How just one phone call crashed my hope for true love

He was tall, slender, confident and charming. He had the walk that would make you want to watch him walk always. His eyes wore this dreamy look that left me with a million of imaginations each time I looked at him and that always made me pretend like I wasn’t looking even though I was always looking. I longed for the day that he would speak to me as I was dying to speak to him.

Finally, the day arrived with my elder sister doing the honours of introducing us after I had hinted her that he seemed charming. Our meeting was magical. We stared at each other pretentiously like we were not interested until my sister broke the ice with, "Jerry meet my younger sister Happy". I pretentiously reached out to receive the handshake as he extended his hands forward. I tried as much as possible to avoid coming off as a monkey that has just been offered a banana (although I was). “Oh Happiness, it’s an honor to meet a delectable young lady like you”, he said. What a charmer! I thought to myself. “It’s nice to meet you Jerry”, I said sharply in an attempt to conceal my excitement.

One thing led to the other and we got familiar. Feelings began to emerge but we did all we could to keep it together. I knew very well that he had feelings for me but was trying not to express it. It was in the way he stayed up all night listening to me on the phone (thanks to MTN midnight calls). We would stay up all night talking about absolutely nothing. I had feelings for him too but pushed myself so hard not to have them until the feelings began to hunt me like an unhappy ghost. I have been hurt too many times but never afraid to give love a try. Jerry seemed to restrain me and I liked it a bit.

One evening, I visited him at home and this time we sat in the laundry room talking about our lives and how much of a non-yielding and rigid person I was. I had no idea what he was talking about and did not agree with him. But I still sat there smiling sheepishly like a young girl who has just met her prince charming. With Jerry and me, there was no room for privacy. We often met in open places and when we were in his room, he left the door open. He did this because he did not want people to think what they normally think when a man and woman are behind closed doors. He was that kind of man who never believed in sex before marriage and I adored that about him.

I anxiously looked forward to the day when we would finally act on our feelings towards each other but my hopes were killed with just one phone call. I received a phone call, “hi Happy, how are you today?” “I am fine thanks and you?” “I am fine. “Please can you pass by my place this evening?” “Is something wrong?” I asked anxiously. “No. I have something very important to tell you”. “Alright, I’ll see you later” I said. When the time arrived, I put on my best dress. The longest one in my closest because I wouldn’t dare visit him in anything inappropriate. That was his rule and even though I didn’t like it, I had no choice. He opened the door and had that charming look on his face that always drives me crazy. I wish I didn’t go that day to visit him. I wish I wasn’t that excited about what he had to say but I was and I cannot stop asking myself why. “I am leaving the country” hit me as I was about to swallow a piece of sweet vanilla cake in my mouth. “I’m sorry what did you say?” I asked with a mouth full of cake. “I said I’m leaving the country”. The sweet vanilla cake suddenly tasted like agbo in my mouth and I couldn’t swallow it anymore. I wanted to cry but couldn’t because I wasn’t supposed to be that emotional with someone ‘I didn’t love’. Those words changed everything forever for me and Jerry. Five years later, I still hear it loud and clear in my ears. How do I get rid of these words? 
Please remain happy and spread happiness around. Xoxo