Doctor Won Her Heart Before The Lockdown

I had been single for four years, and at one point, I felt like the dating world had passed me by. It was as if I were a relic of the past, with no man approaching me with a proposal.

This Christmas, I was single, and on Valentine’s Day, I went to bed early after my friend, who had promised to take me out, stood me up. I was single and feeling anxious, but I wasn’t desperate to be in a relationship at any cost.

A few days after Valentine’s, an old acquaintance re-entered my life. We had only been friends before. He confessed that he hadn’t proposed to me before because he was afraid. He believed he wasn’t in my league and thought I would have turned him down.

“So why do you think I’ll say yes this time?” I asked.
“This time, I’m more mature, and I know you’re not out of my league anymore.”

I found his honesty amusing, and just as I was about to agree to his proposal, another man swept me off my feet. While I was waiting in line at a hospital, he approached me and asked a nurse to expedite my file and ensure I saw a doctor promptly.

After my appointment, I returned to thank him, only to discover he was a doctor himself. We exchanged contact information, and a week later, I accepted his proposal. That meant the end for the guy I once knew. I told him, “You came into my life when everything was moving too quickly. I’m sorry, but I’ve said yes to someone else.”

This doctor has been quite busy. Our first official moment as a couple was when he proposed, and I said yes. We shared a kiss, and he took me home.

In the days that followed, he became increasingly occupied. One morning, he told me, “I finish my schedule at 2 PM. As soon as I’m done, I’ll rush home to you.” I was thrilled and started tidying up my room. I even cooked some food in case he wanted to eat. But at 4 PM, he called, “Blessing, I’m sorry, but we had to cancel our meeting. Something urgent came up. I’ll call you when I’m finished.”

I didn’t hear from him again that day.

It was around the time when Coronavirus was making headlines in Nigeria. It started with the Italian case, and soon after, the numbers began to rise. We weren’t too concerned until rumors of a lockdown began circulating.

The doctor called and said, “Things are going to get hectic in the coming days. I’ll do everything I can to see you this weekend.”

He didn’t come on Friday or Saturday, but he was with me on Sunday. All the waiting and longing to see him was finally over. I was with him when the president announced the lockdown for Abuja, Lagos, and Ogun states.

He said, “What a terrible time for us. After today, it might be a long while before we can see each other again. Citizens can’t move around, and doctors will be needed more than ever.” “What do we do?” I asked. He replied, “Let’s make tonight memorable. It’s all we have.”

Memorable?

We were going to spend the entire night together, so there was no rush. We ate, bathed together, got drunk, and started making out. That’s when he picked up his phone to record.

“No, don’t do that. It’s not safe.”
“Why? What are you afraid of?”
“I don’t want to end up on social media (I laughed).”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll be in the video too, remember?”
“But why do you want to record this?”
“I’ll be away for a while. I need this to keep you close to me.”

I took a deep breath.

“And you think it’s going to be safe?”
“Trust me. I’m a doctor. My integrity is very important to me. I’ll protect this with all my might.”

I let myself relax, and we had the time of our lives. It was intense and passionate. The chemistry between us was undeniable. We fell asleep like babies until the sun rose the next day. As he was leaving, I reminded him about the safety of the recording. He just smiled and said, “You worry too much.”

Lagos is under lockdown. He’s busy trying to save COVID-19 patients, making it impossible for us to meet. He calls every night after work, and we talk. He often brings up the video, reminiscing about how I acted during that night. Then he’ll say, “I’m here saving the world, and what I see in the video keeps me going every day.”

I’m not entirely comfortable with him having our intimate video on his phone, but he seems to enjoy watching it. If it helps him keep going while he saves the world, then I’ll convince myself that allowing him to record it was my small contribution to the greater good. It may not make sense, but it feels right.

Love flows smoothly between us now, but we’re living on promises, which aren’t the most solid foundation for anything. Still, I hold onto the hope that this will end well.

—Blessing