THE EDGE - CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3



  It's been 2 weeks and Dara still refused  to call nor come to see Mide. Finally, she couldn't take it any longer and besides she wouldn't want to be seen as a stubborn wife. Hmmmm, her Mum really taught her well.

She decided to call him one evening after she came back from work. She dialed his number and after ringing for a while, he picked it.

"Hello Dara, how are you?" she said after he picked it up.

"Hello, I'm fine thanks" he replied coldly.

"So you just decided to keep your distance because of that disagreement we had abi" Mide said, feeling offended.

"Who told you i kept my distance? I've just been busy, that's it. Had a lot to do in the office" he replied undauntedly then continued, "did you call me just to ask that?"

  Mide felt so bad after hearing Dara say that. She couldn't believe she has been keeping malice with someone that didn't even have her time. What else could be as embarrassing as that?

It's true Dara is very focused to a fault. He doesn't pick calls when at work, he believes it just doesn't make sense for someone to disturb someone else at work, so Mide dare not call him when he's at work, she'd rather send him a message.

"oooh Dara, I'm so sorry" she apologized almost immediately.

"For what?" he asked frankly

"For not checking up on you for 2 weeks" she replied

"That's your business, not mine" he replied and ended the call abruptly.




"He ended my call abruptly yesterday night. It shows he's still angry at me" Mide sulked the following afternoon.

"WHAT?! You called him?  Mide!" Desola exclaimed.

"He didn't even know i was angry at him. What a fool i was!" She said, not minding Desola's earlier expression.

"Now i know you need prayers" Desola said with a very disgusting look. "Anyway, i bumped into Samuel at the bank yesterday" She continued after pausing for a while.

"Which Samuel?" Mide asked curiously.

"Samuel Akindele, our former choir director"

"Oooh Sammy! Oh, he's back from Australia? I heard he went there for his Masters Program"

"Yes he's back and he even asked of you. He took your number anyway" Desola said

"Ooooh okay" she replied undauntedly

"Well, maybe he will be the one to deliver you from this 'Dara Madness" Desola said jokingly

"What the hell do you mean Desola?" Asked Mide, as anger rose up within her.

"I'm just praying God hasn't given him another sister" she continued, not minding Mide's anger.

"So you think i'd go back to him if he hasn't? I've always told you Desola, Sammy is not my type"

"Just because he can become a Pastor in future?"

"That's by the way. He's too spiritual for my liking, haba! Too boring, doesn't even dress well,  arrrrg! and besides i don't have any plans of becoming a Pastor's wife" Mide replied, feeling so irritated with the whole stuff.

"So you'd rather settle for a less spiritual person like Dara abi" Desola queried

"Yeah, at least he's not an unbeliever so I'm still within God's range of our choice in a life partner" Mide replied

"Hmmmmm, Olamide!  I just hope for your sake you are doing the right thing"





   Samuel Akindele, a fervent and true child of God used to be the choir director of the church Mide and Desola attend before he gained a scholarship to go to Australia for his Masters Program. He's from a poor background and had been left fending for himself since he gained admission into the University. Sammy, as often called by Olamide and some few others had felt a strong urge to pray about Mide. He had gone with full conviction to meet her but she turned him down blatantly. He didn't push further with the mind that she's not God's perfect will for him.


"Good afternoon Mide" he greeted Mide after service the following Sunday.

"Oh Afternoon Sammy" Mide replied with a smile.

"Longtime! You are still looking as beautiful as ever" Samuel complimented.

"Oh Thanks Sammy, you ain't looking bad yourself" replied Mide graciously.

 

 Desola met them both talking and exchanged pleasantries with Samuel.

"Talk to you later Mide" Samuel said, after joking and talking with the two ladies.

"Yea sure. Take care and bye" Mide replied

"Bye Samuel" Desola bade him bye as she and Mide  walked to where the car was parked.

