Does the saga continue or does it end? Can these two find love and make it work? It all started with To Catch A Fly.
To Commit To A Fly
“Junior, the fish tastes really good, mmmm.”
“You like? Fresh from the Atlantic—”
“Fish pepper soup, just the way I like it.”
“I’m glad. Nothing pretentious about this place; it’s clean, decent, and very affordable in this Buhari economy.”
“I like trying out new places. Thanks for bringing me here. So, what’s on your mind?”
“What’s on yours?”
“I asked first—”
“I know . . . ladies first . . . please.”
“I don’t know, we seem to take one step forward and then two steps back . . .”
“Yeah?”
“I’m not a virgin like you, I have been with other men, deal with it!”
“I’m coming to terms with it. It’s not as big a deal anymore.”
“I like how they serve the pepper soup on wooden fish trays instead of on a rectangular mat . . . do you come here often?”
“What? Yes, yes. May I please hold your hand? Thanks. Your hands are dainty and so soft . . . right now, it’s as if I put my heart in your hands and you have the power to squeeze life out. I haven’t been here before. I didn’t think I would be here . . .”
“Hmmm.”
“You look really beautiful tonight.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ve missed your smile, the way your face comes alive when you talk about something that matters to you . . .”
“Don’t look at me like that—”
“Like how?”
“Like that . . . that . . . you’re doing it again—”
“Isn’t it a good thing?”
“It’s too good. That’s the problem!”
“Ha ha ha!”
“But seriously, being with you has made me rethink what I thought I wanted in a man. I wonder about patterns of attraction and this thing we call ‘my spec’, like how I could be drawn to someone not-so-my-spec, you know? Like if we look beyond the externals—”
“You are my spec.”
“Now you’re making me blush.”
“Girl, I don’t think we should give up. We share the same fundamental values, although our expressions may differ . . . we have the right building blocks—”
“There’s so much to navigate, though . . .”
“If two people are committed—”
“Still love does not conquer all . . .”
I’ve often thought the general definition of love faulty. Like the love songs today, they focus on ephemeral things like desire and feelings. I worry when I see my niece listening to Tekno’s Pana on repeat—”
“♫ Love is a wonderful tender feeling, you dey give me ginger . . . baby pana . . . you like cassava, I get big cassava ♫. Hahaha! Ah ah, but there’s nothing wrong with feelings and desire—”
“Love endures, desire ebbs and flows . . . that’s why I was talking about commitment. You know my parents would be married sixty years this November. My father says an irrevocable commitment to one another is the secret of their longevity. I want that.”
“As do I. My parents divorced when I was nine. I didn’t want to get married for a long time . . .”
“I’m sorry to hear that. That must have been tough.”
“Yeah, thanks . . . but I’ve healed.”
“Old woman, since you persist in calling me Junior, would you like to have more fish?”
“Hahaha! . . . No o, is it because I deboned this one?”
“Deboned? Deboned is an understatement; there is nothing left! Here, have some of mine . . .”
“Are you sure?”
“Sure. So where are we?”
“We’re navigating this ship.”
“That’s not enough for me.”
“What—”
“What I mean is that I’m not doing trial and error. This is it, baby.”
“Neither am I. Sometimes I feel bad about . . . like, I should have waited, kept myself as you have . . .”
“What’s done is done. What matters is how we go from here. I think, and I may be wrong, that you also have to come to terms with it. We’ve all got a lot to learn—”
“True. True. Speaking of learning, how well do you take instructions?”
“Meaning?”
“To the left, to the left; to the right . . .”
“Silly woman. I’m good at football. How hard can it be? Oya give me back my fish!”
©Timi Yeseibo 2016
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Timi Yeseibo and livelytwist.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
The odds work in their favor when the guy is sure. =)
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I hope so. He seems to have made up his mind …. finally 🙂
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This brought tears to my eyes. It was soo similar to the beginning of my relationship and I saw so much of us in them. Thanks for writing this series Timi. This is my favorite so far. You and Ife are both great writers. I hope to hone my writing to this level someday. I’m glad they got a happy ending. Junior is very romantic. His words made me melt. I love hearing and seeing people love and express their love.
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For real? Sounds like good tears though. 🙂
I like that they are trying to be open, vulnerable, and honest. I’m glad Ife and I, sometimes groping in the dark, hit bull’e eye with this episode.
Thank you so much for your generous feedback.
@ writing, all the best! Consistency has helped me improve.
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They were definitely good tears. I even shared the series with my boyfriend and he agreed with me. Vulnerability is really hard to achieve in a budding relationship yet no relationship can survive without it.
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I’m a sucker for happy endings 🙂 Glad this one worked out!
