It was one of those mornings I wished not to leave my bed, my night had been utterly pleasant for I found myself dreaming. It was strange that I dreamt of someone I had never seen even more was that I couldn't see her face. At first I saw myself walking amidst a field of beautiful roses, I was wondering how I got there but I couldn't figure it out. I kept on walking through the field, it was the most beautiful field I had ever seen, the scent from the roses were pleasant and somehow they seemed to calm me down, but that was not the only pleasing thing about this dream. At first I saw a lady in white walking afar from me in the midst of the blossoming flowers along a footpath. I tried calling to her, I screamed out to her but majestically she walked onward without looking back. I started running toward her, why I did that I don't know, her presence must have charmed me but I felt I was completely with my senses and I still ran after her and soon caught up with her. I was panting after the brief pursuit with my hands pressed on my knee and eyes on the floor. I told her to wait a little and at my words she stopped, turned around and looked at me. I could see how beautiful she was, her feet were the finest I had ever seen, chiseled in perfection and as I looked upward I could see the works of perfection, indeed a grand master must have chiseled every piece of her flawlessly. I stood face to face with her but I couldn't look at her face, I had to look away because it was very brilliant. I covered my face with my hands and tried to peak through the little spaces between my fingers but I still couldn't look at her face, the more I tried to look at her face the more radiant it was. I finally gave up looking at her face, I asked her who she was but she was silent for a while I asked her again who she was and this time she spoke with the softest, calm and most beautiful voice I had ever heard; she said "Look at me" and as I looked towards her face I saw a beauty that could only be described as the "fairest of all".
Before I could say anything more she was gone, right before my eyes she vanished into thin air and I began to search for her, I looked all around me but I couldn't find her I started moving forward, I never knew where I was going, would I find her there? Why was I looking for her? What would I tell her if I did see her? I was utterly confused but I just kept moving forward. As I walked on, confused as I was amidst the field of flowers I finally saw her far ahead of me 'the lady in white", this time she was walking towards me as was I and she was beckoning on me to come. We were still a bit far off from each other yet she spoke to me "What are you doing here?" "I don't know I replied". I asked her "Who are you? And where am I?" She was quiet and didn't reply. When I finally came close, she only whispered to me "Wake up" and that was the end of my dreaming.
I woke up to a raining morning wishing I could go back to sleep and dream once again of the lady in white; "if wishes were horses everyone would ride on them". I am not used to dreaming and even on the occasion that I dreamt I often forgot what I saw. I guess I work too hard and often forget to make out proper time to rest. But the past night was different, for the first time in a very long time I actually remembered my dream. I felt spell bound to my bed though I was fully awake, I literally had to use all my will power to drag myself from bed for the sake of a meeting in my establishment. It must have rained heavily during the night but by dawn it drizzled quite above average. In a short while I was set for work but I couldn't go out just yet, I watched the rain drizzle for a while and as time was no man's friend I had to pull out my umbrella and head to work, I was quite fortunate to quickly get an empty cab, I paid for the full cab as I needed no delay but this day was the beginning of something new I had no idea about. During the journey I saw many people also trying to get to work but I paid little or no attention to them, to me it was the normal routine of everyone and I was on mine as well. As we drove on, I suddenly felt a strange feeling, I couldn't fathom it and it was intensifying greatly in me, Just then we drove pass a young beautiful lady, believe it or not I felt something like a connection with her, it was strange to me as I had never felt such in my life. I didn't understand the feeling, it was unexplainable and I didn't know when I told the driver to go back and pick her up. As the car slowly moved back that strange feeling intensified once more, it didn't becloud my thinking faculty, it was rather very appealing and I felt calmer than ever before. Before the car got to her I spoke to the driver "make her destination ours and after that you can head for my destination, I will take care of any extra bill". Finally the car halted, she turned off her umbrella as she stepped in and sat down, and then she spoke articulately in a sweet voice "Good morning, please I'm heading to Eliouz". For a full minute we were both quiet but I thought it rude to keep her in silence so I quickly engaged her in a confab by introducing myself, I only told her I worked in a small startup, I didn't want her to know everything about me just yet, she on the other hand introduced herself to me as Uloma, she told me she ran a fashion institute. I had some shallow knowledge in fashion and that is how we talked even more as we headed for her destination. She was quite a chatter and I loved that about her. We talked on and on as if we had known ourselves for a long time and one time when we had a pause in our discussion I couldn't help but seize the opportunity to ask for her comp card, she had this hesitant look in her eyes as I looked at her but it didn't mean anything to me, her eyes were beautiful and so I stared even deeper. I felt something must have convinced her her it was alright, perhaps it was that strange feeling I felt, she must have felt it too and so she gave me her card, I didn't give her mine, I was bent on keeping my profile low. It didn't take too long for us to get to her fashion institute, the rain had stopped drizzling for some time now, the car halted, before she stepped down I asked her if I could come visiting, I was expecting an answer but she only smiled and said "thank you for the ride".
