The long wait

I woke up to the rays of light filtering through my room, as I walked over to the window, I side glanced to see Iyke still sleeping peacefully and snoring lightly. Iyke, my boyfriend... He was a tall, handsome and goodlooking guy, one of the things that really attracted me to him, I remember the day he walked up to me. I was just walking out of a readers meet, a small gathering of like minds who love to read and as I strolled to my car in my usual casual Saturday wear of a green top and a sweatshirt tied around my neck over a tight blue jeans worn with a green sneaker. "Hi" he greeted, I turned around just as I was about inserting my car keys to behold the marvel in front of me and with outstretched arms, he said "my name is Ikechukwu Mmadu", still a bit marvelled by his physique and stature, this gorgeous 6 feet 5 with beautiful brown eyes and tanned beautiful creamy skin, I knew I could start eating him immediately if only he was delicious chocolate served hot. The sound of my car keys hitting the ground brought me back to reality and as I bent to pick them up, he also bent and our eyes locked like it was trying to communicate, he helped me up and smiled, " oh my God" I exclaimed, his smile was something else, something unusual was happening to me "Hi", I finally found my voice "I am Zara, Chizara Emenike" he stretched out his hands again and this time I took it. "I have been watching you come in every Saturday" he said, "Are you a stalker" I asked rather sharply. "No dear, i go to a gym just over there" he pointed out. "I couldn't help but notice how beautiful you are and I have quietly observed you", a slight smile formed around my lips as I relaxed a little bit, he continued, "so what do you come here to do every Saturday". Still smiling, I replied, " there is a bookclub, I attend here" I pointed out. "Oohhh I see, that must be fun, are you a writer". No, I replied rather sternly, "I am a Nurse with a flare for good reads" oh wow! he exclaimed, "a Nurse who reads". "Well I am a real estate agent", you know. As though he was trying to match up to my profession. "We sell houses and buy houses or lands and everything real on the estate". I chuckled, he was funny. After a while of exchanging pleasantries and exchanging numbers, we both drove off. That night must have been really beautiful because he called me up and we engaged in long conversations, we talked and talked, most times till morning, we did not want to leave each other. We went on dates, had lunch together and It did not take long for him to ask me to be his girlfriend. What the hell, I was single as 1, I had a career, I was doing things right but something felt amiss. I knew I was lonely and since I started talking to him, I felt better and brighter, always chuckling in corners around the Ward, my senior nurse would tease me saying, " you look like you have hit a jackpot" so yes, I wanted to be his girlfriend. I agreed, things kicked off, we shared romantic dates, had dinner together, visited places, he even started coming to my book club with me and I to his gym with him. Six months after we moved in together and I had never been happier. I asked him what his plans were for our future, seeing as we were six months old already and phewwwwwwww....That was the whistle sound i needed to hear because suddenly everything changed. Iyke would go out and come back late at night, he ate out and most often slept out, he rarely called as often as he used to, I knew something had changed because I confronted him but each time he would say there was nothing wrong. I am sure there was something wrong, I kept pressuring and still got the same reply. He would sleep out and when he wasn't sleeping out he would come back rather drunk, those were red signals, I knew I had to leave him but I still waited, waited for a miracle, perhaps he caught cold feet because of my question. I was patient, I loved him at least those were words I consoled myself with. My glow was fading, head nurse noticed and asked "Are you all right, you look a shadow of yourself" I would often say "I am fine, just stressed out lately" she would reply back saying "do take care of yourself, nothing is worth you health and peace of mind" it sounded almost like she knew what the problem was. I wished I could talk to her about it or talk to someone but I feared they would laugh at me and cajole me into leaving Iyke. So I stayed on and beared it silently while wishfully praying things get better.

A year had gone by, we were still together, his countenance had yet to change, the previous night was a normal routine of him coming home drunk and me nagging. I had helped him to the bedroom, removed his shoes and turned towards him. "Iyke, honey, what's wrong?" "Do you not love me anymore" I had asked, no reply came from his side, I kept asking, "or is there someone else" I asked again, all the while searching for the answers on his face. He mumbled something so inaudible sounded like "there is no one" or so I thought, I continued to ask questions but the only answer I got afterwards were his loud snoring and I knew he was uninterested or rather he was too drunk to reason. I cried a little bit, said my usual wishful prayers and slept right next to him.

This day...

It was morning when I woke up, the rays of light streaming through the room and walking across the room I side glanced as Iyke slept peacefully without a care in the world as to how I slept, if I even slept at all. I closed the curtains and blocked the light coming in and heard him sigh gratefully like he wanted me to close the curtains all along.

I went ahead and prepared to go to work, nothing seemed fine but I still continued to hope, I made breakfast, set the table and placed a note right where he would see it. It read "I am off to work, eat your breakfast".

At work, all I could think of was how much I couldn't take it any longer, I mean I was too educated and too beautiful to be taken for a ride. I was 29 and I had my whole year ahead of me, I asked myself repeatedly what I have been tolerating and I knew the answer to that question, it was 6:00pm and like a lightening streak, i hurried home, to get this burden off my chest, I was done, I needed my peace, I needed my answer and even though he won't answer me, I needed to go, to leave him...

As I got home, the house was lit, there was music in the house, people were sauntering in, I was surprised, what was happening? I asked myself. I walked into the sitting room, everywhere was changed, it was like a completely different place, what was happening, I thought to myself "where was Iyke and what was happening?" I turned around and right there on the ground, he was, one knee down, looking so handsome in his navy blue striped suit and pink tie with a little box in his hands containing a shiny object, and he said "Will you marry me?" I must have been dreaming, because I turned around and suddenly I could recognise people I knew, head nurse, my colleagues and even mum. I touched him, this was not a dream, it was real. My mum was crying joyfully and everyone was smiling and asking me to accept the ring. I turned around to go and Iyke held my arm, he said to me "I know you thought I was being unfair, maybe I was, you asked me a question, I was too scared of ruining what we had, it took me a long time but I finally found the courage to answer you". I was shocked, should I be angry or grateful, I didn't know. " "Zara, I love you, I have always loved you right from the day I set my eyes on you till this very day, i was a bit confused, sorry I took so long to come around but the truth is I can't live my life without you, you mean the world to me" I was more perplexed but I held him up and asked him if he really meant it because I did not want to wait any longer and right there he held my hand and reassured me "this is not just an engagement, it is our wedding but that's only if you agree. I exclaimed, I was happy, " yes, yes, I will marry you". There was a reverend in the gathering, mum took me to get ready and in a few minutes time, I was saying "I do" to the love of my life. It was indeed a long wait but it was worth it at the end...