My One and only love............... 2

I stepped to the door and pushed the button. I heard the doorbell sound and stood there ready to barge in and have my confrontation. I panicked. I couldn't do this. I turned and ran to my car and, as I had done a few years earlier, "got the hell out of Dodge!"

I got to my place, tears streaming down my face as I staggered out of the car. As I opened the door, I noticed that I didn't have the card or the roses – I must have dropped them when I ran from Inikpi's apartment. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I realized that I didn't want to be alone then; I guess I was afraid of what I might do.


I went to a nearby dive, a a cool kind of place, and started sucking up a beer. I liked this joint because it was totally unpretentious: it was what it was, exactly. After all the posturing I saw in the in life, it was always a great place for me to just be myself. It was near I was close to the confluence  close to the Niger River, in a stand of pines. It, naturally enough, was called "CONFLUENCE RESORT". It's one redeeming feature was a really beautiful pine bar running down one side and pine tables along the other.

As I sat there, not exactly nursing my beer, someone played "He'll Have to Go" by Jim Reeves. This had always been one of my favorites, but for the first time in years I really listened to the words. They hit me hard – this was what I was feeling; this was what I wanted to tell Inikpi. I thought about calling her but I was afraid of what she might say.

I got some notepaper from the guy behind the bar, paper he used to make notes on what he needed to order. I started writing, some tears dropping unnoticed on the paper, and wrote this letter to Inikpi:

"Dear Inikpi,

You knew from the first day we met how much I loved you. I don't have the words to express the depth of this love.

You haven't explicitly said that you loved me but I have sensed that you do. If I'm wrong, I apologize for my presumptuousness.

I came by earlier tonight for what I hoped would be the bright dawn of a great love between us; a forever kind of love.

I'm shamed to say I saw you kissing someone as I passed your front window, the silhouettes on the shade were clear. I couldn't stay; I left.

Inikpi, I came to see you tonight to surprise you, to propose, to ask your hand in marriage. I guess I haven't really had any right to expect you to see only me; truthfully, it didn't even occur to me that you would be seeing someone else.

But Inikpi, dearest, I can't share your heart with another. If it's me you love you have to tell the man that was there with you that he will have to leave. If you love him, I understand but, and it's my failing, not yours, I can't share your love.

Again I'm sorry, but you will have to choose!

Yours in love, Ina

P.S. Sorry for the spots on the paper, It must have been the condensation from the beer."

The next morning I talked to Lawal Monday, the Bank Manager, and asked if it would be okay for me to disappear for a couple of days. He was fine with it and I ran up to a stretch of the Niger River where I had always had good luck fishing.

I thought it through, over and over. It always came out the same. Simply put, I loved Inikpi. She either loved me or not. She would marry me or not. If not, I would just have to move on.

I left very early the next morning and got home around six. As I put the keys on the table next to the door I saw an envelope. Picking it up "My Melancholy Baby" was written on the outside the envelope. Opening it I pulled out a letter. It read:

"Come to me, my melancholy baby,

Cuddle up and don't be blue . . .

All your fears are foolish fancy, maybe

You know dear that I'm in love with you!

Yours always, Inikpi!"

Stunned I grabbed the phone, but realized it was too early to call. I went into the bedroom to take a shower and sleep for a couple of hours. As I opened the door, Inikpi was sitting on the side of the bed, rubbing her eyes.

Hearing the door open, she jumped up and threw herself at me! "Oh, God, Ina. I'm so sorry for what you went though. I love you! I love only you! I'm sorry I never told you, I was sure you knew."

Then she was kissing me and we fell on the bed. I didn't stop to figure out what was going on. Later would be time enough for that. Now there was an urgency between us that needed to be satisfied.

We explored each other, at first in haste, and then slowly with the touches only lovers have. She was sweet and she was passionate, by turns.

Later, lying there entwined, she explained.

"As I told you I wasn't expecting anyone, it was a down evening for me, just to catch up with things. Fitimi and Tony, you remember, she met him the same night we met at the dance. Anyway, that afternoon he popped the question, and they stopped by to tell me. She was so excited... she was just glowing!"

"Anyway, from what we could figure out, Fitimi and Tony were in the living room, obviously holding each other close. I was in the kitchen making dinner. My hair was in curlers and I had an old robe on!"

"We heard the doorbell, but no one was there. Fitimi looked down and saw the card and the flowers. From the card we saw that it was you that had stopped by, and you must have seen Fitimi and Tony kissing. God, Ina! I read the card and cried for hours."

"I tried and tried to call you, but there was no answer. I called Lawal at the bank and he told me you were off for a couple of days. Then the next day I got your letter. I've slept here for the last two nights waiting for you to come home. You doofus! You should know you are the only man for me!"

I got up, somehow knowing that now was not the time to say anything. I got the ring from my billfold and slipped it on her finger. Kissing the ring, then her lips, we sealed a love that would burn brightly forever!

I never again had that sadness, that melancholy. I never dwelled on what had happened. Our love was all I needed.

                                                      The end!