THE PROPOSAL
‘’Here’s a note from Henry, Meg.’’ Feg said, delivering a card to Meg and mimicking a gentlemanly bow. He had pedaled down to Lakeview resorts at Trade fair complex, Lagos on his Raleigh bicycle. His forceps stood, sweat sockets circling round his torso and firm laps he tucked into a pair of NIKE shorts. In place of his cycling sneakers, he wore black leather sandals and smiled with coy.
‘’Thanks, Feg. What’s with him?’’ Meg asked, perusing the note on the handmade card Henry had sent.
Leaning on the frame of his bicycle Feg waited.
‘’Have a chat with Felaga. I’ll join you soon. Love, Henry.’’ The note had said.
Meg frowned. A purple ribbon cut like the logo on a graduation certificate dangled by the tail of the card and fell on the grass where Meg laid. "Oh," Meg sighed.
Meg stood, reread the message and grunted. ‘’We’re to begin shooting this evening and he sent his brother instead. Who’s to proofread?’’
‘’Henry, that’s who,’’ Feg said.
‘’Where’s Henry?’’ Meg asked.
‘’Relax. He’ll be here by the time we’ve finished the papers.’’
‘’He said as much,’’ Meg said, pushing her hair back. ‘’When did you start doing papers, Senior?’’
‘’You know this is a great script. Henry’s killing it, making it special. ‘’Can we sit?’’ Feg asked as calmly as he could muster. He’d decided that whatever exterior Meg presented, he was going to have her. Gone were the days cheap concern for his younger brother’s feelings deterred him. Yesterday, he’d extracted a promise for him to let go of Meg. When he emerged from his room yesterday morning, he’d seen them glued to their phones. Meg’s hand had barely moved, but her mouth was slightly open, as if she’d been reminiscing a deep kiss. Meg and Henry were both sprawled on their sides, facing the sofa. ‘’It appears those two never did anything more than kissing. ‘’ he’d thought. For all I care, she could still be a virgin.’’

‘’Why not?’’ she asked.
‘’Would you rather we walked to the pavilion?’’ Feg asked.
‘’Here’s fine. You sound serious, senior brother.’’ Meg replied.
A plastic boat wheezed by like a train; the couple in it laughed. Instantly, the disturbed waves quietened.
‘’My father went to my brother's house for a few weeks. They'd been at sea for six months. I read through his letters from sea-towns, all the men going mad and looking for camomile tea. I wasn't used to men like my father going insane; I assumed it was an occupational hazard of travelling. They were all so different. The sea life was so relentlessly terrifying, yet he wrote of it in calm detachment. The nights on deck where everyone is on edge, having a great laugh, saying, "Oh, what a racket!" Meg ruminated.
Then, again she sat on the floor.
Joining her, Feg caught a grasshopper and studied it briefly.
A mixture of Osmanthus and Mango scents wafted through the air around them. Felaga waited. Just like Henry said, he’d never proposed to her. He could see the uncertainty flash by in her eyes and the confusion of hazarding a response.
‘’It seems Henry’s okay with this- this proposal?’’ Meg asked. ‘’Meg Felaga Akutekwe. How does that sound for a name?’’ she asked out loud.
‘’Fantastic!’’
‘’ I’ll take a ride with one of these boats and give you a call when I’m done. Good day, senior.’’
‘’Wait, Meg.’’ Feg stood, drawing her back. ‘’Does my name sound repulsive to you? If you give me three minutes, I’ll tell you the meaning and why Mum chose it thirty-three years ago.’’
‘’I know the meaning, Senior. Good day.’’
‘’Felaga, an incorporated, unlimited asylum for the reception of the restless and unwise tears of the womenfolk, asking to marry me?’’ Meg mused in the boat, cruising the waters of the artificial lake to where it joined the fence. Lakeview director had recently topped the water and introduced Tilapia into the lake. Older folks visited to fish on weekends but released the fishes once they’ve caught them.
Just two weeks ago, a sixty year old movie director had given Meg a script-writing contract after noticing how ferociously she flipped the pages of a manuscript she was reading. Mr. Godson- the movie director had come to fish with his son, Bradley and had talked about a possible collaboration with Short Drama Family, where Meg worked, if he finds her writing skills competent.

She wore a flowered jumpsuit, a pair of slip-ons and a pair of trendy lenses. Bitting off a chunk from the cucumber in her sack, she mused about how low Henry must have thought of her to have concocted this script with his elder brother. She’d been dating Henry for one year. Despite how close they’ve become, he had never introduced her to anybody as something more than ‘my friend’. Two of them resigned from Polaris Bank to set up short drama Family with Felaga and after a year started breaking even. Not that she ever lacked money, for her father owned a Bakery at Alaba Okiri- their street in Abule Ado, Lagos.

The first time she visited Henry, Feg had told her,’’ Females are not welcome here. This is an enclave for males,’’ and she’d turned, refusing to take her Calls. They’d met again at the eatery during lunch and Henry had explained to her that Felaga’s girlfriend recently dumped him and that he was usually a rational guy. He’d been right. Feg had moved on.

Soon after, they’d begun a great partnership- Feg financing their Youtube series and marketing their services. And now that careless absorber of female tears had proposed to her out of nowhere.
Reversing the boat, Meg had driven back to her starting point and disembarked. To her dismay, Feg was still there, a bulge by the side of his NIKE shorts.

‘’Did he go shopping a while ago?’’she soliloquized.
Feg approached her, taking her left hand, he looked into her eyes and said, ‘’ I’m assuming it’s a ‘yes’.

‘’Did you ask me a question, Senior?’’ What I heard was’ Meg, I want to marry you.’’

‘’Alright. You got me there. So, Meg Onuoha, I’ve known many ladies and have broken a few hearts. But now, I want to begin a life with you. Will you marry me?’’

‘’You’re like a brother to me. I don’t know how your parents will react- from their younger son’s date to their elder son’s fiance’.’’

‘’Leave them to me. And before you present your parents objections also, leave them to me.’’
Meg nodded.

‘’Let me ask you something, Meg. Have you been expecting me to propose since? The way you promptly matched our names!

‘’I don’t like your name. It suggests you’ll run away with my emotions in your wings. Felaga- who bears such a name?’’

‘’Now, I’ve heard your truest objection. You’re refusing me because of a name I had no choice in picking.’’

‘’Names define people, Senior. Good day.’’

A camera light flicked and a clap followed. Hiding behind a tree Henry said,’’I told you, brother.’’

‘’Henry! You had a bet with senior over me? I’m disappointed in you.’’she howled, storming off to the bicycle she’d parked a few feet away.
Rushing to stop her with his athletic, burly frame, Henry slipped a simple gold ring in her middle finger, and with a heart thumping said, ‘’ Marry me, Meg Onuoha, before someone snatches you from me.’’

‘’Oh, Henry! I will. I will marry you! "