- Ha ha ha ............. And I'm missing the balsam of the century too. Oh emotional balsam, when are you coming to massage my heart? It has a sprain you know?
- A sprain? In your heart? I never knew! That's my speciality! Just give me sometime to mix the ingredients. You know:
I want to make a premium ointment
using the most advanced syntaxes
from the Queen's special dictionary
to knock off that sprain instantly
so your heart feels relief
so your soul feels relief!
- Ha ha ha ha........ So the Queen has a special dictionary?
- Yes na!! Only for queens.
- Really?
- Yes na. Only special queens o.
- Ah ah! Special queens again? Are there those?
- Yes darling, the ones with crowns.
- Ha ha ha ha........
- Like Miss Nigeria, and second best in the world!
- Hi hi hi hi hi.....................
- I will see you later. Let me get back to work so I can concoct the ointment.
- Okay handsome, see you later.
- Bye.
He informed her of the unsavoury episode few days later. She got vividly livid:
'What? Sweetheart, you kept this away from me for so long?' She queried.
'That's because I handled it.' He explained.
- No, no, no. I don't like the way you handled it. We could do better.
- How?
- We need to inform the police so he can also be instructed to keep his distance from you as well.
- That's taking it too far, there's no need for that.
- There is every need for that, Victor is dangerous.
- Calm down sweetness! I think I scared him away.
- No love, Victor is only scared of the police and you know that.
- Okay, lets at least watch for now, if he comes threatening again, then we can alert the police.
- You don't understand me; there may be no second time.
- Really? How do you know that?
- Can't you see his strategy? It is to get you out of the way because he believes you hinder my love for him; and who knows that "getting you out of the way" could include an assassination?
- You think so?
- It is possible. Please lets not take things for granted, lets involve the police.
Eventually, they filed a report at the police station. Victor was arrested and warned to stay off the Masked Poet or risk a prosecution for breach of public peace and possibly, a jail term.
The Masked Poet could not believe himself. He wondered how he has come to love Delight so madly when he thought he would never love. For years now, he's been writing about love but never knew it was more potent than the theories suggested, in practical terms. And now, his love for Delight has so grown that the sex hormones were secreting, and the urge, rising. It brought him to a new profound truth which he put down in these few lines:
Love is a sleeping giant
who better be left slumbering
not because she loves a slumbering
but because once awoken
she is an endless active volcano
who never goes to sleep again.
He never wanted to love. He should have resisted it firmly. But somehow, he gave in, and the hitherto sleeping giant in him was awoken and the volcano just kept pouring out hot lava..............
Delight was pleased the Masked Poet uploaded her picture as his updated profile picture on facebook. It gave her that pleasurable and satisfactory feel of a proudly displayed lover. But she is concerned about certain other developments on that account of his. First, was the monumental number of friendly requests directed at the Masked Poet since they declared as a couple. Of course, what stirs such a concern in a woman would be the overwhelming women percentage making up those friendly requests; and all were single!
Second, and even more troubling were the posts on his facebook account. There were no statements meant to woo a man which were not found in there. Some even threatened Delight, insisting when the Masked Poet meets them, he would know Delight is ugly and would dump her for them. One particularly told him what they understand by his declaration of love to Delight is, he simply opened his heart, which had been closed for a long time and thus, they will get into a contest of who wins that heart. Others supported the last post by saying until the Masked Poet is married, he is up for the taking, warning Delight a battle line has been drawn and she should make ready.
This is added to the fact few days back, she had an urge to go through the Masked Poet's phone. He gave it to her without a reluctance when she asked, and though there were no incriminating indicators anywhere on it as she opened app after app, his whatsapp account was full of all sorts of romantic and sometimes sexually obscene messages sent to him by both known and strange numbers, all women! Though there were no replies from him to them, but trust a woman's hunch, she made that known to him:
'My love, all these dump messages from these immoral ladies, why haven't you deleted them?
'An inexplicable oversight my sweetness,' he replied, 'usually, they come in when I'm too busy to waste time on deleting or even reading them. Can you please help me delete all of them?'
- Sure!
And she did. But that did not placate her enough. She was developing a mild insecurity. The world was presently too wicked to think that sinister slay queens parading around, would let her and her man be. Women being what they are, will poach into territories which are out of bounds and do all in their power to snatch the Masked Poet from her. She would not allow that! More so, with her heart wholly at peace with the Masked Poet's love and at 25, marching towards 26, it was time to settle down now she's found love; and invariably, tie down the Masked Poet to herself for all times...........
Eurekaaaaa!!!!!
