THE 'RUNS GIRL' WHO STOLE MY HEART (PART THREE)

 

 

If I was an empty vessel, Atinuke knew how to fill me completely. I have become so used to her that her absence in my life was driving me horrendously crazy. My emotions have been so built around her to the point that it was almost indestructible. My friends say I have been talking in my sleep about how I miss her. I believe them because; she was the last thing on mind every night before I go to sleep.

The thought of her being with another man because I have refused any form of explanation from her made me both jealous and depressed. I should have at least given her a chance to tell her own part of the story. Most 'Runs Girls' don't even enjoy sleeping around; they are sometimes plagued by circumstance or sometimes out of necessity.

There was little or no doubt in my mind that she felt something special for me out of all her body counts. We were like soul mates or even something closer than that. Our chemistry was unbelievable and she was like my dream come true. She was my strength and my weakness all rolled into one.

I had made up my mind to talk to her or even find her if the need arises. Maybe she would have enough respect for what we shared to quit her promiscuous behavior. More so, I was falling in love with her and there was very little I could do about it. I have to follow my heart wherever it leads.

I had to tell my close friends what I was going through. They were wary of my growing feelings for Atinuke because it was gathering momentum each day.

'Runs Girls' also have a heart and they have love in them, sometimes they do this because of the situation they find themselves in. Most times there is no choice for them" I tried to explain to my friends.

“These girls know how to play with a man’s emotions. Don't get it twisted, she was only being good at her job” Bolaji countered. “And she could just be after the money like any other girl. As long as the money is flowing she will be beside you but when the money is gone, she might be forced to go back to her Aristos”. Bolaji himself has had a lot of experience with all sorts of women and he was the perfect guy to run to in a time like this.

“Are u guys saying a 'Runs Girl' is not capable of loving and being loyal to a man? Just because she's a 'Runs Girl' doesn't mean she can't fall in love and be faithful” I countered.

"What love means to her may be different to what it means to you" Charles buttressed, almost in anger.

"But they are like most of us who are trapped in a job that we don’t love but have to keep doing until something better comes along the way" I tried to insist but they seemed not to be buying in.

"Look! You can fall in love with anyone you want but don't mix pity with love” Charles warned. He always tried the father figure in the group. I would listen to him anytime. “However, it’s very difficult because once she starts selling her body, it makes it more difficult to be satisfied in a committed relationship” He continued in his deep voice.

 “Look, she might promise you that she would give up her promiscuous lifestyle to settle for you but until she completely gives it up you must protect your emotions from her manipulation” Bolaji waded in as if he has had enough of my presumed childishness. He continued "Everyone has a chance to turn their lives around and there is no perfect woman out there. She would most likely stop as long as you support her and possibly her family too. If you are willing to make that commitment, then go ahead".

 Despite all the advice from my friends, I couldn't think of anything else because I was gradually getting obsessed with her. I felt a sense of loss even though I never had her in the first place.

There was something about her that I had never seen in any woman before her. There was more to her personality than the mere fact that she traded her body for money. I was losing my mind and I wasn't sure how long I was going to be able to stand. Could it be that I was under a spell or something?



(To be continued)

THE 'RUNS GIRL' WHO STOLE MY HEART (PART TWO)

 

It was the last Friday of the month, so I decided to go out with the boys to Karaoke. Not long after we got there, one of my colleagues asked to use my phone to call a female guest he was expecting that evening. He explained that her number wasn’t connecting on his phone and since I used the same network, he wanted to see if he can get through with mine. I obliged and merely urged him not to spend too much time on the phone as I have plans to call my girlfriend later that night. 

To our uttermost surprise, it turned out that the number he was calling was that of my supposed girlfriend Atinuke, which was already saved on my phone contacts as Honey Boo. I was not sure between me and my colleague who was in more shock. I enquired from my apparently bemused buddy, if he was related to Atinuke and perhaps the purpose of her visit was family connection. I couldn’t think of any other reason why he would have the number of my girlfriend who I was yet to introduce to him but the look on his face said it all.

Atinuke was not the girl I thought I knew; she was actually a Runs Girl. The kinds that will make your girlfriend or wife look like a learner. How could I not have known or even suspected? Her almost perfect demeanour denied me of every sense of reasoning and I acted as if my mind was no longer my own. I was now one of her prisoners and she held the key to my poor heart.

For the next couple of minutes I went numb with tremor. A million thoughts were flying through my already clouded mind. I felt sick to my bone marrow at the thought of how many men have shared my Atinuke with me.  It was painful, both mentally and materially. Everyone thought she was the one for me but little did I know that she so loved the world so much that she has given away everything I cherished.

