All Or Nothing…

EUNICE ANSAH-AGYEMAN

ALL OR NOTHING

 

The Author

EPISODE 5

This is a Premium Story. The first 5 Episodes are free, after which readers who wish to continue would have to contact Eunice on 0244084955 and pay a small token price of Ghc 15 to enjoy this sweet romantic slice of paradise!

 

A sleek Jaguar E-Pace pulled up in front of Diamond’s apartment. The door opened and Demel dressed in a royal blue suit, a white shirt and a matching tie stepped out. He straightened up his tie using his reflection in the driver’s window and used the small gate to gain entry into the compound.  Without hesitation, he walked briskly to the door and pressed the doorbell, taking in the sweet aura from Diamond’s favourite perfume.

Shortly after pressing the doorbell, a beaming Diamond opened the security door to her living room and stepped out, looking like an angel who had just landed on planet earth.

Demel took in her beauty for a while and then pecked her on both cheeks carefully, trying his best not to ruin her makeup. She did not usually over-indulge in makeup but the little she did set out her beautiful features to perfection. Diamond was wearing a cream dress that stopped just above her knees with matching shoes and clutch. She had tied her beautiful bouncy hair up in a bun, throwing up her facial features to perfection. She looked much younger than her actual age.

 

Demel sighed contentedly, happy that she was his and took her hand after exchanging pleasantries and led her to the car. He opened the car door for her as usual and walked around to the driver’s side with happiness. He started the car and maneuvered his way to the plush five-star hotel with class and total care.

They stepped into the empty elevator when they got to the ground floor and rode to the last but one floor. Demel could not help but kiss her gently on the lips as he wore his feelings for her on his face. Thankfully, the kiss did not ruin her lipstick and she looked as good as new when they stepped onto the dimly-lit corridor and took in the sweet smell of the exotic flowers on display.

There was a sign that pointed to the reason they had driven for close to an hour. Demel laced his hands with Diamond’s as they followed the directions. When they got to the end of the directional signs, they both pushed through the well-polished door and came to a halt simultaneously.

The beauty of the decorations mingled with the exotic fragrance from flowers and body perfumes was breathtaking.

 

The room was oval in shape and had mirrors everywhere. There was a little podium facing the entrance and it was decorated with plain white and gold materials with a trail of flower vases from the entrance to the podium. Hanging on the wall behind the podium was a huge beautiful picture of the couple, Mr. and Mrs. Benson with the inscription:

Celebrating Five Years of Bliss!

 

There was a beautiful five-tier cake on a small table adjacent to the podium and it was indeed a masterpiece. The tables and chairs had been arranged in a semi-circle at both ends of the walkway to the podium. Again, plain white and gold materials had been used to decorate the tables and chairs. Each table had a mini-chandelier and a bouquet of flowers in smaller vases. The golden set of cutleries and drinking glasses on each table complimented the decor in a unique fashion.

Pictures of the couple from the various stages of their married life were hanging all around the room on top of the mirrors. The lighting fixtures and the subtle dim light that it gave forth took one’s breath away at first sight. Demel still had Diamond’s hand in his as they walked proudly into the room as eyes turned to look at the beautiful woman at his side.

 

The room was almost full to capacity and they had to struggle a bit to finally make their way to the front to greet the couple. There were excited smiles and chattering everywhere.

Demel and Diamond finally got their turn to greet the couple and Karen was really happy to see them. Diamond said her congratulations and mentioned that she wished God would bless her with a happy marriage like Karen’s.

A moment later the MC called everyone to order and the event started in earnest. A handsome middle-aged man stepped on the podium to give the opening prayer after the MC had run through the program for the evening. It was not really a tall order as there were just a few speeches by the couple, a few friends and the pastor who officiated their marriage five years previously.

 

Diamond’s eyes filled with happy tears when Karen’s husband took the stage and gave the audience a little background to their love life and eventual marriage. He talked about the hurdles they had to cross just to be together and mostly about the joys they had enjoyed in their marriage.

He ended his speech with a lovely message to his wife who he considered the best wife of all. Karen joined him on the podium just before the end of his speech and he kissed her tenderly, drawing cheers from the crowd.

The rest of the evening was for eating, drinking and dancing. Diamond loved the way Karen and her husband carried themselves about every time she saw them and she prayed she would also get something close to that when she and Demel got hitched eventually.

Karen was Diamond’s supervisor at the workplace and she had taken a liking to her the very first time they met. She liked her smile, attention to detail and the fact that she took her job seriously.

 

She had been transferred to the hospital Diamond worked over three years ago. Diamond had looked up to her because she was everything she wanted to be in the future. As time went on, Diamond and Karen realized they had common interests and values so Diamond found herself running errands for Karen and spending some time with her and the husband every time she was available.

As Diamond sat across from the couple and witnessed the strong bond between them, her mind went to Demel, the man she loved with all her heart and yet found herself in a situation where she was almost always complaining about one thing or the other.

She was beginning to feel like she was domineering because she expected him to behave in a particular way with her if he loved her as much as she did him. She could not understand why Demel would apologize for the same thing over and again when he knew that particular action hurt her to the core.

 

Diamond wondered if her expectations of him were too much. All she needed was his time, attention and love and Demel made it seem like he was suffocating because she wanted her time with him.

“You seem lost. Still mad at me?” Demel enquired.

“No, was just admiring them. They seem happy together all the time and I was wondering how they do it, you know.”

“Yes, they are good together. We can have that too, you know, if we work at it. Been thinking a lot lately. I think we should talk more about where we want and where we have to go. I’ve stayed off late partying and booze for a while and surprisingly, I’ve saved us some good money. I love you from the very depths of me, you can bet on that any time.”

