Juhanah

chapter twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

One Morning.

Juhanah, stood at the sink peeling potatoes, when her rang.

On seeing the name on the screen she sighed.

“Hello…..how may I help you?”

“Why are you sounding this way?We haven't spoken for weeks, and now you're replying this way, is it right?” He asked warmly.

“Go straight to the point please….”

“Do you really care about my feelings Juhanah?”

The question broke her.

“Yes I do….”

“You lie ... .we haven't spoken for weeks, no calls, no texts, I'm the one doing everything, here you are…..he paused “Maybe I should leave as you said.”

“Chill….” She muttered.

“I should chill? You haven't spoken to me Juhanah for weeks after I left your house, is that how you care about me? I thought you said you loved me?”

“Please calm down, I can explain, I need time to think…”

“For how long? Please tell me…”

She didn't utter a word.

“You know what? I'm done with this conversation…..”

“I love you Teo……”

“That's a lie, you didn't call me, at least to ask how I'm fairing or something, is that how you treat people you love?”

His voice conveyed disappointment.

“Okay fine….”

“Later please…..”

“I'm sorry please….”

“Sorry? Juhanah, I'm disappointed, to be honest, I'm disappointed you did this….”

“Can I make things right?” she asked.

“Not now…..”

“Can I see you today, please?”

“Juhanah, I'm not interested….”

“Please……”

After much hesitation, he agreed to meet her for lunch at a quiet restaurant on the outskirts of town.

When he arrived, she was already waiting for him.

He greeted her with a warm smile.

"I'm glad you came," she said softly.

"So am I," he replied, managing a faint smile as he took her seat.

They ordered their meals and talked about work, family, and everyday life. The conversation flowed naturally, but she could not ignore the guilt that weighed heavily on her heart. She knew she had to say what she had come to say.

After a brief silence, she looked into his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," she began quietly. "I'm sorry for everything I said the other day. I allowed someone else's words to cloud my judgment, and I ended up hurting you”.

He listened without interrupting, his expression calm and understanding.

"I know I doubted your sincerity," she continued. "I even thought about walking away from you. Looking back now, I realize I was unfair. You've done nothing but treat me with kindness, patience, and respect. I truly regret making you feel as though your feelings didn't matter."

For a moment, he remained silent before reaching across the table and gently holding her hand.

"You don't have to keep apologizing," he said with a reassuring smile. "I understood what you were going through. I knew you were under pressure, and I never stopped believing in you. What matters is that you're here now."

Tears of relief filled her eyes. His words lifted the burden.

“Thank you Teo, thank you for understanding me…”

“It's nothing, I hope you understand me as well…..”

“I understand you…..”

“You don't, Juhanah, you don't understand me at all….”

“I'm sorry….”

“It's okay…..but do you still want me to leave?” He asked jokingly.

“Never…..”

*****************

The next day.

The day at work seemed longer than usual.

Although she tried to focus on her duties, her mind kept drifting back to the date from the previous night. Every smile they had shared, every conversation, and every lingering glance replayed in her thoughts.

As she walked toward the gate, she looked at her phone. His name was still at the top of her recent messages.

She hesitated.

Should she text him?

Or should she simply go and see him?

After a few moments of thought, she smiled to herself. Sometimes, the best conversations happened face-to-face.

On getting home, she took a quick shower, washing away the stress of the day. She changed into a simple but elegant outfit, applied a touch of lip gloss, and neatly arranged her hair. Looking at herself in the mirror, she took a deep breath.

"I hope I'm not making the wrong decision," she whispered.

She picked up her handbag, locked the front door behind her, and headed out. The streets glowed beneath the warm evening lights as shops prepared to close and families settled into their homes. Her heart beat a little faster with every step.

After a short ride, she arrived at his neighborhood. It was quiet and peaceful, lined with beautiful flowers and neatly trimmed hedges. She found his house without much difficulty. Standing outside the gate, she paused for a moment, trying to steady her breathing.

Her hand hovered over the doorbell.

A smile slowly spread across her face as excitement mixed with nervousness.

Finally, she pressed the bell.

A few seconds later, footsteps approached from inside the house.

The door began to open.

She smiled nervously as he opened the door.

"Have a seat," he said.

She settled onto the sofa while he disappeared into the kitchen. A moment later, he returned carrying two glasses of chilled fruit juice.

"I wasn't sure what you liked," he said, handing one to her.

"This is perfect. Thank you."

They clinked their glasses lightly before taking a sip.

For a few moments, they simply talked about work. She told him how busy her day had been and how difficult it had been to concentrate because her thoughts kept returning to the date. He laughed, admitting that he had felt exactly the same.

"So... you've been thinking about me too?" she asked teasingly.

