A love story

This week, I want to tell you a story about Esther and John. Esther was described by Golden Dara as an ‘esoteric’ beauty. Golden was our neighborhood grammarian. He loved highfalutin and grandiloquent words. Golden was 21 years old and we were just 16-year-old impressionable boys. Whether it was poetic license or used correctly or not, we did not bother to check; we just loved the sound of the word ‘esoteric’.

Moreover, Esther was the neighborhood belle and only ‘big grammar’ could describe her beauty. The goal of many young men in the hood then was to win her heart. Many worked hard to achieve this goal. Some even attended night vigil in her church as a ploy to show they were Godfearing men.

Esther was a very good young woman; pious and religious and that was a major obstacle. No amount of ‘sweet or smooth talk’ could break her resolve. Even Golden with his gift of garb, met a brick wall. The wall around her heart was impregnable.

Esther was also highly intelligent. She wrote JAMB in one sitting and gained admission to study medicine at the age 17. She was extremely focused, and no randy young man would derail from her path of chastity. Even younger boys like me who Esther was older than (she was 20 then), hoped against hope that when we grew older, made some money, we would go look for Esther and woo her; she was that beautiful.

Fast-forward five years later, we heard Esther had met a very good, pious, and religious brother in school. It was a match made by cupid. Apart from being medical doctors, they both vowed to wait until their wedding night before any conjugal activity.

Esther’s younger brother who was our age mate regaled us with stories of his sister’s chastity and was very proud of her decision. We had a sneaking suspicion that it was borne out of the fact that no man in the neighborhood can boast of eating the sister’s apple.

From all indications, they both kept their vows and didn’t not engage in “pre-shipment analysis of the goods,” as our mischievous friend Alaba would describe conjugal activity. By the way, Alaba became a clearing and forwarding agent.

Esther got married and despite our inordinate ambitions, we were all happy for her. Well, more so because rice and stew was very plenty at the wedding. We were also older and had moved on from her to other girls. She was still the finest girl in the neighborhood though.

Her husband was envied, lucky man to win the Esther’s love. We didn’t like him, but truth be told, she was out of our league, older and what business would a good young woman have with randy men and rotten rascals?

I ran into Esther recently at the airport while waiting to catch a flight and recognition was instant. Still looking beautiful, in fact, like fine wine, she had aged gracefully with time. I noticed she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring and wondered why. Her flight was delayed, so we both had time to catch up. She told me she was divorced. I told her I was sorry to hear about her divorce. Hope it had nothing to do with violence? As if she read my mind, she told me the reason for divorce.

Apparently, brother John was impotent. She didn’t know, because they were both against ‘pre-shipment analysis’ of goods. On their wedding night, the one-eyed monster refused to stand up for active duty. Brother John informed her that it was because he was tired. To cut a long story short, when she found about his deceit, despite entreaties by her parents to continue in the sham, she decided to end the marriage.

Sincerely, I empathised with her, and I know we can’t turn back the hands of time but looking at Esther, hot as ever… I had to rein my fertile imagination! Lord have mercy!