ADSactly Short Story - A Long Road to Happiness

in #adsactly6 years ago

Owen was heart-broken. He had been heartbroken for so long that he no longer remembered how it felt when he was happy and in love. He was trying to remind himself, but it kept eluding him like a forgotten dream. He remembered the dates and the places he went with her. Everything in his day reminded him of her. It had been six years since they last spoke but each time his phone rang, he wished it was her. He often woke up at night thinking about the softness of her lips or the way she cried when she was happy, when she was sad or when she felt she had hurt him. But he could not remember how it felt to be in love and happy. That was one thing he wanted to feel, but it was also the one thing he could not feel. So, he buried himself in work.



Image credits:Pixabay Link]
Owen worked at a large retail shop, and his job required a lot of physical exertion and working odd hours, but he did not mind because he was in good health and he liked the way he slept after a day's work. Driving home and resting was one part of his day that he always looked forward to and it never disappointed him. He rushed to closed his shift and hand over to his colleague, Anom, then off he went. He stopped by at his favourite fast-food restaurant and bought himself a couple of hamburgers and coke. He arrived home and opened his door and there she was seated on the sofa, looking as beautiful as ever.

"Hello, handsome. Welcome home," Ada said, smiling like someone who was privy to a secret that he did not know. He sat down and pulled off his shoes.

"How are you, beautiful?" Owen replied.

Ada had been friends with Owen for about eight months. Owen had not dated anyone since he broke up with Lisa two years before. When he was Lisa, he could not imagine having to live his life without her. So when Lisa insisted that their relationship of two years was not working for her anymore, he was devastated. Everyone told him that he would feel better once he started dating again but he knew they were wrong. Two years had passed after Lisa left when he met Ada at his favourite fast food restaurant. She was about five feet seven inches tall, with very dark skin. Her skin seemed to shimmer when the light hit it from certain angles. Among the girls that worked with her, she was the only one that served people with a constant smile on her face, giving you the feeling that you were being served by an exotic air hostess. And what struck Owen was how she had no apparent interest in tips. When he left her a tip, she smiled and thanked him as if he had given her the world. Otherwise, you still got her genuine appreciation for your patronage.



Image credits:Original image Link]
Ada was one of the reasons Owen preferred that restaurant because every day, after work, he looked forward to seeing her face. One day he decided they have known each other long enough for him to have her number, so he asked. He was surprised when she said, "No". Her excuse was that her supervisor prohibited it. Owen kept asking, but her response remained the same. As he walked in one evening, a thought came to him that there was no difference between the conversation they both had and her saying her phone number. So, as they talked about her day and his he casually asked, "But, really, what's your phone number?"

She was about offering the excuse that her boss did not allow it and, Owen was expecting that.

"But this is just a conversation between you and a customer. How is he going to find out that you said a bunch of numbers?"

"Fair enough. But you won't type it on your cell phone, you won't write it down, and I certainly am not going to pass any paper across to you. Agreed?"

"Fair enough," he replied.

"61-06-70...," she began. Owen quickly stopped her, knowing that it would be more difficult to memorise the number in twos rather than in threes.

"Wait. 610-670... Continue," he said with a smile. She was impressed that he was able to repeat the six numbers, so she just went ahead and completed it.

"8163. Now is there anything else I can get you?" she asked, trying to distract him from the last four numbers.

"610-670-8163. No, Ma'am, that's all I need," Owen replied, and they both laughed.



Image credits: Pixabay Link]
As Owen got to know Ada, he realised that she was one of the nicest persons he had ever met. She would have been the perfect person for him, but deep within him, he knew that he was still in love with Lisa and he could not bear to hurt Ada for something that was no fault of hers. When he learned that he was Ada's first romantic relationship, he resolved that he would not move forward with it until his heart was in the right place. Ada seemed to understand him perfectly, and it was easy for her not to push it since she was happy with their friendship as it was. But that evening, as Owen sat down and pulled off his boots, Ada soon stopped smiled and looked at him seriously. He saw the sudden change in her demeanour and paid closer attention.

"Will you marry me?" she asked.

He waited for her to laugh but when she didn't, he felt it was part of the joke, so he laughed until he realised that he was laughing alone.

"You're serious?" Owen asked.

