Chapter 3
I checked myself in the mirror for the last time as I made to go out, today was the day. The day Isadora asked us to hook up, I felt uneasy, and I wished Mr. James was coming along but he already informed me that he'll be busy. What if that was an excuse to let me go by myself, or it was a planned deal between both of them?
I was glad I was able to fix myself up, looking at the mirror I was proud of my outfit. A very simple but smart corporate wear, black bow tie, a black pair of shoe and black belt to match with my white long sleeve and red plain trousers. Neck chains and wrist watch wasn't my thing, I felt uncomfortable using them.
Slowly I locked the door, in no time I was on the road waiting for a taxi. I flagged down one and was soon on my way to Woji. My phone vibrated, I checked and it was Isadora calling. I busied her call and sent her a message that I was on my way to our meeting point. It wasn't long when the taxi arrived at my destination, I came down and paid the taxi driver who drove off almost instantly.
I stepped into the building and saw her sitting down at a secluded corner, a bottle of Coca-Cola and meat pie before her. She was eating it to while away time, something we both had in common, that's how I do to while away time most especially when I'm very bored. What a nice place for a rendezvous, she actually has a nice taste.
Her dress was wow, she was looking at her phone screen at interval, maybe expecting a call. I noticed she picked it up, tapped on the screen. It wasn't long when my phone began to vibrate, I walked briskly toward her. Her face lit up when she saw me, her mouth opened but no sound came out, she stood up came over and gave me a very tight hug which drew the eyes of everyone toward us. I noticed a particular guy giving us a very wicked look, like a king she directed me to a seat opposite hers, while she took her seat.
“So...Tell me, my handsome what took you so long?”, Isadora blinked at me like a cat would blink at its owner.
“Nothing”, I replied to her.
“I never knew you were this handsome... Thompson?”, She complimented.
“You aren't looking bad either, you look like an angel… your face is like the morning sun, your smile is like the moon...Your eyes twinkle like the stars thereby mesmerizing me to plant a soft kiss on your lips. Isadora, I must confess...You're very beautiful”, I complimented her back only to realize rather too late that I went too far with my compliment.
“Oh sweet, really?”, She giggled happily.
“Yes dear”, I replied reluctantly.
“You know...Those complement of yours made me believe that your claim of being a love story writer to be true”, She looked me in the eyes.
“So you never did believe at first?”, I asked her rather foolishly.
“Not that...It's just that I wondered why someone who writes love stories doesn't believe in the love he writes on”, I removed my hands from the table.
“Thompson?”, She called softly.
“Yes…”, I took a look at her“, Let go of the pain of your past, what's pass is past...All you need now is to focus on the future. Because some snip of a girl…”, But I cut her short.
“Girls”, I corrected while she nodded.
“...Girls…” She continued. “...Hurt you in the past shouldn't give you the wrong impression on all ladies. Some men are like that also, I've been hurt, abused and lied to yet I didn't let my past haunt me. You're a good man Thompson, you're strong and can do this, let go of the past you'll see that your happiness will be restored, “ She paused to access my face.
“How many men have hurt you?”, I finally found my voice.
“Five, all five used me as a success ladder only to leave me at the end...It was painful, very painful but then...Life goes on,'' She searched her bag for her face towel.
“Mine was the same, but the most painful was that they always pretend as though they'll never leave only to do so when you least expected”, Isadora nodded.
“So tell me a little about yourself”, Isadora smiled.
“As you know...I'm a writer”, Isadora squeezed her face which made her look more beautiful.
“Was that your discipline in school?”, I couldn't help but smile.
“No”, I answered her.
“Then tell me...Alongside your academic background,'' She leaned toward me like a partner in conspiracy.
“Okay...I studied at the prestigious Petroleum Training Institute popularly known as PTI, Effurun…Delta State”, I gave her that charming smile.
“What course?”, She reciprocate the smile.
“Petroleum engineering”, I felt like someone being interviewed for a job at that moment.
“Wow...Very nice course. How the hell did you end up being a writer for a newspaper firm instead of working in an oil company?”, Isadora narrowed her eyes.
“Well, that's a long story”, I directed my gaze at nothing in particular.
“You know, at times I wonder…” She began while I paid attention.
“Wonder what,'' She smiled at my question.
“Why most science students are good in arts than art student, for instance...Someone might think you study literature as a course but you didn't. Some of my friends during our time in school were like that, they were very good in the arts more than us the art students “, I nodded like an agama lizard.
“The reason is because we science students are faced with many challenges and this force us to broaden our knowledge to other fields in other to provide a solution to the challenge we're facing. While art students on the other hand, their course only required focus on a specific direction. For instance, a science student with be forced to read history in order to understand chemistry and physics, as well as geography. To know about Faraday, Newton, Avogadro, Lucas, Einstein, Kelvin, and other great thinkers, physiatrist, chemist, you need to read history. When it comes to writing out experiments, you need to apply a formula which none science students would understand, thus the use of literature and more”, I tried explaining to her.
“You're right, I think I understand now...For the arts, since they only need math for some course they only broaden their knowledge to only math”, I smiled for she was a fast learner.
“Exactly”, I noticed her blushed.
“So tell me about yourself”, I requested.
“Well, I studied mass communication at the university of Port-Harcourt”, Isadora fidget with her hair.
“And yes, it really suits you...Look at you, you're a big lady working with a globally recognized television broadcasting firm”, I eyed her.