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Ah Lani, like many people I’ve met are. They say that the world is sad enough! Thanks for your support throughout the series.
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I bet with the way they are able to manoeuvre the ship, they are good to go.
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We like to think so. We like to hope their love and commitment stand the test of time.
Thank you so much for sticking with us and providing valuable feedback.
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Its a pleasure ma’am
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I probably should have waited until after I ate lunch to read this. Because now I’m really hungry! I really enjoyed their banter, as usual. The mention of the divorce of parents was poignant.
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No apologies for whetting your appetite 🙂
@divorce, our family history can play a role in the way we see and do ‘love’.
Thanks for following the series and encouraging Ife and I.
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😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Okay, I have gotten that off my — wherever we store laughter — system or maybe not.
This fly is really committed in making one ask for more. And Pepper soup, so pepper soup is the secret recipe to calm down a fiery romance, it’s alright.
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Pepper soup is the secret ingredient, lol! 🙂
One hopes that their commitment and desire to make it work sees them through the days when ‘love’ is hard to find.
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Oooooh, Junior is so romantic! This episode was so heart-warming. I am loving this so much. 😀
Please let this end well, Timi, I really like these two. They’ve accepted things for what they are and have made peace with the fact that they really like each other, regardless of their differences.
I agree, this “my spec” rule creates unnecessary boundaries. Who knows what one might find when they decide to go with the flow.
@ “Love is a unconditional commitment to an imperfect person” Truer words have never been spoken!
This episode was super!
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Hi Nedoux, what do you know, your wish has been granted. We’re ending the series here 🙂
We imagine there’ll be more bumps on the way, but we hope their commitment to one another and to God will see them through.
Thanks for following and for commenting, which helped Ife and I as we wove this tale.
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Memories, am liking this now, pls timi don’t spoil it pls I beg you. Biko
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Ha ha ha! No, I won’t ‘spoil’ it.
We love romance and happy endings, don’t we?
Life is full of peaks and valleys. We tried to reflect this in the series.
Thank you for staying the course with us.
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Yaaaayyyy!
What do you mean ending? I’m not ready to stop being a fly on the wall yet.
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Hi Ansa, I feel you. I also want to eavesdrop on future conversations! 🙂
Thank you for staying the course. We kept writing because of people like you!
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for the first time they let instinct take a better part of their conversation and just for the first time, they are giving readers hope, but i hope the narrator would not introduce another twist in this plot otherwise i will suggest the post and comments be harnessed into a drama text.
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Hope is a good thing 🙂
Freeman, we are ending the series, so no more twists. XD
Thank you for sticking with us. Your support means so much to us.
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Gee, Timi, I’ve had so much on my plate I missed a few episodes. Sounds like I came back in at the right moment. Hope he gets left and right! 🙂 –Curt
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Lol! I think most people are rooting for him! 🙂
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Awwww.
Thank you for the beautiful series Timi and Ife.
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Thank you for flying with us and for your encouragement, which kept us going. 🙂
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Hahaha. Seems like things are on track.
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Yes … for now. Thanks Tony for your support!
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Yes, on track and delightfully so! 😀
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Great series, Timi! I always love a happy ending. 🙂
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Thanks Jill. Happy ending by popular demand. 🙂
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This:
“Girl, I don’t think we should give up. We share the same fundamental values, although our expressions may differ . . . we have the right building blocks—”
Brought this to mind:
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone, even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. ~ Kahlil Gibran, on Marriage, from “The Prophet”
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“Alone yet quiver with the same music.” Nicely put. No one is losing their individuality. 🙂
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I am glad to see this couple together. It is only the beginning of a long journey together. They will be happy for a time but I don’t think it will last. But that is not important. What is important is to live in the moment and to remember the journey is more important than the destination. Buy the ticket take the ride.
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A long journey … I agree. Thanks Benn.
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Phew!!!! I’ve been waiting to exhale 😀
The last three weeks were traumatic for me.
Sounds like my favourite couple are back on track…yaaaaay 😊
Enjoyed the banter and as usual well written.
Thanks
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Lol@ waiting to exhale from ‘trauma’. I’m happy for you that you got your happy ending. 🙂
Thanks for your support Afi.
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Loved this series😊 and love this ending 😉
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Thanks Dana. Encouragement from people like you kept Ife and I going. I’m glad you got an ending you love.
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Soooo cute! Am mushy mushy now! Thanks for giving us the finish we wanted even though I want more, I want to see how they live a life time together but that’s entirely up to you writers.
Good job totally enjoyed this series.
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I imagine that more challenges would surface and some unresolved ones might be resolved as they live together. Who knows if Ife and I will continue writing?
Thank you for following the series. It’s good to know that the ending is one you wanted. 🙂
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