The Man She Fell In Love With (A Short Romance Story 2)

Click HERE for all episodes of short Romance stories 

The road to the airport was busy like it always had been, Sandra placed her left hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear stick as she drove in the Toyota corolla engulfed in thoughts, oblivious of the stream of cars that passed left and right of her.
The time was 11am and the day was a Saturday. She had received a call the Night before, a call that lit her once cold heart again. The number had been an international number with USA dialing code. She had answered the call with apprehension and when the familiar voice of Jeremy came up on the phone, she was over herself with happiness and couldn't wait to set her eyes on him again.
Jeremiah had been gone for 5 years and had left her nothing but the promise that he would be back for her, that nothing on earth would steal him away from her.
Their love had budded from their university days, they had met over an excuse-me-dance at a friends party, she fell in love instantly with his deep voice and his long face which was besieged by neatly trimmed beard that fitted perfectly to his light colored skin. His dreamy eyes made her wet each time he cast it upon her and she never got tired of looking into them. Jeremy too had met his heart desire when he struck it off with Sandra, she was the perfect thing he wanted in a girl. Her 5'6" height complimented his 5'8" height and they looked perfect together each time, their light skins matched and it was like their relationship was made in heaven. Their love triggered from a soft glow and sparked into a huge flame of affection, they wanted to be nowhere else but with each other and when Jeremy had walked into her room that faithful day to give her the news of his intentions to travel out of the country after his studies, it was like someone with an all powerful remote had paused her life, she wished for wings to fly after him. She had smiled at his luck and cried at her lost, it wasn't easy on Jeremy too, he had no choice, in as much as he wanted to be together forever with Sandra, he had also longed all his life to pursue his career further abroad and was heartbroken at Leaving his other part in Nigeria.
"I love you Sandy, so so  much" he had said as they stood at the murtala Mohammed airport terminal, he held her in a tight hug and she never wanted to let go, they had cried on each other and her heart made noises like it was going to break or rip out of her chest.
"I love you too Jerry, I will die without you" she sniffed, her faced buried in his broad chest.
"You will wait for me love and If after five years, I don't come looking for you, know that I'm dead" he whispered to her.
"Five years?" she muttered helplessly and Cried more.
Saying goodbye was the hardest part for them but they did say it, she couldn't afford to watch him disappear into the belly of the monstrous airplane. She had buried her face in the arms of Jessica, her hostel roommate and cried silently.
He had graduated that year with a B.sc in Chemical engineering and Sandra was in her 300 level in the University, studying accountancy. She was easily distracted by the thoughts of Jeremy's departure. When she opened her books to study, every printed text turned to his handwriting and the whole book would just look like one of his love letters to her.
"I love you Jeremy and I don't know how I will live these years without you, but then, I will survive and wait for you to come back to me"
She would often say this with her eyes a deep shade of red.
She was beautiful and a whole lot of other guys wanted to fill Jeremy's vacuum but she wouldn't even let them try, to her, she was his sanctuary and no other man was allowed inside. She managed to pull through without him, without a call or text for all the times she missed him, she graduated with a second class upper and had landed a well paying Job in an apex bank. Life was just looking good for her and she wished Jeremy was just there to crown the happiness.
The thoughts of how she had managed to live all through those years without him or any word from him filled her mind as she pulled into the parking lot of the Murtala Mohammed international airport. She got down from the car and walked to the airport lounge, followed by streams of stares. She was beautiful and had tried to look her best for the lost-but-found love of her life. Her body-tight white gown with pink stripes brought out the endowment that had endeared her to Jeremy the first time he met her, every part of her was fully fledged and her heels added a style to her catwalk.
She walked into the lounge and sat on a sofa facing the Landing strip. Not up to one hour after, the arrival of Jeremy's plane was announced, her heart skipped at the thought of facing her Mr charming one more time. She smiled within her and moved to the door along with other people on the same mission as her.
From the distance she saw him or thought she saw him, the years had taken nothing from him, he shone more and had grown more robust, the beards were no longer there and his hair had turned dreadlocks which looked good on him from that distance but she didn't like it.
She walked slowly, counting her steps as she walked towards him, he was looking elsewhere like he was in deep thought.
"Jerry" She called from behind him, he turned to her with a cold, distant look in his eyes.
"Jerry" she whispered, uncertainty in her voice and fear of rejection crowding her eyes.
"Excuse me?" he asked observing her with a look that was devoid of recognition.
"I'm sorry" she said, tears beclouding her eyes as she quickly turned her back on her supposedly lost love and walking away as fast as she could. He didn't call her back, he just shrugged and kept moving.
With her heart shattered, she trudged on further to the parking lot, trying hard not to break down in front of everyone.
"Someone is leaving without me" A very deep voice called behind her. She turned immediately to face Jeremy who stood staring at her and panting heavily. His low cut hair was still the same and his bushier but neat beard looked lovely. His dreamy eyes lavished her with adoration and her tears came.
"Oh,  Jerry" she muttered and threw herself into his arms.
"My sunshine" he whispered into her ears and cuddled her, trying to get back all those times he had missed her but eternity could never be enough.
Still entangled, she looked into his eyes and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"I saw someone that looked like you, I thought he was you and the cold way he addressed me, oh Jerry, I thought it was you and I thought you rejected me, I would have died if you didn't come" she gasped and he smiled at her.
"That must be Jeremiah, my Twin brother"
"Oh, really?"
He nodded.
"Why was he so cold? He is so unlike you"
"He is GAY" he announced and she hugged him back. She doesn't care whatever he was, she was only glad that he was not the man that she fell in love with.