Marisa's story Part 3

I moved out of town for some months to do a course. My cousin the one that was Keke’s friend would come and visit me with ‘gifts’ and messages from Keke. I hated Keke and I did not want to have anything to do with him. I did not care that he was doing ‘the right thing’ as everyone seemed to think, I hated that he would rather be without me… call me stupid, or whatever, I hoped he would stay.

Almost two years past, and no contact directly or indirectly with Keke ‘good’ I thought, feigning bravado. In every other thing I was coping well, but when it came to thoughts of him, I would just fall apart. I had the admirers but I maintained my single status; I had just gotten a job as an accountant at a firm, and I was focused on climbing the corporate ladder, so work came first.

I thought the past the past, and it could not hurt me anymore. I did not hate Keke but I knew it still hurt to talk about him or think about him.

I had to talk to you today and relive all this, because earlier on today I saw him… from afar, he was coming out of a black sedan, I knew it was him, his height made him too obvious. Then I saw her, the woman he opened the passenger door for so she could come out, I caught my breath as I looked at her mid-section and saw the bump, I felt the grocery bag in my hand slipping, I held onto it tightly telling myself it could be a friend, I willed it to just be a friend, because Keke still was ‘my Keke’ and I was still his, it dawned on me so strongly in that moment that in my head neither he nor I were free to move on.

She kissed him or he kissed her, I can’t remember who did what but I remember seeing his hand rub her tummy affectionately, and in that I knew all I needed to know; Keke was a husband and a soon to be father.

He saw me, he looked my way, and seemed to linger on me for a while, he was happy, and I did not want him to feel guilty for that…
I smiled warmly at him, he smiled back at me as his wife put her arms around his waist oblivious to what was happening between him and I, and within seconds as though I had imagined them, they were gone.

And my heart sighed ‘I wish you well Keke, I wish you well’. And for the first time since the engagement fell through, I really meant it.”

(C) Tischioni Moore
2009


This is the final part of this story, a short note would follow duly. Thank's for reading.