BELLA'S MEMOIRS (ENTRY #15)

THE SURPRISE PROPOSAL

I had finally written the perfect speech and I had rehearsed it in front of the mirror a couple of times. I was sure my expressions and dramatic pauses were well timed; being part of the drama club in middle school finally paid off. This was what I was going to tell Yinka that evening after his sister’s engagement party…

Yinka, you and your family have been wonderful to me, but there is something I need to tell you. I care about you a lot but I am worried that I don’t feel the way I should about you. I like spending time with you and I love the fact that you inspire me to be the best version of myself possible but it’s just not enough. This is not how I expect to feel about the man I am with. I love you as a person but I am not in love with you Yinka. I think it would be unfair of me to keep leading you on because I feel you truly deserve someone who is madly in love with you. I am hoping we can still be friends because you mean a lot to me.

There! I didn’t think it would be fair for me to spring Okechukwu on him out of nowhere. So I was just going to admit I wasn’t in love with him and then Okechukwu and I would have to keep our relationship a secret for a few months after which it would look like things took their natural course and we got back together after a while. I thought it was a pretty decent plan but as you can already tell from the way my life is…nothing ever turns out as I planned.

Yinka sent a car to pick me up that evening. I didn’t think it was necessary because I could easily have gone with my dad and Mrs A. but he insisted on sending the car. It turned out to be a white limousine…a bit over the top considering it was his sister’s engagement party. There was a bottle of champagne, a box of chocolates and a bouquet of red roses waiting for me when I got into the car. It would have been very romantic if he had also surprised me by being in the car but he was always missing from the picture and I was getting really tired of the gifts and presents…it seemed like they were supposed to be making up for his absence but they really weren’t.

I had spoken to Mrs A. about it a few days ago and the conversation went something like this:

Mrs A.: I am sure you are excited to see Yinka this weekend. He’s been travelling a lot lately.

Me: Hmmm…I am getting used to his absence and I don’t really think it’s a good thing. We are supposed to be getting to know each other and I feel we don’t spend enough time together.

Mrs A.: My dear, I am the last person in the world to give courtship advice. My relationship with your dad was anything but conventional. The truth is when it’s right its right…you just know it in your heart. So whether you date for three months or three years if he is the one you’ll know.

Me: How am I to know when he is always busy?!

Mrs A.: Sweetheart if you don’t want a broke man, you have to deal with a busy man.

We both laughed and then she said

Mrs A.: If you want to spend more time with Yinka, tell him. He’s a great guy, I am sure he doesn’t know you feel this way.

The truth was there was no point telling Yinka, even if he gave up his work to spend every day with me, my heart would still be somewhere else…with Okechukwu.

I got to the party and the media was everywhere! Yinka’s younger sister was getting married to the son of the founder of one of the most successful banks in Nigeria…I mean Africa actually, so the place was crawling with people. Yinka was waiting at the entrance of the hotel where the party was being held when the limo pulled up. People literally stopped in their tracks to see who was getting out of the limo…it felt good and I realized a part of me would probably miss this part of being with Yinka after I broke up with him. I had initially planned on telling my dad first but I figured Yinka and I were adults and I owed him the honour of at least being the first to know and also allowing him have an input in how we intended to break the news to our families.

Yinka: Gosh Bella! You look absolutely gorgeous. It’s not fair on the bride, promise you won’t look this beautiful at the wedding.

I smiled and he hugged me and gave me a kiss on the lips. We posed for a few pictures before we went in and I knew by morning they’d be everywhere but it was a good thing that by the time Okechukwu saw the pictures I would be able to tell him I had ended things with Yinka so it wouldn’t matter.

I was wearing a sapphire blue tube dress, it was beaded from the top to my waist line and it looked amazing. I had on sapphire jewelry and my hair was packed in a bun…just the way Yinka liked it. My makeup was light…just the way Yinka liked it and I was wearing pearls…just the way Yinka liked it.

We sat at the first table with his parents and his other sister. My dad and Ms. A. were on the other table and his mother was exceptionally nice to me. Not like I had a problem with her but she is a rather quiet person and always seems to wait for her husband’s cue before she spoke but tonight she was on a roll, asking me questions and giggling like a child. I figured she was excited that her daughter was getting married. The event was nice, tasteful and everything I knew it would be and it was almost coming to an end when the MC made a special announcement.

MC: Ok before we wrap this up, the brother of the bride would like to say a few words.

Yinka squeezed my hand as he got up. He walked to the stage and the MC handed him the mic.

Yinka: I am not here to give a speech about how happy I am for the couple, I believe that’s the best man’s job and at the wedding too not the engagement party which this is. Rather, I am up here with a prayer that the good fortune which my sister and her husband-to-be are celebrating tonight would be mine soon. By the way I took permission from the couple to share some of their spotlight today.

He winked at the leader of the music band that had been playing at the event and he started playing Michael Bolton’s “When a man loves a woman”…I watched Yinka walk down the stage towards me with the Mic still in his hand. I was confused especially as the whole crowd had gone wild and started screaming and cheering. That was when I saw the screen on the stage. There was a picture of both of us and the letters below read “Marry Me Bella”. I gasped and Yinka got on one knee and spoke into the Mic

Yinka: Bella, I think you are the most amazing person I have ever met in my entire life and I don’t think I can go another day not telling the whole world how much I love you that is why today I have decided in front of our families, friends and some people we don’t know to ask you to do me the honour of being my wife. I love you Bella and I want you to build my life with you. Marry me.

