Cynthia walked into my room and met me
shedding tears. I heard footsteps and
turned, only to see her in another nightie
standing behind me remorsefully. I wiped
my tears immediately in order not to show
any weakness. She came and sat close to
me, and apologized for her words and
actions. She felt so sorry for making me
shed tears like a child. Her words of
apology touched me, and my eyes gave way
to the tears it couldn’t afford to hold
anymore. This time I sobbed and eventually
cried out loud, as I had gotten so emotional
and couldn’t hold myself anymore. Cynthia
also got emotional and began shedding
tears as well. It became like a sobbing
competition. She tried to console me,
taking my head and laying it on her laps in
the process. I wasn’t crying because of
Cynthia’s words of apology per say, but for
the loss of Ogechi’s love and Cynthia’s
thrust which took me years to build. We
retired to bed in my room that night in the
same emotional state, holding unto each
other to comfort ourselves in our warms.
That was the last real warm I was going to
have in a long while, so I went for it big
time.
The morning finally came after what
seemed like an endless night in Eden, and I
arose to prepare to take my leave as Lady
Cynthia had ordered. I had already taken my
bath and was packing my stuff when
Cynthia awoke to see me doing so.
“What are you doing J?”
“I’m preparing to leave” I replied.
“J, I’m really very sorry for having asked
you to leave. Believe me, I didn’t mean
that. I was just angry, that’s all. Please quit
the packing and do your normal thing. You
don’t have to go. I don’t want you to go.”
“Don’t worry about it Cynthia. I’ve made up
my mind to leave. Come to think of it, it’s
better I leave. I mean, that way we get to
avoid more problems.”
“What problems are you talking about?”
“You never can tell what may come up at a
later time if I don’t make this move now.
And I wouldn’t want to wait and find out.”
“Look J, I know it hit you hard when I
asked you to leave. But please don’t let
your ego get the better part of you. Even if
I meant what I said, I have changed my
mind now. Isn’t that enough to calm you
down? Okay, let me put it this way; J,
please don’t leave. I really need you to stay
in this house with me. And if you really
want to leave, let it be after you’ve
completed your Masters’ Degree Program.
At least, then I would know I’ve finished
what I started. Don’t deny me that chance, I
beg of you.”
“You’ve done a lot already for me. Nothing I
do now or later can change that fact. I
understand that you want to finish what you
started, but my mind is made up already. I
owe you the world Cynthia, and I hope that
one day I’ll be well positioned to repay all
your kindness to me.”
“Is that how desperate are to go for her?”
Cynthia asked with a relaxed tone of voice.
“Cynthia, don’t start.”
“Why?” Isn’t that the only logical
reasonable explanation to this sudden
strong will to leave? You’re going to
Oklahoma for Ogechi aren’t you? Have you
stopped for a moment to think about what
her life has been like these past years that
you’ve been apart? If I may ask, where was
she when you needed the support of your
life? I’m not disputing the fact that you
love her, but love is more of a practical
thing than mere feelings and words. From
what I’ve gathered, she had become a star
singer in America while you were still in
that radio house trying to get known at that
local level. I don’t mean to run her down
with my words, but you’ll certainly see
reasons with me if you don’t let emotions
becloud your reasoning.”
“That’s enough Cynthia. You lie there
painting an evil picture of Ogechi, little do
you know that you are alive today as a
result of her sacrifice. She could have
chosen to let you die and continue her
relationship with me. Instead she chose to
sacrifice our love for your life.”
“What are you talking about J? What
sacrifice for my life?”
“Listen Cynthia, while you were in coma, I
and Ogechi fasted for seven days to ensure
your recovery. In the process she had what
I would term a “revelation” that had it that
she must quit her relationship with me in
order for you awake from that coma. Or she
could choose to cling to me and let you
die. Guess what she did; she quit! That act
brought you back to life. You should be
grateful to her for what she did, but you lie
here slaying her with ill words.”
“Stop it J! Stop it! Wait a minute; I do not
really understand all you’re saying. You
mean you guys fasted for my recovery?
Well, thanks for that. But Ogechi quit
things with you for me to awake from a
coma? Please come again. What sort of a
theory is that?”
“Yeah, she did. It’s no theory. It’s more of
a spiritual thing. And before you start
doubting it, just know that you awoke from
that coma the moment that instruction
which you refer to as a theory was
implemented. I and Ogechi had to be no
more for you to live. Now you’re alive, but
only at the expense I and Ogechi’s true and
undeniable love for each other. The least
you can do now is appreciate her. “
“C’mon J, why didn’t anyone tell me about
this?”
“Did you care to listen to anyone? Weren’t
you barking at her like dog back at the
hospital? And when I tried to talk to you,
you asked me to leave your house. Well
that’s fine because I’m leaving. Just know
that Ogechi made a brave decision to
prevent your death. As for me, well, you
can see me as Beelzebub, I won’t bother
much. After all, it’s my fault all these ever
happened. I should have told you about her
long ago.”
“J I’m sorrrrrrrrrrry” Cynthia apologized
with tears. “I never knew she did that for
me. My grudge against her didn’t let me
see anything good about her. Please forgive
me.”
“I’m not the one you should apologize to.
Ogechi is.”
“I will do so to her as soon as possible. In
fact, I’m going to Oklahoma to see her and
sort things out with her. She’s my sister for
Christ’s sake, and we even have unfinished
business. And that includes you doing a
song with her. J, I would like you to
accompany me to Oklahoma to see her and
do the needful. Please come with me.”
