I Live For You

CHAPTER THREE

Omezuo found himself swimming in the river, suddenly he saw her again. This time she didn’t run away from him but looked back at him bravely. He looked into the big brown eyes that stared back at him with so much purity. His gaze travelled down to her entire face, she was indeed very beautiful. Her cheekbones were strong, her jaws were a bit long with a dent in it, is that why they call it a stubborn chin – she was looking at him defiantly with fire in her eyes, when he looked at her neck he noticed there were circles at the lower end of the neck as if God wore her a necklace even from birth.

Then he reached out his hands and touched her arm, suddenly he remembered he did not even know her name.

“What is your name” Omezuo asked.

She kept staring at him with no response; at this he got impatient and asked again. “Beautiful one, please tell me your name”. She turned her back on him and Omezuo felt deeply hurt at that gesture and quickly turned her around again to face him. But the face was no longer the same, Omezuo felt so much loss that he cried out in pain. His cry woke his mother who was sleeping nearby and she rushed to him.

“My son I hope you are alright, are you having malaria. You know you have not rested well since you came back yesterday”

“I am fine Mma, was just having a dream that did not end very well”

“Don’t worry my son, the almighty will protect you from evil dreams”, “let me get you a cup of water”. She brought a cup of water for him and made him drink it. Then she left him.

Omezuo was relived it was a dream, but now he must take action because the young girl who had occupied all his thoughts during the day seem to be coming to take over his dream world too. Its time to do the right thing and find the girl of his dream, at least he needed to talk to her.

Obinna was Omezuo’s childhood friend, he finished secondary school with Omezuo but didn’t further his studies. Obinna had a small thriving business selling provisions in the small market at the village. While growing up him and Omezuo got into quite a lot of trouble playing pranks, but they always knew their limit. They also shared a strong friendship built on the trust shared by innocents.

Immediately Omezuo finished breakfast he rushed out to meet Obinna before he left for his shop.

“Who is in this house” Omezuo greeted. On hearing his voice his friend rushed out.

“Omezuo, this one you are coming so early in the morning, nna I hope am safe”. “You are welcome. There is seat, sit down. Have you had your breakfast”?.

Omezuo had gone to see him the same day he returned from school.

“Don’t worry yourself my friend”. “You know there is no way Mma will allow me leave that house without stuffing me with food. I already had roasted yam and utazi with palm oil, Boy how I have missed these local meals”

“I am sure you have come for something that is bothering you. Am all ears because am curious too”. “Its unlike you to come so early”

“Obi this is a serious matter o, this young girl I met yesterday at the stream have been troubling me so much that she has even evaded my dream”

At this Obinna started laughing. Omezuo was the handsome and intelligent one, girls fell over themselves for him yet he was always focused. He has never been distracted by any girl so much that she will keep him restless. Something was happening to his friend and he was curious.

“Omez, biko(please) tell me who is this girl that is bothering my friends laugh”.” It must be a serious matter”. “did she chase out from bed?”

Omezuo told Obinna his friend about the chance encounter and the fact that he is convinced that this must be his wife. He described her to Obinna, though Obinna wasn’t too sure of who he was talking about, he had two people in mind that it could be.

The two friends decided on a plan to confirm the identity of the girl, she was not from their own kindred but from a neighboring village that they shared the same stream with. Their plan was to wake up early enough and stroll to the stream with the hope of getting to see this girl once again. Omezuo and Obinna chatted about other things going on in the village and Omezuo took his leave.

The next morning just as planned, they went to the stream taking their time such that they will meet up with everyone either going or returning. They were many young girls that passed them on the way, some wondered why they acted like they had all the time in the world to fetch just a can of water, but Omezuo was not able to catch glimpse of his beauty.

“Nna are you sure she is coming today” Obinna asked looking at his worried friend.

“It’s becoming like a dream”. “Almost everyone is done fetching water in the morning. I doubt if she is still coming. What if she doesn’t even live around here, for all we know she may have just been visiting”.

“Don’t worry about it my friend” Obinna offered.

“If you are meant to be, then you will surely see again.”

Omezuo was consoled by these words but his disappointment hung on him like a clean white shirt.

Obinna patted him on the back.

“Nna na you be this”. “See all the girls staring at you yet the one you are looking for is not here”. He laughed.

“It’s no joking matter o” Omezuo joined his friend laughing.

“What if I see her again and don’t like her, what if she’s just empty”. “Let’s go home Obinna”.

“Let’s go home and you pray, what will be will be”. “Remember the patient dog eats the fattest bone, so they said”.

“So, they said’.

The two friends sauntered home, laughing and remembering old times.

Indeed, what will be will.

Nkeoma woke up and convinced herself she was feeling ill and she informed her mother about it who excused her from going to fetch water that morning.There was nothing wrong with Nkeoma, she was dreading going to the stream to see that rude man again. She made her elder brother stop by Oluchi’ s house to tell her not to wait for her.

She had asked herself so many times why it bothered her that she was thinking of a total stranger, there was this feeling that she was betraying Emeruwa. Nkeoma knew she was being a coward by not confronting her feelings instead of hiding in her father’s house. She made up her mind that she must find a way to see Emeruwa today.

By noon Nkeoma came out from her room, ate and bathed and informed her mother that she needed to get some fresh air by taking a walk and her mother permitted her.

“Make sure you return back in an hour; I don’t want to hear that you are walking up and down the whole village”

“I will return soon Mma, don’t you trust your daughter again”

Nkeoma went off towards Emeruwa’s house, his sister was friendly with Nkeoma so she always visited on the pretext that she was coming to see his sister Chioma.

When she got to Emeruwa’s house luckily his parents were not in and Chioma excused herself so that the two could spend some time together.

They were seated very close to each other on the bench in front of Emeruwa’s fathers front yard.

“Have you decided on what to do when we finish secondary school” Nkeoma asked.

“I doubt if I will be going to the University, you know am not like you. I wonder how my result will look like”

“But you should put in enough effort, hard work pays. I have been telling you that you have to spend more time studying than playing around with the boys all the time”

“Nkeoma m, am not cut out for that”. “My father wants to introduce me to a friend of his who is a trader in Onitsha. I will be doing trading with him until am ready to be on my own”

“I still think you would have done better if you pursued your studies further”. “How long do you think it will take you to trade before you can be on your own”

“Nne m you always worry about these things.”. “Don’t worry, I will make it”

“I know you will make it, but you have to be focused, even if it’s the trading you have to be serious when you are learning it so you can understand the trade very well”

“Oh Nne, I have heard you”. “So how is my beautiful one doing today”

“Am fine Emeruwa, I just wanted to see you. Its been long we have seen since the holidays started”

“I know nnem, I missed you too”.

On the way, back, NKeoma’s thoughts were more troubled. There was always this laid-back attitude of Emeruwa that irritated her, he was not serious with his studies and she feared he may not be serious with the trade as well. Emeruwa always acted like a spoilt and immature child. Once again she was left wondering if there was hope in dreaming of a future together with Emeruwa. Sometimes she also wondered if he was committed to their relationship as much as she was. She was beginning to face the reality that they may not be any future for them, they were two very different people with few common interests.