1. Blind date

HAZEL 

I would cry myself most times to sleep. Life was hard after my sudden divorce. One moment, I was living the best life I could ever imagine with my husband and the next moment, it was the complete opposite. He offered to give me some money but I refused because I knew I didn't do anything wrong. I took my siblings and left the city. I didn't want anything to remind me of him. He was the one I gave my all to but he tossed me aside when he was tired of me. 

I could barely provide two meals per day for my siblings because of the nature of my job. I wasn't an illiterate but I couldn't land the perfect job because I had no experience. I was the typical housewife when I was married. What I could find as the highest paying job was the job of a part-time housekeeper. I loved my job because it gave me time to learn other skills and carry out other little tasks for which I got paid. 

The unexpected happened that morning. I got to my place of work as usual and started with the cleaning. Unfortunately for me, my boss's husband was around. He mentioned something about being on a break. I ignored him and went about my work. I had finished cleaning the living room and was headed for the dining room when he suddenly grabbed my arse from behind. I dropped the equipment and with a swift twirl, I slapped him hard across the face. It was at that same moment my boss entered the living room. 

"What's going on here?" She asked. Her curious eyes moved from me to her husband who held his reddened jaw. He stared daggers at me while I glared at him. 

"She slapped me because I was trying to correct her." He replied to her question, just like the coward and use*less man he was. 

"Get out of my house!" She barked. She didn't even want to hear my side of the story. 

"You will pay for this, sir. Mark my words!" I swore with tears welling up in my eyes before leaving their house for good. My tears were pouring heavily because I was utterly pained. My major source of income had been abolished because of a dog who couldn't control himself. 

Angrily unlocking the door to the house, I heard a car pulling up in the driveway. I didn't bother looking back because I already knew who it was. I plonked on the old creaky couch, sobbing. I was at a loss for what to do next with my life. Why didn't that man just let me keep my job? 

"Girl!" Liya slammed the door when she saw the state I was in. 

"Careful! You don't want to ruin that too!" I exclaimed. The door was already old and could break down at the slightest extra force exerted on it. I wiped my tears quickly and stood up. 

"Sorry, I'm just having one of those down moments." I sniffled and walked to the kitchen counter.

"Shouldn't you be at work or something?" 

When I looked up at her, I saw a soft look on her face. It was a look of pity and I hated it. 

"I came to tell you something very important."

"If it's about that site, I don't want to hear it," I spoke in a dismissive tone. Days back, she had spoken about a newly launched dating site and wanted me to try it out. I refused but we went ahead to open an account with my name. 

"Hazel," She walked over to me and placed her hands on my shoulder. 

"You won't be able to move forward quickly with a twenty dollar job daily. You have yourself and your siblings to take care of."

"And what's the dating site going to do for me? You know how much I detest men." 

"Hazel, it's been four years. You need to move on with your life. You could meet someone who could offer you a nice job with your qualifications. Dating isn't all about sex if that's what you're thinking. It's about growth too. Any man who likes you would love to see you grow and would do anything to help you." 

My mind was greatly clouded with thoughts. But she was right. I couldn't continue to live in the past. I needed to start afresh. And this date might probably be just the thing to help me. 

"I will send you the details of the meeting later today. I have to get back to work, honey. Take care of yourself." She embraced me tightly before scurrying through the door. I sighed and placed both elbows on the counter. 

For the first time in four years, I was going to dress up and meet with the opposite gender. 

Moments later, I received a message from Liya. I sighed before opening it. I was supposed to meet this estranged person by 8 that evening. The message also stated the venue of the meeting. Unlike me, I prayed that the date would go extremely well. It was all I was hoping for now. 

It was still morning so I had time to cook lunch for the twins before going to my room to look for something suitable to wear. I didn't want to dress up all nicely because I didn't want the man to think I was desperate, even though I was. 

*****

Toward 8 p.m., I began my journey to the venue after making sure my siblings were comfortable inside. The weather was getting bad and I made sure they put on the right clothes. Though they were past sixteen, I still treated them like they were still five. But I wasn't to be blamed. They were everything I had left. 

I sat in the warm, cozy room waiting for whoever my date was. All I knew about him was his name; Alex. I sat close to the window so I could spot him when coming in. But after waiting for an hour, I got annoyed and opted to leave. I even stopped checking to see if he'd be coming. The one time I wanted to give a man a chance, I get stood up. This just tainted my pride. 

I clutched my bag tightly and stood up. As I turned to leave, I bumped into someone. My eyes caught a pair of masculine shoes. His scent was pleasant and intoxicating but almost too familiar. 

"I'm sorry," I said with a lowered face and wanted to scurry away but he grabbed my hand. I looked up to see the stranger who had the audacity to touch me. I was about to rain some abusive words on the fella but seeing his face, I went dumb for some seconds. 

"Alex?!" I yelled, surprised. It was then everything made sense to me. 

"Hazel?" He called out in a rather soft tone. 

I couldn't believe my eyes. I was on a date with my ex-boyfriend.