THE PROPOSAL

Its being two weeks now and Sefina has noticed some odd changes in Bode. It looked like he was heavily burden about something and doesn’t want to share it with her. On two separate occasions when she asked him what was making him moody, he simply said “nothing.” Believing that was very hard as it was clear on his face.
“Why don’t you just tell me truth baby, this is not the Bode I know”
Sefina pestered
“Really, but there is nothing wrong with me, I have seen or noticed no change in me” Bode said unconvincingly.
“No I don’t agree, you have turned so cold with me especially, you don’t act or talk the same way we normally do, why that”
“Haha, how do we talk or act before that is in anyway different from how we are talking now.” Said Bode and at this Sefina gave up, she took her bag and announced that she was taking her leave.
“Won’t you see me off?” Sefina asked grumbling
“See you off to where again? Baby we would see tomorrow joor” Bode said and turned his concentration back to the movie they were both watching.

Millions of thoughts ran through Sefina’s mind, she wasn’t at peace with the situation of things between her and Bode. “This isn’t how our relationship was?” She reminded herself in her thoughts. “I hope he is not trying to break up with me, ah! I hope not o.”

It was two days to valentines day, when she checked her calendar. She wondered how they were going to celebrate with Bode’s sudden coldness to her. She decided not to call Bode through out that day and surprisingly Bode didn’t also call. “Is he doing this for real? God do something o” she prayed.

The following day was almost looking to happen the same way until around 9:00pm when Sefina’s phone rang. It was Bode and she excitedly pick up the call.
“Hello”
“Hey baby, how you doing” came Bode’s voice from the other end.
“Am fine and you?”
“Well am ok also, where would you be tomorrow evening” Bode asked
“Where else but my house”
“Hm, really, you know, I have being thinking about what you have being saying about me changing and you not understanding me anymore and all sorts”
“Yeah”
“I was thinking we could talk about our relationship over a romantic dinner tomorrow so we can know where we heading now” Bodr explain. This confused Sefina has two thoughts struck her mind at once.
“So where are we meeting?” Sefina asked
“Don’t worry about that, I will come pick you up from your office tomorrow”
“Alright I would be expecting you then, I love you”
“Uhumm, OK” Bode said and quickly ended the call. This baffled Sefina the more but she still held in patiently till the outcome of their valentine dinner.

At 6:21pm, Bode drove into the compound of Dofab international school were Sefina worked has a teacher.
He drove towards the island and in some minutes they were in an expensively designed restaurant.
Bode had never brought her here. All Bode was doing was putting her in suspense, she anxiously waited, she had even tried to start a conversation during the journey but he didn’t answer any of her questions. Not even when she asked how his day was, he just starred at her and latter to the road on which he was driving.
“Hope you enjoyed your meal” Bode said after they had finished eating.
“Yes, I did. It was really delicious” Sefina said lighting her face with her best smile.
“OK”
“OK, why are we here?” Asked Sefina
“Well, to have a nice dinner of course”
“And ……?”
“Alright, and to discuss about our relationship” Bode confessed
“So what’s happening now” she sighed and said
“Yea, Sefina I want to say a very big thank you for your love and affection towardse me all this years, I must say that am really honoured” said Bode, this confused Sefina the more as he doesn’t regularly call her by her name except there was a disagreement and the way he was talking, she started having random thoughts about where he was driving at.
“OK, so what are you driving at?” She asked slowly
“I don’t think we can continue like this” Bode said after a brief silence. His words dashed through Sefina’s ears with lightening speed and hit her like a comet landing on the earth’s surface. Her eyes produced a tear as her reaction. She was shocked.
“Am really sorry but I want something more that what we have now and I don’t see that happening with the way we her” Bode added and hot tears rolled down Sefina’s soft cheeks.
“a-are y-ou f-for r-real?” Sefina asked with a tears filled voice,
“I wish I was but I ain’t” He replied and immediately raised his hand to signal to one of the customer attendants who bowed his head and move towards an inner room. Sefina couldn’t help but cry the more, tears rolled out with every second that ticked, Bode kept his head low, facing the table and took a quick glance at her every ten seconds.
After about 5mins, the attendant came with a covered tray and positioned it in from of Sefina. He looked at Bode who winked at him as a go ahead to open it which he did.
He opened the tray to expose a beautifully baked cake, Sefina couldn’t take her eyes of the cake when she read the inscription on it.
“I LOVED YOU, STILL DO AND WILL FOREVER DO, WILL YOU MARRY ME?”
Her faced was combined with confusion, tears and joy as she silently read it. Then she looked at Bode who was smiling at her, precisely waiting for a positive response.
“So this is it?” Sefina asked “Did you have to do all this just to ask this?”
“Am sorry, if I hurt you baby but I wasn’t sure of how to ask” Bode apologized.
“Alright then,” said Sefina with a more clearer voice, she scooped part of the icing on the cake with her finger, inserted it into her mouth and swallowed it. Then she sighed and smiled happily at Bode who was also smiling.
“No, I don’t want this” Sefina responded, this baffled Bode
“Enh” he replied in confusion “bu-u-t…..”
“No but mister” Sefina interrupted “get me a ring not a cake.”
When Bodr heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank you God” he said putting his right hand on his left chest.
“Is that it?” He asked and open his jacket to retrieve a very shining beautiful gold ring and showed it to her proudly. He aroused from his sit and moved towards her, he knelt by her and said “please, would you marry me”
“Yes I would” said Sefina immediately without any hesitation.
“I love you Sefina”
“I love you too Bode”
Bode stood up and lifted her up for a hug then they heard clapping, other people in the restaurant had being watching them and have being moved by their scene.
A lady sitted next to their table faced her boyfriend and said abruptly “when are you going to propose sef”
“Well I can propose now if you want, just that we would need to borrow their cake and ring” he replied, Bode and Sefina laughed as they overheard his reply.

THE END