A Dark Fated Tale

Hi there! If you’re just joining in, you’re welcome. I’m gonna take you on an interesting ride. Do get yourself a soft drink, plunge yourself into a comfortable chair, and join me as I recount one of the worst experiences of my life. 

My name is Anna and this is my story. 

My biggest woe in life began on the day I met the son of Eve descending to earth on an escalator. As opposed to Jacob in the Bible who wrestled with an angel – if you’re Christian you should be able to relate – until he was granted the gates of riches and wisdom. 

I, on the other hand, knew that the moment he would utter a word my way, I wouldn’t be wrestling against an angel; that was far too mythical and unrealistic. I knew it would be much worse and unavoidable. The racing of my heart as he approached only foretold what I already knew; this was more than a battle for wealth and knowledge, I’d be battling with my heart, my mind, and body, all in one. In other better words, I’d be wrestling against myself, the very being that held my core.  

How do you stay lurking in the way of approaching disaster? How do you see trouble shaped in the form of a human, and still veer your wheels in that same direction anyway?

That must be the biggest natural defect of humans. We seek that which has the power to hurt us.  Almost as if we are involuntarily drawn to hot, sizzling, and irresistible pain. An insatiable appetite to desire pain, hurt, and brokenness.

Before I go on with this sad tale, as you already can tell, it was all meant to end in doom from the start. I just did not want to believe it. 

So yes, please forgive my uncouth actions. Before I go on, I think it is important to establish that I did become a fool. A Fool for love. As you may already know, it was bound to happen one way or the other, but being that I fathomed I was above being a fool for love again, I did not realize I was living in denial. The story is bound to get interesting after now, do come along.  

Please, do forgive me, I forgot to ask about the weather. Why all of a sudden you may ask? It’s quite simple. You cannot have a sad conversation without building up anticipation. I like to call this ‘climatic tense positioning’.  So, like I mentioned earlier, how’s the ambiance of the cloud over there? Bright with birds chirping loudly? Windy and peaceful? Whichever variations of nature find you, I hope it is nothing like what I have here; cold, sad, and climatic, like a turbulent storm waiting to happen. Anyway, the weather vastly reminds me of what my life has become – a terrible misfortune.  

From the start, I knew he was different, not because of the way he smiled when he caught me looking too closely at his face or the way he held my hands during the dinner party. No, not that way. I could tell that there was something unavoidably irresistible about him. In the manner he moved and treated women with such respect and fascination, in the way he didn’t look down on the destitute around him, the way he seemed to spread light to everyone around him, and in the way, he always had a smile for every male folk on the street! it was almost like he was Jesus living amongst humans. Again, I — naive,  stupid, and unrelenting fell in love with all of these.  Yes, I was deceived, used, manipulated to believe, and play a fool. 

He was mostly too good to be true. 

Before I jump the gun, I should tell you the story of how I met the Prince of Persia himself. Like I said earlier, the moment I set my eyes on him, I knew he was trouble waiting to happen, but, did I have the right balls to avert doom? 

I guess you already know the answer.  

It had been on a sunny afternoon on Monday the 21st of July. The girls had invited me over to the mall for a birthday hangout. Being the most secluded and utterly introverted amongst the lot,  I did not fancy the idea of getting out of my safe haven.

 For one, I just got out of a traumatic relationship that had ended rather terribly. Still reeling from the grievances of this event, the girls had thought it best to get me out of my dark and grief-stricken mood. provided a good excuse to see the world again, and maybe even meet someone new— a reason to smile again, I obliged the offer. 

Aisha, Sonia, and Erin who always had a way of getting things out of me took the resolve to sort things out themselves on my behalf. 

In their own words, I should catch a little fun once in my fleeting youthfulness.

Not entirely sure whether I was truly ready to stop sulking over spilled milk and test new waters,  I took the bait and opted for the latter— their idea of a hangout. After all, what could go wrong with having a nice time out with a few harmless friends?

Little did I know that I had a lot coming for me. 

The movie had been dull and unexciting, and I particularly took no fancy of it, especially as the storyline had been centered on a central theme of unrequited love, which unconsciously reminded me of my failed religious affair with my ex.  

Halfway through the movie, I dutifully excused myself heading to the bathroom to catch my breath. Anything to get away from a lot of swooning romantics in the cinema airing room. 

That was the moment I saw him. The Prince of Persia descending the escalators down to earth—down to me.  He had the refined grin of a playboy and the snide carriage of the devil himself.  