My meeting wasn't as successful as I expected, two out of the three clients rescheduled to another day, some days are just like that. I stayed till closing, supervising my workers, reading reports, financial statements and a host of other activities which are considered uninteresting but necessary, at the end of the day I was exhausted and I headed straight home. The week went on smoothly, I was really choked up with different meetings and I honestly forgot about Uloma, I didn't call her till Thursday. It was by chance I saw her complimentary card in my office cabinet, I didn't waste time in sending someone to take a bottle of wine to her and I wrote a simple apology on a beautiful card alongside my phone number. In an hours' time I got a call from her, she said I didn't have to apologize, she didn't expect the gift but she appreciated it. Afterwards, I suggested we go out for dinner, she agreed to it and at the end of the day we sat at a table having dinner. She asked me more about what I did and this time I honestly told her everything, she seemed surprised but I wasn't, she told me more about herself and her business, it was interesting listening to her, somehow we were both calmer in the presence of each other. Thursday and Friday was like every other day, only that we called each other once or twice a day. The new week presented itself with some freedom for I and Uloma, we made plans to see each other, I visited her fashion institute, it was like a tour and I must say I enjoyed it. Soon days turned into weeks, weeks into months of knowing each other, I must say we grew fonder of each other with the passing of time.
It must have been five months now since we started hanging out, towards the end of the fifth month, different occasions presented itself and I struggled with the thought of officially asking her to be my lover, I wasn't a shy person, I guess I was trying to read her thoughts. How would she react? Would my proposal of love offend her? Would she say yes? What if she says no? These and many other thoughts always ran my mind and I couldn't shake them off.
There was this lovely Friday evening we were invited to a birthday party, I wasn't the party freak and neither was she, it was her friends' birthday and she had to attend, I on the other hand attended to keep her company making sure she was happy. The party was quite timely and enjoyable, there were lots of drinks, food, snacks, adult games and what have you. As the party grew wilder by the minute I noticed Uloma was getting uncomfortable. I came to understand she had reached her time of recharge a time where she wants to be alone or at most with one person she could trust, talk to and seat silently with. Strangely as it is that was my pattern of recharge too. I quickly thanked her friend Chidinmma and led Uloma outside, we talked lightly as we walked out of the party towards the road and as was my custom I tried to cheer her up with friendly jokes and she indeed loved them, she chuckled quietly at the jokes and soon we got a cab that took us home. Through the journey home I was quiet, allowing both of us to recharge emotionally and mentally, after a 40 minutes ride we got to her house. There was no room in us to eat anything that night, she laid down on the couch while I sat next to her watching muted TV. After what seems like an eternity of quietness she spoke up, bringing forth a topic to discuss on. I gave my thoughts and perspectives to our discussion and so we chatted even more. As we conversed I felt the need to tell her how much I loved her and so on this auspicious night I summoned courage and raised a topic which was to lead to what I had in mind; surprisingly she was very comfortable with the discussion, we spoke so much about it and slowly with every passing minute we came closer to what I had in mind, I'm certain she knew what I was doing and all of a sudden she asked me "your girlfriend no go vex with the way you dey spend time outside?" I on the other hand reversed the question to her. She quickly answered "na you give me boyfriend abi?" she spoke not again and in the silence I spoke up, "I have always been busy with work and have not had time for anyone other than myself" I paused for 2 seconds and I continued "for these past few months I have found someone whom I want to hang out with always, someone who I want to make and have time for," she said "who?" and I spoke up boldly "I love you Uloma". She must have had questions to ask but she choked on the questions and finally she struggled and brought one forth "Why do you love me?" I spent time looking for reasons to convincing her of my love for her, it was somewhat tasking but I'm sure it was necessary, she finally smiled at me at the end of my speech, she told me she felt the same way but she had been careful so as not to hurt herself all in the name of love. My heart was at amity and as we spoke on concerning matters of the heart, I saw her face light up, she must have been free from such burdens of love also conflicting inside her, our eyes met and stood still, our hearts were speaking the same language and so I went for it, I took her by the hand and brought her close to me, I drew her into me and she rested perfectly in me, after some 5 or 10 seconds, I stoked her hair backwards and planted a kiss on her forehead, it must have warmed her heart because I felt her whole body tingle, as if a shockwave passed through it, I felt the same way too and I wanted to feel it again, and again, and again, so this time I pulled her out a little, stoked her hair backward and moved my hand down to her neck, I didn't try to move her head towards mine, I only stared at her and she willingly move in and kissed me, she loved the feeling also and we cuddled there for a while, the rest of the story is just for our consumption. For the first time in a long time I didn't care for just myself, there was someone whose happiness was more important than even mine, that person was Uloma.
