The Years Have Come and Gone: But They sealed our Love 2

The Church was already getting filled up when I walked in with Belema, my childhood friend. It was the last day of a 3-day ‘Divine Partners Conference’ put together by the Borokiri branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Port Harcourt.
“Can we get a seat at that right corner,” I asked him as we walked into the church.
“There are two seats by the window,” he pointed out to me.
It was a great meeting. Within a very short time of our arrival, the whole auditorium was filled up. After the usual soul refreshing rendition of praise and worship session by the church Choir, the pastor came on stage and introduced a lesson from St, John chapter 15:1. I was opening my jotter to take note when Belema nudged me with his elbow.
“There is someone looking at us from that pew in front,” he whispered
“Which,” I whispered back to him.
“There, that girl with the dark suit in front,” he jerked his head in the general direction of the seats in the front row.
As I turned to look, I caught the lady looking at us; I felt a lurch in my chest. Ebi! That cannot be true. What is she doing in Port Harcourt and in a church? Well, she could be in a church, that is no big deal, but in Port Harcourt? The last time I tried to contact her about two years ago, I was told by a friend that she was preparing to travel out of the country.
All of sudden, the event of the last day we had had together flooded into my memory. She had been the best performing female copper at the camp, and we got acquainted in the cafeteria one evening. It was a blizzard of a relationship of some sort. We were able to get through service and had everything going smooth between us.
I could feel Belema prodding me to get out of my reverie, but I shook him off. He will not understand what happened between Ebi and me even if I try to explain to him; which I am presently not in the mood to do.
Three years ago, I had gone to a pub close to her house and invited her to have dinner with me there. While waiting for her, a mutual friend, a lady, had come into to the pub and seeing me sitting alone, had come to join me. Before I could have time to explain to her that I was waiting for someone, Ebi had come in also.
The rest has been three years of tortuous emotional wreckage in my life. I have searched everywhere for her till today and have not seen her. It does not matter what she will say, I am not going to let her escape from my sight again.
I was literally counting the minutes for the Pastor to say the benediction before swooping down at her. Belema was trying to catch up with me as I rushed in beside her in the Auditorium.
“Ebi,” I hissed to her. “You are like a dark angel in that dress and you look gorgeous.”
“You also look like Prince Charming, Tonye.” I could hear all the years we have missed in those few words from her, as I practically propelled her out of the auditorium.
I saw Belema tagging along, shaking his head in bewilderment.