My sister walked into my
room, finding me in a state of despair. "Why are you still in bed?"
she asked, her tone laced with concern. I shot her an angry glance and remained
silent. "Are you normal, brother? Stop your madness!" she joked,
unaware of the turmoil brewing inside me.
I rose hastily, pretending to dash her with a slap, but she quickly dodged and jumped out, wailing, "Mum, Bosco wants to beat me!" Our usual family dynamic kicked in, and she played along.
I gathered my strength and approached my mother, who welcomed me with an expectant gaze. She knew something was wrong, but waited for me to open up. "Tell me, son, why have you been so reserved with eating food lately? Every time your sister brings you food, you do not even taste it. What's going on?" my mother inquired gently.
“Mum, of late, life has been dealing with me using thorns and thistles. Whatever I tried to do did not work out. I felt cursed by the ancestors. Tell me if there is a case, I need to appeal to see what the future holds for me.” I told her, narrating everything about Ojjaba, the girl I had planned to take dancing last night.
My mother, a wise and genuine woman, offered words of wisdom. "Son, I will tell you a story, but let me whisper this to you. Not every shining stone is a golden stone." Although I had not seen Ojjaba, I believe her beauty has captivated you, and your feelings may be hard to overcome. "But listen, do not choose a woman because of your feelings; rather, look at the character a woman shows."
My mother's words, though brief, made me rethink my feelings for Ojjaba. I walked back to my room, feeling lonely.
As I was resting, Abonga, who brought me on his bicycle when I fainted, arrived. "Bosco, there is a call for you at the call box. My sister has sent me for you." Without hesitation, I went, thinking it was Ojjaba calling me.
On arriving at the call box centre, the attendant, Charity, invited me to sit down. “It is I who sent for you. How are you?” she greeted me. Of course, Abonga has gone on his way as usual. “I thought about you and felt like sharing some important things with you”. She continued.
I adjusted my sitting posture towards her, looked in her eyes, and I sensed a sense of love flowing from her heart. “Is this a replacement of Ojjaba?” I wondered in my thoughts, and I recalled Mum’s message of character values in a woman.
In a few minutes, I told her to open up. She held my hand calmly and told me, “I want you to marry
me.” What! I shouted inside my heart, but broken for her. She is the one, but I
told her, “I will come to visit you, give me a chance to recover first.” I left
her, and that marked the end of our meeting again.
I decided not to play
with love again.