I spent most of that weekend bedridden; convinced that the best way to get over my disappointment was by being somber. I couldn’t stay in my house because every corner I turned was laden with memories of my ‘sinful weekend’ with Atinuke. Surprisingly, she never called or tried to reach me again. She must have figured out that she has been busted and quietly disappeared on me.   

At work on Monday, Atinuke was the topic of discussion amongst the boys at lunch. I was to find out that she also got to contact my colleague Christopher on facebook but with a completely different identity. He knew her as Oyindamola, a Youth Corp member who was serving in Bayelsa State with the Ministry of Power. Christopher was in a worse situation than me; he was already in love with her and had even bought her an 18K Solitaire diamond engagement ring. That was the Atinuke-Effect for you, she is a hooker.

After weeks of non-stop infatuation, everything started to add up. I discovered that women like her are too good to be true. Apparently, she was always on the prowl for young and descent looking middle class men whom she manipulated to her advantage. She knew how to get into any man’s head and she did that for a living. You can never have enough of her and she keeps you coming back for more. Simply put, Atinuke is to her victims what oxygen is to humans.

But many months passed and I couldn’t get Atinuke off my mind. Somehow, my life was never the same without Atinuke. There was no greater or sweeter love than the one Atinuke had given me and my life was incomplete without her.

 

(To be continued)

THE 'RUNS GIRL' WHO STOLE MY HEART (PART ONE)

Early last year, I got a message on facebook from a young girl named Atinuke, a 300 level student of the University of Calabar. Unlike other random advances I get on social media, she was surprisingly witty and had this graceful way of communicating that was very patronizing. She was so beautiful that I was at a loss as to why she would be interested in me.

We quickly exchanged Blackberry pins and chatted late into the night. I was impressed at the appeal of such a young girl but puzzled by the intensity of the entire conversation. The frequent chats were replaced by lengthy phone conversations. Then suddenly, the gear shifted and our conversations became more passionate. She would tell tales of how she couldn’t stop thinking about me and wanted to visit me in Lagos.

It was a bit absurd by my traditional standards for someone I barely knew to be so enchanted. But I was comforted by the fact that my boyish charm was still yielding dividends at its prime. She was very charming too, so why not? With the intensity of our conversation, it was almost impossible to stay apart for too long. My spirit and body were willing but my pocket was weak. So I asked her to come at the end of the month. From my little experience, beautiful women are not pocket-friendly.

On her first night in Lagos, I took her to a house party hosted by a childhood friend of mine in Lekki. The moment we walked in, Atinuke lit up the room and everyone knew there was a star in the building. She had the swagger of a cheetah and her every move was greeted with reverence. I was completely out of my comfort zone and was clearly smitten. It was absolutely electrifying and I felt instantly motivated.

The next morning, I found her sitting unclothed at the edge of my bed with eyes fixed on me like I was a prey. My initial fright was soon replaced by a burning passion, never in my life have I seen a woman so wonderfully made. She crawled up slowly to me and I immediately knew it was time for war. Her sexual maturity was thrice her age and she knew how to get a man to dance to her tune. She seemed very relaxed and in perfect control of the situation.

After what seemed like eternity, she stood up and walked to the kitchen leaving my breathless body in her trail. And before I could come to terms with what had just transpired, she served me a sumptuous breakfast in bed. For a moment, it was difficult to imagine how a woman can have so much mastery in the bedroom and the kitchen at such a young age. This was beyond my wildest dream. 

However, she was not all about the bedroom and the kitchen and fashion; she was also very passionate about the things of God. That Sunday morning, I was woken up by an already dressed Atinuke who as usual had put my bath water and brought out the cloth she wanted me to wear to church. I was purely amazed! 

Throughout the church service, it was hard to tell that it was the same girl who had taught me the lesson of my life in the bedroom. She sang away like an angel and even prayed harder than a warrior. As you can envisage, my weekend was passion-soaked and I had the time of my life.  

Atinuke went back to Calabar the next day but she never stopped showering me with love for a moment. Straightaway, I assumed there was a future for the both of us. No woman has ever shown me the kind of love I was getting from Atinuke. Her birthday was coming up in a few months and I was already nursing the idea of proposing to her that day.

Most of my friends who saw her when she visited were already asking about the new Iyawo and how it was finally time for me to settle down. They felt I have waited for too long and that I was still lucky that God has blessed me with a woman like Atinuke.

I knew I wasn’t in love with her and I wasn’t sure what she was in love with me either but everything felt so good; at least for the time being. I knew that marrying her was going to be a huge gamble but a woman like that was worth every risk. Well, I did like Atinuke a lot but the truth was that I barely knew her. What if she was Mami Water or was pretending at best?