"More than I'd like to admit," he replied with a shy smile.

A comfortable silence settled between them.

He looked at her sincerely.

"I've met a lot of people, but there's something different about you. You make me feel calm. I don't have to pretend to be anyone else."

She lowered her eyes, touched by his honesty.

"I've been scared," she confessed. "Not because of you... but because of what people might say. I didn't want to make the wrong choice."

"You don't have to rush anything," he said gently. "Whatever happens between us should happen because it feels right to both of us."

She looked into his eyes and smiled.

"That's one of the reasons I came."

His face brightened.

They continued talking for hours, sharing childhood memories, dreams for the future, and the little experiences that had shaped their lives. The conversation flowed so naturally that neither of them knew it was getting late

For some minutes, they stared at each other.

Then, they had a prolonged kiss.

Juhanah's heart began to beat fast.

“Chill…..” he muttered.

“I want you Teo, can we do this please….”

“Take your time Juhanah, I don't wanna rush the process, you're mine, we'll have it when it's time….”

“I'm ready Teo, please…..”

He looked at her seductively, then kissed her again, but this time, he held her close to himself, his hands round her waist.

Juhanah's heart continued to beat fast.

“I want to open those legs……” he whispered.

Hearing that, it felt like a cold breeze in her ears, “Go on Teo…”

Slowly, he grabbed her boobs, then rubbed it slowly, Juhanah began to moan.

He dipped his hand into her shirt, then brought out her boobs from her bra, then rubbed her n*****s seductively. It didn't end there, he removed her shirt, slowly, her bra then used his tongue seductively on her n*****s.

Juhanah grabbed him so tight, “Go harder Baby…….” She muttered.

Slowly, his hands went between her legs, her laps were so smooth, “You're sexy……”

***********

Juhanah rolled the duvet from her body.

She looked around for a few seconds.

Suddenly a thought struck her, she reached out to her phone.

“f**k……” she shouted.

Hurriedly, she picked her bag on the table beside the bed, then reached out for her clothes in the wardrobe, she wore her clothes within seconds.

She paddled down the stairs, Teo stood at the dinning.

“Good Morning babe, breakfast is…..”

“I'm late……..”

He walked towards her, then held her hands gently.

“Honey, just eat, even if it's little, please….”

“It's okay…. what did….”

“Toasted bread… you'll love it….”

Juhanah gave him a wry smile.

“It's okay then…..”

As she sat, she took a deep breath.

“Why are you in a hurry…..?”

“I'm late….”

“I have a lot to tell you Juhanah….”

“Go on….”

“I don't wanna rush this at all, I want us to have a good conversation”

“Is it about last night?”

“Of course, Juhanah to be honest, I love you, I know you're tired of hearing this all the time, I want to be the last, I want you to be mine forever please, give me a chance….”

“Teo!! I love you so much, I'm ready….not just ready, I'll give you a chance, please don't leave me….”

“I won't….”

“Thank you….”

“You're a baddie…..” he said jokingly.

“I know right, I'm a baddie indeed….”

************

After Juhanah rejected him, he realized that seeing her every day only kept his feelings alive. He knew he couldn't force her to love him, but he also knew he needed peace. The only way to find it was to create distance.

As he stepped into the building, he noticed Juhanah walking toward him with her usual bright smile.

"Good morning, sir," she greeted cheerfully.

He paused for only a second. He offered a brief nod and a polite smile.

"Morning."

Without slowing down, he continued walking toward the staircase.

Throughout the day, Renfred kept his promise to himself.

Whenever he saw Juhanah coming down the hallway, he quietly took another route. If she entered the staff lounge, he waited outside until she left. During lunch, he chose a table on the opposite side of the cafeteria. He no longer looked for excuses to stop by her office or ask how her day was going.

He wasn't trying to punish her.

He was trying to protect his own heart.

A few days later, they arrived at the office gate at almost the same time. In the past, Refrend would have waited for her so they could walk in together. This time, he walked without a backward glance.

Juhanah watched him in confusion.

Later that afternoon, she spotted him in the parking lot. She hurried to catch up.

"Renfred!"

He heard his name but kept walking at the same steady pace.

When she finally reached him, he stopped politely.

"Yes?"

"I feel like you've been avoiding me."

He looked at her calmly.

"I'm just giving myself the peace I deserve.

“What peace?” She asked.

“The peace I deserve young lady, stop making this a big deal, if you're not interested, fine, just let me be please….”

“Why are you sounding this way?”

“Really? You broke my heart Juhanah, you know how I loved you…..”

“Wait, I want to get this right, is it because of this……no tell me…”

“Yes, it's because of that….”

Juhanah bursted into laughter.

“What's funny?” He asked.

“Everything……”

“It's okay…..let this slide….” He muttered.