Never Love a Stranger – Episode 4
Chantal was ready for him, She had an interest in what Paul had to say. His flashy appearance didn’t move her at all. Unlike all other girls, his charms were lost on her. She just wasn’t interested. Paul was stunned while looking at her, he felt like a moth attracted to a fire and was completely lost for words. For some reasons, this lady seemed to sap all words out of him. He was just not himself, he couldn’t understand what was happening to him. He was very nervous, felt out of place yet felt compelled to talk to her. He stood there looking at her with no words coming from him.
Suddenly, Chantal realizing the awkward silence had to break the ice.
“Excuse me, Can I help you” She asked.
Paul gazed at her lips gently moving as she began talking. That was all he could focus on. He was so lost that he wasn’t hearing anything that She said.
“If you have nothing to say, please move out of my way, I am in hurry” Chantal said jingling her car keys in her hands.
Paul came back to his senses and noticed that he was making a big fool of himself. He then mustered the courage and began talking.
“I’m sorry, please forgive me. I was a bit distracted. A bit is an understatement, I was…. never mind. My name is Paul, I happen to be in the same church as you.” He said.
“And…” She replied looking very impatient.
Paul was dumfounded. He just didn’t know what next to do. It had been quite a long time he had last found himself in this situation if ever. He didn’t know whether to stop or to continue. He felt like being there and at the same time running away. He knew he was making a huge fool of himself but sadly, he couldn’t help himself.
Chantal’s response made things worse for him. She sure wasn’t about to make it easy for him. Her response made Paul to feel even more nervous than he was already. He knew he had better have something more profitable to say or else, he surely knew that, this encounter wouldn’t end well for him.
“Ermm, was wondering if you were in the choir” was what he found himself saying.
you are reading Never Love a Stranger – Episode 4
Where did that come from he wondered to himself? That definitely wasn’t him. The fear, the nervousness, all showed on his face now, as he knew that what he had just said was way out of the line. He himself wasn’t in the choir and it was obvious that she was quite new in church. The church wasn’t that big and he knew almost everyone. This was definitely the first time he was seeing her.
Just as he said those words, Paul heaved a sigh. This was definitely not what he drove all the way to her house for. This wasn’t going his way. He braced himself as he waited for the onslaught of words he was sure his response would provoke.
“And what if I am in the choir, what happens next, I suppose, you will ask me to come to your house for rehearsal? That is, if you are the choir master, which I know you are not because you were also sitting among the audience like myself. So what are you really trying to say? Please say it and it had better be reasonable.” Said Chantal looking quite indignant and impatient.
This was definitely not the response Paul was expecting. It was as if she had spat directly on his face. He knew this was not going on well yet he wasn’t ready to give up. If it didn’t go well today, then it sure will some other day. There is always a shiny day after the big storm.
“Reasonable, I …I …just” He began to fumble. Wow!! Something like this had never happened to him in his entire life. He prided himself on being a lady’s man. He had his own way of talking to ladies and fumbling was never in his books. What is so special about this girl that he couldn’t be himself? What was it that was happening to him he thought to himself.
This is Never Love a Stranger – Episode 4
Chantal now thought to herself that, this was really wasting her time. She had come off a long week and had barely made it to church. She had been looking forward to going home for a quick shower and a long refreshing nap. She wanted to refresh and go over some documents before Monday, and here was this guy before her, wasting her precious time. She was so upset that she was about to unleash a barrage of words and tongue lash him. However as she decided to shut him down and get going, her phone began ringing.
She eyed Paul, took the phone call, turned to her car and locked it. She left Paul standing where he was and continuing with her call, walked into her apartment.
Never Love a Stranger – Episode 4
Paul stood there watching her as she walked away. This was another first for him. The first time a woman would be walking be walking out on him. He usually was the one playing this role but he now found himself on the other side and it wasn’t pleasant at all. For once he began to feel how the other ladies he had dumped must have felt. On a typical day, Paul wouldn’t have taken this lightly but at the very moment, he blamed himself for her actions. Paul was swaying away from the real him without knowing.
He stood there like a fool for a while and then he walked back to his car and drove off. He may have driven off, Chantal may have walked out on him but thoughts of her took over his mind as he drove to back to his apartment. He kept thinking about her the more. Everything about her just different. He knew he had to find a way to get her attention.
He realized that he had finally found the woman he could take home to see his mother. This was the lady he would one day love to marry. At this point like an Indian love movie, Paul began building love castles in the air.
Never Love a Stranger – Episode 4
On the other side of town, Paul’s mother had been discharged from the hospital and was back at home. The wound was still deep on her leg and she was still in deep pains. The doctors were indeed baffled at it’s cause as they had no explanation for it. She was however healed from the threatening condition she was brought in for.
That day, the woman was quite sad within her. Her sadness was very palpable and obvious to anyone looking at her. It was so obvious that Tawa her daughter became worried. She tried to ignore it but she eventually had no other option than to ask and find out what it was that was bothering her mum so.
“Mum, what’s wrong? Your attitude lately is getting me worried. I know there is a lot think about, but God is in control. I know you will be well.” She said.
Her mother looked at her and tears began running down her cheeks.
“My daughter, I’m sorry for putting you through this, I just can’t help it. I’m not worried about my condition. After all, I have seen it all in life. I have nothing else to live for. I’m worried about this family especially for your brother. I feel there is something big and terrible about to befall this family. A tragedy that we may not be able handle. I feel it’s very close and it’s right there knocking at our door” She said.
One thing Paul’s mother was noted for in the entire community was her weird prophecies. Somehow her prophecies always seemed to comes to pass.
Her daughter immediately became alarmed and apprehensive at her words.
to be continued …