Chapter 7: The Message
2197 Words
By the time work finally ended, Victor was more than ready.
He packed his things quickly.
His colleagues were still talking around the office, some preparing to leave, others finishing small tasks.
Victor placed his laptop inside his bag and checked the time.
Then checked it again.
He didn’t want to look too eager.
But the truth was—
He was eager.
Very eager.
The moment he stepped outside the building, he felt the evening breeze against his face.
The sky was beginning to change.
The bright afternoon sun had softened, and the clouds were beginning to take on shades of orange and gold.
Victor walked slowly toward the roadside.
Then he brought out his phone.
He opened his chat with Mercy.
For several seconds, he stared at the empty conversation.
Then he began typing.
Victor: Good evening, my love.
He paused.
Smiled.
Then continued.
Victor: How was your day?
Another pause.
Then:
Victor: Hope your boss didn’t stress you too much.
Victor read the message again.
_“Hmm.”_
He thought about adding something else.
Then decided against it.
He pressed send.
Immediately—
He stared at the screen.
Nothing.
Victor put the phone inside his pocket.
Then brought it out again.
Still nothing.
_“Relax.”_
He told himself.
_“She has work.”_
He walked a few steps.
His phone remained silent.
Victor sighed.
_“It’s only been two minutes.”_
He laughed at himself.
_“This is embarrassing.”_
Victor put the phone away again.
This time, he promised himself he wouldn’t check it.
He would simply walk.
Go home.
Relax.
Maybe take a shower.
Eat something.
Then check his phone later.
Yes.
That was the plan.
Victor nodded to himself.
_“That’s what I’m going to do.”_
He took about ten steps.
Then stopped.
His hand slowly moved toward his pocket.
Victor froze.
_“No.”_
He pulled his hand away.
Another five steps.
His hand moved toward his pocket again.
Victor sighed.
_“This girl hasn’t even replied, and look at me.”_
He shook his head.
_“What is happening to me?”_
A car passed beside him, and Victor moved closer to the side of the road.
Around him, people were returning home after a long day.
Some walked quickly, tired and eager to get home.
Others stood around small shops, talking and laughing.
A woman was buying food from a roadside vendor.
Two young men were arguing playfully about something.
The city was slowly changing from the busy atmosphere of work into the quieter rhythm of evening.
Victor should have been enjoying the walk.
Instead—
His mind was somewhere else.
With Mercy.
He remembered the morning again.
The moment he saw her approaching.
The way his heart had immediately reacted.
He had been waiting there, pretending to be calm.
But the moment Mercy appeared, all the lines he had prepared disappeared from his head.
All he could think about was—
_She’s here._
Victor smiled.
Then remembered how she had looked at him.
How she had teased him.
How she had pretended not to remember their conversation from the previous day.
He laughed softly.
_“She knew exactly what she was doing.”_
Then he remembered the moment she completed her phone number.
_“55600.”_
Victor smiled.
The sound of those numbers had probably been sweeter than any music at that moment.
He had finally gotten her number.
And now—
Here he was.
Waiting for her to reply.
Victor stopped walking again.
_“Okay.”_
He brought out his phone.
_“One last check.”_
He looked.
Nothing.
Victor stared at the screen.
Then slowly placed the phone back in his pocket.
_“One last check failed.”_
He laughed at himself.
⸻
A few moments later, his phone vibrated.
Victor’s heart jumped.
He immediately grabbed it.
He unlocked the screen so quickly that he almost dropped the phone.
Then he looked.
A message.
His eyes quickly moved to the sender’s name.
His expression changed.
Daniel.
Victor frowned.
_“Oh, come on!”_
He opened the message.
Daniel: 😂😂😂
Victor stared at it.
_“What?”_
Another message appeared.
Daniel: Don’t tell me you’re already outside waiting for Mercy.
Victor immediately looked around.
Daniel wasn’t anywhere near him.
How did he know?
Victor typed:
Victor: Are you following me?
Daniel replied immediately.
Daniel: 😂😂😂😂
Daniel: I know you.
Victor shook his head.
Victor: Go and find something useful to do.
Daniel replied:
Daniel: So you are waiting for her!
Victor sighed.
Victor: Bye.
He locked his phone.
But another message appeared almost immediately.
Daniel: Mr Vee has finally fallen.
Victor stared at it.