We ran our businesses, met almost every day, if we were not discussing about work it was family, friends, or every other thing we could talk about. One day I went over to her place to spend the night, we began with regular discussions and then we strayed into intimate matters, as we talked on she asked me how many girls I had dated, I took some seconds of silence and I told her three, she expected me to keep talking and so I went on talking about them. The first was Ebiere, I met her in secondary school, we dated for a period of one year and a half; she was a very lovely girl I must say, back then we were younger, small and indeed innocent. If we were not in school we were together at home, if not we were chatting, texting or talking on the phone. We did so many things together, household chores, errand running, reading and making plans in the cloud. My time with Ebiere was truly an interesting period of my early life. Back then I must say I had not developed a strong mind set and thus was easily swayed by emotions, there was always the lust for doing crazy things, things one had never done before, even friends put pressures on us as well, friends who themselves were misguided but I was glad we fought through all such pressures and nothing of such happened between us. I cared so much about her but after all our final exams she was forced to leave with her mom and in the end it didn't work out. The rest of that year was quite slow and truly gloomy without her for I was still in love with her. I missed all the things we used to do together, I missed her smiles, I missed her stories, her presence and I missed everything about her. I guess I still had my head in the clouds but soon days became weeks and weeks became months, I realized that time kept moving forward, slowly I became conscious of the fact that life needed to move forward and so I started enjoying my own company, never needing anyone by my side, I began to enjoy the love that was seeming from my own family, the attention they gave me helped me a lot and my younger sister Ella became even more close to me. I literarily formed a bond with her and that bond is one of the things I am most grateful for even today.
The next girl I dated was Timpame-ere, I met her the following year when I went to write the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Exam, I didn't write jamb the year I wrote my final exams in secondary school, I wanted to be sure I made my papers and indeed I made it. When it was time for JAMB registration I also registered, hoping to make it and then face the POST UTME (Aptitude Test) of my choice institution. I studied hard, read a lot in preparation for the exams ahead and when the day for the exam came I woke early enough to get set and soon I was out of the house. I boarded a taxi and as we went on a young girl also boarded us; she was slender, fair in complexion, had a well-kept hair, and was beautiful. She looked very focused and confident, I kept my cool but I was surprised to find out later that our destination was the same. At this I couldn't help but talk to her, I expected a snub but she was courteous and what shocked me the most was that we were seated in the same hall during the exam, coincidence right? After everything we exchanged contacts and she went to familiarize with some other people whom she knew whist I went my way, we spoke frequently on phone and one day she invited me over to her home, it wasn't really far from mine. That day I met her mom and siblings, she was the first child and had two younger siblings (boys). She was a great listener and a knee observer too, she had a great personality and was smart too. She believed in the Nigerian dream of getting educated, and finding a great job, I on the other hand didn't believe in anything, I was somewhat like a robot who is given instructions and that was it. I wanted to go to school simply because my parents wanted me to go, I always knew the answers to my parents' questions of what do you want to be when you grow up but sincerely I didn't believe in it. Maybe many teenagers and young adults find themselves in situations like that, maybe it was just me. If I will be frank, I always knew there was something more to me, to what I would become but it was a thought I had to keep to myself. Cutting the long story short I started dating Timpame-ere, hanging out with her, building and cultivating emotions but this again didn't last long. In a space of four months we had both passed our JAMB with good scores and had also written the Aptitude Test (Entrance Exams) to our choice institution. Finally it was time for school and once more I was separated from the one I loved and cared for. We tried to work things out, I actually tried so hard for months to work things out but it was not meant to be. She attended the University of Calabar and I remained in Port Harcourt studying in the University of Science and Technology (UST).
