Her morning started off beautifully. A call from her lover in diaspora. She was only half awake as she listened to him serenade her with love tales, he even borrowed a few lyrics from Ed Sheeran as he proffessed undying love to her.
She couldn’t believe her luck. Not just that morning but every other morning…
With him, she had experienced Valentine over and over again even though the relationship had only seen eleven months.

She yawned continuously as he talked to her…oh how she loved this man. Sadly, their first Valentine’s day together had met them thousands of miles apart. Briefly, her mind went to the cake shop in Baltimore that had almost swindled her of 18K, her mind quickly returned to the present.

“I love you too” she cooed as the call ended. She smiled, a teary smile, wishing he was there. Love with him had been different. He had shown her more than love.

She sighed as she snuggled deeper into the bed, knowing she would not sleep again, her 2020 valentine had been made, with that call.

Sleep. Yes she did sleep, soundly even for when the loud knock came, she opened her eyes and it was 9am. She looked around, hissed, lazily got off the bed and strolled into the bathroom, even as the knock persisted.

“Who” she murmured as she splashed water on her face and rinsed her mouth with cold water. She looked at herself and lazily went to the front door, she threw it open and got the shock of her life. Her eyes instantly became huge!

“Who?” She mouthed as three men stood at her door bearing giant packages. One of them held what seemed to be a cake.
“Oh my God” she smiled, sure they had gotten the wrong door.
She was just going to set things straight when the cake bearing guy looked at her with a smile
“Wura?”

“Oh” she gasped but how! Only him called her Wura. Every other person called her Gold but he had adamantly refused to join the bandwagon, he called her “Wura mi”

Wura nodded and stepped aside to let them in. The gifts wowed her, the cake was the most beautiful she had ever seen, she would keep it for the rest of her life.

She had tears in her eyes when they left. She sat down to go through the packages, there was a giant box of chocolates, a life size teddy, her favorite perfume, a Zanoti mules and the best, a handwritten note from him! How!

She was now crying. This was her best Valentine ever. He made her happy even from afar…quickly, she took shots of the gifts and sent them to him.

“I Love You” she wrote in all caps.
Her day was made. This time.

Wura went through the day like breeze, the chats kept her going but she couldn’t wait to get back home after work, lay in her bed and talk to him. Him who made every other girl in town and their gifts pale beside her today.
Again, she remembered the cake shop in Baltimore and giggled to herself as she typed away on her keyboard…
Even her magnificent cake couldn’t cost 18K.

“Baby. You are the best” Wura was on her bed. Her voice low and filled with love as she spoke to her love.
“You made me the happiest woman today.”

“I’m glad. Do you love
them?” He asked
“I do. Everything, the note more than the rest…thank you Honey.”

He laughed happily.
“So tell me Babe, how did your val go? Any gist” he asked Wura who chuckled happily.
“My colleagues were just showing off their plastic Isi Miyake scented roses, with their multicoloured cakes” she laughed.

“Bad mouth” He laughed lightly.
“I’m serious” she said
“I know you are, where’s my gift?” He asked jokingly.

“And I really wanted to give you something, in fact, I already thought it out and made the move” she said
“Oh really? What were you going to give me? Where is it?” He asked with a small yawn.

“I was going to have a cake delivered to you” there was laughter in her voice.
“Wow! All the way from Nigeria?” He sounded surprised
“No, I contacted a cake shop close to you, you would not believe how much it would cost to get a size 6 cake!” She was excited, obviously enjoying the gist.

“How much?”
“18K!” She laughed
“Dollars?” He asked
“No, silly, Naira…can you believe that! A tiny cake! Nothing compared to what you got me, I’m sure even that lovely cake can’t cost you 18K” Her voice was bright

“No, not 18K” he murmured.
“That was why I didn’t buy it Babe” she sighed
“Hmm” he sounded different
“What?” She queried

“I really want to let this slide but I can’t…”
“What? Let what slide?” Her voice had risen.
“You did not buy a cake for me because of eighteen thousand Naira? Let me get that first”
“Babe, it was not even big”
“It would have made me the happiest man in Baltimore today…” He said sadly
“But babe…you should see the cake, less than half of the one you got me!”

“And that cake I got you was from a luxury cake shop in Abuja, it cost me 60K, then I had it shipped to Lagos for an extra cost” he said

“Oh baby…”
“I got every other thing aside the teddy right here, and shipped them down to you. I would spare no cost for you Wura”

“Baby, I’m sorry, you don’t even like cakes” she murmured.
“I would have loved that cake, but I guess 18K is too much for you to spend for love…”

“I’m sorry, its not even the money, just that…”
“It’s OK Wura, its fine.”
“I’m sorry” she cooed again
“Tired, need to sleep”
“But it’s just 3pm there Babe”
“Yeah, but I’m out for work again in a couple of hours, need to sleep. Happy Valentine’s day Wura”

He was gone.
“I’m sorry” Wura said to herself her eyes tightly shut.
“I should not have talked” she said aloud to herself”
“No, you shouldn’t have”
It was her gut, replying her.

La’bos©