Then typed:
Victor: Fallen where?
Daniel replied:
Daniel: Into Mercy’s hands. 😂
Victor couldn’t help laughing.
He shook his head.
_“This Daniel will not let somebody breathe.”_
He put his phone away again.
But now, something Daniel had said remained in his mind.
_Mr Vee has finally fallen._
Victor frowned slightly.
_“Fallen?”_
Was that what was happening?
No.
Definitely not.
He barely knew Mercy.
They had only met recently.
He couldn’t possibly be falling for her.
Victor nodded confidently.
_“No.”_
Then he remembered her smile.
His confidence disappeared slightly.
_“Okay.”_
He continued walking.
_“Maybe not falling.”_
His phone remained silent.
Victor checked the time.
Five minutes had passed.
Only five minutes.
He sighed dramatically.
_“Mercy, what kind of work are you doing?”_
Then he quickly corrected himself.
_“No, relax. She has her own life.”_
Victor laughed.
He was talking to himself now.
This was getting worse.
⸻
Meanwhile, across town, Mercy was still at work.
Her phone was inside her handbag.
She hadn’t seen Victor’s message yet.
She was busy arranging some final documents before leaving.
Her boss had asked her to complete something before she went home, and Mercy was determined to finish it properly.
“Mercy.”
Her boss called from across the office.
“Yes, sir?”
“Are those documents ready?”
“Almost, sir.”
“Make sure everything is properly arranged.”
“Yes, sir.”
Mercy continued working.
She had no idea that somewhere across town, Victor was checking his phone every few minutes.
⸻
Victor finally reached a small roadside shop.
He stopped.
He wasn’t ready to go home yet.
Not because he had somewhere else to be.
But because he wanted to stay outside.
He wanted to talk to Mercy.
Maybe she would reply soon.
He bought a bottle of water and stood nearby.
He opened it.
Took one sip.
Then checked his phone.
Nothing.
Victor looked at the water.
_“This water is not helping me.”_
He laughed.
Then his phone vibrated again.
Victor immediately grabbed it.
His heart jumped.
He opened it.
Samuel.
Victor closed his eyes.
_“Why?”_
He answered reluctantly.
Victor: What do you want?
Samuel immediately replied:
Samuel: Why are you angry? 😂😂
Victor typed:
Victor: I’m not angry.
Samuel replied:
Samuel: Have you texted Mercy?
Victor stared at the message.
Then typed:
Victor: Mind your business.
Samuel replied:
Samuel: Aha! You have.
Victor shook his head.
These people were impossible.
Samuel continued.
Samuel: Has she replied?
Victor didn’t answer.
Samuel immediately sent another message.
Samuel: 😂😂😂 She hasn’t replied!
Victor frowned.
Victor: How do you know?
Samuel replied:
Samuel: Because if she had replied, you wouldn’t be ignoring me.
Victor stared at the screen.
Then laughed.
Samuel knew him too well.
Victor: Bye.
Samuel replied:
Samuel: Don’t worry. She’ll reply.
Victor read that message again.
Something about it made him feel calmer.
He locked his phone.
_“Exactly.”_
He whispered.
_“She’ll reply.”_
⸻
Victor continued walking.
The sky was becoming more beautiful now.
Orange.
Gold.
Hints of purple.
He remembered how Mercy had looked that morning beneath the sunlight.
He smiled.
Then suddenly wondered—
What would she look like in the evening?
Victor laughed quietly.
_“See yourself.”_
He was already imagining seeing her again.
They hadn’t even made plans to meet.
He looked at his phone again.
Nothing.
Then—
Finally.
His phone vibrated.
Victor stopped walking immediately.
This time, he didn’t rush to open it.
He looked down slowly.
He saw the name.
Mercy.
Everything inside him suddenly became alert.
Victor smiled.
He opened the message.
Mercy: Good evening, Victor. 😊
Victor stared at the message.
That was it.
Just a greeting.
But Victor smiled like someone had received excellent news.
He immediately typed:
Victor: Good evening, Mercy.
Then deleted it.
Too ordinary.
He typed again.
Victor: Finally. I thought my phone had offended you. 😂
He stared at it.
Then pressed send.
Mercy’s reply came a few moments later.
Mercy: 😂😂 I’m sorry. I was busy.
Victor smiled.
Victor: I know. I was just joking.
