Maria's dilemma

Name of author: Lydia Mensah

Number of pages:   seven

Word count        :   2352

#Start your story with someone being presented with a dilemma. #

She had lived most of her life as a single woman and she found nothing wrong with it. She was actually enjoying its prospects until she realised that some people’s happiness depended on her status. Everyone was tired of waiting Inn eager expectation for her to settle down. No one had been bold enough to tell her in the face though. She was the topic of discussion every day. No wonder she felt restless every time. This time around, with the backing of the elders of her family and her own conviction, her grandmother was able to confront her with their concerns.

“I need to see my grandchildren before I die.” She said. What did her mother have to say about this opinion of hers’? Was she on her side too? Since she had voiced out her concerns, it would be prudent to give her a befitting answer even if it was not what she was expecting.

“You will, Maame. Just be patient.” She replied; gently assuaging her fears. Older people needed to be handled with tact an individual be mistaken for being disrespectful. Young people, unlike the older generation, loved to be heard but .Her comment took her by surprise so much that she had to regain her composure by breathing hard in and out.

“Do you have asthma?” she asked, concerned.

“No Maame. I just have to deal with something. That’s all.” She answered rather coldly.

“Is it because of what I said?” she asked, trying to probe further, VERY Much aware that her granddaughter would avoid discussing this issue. She was yet to be well acquainted with her grandmother who had come to help with her little baby sister. She would be back in the village soon. Could she ignore her request until she was back in the village and get on with her life? She could follow up on her or delegate others to do so on her behalf.

“How long do you want us to wait? We can’t wait forever! We are drawing near to the grave and you still have not fulfilled our hearts’ desire.” rebuking her for reacting the way she did. 

“Who do you think you are? A princess? We don’t have forever ooooo!” Adding more insult to the injury she had already caused.

“If your mother had waited that long, would you be here right now breathing like a frog as if you’re calling on someone to come to your aid?”  She chuckled. “You better consider my proposal lest you refrain from weeping beside my graveside and at my funeral. A grandchild would make me happy and keep me alive for your sake.” That was all she was asking for. Had she considered that the process was more complicated than what she was requesting? It would mean searching for the right partner and this was a bad time to be rushing into relationships. She also wished to concentrate on her studies which would be obviously disrupted by a serious relationship with anyone. All her male friends were only acquaintances and nothing more than that.

The generation gap between herself and her grandmother however, would not allow her to pursue her desires if she really wanted to have her peace of mind. Suddenly, she began asking her friends questions about the right way to enter into relationships, which made them, see her in a different light. She was never interested in one and she discouraged others who ventured into it. Why now? Some withdrew from her because, although they were not aware of the pressure from her family, they could not identify with a desperate girl like herself. All her secret admirers now felt vindicated that they were being denied of expressing their interest by her blatant disregard for them. That did nothing to change their stance though. She was still playing ‘hard-to –get’ anyway.  They could guess she was becoming more and more aware of herself, and was refusing to be forthright about it. People suddenly stopped talking when she came around and she felt so odd. Why would she be a topic for discussion when she was minding her own business? She lost her focus and could not discuss her dilemma with anyone. It was too delicate an issue to trust anyone with it.

Oduro, the most caring male friend she had ever known, was quick to sense the change in her mood and interactions with other people. She was suspicious of everyone and was at loggerheads with a few people as a result. This was a kind of reputation he would not wish for anyone, not even his enemies. He would find out sooner or later from the horses own mouth, the reason for the change. Mara respected him so much for his maturity in handling such issues. When she began to trail in some of her courses, he managed to help her catch up and increase her Grade Point Average. He was thus waiting for the right time to get her talking. The more he waited however, the more he realised that a wrestling match had begun; very funny to watch and observe. He would be the referee soon or so he thought.  He was amused to see Patterson hovering around his ‘best friend’ and was very intrigued to know his ways. He was a very fine gentleman, very refined and polished in character. He did not think he would find enough courage to approach Mara; but he did.  Oduro observed him carefully and wondered whether he would be able to withstand the cruelty of the match at hand. Men had very bizarre elimination tactics which he might not survive. Already, Mara had begun to hear stories about him, some of which she doubted. She just could not fathom that someone would fabricate such stories just to gain favour in her eyes. She pitied him for being such an early casualty.

It was then that she opened up to Oduro who was grateful for the chance to intervene in the situation. Patterson needed to be exempted from the misery of rejection. He and Mara discussed how best they could distract him from the rat race and set him back on course. They could feign being in a relationship and convince him that Mara was already taken. He would not put up a fight; that they were so sure of. It worked. Mara heaved a sigh of relief. She and Patterson became close friends though, but with a clean heart. 