“Don’t include me in whatever you plan to
do henceforth Cynthia. I am no longer
interested. The only reason I would want to
see Ogechi is to play love with her. But now
that we can no longer do that, I don’t see
the need. That would be like feeding a
hungry man with the aroma of his best
meal.”
“Are you really this mad at me? You won’t
even oblige to a thing I say anymore. What
ever happened to the role of forgiveness?
Cynthia plead.
“I hold no grudge against you Cynthia. The
truth is that my world has fallen apart, and
I need to find a way to rebuild it instead of
whiling away precious time chasing ghosts.
Ogechi was my world, and without her in
my life, nothing can ever remain the same
again.”
“I can’t say I understand how you feel right
now, but I certainly can relate to your
suffering. From what I’ve heard you say
about Ogechi, it is obvious enough you
really love her. And losing her will have
such a major impact on you that will
destabilize your inner being for a long
period of time if not forever. As bizarre as
this may sound to you, I will have to go
through the same if I lose you. And the
knowledge that my unconditional love for
you went unreciprocated worsens the whole
matter for me. J, I don’t mean to be selfish
here, but I think we can do something to
save ourselves too much hurt. I still love
you J, very much. Even if you set me on
fire, I will still love you. Forget all I have
said or done to you recently. It was just a
natural reaction. Instead of going our
separate ways to continue with our
suffering, we can stick to each other and
make a better life for ourselves. I’m a
woman J, and would never come between
the union of a fellow woman to her man.
But the situation here is different. You and
Ogechi cannot be together anymore, and I
love you so much that I cannot let you go. I
would have, if this thing between you and
Ogechi didn’t come into play. But now that
it unfortunately has, we can come together
and work something out to avoid
unnecessary emotional trauma. I know you
don’t love me as much as you love Ogechi,
and neither will you ever find a woman to
love that much. But think of this; I love you
and you know it. Isn’t it better to stick to
the woman who loves you with her life?”
“Cynthia, I know you love me. But you don’t
expect me to jump on you like that just
because I can no longer have my dear
Ogechi. C’mon, how would my baby girl
even look at me? Like I’m such a cheap guy
who couldn’t even mourn the death of our
love for long before jumping into another
woman’s arms? Not in this world!”
“J, let me suggest something that will
make this whole process easier. How about
you and I visit Ogechi at Oklahoma to tell
her all about this and get her consent to go
ahead? I know she wants you happy. And
you can only find happiness in a woman
that truly loves you. If Ogechi sees me to
be that woman, then we can go ahead. If
she doesn’t, then I guess it is goodbye
forever.”
“Are you even considering my stand on
this? I asked. Or are you just suggesting
what is good for you? What makes you
think that you and I getting together is
Ogechi’s decision to make? What about
me? Can’t I choose whether or not I want to
be in a relationship with you?
“I know you love me J. That is undeniable.
You only love Ogechi more. If I let you
decide, your ego will becloud you
reasoning. That’s why I’m coming all out to
ensure that another loss isn’t recorded. The
only woman I would let you go for is
Ogechi. But an unfortunate incident has
rigged things to my favor, and I will not sit
back and watch you vanish into thin air
except you deliberately choose to punish
me for my ill words and deeds to you. Ask
for Ogechi, I know she wouldn’t deny me
this favor. If she could sacrifice her love
for my life, what will she not do to make
sure that her once true love finds love
again? It’s left for you J. But whatever you
do, never forget that Cynthia loves you, and
will always love you. I am going to
Oklahoma, with or without you. And I will
tell Ogechi all I’ve told you. If she
consents to my proposal, I will come
looking for you wherever you may choose
to go until I find you. That’s how much I
love you.”
“I wouldn’t advise you to go through that. If
I wanted to stay, I would have stayed
without you having to do all that. And that
doesn’t mean I don’t love you. But you see,
the loss of Ogechi will never permit me to
concentrate on anything else in a hurry, not
to mention another emotional attachment. It
is of a fact that I and Ogechi can’t be
together again, granting you and me the
access to do whatever, but it just can’t
happen like that. If we were meant to be
together under circumstances as these,
then it will surely be. No need to hurry it.”
“So you’re really leaving J?” Cynthia asked
crying.
“My mind is made up” I replied and
concluded parking my stuff. I then made to
leave and Cynthia tried to stop me by
holding me back with much tears. I wasn’t
moved by her tears at all. I continued on
my way till I reached my car, which Cynthia
bought for me. I put my stuff in the boot
and then hopped into the driver’s seat. I
kick started the engine, and off I went. I
watched Cynthia through the side mirror of
the car as she wept profusely. It was then
her tears moved me and I shed tears too
inside the car. But I couldn’t turn back. I
was already on my way. I guess it was
never meant to be. GOODBYE CYNTHIA.
Three months passed and I was done with
my Masters’ Degree Program. During those
three months, I hadn’t communicated with
Ogechi or Cynthia. I had plans of meeting
Ogechi at least once before bidding her an
eternal farewell. But I didn’t think there
was need for that anymore, so I planned to
go back to Nigeria to see what I could do
for myself with my Masters’ Degree. Just
four days to my departure, a call came in
and I grabbed my phone to see who was
calling. Low and behold, it was Ogechi.
To be continued.
