Mary. That was her name. Very pretty girl, he thought. He watched her as he parked his car by the roadside. Moving the passenger window down, he grinned at her.
“Hello Mary. I told you we would meet again, but on a neutral ground.”
Mary smiled in response.
Her fair skin plus her smile made him think of sirens. Her eyes held his gaze intently and a shiver ran along his spine. He felt lucky to have caught her alone.
“Hop in, let me give you a ride” He said.
She opened the passenger door and got in.
“Thank you so much! I’m not going far, just two more stops from here.” She told him.
He gave his ‘No problem’ smile before turning to face the road. His mind was racing with thoughts. This was his chance to get closer to her. He’d watched her from afar and had seen that she was a good girl. Not the type that pretended to be good so men would spend money on them. This one was a real wife material.
She was hardworking at the restaurant, her rapport with the customers was top notch and she always seemed to know what one needed. Whether it was a cold beer at the end of a long day or a bottle of chilled coke on a good sunny afternoon.
She wasn’t too informal and she wasn’t cold with customers. She just knew what one needed. She was that good.
He remembered the day he’d asked for her name and the sweet, shy smile she’d given him when she’d told him.
Mary.
He’d said the name many times to himself while picturing her beautiful face. He had to get her to date him.
With this ride, they could have their first real conversation outside of the restaurant.
“So tell me about yourself, Mary.”
“What do you want to know?” She responded. “You know my name already, I’m from Edo state, I….”
I’m from Edo state. I’m from Edo state. I’m from Edo state.
He was no longer paying attention. His mind kept repeating those words as if trying to find their meaning. He felt cold fingers on his neck reminiscent of the shiver he’d gotten earlier.
He wiped sweat from his brow and frowned at it. The A/C was on, the car was cool, so why was he sweating?
I’m from Edo state.
Oh no!
Edo is the centre of witchcraft.
The voice which sounded eerily like his mother’s rang clearly in his mind. Of course it was his mother’s. She’d advised him many times about life, marriage and work. Mostly about marriage, especially when Edo girls were involved.
Don’t get involved with Edo girls, they will end you.
Edo girls are prostitutes.
Edo girls use jazz to trap a man, then they make him buy houses and cars for themselves and their parents.
Edo girls!
Edo girls!
Run from them!
The voice screamed in his ears.
“Oga look where you are going!”
Mary’s voice brought him back to the car. She looked worried.
Was that a glint in her eyes?
He looked away before the magic in them would trap him. Why was he sweating and she wasn’t? Just sitting cool and calm.
He should have paid extra attention. Beauty wouldn’t lead him to his fall o!
He should have known that a normal girl wouldn’t be so beautiful, skin so fresh, all while working at a restaurant! Thank God he’d found out sooner before introducing her to his mother. Imagine digging his own grave. Knowing his mother, she would first suggest spiritual cleansing before she buried him herself.
Thinking of cleansing, he thought of his car. He would have to cleanse his car from whatever spirit Mary would leave behind. He would also cleanse himself even though he hadn’t touched her.
He checked his side mirror, and when he saw there were no cars behind him, he quickly parked at the side of the road then turned to face her.
Mary was puzzled.
“Do you want to do anything here?” She asked innocently before looking at the time on her wristwatch.
“Yes, I’m going to drop you here. I just remembered that I have an appointment at the other end of the road, not this end. Sorry, don’t be offended.” He added. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings so she wouldn’t do something evil to him.
He was glad that he sounded in control and not shaky. He pasted a smile and jumped happily within when she thanked him for the ride and got out of the car.
He nodded as if in understanding so she wouldn’t sense his haste. He put his car in drive, waved at her and said goodbye to bad rubbish in his mind.
Mama, here I come!
*
Mary didn’t know that would be the last time she would ever see him. He never set foot at the restaurant again. Every good quality she had was set aside at the mention of her state, tribe, country, background, religion, gender.
Let’s stop all the stereotyping, racism and the other behaviours that do not encourage love and equality.
It begins with you.
PS: Older version previously posted on NaijaStories.
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