I
was the man who misunderstood her intentions. She saw a Rose (flower) in my
computer bag and she insisted in knowing who it is meant for. "This
beautiful flower is meant for a beautiful woman right?”, She inquired. "I am not saying that She
is not beautiful but if She is not, nothing else is beautiful and nothing
illuminating could be said about her without mentioning beauty and love!",
I responded. Benita Michelle was never a Catholic and the only day she attended
Catholic Church was the day my birthday fell on Sunday at St. Theresa’s
Cathedral Nsukka.
After group studies on that fateful day 15th
of August 2012 at University of Nigeria Nsukka stadium, I told her that I was
going to Chapel in Bishop Shanahan Hospital. Every effort I made to refuse her
from following me was futile. Was it because of the rose? Does she know
anything about Chapel? Even if she knew, she would have known that her dressing
code was enough to disqualify her. "Yes we are going together but do you
know it is very far from Hill top; your residence?”, I asked. I knew that no
excuses could change her mind as she stood near me. If I had put forward any other reason; she was
ready to refute it.
The
inscription, "SALUS IMFERMORUM, ORA PRONOBIS" was boldly written so
that even a man who has no particle of understanding could read it. Benita Michelle is good in foreign languages
but I knew she was not interested in knowing the meaning, but interested in the
wisdom of the sophist who constructed the Marian Grotto.
I
had wanted to pray but could not because she was so close to me that even her
heavy breath was drizzling on me. Her body touching me was so luscious and on
edge. I felt so many things coming into my mind, things that made me change my
direction. I wish I could think about that, which brought me to the Marian
shrine.
Izunwaonu has never had this type of
experience before, but was only thinking about something different from what
Benita was thinking.
I left the scene and preceded to the Chapel
with my Chaplet in my palm. A cloud of silence was wrapping both the indoor and
outdoor of the Chapel. People were going in and coming out of the Chapel in
silence and she entered before me. I was wandering where she was going to and
what she had planned to do there. She stood beside the door to observe where I
would sit. I slipped off my slippers at the entrance door and went straight to
the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and immediately dropped the rose at Her
feet.
I
never knew Benita was watching my movement until she asked me in a shrill voice
why I kissed the feet of Blessed Virgin Mary. Now she broke the heavy silence
and distracted those who were praying. I looked around, every eye was on me, and
I felt a heavy weight around my temple in the temple of God. I wanted the
ground to open up and swallow me but the worst came forth when she said,
"this place is comfortable for reading". At this point, I had to
leave because my purpose which was to give beautiful rose to a beautiful and
loving woman was already completed.
It
seemed we had stayed there for a long moment, but it might have been only
seconds. I was heavily annoyed that even my face only, could express that. I
did not consider. I did not even consider considering that she is an Anglican.
She reached out and held my hands and began to ask
me litany of questions;
Who is that woman?
Why did you give her the rose and
Why
did you pray to Her because I felt you spoke more with your spirit than with
your lips before her?
I
needed to be more critical but the shadow clouding her eyes made me to
understand that she was serious even dough I could not tell if she was serious
when she said that the Chapel was good for reading.
Hence,
I began to answer her questions, "The woman is the Mother of God and my
Mother; the woman behind my success". Benita knew I excel in everything I
do yet she did not believe the Woman was the person behind it." But she is
just like an envelope who has already delivered the massage by giving birth to
God and for that we should not honor her
", said Benita. I had wanted to answer the question immediately but
I remember that she had won many times when we engaged in quoting Bible.
On
the preceding day, I went to group studies with my New Jerusalem Bible. I asked
her to read from Luke 1:28...; " And the Angel said to her, Hail, thou
that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among
women". She stopped at verse 48, where Mary states, "because He has
looked upon the humility of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generation
will call me blessed".
I
had wanted to give her more chapters to prove to her that Virgin Mary is the
Ark of the New Covenant but she was already raking her mind over, "ALL
GENERATION WILL CALL ME BLESSED". I should have been the one to explain
the verses but the reverse became the case. She kept a stiff upper her mouth
for sometime before she started repeating the clause, " THE LORD IS WITH
THEE: BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN". After a while, she kept mute. I
thought I had begged the question but I knew I rode on the crest of the wave.
Three
days later, she requested that we might go back to Chapel and she promised she
was not going to make noise. She wrote something on a paper, folded it and gave
to me to hand it over to Virgin Mary. She wrote in a beautiful handwriting but
did not allow me to read it. "I love your handwriting, it is
beautiful", I said. "The
beautiful writing is a beautiful expression from a beautiful thought by the
essence of beauty itself to request for a beautiful intention from a beautiful
lady", she responded.
Seven
days later, I was coming out from Ifeanyichukwu hall; still Shanahan hospital
Nsukka. I saw her coming out of the Chapel with Handout and Text book. I became
annoyed when my friend Ikechukwu averred that he has been consistently seeing
her going to Chapel with books.
A
hand that is meant for blessing became an instrument of war when we reached
her. I am sure I was not aware when I slapped her. The bead of tears rolling
down her checks was nil to me. I felt I could say sorry but I was full of
myself that I could not take heed to my friend’s advice to apologize. This not
only separated our friendship but made me to delete her number from my phone.
Three
years later, I received a massage from her but before I could read it, I
deleted it thinking that MTN had started to send unnecessary massages. Her best
friend, Nnadi Faith, called to infer if I would go together to Benita's wedding
at Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity Onitsha, Anambra, Nigeria. I
would have hesitated but because she was going with her private car, I decided
to go with her.
I
was sure the handsome man holding her hand at the altar was not me. Though I
thought I was in dream, I never dreamt of that. I sat at end pew drawing a
cloud of confusion around me. I knew she never noticed my advent until the time
she was asked to give vote of thanks. She had wanted to start from talk but
when she beheld me, no sound came forth her throat.
I
noticed her gesticulation, signaling one of the bridesmaids to bring her a pen
and a paper. I was circumspectly watching her; she folded it and forwarded it
to me through the bridesmaid.
I
never wanted to read the content of the letter but the more I resisted it the
more my spirit sank. When I opened the letter, I gave her birds’ eye view, and
then I noticed she was looking forward to see my reaction.
The content of the letter reads:
I was never a Catholic and you made me one.
You taught me your secret and never cared to know
how I applied it.
You gave me way and turned away from me.
The
first problem I encountered in the University was that I was unable to understand
my Stumpf. I took it to the Chapel, I never read it but presented it and other
books before God as a problem to me. The problem was later solved. I also
prayed for a husband and successful life and today is the manifestation of that
prayer. Matthew Obiefuna is a Medical Doctor at National Capital Region
Hospital of Manila in Philippines. We shall be going back to Philippines in two
week time.
I
never noticed the presence of cloud of people around me till the beads of tears
started rolling down my cheeks. I never knew her intention and I could not
inquire before taking action. I had wanted to write back immediately but I
could not. Her so called husband has noticed that her mood has changed and
stated that no present should be brought again. That would have been the only
time I could have taken my written apology back.
Benita!!!
Any where you are now, please accept my humble apology, I was the man who
misunderstood your intentions.
