It was a sunny friday morning and Clara knew the day was going to be more hectic than the previous one.
Running a magazine firm was not so easy like she had imagined. Worst still was having a weekly magazine at that Deadlines, promises and all.
Now she understood when some writers would say they were unable to meet a deadline because the pressure she got from people sometimes to perform and meet their demand was becoming increasingly impossible.
And now as if that was not enough, her editor resigned last week and the other column writer resigned a week before that. She had to put in extra hours to fill up the vacant space before she got someone else able to fit into their shoes.
Her time and her life was spent making sure that her dreams do not go with the wind.
Some days though, the joy she felt after a hard day's job and replies she got form some of her readers outweighed most of the stress accompanying it.
Nothing was truly fulfilling like doing what you loved to do and doing it well!
She looked at her office again and she sighed as her eyes scanned through its untidy state . The office was just the way she left it the day before filled with squeezed papers and what not.
She had hurried out of her office the previous day to escape the hunger and tiredness that was threatening to kill her and didn't bother to arrange anything.
Today, she couldn't escape it.
She set her bag on her table and took off her shoes. Her office needed tidying and heck her whole life too.
Ada's story and a few other things happening lately in her life has been giving her a change of heart as regards finding love again. Maybe she could give it a chance and drop all her defences.
She ran into Yusuf sometime last week and her heart pulse almost stopped. Yusuf was her one time crush way back in university who incidentally was crushing on her too. The day he finally decided to speak his mind she decided too to remind herself of what she read about once and that was not go out with anyone below a certain standard. And by standard she meant, profession or what he does for a living.
'He must either be a doctor or a lawyer or something prestigious' she had told Ada one time they had that discussion.
Ada's reply still rang in her head.
'Clara, a profession is not a person! The fact that someone had a prestigious career didn't mean that their life was going to be perfect. Chose someone with a great heart instead.
Maybe Ada was right.
Yusuf read marketing in school and one time when she asked him casually what he wanted to do after school he said he wanted to run a daddy's daycare as he had passion for children.
Hell no!
'How was she going to put up with that?' She had wondered.
That was all in the past. Now she understood how fulfilling it could be when you're doing something you love to do and making money from it too.
The beep from her phone brought her mind back to the office.
She sat down as she brought out her phone from her ash colour prada bag she carried that day.
She smiled when she saw who it was.
It was Ada. She had sent in the week's story.
She was surely having fun and Ada had no idea what her story was doing to her.
She sat properly on her chair and read Ada's newest entry.
Ada's story continues:
I know this episode is bound to make you laugh at me.
Well yeah! You're free to do that like you would when you remember either your most embarrassing moments or some foolish things you have done before. So sit back and enjoy
Uche and our baby were sited in the parlour playing and watching television together. Chisom can sit on her own now and crawl too. Uche made her sit on the floor and put some toys within her reach. I on the other hand had to make dinner so I was in the kitchen doing same. Dinner by the way was fried plantain and egg.
I cut the plantain and put the oil on fire ready to start frying when I heard a loud scream of
'Nooooooo'
I jumped! almost pouring the hot oil on my body.
I ran to the sitting room thinking the worst had happened instead I saw a disappointed look on Uche face still sitting and facing the tv.
And wait was that Chisom watching it too?
Yeah she was! from her giggling and smiles she was enjoying it too
It was a football match and obviously hubby's team wasn't winning.
Phew!!!!
I didn't know how to conceal my anger! 'A foot ball match ker? I asked pained.
'That's what your screaming was for and I almost poured hot oil on my body?' I asked disappointedly.
'Oh sorry but you need to see this crazy footballer he keeps wasting all the balls they pass to him and...'uche was trying to explain with so much interest and passion.
'See him again.. See see!! Oh my God' Uche said with eyes still glued to the Tv and trying to kick an invisible ball into the net.
'Calm down oh and please don't shout like that again' I said and walked away still angry.
I couldn't understand it. Why waste all that energy for a game. An ORDINARY game. I guess I was going to find out.
His phone rang and I heard him talk over the receiver.
Soon I heard him say
'I love you tyler I just love you'
I shook my head and continued frying my beloved plantain.
'Wait did he just say tyler?' I wondered out to my self dropping the knife in my hand and thinking with my brows knitted together.
Tyler was a guys name and why was he loving tyler. And wait why was he speaking in hush tone? Or was it all in my head.
With the plantain still frying I went to the parlour. He put down his phone as I walked in and faced the Tv.
Wait! Was he hiding something? And what's that guilty look on his face, or it was probably me just been paranoid.
I walked up to where he was siting and spoke softly
'Hey babe, are you ok?' I asked
He bearly turned to face me with his eyes still glued to the tv set as he reponded
'Huh? Me I'm fine' he said looking from the tv to me and back to the tv
'Is there something you want to tell me' I ask with concern written all over me.
He didn't understand what was going on so I decided to tell him plainly what was on my mind.
'Babe are you gay?'
'Huh? You said? He asked! Unsure of what I was saying.
'I mean are you gay like gay, man to man gay?'
'What? gay? Where is that coming even from? He asked. This time he faced me totally un distracted by the tv.
'Then who is tyler and why do you love him plus why were you talking with him in hush tone over the phone?'
Uche couldn't believe his ears. He simply busted out laughing. He laughed so hard that he fell on the floor with his hands on his stomach still laughing
The way he laughed ignited laughter inside of me too. I joined in too as he kept laughing.
I must have said something stupid for him to be laughing this hard
'Uche please stop laughing na and answer me' I managed to say as laughter was still playing in my inside.
The laughter must have gotten to his intestine because tears were rolling down his cheeks.
'Oh my wife, my wife.' He said managing to control his laughing episode.
'I have begged you to watched football with me but you refused. If you did, you would know who tyler is and you why I'm loving him'
'And for the records I'm not gay, and never will be. Its only your cistern I love to drink from. Its only you that makes my junior stand firm' he said this last one with his hands ponting to his groins.
I blushed!
'Ok come and sit down with me so I would show you tyler' he said taking my hands and forcing me to the sit on the chair with him.
I sat to watch the football match with him. It wasn't as bad as I thought. It was actually interesting except of cos my blood pressure kept rising and falling between intervals.
And oh by the way Tyler was the name of the footballer in my dear Uche's team.
I ended up enjoying the match and of course burning the dinner meal.
And I learnt a very valuable lesson that day and that is : NEVER WATCH A FOOTBALL MATCH WHEN FRYING PLANTAIN.
Phew! what a great lesson it was.
We ended up eating noodles that night with Chisom but I have also found a new way to bond with my man. FOOTBALL!
Clara put down her phone and laughed at her friend.
She was going to call her and laugh at her a little.
Just then her phone rang.
She smiled.
It was Yusuf!
TO BE CONTINUED...
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
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