He dropped the Mic and pulled out a velvet box from his jacket. When he opened it I almost fainted. It was the most beautiful, most amazing ring I had ever seen. It was a huge princess cut diamond set in a platinum band with little diamond studs all around the band. It was the kind of ring I had always dreamt I would wear…it was the right ring from the wrong man. Was I supposed to say no in front of all these people? I looked over at my dad, he was grinning from ear to ear and Ms. A. was wiping happy tears from her eyes. My dad gave me a nod and I knew it was an approval from him, I couldn’t possibly have said no in front of all these people and so I said:

Me: Yes

Yinka picked up the Mic again and screamed
Yinka: She said yes!!!

The whole crowd went crazy and I almost went blind from all the flashing lights. I wasn’t sure if it was the flash from all the cameras or from the sparkle of the ring that Yinka had slipped on my finger but it was all too much and I felt a tear roll down my cheek. Yinka kissed it away probably thinking it was a tear of joy but I was really just scared at the big mess that had just become my life.

That night, I got several phone calls and text messages from people congratulating me. The news had gone viral and I knew Okechukwu must have heard. When I was eventually able to get sometime alone I called him but he didn’t pick. I tried again this time his phone was off. I knew I couldn’t sneak away to see him so I sent him a text and an email it read;

It’s not what it looks like. I couldn’t say no tonight…I love you and I will sort it out, please trust me.

He didn’t respond to that either.

——————————————————————————————————————————————Two days later I hadn’t seen or heard from Okechukwu. His phone was still off and I had gone to his house twice. His guard won’t let me in saying he had travelled. I eventually called Dapo his friend, Dapo confirmed that he had been with Okechukwu that night when he heard I had gotten engaged and Okechukwu had just walked away without saying a word. Dapo hadn’t seen or heard from him since. I was worried sick.

Vanessa: Bella are you sure you are okay? You are acting strange especially for someone who just got engaged.

Me: Vee I’m fine.

Vanessa: No you are not! Talk to me, I am your best friend. You have been so secretive lately I don’t get it!

Me: I slept with Okechukwu.

Vanessa: What????

Me: Shhhhhh….my stepmom is home. Keep your voice down.

Vanessa: Wait was this after you slept with Yinka?

Me: I haven’t slept with Yinka.

Vanessa: Whoa! So how are you going to explain to Mr. Vice President’s son that all of a sudden you are no longer a virgin after making him wait all this time?

Me: I am hoping it won’t be a problem, I am ending things with him. I want to be with Okechukwu. My mind is made up.

Vanessa: The same Okechukwu who keeps playing yoyo with your heart? You’ve got to be kidding me, besides your father would disown you. His party primaries are in a few days;  if you cause a scandal he will lose and that is the end of his political career.

Me: You think I don’t know all these? But it’s too late with Yinka, you know how he is, if he finds out I was with another guy he will dump me anyways.

Vanessa: He doesn’t have to find out.

Me: What do you mean?

Vanessa: Come on. You could have broken your…you-know-what in a million and one ways. During sports, with a tampon…not every woman bleeds the first time you know.

Me: Well I did, besides you really think Yinka is going to fall for that? He’ll probably take me to a hospital to confirm if he was really my first.

Vanessa: Puhleez…I know girls who have had a couple of “firsts”. Don’t do anything stupid Bella at least for a few days. Let the primaries pass, let your dad get the gubernatorial ticket for the party, let the President and the Vice President endorse him and then you can decide to break things off with Yinka. By then your dad would be halfway in. I don’t think your love life drama would be enough to cause the party to make any decisions that would cause them to lose Lagos state to the opposition. Trust me.

Vanessa was right. The primaries were in three days. I only had to wait three more days and I could go find the love of my life.

Three days later, we still hadn’t heard from Okechukwu and my dad had won his party primaries. Vanessa had asked me to wait a little before saying anything to Yinka. I couldn’t, I just knew that Okechukwu was ignoring me because I hadn’t kept my word and ended things with Yinka. As soon as I broke up with Yinka he would turn up…I was sure of it.

That evening I decided to go find Yinka. I knew he was in Lagos, I had seen him earlier that day. I tried calling him a couple of times but his phones were off. I called his Personal Assistant, he confirmed that he had left Yinka at the Lagos office an hour ago so he was probably still there. I drove to Yinka’s office all shaky and nervous. I couldn’t remember the speech anymore and I was worried about how he would react…with his short temper and all.

I got to his office, his security detail was outside which was odd. He told me Yinka was inside and had asked not to be disturbed. I told him it was urgent and so he let me through. It was almost 10pm, the office was empty except for a security guard stationed on Yinka’s floor who was fast asleep and whose snoring was louder than the music from the radio set on his desk. I tiptoed past him and went in. I could hear sounds coming from Yinka’s office. He obviously wasn’t alone…I felt silly it hadn’t occurred to me that he could be in a meeting or strategy session. As I slowly moved away from the door to take my leave, I heard the unmistakable sound of a woman moaning. I was in so much shock. Before I could stop myself I pushed the door open and there was a woman lying on Yinka’s desk and Yinka was making love to her.