Mercy replied:
Mercy: Really?
Victor frowned playfully.
Victor: Yes.
Mercy sent:
Mercy: Hmm.
Victor smiled.
He could already imagine her face while typing that _hmm_.
He replied:
Victor: Okay, maybe I was checking my phone small.
Mercy immediately responded.
Mercy: Small? 😂😂
Victor laughed.
Victor: Very small.
Mercy: Liar.
Victor smiled.
Victor: Fine. Maybe not small.
Mercy sent another laughing emoji.
Victor leaned against a nearby wall.
Suddenly, the evening felt different.
He wasn’t restless anymore.
She had replied.
That was all he needed.
For now.
Mercy then replied to his earlier question.
Mercy: My day was fine… just busy.
Victor immediately typed:
Victor: And your boss?
Mercy replied:
Mercy: He stressed me small today.
Victor frowned.
Victor: Sorry, my love.
Mercy immediately replied:
Mercy: 😂😂 Victor!
Victor smiled.
Victor: What?
Mercy: Who is your love?
Victor’s smile widened.
There it was again.
The question he had been waiting for.
He typed slowly.
Victor: You already know who.
Mercy replied:
Mercy: I don’t.
Victor smiled.
Victor: The beautiful lady who gave me her number this morning.
Mercy replied:
Mercy: Oh, so now every lady that gives you her number is your love?
Victor laughed.
He quickly typed:
Victor: No. Only you.
Mercy became quiet.
Victor watched the screen.
The little typing sign appeared.
Then disappeared.
Appeared again.
Victor smiled.
_“She doesn’t know what to say.”_
Finally:
Mercy: You’re too much. 😂
Victor laughed.
Victor: That’s what everyone says.
Mercy: Maybe everyone is right.
Victor: Including you?
Mercy replied:
Mercy: Maybe.
Victor smiled.
That word again.
_Maybe._
He was beginning to like it.
Because Mercy never gave him everything easily.
She teased him.
Made him wonder.
Made him work for every little answer.
And strangely—
Victor liked that.
He typed:
Victor: So tell me, how was the rest of your day?
Mercy began telling him about work.
Victor listened carefully through every message.
He asked questions.
Made jokes.
And occasionally teased her.
Soon, what Victor had expected to be a short conversation became something longer.
They talked about their workplaces.
Their annoying colleagues.
The things that made them laugh.
Victor told Mercy about Daniel.
Mercy: So Daniel knows about me already?
Victor paused.
Then smiled.
Victor: He knows I met someone interesting.
Mercy replied:
Mercy: Interesting? 😂
Victor smiled.
Victor: Very interesting.
Mercy sent:
Mercy: Hmm.
Victor laughed.
Victor: That’s all?
Mercy: Yes.
Victor: Just hmm?
Mercy: What else do you want me to say? 😂
Victor thought for a moment.
Then typed:
Victor: Maybe that you also think I’m interesting.
Mercy didn’t reply immediately.
Victor smiled.
Then a message appeared.
Mercy: Don’t push your luck, Victor. 😂
Victor laughed loudly.
A few people nearby turned to look at him.
Victor quickly lowered his head.
_“Sorry.”_
He whispered to himself.
But he couldn’t stop smiling.
The conversation was easy.
Natural.
He didn’t have to force anything.
And that was what surprised him most.
With Mercy, every conversation seemed to flow.
One message led to another.
One joke created another.
And before Victor realized it—
The evening was moving forward.
The sun was slowly disappearing.
The orange sky was beginning to grow darker.
Victor looked around.
Then looked back at his phone.
He didn’t want the conversation to end.
He wanted to see her.
Not just through words on a screen.
He wanted to hear her laugh.
See that smile.
Watch her tease him in person.
Victor stared at their conversation.
Then slowly typed:
Victor: Are you going home now?
He looked at the message.
And waited.
Unaware that this simple question was about to lead to another unforgettable evening with Mercy.
⸻
*TO BE CONTINUED…*
Victor was checking his phone like his life depended on it 😂
We all know the feeling!
Team "He's falling" or Team "It's too early"? 👇
Will they meet tonight? Comment!
Follow so you don't miss Chapter 8 "The End Of Work" ❤️
Like 👍 Comment 💬 Share 🔁
Written by Akintoye Adewunmi❤️
---
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD