Chapter 5: Chapter 5

MICHEAL POV.

'Lola Lewis' is the name that has been on my mind the very first day I heard it. You can call it Love at first sight because I fell overhead for her the very first day she walked into the lecture hall. I have not had the chance to walk up to her and tell her about how I feel about her. I was the shy type, I was not ready to embarrass myself, so I thought. I discussed her with my five online-made friends and they advised me to go for what I want. I had so many opportunities to walk up to her but I was being held back by unseen forces. I admired Lola from afar for a complete one year and it took the intervention of my friends before I walked up to her in our 200L, the first semester.

I had to explain the reason why I just decided to walk up to her despite us seeing each other almost every day. I wasn't expecting her to be single so it was a shock to me when she told me that she was single. She said she just decided to face her studies squarely without giving room for distractions which guys happen to be the main object of distraction.

The fact that Lola sees relationships as distractions is what I will never come to terms with. I thought that relationship is a distraction but that was before I met Lola. You will see relationships as distractions when you are with the wrong person. The right person will make you think straight, not to distract you. People find excuses to be free from what they don't want to engage in. Just like a man that misses Sunday service because according to him, all his clothes are dirty and you will see him in full clothing, drinking in a beer parlor. I persuaded Lola and she accepted to give it a trial but warned against me being all over her else she losses concentration.

We started dating and people got to know about us when we got to 300L, the last semester. Our relationship was just the one I can term 'the free one'. We shake hands and hug briefly whenever we came across ourselves in the school, this got my friends asking questions whether we were really dating or just passing time. I was just trying to be a gentle guy, that's what she wanted and I was ready to abide by her rules and ways.

We shared thoughts and dreams and that alone gave me the rest in mind that we were building on something. Have only been to Lola's House twice, she always pass time in my room whenever she has a late lecture or was not feeling like going home yet.

The day I first went to her house, she told me the house belong to her late parents and that automatically makes it hers. I was shocked, "you have this kind of house and..." I stopped and gesticulated with my hands.

She smiled and said, "you don't expect me to be shouting it all around school that I own a six-bedroom building that I inherited, do you?" She asked smiling

"Well, I don't but you didn't even it to me"

"Our discussions have never crossed the path, that's why I didn't say anything. I know a day is coming that you will find out, which is today" she said and hugged me as if to apologize for it.

"It's okay, what I see here is just that you are not the proud type"

After we graduated, we were both posted to the same state as corps members and that allowed me to see more of Lola. I still get in touch with my friends from University days, most of them were posted to different states and cities. Some of them did not believe me whenever I tell them that I'm still with Lola. What most of them were saying when Lola and I started dating was that we wouldn't last that she only want to date me for a while and let go.

I didn't blame those saying what they were saying, it baffles me at times as to why she decided to stick with me, I wasn't qualified given those that approached her then. Some said it's either she was going through a problem of having a husband or there is an ailment dealing with her, but who cares, so far she is loyal to me, all other problems can be dealt with later.

Talking about dealing with problems later, I was on my way to watch a football match on a weekend when I came across a man.

"Excuse me sir," he said.

I wasn't directed in my spirit to answer him, so I kept on going. I don't like anything coming between me and my club whenever they are playing so I was trying to afford any unnecessary conversation. But the man didn't relent, he kept shouting "excuse me sir" as if his life depended on it. He couldn't even say it very well, his 'excuse me sir' was sounding like 'ekiss me sa'. After I successfully ignored him three times, I decided to wait since he was not showing any sign of slowing down.

"I have been calling you sir," the man said as he got to my side

"I'm sorry about that, I was not hearing you" I lied

"It's okay, the Lord has a message for you"

At the mention of "the Lord has a message for you", I lost interest completely, have heard several stories about how people dress up as a prophet and swindle people of money. Some will even go as far as doing charm to look into your future, not that they have solution whenever they see something not good in front of you, they just need the information couple with something that has happened in the past, they will combine it and will tell you they have a solution to your problem. All they just have to do is tell you your past and you will completely fall for it. Humans have this belief that when someone can journey to their past, he /she must be something. The only difference with the man that stopped me was that he was looking unkempt, and that made me mistook him for someone that's not completely okay.

" there is a girl you are seeing presently, I don't know her name but you know the person I'm talking about... Make sure you don't leave her, with her, your future is secured, she is your wife from heaven. Not that you will not be able to marry if you don't marry her, but your rest of mind will be nothing to write home about, yes sir, you will suffer if you marry someone else sir... Alaafia ni o (peace be unto you)"

I was shocked at what the man said, I wasn't planning on leaving Lola but I was surprised as to what was revealed.

"What if I even have more than one girlfriend or I don't have a girlfriend at all," I asked myself

"Simple, the vision wouldn't have cane out" I answered myself, or was it that luck just shined on the man, but he didn't even ask for anything for his vision, he said it and left before I could even catch up with what was happening.

Some 'Guessing Prophet' do guess wrong at times. There was a man that narrated a story. He was standing by the roadside when a man in a white garment approached him. The prophet said he could see the man's wife was giving the man problem and that his dad have tried all within his power so that the wife would put to bed. The man looked at the prophet and said

"Are you sure it's me that owns that vision?"

"Yes, of course, the holy spirit directed me to you and if you won't say the prophet is lying, I have the solution to your problems," said the prophet adjusting his garment

The man looked at him and smiled

"Well, I cannot say the man of God is lying but... First of all, I'm an orphan, both my parents passed out when I was in secondary school and second of all, I'm still single, I don't even have a girlfriend not to talk of marriage"

The prophet stood without knowing what to say, the game was up, there is nothing to say again to justify his vision.

But this man's vision caught me in such a way that I felt he was real, well, since there is no 'sacrifice' or prayer to do, I will just have to heed to his warning even though Lola had been in my plans since I set my eyes on her.