Preface

Life is all about perception. A man wakes up in the morning only to take his own life; whereas another man wakes up to make prayers for longevity. What makes the difference? Perception! The way we see life, situations and people makes all the difference.

Human beings are indeed complex and sometimes, a man’s true intentions are hard to figure out. More often, the best we can do is to read meanings to the signs, the language and the gestures in order to know one’s intentions. Yet, conclusions made from such readings are often restrained by our monotonous perception and unwillingness to try out other perspectives.

Life is all about perception, but we sometimes view it from the wrong angle.

CHAPTER 1

I was the happiest woman in the world. Not only did I have a great job, but also a great man in my life. Paul was the perfect man; tall, handsome, smart, successful, charismatic, romantic, spontaneous and an excellent orator. He had it all and was indeed every woman’s dream. Sometimes I felt he was more of a fictitious character in a romantic novel and I often joked about it with him. He always knew the right thing to say at the appropriate time, and on multiple occasions, I could have sworn that he possessed telepathic powers due to the way he could easily detect if I was troubled, even when I tried hard to conceal it. He was simply my ‘Mr. Right’, even though the idea of him sometimes felt too good to be true.

I and Paul had been together for a year, even though it felt like it had been way more than that. We met at a couple’s retreat several months ago, despite the fact that neither of us was in a relationship at the moment. Arriving at the event, I felt somewhat uncomfortable attending a couple’s retreat as a single lady. The truth is that my mum made me attend the program as she was one of the organisers, and I reluctantly gave in to her wish. As I settled on my designated seat, I looked around to confirm my fear of being the only single in a couple’s gathering, and that was when I sighted Paul, looking straight at me.

Until that moment, I’d always been uncomfortable locking gaze with strangers, and as soon I saw them looking back at me, I always retracted my gaze as quickly as possible. But there was something about Paul that got to me, as I uncharacteristically lingered in gazing at him. After a moment of being lost in his eyes, I regained consciousness and sharply turned away. I could have sworn that he gave out a subtle smile as I shifted my gaze. ‘What was that all about?’ I queried myself, feeling embarrassed for a while, then I remembered those magical eyes that got me spellbound. I wasn’t overly sure if it was his hazel eyes, nicely shaped brows, slightly arched nose or his absolutely kissable lips that got me captivated, but it was certain that I fancied him.

‘Why did he gaze back for so long?’ ‘Was he playing a game?’ ‘What was the smile about?’ ‘Was he mocking me?’ I wondered, before I suddenly remembered that I caught him gazing at me first. This greatly compounded my plight. ‘Why was he staring at me?’ For how long did he stare before I caught his gaze?’ ‘Does he fancy me too?’ ‘Did I do something embarrassing while ignorant of his gaze?’ The questions went on and on before I eventually realised I was being paranoid.

All through the event, I restrained myself from looking towards his direction, as I tried to distract myself by focusing on the program. After three long hours, the program was over. Hurriedly, I rose to take my leave while trying to ensure that I avoided the enchanter. With nimble strides, I made it to the exit, releasing a deep sigh of relief as if I had just escaped from a gruesome attack. With my newly earned sense of safety, I took a lofty step outside the hall when I felt a firm hand on my shoulder.

To be continued…

NOTE TO THE READER:
This is a story written by a very talented friend of mine who asked for me to publish his work on my blog. Steemians, meet Richard Abiona.

Richard Abiona is a graduate of Oduduwa University Ipetumodu, where he obtained a B.Sc in Mass Communication. He is a keen writer, who has written many poems, articles and stories. He has a peculiar inclination of writing intriguing stories, filled with suspense and underlying meaning.
Facebook : Richard Abiona
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Contact : 08131987995, 08080888720

This story will come in chapters so please, stay tuned for more.