There was a Man

Two weeks felt far too long to be alone with my parents. Being an only child had its perks when I was fifteen. I was the girl everyone envied, since nothing was withheld from me. Well, almost nothing.

Fifteen years later, I find myself wishing my parents had someone else to dote over. Someone who had perhaps found a Catholic, Igbo man to marry. Someone who lived nearby and could visit every fourth weekend.

That wasn’t me. Aside from my very thriving career, nothing else in my life matched the plans they had for me. Staying away from them had become my favourite pastime. But it had been too long since I’d seen them, and I couldn’t afford to be like Ame, who only went home after hearing of her father’s passing.

“There’s someone I want you to meet,” my mum said on my third day. I wasn’t interested in meeting anyone in Awka, especially not someone my mother wanted to introduce me to. Worst of all, the man knew he was coming to meet me for “marriage”, Ugh.

“I have to be somewhere today, mummy,” I said, rising from the couch. I hurriedly got ready in under twenty minutes. As I opened the front door, I bumped into a 5’11”, dark-skinned man in a coffee brown two piece. His beards and smile immediately lifted my hallelujah, and I kept mute and simply stared.

“Good morning. I’m here to see Aunty Abi,” he said, stepping back politely as he revealed his perfect teeth.

“I’m here!” my mother called from the kitchen. “Anayooooooooooo!” she sang his name, dancing forward to meet him at the door.

“Adanna is going out oh, but we can both just eat and catch up. Welcome,” she said, moving closer, maintaining her wide grin.

“Adanna, take care o,” my mother said without looking at me, and held out her hand for Anayo to take. As they walked into the living room, she turned and said “Adanna, I thought you said you’re in a hurry?”

“Hm? Oh, it would be rude to leave our visitor alone, he is already here” I said, walking to join them.

I was definitely going nowhere. All the reasons I’d given flew out of the window.

Apparently, our mothers sent him my picture and he meant to contact and meet with me in Lagos until he was informed of my trip to Awka.

My mother left us to “get a few things from the market,” saving my very dwindling market.

What I once found cringe, became the very testimony I was thankful for.

Ladies and gentlemen, see you at my wedding.

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Thank you for reading my story, please let me know if you enjoyed it.