"Bye ladies" said Samuel as he went back into the church.


"I can see you guys are really getting along well" teased Desola in the car, on their way home. Mide smiled, then she suddenly starts laughing.

"What's funny now?" asked Desola

"You know Desola, i never knew someone can travel out for over 2 years and still come back looking the same" Mide said while still laughing.

"So that thing about him not looking bad was actually fake?"

"More than fake gan sef. It's a big lie. I just told him that so he won't say I'm heartless by not returning the compliment" Mide said, still laughing though. "Chai!  Sammy no go kill person for that church"

"Aaaah Olamide, May God forgive you oh" said Desola trying to keep herself from not laughing but she burst out in laughter when she couldn't hold it any longer. The both of them laughed over Samuel for a while describing his lack of dress sense and tidiness.


   Samuel called Mide just as he promised to and requested an audience with her. Mide guessed he wants to persuade her into going into a relationship with him so she hid under the umbrella of her busy schedule and kept on postponing till he forgets all about it.


"So in short, all you are saying now is that i can't see you this weekend" Samuel asked her over the phone after she had narrated and explained why and how they can't meet that weekend. She's quite a talkative with style.

"Exactly Sammy, I'm sorry. You know how things can get tied up at work and I'm on call from tomorrow evening till Saturday afternoon" She explained further.

"Hmmmm okay" Samuel replied as he sighed.

"But can't we discuss over the phone?. I can do the calling if you are thinking about the call rate." She continued. She knows Samuel is from quite a poor background and despite being a Masters holder, there's nothing much to show for it. As far as she is concerned, he can never be her type when talking of social status, dress sense, family background and spirituality. "He's too spiritual and you can see it all over him like being a Christian also includes not knowing how to carry yourself" She always say.

"Ooooh" Samuel smiled, then continued "Olamide, i can afford it if i want to discuss it over the phone" he cleared up the atmosphere of pity Mide was bringing up.

"The issue is just something i prefer talking to you one on one with" he continued

"oooh, it's okay" she replied, knowing fully well what the issue is.

"So what do you say? " he pressed further.

"I'd see what i can do about it" she replied nonchalantly.

"alright thanks, bye" he replied as he dropped the call.


"But why don't you want to see this guy?" Desola queried, she had been listening to the conversation all along.

"I know what he wants to say jare. What's the point?"

"So?" said Desola, raising up an eyebrow

"So i don't want to see him. Finish!"

"So why don't you just tell him that and free the young man"

"Aha!  Am i holding him in bondage before?" asked Mide proving innocent.

"You told him you'd see what you can do"

"ehn ehn. How does that amount to holding him in bondage? See Desola, i don't have his time."

"Whatever oo" Desola said as she continued watching a program on TV. Mide's phone rang afterwards and with the look of things, it's Dara.


"How are you?" he said at the other end of the phone after Mide picked.

"I'm fine dear, how about you?" Mide replied after signaling to Desola to reduce the volume of the TV.

"I'm fine, thanks" he paused after replying, then continued. "What are you doing presently?" he asked authoritatively.

"I'm at home. Just got back from the hospital like 2 hours ago. Desola is here keeping me company. She just finished from work too" she replied.

"Okay, i'd be in your house in the next 30minutes if the traffic isn't much. Get ready, we are going out" he said

"Oooooh" Mide replied. She really didn't feel like going out. She had been working since the day before and just got home. All she wanted to do is sleep but since she and Dara hasn't been on good terms of late. She needs to do everything to get back on his good book.

"Alright, I've heard you" she was about ending the call when she suddenly remembered something.

"Hello! Dara!  Hello!" she said repeatedly thinking he has ended the call.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the other day"

"it's okay" he said as he ended the call



Mide looked at her friend since she had been staring at her for quite a while.

"Desola, please don't start" she said as she got up from the chair she was sitting earlier on and went to her room to get ready for Dara.

©Toluwanimi Odeniyi