I was completely blown away by her total expression of commitment towards me. Atinuke was in my thinking a million yards of wife material, enough to sew for ten thousand men. I was a lucky man no doubt.

My dear mother was soon to catch the Atinuke-mania. From the moment she heard her voice over the phone, she fell completely for her charm. Atinuke was simply a Super Woman and leaves everyone she comes across at the mercy of her elegance, until one breezy Friday evening in February.

(To be continued)

HOME ALONE ON VALENTINE'S DAY

It's that time of the year again set aside for lover's to show how much they love their other half. I wonder what last year was like for you. Were you able to feature in your lover's plans? Here is what I am implying; as a wife, fiancée, girlfriend or mistress, were you left on the bench as a possible substitute? Did you lose the Valentine's Day trophy to a rival or maybe he went for one of those boring board meetings that last way into the dark? 

And if you lost, what did you do and what do you intend to do this year? Many women just sit and watch when they find out that they have lost out in the love game. But do you really have to resort to depression just because the man now thinks you no longer make his heart go boom boom?

I actually believe that by now every woman should know what her man is capable of. Every woman realizes that when it comes to romance, most men are not usually professionals. Or how many men do you see reading romance novels or watching telenovelas? As far as most men are concerned, such matters of excitement and mystery associated with love is not top priority. Your best chance of scooping some romantic treats out of your man is whilst he is still knocking on the door of your heart.

In some cases, that moment he walks you down the aisle, real romance dies. Please don't get me wrong, a handful of men still find time to indulge their wives in the Valentine's Day rituals while others choose to forget. And trust them to come up with a thousand reasons to their defense. 

So, if you are one of those women whose boyfriends or husband did not give a treat and you have resorted to wailing and gnashing your teeth, I think you are deceiving yourself. Why should you let him see your tear-streaked face? Even if you feel left out, don’t let him see it. If he decides not to give you a treat on lovers’ day; then, so be it. But, please be nice about it and let the pay back be unsuspecting.

I am not trying to call out our men here but am just giving the women a defense-mechanism against the tough realities of life and love. There is an African proverb that says; since the hunter has learnt to shoot without missing, the bird has also learnt to fly without perching. So women out there, on no account, should it be perceived that you are staging a valentine revenge.

Well, here is a story of a woman who decided to make her valentine's day memorable, despite her husband's inattention. Maybe you can learn a thing or two from it. 

I have been with my husband for about eight years now and for six years as a married couple. For the last four years, he has come up with one excuse or the other why he couldn’t spend Valentine’s Day with me or even buy me a gift on that day. So I decided that since my husband has intentionally stopped marking the Valentine's Day, I would find a solution rather than sit in the house and be frustrated.

I always had this self-pity thing going on but last year I decided that all that would be a thing of the past. So, when, a few days before Valentine's Day, my husband told me he had a management meeting on February 14th, I became indifferent. I quickly planned with a colleague to swop shifts with her. 

That day, I decided to do the night shift. I simply left a note for my husband that one of my colleagues on night duty fell seriously ill and I had to stand-in for her. He didn’t like the idea of me doing night duty at all. He always complained that he hated coming home to a cold bed. Well, if I have been warming his bed for six years and I still don’t qualify as his Val, then I won’t warm it on February 14 period. Not again unless he does the needful.

My colleagues gave me a well deserved treat at work that night. We had a little office party and I thoroughly had the fun of my life. By the time I got back home early the next morning, my husband looked like he had just woken up from a nightmare. I tried to smoothen out his ruffled feathers but deep down in my mind I knew I had put one past him.

This year, you will not believe my darling husband woke me up this morning asking what my plans were for the day. "Am not sure honey, why do ask"? I replied with all the insouciance of a seasoned workaholic. Then, in a moment of breathtaking innocence he said he would like me to accompany him to a boat party later that evening. 

I was shocked and at the same time excited because I could never have imagined he would attend such a party considering how busy he always seemed. I stopped short of asking him how he got the invite but I rather announced that I can't attend because I had nothing befitting for the occasion. My face went from dismay to ecstatic joy when the man pulled out a beautiful Maxi Bandeau dress and black leather footwear to go with it from a shopping bag and handed them over to me.

"Where did you get this from" I asked stylishly. He explained that he knew the woman he was married to and that he had got them on his way from work, just in case I came up with an excuse. At this point, my poor husband looked so pathetic that I had to pull the plug and agreed to be his Val.

Well, so what can I say? I still could not believe this was the man I have being with in the last four years. He has been calling me all day, just to make sure there was no last minute change in plans. He even sent flowers to my office, and trust me I will not let this opportunity slip away without possessing my possession. 

My phone is ringing again and am sure it's my val. Ciao!