Love Found Me

At the age of thirty four, Stella was still living in her parent’s home. There was really no reason for her to live with her parents for she was fully employed, working in a multi-national and earning a good salary. But she needed the warmth of her parent’s love.  She appeared happy and jovial all the time but Stella had very horrible nights, she often cried herself to sleep. In a country where thirty four year old ladies are sometimes viewed as “old cargoes” Stella desperately prayed for a husband to come whisk her off her parent’s home.

Stella’s parents, Engr. Felix and Engr. Mrs Stella Odiuko (she is Stella senior) were not the average Nigerian parents. Both studied in England where they met and married at the ages of thirty. Yes they were age mates, in fact, Stella’s mother is a few months older than Stella’s father, and their marriage was almost made in heaven. Stella was their first and only daughter, the other three are boys and they all live abroad.

They did their best to keep Stella comfortable; they did not bother her about getting married or ask if any guy they saw her with was the one. Stella’s father often made a joke that Stella was too precious to be just taken away by any kind of man. He told his daughter any time the issue came up that God was preparing a perfect man for his precious first child Stella.

The issue only came up when busy body aunties came visiting and made remarks like “Stella I am thirsty, when will I drink wine from our in law?” under her breath Stella would respond, “I will first drink wine on your grave”. She found it irritating that her “aunties” would not let her be. These so called aunties are not relatives and will never even have a taste of the wine that her husband to be would present to the family. When Stella was in a playful mood, she would say “Aunty, please ask your son to marry me” and some other days, she made statements that embarrassed her mother.

On a particular day, this overbearing aunty came visiting, it was a Saturday and a lazy one for Stella, she had on a pair of slacks and a tank top, her hair was packed roughly and she lay on the sofa watching the television as she demolished a plate of fried yam and fried eggs. Aunty Love was waiting for Stella senior who had just gone in for a shower; she lived down the street and often visited on Saturday mornings. She was alone with Stella in the living room and she saw this as an opportunity to talk to Stella, woman to woman.

She started, “ My daughter, let me tell you, a woman’s clock ticks very fast, if a woman does not get married at a certain age, then there’s a problem” Stella was already put off by this opening statement but she kept calm. Aunty Love went on to tell Stella that maybe she was driving the guys away by her serious nature. She also said Stella had no business eating fried yam, it was filled with calories. She told to look sharp at all times and ensure her hair was always well done “ What if I’d come with a suitor, so he would see you with hair flying up and down? mscheew”

She told her to loosen up, she was too focused on her job, “Stella even if you become the Managing Director of your company, if you do not have a husband, people will not respect you”. At this point, Stella almost told her that her husband had made passes at her in the past. She continued with why Stella shouldn’t have bought a car even though she could afford to, she should have shown modesty by going to work in the staff bus, at this point, Stella blurted, “ Aunty I am a Senior Manager in my office and I am not even allowed on the staff bus”.

Aunty Love was happy that Stella had finally said something to her. This encouraged her to advise her some more. “No Stella, if you cannot go on the staff bus, then use a taxi” Aunty Love said it showed humility, and then guys would know that she was ready to be submissive. (story)

Aunty Love did not stop; she told Stella that she was a very pretty lady and so if any man had not come to ask for her hand in marriage then the fault was entirely hers. She then moved to her daughter’s story. Rose, aunty Love’s daughter got married at the age of twenty one, she already had three children. Aunty Love told Stella that Rose would grow with her children as their sister because she started early. Besides, men preferred younger ladies.

She ended the conversation by asking Stella a question? (A silly question if you ask me) “So when will you marry?” Stella looked at her with a smile and said. “Aunty, I will marry your husband when you die”. At that moment, Stella senior came into living and Stella walked away into her room. She knew she shouldn’t have said that to aunty Love, but she needed to shut her up on this matter forever. She would apologise later on.

Three years later, Stella was posted to help set up a unit in another branch but outside the country for a couple of months. It was on her first day at work, that Stella met Robinson. He was a staff that was assigned to help her settle in. He showed her round the office and helped her with her system. At close of work, while she waited for the vehicle that had been assigned to take her home, she saw Robinson at the car park, he pulled up in front of her and asked to take her home. At first, she was reluctant, but Robinson insisted and told her he would show her around town. This interested her and she quickly called the transport unit to cancel her vehicle request.

After driving around for over an hour, Robinson took her to a restaurant where she ate the best grilled prawns and salad. They chatted about everything, she hadn’t laughed as much as she did in a very long time. She couldn’t understand why she was so happy when she realised that he was Nigerian. Robinson dropped her at home much later that night. From then, he became her friend, her chauffer and city guide.

They went to work together most times and he dropped her off at home often too. He took her to all the nice restaurants, and interesting places. Stella noticed that Robinson was generous to a fault, he never let her pay for anything and they argued so hard before he let her pay for their food once. Robinson made her understand that he paid because he could afford to and not to impress her. He became her best friend. He was much junior than her in the office and deep inside her she felt that it was such a shame that they could never be romantically involved, more so, Robinson never even made a move at her.

At the end of the six months period, Stella was sad to be leaving; she knew it was mainly because of Robinson. Robinson on other hand did not show any signs that he was going to miss her, he kept reminding her of things she had forgotten to do or stuffs she needed to buy. At the airport, before she got down from Robinson’s car, he pulled her to himself and kissed her passionately. She was shocked and at the same very happy. She had butterflies in her tummy all through her flight back to Nigeria.

They started their phone affair and by the end of that year, during a phone conversation, Robinson popped the question that Stella never imagined would come, she knew she loved Rob but she was two years older than him and senior to him at work. She was just enjoying the love and friendship he offered her. He was a true friend, he knew when she was happy or sad, and he read through her presentations for he was super smart. He knew everything about her and even reminded her to apologise to aunty Love. He often asked her to help do one or two things for his family back in Nigeria and without even being aware of this, she became like a member of his family.

Stella’s parents knew that she was talking to Rob but to them he was just her colleague. They were both shocked when Stella told them that Rob proposed to her over the phone. That evening, Stella’s father called her to his bedroom and told her that she didn’t have to get married just because of her age. Stella was thirty seven years old by then. He told her that they were happy with her staying with them and proud of all she had achieved. He didn’t understand how a man could propose over the phone. Lol.

When she went to deliver aunty Love’s invitation, aunty Love said to her “Stella, what happened?” “Love found me” was Stella’s response.

After they got married, Rob got a very top position job in another multi-national and moved back to Nigeria. Stella had three children in three years and is still living her best life. She was afraid, Rob could change, and he changed indeed but for the better. He loves her more each day and makes her fall in love with him every day. They have been married for seven years now and she is grateful that God sent Rob to her. She said that the words her father often said jokingly were always in her heart. “My daughter is too precious to be taken away by any kind of man, God is preparing a perfect man for my precious first child Stella” Rob has been all that and more to Stella.

Stella said she never wanted to add this to the story, but aunty Love’s daughter who got married at twenty one is in aunty Love’s house presently, with her three children. Her husband is dating an older lady, a divorcee with five children. Aunty Love believes the divorcee has used love charms on her daughter’s husband. She holds night vigil every night in her home with prayer warriors and said she won’t stop until fire burns the divorcee out of her son in law’s home.