For the Dream of 5 Years: Chapter Sixteen: The Gift

Dan tried calling Michelle in vain. They had planned to meet in the afternoon at the Blue Valley Mall on Thursday that week at the coffee shop on the first floor. He understood why Michelle would have switched off her phone. "Those could be her family matters, and she could be protecting us; she wants me to miss her more before our meeting," he convinced himself. On Wednesday, he went to source a gift for her because girls love gifts. He went online and scanned through the online lingerie shops, selecting a beautiful red one. He ordered it and prepared a beautiful poem along with the gift. Thursday came, Michele was still unreachable, but Dan went ahead anyway. At the Mall, he looked around to see if his eyes could meet with her beautiful smile, see her walking towards him gracefully, and her eyes sparkling with love. While he waited, he took too much coffee because there was a sign reading 'no idle sitting,' he walked and paced around, but Michelle did not show up. It was around six in the evening, still sitting at the coffee shop, his gift box sitting on the table in front of him, that he realized Michelle was not coming. Trying to stay calm, he picked up his gift box and called for an Uber taxi service. He went home, entered his uncle's house, went straight to his room, and pinned the lingerie on the wall. He did not cry, yell, throw stuff or call Michelle. That Sunday, Michelle, Dave, and Mike pulled up at their house from the unforgettable vacation. They were chatting, laughing, and most importantly, feeling good and rejuvenated. Just when they opened the gate to their house, there was a car that Michelle recognized all too well, one that had lived on her phone and laptop screens. A Jeep Gladiator. It was in their compound now, with a ribbon on; someone was gifting it to another. They all stood in awe. It was big, it was powerful, it was beautiful, and it sure did attract attention. "Oh, my goodness, this car is my dream car; I have to touch it. I must take a picture with it before the owner drives it away. I doubt anyone in this court that afforded this monster will continue to live in this neighbourhood," she said, taking Dave's phone to take a photo. For a better view, she proceeded to the front of the car to find the plate written 'For Michelle, because you make me HAPPY.' She fell onto her knees, crying loudly when people in the court started clapping from where they were hiding. They came out and cheered her, and she continued crying for a long time, hugging and kissing Dave and Mike. Photos were taken, and videos were recorded and posted on social media. It was a moment, better than the proposal at the bus station. She was beyond herself, felt sick, and wanted to faint; this was too much for her to handle. She got in the car, but she couldn't drive. They gave her some private time to calm down. She cried alone in the car; she swore to end everything that would make her stray from the right path. The right path was Dave, and the gospel was his love. In the house, she went straight to her bedroom and switched on her phone to tell her family about the good news. When the phone was on, there were tens of calls and hundreds of messages from one person, Dan. She was done with him, and she had no feelings for him. She had to get rid of that SIM card and go off the radar. Dan would never find or hear from her anymore. Before she called, an incoming call from Dan popped up. "Hey, my curvy girl, you stood me up; care to explain?" Dan asked. "I'm sorry if I led you on, Dan. I wish you were at least five years older. If you were maybe twenty-five, I could have considered. Forgive me. I can't do this anymore. I have been thinking...," she was still talking when Dan hung up. "Well, good riddance, baby boy," she muttered. Dan took the lingerie, placed it inside the box, and put it under the bed. Then he cried himself to sleep. The videos and the photos of Michelle with her gift went viral. Everyone admired her, people were envious, and some congratulated her. There were comments like "If my future husband is not planning to treat me like this, please move along and give someone else a chance." "I want a man like this." "I want that man for a day." "That is what a good woman gets." "Why does this only happen to beautiful women?" "I want to reward this man on her behalf." People in the village learned about it; Dan and Shanice saw it. Dan got so furious that he went under his bed, took the gift box, and tore the lingerie into small pieces. He cried, cursed, and swore to kill Dave for misleading Michelle and bribing her with flashy gifts. Shanice wanted to start a war but decided to wait for the right time. When Dave was kissing his wife in bed, she sat up and asked him to sit up. "We need to talk, Dave," she said. "What have you done?" She asked, facing him, eyes so wide, demanding an explanation.