Ever since I was a kid, people have always fascinated me. I grew to love busy places, especiallyy the airports, because that way I got to see different kinds of people, and I would make up (in my mind that is) stories about them.
I would see a couple kiss each other, hold each other so tight, the womans eyes bright with unshed tears, the man struggling to be brave and not cry, and I would imagine the man to be a top-shot executive who has to travel often, who has a loving wife who cant bare to see him go.
I would also see a man maybe dressed in pointed shoes, high-waist trousers, probably in some loud color, yelling down the phone to the person on the other side of it and the world at large, and I would conclude that he is an Ibo man.(No offense!!)
Anyway, my love for airports led me to the next thing-travel. I have not been to that many places, but I have been in and out of quite a few airports.
Well, once on a trip out of Calabar to Lagos, I did my usual scanning of the airport, and my eyes fell on this really good-looking guy. I judged him to be quite a bit older than me(I was 23 at the time),somewhere between 38-40. He had on a shirt that screamed designers and did justice to his broad shoulders, nice bvlgari shades (yes, I scoped him that closely), nicely fitted trousers and charcoal black, with no visible crease, then on his left hand, a beautiful gold ring winked at me!! I rolled my eyes in disdain, then I smiled to myself, cos I was like this guy is way older than me, anyways what should I have expected??
I moved on to this chubby baby that was making his voice heard all over the place.
Next thing I kew, it was time to board, and surprise surpise, a couple of minutes later guess who was seated beside me- Mr Gorgeous himself. I gave him the smile that had worked on most men, from age 2 till eternity and said hello. He grinned shook my hand and asked if he could be seated.
During the course of the plane ride, we talked and joked about everything! He was funny, witty and charming, and he gave me some brandy too. We did not exchange numbers, or names or personal details, we parted ways.
Months later, I was on a flight from Lagos to Abuja, we had set off already, and then the air hostess comes and asks me if I would like an upgrade to Bizness class! I said yes, and hurried before she changed her mind, and seated there by the window was Mr Mc Gorgeous again! He asked if I remembered him, (I said yes,I am without guile like that) and asked me to sit down. He called me by my name, and I nearly fainted, cos I knew he did not know it, he said he had stolen a glance at my flight tkt, that he'd enjoyed my company and wanted to put a name to the face. We did what we do best-TALK! and this time, I got his number.
We talked every day on the phone, and I kept saying to myself this is crazy! I could not date anyone for a while, because I was so wrapped up in him and our long conversations. We talked about anything and everything. This "thing" went on for ages. It turns out he was a widower, and had been for years. He asked me if I would be opposed to marriage to him, I was stunned and I said I would have to think about it.
After about two years of talking on the phone, he called me one night and said, he had fallen in love with me, but he knows he cant tell me to marry him, because I was very young, and had my life ahead of me, he said he will always love me, but he has to set me free, and by this he meant we should have a break in communication.
Tears flowed freely, because I knew what he said was true, I sure wasn't ready for all of that, but I did not want to let go as well. It really hurt, almost like a physical pain, when he refused to pick my calls, or reply my e-mails, but aftyer a while, I got over it. Life in its beautiful way does go on. I have not heard from him since, but one thing is sure I will never forget him. He has changed the way I look at airports now.
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