The Moment I Met You (Chapter 425)

By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

Louisa and Edward kept the relationship as private as they could, but it wasn’t easy for them. If Edward was invited to charity dinner involving the higher-ups in the society he wanted to take her, he didn’t want to go with Patricia his parents had chosen for him. He just wanted Louisa to stand by his side, but was afraid that bringing Louisa along to events might bring trouble upon her family. It wasn’t long before their names were exposed to the public. Louisa was described by one columnist as a schemer.                                                                                 

‘I don’t like this, Edward,’ Louisa said to Edward when she saw it in a Sunday paper. ‘’It makes me look as though I am with you because of your money, but you know how many times I refused your expensive gift. Honestly, if money was all I wanted then I would have told you already.’

  ‘But can you endure everything for my sake?’                                             

‘I am willing to wave everything behind, but what about your family…they want someone super-rich for you. I think we should stop seeing each other, Edward.’                                                                                   

‘You can’t mean it.’                                                                                            

‘I don’t want it but I think it’s best. Look, I am not just going to continue with this relationship and then be thrown aside. Seriously, Edward, I really like you. I more than like you. I think of you so much. Your name is not only engraved in my book but also in my mind and my young heart.’                                                                                                               

‘Louisa, the frequency at which I think of you increases day by day. You can call it an obsession. I like you a lot.’ Edward meant his every word.   

 ‘So isn’t it better if we stop now?’                                                          

‘I don’t want to break up with you.’                                                                 

‘Neither do I, but it will be harder for us in the future.’                           

 ‘Will you marry me?’ Edward asked.                                                       

 ‘No, it’s not what I meant.’                                                                          

‘I am telling you to marry me, Louisa.’                                                   

‘Why?’                                                                                                                

‘I love you.’                                                                                                         

Louisa looked at him, knowing that he was sincere with her. She was immediately pulled into his warm embrace as he kissed her. Louisa adjusted to the sudden action and enjoyed the familiar warmth.                           

Rubbing the tip of his nose against Louisa’s, he mumbled with a sexy and husky voice beside Louisa’s lips, ‘We will get married as soon as possible.’                                                                                                           

Louisa grabbed onto Edwards handsome face and smiled, 

‘We’ll.’                                                                                                                                     

The next evening, they went to the beach together. Louisa was wearing a long red dress that Edward had bought for her and relaxed on the deck of a yacht with Edward who was wearing a casual blue suit. Edward had brought a camera to take pictures with her.                                  

Edward was happy to have this special moment with Louisa as he wrapped her in a warm embrace.                                                                       

‘Do you want us to marry in Italy?’                                                                     

‘Why should we marry in Italy?’ Louisa turned her head and questioned Edward. ‘Edward, did you think I will elope with you and get married in Italy. We are going to marry in our country.’                                     

  Edward smiled at Louisa as he planted a kiss on her lips. There love story was so strong that almost every Sunday paper carried it on their entertainment news.

            

 The following day, Louisa, who had had a good night’s rest, heard someone knocking at the door of her house. She woke up, and throwing her bed sheet off of her, got out of bed. Opening the door, she spotted Bisi, her good neighbour as well as her friend.                         

 ‘Louisa, shouldn’t you go do shopping for your wedding?’ Bisi asked excitedly.                                                                                                         

  ‘I am fine wearing anything.’ Louisa’s eyes were only half-opened. 

Apparently, she was still half-asleep. She walked over to the chair and dropped herself on it. Then she grabbed a pillow to her chest. Her head nodding, as though she was going to fall back to sleep.                  

  Bisi couldn’t help but laugh at Louisa. ‘Louisa, get up. We need to go to the city and I will help you choose some clothes.                             

Outside, Maria was busy grilling fish as some people came to buy from her.                                                                                                          

‘I don’t even know how much I have in my money jar.’ Louisa finally stood up, wiping sleep off from her eyes. Reaching for the money jar she had hidden in a corner, she took out the money and gently counted them. ‘We will need to get some items and then return back home. I still need to help my mother sell the fish we bought yesterday.’                 

After Louisa finished washing up, they finally went out using a canoe, which was the suitable means of transportation in the infamous Makoko floating slum. Even though Louisa didn’t want to go, she couldn’t reject a friend that wanted her happiness.                                            

When they arrived, Bisi was fascinated by the huge market. Much of the produce from the north, including Cows, livestock, onions and other vegetables were coming through Hausa land by big trucks. The meat and grains were sent as well to the East, and buyers from all over the world could be seen in Balogun Market.

Most of the goods sold in the market came in from other country. The market which was located on Lagos Island had no particular address because it sprawled across so many streets on the island.

   Today was the first time Bisi had even been out of Makoko slum, and she had been enchanted at the sight of the super large market, which was of course crowded. Louisa charged ahead like bull, moving past stalls and street vendors trying to drag her into their kioks as Bisi excitedly followed behind.

 ‘Louisa, I don’t think I can cope with leaving in that filthy slum when you marry Edward,’ Bisi told Louisa.                                                            

 ‘If you feel lonely then you can join me to Abuja. Edward’s parent resides mainly in Abuja. But for Edward’s wedding, he assured me that it would be here in Lagos.’                                                                

    Bisi nodded and smiled as Louisa talked. She was happy to have met Louisa whose good luck was going to bring her good luck as well. ‘Am I going to be invited to your wedding?’                                                            

‘You’re going to be my chief bridesmaid,’ Louisa reassured.                          

‘Oh, Louisa,’ Bisi said, feeling her excitement grow. ‘That means I won’t only move to Abuja with you but I will be your chief bridesmaid.’      

  Louisa smiled. ‘You deserve even more than that.’                                 

‘Look at that huge store. We can buy fancy dresses from there.’Bisi pointed at the dress store.                                                                   

‘We can only window shop there. Stuffs there are only available for those with enough money to buy.’      

           

Meanwhile, in the same huge shopping centre Bisi had pointed, Patricia and Isabelle were happily going from shop to shop. It was a good day for Isabelle as her parents had left the country for a 3-day convention. Patricia had come to Lagos to visit her aunt, who never saw it as a crime for a girl to be left to have their freedom, especially as a graduate who had explored the western world.

  So, today, as best of friends, the girls bravely headed out for the dress shops. They were already used to elegant dresses, beautiful hats and shoes. Isabelle bought herself a lovely satin dress for Edward’s wedding.  Edward had told the girls about marrying a poor girl from the infamous slums of Makoko.                                                                                             

Patricia bought a blue silk, light and airy, with a full skirt that would ruffle in the wind.                                                                                                  

They bought other dresses too. Passing a hat shop, they bought high-end new arrivals, fit for any occasion. Then, they turned towards the high-end restaurant close to the shopping centre for a scrumptious meal.