“How old are you Thompson?”, Isadora eyed me back.
“Well, I'm an old man...I'm 27”, She almost laughed.
“Be serious jor”, I frowned a bit.
“That's my age”, I noticed she was surprised.
“Well...I'm 28”, Now it was my turn to play the doubting Thomas.
“You don't believe me right?”, I nodded.
“That's my age, I'm telling you the truth...I'm 28”, She brought out her voters card to back up her claim.
“But you look younger than your age, like someone who is 24... Maybe 23”, I stammered.
“So they say...I just don't know how this happened,'' She gave me that charming smile.
“How what happened? “I asked her while she laughed happily.
“How I found myself falling in love with a younger man, I mean this is the very first time in my life this is happening”, I sat watching her. I felt the same way she felt about me but my past memories wouldn't let me admit it.
“All the ladies I've dated were younger ladies”, she froze for a few seconds.
“Just as all the guys I dated were older...I think I need to date a younger guy and see if I was destined to marry a younger man”, I scratched my head at those words from Isadora.
My mind raced heavily, could it be that we were having the same thoughts? I've dated younger ladies in the past only to end up the same way, what if I was destined to marry an older lady?
“Thompson...You there?” I felt Isadora shaking me by the arm.
“Yes, it's just that I was thinking you made a point...Since dating younger ladies is not working out, maybe I should try an older lady”, I noticed her smile.
“Same here, Thompson...Do you have any feelings for me?”, Her question hit me like a tsunami.
Truth be told, I was already having feelings for her. If there's something that always attract me to a lady that is honesty and truthfulness. Isadora possessed them all, she was jovial and matured upstairs, an industrious lady and I get to know she was very humble and meek to all. I discovered with time that she was real, not pretentious like most ladies I've come across, she never pretended to be holy. She was a spoilt brat, that I know, yet I found myself loving her more irrespective of here little flaws. No one is perfect, but the qualities she possessed were enough for me to conclude in my mind that she's worth the try. I know she might not be a virgin, considering her age and number of men she dated in the past. But I was wrong, very wrong for the day we had canal knowledge of each, I discovered she was a virgin.
“Thompson?”, She called while I regained myself from the shock of her question.
“To be honest Isadora, I wouldn't lie...I already have feelings for you. A very strong one at that but I'm afraid that you will end up hurting me, I have a fragile heart”, I noticed tears in her eyes.
“Look at what they did to you, now you find it hard to believe that true love exists,'' She sobbed quietly while I watched her speechless.
“My heart is locked up,'' I said absent minded.
“To other ladies, yes. To me, no. I'm yours Thompson, and yours forever I'll be till I draw in my last breath. I want you to be mine too, I'm not ashamed to scream it to the world that I'm in love with you and that you're my man”, Isadora stared directly into my eyes.
“I love you Isadora”, I found my voice while a smile appeared on her face.
“I love you too Thompson, you're the best thing that has ever happened to me...I fell in love with you the very first day I set my eyes on you, maybe it's called LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT”, I found myself laughing from my heart for the first time after my last heart break.
“I'm hungry and it's getting late, we've not ordered for anything...All we did was talk and talk”, I chirped in.
“Oh forgive my manners Darlene, I was carried away”, She apologized.
“Ehn...tatafo”, I teased her.
“I agree oh ”, She puff her mouth at me like a puffing child we both burst out laughing.
Isadora signaled the waitress who came to our table, a lady who I suspect should be in her late 30s. She came to our table wearing a charming smile.
“Please can we see the menu ma'am”, Isadora requested politely.
“Okay ma'am”, the waitress hurried off and appeared some few minute later with the menu. Isadora collected it gently and hand it to me, signaling I should make my orders first. I obliged and ordered for a food not exceeding 3,000 naira. I handed it back to Isadora who I noticed frowning when she looked at the menu. She went ahead to order hers, then called the waitress and murmured some words I couldn't comprehend to her while pointing at the menu.
The waitress returned back later with our orders, I was shocked that what I was served was not what I ordered. It was a meal costing 8,000 naira that I was served. The waitress noticed my mood and smiled.
“She ordered it sir, after complaining that your orders were too small”, I smiled at her.
“What's your name?”, I asked the waitress.
“Agnes”, Came her reply.
“Such a sweet name you've got”, Isadora cut in.
“Thanks ma'am”, the waitress took a bow as she went her way.
“Now lover boy, let's eat”, Isadora dug into my plate of food for a chunk of meat.
“Gotcha!!!”, I playfully hit her hand as we burst out laughing. Though I let her have the meat, from the corner of my eyes I noticed the waitress smiling at us.
We were soon done and the waitress came to collect the bills, Isadora brought out her debit card and paid using the POS machine. The waitress was about going when I called her back, slipped the 3,000 naira that was in my palm into hers.
Isadora and I left the eatery, we got to the parking lot. It was already late, time was 9pm.
“So, how would you get home now Darlene?”, Isadora felt my hand.
“Well, I'll take a cab,'' I replied to her tiredly.
“Cab?”, She asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes”, she gave me a disapproving look.
“No way, I'll have none of that. I'm taking you home with me, the roads are not safe at night “, she pressed something like a car key and I noticed a car beeped.
“You own a car?” I asked bemused.
“Yes Darlene, let's go home”, She held my hand and we walked toward the car.
Isadora sat behind the wheel and ignited the car, the jerked back to life and we hit the road to Isadora's place.