HE SAID NO.
Episode 10
Amifel tried to feign excitement when they entered Li Wuan Chinese restaurant, it was one of the best in Naijel state where they lived, it looked as exotic as its name portends. She was supposed to be excited, as she loved outings, especially surprise outings like the one she was in. But her mind was too crowded to think straight.
George must have spent a fortune to secure a spot for them at Li Wuan Chinese Restaurant, George held her hands as they walked on, occasionally looking at her face, he wanted to see the excitement in her eyes, he wanted to know that she was impressed.
Amifel noticed and she tried not to disappoint him, she cat-walked through the beautiful hallway with smiles on her face and questions on her mind, she took a quick glance at the handsome young man who held her fragile hands tenderly, she could tell that he loved her and she loved him too, and that was what made everything harder.
He led her to a table for two, sited directly in front of a window, and there stood before her, the most beautiful garden she had ever seen in reality.
“Wow, this is beautiful,” she commended, he must have felt like a fulfilled man because his face shone like someone who just hit a jackpot,
“I’m glad you like it, babe,” he said, pulling out one of the chairs for her to sit, the glass table was beautifully decorated with a bunch of roses in a cute flower vase which was placed at the center of the table.
“Like? I love it, Thank you George! “she said in a shrill voice,
“I’m really happy to hear that sweetheart, I’ve been planning this date for about 2 weeks now” he replied as she sat down still wowed by the sight in front of her.
“Wow, wow! I’m amazed, ”
“Anything for you my love,” he said as she smiled, they both picked up the brown hardcover menu placed on the table in front of them. The menu contained a list of various Chinese recipes including Fried shrimps with cashew nuts, Kung Pao chicken, Yangchow fried rice, Braised pork balls in gravy, Sichuan pork, and more,
They were glancing through the hardcover menu when a Chinese waitress interrupted them, she had the regular round-shaped face of a Chinese, she was putting on a well-ironed navy blue straight gown on black stiletto shoes and her long lustrous hair was packed into a ponytail.
“Hello ‘sirrr’ end ‘marrr’” she greeted, obviously trying to sound Nigerian but was given away by her Chinese accent, “May I harve your ordies?” she continued.
“Yeah, sure.” George answered, “I’d have Fried shrimps with cashew nuts and fresh fruit juice, how about you babe?”
“The dishes on this menu sounds funny, I hope they don’t taste as funny as they sound,” she said, as her eye ran through the menu. She was yet to try any and was quite in a fix.
“They ‘arrr oll’ nice,” the Chinese waitress chipped in,
“I’m not sure what the recipes would taste like, maybe I’ll just have the fried shrimps he ordered too”
“Fried shrimps and cashew ‘nats’?” the Chinese waitress asked,
“Yes please,” they answered almost at once.
“Would you love to have fresh fruit juice too?” George asked,
“I’d have preferred coke; or do you have coke?” Amifel asked the Chinese waitress who looked confused, she meant it to be a sarcastic question.
“Do you have ‘Kele’?” George asked, leaving Amifel to wonder what he was up to,
“Oh ‘Kele’! yeah, is that ‘oll’?” She asked,
“Yeah, for now. Thank you.” George concluded as the waitress walked away, Amifel shot George a puzzled look,
“Get ready to have two drinks because I am not taking your ‘kele’ or whatever you call it, ”
George laughed lightly before responding to her,
“Didn’t you say you wanted coke?” he asked, to which she nodded, “’kewe’ is the Chinese word for coke,” he announced, still laughing,
“Oh, I didn’t know that,”
“Now you know babe,”
They had a light chat till the Chinese waitress brought their orders in less than 20 minutes, just as they were about to dig into their meal, they heard a sound of people clapping and chattering close by, as they looked behind them, they saw a fine white young man on his knees proposing to a lady assumed to be his woman, with a glistering diamond ring as people cheered them on. The beautiful dark-skinned lady nodded in response, obviously mesmerized as she looked to amazed to say a word, her eyes were wet with tears of joy. George smiled, joining in the clapping as the man slipped the diamond ring into her slender finger before lifting her up in a Hollywood fashion and planting a kiss on her forehead. At this point, George was already on his feet, clapping, making funny sounds, and nodding all at once
Amifel was glued to her seat as she suddenly felt cold shivers run down her spines, she imagined George trying to propose to her, right there in the public, and she felt terrified,
“Dear father, please give me this last chance, please don’t allow George to propose here. I beg you, George doesn’t deserve this right here, right now, please father,” she prayed with desperation.
The couple had created quite a scene as people were seen chatting excitedly, it was obviously a lovely beginning for the beautiful duo.
“That was a boss move right there,” George commended, stealing occasional glances at the couples who were still mushy,
“Yeah,” Amifel said coldly, trying to fake a smile while digging her cutlery into the food on her plate, she couldn’t tell whether the food was delicious or tasteless as the crispy nuts dropped on her tongue. George chewed on his food hurriedly, he seemed to be enjoying the meal.
“Hope you like it, babe?” He asked, still focused on his food, Amifel nodded as she gulped the coke in her glass cup. The evening crept in swiftly and the couples were still around when they were leaving the restaurant.
“Congratulations once again,” George greeted stretching out his hands as they passed by their table,
“Thank you, man,” the man greeted, his almost white skin made him look like a non-Nigerian,
Amifel gave them an awkward smile as she seemed in a hurry to leave the premises. The journey back to her house was a rather quiet one, she wondered what was going through George’s mind, he was not the type to keep quiet especially after a date, thankfully there was no traffic and as George stopped at the front of their gate, she felt like she just escaped a fiery furnace as she felt the evening cool breeze on her soft skin.
“Thank you, George, I had a great time,” she said, looking exhausted, she obviously had the opposite,
“You didn’t seem to happy with the engaged couples, do you know any of them?” George asked instead,
“What, no! I don’t know either of them, I was just feeling a little dizzy,” Amifel said, taken aback by his question, she already carried her bag and was about getting down from the car,
“Okay,” he said, but he wasn’t looking okay, “Have a pleasant night rest,” he said,
“Alright babe, drive safely and call me when you get home,” she said as she banged the car door,
George was definitely bothered about her reaction to the newly engaged couples but it wasn’t what he thought it was,
Hope he isn’t going to take this too far?
Written by Sodamade Olamide Tolulope.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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