Passionate Heart

Forgetting George

I graduated from the university two years later and went for my NYSC after which I traveled abroad for my masters and doctorate degree. I met one white man sir Berlinguer and agreed to marry him. I decided to come back to Nigeria after years of absence before the wedding, as i was going to wed abroad. I met my pastor for the wedding preparation. The pastor was a white man.

The pastor told me that my destiny resides in Nigeria not in that Country. That sounded weird to me but when I returned to Nigeria, I knew at once what the pastor was talking was talking about.

I decided to visit George in the prison, before I reached there I met Anaesthesia on the road and we greeted very well, I even told her about my up and coming wedding. I went to buy some fruits before going to the prison but met some old friends on the way that delayed me from going immediately.

In the evening I arrived at the prison yard. I sat down and waited for the police to call George, I called George's voice but it sounded more masculine

What? why are you calling me out again he barked

shut up and move ! they shouted at him

and pushed him.

I didn't recognize George when I saw him but he recognized me immediately. As he sat before me, I kept staring at him before I recognized him.

Mere looking at him almost moved me to tears, he looked wild and tattered. I lost my voice and all my courage. I couldn't even say anything to him. He also didn't bother to talk, he just kept looking at me

George I whispered

How are you? he asked

I'm fine I said and we went silent again

did you bring that for me he broke the silent pointing at the nylon on my laps

yes, I said and handed the bag to him

I watched him eat the fruits silently before I finally spoke up

George, I began

you are done with School right?

yes I am

I heard you are getting married he said and I knew immediately that Anaesthesia had told him that

yes

wow, so happy for you...I still have my jail term, I have spent (6) six years here already, I'm 25years, I should be around 40years when I come out of here, maybe then I will be start planning my own wedding he said with a mixture of pain and laughter..he had laughed but his eyes didn't laugh along, his eyes were full of pain.

George I interrupted him

How are you doing?

Normal he shrugged, we thank God

The time is up, the policemen came and announced

I will see you some other time okay?

I said as the policemen took him away.

After my encounter with George, my life simply changed. The days that followed were days of emotional trauma. I traveled back to London as I already have a green card, I broke my engagement with Berlinguer and canceled the wedding, then I came back to Nigeria. I didn't know what I came back to do, but I knew I came back for real.

I went back to the prison to visit George for the second time. During my conversion with him, he had said

I heard you canceled the wedding

yes

why?

well..its..its

its okay if you don't want to talk about it he said

its not that I don't want to talk about it, its just that the marriage we were going to have was more like a contract marriage, we were business partners so getting married would actually help grow our businesses.

So why did you draw back

I realized that wasn't want I really want

what about your business

well, I want to ho into movie making industry, I want to be a producer and I also want to act you know

Alright he said shrugging

I'm getting you out of here I said

He sat up immediately

when ?

very soon I said

I watched his hand slowly move towards mine, he held my hand and gave me that look, that same look he gave me years ago when the police were taking him away, the same look that made me feel guilty, guilty of what I don't know yet guilty of what I know.