When I got into school, I stayed single for two years, enjoying only the company of few friends and acquaintances. I had to bear the teasing from my friends and course mates as to not having a girlfriend. To some of them it was just catching fun, this one screws up move to the next one but only very few of them understood the matters of the heart and I always thanked them for their honest support especially at those moments when I was down emotionally lacking mission and vision. Finally in my third year I decided to try again, it was the first time I actually had to search for love, on other occasions it came naturally, situations presented themselves but this time was different. I have to admit it was not an easy task searching for love in an institution such as UST, especially when you are not flamboyant, but that was not the only challenge; all the girls seemed taken and the select few who were not taken strictly adhered to their faith and this made it even more difficult.
Pere-ere was a girl in same faculty as I, we attended general classes together alongside a host of others, she was the third girl I loved and dated. There was a day I went almost late to class and as all general classes are everywhere was already choked up, it wasn't a very large hall but as far as the eyes could see were students. I tried calling my friends but there phones were turned off, as I walked around the hall trying to find any little space I could to seat I saw someone beckoning on me to come, it was Pere-ere, I was glad I finally found somewhere to seat and in a very short time the class started. I couldn't even concentrate much on the ongoing class, somehow I was asking myself why she would have kept a seat for me. I was never going to ask her why and I was never going to get an answer to that. After the class we chatted as we waked home that day for we didn't have any more classes for the day. We started keeping seats for each other and even hanging out more often, slowly I began to learn about her, and I realized over time we had a lot in common. We became study companions, often times we meet up before classes, sat together during tests and as fate would have it we started seeing more of each other. Pere-ere was as smart as I was and took her education very serious; maybe even more serious than I did but what kept me dumbfounded was how she still managed to create a space for fun in her life at school. We assisted each other very much at home and we enjoyed all the fun of school together, she was always with me, morning, afternoon and night, we would talk about our plans for afterschool, we seldom attended parties and whenever we did it was one we could not have an excuse to not attend. There was one night we came back home early from a birthday party on a Fridays night, as we laid on the bed to sleep we talked about how great the party was on low whispers facing each other, whether she was tipsy or not I couldn't really say but I was later to realize that an idea had come into her mind as we spoke and it made her smile genuinely. I thought she smiled at what I said concerning the ring she put on her finger, so I took her hand and kissed it. She then asked me what I thought about her makeup. I told her I loved it, especially the pink blush on her cheek only that it was a shame as she had washed it all off. As I finished speaking I leaned in and gave her a peck unknown to me I literally ignited the thought that crossed her mind.
She kissed me back and before I knew it she started caressing me slowly but passionately, I responded positively and we continued kissing, grabbing and rubbing each other, with the passing of every second we built up momentum and soon found ourselves losing it. I moved my hand from behind her neck down to her back and slowly I made it down her rears, she didn't disapprove and so I kept on going, she was like the perfect girl with the perfect body. We continued cuddling for some time and soon we both knew we had gone beyond the point of no return. I suddenly stopped, she looked at me and asked "What?" I asked her "Do you really want this?" She said "yes". I didn't say anything more, I only stared deep into her eyes, pulled her into my arms and we were at it again. I carefully removed her nighties, kissed and romanced her taking note of her curvatures, this night she was even more beautiful. I slowly removed her bra, which revealed a well-rounded soft breast and her nipple stood nobly, I kissed and groped it for a while and I could notice she was in an excited state and so I moved down to take off her panties. Her rump felt so soft to the touch and inviting but what happened next I can only entrust to your vast imagination as the night was indeed a wild one. A lot happened between us and I really thought she would be the one I would spend the rest of my life with. School came to an end, NYSC came up and in a twinkle of an eye we were separated and I was alone once again. Pere-ere loved the idea of NYSC but I on the contrary didn't, in my final years in school I began to understand that my true nature craved for entrepreneurship, I was glad I realized it before it was too late but Pere-ere believed in this already failed system, she believed in getting educated, going to serve her nation and getting a job afterwards. I never tried to discourage her in anyway, I only gave her my perspective and wished her success in it. We were still meeting after we were done with school but immediately her NYSC service call up came she speedily went to service and I remained trying to build an enterprise for myself. She was far off in Abuja and I tried visiting her as best as I could but it wasn't easy or enough due to the distance and work load I had to deal with. As time went on she was done with her NYSC but she refused returning from Abuja. It was months later I began to sense that I was the only one working so hard to keep the relationship and she was barely trying. Finally a day came that we spoke on the phone, I really wanted to know what was happening, the Pere-ere I had known and loved was becoming a stranger to me and this time she told me the truth; she said there was no need continuing the relationship, she had found someone else and had fallen in love with him already. She had moved on, loved it there and would rather stay there than comeback. It was the first true heartbreak I faced perhaps the only one I would experience. I felt dejected, I felt short of words, I felt shattered into a billion pieces, but as I said these words Uloma rested my head on her bosom.