 

Diamond just sat there without saying anything in response to what Demel was telling her. A part of her wanted to drape her hands around him and kiss him while the other told her it was just a matter of time before he went back to his old ways.

 She had seen too much of that ever since he got together with his friends and now, she struggled to believe anything he told her. She was done putting herself up for disappointment so it looked like her heart had closed up and just watching to see where and when the shells of their relationship would just break apart.

Not that it will make her happy because she knew with the way she felt about him, a breakup would definitely kill her. But she found herself in some kind of a gloomy web that overshadowed everything positive about their relationship.

She just could not snap out of it no matter how hard she tried.

 

Before Diamond could say anything in response to Demel’s statement, she heard Karen’s voice through the microphone asking her and Demel to join them on stage.

Demel got to his feet and walked over to draw the chair for Diamond. When she was now head to head with him, he looked in her beautiful eyes and spoke almost in a whisper.

“Just say you still love me and make me the happiest man in this room, please?”

Diamond smiled weakly and knowing he would not move if she did not say what he wanted to hear, and taking into consideration the fact that all eyes were on them, she whispered:

“I love you too.”

 

When they got to the platform there was an elderly couple with them. They would be in their late seventies and it was obvious they were still married and happy.

Karen indicated the space on their right for Demel and Diamond to stand. And then, flanked by probably the oldest couple in the room and the novices, who were yet to tie the knots, Karen and her husband of five years cut the beautiful cake with a little request to God to climax the activities for the evening.

Portions of the cake were passed around for everyone.

The MC asked everyone to raise their champagne glasses which had been filled by the attendants when the cake-cutting was taking place and toasted:

“More fruitful years ahead to Shawn and Karen.”

“To more fruitful years ahead,” the crowd chorused.

***

The sleek Jaguar E-Pace carrying Diamond pulled up at the entrance of her residence around ten in the night. The trip home had been uneventful since both of them kept to their thoughts.

After trying to get Diamond to open up to him a couple of times and seeing that it was not working, Demel had decided to just let things be and work at gaining her trust and respect again.

Demel, who had loosened his tie in the course of the journey home, got down briskly to open the door for the queen of his heart and walked her to her gate.

“I guess this is it. Thanks for allowing me to accompany you to the anniversary dinner for Karen and her husband. I had an almost good time,” he said with a weak smile on his face.

“Almost good time?”

 

“Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy your company but I guess you have still not gotten over my past misdeeds and it’s kind of telling on us. Our conversations are a bit strained now but no fears, I’ll work at gaining your trust and respect again. You have every right to feel the way you do. I’ve been a fool and now you cannot say you love me willingly,” he said as he fished for something in his coat jacket.

He found it and brought it out.

“I know this may probably not be the best time to do this but I was wondering if you find me worthy enough to be your husband,” he said as he proffered the ring to her.

Tears ran down Diamond’s cheeks as the beautiful ring sparkled in the moonlight. Just a few months ago, this would have been the happiest day of her life. She could have given everything just to hear her Demel ask her to marry him.

 

Hot tears ran faster down Diamond’s cheeks and she stood speechless for a while. She was not sure why her heart had hardened up so much. She really wished she could just put everything that happened in the near-accident behind her but a big part of her did not want that.

It was true Demel had been sweet after that but she still felt she was sitting on a timebomb and he would slip into the old habits again once she openly forgave him and that would be a pain she would not want to experience ever again.

She was in a big fix now because somehow, she did not quite trust his words anymore and that was deep.

Demel, still with his hands stretched, gave a little chuckle and then tried putting the ring back in the pocket of his jacket. He looked really dejected.

“I guess you are not too enthused about marrying me. Maybe I’m pressuring you too much. Goodnight.” 

 

“Please don’t go,” Diamond pleaded through her tears. “Please come inside with me.”

“I don’t think that will be a good idea. I don’t want any more fights between us. I’m hurting as it is. Take all the time you need to think about my proposal. I will be waiting. I do love you, that’s the only truth I know. Goodnight,” he said and turned to walk to his car, fighting hard to stop the tears that had formed in his eyes.

Diamond went after him and broke down even more when she saw the tears that had formed in his eyes. She tried to convince him to stay but for the very first time in their relationship, Demel did not budge.

“Please, get inside, Diamond. I want to see you inside before I leave just for security reasons,” he said with pain oozing out of his voice.

“Please don’t leave like this, Demel. I know you are hurting. Maybe I need help. I’ve tried to move away from the block I hit when the accident occurred but nothing has worked. Please, help me get over this. Don’t go away angry. Please.”

 

“I’m not angry…hurt, yes but not angry and I know it’s all my doing. I had fun tonight. Thanks for inviting me.”

Demel entered the car, turned on the engine and rolled up the heavily tinted windows as he waited.

After what seemed like forever, Diamond walked dejectedly into the house and closed the door behind her amidst tears. She rested her head on the door and raised her eyes to the ceiling in a bid to stop the tears from falling from her eyes and stayed like that for a long time hoping Demel would have a change of heart and come to her but he surprised her by driving away after a while.

 

She felt deflated, strained and was very unhappy when she laid down to sleep that night as she cried her heart out. Dejectedly, she thought about how everyone around her was happy in their relationships but she was struggling.

Her two friends seemed to be enjoying bliss in marriage and here she was not sure if marriage would solve the problems she had with the man of her dreams.

 

All Or Nothing, Eunice A, All Or Nothing, Eunice A.  Eunice A, All Or Nothing, Eunice A, All Or Nothing . All Or Nothing, Eunice A,  All Or Nothing, Eunice A.  Eunice A, All Or Nothing, Eunice A,  All Or Nothing. All Or Nothing, Eunice A, All Or Nothing, Eunice A. Eunice A,  All Or Nothing, Eunice A. 

 

 ALL OR NOTHING :: CHAPTER 4

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