Chapter One: Deadlines & Detours
The Lagos sun had just started its descent when Tonie’s phone buzzed. He squinted at the screen, expecting a client follow-up or a project update. But instead:
"Hi! I booked a ride for you without your consent. Enough of the excuses. Come see me. I'll apologise when you get here."
He chuckled, tossing his pen aside. A lady had summoned him to Ajah — no explanations, just coordinates. A ride booked on his behalf, a signal fired into the sky of his routine life.
He leaned back, stretching the fatigue out of his spine. Amidst the whirl of Lagos hustle, someone wanted him present. Not virtually. Physically.
So he did what he always did when his compass spun — he pinged Marta.
Chapter Two: Marta, the Measured
Marta wasn’t the type to gasp or gossip. Her responses were curated, like jazz solos — unpredictable, but deliberate.
He sent her the screenshot of the message. Expected laughter, maybe a meme. Instead, she typed:
“Try to loosen up there.”
Three seconds. That was all it took. She had thrown him a lifeline disguised as levity. Marta always knew when he needed to be reminded: life was more than calendars and KPIs.
Tonie stared at her message, smiled, and leaned into the warmth behind it. She wasn't pushing him toward or away from anything. Just helping him notice.
Chapter Three: The Company Offer
Later that night, mid-scroll through chats and music playlists, he texted Marta again:
“I want to come and keep you company.”
He didn’t expect much — maybe a “lol” or a “behave yourself.” But Marta replied:
“Normally, I like company.”
Simple. Delicate. Open-ended.
There it was again — the subtle dance. She hadn't invited him, hadn’t shut him down either. Tonie read the message three times. There was room in her words for curiosity to grow.
Chapter Four: Genesis on the Island
The Bolt was weaving through the Lekki traffic, Tonie half-listening to the driver’s playlist when he remembered the earlier exchange. In a moment of honesty, he texted Marta again:
“So... a lady booked me a ride to come visit her on the Island.”
He expected banter. Maybe mock jealousy. But Marta replied with scripture:
“You are a man and you need a woman.” “It is not good for a man to be alone...”
Genesis 2:18. As clear as prophecy, but wrapped in casual banter.
Tonie smiled, half surprised, half intrigued. Marta hadn’t condemned or commended. She'd contextualized. There was no judgment — just biblical framing.
Chapter Five: The Eve Question
As the Bolt neared Ajah, he sent one more message:
“So are you saying you’re my Eve in Ajah?”
No reply.
And yet, it wasn’t silence. It was intentional. Marta’s kind of silence said things words could never wrap their arms around.
She wasn’t flustered. She wasn’t dodging. She was simply allowing him space to reflect.
That’s who Marta was — a lighthouse, not a lifeboat.
Chapter Six: Reflections in Transit
Tonie looked out the Bolt window as the Island skyline melted into evening shadows. He wasn’t sure if the trip to Ajah was about the woman waiting for him, or the woman not texting back.
Maybe Marta’s scripture wasn’t about her or him, but just truth. Maybe she wanted him to remember that connection mattered — with anyone — and being alone too long made men forget they needed softness.
Chapter Seven: Home Again, Wiser
The visit happened. It was cordial. Eventful. But not earth-shattering.
On his way back, he texted Marta:
“You’re right. It’s not good to be alone.”
She responded with just one emoji: 🕊️
Tonie smiled. That’s how Marta spoke. No noise. No performance. Just clarity.
And perhaps — in some quiet, deliberate way — love too.
Epilogue
Some people are plot twists. Marta was poetry.
And the Bolt to Ajah? Not just a ride. A lesson.
“Try to loosen up there…” she’d said.
Turns out, loosening up let the truth in.
Written by Chidubem Egwudike
