It was Silas who walked up to Steven one day and said unceremoniously, " I have found you a girl".
" You have found me a girl? I did not tell you that I wanted a girl", said Steven without much enthusiasm. " Every boy needs a girl", replied Silas dismissively. " You will like her. She is beautiful. Fair- skinned, like you". When Steven did not make further comments, he continues. " Her name is Margaret, she is also called Linda. She is in her university, same school with my girl, Becky, I tell you, you will like her. Pretty, young." The boisterous Silas left as abruptly as he had come , to chase some more girls, no doubt.
Steven did not dwell on what his cousin had told him. Instead, he wondered about him. He was always like this. He always had a way with women. Considerably shorter than him, stocky and dark skinned, Silas had always been attractive to women. He was like a magnet that pulled them irresistibly to him. As to the girl he said he had found for him, well he would have to see. It might turn out that the girl was not his type at all.
At Silas insistence, Steven agreed to, at least, see the girl. But there was no question of his going to her family house. How was he going to explain his presence in a house he was not used to visiting?
One day Steven was walking towards his house in the company of Silas. Suddenly Silas grabbed his arm excitedly and pointed. There at a road junction near the motor Park, and talking with another girl about twenty-one years old.
" That's the girl I was telling you about", said Silas conspiratorially. His cousin was right, thought Steven. She was very beautiful, petit and fair skinned. He noticed his heart beating faster. By now they had caught up with the girls, and Silas in that characteristically easy way way he attention to Margaret. He said, " this fine boy is going to be your husband". Margaret giggled with some embarrassment, and Steven , while keeping a calm exterior, felt awkward and was all jelly inside. His tongue suddenly felt dry as he muttered something to the effect that it was nice meeting her. Silas kept the foursome together for a while with his witty, mischievous jokes, and the girls finally left after a promise to see Steven again was extracted from the giggling little girl. She was on her uncle to see her uncle.
" Now, what did you think?" Enquired Silas triumphantly.
" She's ok", answered Steven, feigning lack of interest
" She's ok', that's all you can say? Come on. Admit it. She is beautiful and you know it.
Silas winked at his cousin mischievously, Steven merely smiled, but did not contradict him. Yes, Steven would definitely like to see her again with Silas' help, a meeting was arranged for them in a friend house _ there was still no question of visiting her in her house. Inspire of the new idea about romantic love, Steven felt more comfortable in traditional way of courtship where the role of the family was of paramount importance. One wrong step in the way the parents were brought into the picture and the courtship was over even before it had a chance to get under way.
At the next meeting, Silas and others made a discreet exists, leaving Steven and Margaret alone for the first time in their lives. There was awkward silence, as Margaret kept her eyes fixed on the floor while Steven stole furtive glance at her. He was the man and was expected to take charge of the situation.
He cleared his throat which had suddenly developed a lump in it. ' em.... I must ask you one question, and please answer me truthfully.' Margaret kept her gaze on the floor. " Do you... do you have a boyfriend?"
" No, I do not have a boyfriend", answered Margaret faintly but without hesitation. She, too, had developed a lump in her throat.
" I am asking because... because, I am not in the business of competing with anybody for any girl" suddenly, he was no longer bashful. " I have no time for this boyfriend-girlfriend business. I want to marry you, so if you already have a boyfriend, I am out!"
Nothing in her younger life had prepared her for this kind of blunt wooing. Already, she read a lot of romantic novels, modern courtship was supposed to be gentle and dream like . But this.... straight to the point if you have a boyfriend then that's it! What sort of man is this? This thought went through Margare'ts mind. Strangely, as she might have expected, she was not revolted by the approach. She was rather intrigued. She discovered she liked the man who knew exactly what he wanted. She stole a quick glance at him before resuming her fixed gaze on the floor. What a handsome man! She thought.
Barely audibly, she repeated herself, " No. I do not have a boyfriend". " That's settled then , I'll marry you", conclude Steven with finality that left no room for contradiction.
★ ★★ ★
And that's how Steven found the love of his life and spend the rest of his life with her.