Delight just added another feather to her cap of achievements: she just launched the reality tv show 'LEAVE IT OR BREAK!' All thanks to the show's brain child - the soul charmer, the Masked Poet. On the very first edition, she invited and brought to stage a popular celebrity couple whose relationship was fast sinking to see if they would let it be, otherwise, break it. The show was emotionally exhausting as the couple vented out secret after secret, accusations after accusations, and all manner of relational dirt. In the end, they each strongly opposed the plea to amend and leave it, choosing rather, to break it.
From that moment on, the show could hardly catch a breath as uncountable number of couples applied to be invited for the relational jury. However, most watchers and followers of the show tuned in for the added advantage of beholding the beauty queen of an anchor, Delight Same.
CHAPTER 27
'Hello soul charmer, my soul charmer....'
'Hello heart enchanter, my heart enchanter.....' The Masked Poet replied.
- How do you do love?
- And how do you do deary?
- Ermm..... I miss you like crazy?
- Same here, actually like a thirsty desert ranger.
- Oh oh........... ...... Can we have a date tomorrow then? This time at the Millennium park.
- Is that?
- Yes, and please lets not argue; it is on my account.
- Hmmnnn........... You see, the problem is, I am a capable 'rainmaker' and I don't like being made to look otherwise.
- Ha ha ha ha............... And I am the humble complimentary, supplementary, and supportive rainmaker's significant other.
- Chei! Beauty and brains; I surrender!
- Ha ha ha ha..............and biblical....... you know.
- Yesss..........
- So, are you game?
- What? An opportunity to see the face of prettier than Rihana, Beyonce, and Omotola combined? I am game!
- Ha ha ha ha............. See you then. Love youuuuuu......
- Love you too. Bye........
The next day, they were to the sights of beauty and scenery at the Millennium Park. First, t
hey walked around appreciating everything beautiful in the park using every opportunity such beauteous sights afforded them to make loving metaphors of each other. Not to forget, they played silly like kids, chasing after each other, falling on each other, laughing hysterically, and getting lost in each other's embrace. Of course, Delight came prepared with lots of home made foods as they finally settled to a private picnic under one of the bigger shady trees, to cap the date.
'Sweetness, I know this date has an agendum. What could it be?' He asked as they sat facing each other while he gulped down with much relish, the varied delicacies she presented him. 'By the way, these sets of food are oh my God, so delicioussss!'
'Thank you. You like it?'
- I'm lost in it!
- Oh! I'm glad you are. Talking about your question, may be I'll have to give you a new name now - the soul discerner. You are right you know, but it is not an agendum, rather, an agenda. But lets start with the first: have you seen the movie, the Titanic?
- There is not a living soul who hasn't seen that movie. As for me, it is the best movie in the world, ever.
- It should be, for lovers right? But do you remember the scene when Rose asked Jack to draw her picture?
- Wearing only a diamond necklace?
- Yes.
- Hmmnnn........... Sweetness where are you headed to?
- I want you do same to me.
- What? Wearing only a...........
- No! Certainly not unclad! Come on, we are not yet married. No seeing until the wedding night you know.
- I just heaved a sigh of relief. I almost thought you are no longer biblically compliant.
- I got youuuu........
- Indeed you did. So, what drawing are you talking about?
- The type you do.
- Oh! You mean a lexical drawing?
- Yes, for sometime now, I have searched in vain for a lexical artist who can draw my beauty in words so I can have a detailed idea of what I really look like, especially my facial appearance. And now, I have found one.
- Okay, you will get it tomorrow.
- No, I want it now.
- I would waste a lot of your time writing it.
- I will wait, even if it takes five hours. I want it spontaneous.
- Okay. Let me say:
No artist e'er drew beauty
no matter how crafty
with gifted fingers so itchy
as you may ask Leonardo da Vinci
they only draw humans, not beauty
because beauty is indescribable
it is not drawable!
Your beauty is indescribable
but your hair's as thick
as a virgin forest of flowers
its length like the showers
of waterfalls from high towers
yet your beauty is indescribable.
Your beauty is indescribable
but your eyes are the synthesis
of what a zebra's skin is
and this is no poetic meiosis
yet your beauty is indescribable.
Your beauty is indescribable
but your nose's a moderate horn
of a double barrel gun
firing life when triggered on
yet your beauty is indescribable.
Your beauty is indescribable
but your ears are twin arc rings
like twin crescents' glimmerings
like rested flaps of angels' wings
yet your beauty is indescribable.
Your beauty is indescribable
but your mouth's the halved even
of a cloud drenched heaven
and red earth's preserved haven
yet your beauty is indescribable.
Your beauty is indescribable
but your eyelids're like shady trees
blocking violent rays on aesthetic inventories
and I truly mean no flatteries
yet your beauty is indescribable.
Your beauty is indescribable
but eyebrow's a dense rainbow
finessing my face like a bow
smoothly like the swing of an elbow
yet your beauty is indescribable.
