“I’m so sorry” Jane gushed almost knocking me down in a hurry to get somewhere.
Bending down to pick up the files the impact had sent flying. “It’s ok.
Just take it easy so you get where you are going in one piece” I replied.
“So you must have seen what Tade got today?” She asked excitedly.
”No” I replied curtly.
“Oh ok. I thought since you were coming from the direction of her
office that you must have......” she trailed off.
Trying not to roll my eyes, I said a quick goodbye, not wanting to be
drawn into a conversation about the events of the past few days.
Tade had been receiving Valentine gifts from her husband since the First
of February. The gifts kept on getting increasingly extravagant that everyone
was anxious to see what would happen on Valentine’s Day. It had started off
with a dozen roses, then cupcakes from her favourite patisserie in the UK! He’d
even gotten one of her favourite artists to come and perform for her right here
in the office! At this rate, I wondered what else there was to do on Valentine’s
day or any other Valentine’s day for that matter, then I thought of my own
husband who would most likely send me the same text message he sent me 2 years
ago- that’s if I’m lucky and he even remembers. After all, he forgot last year.
The office was buzzing. Everyone was talking about Tade’s latest gift. “Wow are you serious? Tade is one lucky lady sha”
Said a random lady I’d never even seen before.
“I can’t wait to see what the bros will do on Valentine’s Day...” replied
the equally random lady she was walking with.
**********
Tade’s husband didn’t disappoint. I don’t know how he’d pulled it off
but he managed to get her time off work for a few days for an all expense paid
trip to Cape Verde.
By the 100th offer of cake, I couldn’t take it anymore;
everyone except me seemed to have gotten something. So I took some time out to
be alone.
“Are you ok?” I heard Tade ask softly.
“Yes I am” I replied wiping my tears, I didn’t realise I was sobbing so
loudly. Embarrassed, I just wanted to jump into the toilet.
“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked in that motherly tone of hers
that just makes you want to hug her.
“No thanks. I’m fine”
“Gloria, you know you are not alright. If it’s so bad that you have to
come and lock yourself up in here to cry”.
How can I tell this woman that I’m crying because I didn’t get a gift
from my husband, talk less of him even wishing me a happy valentine’s day? This
sort of a woman would not understand what it’s like to feel so unloved by the
one person you love the most in this world.
“I’m not going anywhere until you come out” she said
Sighing deeply I opened the door of the toilet stall.
“Oh dear!” she gasped “you look terrible”
Just great I thought. How will I explain red swollen eyes to everyone
in the office?
She reached over and pulled me into a warm embrace. “What’s wrong
dear?”
I don’t know what came over me, but I poured my heart out to her.
I didn’t blame her for being silent for a while when I finished
talking. She was probably thinking about what a loser I am.
When she eventually spoke, what she said left me speechless. She told
me how for the first 5years of her marriage her husband didn’t acknowledge
birthdays, valentine, Christmas nor even their wedding anniversary, and how her
marriage had almost ended because of it. Luckily for her, a friend gave her the
same advice she was about to give me.
“So you see my dear, you fight on your knees and not with your fists or
with your mouth”
She laughed when I looked at her like she was crazy
“There is nothing God cannot do. Don’t get me wrong, my husband didn’t
change overnight oh. Actually it was even I who changed first; God showed me a
better way of communicating my needs. I’ve been married for 11years, but my
husband has only been this way for the last 4 of those years”
I stared at her, speechless.
“I think he is trying to make up for all the years he was not like
this” she laughed and continued “it’s only God that changes people dear, your
tears and nagging will not bring lasting change, only God does. Don’t think
that this is too small or trivial to take to Him in prayer. God is concerned
about every aspect of your life, especially your marriage, and He will do
everything to make sure it succeeds, you just have to do things His way”
Source: Pinterest
She gave me another hug and left me with my thoughts. I didn’t know where I’d start or what I’d say, but the words came as I let myself go. Then came the peace, and in a split second I knew what to do. I took permission from my boss and left 2 hours early.
**********
I met my husband at the door with a kiss, took his briefcase from him
and led him to the living room. Seeing the puzzled look in his eyes, I answered
his question even before he asked.
“I just thought it’d be nice if I did something special today” I said,
gesturing to the candle lit dinner I’d laid out on the living room floor.
**********
That was 3 years ago. Today as I sit in my office cradling the roses my
husband sent me for Valentine’s Day, I say a little prayer of thanks to my God
that indeed answers prayers.
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