Choices

Part 4

Francis walked slowly past Bosede’s gate hoping to catch a glimpse of her. The little space between the gate and the fence showed the compound empty. Three times he walked the length of the street hoping Bosede would come out, she didn’t. He summoned courage and knocked on the gate. Yetunde, Bosede’s sister came out to meet him.

“Yes, what is it?” Yetunde recognised him.

“Please, I’m here to see Bosede.”

Yetunde eyed him and went back into the house locking the gate behind her. Few minutes later, she came back to tell Francis that Bosede wasn’t home.

“Please, I know she’s home, I just want to see her, please, I beg you.” Francis pleaded.

“Ahan, I said she is not home, are you calling me a liar?

“Sorry, I did not mean that. Please tell her that she should spare me a few minutes. She has not been picking my calls, in fact, tell her I’ll stay here till she comes out.”

Yetunde burst into laughter.

“”Chai, you watch too much American films o. You better leave. It’s drizzling already. Stay in the rain sef, you hear? Oniranu.” Yetunde slammed the gate in Francis’ face and bolted it from inside.

Francis stood there cursing himself. Regret washed over him, he knew he had lost totally. If only he had listened to Bosede. Two months after she had broken up with him, he had lost his job as a club manager. He had thought getting another would be easy but it turned out that it wasn’t. Six months after the loss of his job, he moved back to his parents’ house. Everything had gone sour as his Lagos big boy status was all but forgotten. Those he had called friends abandoned him since he had to free pass or VIP tickets to give to them anymore. Now he understood all Bosede had been talking about. If only he had made investments, his future would have been secured, he needed Bosede back in his life.

While stood reflecting, the drizzle became a downpour. He checked his pocked and saw he had just N200. He remembered the time when getting a cab meant nothing to him, he would have simply ordered Uber in such circumstances. He burst into tears. He cried so hard that he choked. His tears mixed with the rain as he Sobbed into his hands. His body raked with regrets. He was sobbing so hard that he did not hear the gate open. Bosede stood in the rain without an umbrella looking at Francis with pity. She opened her arms and he fell into it sobbing, she rubbed his back till he stopped. Then she took off her already soaked scarf and wiped his runny nose with it. She took him by the hand and led him into the house, after giving him a hot cup of tea and a towel to dry off with. Bosede sat across him and stared at him inquisitively. Francis took the cue.

“Abosede, first of all, thank you for seeing me. You have always been a kind person. I’m very sorry for everything I have done to you, I regret how I treated you and I mostly regret hitting you. I really need you to forgive me, please Bosede.”

“Francis, I forgive you, you taught me a vital lesson in life not to force anyone to love me and that when people treat me in a particular way, they are not pretending that’s how much I mean to them. Francis I forgive you.”

“Thank you, thank you so much Bosede, is it possible that we go back to what we were? Let’s get back together.”

“Francis, are you serious?”

“Yes my love.”

“No Francis. That’s impossible.”

“Please love, I know I hurt you but I love you, I would make it up to you. I promise.”

“Francis, love? Haha. Stop this please. I am in a loving relationship now, with a man that treats me specially. We can only be friends. How are things with you Francis? You don’t look very good.”

Francis told her about his joblessness and how everything had gone downhill. How his supposed friends deserted him and how he now lives with his parents. They talked extensively and by the time he finished he was in tears again. Bosede consoled him and by the time he was leaving, he felt very relieved.

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Bosede stayed good friends with Francis and encouraged him to find something he enjoyed doing and turn it into a business. She financially assisted him to develop himself.

“Bros, stand there, Bosede, face him. Bros place a kiss on her forehead. Bosede you stare at the baby or place a kiss on the forehead. Yes, that it. Are we ready? Good.”

Bosede, her week old baby and husband held their pose as Francis captured the moment with the lens of his Canon 5D which Bosede’s husband had given him a loan to purchase. He kept taking shots till he was satisfied. Later that night, Francis looked at the beautiful pictures of Bosede and her family pondering the life he would have had if he had not done what he did. He was however happy for her and strengthened his resolve to pay Bosede back the fee she paid for the 5-month photography course she paid for and pay her husband the loan that he had gotten from him for the Camera he had recently purchased. He would make her proud of him and would be eternally grateful for the way she had helped him in the past two years. He slept off dreaming of being the most sought after celebrity photographer, models and lots of money. 

The End. we are at the end of CHOICES. i hope y'all enjoyed it. thanks for sharing and commenting; Don't stop, don't, don't stop... New Story soon. Have a fun weekend.