Scars or stars

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.

  -Confucius

You know how it is with first love, the emotions that are conjured up. I was so sure I had found the missing rib, the piece that completed the puzzle that was me but I was wrong. Lati found someone else and moved on. In less than a year, she was married to Jelili our lecturer and she became way off limits. As I had to offer one or two of his courses every semester for the remaining five I had left in the University, I advised myself to move on. I could not as much as glance at her.

The emotions conjured up by a breakup are much more potent than those stirred by passion or first love. I thought I was going to die. I lost my sense of taste, my perception and my heart. Only my mind got sharper.

I threw my love to my studies. A good result at the end of the semester is something no lecturer could take away from me if I worked hard. My grades soared, I even did astonishingly well in Jelili’s courses even though he hated and abhorred me.

Something however developed within me, a deep hatred for Lati and her husband Jelili. I nursed my hatred like a baby, watched as it grew bigger with every passing semester.

On the day I collected my result however, I realized that I would never have gotten a First Class if it wasn’t for the push Lati and Jelili gave me, I forgave them that day. I was the best graduating student in the faculty of Science. They gave me the drive and desperation to be the best I could be. I set my sights on greater conquests as I bid the University gate farewell.

I got a plum job with one of the biggest social networks in the world and my hunger for knowledge and self-improvement set me on a rapid promotion course. The pay was fantastic as were the various options thrown to me. I decided to leave after 3 years to start my own company. The proceeds surpassed the prospects by far. I was totally blown away.

Then I met Jade. I used to think love and beauty had to be light skinned and super curvy with a sizable amount of flesh, Jade was the opposite. Dark as the blackest night with eyes so white they could get lost in snow. She was almost as tall as I was and really slim. The little mounds that were her hips and butt and chest were painfully cute. All my senses returned.

As she walked down the street that balmy evening, I found my feet following her. She went into a small tailors shop and sat on an old butterfly machine. My mother was a tailor, she had a butterfly machine, old, wheezy and beaten up just like the one Jade was working on. She was reminiscent of the powerful green gem that adorned the Ancient Chinese Palace.

I started taking breaks from work. I would stand a safe distance away and just be lost, enjoying the freshness of this mystery girl. I was inspired. I designed a game, Jade crush and put it in the store for android users. Got a million downloads in a week. I needed no other sign, I knew she was the one.

          “It’s rude to stare.” I heard a voice, silky as a mother’s love whisper.

          “Very rude, bad manners.” I muttered under my breath.

          “You have to stop it, my mother will call the cops on you.” I turned to see Jade standing beside me, even more beautiful up close.

          “You are even more enchanting up close.” I said. I rubbed my thumb against her skin, she recoiled as though to slap me. “You have the most perfect skin I have seen on a human.” I knew I sounded weird but I couldn’t help it.

          “You better leave now Mr.” Jade said.

The next day I had one of my boys buy various fabrics. I strode to the shop.

          “Good morning Ma,” I greeted the woman there, I guessed she was the mother. “Is Jade around?”

          “Who is Jade again?” She asked. I’m sure she decided I was crazy.

          “The dark skinned tailor girl, she is meant to make clothes for me.” I lied.

          “Princess, come over, you have a client.” She called out. “Good luck giving out fake names to people.” She muttered under her breath.

I saw Jade come into the tiny shop and an amount of glory came in with her.

          “Good morning, oh it’s you again.” She said shyly.

          “Yeah, I want to make dresses.” and I made to count the fabrics the boy bought.

          “We only make clothes for ladies.” She said.

          “Didn’t I say so earlier, I was to make clothes for my mother.” I lied again. My mother died the semester Lati betrayed me.

          “I would need to measure her.” Jade said.

          “That is not a problem, she is exactly Madam’s size.” I said, pointing to her chubby mother.

I lied again. My mother was very thin, not for the love of fashion, but for the lack of food. She starved herself to death so her only child could have a University education.

          She charged me, I knew it was over ten times more than they usually charged but I was too slain. I regained the use of my other senses but lost my mind. I wrote her a cheque. I saw her mother’s mouth agape as I took my leave.

The next day, I came for the dresses and the day after and the one after… Jade and I became friends.

She wanted to be an ace fashion designer. I offered to teach her graphic design to help her become the best. She loved chocolates so I bought her chocolates every day.

Meanwhile, we really needed to expand business wise we needed some more staff. We threw in vacancies and screened applicants. By a crazy twist of fate, the one time I went into the recruitment office, I saw none other but Jelili’s application. I asked that he be screened and taken. My Assistant argued that some other applicants were more to our speed and that Jelili seemed clinical, even academic. I laughed.

So, we brought on board two people instead of one for that position. Jelili resumed work as an entry level staff. I was too involved in living life to come find him and gloat.

He finally saw me during a staff meeting where it was announced that the CEO was getting married. Everyone offered their congratulations, I saw Jelili try to hide behind the tea cup he was holding, hilarious.

I got a call from the elusive Lati herself, she said she was a caterer and could handle the cake and food. As I did not want the mistake of a salty or bitter cake or poisoned guests, I told her my mother in-law was handling those aspects.

I put a call across to Ejura Apeh of the exquisite Angelic tastes to handle the cake and catering as soon as the call ended.

I ran into Lati and every trace of anger I had against her turned to pity. She looked like she badly needed a timeout. All the phenomenal curves had been cancelled out by wads and wads of untamed fat. She said she had five children. I wished her all the best but as old habits die hard I escaped. God forbid that Jelili should catch me as much as glancing at his wife.

Jelili has been promoted twice in the past year to enable him cater for his family, I sent my Ebony Queen on a rescue mission to save Lati from complacency and introduce to her the mystery called family planning.

Jade’s mother sold me that old butterfly machine for five times the price of a brand new one. It sits in one corner of my office, it reminds me of my mother, the hard working and self-sacrificing woman who gave all to me for all of her life. It also reminds me of beautiful beginnings.

The scars in my past became stars. I watch them closely…

Credits:  Ojonugwa Sapphire Abu

photo:    web