CHAPTER 3

Was this heaven? It felt like it.

Was this a part of the love she resisted? If truly this was love, then she wanted to live forever in it.

All the times she had prayed, all she ever wished for was; a healthy and happy family, and also for her mother to be well and sound.

She also prayed to be admitted into law school. To graduate and establish her own law firm.

She smiled at the thought of that.

And finally, to find true love if it truly existed.

Over the years, when ever.she heard people tell her, they were in love. She would simply laugh and bid them well.

Sometimes telling them it didn't exist or that what they felt, was a figment of their imagination. She herself had no time for love and also felt it probably didnt have time for her too.

When ever she came across any happy couple who claimed to be in love, she would secretly pray to feel what they felt. Atleast to be sure it was true, and not pretence.

But then, it seemed like her destiny was not cut out for love, maybe that's why she had never felt it for any man, hence had never dated anyone even though she was a lover of fairy tale stories.

She usually laughed at Mandy anytime she spoke about love

" Love does not exist, and even if it does, it is not meant for everybody." she would argue.

Mandy usually felt sad for her void of intimacy and love for any man. She had even tried setting her up with blind dates behind their mothers back, which would only turned sour after all.

Mandy had therefore given up on her Maria ever finding love or willing to love anyone. Maria was thankful about that, and would rather busy herself in books and her part time jobs.

Now, right before this man, maria couldn't tell what had finally happened to her. She didn't want to agree that it had anything to do with love. All she simply felt was a longing for him. Sometimes with crazy questions of how it would feel to be kissed and touched by him, or how it would also feel if he loved her.

Then she would laugh at the last impossible one; How would it also feel to be married to him?

Then she looked up at him still smiling back at her, and his face searching for answers to her thoughts. Her mind was thinking about him, when he was standing right there beside her, holding her, right infront of the world, ready to make her his wife.

There was tears in Maria's eyes. Could this be real? Were wishes truly horses? Was she about to get married to the most handsome man ever in the world? How did she get this lucky? What did she do right?

Just then maria turned to look at the crowd again, and spotted her mother, smiling and cheering her on. She also saw Mandy behind her dressed as a maid of honour. She felt satisfied and raised her head again, to glance at the handsome gorgeous man holding her hands. He also looked down at her, and planted a passionate kiss on her lips

' Who is the lucky man?" A voice said, startling her.

''It was just a dream' she heaved a painful sigh!

Do I know him" she heard mandy's voice again, as she opened her eyes sadly to the realization that all those fantacies had all being a dream.

She brushed her eyes vigorously as she picked her wrist watch to check how long she had being sleeping.

Suddenly, she squeaked when she saw the time.

"1 asked who he was" Mandy said, insisting on getting an answer.

uh?" Maria asked, pretending not to hear her, or understand the question. You know what I am talking about Maria

Mandy said, rolling her eyes.

Maria wasn't sure she was ready for that conversation at that moment, so she quickly slipped out of bed, suddenly realizing, how her alarm had failed he. Now she was running late for the movie screening.

How on earth did she even let that happen? She wailed.

She was usually up, even before the alarm rang. How could she have slept this long?

The screening was scheduled to take place in less than five minutes from that time.

If only she knew what caused her to sleep that long.

Ofcourse she knew.

She had being lost in Dreamland with her supposedly handsome lover boy.

The guts he had, invading her dream. He had stolen her thoughts at first, now her dreams?

How could she be so powerless before a mere mortal?

" You must have met someone special yesterday" said Mandy, suddenly interrupting her thoughts, as maria took a stand opposite her bedside mirror brushing and straightening her hair, after taking a quick shower.

Maria didn't respond, as she tried to deter Mandy from digging even further. How on earth did Mandy even find out? She wondered.

Did tobi say anything?She doubted.

She had dropped him off at his photography studio after they left the place. He had even informed her that he would be busy all through out the weekend and would likely not see her or anyone until the coming week.

Where then on earth had Mandy seen him to have gotten the gist? Or did she call him? She wondered.

How on earth did you know?" Maria finally asked, turning to face Mandy who was now smiling wickedly at her.

"So it's true?" She asked laughing.

"Wow! my sister has finally gotten herself a boyfriend?"

You haven't answered my question"

maria quickly interrupted, as Man y seemed rather excited about what she had probably imagined. Then she turned to give maria a questioning look.

" Wait, did you plan not to tell me?" She asked. Looking almost agitated.

" Just tell me how, you found out first of all" maria insisted, as she tried putting a final touch to her dressing. She had wore a blue jacket over a white camisole on a blue skirt.

"Well, it was easy." Mandy spoke almost sololiquizing.

"Going by the way you have being acting all out for days now and smiling strangely to yourself. Don't forget, I also heard you sololiquizing about love. That alone got me knocked out, since you are not even a believer of love." She chatted, and laughed heartily.

You were also talking in your dream about an imaginary guy." She sighed, and spoke with all seriousness.

"Only love could do that maria" she explained, as if she was giving out an educative lecture.

Maria paid apt attention to her, automatically forgetting she was running late.

She had being at the audition few days ago and today was for the final screening, for selecting the finalists who would take part in the movie.

I have to go" she quickly exclaimed, and suddenly jumped up, like one bitten by a viper.

Grabbing her bag and purse, she jogged all the way from her room, to the garage, after brushing a hug and kiss to her mother who was lying down on a large sofa in the sitting.

She got into her car parked in the garage, and drove straight to the academy.

Jack sat on a sofa in the living room in his highly spacious luxurious crib where he and his brother lived. He had spent the last few days working really hard, and hadn't found time to rest enough as he had expected.

He played for the city club, and had recently returned from some games, his

team the 'new Orleans football stars' had played against three other big teams from the states.

He had being the team's captain and they had won all three matches.

They only returned a week ago, and he had spent a better part of these few days, on calls, listening and discussing issues with his managerial teams that handled his businesses.

He had a special sport hub where he trained young and aspiring kids in their various sports of interest. He also employed various professionals who handled some of its operations, when he couldn't find the time to.

However, when he had no game at hand , he spent most of his time at the sport hub with the kids, training and coaching them on the rudiments of sport.

Some of them were orphans and homeless, so he had a bungalow built in for them, to live and be taken care of.

This days, he had become even more busy, especially as some international club had shown interest in him playing for their club. Even though he wished to boost his career and be known worldwide, he still had reservations.

He wanted to still play lowkey at the moment. Although his manager was already on his neck, persuading him to give international football a chance, since it involved lots of monetary returns. He found that funny.

He had spent the last few years working , and had built enough investment and made enough money to last and take care of his needs and those of his companies and organizations for decades. He believed he had more responsibilities than playing for any international team. He would, but not at the moment.