CHAPTER SEVEN “CONVINCED”

©️ Opeyemi Akintunde
As inspired by the DEEP ONE

“Imade!” she screamed.

I froze.
Who was this beautiful work of art calling my name with so much enthusiasm?

“Hiii…” I replied, forcing a smile while my facial expression added,
“Sorry… do I know you?”

She caught it instantly.

“Beauty… Rainbow College!”

My entire brain shut down for three seconds.

No.
No Way.
Impossible.
How???

My childhood memory could not reconcile the Beauty I knew with this Beauty standing before me.

As a girl, I chose my words carefully.

“You look… different.”
I couldn’t say “beautiful” it would mean I admitted she was previously the opposite.
Which was not far from the truth.

“Yeah, I know. What are you doing here?” she asked as we hugged in excitement

“As funny as it sounds… I got married yesterday,” I said.

“Oh my God! That is so beautiful! Please tell me it’s not Teju, because I know you swore never to marry him.”

“Sad story of my life,” I replied.
It felt strangely comforting that someone understood me.

“What? That’s not good! You married him despite not loving him? I thought as you grew, you would be able to say no to your mum.”

“Say no to my mum? Have you met my mum?”

She burst into laughter.

“Girl… so where is Teju?”

“I don’t know. I woke up and he was gone.”

“Gone? Like gone gone?”

“I don’t know… maybe the reality stared him in the face and he left.”

“Reality? You guys didn’t consummate your marriage?”

“Yuck! I cannot imagine it! I would have to be dead to let that happen.”

“Wow… you really hate his guts.”

“You can’t imagine. So what brings you here?” I asked.

“Enjoying my life. Prioritising my joy, my peace, my existence.”

“Oookay!” I laughed.
“I’m liking this new Beauty!”

She laughed.

She was quirky, confident, bold…the exact opposite of the Beauty I knew.

“Girl, let’s find somewhere to relax and catch up. I’m sure your groom is also out there chilling,” she said playfully.

“The poolside is diabolic,” she added.
“The fresh air… the serenity… chef’s kiss!”

“You’re so happy,” I observed.
She was a complete transformation …externally and internally.

We got to the pool lounge. Beauty collapsed into one of the chairs. I took the other.

I kept staring at her in fascination.

“What happened? How did you change?” I asked.

“I helped myself! I stopped thinking about others and started thinking about me.
Self-love, my dear. And self-love can mean a lot.”

“Like?”

“Marrying a sick, rich old man for his money.”

“You’re married??”

“Was. Married. For two years. And I made sure I got as much as I could before he kicked the bucket. I used his money for my transformation.”

“You loved him?”

She turned sharply and looked at me like I had asked the dumbest question of the century.

“Obviously you didn’t love him. How do girls live with men they don’t love? I don’t know how you’re even doing it. I cannot imagine a man touching me that I don’t love. Babe, I love love!”

“And who says I don’t love love?” Beauty replied.
“I do. But I love me first. Listen Imade… I needed to change my life, my appearance, my everything. So I married the sick rich man …and on the side, I found myself a love interest who didn’t mind I was married.”

“What?? Adultery!”

“That’s what the Bible calls it,” she shrugged still keeping her joyful countenance.

“And you call it… let me guess… self-love?”

“You’re very smart.”

At that moment, something clicked in my mind.
Like a puzzle piece snapping into place.

Beauty had just given me a solution.

We were alike.
We understood each other.

I needed my parents’ money to maintain the life I had always lived …and the life I wanted to expand.
I enjoyed working at our parents’ company, but to keep that privilege, I had to remain married to Teju.

Teju would be my “sick rich old man.”
And I would find myself ‘my self-love’.

My phone rang.
Teju.

For the first time in my life, I was excited to pick his call.

“Hey, Teju… where are you?” I asked lightly.

“Where are you?” he asked in return.

“I came to the poolside looking for you.”

“I’m back in the room,” he said.

“Okay… I’ll join you,” I responded and ended the call.

I turned to Beauty.
“Beauty… you just gave me the best advice in the world. My sick old man is waiting for me in the room.”

She threw her head back and laughed so loudly I almost joined her.

I wanted that kind of joy.
That kind of freedom.
That kind of life.

“Imade, you are such a fast learner,” she said proudly.
“Listen… you don’t have to love a man to be his wife. Play your role… all the roles… you get?
Then find yourself a man you can pour your love into. Self-love, my dear.”

“Babe, this is where you are?” a rich male voice said from behind us.

I turned…

…and saw a handsome, chocolate, drippy average height son of man.

Beauty whispered quickly:
“My self-love in the flesh…”

“Hey babe… sorry I took long. I met an old friend,” she said, gesturing to me.
“Imade, this is Richie…my fiancé. Richie, meet Imade, my secondary school friend.”

Richie stretched his hand for a handshake.

The moment our hands connected…
I felt it.A softness.A warmth.
A charm that made me forget my name for two seconds.

“What??” I whispered internally. “Now this is self-love.”

I quickly withdrew my hand before my composure scattered.

“Beauty, I have to…”

My words froze.

Because standing a few feet away, staring at me…

Was my sick old man.

Teju.

He had come looking for me.

To be continued… ( As long as you are reading this and you enjoyed yourself, it’s a pointer that you share this experience. Do well to share our stories with family and friends. Thank you. Please do not edit out the Author’s credit.
God bless you!

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