I decided to forget about everything and just focus on me. I thus married my enterprise, everything I did was channeled to my growth and the growth of my enterprise, it was a great struggle building my enterprise especially alone, I was a lone ranger, I even left my family ajar at the beginning but as I grew I tried meeting their needs as best as I could in my own little way. Every day I gave my enterprise my very best and slowly it grew to the height it is today.
For full 5 minutes we were silent as I rested in her bosom, I thought of what to say but I found none, what more could I really say? I was a good chatter but this moment needed not a good chatter but a great listener so I listened to her rhythmically perfect heartbeat, it was beating for me. That five minutes in her bosom was peculiar and I loved it there. Finally Uloma spoke up, her voice had this broken chord in it, like that special cord spoken of in ALEXANDRA BRUKES' –HALLELUJAH. Uloma's voice was truly broken and it vibrated through every word she uttered, I felt her pain as she told me her horrid experiences, she had to struggle through every relationship thinking she wasn't good enough or something was wrong with her for deciding to keep her virginity just for her husband. She had always told anyone she dated her resolution and most often than non they had agreed but overtime the issue of sex still resurfaced and whenever it did come up she was characterized as being frigid, mundane and selfish. These words kept demoralizing her and often times she found herself sad, lonely, somewhat depressed lacking mission and vision. All she wanted was a guy who would treat her right, who would respect her for who she was but she didn't find him, it was only natural that she should become conservative and reserved. Could I blame her? I couldn't blame her for it was her defense mechanism and it protected her, though it sapped a great portion of happiness from her but it was a price she was willing to pay. I fell in love with her even the more, I admired her courage and I felt pity for all that had happened to her in the past. On this night I made a promise to her, one that I would never regret in this life time or the next, her love was genuinely enough for me and so I promised to wait until we get married before sex, I wanted to protect her integrity as a way of redeeming mine which I had lost years ago. If I will be frank here, it was a tough decision, perhaps the toughest I had made in my life. She threw herself unto me and I held her lovingly, we laid there together peacefully, that night was the best night she has had in a long time, she wasn't conservative anymore, neither was she reserved, she wasn't scared of anything, for the first time in a long time she felt safe, as she stayed in my arms the world must have stood still, we both wished that moment would last forever and it did last forever in our hearts.
Our love continued to wax stronger and our bond; stronger than the strongest of metal that ever existed in this or any other world. We were always together, almost inseparable, we started visiting both our families, got to know a lot about our families, every experience was indeed wonderful. Uloma had a nice family made up of four siblings including herself totaling six with her parents inclusive. Her elder brother Mr. Chigozie was already married, he and his wife were expecting their first baby. Uloma was next in line to get married although no one held to those superficial customs of the younger waiting for the elder to get married before they could get married. Her younger sister Amaka was in service serving her beloved country in Plateau State (whether she loved serving her country I don't know) I didn't like the idea of NYSC so I did not serve my country, I cared so little for it. Uloma's younger brother Okereke Jr. was already in the higher institution and one could say everything was going smoothly for them. It was really wonderful meeting and knowing her family. She loved my family as well and was extremely fascinated at the bond that exist between me and my younger sister Ella.
As my business grew and thrived I bought my first car, a Toyota Hilux; both our families rejoiced and celebrated copiously, I and Uloma were very grateful unto God for everything. I had already learnt to drive a year ago and so driving my new car was no new thing to me but for Uloma, the experience of driving was unknown to her. Few weeks later I started teaching my love how to drive, it was fun teaching her and I enjoyed every moment. By the time she was done, I had her go through a proper driving school where she could be issued a Driver's License, I wanted her to drive the car as much as I did, I didn't want to lord over it. After she had completed the training and was issued her license I could see the happiness in her eyes to finally take me out on a spin in the car. That day Uloma drove us to and fro an eatery that was a 20 minutes' drive from my house. I watched how she stepped on the gas with full confidence, how she switched gears and everything, it was really wonderful. Sometimes she would ask me "What is it?" I would only shake my head indicating nothing. We talked about expanding her fashion house alongside a lot of other things and when we got home we were somewhat tired and needed rest.
We went on for about a space of six months or so, we learnt even more from each other, we had our days of misunderstanding and we had our glory days, everything that happened only made us stronger. Our businesses thrived in different ways and demanded more, we both introduced more hands on deck, and then a time came I needed to go for a special training, it was a tough decision but was a necessity, so we agreed and settled on it, soon I was off to Abuja to stay for a period of three weeks or there about.