Jude was the first and last boyfriend I ever had before I got married to James.
We were so into each other that every one that saw us together thought we were going to end up together.
We were emotionally tied, we were academically tied and as accountants in the professional field, we were professionally tied too!
We ran the race of ICAN, ANAN and other accounting professional courses together.
He knew too well that being a carreer woman had been my aim since the start. I had wanted to practise on my own although working with a good firm before starting mine wasn’t that a bad idea.
I got married to James by divine intervention because along the way, I met Christ and He led me to my BEST!
One day, the day I will never forget, I was shopping at the Men’s section of Eko Mall when my phone rang and my husband asked me to meet him outside.
He was supposed to be at work!
I saw him close to his Lexus jeep but with a friend I had not seen in like five years of our marriage- Jude!
My crush! My first love!
My heart craved for that special hug that he always gave me then. His warm, masculine hug!
“Jude!” I exclaimed happily and I really couldn’t hide my joy as he came close to me.
“Can I?” He asked my husband as he stretched his hands to hug me.
“Common. My hubby ain’t a jealous man. Hug me!” I was almost screaming when he did not only hugged me but also swirled me up in the air while I screamed for him to put me down.
It was awesome and thrilling!
He just knew how to make my heart burst open with pleasurable excitement!
After exchanging pleasantries, I went to my husband’s side and he smiled at me lovingly as he pecked me.
His smile could calm a stormy sea!…hehehehe
“I met him at the park and he said he wants to see you so badly that I had to trace you here wifey” My husband said and I smiled.
I turned to look at Jude.
He was looking all fresh and well fed. There was no sign of the economic melt down on him at all.
“Erm, I am now the Accountant General of Pearls Agency, Worldwide” He said sweetly, slightly licking his lower pink lip.
“What!” I exclaimed after my heart had stopped beating for a while
That had been my dream agency!…Either Pearls or my own establishment!
I had submitted my CV severally to the company to no avail and James had told me that I should pray on to God to open doors for him so he could set me up. I had been trying on my part too anyways.
But its been five years and nothing had happened!
“The company needs a chartered accountant to occupy the post of a senior accountant 1 and I had searched and searched for your contact details to no avail…until I jumped into our brother today” He said and I was excited.
Was he going to choose me?
My heart raced on.
“Would you mind taking the post on? You have lots and lots of benefits. You and I would have enough time to cruise the whole world on a professional spree! We would achieve a lot together…You and I…” he kept on saying and I smiled, being carried away by his pink lips.
I turned to look at James and he was still looking at me, smiling as he knew how to do best.
“Don’t mind him o. Very naughty guy he is!” I said to James and the latter smiled, still looking into my face.
“Do you want the job? Just a phone call from my end would give you the job. Just say yes!”
I was shocked and awed at the same time!
Was that supposed to be a blank cheque or something?
I was getting my desires on a platter of gold?
As I was processing how to give a resounding yes in my head, I heard it so calm and cool and the whole wide world stood still for a while.
“No! She doesn’t want the job!” James said and just like the slow motion in Korean movies, I slowly shifted my neck from Jude and looked into my husband’s cool face.
He looked so serious as he looked at James and he smiled as he looked at me.
“I wasn’t asking you Mr. James. I know men like you never want their wives to be better than them. I was asking Emmy. Emerald, for the last time, do you want the job? I will take your last answer for it” He said, looking so furious as if my husband had drawn the battle line.
And really he seemed to have!
Why would my husband say no?
He knew so well that I had loved this job more than anything else. He had prayed with me as regards it too.
What is he saying now?
I turned to look at James again as Jude gave his last opportunity.
James’ smile had melted and he looked from Jude to me and smiled a bit.
“Wifey, I love you and respect you alot and I know its reciprocal. The decision is yours to make although my answer remains no!” He said and shook his head slightly and moved to enter the jeep.
I was in a dilemma!
What exactly did I want?
But, was James really going mad? Was he? How could he choose what he feels over what I like? Why?
I looked into Jude’s face and he was smiling broadly.
I was confused and closed my eyes for a while till all I could see was stark darkness! Till I couldn’t hear the sound of the cars passing, till the only sound I could audibly hear was the sound of my heartbeat.
Lord, speak!
No!
What?
No!
And slowly, I turned from my ambition, my first love, my past and walked towards the jeep where my husband was!
My husband jumped out of the car and started running towards me, smiling gleefully.
“She chose me! Just me! Yes, she chose me! I told him you might have been with him for years and all but your heart now longs for me, only me! He said we should see if the job and his fresh look wouldn’t make you go with him! He challenged me! He asked for a test! He asked for a test darling and I didn’t want to do it but I told him I would do it for him to see my wife’s submission to His will! Then, you listened to Him! YOu did!”
When did my husband become a talkative?
My face was already wet with tears as he spoke.
I had series of goosebumps as he spoke to me.
“Does it mean, there is no Pearl Agency Worldwide anywhere?” I asked and my husband held my hands together and smiled deeply.
“Nothing like that! It was a test! An expensive test! I thank God you passed! You chose me!” he continued excitedly and swirled me into the air too for the first time.
But I wasn’t smiling at all!
I was pained in my heart!
I had not passed the test really!…I had chosen the whole juice, pleasurable offer over James…I had!
Only speaking to God made me choose the best!
Tears clouded my eyes again!
Oh how he vouched for me!
Oh how he trusted I wouldn’t fail him!
Oh how!…
I wept on and on.
He dropped me to the ground, disregarded my tears and pulled me to the jeep. He opened the door and brought out a brown envelope from his briefcase. He opened and some photos fell. He picked them and hid them under the envelope while he unfolded a very long white paper.
I waited anxiously.
“This is it. I had started working on it..see..” he said as he showed me the paper works that I couldn’t comprehend. He noticed my confusion and folded the paper.
“See these” he said as he handed the photos to me and I collected them
A very big uncompleted building
“What’s this?” I asked
“Emerald Initiatives PLC building under construction!” He said excitedly and tears just jumped out of their ducts in quick succession out of my eyes!
“You’ve been working on that behind my back?” I asked in utter shock, falling further into fits of cries
“I’d always be working for my queen to be the best. Best among the best and gladly, she is just so submissive to love little me. Chai, the love has just began!” He helped me enter the jeep and planted a quick kiss on my tear stained lips.
–END–
