CHAPTER TWO: MISSING PIECES

We sat under the tree, on the floor staring into each other eyes. I was shy, at least my next meeting with him shouldn't be with teary eyes and an ugly face. I was just regretting inside. He kept smiling at me as his face contoured. This made my insides to churn. He had changed a lot and I could sense he was every woman crush. All the ladies that kept passing around our destination kept uttering words "wow, he's so cute " "dashing ", "I wish he were my man ", "I just love his dimples ". I just had to wipe my face continuously to ensure that I look beautiful and he should recognize only me.

"you haven't changed a bit, Beatrice, small things still get you worked up and crying like a baby and this time you forgot you applied your makeup," he said with a smile.

I felt angry. Is this the first thing you're supposed to tell me after not seeing me for almost seven years now? I retorted

It took some remarkable little time for Victor to say "am sorry, I didn't expect it to turn out this way, I miss our friendship way back."
I simply said, "thank you, " and prayed he would say more.

Victor won't stop staring at me. His eyes haven't blinked for once or left my face either. I don't know if I should have called myself an angel or a demon he was shocked to see.
I prayed he had not shown to break my heart even further.

Victor started laughing. "so why were you crying? " still staring.

I even forgot the reason I cried. I was so happy to see my crush after seven years and envisioned more than ordinary friendship. I told him all about Michael and I, his huge proposal and failure... I wondered if I was teary for Michael or for myself.
"weak Beatrice. If only you accepted him, you wouldn't be crying that way. Did you perhaps dislike the surrounding? " he asked.

"No, no, no, no" I chorused
"No? " he said with all manner of interest. "Tell me Beatrice, who is he that made you turn down a proposal in public? "

I laughed in so much happiness that he was asking. "it's nobody my dear friend. A girl rejects the kind of man she doesn't want or deserve -i wish he should just tell me how he misses me instead of staring at me like one demented demon

"So how's life with you? I thought something happened to you. " I could feel a little fear in my voice and I could perceive he felt it too.

"So I should gossip about my life with you? "he smiled a little.

"No, don't worry, if it's not fine with you, I understand. You can go to your friends who I believe should be waiting for you. I think I should be heading back to my house now that am feeling a bit sane. " I tried to get up but Victor pulled me back to the bare floor.

And there... He started telling me his life story -how things were rough for him, his search for jobs, his lookout for me at my family house and his meeting with an ugly little crying teddy today.

"So you got work at the office? And you intend establishing yours too? Are you happy where you are now? " Surely Beatrice can ask many questions.

"Beatrice, if you continue asking too many questions, none of us will leave here today," Victor said laughing.

It was way past 10 already and I didn't seem to notice because I was engrossed with my discussion with Victor and thank Goodness he brought me back to realisation.

He took me home that evening and I was feeling like a girl who just got her last wish -actually my wish was fulfilled if not my last - I couldn't sleep that night. I was feeling like a girl in love, yes, I was really in love only that the love hasn't found it way to me yet. Gosh , you could see me at work. I couldn't sit one place. I was just so over friendly, over excited. I felt like a bird taking its first terrified but exhilarating flight. I could hear the doctor asked the nurses, "is she okay? " and then a command "behave yourself Beatrice, you are at work. " Then I noticed the amount of attention I was attracting. A number of patients and nurses were turning to watch me, the old ladies patients raising their quizzing glasses to study me as if I was a crazy nurse. I tried to calm myself a little -trust me, when I'm happy, I can be very unbelievable. And then a call came through, it was Victor and he asked if he could take me for sightseeing later that evening. I bubbled with excitement. This time I was feeling like a bird pushed out of the nest and desperately flapping its wings. Wild curiosity and impatience itched me, I wished the clock tick faster... Oh no, it just got slower.

And then 4pm arrived. Victor was already in waiting with his black car. He flashed his set of white teeth at me and I felt like a cake crumb.
Oh yeah -am really falling for this guy -but what I needed what a man who loves me and not the other way round.

Days turned into weeks and months and Victor became my closest ally. He knew everything about me and I felt same too. He was indeed a huge part of my life -our meetings became too open for public pry.

But what I wasn't too sure if Victor loved me like I do. When I try going romantic with him, he tends to withdraw and this got me really scared. Like how will I walk out of this relationship feeling sane if it wasn't working. Then I came up with my own plan, to withdraw slowly. I didn't want to feel so heartbroken in case he got a girl somewhere I didn't know about.

Then we went to the island, same in which Michael took me and he propose to me there. I couldn't stop shedding tears and joy. I just kept saying yes, yes and yes again.
"oh yes, I will marry you Victor. I promised to make you happy with me always ".

"I love you Beatrice, and I promise to be your first and last. " of course he was actually my first and last and we kissed.

The crowd joined us, and I could only be glad. I was sure I had entered the perfect bliss of union -we married.

Anticipate chapter three
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