She knew you were going to propose to me. And she wanted to ruin it."

"I'm so sor-" He stammered.

"Cut it! I really love you. I can't say 'no' to you. I can't. But I'll think about it. Just give me time. The food tastes great", she said pointing to the table tearfully, " it's so sad that I can't finish it. We'll settle things when we get home."

She stood up, picked up her purse and walked out. Yemi's boyfriend stormed out. Yemi was crying after him, saying, "I can explain, baby, I can explain".