As he approached me, I could only decipher one thing in my head: He was perfect. The appropriate mix of the bad boy, handsome, and intellectual: my exact type (every lady’s man).

He looked like he just stepped out of a fashion magazine: heavily built, long clean shaved legs, an intricate weave plus reflective brown eyes. The type you’d gaze into unendingly without shame. 

I watched him move determinedly towards me like a man who has his plans set on stone. From his hair, self-satisfied grin, and appraisal of me, I could tell that he had only one thought sitting unmovable on his mind; I was a new trophy to be added to his list of achievements.

He fancied me, and I was willing to gladly play to the gallery. 

I knew something was not normal about him. I couldn’t point it out, and so, I naively blocked the voice of reason. Instead, I repositioned my heart to do the thinking. Being a  bit of a naive girl, who more than anything else was hungry for love and companionship from somebody else to ease the pain of my last relationship. Unashamedly, I opted for the challenge. 

And that was my first move towards the pit of doom. Truly, I wanted to find love desperately, and more than this, I wanted to like him for all the wrong reasons. 

How do you get into a new relationship to forget the pains of an old one? It was like shooting a blunt-tipped arrow at a crossfire battle. It was pointless. 

That day, he’d smiled down at me with the most charming sets of teeth of all time, and fondly called me beautiful before everyone that cared to listen in the large mall. 

And the typical story began. 

We exchanged numbers almost immediately, even though my instincts kept warning me of the doom that lay up ahead.  

He promised to call me, and if he didn’t, I could text him to see how he was doing. 

I promised myself it would only be a brief conversation. We’d talk about random things, and I’d make him tire of my boring chats. 

With time, he’d be the rat scurrying to another rat hole. 

It was simple.

.  Image Source: Unsplash.com

I knew he wanted a short term fling. I wanted long term companionship. We could not make two-to-tango with different motives. It had to be my way or no other. 

You know what they say about resolutions, they barely last past the first few minutes. That was the plan until he sent me the first text message, and I soon found myself yearning for his every text by night, and video calls by day.

He always had the perfect set of words to throw around, and soon I found that I was unable to resist his charms. He was my addiction, and I was his muse. 

With time, I realized I had fallen in love with the Prince of Persia himself. 

Remember I told you I was a naive fool who was bound for eternal doom? Yes, I was stupid. 

With time, we went from our routine chats and calls. I gradually ached to be near him day and night. I couldn’t think of another way out. I wanted to be near his very flesh. 

As I said, he had been quick-witted, bold, and intelligent. Just my type of guy.  The moment I found out he had a stunning personality, I couldn’t help myself from falling in love. And that’s when the disaster happened or should I say, my painful moment of revelation. 

It had all been a nightmare from the start. 

One day I had decided to pay him a surprise visit in his minimalist apartment that could house no more than three at a time. That day I learned the expensive price of love and folly in a hard way. 

The Prince of Persia had not been very excited to see me, as I had been caught in a rather compromising position. What was originally a planned surprise visit, soon turned out to be one of the biggest revelations of a lifetime. 

He had been cheating. 

Well, if you think about it logically, we didn’t have an emotional tag—at least not yet. 

We weren’t dating officially, or anything of that sort, so calling it ‘cheating’ would logically be wrong. But I was almost certain he’d agree to be my boyfriend if I asked him to—if you consider all the numerous conversations we had during the formative periods of our friendship. 

Now here’s the part you’d hardly believe. 

Our handsome prince of Persia who looked too good to be true had particular sexual preferences. Turns out, he was not into girls at all. 

He had other sexual preferences. I had caught him with a boy going at it in his living room cushion, in the broad daylight!! Persia was Bi-asexual, and there was no going back. 

He confessed to loving me too.

If only I could accept his love as well, and entertain his sexual preferences. I had left my ex because he loved someone else. Now, Persia wanted me to share him with somebody else too?? Another guy? No! 

It didn’t sound right. It wasn’t right at all. Why couldn’t love take me for who I was? Why did I always have to share my love with somebody else? Even though my instincts had warned me, my heart had replaced the better part of my brain almost instantly, blocking the voice of reason. Now, here I was, back where I started hoping for someone to save me from myself.

Sad, alone, lonely, and betrayed in love, with no one to run to. I turn to you, my dear friends. 

Now, you’re the only one left to advise me. 

Should I go with the Prince’s offer or wait till another tragic love story finds me?

What has fate planned for me? 

I’d patiently await your answers down below.