Your beauty is indescribable
but your jaw's a curvaceous loop
which attracts like a scentful soup
that distracts a battling troop
yet your beauty is indescribable.
Your beauty is indescribable
but your face's texture's nimble
I couldn't trace a pimple
even though I sieved a triple
yet your beauty is indescribable.
Your beauty is indescribable
it is never ever drawable
try a description like I could
it'll never get into the hood
of your beauty's quintessence.
Beauty is indescribable
it is never drawable
no artist is so capable
because it is divinely alighted
a gift on the created
for the singular purpose of identity.
'That's it gorge.' He informed.' Hope you comprehend my helpless inabilities and that of fellow artists as well.'
'Thanks so much deary.' She replied. 'Perhaps there are deeper angles to poetry I'm yet to appreciate like today - there is a limit to what poetry can do.'
- Yes love, poetry cannot, can never, play God. And so it is with everything else; there is a point in them when God's supremacy is undeniable.
- So, even if it is a painter.............
- He only paints you the human with a beautiful identity, not the phenomenon called beauty. In the first place, he can't even grasp it, and no one can.
- Wow! Anyways, thanks for the poem. As indescribable as my beauty is, I enjoyed the description. Can I have it?
- Why not? It is yours. Let me transfer it to your laptop. But you have to pay for it you know.
- Ha ha ha ha.............. Really? What's the cost?
- Three hundred kisses.
- What? You want to kill somebori?
- Else I won't hand it over.
- Okay o. But is it going to be received all at once today? I mean, right now?
- No, we don't have such time. But today, twenty for a start.
She got up, walked to him, bent over him, planted ten kisses on his cheek; five on either sides, and went back to where she was seated.
'Don't think because I do words I therefore do not know how to count. Those were ten kisses, not twenty.' He noted.
'Yes, we are not done yet. Others will come as we progress from here, while the series will be completed before we leave here.' She notified.
- I prefer now to later!
- Calm down! They will come. But seriously now, to the second item on my agenda, and it has to do with kisses. Talking about kisses, and its link to babies, I want the process to be wholesome between us. What I am saying is, I want to kiss right; that kind that leads to sex and making babies; and such that is done in the morally or biblically as you say, binding atmosphere. Hope you know what I mean?
He kept mute for rolling minutes. At first, she allowed it considering he needed to take it in thoughtfully as it may have come to him as a surprise. But as the minutes rolled on, she became uncomfortable.
'Soul charmer, did you hear me?' She asked, hoping to interrupt his silent mood.
'I did alright.' He answered awkwardly.
- I asked if you understand what I alluded to?
- Yes I do. You are talking about marriage.
- Good. So, what do you say about i?
- I.......... I............ I............
He stopped abruptly and remained silent again.
'Sweetheart, say something, and lets trash it out.' She urged him on.
- I............. I..........feel...........an............unease........about it. I......I'm ....not ready........for it. I thi....nk....l don't want it.
- Honey you
are muddling up a lot of things. I get it when you say you feel uneasy about it or you need sometime to prepare, what exactly do you mean by you don't want it?
- I........don't.......thi......nk........I want.....to get...... ma...married.
- What? Then what are we doing having an affair? Isn't it supposed to lead to the ultimate which marriage?
- I know, but...... I'm.......afraid of marriage.
He got her exasperated but she got a hold of herself. Instead, she approached it with maturity.
'Okay love,' she breathed. 'I understand my coming into your life is the first time you ventured into the adventure called love and its many escapades. But as you can see, you've overcome the initial fears you had and are presently enjoying the feel. Same applies to marriage. Almost everyone feels that little unease one way or the other when prospecting on the many responsibilities and challenges which come with marriage, but it shouldn't make you renege totally on marriage because it is beautiful and when you step into it, you will certainly overcome all the challenges just like others before you have.
- I am ashamed of myself but still, I'm a bit fearful of that.
- Okay. Now, lets narrow things down. What exactly are you afraid of in marriage?
- Too many divorces these days; partners no longer keep to the 'for better, for worse' creed, but jump out at the slightest discomfort.
- Are you saying those partners include me?
- Almost all of them showed the same futuristic zest and asked the very same question you've asked only to be the divorce instigating partners.
- I hope you do not refer to only the women?!
- Absolutely not! I'm talking about both genders; any could be guilty.
- That means you do not absolve yourself from being a potential cause of such a possibility, am I right?
- My assertion is on both partners.
- Good. So you are afraid you could be the guilty one?
- Why haven't you asked yourself that?
- Because I am sure I'm not getting into marriage to be divorced.
- You sound so confident.
- Yes, and I need to be; it is an important attitude of life. Also, I'm sounding this confident because I know I love you and you know that too; and I have proven it already, why, if there is love as the pillar of a marriage would I want a divorce?
The Masked Poet Page 25