Aunty Meg, surprisingly, just smiled at me. “Is that all? Is that the reason why you’re crying?” she asked me, looking at me with a puzzled look on her face. “I thought it was something really serious.
“So, this is not really serious?” I’d thrown at her, totally shocked at her response.
“Of course, dear, it is serious but not really serious,” she answered. “At first, I thought something terribly bad had happened between you and MD, I was really scared, you know.”
In my mind, I was thinking, what on earth is this woman talking about? Why is she making this issue look like child’s play for God’s sake? If she wasn’t way older than me, I could’ve slapped her hard across the face and wipe that silly smirk off her lips.
“Aunty Meg, please, don’t get me upset, you are literally making jest of me here, do you know that?” I shot at her. I showed that I was really pissed by her nonchalance.
“It’s okay, my dear, don’t mind me, I just didn’t want to make you feel really bad, okay?” she returned, sounding apologetic.
“Now, let me tell you, seriously, there are ways to handle a man like MD who is reluctant to take his woman to the altar, do you want to know?”
I nodded. “Stop teasing me, Aunty Meg, I am listening to you, please….tell me everything I need to know,” I said to her.
Aunty Meg was still smiling. And she just didn’t realise that the more she smiled, the more upset I became and the stronger the urge for me to slap her grew. She just wasn’t taking my matter seriously and I didn’t like it one bit.
“Okay, now, Anita, listen to me, and I am very serious here, okay?” she finally wiped the stupid smile off her face and wore a more serious look. “You don’t need to get really upset about this,” she began, looking at me straight in the eye. “I know this looks pretty upsetting and calls for concern but honestly, I don’t think it’s as bad as you think, MD is not such a terrible man, he would not go out of his way to deliberately hurt you, trust me….”
”But how can you tell, Aunty Meg?” I cut in, not waiting to hear her finish what she was saying.
“But I know this man, Anita, he’s not a bad person,” she continued. ”I don’t think he will want to dump you or abandon you like you’re thinking.”
I smiled wryly at her. “Aunty Meg, how can you be so sure about a man you’re not the one dating?” I retorted. “I am the one dating this man, not you and I am saying that there is a problem here and you think I don’t know what I’m talking about?”
Aunty Meg just watched and listened to me as I unburdened my heart. She was quiet, she knew I was hurting badly. “I have heard you, Anita, but I still don’t think the MD I know would just dump you and your child, he’s only child for that matter!”
“Look, Aunty Meg, even if you think MD can’t do that to me, has it even occurred to you that his wife could be the reason he is acting so callously? Don’t you think she could be the real problem here?”
She nodded. “Sure, I agree with you, which is why I am saying, let’s not be in such a hurry to paint MD the bad person here, the problem could be deeper than that, and it could also be that you are the one that needs to slow down a bit and not choke him up with your demand for a wedding. Maybe you should just let him take things at his own pace.”
“So, I am the one choking him up now?” I shot back at her, my voice laced with anger. “So, is that the reason why he can’t make up his mind as a man and fix a date for the wedding?”
She shook her head. “No, that’s not what I meant, Anita, I am just saying that you should take things easy with him. If it was that easy for him, he would’ve put a ring on your finger long ago and conclude on the wedding,”
I sighed. “So, what do I do now, Aunty Meg? What are the things you think I can do to get this man’s attention and love like I used to do? Please, tell me, I am desperate for answers now!”
Aunty Meg gazed at me as I waited for her response to my question. There was a look in her eyes that showed she felt kind of sorry for me. She knew what I was feeling inside. She understood my pain. But she had no idea how to help me stop the pain.
“My answer remains the same, Anita, give him time. Let the man take his time and plan things properly to avoid a head on collision between you and his wife,” she said to me.
“Or a head on collision between him and his wife, you mean!” I snapped at her in obvious irritation.
“Well, whatever, the important thing is for him to prevent a collision of any kind from taking place,” Aunty Meg retorted.
“But, let’s be honest, Aunty Meg, if you say the man needs to take his time, it also means he could take forever for him to do what is right by me and our son! So, am I supposed to wait for him forever?” I continued, as a lot of thoughts raced through my head.
There was truly no sign if MD would ever get round to make this wedding happen. What if he remains in morbid fear of his wife and just could never find the balls to tell her he wants to get legally married to me? What am I supposed to do then, remain his mistress forever? No, something had to happen! I have to make that wedding happen. MD thinks he already owns me and there’s no way I would pay attention to another man let alone cheat on him by having another relationship. But right now, I am starting to think that, perhaps a little competition, something to make MD’s heart beat hard against his chest in fear, is what he needs to jolt him back to his senses. And that’s exactly what I am going to give to him.
A very mischievous smile lit up my face. I was happy. I was excited. I had found the answer I was looking for. Aunty Meg was watching me closely, puzzled by the sudden glow on my face. She couldn’t understand why, all of a sudden, my face beamed with a smile.
“Anita, what is it? Why are you smiling to yourself?” she asked, eager to know what was going on in my mind.
“I have got the answer! I think I know what to do to get MD to get back to his senses,” I answered, still smiling.
“And what could that be?”
I let the smile on my face get even bigger. “MD needs a little competition, he needs something that will remind him how precious I am to him….”
“What exactly do you have in mind, Anita, stop beating around the bush, and I hope you’re not planning to do something stupid here” Aunty Meg urged me to say my mind.
I paused a while and said to her with a note of finality in my voice, “Yes, Aunty Meg, it’s stupid but it’s the perfect plan. I am going to get myself a new boyfriend and I will make sure MD meets him!”
…To Be Continued
