Love is a hard thing to find, and in my case, it was more of an uphill task than any other person’s, having known Suzie to have that ‘out of your league’ aura.
I mean, she had the looks, the guts, the brains, and a body to die for, and many of us died to win her. Ask Jemo. He knows the torture in his soul. You can also ask Bonnie.
He went out of his way to induct her into the workspace in the hope that she would be sympathetically drawn to him but was rewarded with the ‘thank you so much for everything, brother.’ He is yet to recover from the shock.
Personally, I had chased after her for six months, and all the time she lumped me together with the other brothers in Christ. She would say that she was not looking to get into a relationship, and at times that she was done with men.
Dudes at the office keep telling me that my sense of humor makes me look like the most non-serious man and use my enduring singlehood to cement their assumptions, but well, all that was about to change.
On February 13, I jokingly taunted Suzie to tell me who her date for the much-touted Valentine's Day was, and she asked me if I wanted to take her out. A movie, she told me, would be enough for her that afternoon.
Friday the 14th was a day to behold from a boat ride in Uhuru Park, to Ice Cream Parlours, to amusement parks on the other side of the city, to a brief gallery visit, and by late evening, we were giggling like young boys and girls holding hands for the first time. Whatever happened, I knew that the day had been good.
“Let us go grab something to eat over there. It has always been my dream,” Suzie suggested.
I looked at the glowing lights coming into life in tandem with the sinking sun and felt my throat become parched. What on earth did she think I was? I had literally blown my remaining salary to make the day memorable, and there, an antithesis to the day.
“Tell her no. You know very well that you cannot afford it,” my long-suffering conscience warned.
“Yeah, that would be perfect. I have had that dream for a long time too,” I answered and followed past the slippery floor and the flowers and the aroma that would otherwise have made my tongue water. Instead, my eyes were on the verge of watering.
I knew that there wasn’t enough cash in my pocket since we hadn’t planned the hotel visit. I was thinking of telling her early enough that I was thinking about splitting the bill. Either way, I knew that I was going to lose her that day.
When I leaned in to inform her, however, I remembered that I had my Co-op Visa Credit Card, and the cold that was in my body fled into the air.
“What would you like to have, my lady?” I asked in confidence.
When the waiter walked in with the trey, I took the card and played with it in my hand.
“Dinner is well sorted,” I told Lizzie.
Someday I’m going to marry that girl.
