HEAR ME TOO!

PART FOUR

He had first met Tina on a rainy day. It was drizzling and just about to start pouring when he saw her standing by the road, waiting for a cab and she didn't seem to have an umbrella. Growing up, his parents always emphasized how important it was to help other people so he could never pass by someone who needed help, no matter who it was.
Seeing a girl stranded on the side of the road, about to get totally soaked in the rain compelled him to stop his car even when his brain warned him not to. A lot of things could go wrong from picking up a stranger but he didn't want to harbor mundane thoughts so he just followed his heart.
"Hi, where are you going?" He asked after he wound down the passenger side front window.
She said nothing to him and kept glancing around for a cab or some sort of transport. Ben didn't blame her. These were scary times and people didn't accept the help of strangers as easily as before.
"Please let me drop you off, the rain will get heavy soon."
"I don't think we're going in the same direction sir," She replied.
"It doesn't matter, I can drop you off wherever you're going. You won't be able to get any cab or bus here."
She seemed to think about it for a few seconds and she must have realized he was right because she sighed deeply.
"Oh okay. Thank you so much, I really appreciate," she said and then got into the car.
He glanced at her and saw she was already wet so he turned up the heat in the car so she could dry off a little.
"Where are you going?" He asked her and she looked at him for a few seconds as if debating whether she should answer him or not and then she spoke.
"Please drop me off at the nearest park so I can get a cab, thank you."
"Okay then, no problem."
They drove in silence until they got to the park. She was about to open the door when she turned to him and said "I'm Tina, what's your name?"
"I'm Ben," he replied, quite surprised.
"Thank you Ben, I appreciate the help," she said with a smile, then she wrote down her number on a piece of paper and gave it to him.
"Please give me a call when you have time. I will like to buy you lunch or dinner to thank you properly for today," she said and without waiting for a reply, got out of the car.
********
"Where are we going?"
His mother's voice brought Ben out of his reverie. He had been deep in thought and he didn't even know where he was driving to.
"Umm, I was thinking we could go grab something to eat and then see a movie afterwards,"Ben replied.
"That sounds like a good idea!" She clapped excitedly.
Contrary to what people might think, he liked hanging out with his mother. The only weird thing was that anyone who came across them automatically assumed she was his girlfriend. For someone who was in her late forties, she looked amazing and still drew the attention of many men. His dad was always proud whenever this happened, and at the same time, annoyed when the men would come up to her to ask for her number.
They went to a restaurant, ate some breakfast and then headed to the cinema. Viv noticed Ben kept zoning out and she knew it would take time for him to get over Tina. She said a silent prayer and asked The Lord to give her son strength to move on and also provide a better future for him. She honestly didn't know what else to do to make him feel better but she hoped the trip would help and if he decided to stay there longer, that might be better.
As they watched the movie, Ben zoned out again. He didn't know what exactly he was feeling as he was going through different emotions and felt he was going to explode. Anger, resentment, regret, and sadness all moulded into each other to form one giant ball of pain, tearing his heart into tiny pieces. Everywhere he looked, there were traces of Tina. His house, the malls, the restaurants and even this cinema. This city held way too many memories of her and the sooner he went on that trip, the better.
*******
Tina Chukwu looked at the man beside her and smiled fondly. She stroked his hair and thought of the bright future that seemed to be ahead for them. She had been dating Ben for years, not knowing how exciting life could be until she met Alex. Alex was the most exciting human she had ever come across and he made her feel sixteen again. When they met, he had been on a motorcycle and almost knocked her down while speeding but he apologized and asked to make it up to her over dinner. She had agreed and while at dinner, they talked about a lot of things and he made her laugh so much that she almost threw up her meal. Then they had exchanged numbers and it became wild. They talked all the time, went to a lot of new places together and the sex was mind blowing. She knew she had to end things with Ben so she could be entirely free to explore the exciting new world that she just discovered.
She knew Ben would hate her but he would get over it soon. Ben was gorgeous, kind, considerate, a perfect gentleman if ever there was one, and every girl's dream man. It was precisely all these things that made him boring to Tina. He was too considerate! She never understood why he had to be so calm all the time, doing everything in his power to please her and never picking a fight. Worst of all, he always bought her flowers and she hadn't had the heart to tell him that she didn't want them. He wouldn't even touch her until after a year of being together and when she asked him why, his response was "I don't want you to think I'm just here for sex so l will wait for a while."
Then the first time they made love, he actually asked her for permission! Who asks for permission these days?! Nahhhh, Ben wasn't the man for her and she knew a lot of girls would feel the same way she felt. A man who is too much of a gentleman doesn't stand a chance, good boys are no fun.
"What are you thinking about?" Alex asked, his eyes searching hers for a hint.
"Nothing babe, just how lucky I am," she replied and kissed him.
"I have a meeting this morning but I'll come and pick you up in the afternoon," Alex said while getting out of bed.
"Okay babe," Tina said watching him as he headed to the bathroom. Smiling, she muttered to herself "that is my happily ever after right there."