The Dilemma of a Maiden

Two dudes, Victor and Hugo, vied for the love of a certain maiden, Magdalene. The pursuit was resolute for each crowded her with attention. They frequented her house now and then. She played it perfect that the two men never visited at the same time. If one visited in the morning, his fellow would visit in the evening. Each showered her with gifts in cash and kind. It seemed the two wanted to surpass each other in order to win her heart.

Magdalene was flattered by this, and her ego was boasted. She inasmuch worth the chase for she was very beautiful in the eyes of many residents of the town of Aggrey. She was fair-skinned, slender, tall, and had pointed-nose. Many a man who came in contact with her could not resist such her apparent beauty and innocence.

But unfortunately for her by nature, or perhaps by her undoing, she had less strings of lovers and suitors than her less beautiful companions. Love had not been fair to her well enough as she always lamented to her equals and all.

"I am always at the receiving end of a relationship." She once confided in a lover.

Now as it might be, two young able bodied men came knocking on the door of her heart with a proposal to love her for ever. Each came with his own melody and lyrics to woo her. Each sang his love like a song into her ears. A sweet solo sending a sweet sensation down her spines. An ecstasy that stimulated her fantasy. Of course, family and friends expected her to make a better choice between the two dudes.

One was a perfect gentleman, nicknamed Mr. Handsome, and an intelligent intellectual. His name was Victor. He had certificate and brain, nevertheless, a brawn too. A young man of good height and well built, his 'third foot' was "tall, huge and strong" as a lover who once tasted it described it. He was smart and good in the art of love, off and on the bed, in and outside the bedroom. Experiences he much gained through second hand; books, magazine, movies, and others. He was comfortable financially for he also had an advantage of a good background which his rival lacked.

Certainly, Mr. Handsome was a perfect lover for the damsel, a perfect match for her. A ladies man. He was a suitable match for the suit. An uncompromising description of an ideal lover of many a lady. Unfortunately for him just like the maiden, he too had less string of female conquests.

Though, they admired and adored him from a distance, not many ladies dared to succumb to him. He too had his own tales of woes to tell about love like Magdalene. The maidens in his neighborhood told him how great and gorgeous he was, but few of them wanted to be his lovers. They wanted to be mere friends, no strings attached.

The other fellow was opposite of his rival. He was theoretical everything a woman would detest in a potential lover and a man. He was not really a perfect gentleman. He was a school dropout. He had no certificate, but much brain about women, and what women want. He was a rough fellow who never gave damn about nothing. He drank, smoked in social gathering and was an incorrigible womanizer.

Despite his physical looks, women gathered around Hugo like iron fillings gathered around a magnet. Like a drop of honey attracts bees, so he attracted bevy of ladies and as well as bees of ladies. He used the women like a tissue paper. Once used, he threw away. He was a 'rough rider', he handled his women so rough, even to the extreme.

Yet, he cared so much about nobody except his women. His weakness was women, and his strength was his sincerity to the women. Inasmuch as he used and dumped them any how, any anywhere, he sincerely loved them. Yes of course, he never denied the fact nor tried to hid his feelings or suppressed them. He expressed them without inhibition. He was willing to do anything for his woman, even died for her if the need arose. He could kill anyone who stood against his love. He could kill by the order of his women.

The maidens of Aggrey town were flattered by these acts. Many of them wanted to join his serial of conquests. The girls in the neighborhood wished to be counted in the bands of his victims. To meet him was the dream of many a lady.

It was rumored in the neighborhood among the maidens, "If Hugo does not chase you, something is wrong with you...."

"Better to be Hugo's victim than to be ignored by him." Two statements referenced to the bad fellow.

Hugo's line of victims stretched to various cities. Anywhere he went, he kept a lover. He was not a rich guy nor had a rich background. He was a poor boy, his mother left him and his younger brother at very young ages to the care of their father who struggled to bring his boys up but failed. The man left his sons to be self independent at that very young age. No one cared for the young boys, this attributed to shape their nature. The fellow became a womanizer to make up the gap of not be brought up by a mother. He spent his tender years without a woman to call a mother.

The Hugo grew up without a steady job. He was always broke, but independent. Luckily, his serial of loves loved him. The rich among them gave him support, and the poor among them took away from him. He lived his life one step at a time, never worried about tomorrow until it came.
***

Victor and Hugo courted Magdalene at the same time for something serious, perhaps, marriage or lasting love. The two young men never knew each other nor had met each other before or after. But they knew there was a rival around for the neighbors could not keep silent. "Nothing is hidden under the sun." Madeline's neighbors were aware of the scenario.

The two men sensed that there was a competitor around the corner. But they could not confront Magdalene because there was no substantial evidence beyond reasonable doubt. Jealous and insecurity spurned the men on like any other man. So each did his best to win the heart of Magdalene. All as well as the neighbors expected her to make a better choice between the two men.

"She has to make a good decision?" The neighbors gossiped.

Surprise against every odd, the decision of Magdalene went against the expectation of the family and friends. She gave her reasons for her choice, but the reasons were not good enough as friends and family believed. She did not only make the decision, but went as far as got impregnated by this guy before the initial marital rites were performed as custom demanded.

Who could have won the heart of Magdalene?

Everyone expected the perfect gentleman between the two dudes to win. But revise was the case. The damsel chose the rough fellow against the odds of family and friends. Her neighbors were spell bounded. "What is wrong with her? She no get sense again?" They said.

"Doesn't she have her reason?" Madeline's friend asked, in defense of her friend.

"What do you think you have done, Magdalene?" Madeline's mother asked her, "Are you still with your senses?"

"I know what l am doing," she responded.

"You know what you are doing?" The mother asked. "You want to marry a man without a job, a man who has no future, and you said that you know what you are doing". The woman sighed in disappointed.

"Yes, mother! I have my reasons."

"OK!" Her mum said. "Lets hear your reasons. Tell your father and me your so called reasons of marrying such a fellow when there is a better man around."

The father was speechless, an old man of few words. What could he say? What could he have done? "Lets hear your reasons," he said," we are all ears".

Now her reasons. "I love him." She said,"He makes me burn with passion. I just love him. I don't care what he is, whether he is rich or poor. I just love him".

The parents were shocked. "Is that all?" The mother asked. The poor woman was concerned about the future of her only daughter.

The neighborhood saw the scenario as a jinx. Magdalene was hooked to Hugo. Many such scenes covered the neighborhood. Bad boys took over the girls. Many maidens followed her footstep. Good young men were left without or less string of girls unlike their contemporaries of less status and of bad repute. The only reason the maidens gave for their action was "love".