With Patterson out of the way, Oduro became the next target of extreme opposition and hatred from prospective lovers. He was always getting in their way in one way or the other and so they found ways of eliminating him. Their first plan of action was to gang up against Oduro. They hired a lady to distract him from his mission. Oduro already had a soft spot for her and therefore could not refuse her requests for attention. Mara noticed how much he was hooked on her and decided to give him some space to operate. His opponents had finally won the battle. Now, it was the turn of Koduah, a kind-hearted and jovial man. One thing about this man was that he was very irritating. His diction was bizarre and he left Mara with a migraine after several hours with him. With time, they drew apart. According to the agreement, as soon as Mara became disinterested in one of the contestants, he must consider himself defeated.  She would have considered him save for his annoying nature.

As for Odeede, the next candidate, the situation was different and dicey because, though he was already taken, it was Mara who rather had an eye for him. Unfortunately, he showed no interest in her. When he realised what Mara was trying to do, it placed him in a very difficult situation.

He did not fancy her that much to want to go out with her any time and did not want to make it so obvious so she would not get hurt. This time, his disinterest broke her heart.

The expectations from her grandmother however, gave her the impetus to proceed. She was in no way ready to disappoint her. The passion behind her plea, though not right, made her willing to please her. Life would be miserable for her if she did not do so.

Mara was very intelligent and always came top of her class, and for that matter, all who were interested in her academic performance too tried to select suitable candidates amongst the best of the lot on her behalf. It was as if they knew her dilemma. Did they also believe that she needed to settle down? Although all was up to her, they thought it might boost her career if she found someone who was towing the same path as herself. It was good to know that she was not alone in this dilemma. However, her destiny was in her own hands. Could she possibly let someone down with her indecision? Could she overlook someone who was the right person for her because she was not pursuing the same course as they were?

Oduro finally found his feet in her life once again after several attempts to avoid the diversion. This comeback proved to be a stitch in time. She was not interested in him anyway and got tired of being used as a distraction. Her reputation was also at stake. Oduro’s return onto the scene brought the proverb two heads are better than one to life. The two of them put together a list and placed a check on those they were sure had showed some form of interest, a double check for those who had been able to propose, a few though they were, and so on and so forth. Mara was to do a little bit of probing to find their intentions for their friendship. If the fellow was interested in marriage, he had three ticks. If a fellow was too desperate and acted so, she put a cross beside his name for possible elimination if his points did not exceed the others in the end. After all, she must come to terms with the fact that she may not be ready to settle down. It was not a matter of disrespect but a matter of being content with herself. Armed with this realisation, she overcame the pressure of trying to please her grandmother and refused to allow her to interfere with such issues as personal as this. Too many of her friends and colleagues had fallen victim to such pressure to wilfully succumb to the same of such.

When it was finally time to put an end to the search, unexpected proposals came trickling in from all angles so much that she literally had to escape from some men who would not barge and would do anything to have her. The intensity of the pressure was baffling.

Kwadwo Manso, was one of such; a long-time friend of hers’, who emerged from the shadows to remind her of the times he had managed to drag her out of her house to take her to parties she never dreamt of going to. Kwadwo Manso could get anything he wanted in the world if he put his mind to it. He was very persuasive in his approach towards his priorities. It would be difficult to ascertain how serious he was though, because he took everything as a joke. He could propose to her and not be serious about it.

He looked different and more mature than he was when they first met though as they got together and reminisced about past times. He was so convincing that they went out together a few times, with Oduro as a chaperone, of course. That decision seemed to get on his nerves. He believed they needed time alone together and Oduro should have known better than that. Her grandmother was so excited to have Kwadwo Manso back and encouraged him to convince her to settle down, perhaps, with him.

“He will treat you well in future.” She said to her after having a long chat with him and laughing her heart out. She would love to have more of those in the near future. But how would she know that he was good for her? Could she foretell the future? It could be the wisdom of the aged at work anyway, but she had to be cautious. Howbeit, she considered the fact that she was the same person who had put her in this dilemma in the first place. If she was really concerned about her welfare, she would just let life take its normal course and avoid controlling her life

  “And he knows how to handle family issues, my dear.” She continued. Now, she perceived she was going too far with her ideas. He could become the family puppet, tossed here and there for their selfish interests. She would love to have someone she could have for herself.

Clad with all these options, she was finally ready to make a choice. Just when she thought her woes were over, lo and behold, she received a very unsettling letter.

My dear Mara. It said.

You may not know me but I’ve known you for long.

I don’t think it will be fair to exclude me from your list at this crucial time. I may be the one you need.

Yours truly, Benedict.

Who was Benedict? She never knew anyone called Benedict? Had he changed his name or something of that sort? Did he leave an address? Oh yes he did. She searched for Benedict using his email address. Oh, yes! She knew him.

They were good friends way back in school. She did not consider him that close to settle down with him for a lifetime though. Benedict or Kwadwo Manso. Who would it be in the end? She was now as confused as ever.