Ten minutes after Mel left the councillor’s office, Tobi also paid a visit to the counsellor with his own version of the confusion, the Secretary let’s him in to the office and he’s warmly welcomed by the jolly woman “I have been expecting you Mr Tobias” “Thank you so much miss, I’m so sorry for scheduling this unexpectedly but it’s urgent” “I can see from your face…. take a seat and tell me all about it” “Thank you” he takes a seat and looks her in the eyes “I’m afraid I’m Falling for Melanie if at all I haven’t fallen in love with her already” this is so surprising to the counsellor “You’re in love with Melanie?….. does she know this” “Nooo….I don’t know if it’s OK for her to know but my heart couldn’t contain it alone, I needed to let it out and that’s why I thought of you” “Tobi, are you really sure what you’re feeling is love, remember you told me you felt you needed to help her, maybe it’s the closeness you too feel, the pity you feel for her that you’re trying to confuse with love” “No you can’t say that miss, I have been working closely with intelligent women for years but non has ever had the same effect Mel is having on me….. I have tried to fight this but I don’t think I can anymore, I just want to know what I should do….so can you help me, she doesn’t even know I’mhere” “This is something serious, I don’t know if it’s the best thing to do if you confess your love to her right now…..you see, people take different period time to heal…..it would have been better if you knew how Mel feels about you but again that’s something dangerous, you may think just because she’s so comfortable around you, she has healed when in reality she hasn’t” “So you think I should keep my feelings to myself” she studies his face and then leans closer “Look me in the eyes…….you see, this is against my professional code of ethics but I’m going to break it for a while I’m not supposed to tell you this but….. would you believe me if I tell you Mel is feeling the same thing?” “Feeling what” “This confusion” “How did you find out….did she tell you” “Doesn’t matter how I found out but that’s the matter here, Mel thinks she’s feeling more than she should and that scares her” “Then that’s a good sign…. you see, it means she’s ready for another relationship” “Not so fast Tobi…. first you need to answer these questions as honestly as possible…… are you really sure what you’re feeling is love?” “Well I have had a girlfriend before but what i felt for her back then was not any where close to what I’m feeling now so yes I’m sure it’s love” “alright but are you really sure that you’re willing to start a relationship with a rape victim who is already pregnant as a result, and carrying the baby that came as a result of that horrible night” he thinks if only she knew, but he’s not going to tell her he’s the father, he only stares at her with sincerity and swears that’s not a problem and that will never be ” “Well then…..but for now I think the best thing is to let her carry her pregnancy without anything to interrupt, make sure to tell her about how you feel about her when you’re truly sure about your feelings…..you’re a good man with a Golden heart but your family won’t think the way you do, are you willing to protect, fight and defend her from all the attacks she’s going to get” “Thank you very much…. I’m happy I made the right decision to come here You can always count on me whenever you need my help and let me tell you this……I feel so proud of you and you’re truly a hero” Tobi doesn’t think what she said was necessary but thanks her again and again………. he comes out of the office to head to his office when he posses by his car “Melanie is in love with me???…. this is the best news I have ever heard and this deserves celebration” he gets in and gives her a call but her phone is unreachable…….. Mel had decided to walk on her way home, she needed time to think and contemplate her next move, she can’t tell If she wants to stay away from Tobi or she wants to be with him every minute, she realizes she’s actually missing him….there is a strange attachment she feels towards him, she just doesn’t know why but she has this strange feeling that Tobi should be the father of her child, she just doesn’t know how that can be possible but she can’t help it, she feels she should at least hear his voice so she gets out her phone only to realize her battery is down “What do I do….can I wait till when he passes by in the evening so I can see him, what if he doesn’t even pass by” she continues to walk “What do I do???….. what do I do…. huh!!! or Tobi! what do you really think of me…is what Mum said all true…. why don’t you say it then”….. she gets to the Boda Boda stage and decides to take one and asks the bike man to drop her at the Safi offices, without wasting time, they get going and in ten minutes time they arrive at the office, she pays the bike man and with smiles gets to the reception area where she’s so surprised to find miss Janet all gloomy and in no make-up today ” Good morning Janet ” she tries to sound as friendly as possible “To you I’m Miss Janet not flatly Janet…… you’re not my friend and I don’t intend to become your friend either” Mel can’t believe this Lady is this cruel, she wonders how she was able to convince Tobi to get this position, she tries to ignore her cruelty anyway “Is Tobi in” Janet looks around as if she’s not aware they are the only ones in the room “Are you talking to me?….. was it my boss you referred to as Tobi….. I can’t believe you’re this indisciplined …..” “What’s your problem with me….have we had any encounter before” “I don’t have any reason to explain myself to you, if you’re here to start work, do so, go to where your supervisor is and stop asking for people who care less if you’re here or not” just then Jane comes out and hears the last bit of the conversation and she’s so furious with Janet Good morning Melanie” Mel turns to face Jane and they smile at each other and share a hug “Morning Jane how are you” “Very fine Darling, are you starting today” “Not really…. I came to see….” “Tobi Right??” Janet is more shocked even Jane is calling him by his names….. “He’s on his way, he just called saying he was taking care of something important but he’s on his way….you can wait for him, the office is open” “Thanks….” “Go on in…..I will follow you” she wait till when Mel was out of ear shot and turns to face Janet tge witch “If you know what’s good for you and still value your position in this company, drop the bitterness and get along with miss Melanie and listen careful……drop this stupid fantasy about Tobi ever noticing you and start looking for a suitable young man out there because he’s never going to notice you…….. but the next time you do what you did today, Tobi will definitely get to know about it because personally I will tell him” “Is that a warning?” “No it’s a threat”….. Tobi drives and packs his car at a supermarket, he hoped out and heads in….he doesn’t even know what he wants to pick but he felt he needed to pick something for Mel, he picks her favourite vanilla flavoured ice cream, some biscuits, he’s going to keep the ice cream in his fridge until when he leaves the office, he will drop it at Mel’s in the evening,…… he picks a red Rose and heads out, he’s not going to give the rose to her just yet, he will wait till when it’s the right time to confess his feeling to her but he could not resist the urge to write on a pad and stamp it on the rose, he throws it in the shopping bag and heads to the office, it’s now coming to 11am……….. it took him less than ten minutes to reach the office, he collects his bag and the shopping bag and heads inside ” Good morning Janet Morning sir…..welcome” her usual smile is there “Thanks…. anything new?” “No…nothing but Jane is in her office” “Good….” he heads directly to his office and pushes it open only to see Mel sleeping in his chair resting her head on the hard office table “Melanie….What time did you even get here” he asks but she’s not hearing him, he walks over to her and touches her warm forehead, she wakes up sharply “Are you sick?….do you have a fever” she shakes her head indicating no “Just hungry….it’s like I never had breakfast” “Here take this, I got this for you and had plans of taking it to you on my way home….. why didn’t you call to tell me you were coming” Mel grabs the bag “My battery was dead and I had no plans of coming here in the first place….. what’s in here” she asks and Tobi realises he had made a huge mistake but before he can react, Mel gets the rose out “Who is this for” “I got it for Jane…. to thank her for always doing her works expectedly and for being so obedient…. hand it here, I shall give it to her, you can’t hold or read something that’s not yours” he wants to take it from her but Mel is not letting him get it that easily “Did you say Jane?…. since when has she changed her name or is it her second name?” Tobi is so busted and embarrassed “To the best woman in the entire world, the most beautiful from inside out….. I love you Melanie and forever will” she reads out loud and Tobi is so dumbfounded…..
To be continued…