"Of course, I am serious. I cannot think of anyone else better to spend the rest of my life with than you."

"But we are not even dating," he said, still trying to shake the shock of what she just said.

"Whose fault is that, sweety? Simply because I am a virgin, you decided not to take a chance with me," she said, as she relaxed a little.

"That's not fair. You wanted to remain that way until marriage, and I agreed to respect your wishes. It is not fair for you to turn around and say that it was all my fault," Owen replied.

"Still, you have not answered me. Will you marry the girl or not?" she repeated.

"I am sorry. My heart is not in the right place to be marrying anyone. If anybody, it should be you, but I am sorry," Owen said.

"Okay," she said.

They ate their burgers in silence. After that, Ada had a bath and went to bed. Ada was having problems with her accommodation at the time and had been staying with Owen until she had things sorted out. Living with her was so easy because even though he loved her, she did not encroach into his personal space and she had a knack of knowing what to say and when to say it. It was second nature for her to understand what he was going through and how to make it better but it scared him that he would hurt her at last.

Two months later, Ada came to Owen with news of her getting married to a childhood friend of hers. He could hardly believe it, but he had no right to object to her happiness. And he had no doubts that the pressure coming from Ada's family for her to get married and cease to be their responsibility had something to do with her decision. He was worried that the man may not really make her happy, but she seemed excited about the prospect of becoming his wife, so he wished her well. On her wedding day, Owen cancelled everything he had to do and was in attendance even though it felt awkward when he noticed that everyone was feeling sorry for him. He could not blame them, because they did not know the full story.

After her wedding, Ada spent her honeymoon in another city and when she returned, it was to pack her bag and move back to that city to go and live with her husband. Owen missed her, but he figured that her relocation was probably for the best. The two friends continued to speak on the phone and exchange messages. After some months, Cliff, Ada's husband gradually stopped featuring in her conversations with Owen. Each time they talked, Owen had to ask about him, and her answer was invariably, "Fine". It was barely a year after their marriage that Ada called Owen to inform him that her husband had travelled outside the country for the past one month. It sounded to him like she had been crying. It was after a while that she narrated her ordeal with Cliff after they relocated to Lagos. He cheated, beat her and accused her of being responsible for their inability to bear a child. She felt horrible but hoped that he would change. Instead of a change for the better, he woke up one morning and informed her that he was relocating to Malta in search of "greener pastures". Ada felt that her barely one-year-old marriage was over. Owen did what he could to console and assure her that things would turn out right.

Things got worse. It turned out that the pastures in Malta were not as green as Cliff thought it would be. He returned home seven months later, broke, angry and frustrated. He took over the business they started before he left, which Ada had nurtured into a profit-making enterprise. He suspected everything she did, accused her of being unfaithful while he was away and made her life hell. His anger made him start drinking, and he would often hit Ada in his drunkenness. She tried to rationalise his behaviour and blamed herself in part for not being everything he wanted and hoped that things would get better. That hope disappeared one day he got drunk and so angry that Ada feared for her life. She found an opportunity and ran out of the house. She sat on the stairs and considered her options. She realised that she was lucky to have gotten out alive. She walked out and thought about her life. Three hours later she had walked ten kilometres across town to her sister's house where she spent the night. When she woke up the next day, she went to the bank and transferred what was left in her business account to her personal savings and relocated eight thousand miles from the city.



Image credits:Pixabay Link]
She was not legally separated from her husband, but she felt free. She started doing all the things she had put on hold after she got married, like returning back to school, learning to sew, working out and making new friends. Now she was just a few kilometres from Owen, and they were in a better place than they were before she got married. Even though she was still married, she was confident that things were going to work out between her and Owen. They talked on the phone every day and exchanged messages many times each day, but they both made efforts not to be in the same room with each other, knowing how they both felt. Ada did not want to see Cliff ever again, but she found a lawyer that would dissolve their marriage without her being present. It was a long road to happiness. She did not recognise home the first time, but she could tell that she was nearer home than she was yesterday.

Authored by: @churchboy


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They, both, did the same mistakes we all have done. searching happiness outside. It's all inside, no matter if you're married, gay, rich, poor, happiness is locked inside each one of us, it's our work in this life learn how to unlocked it and live it.

Happiness start with thank you and continue with multiple blessings to everything in the day, it's impossible not to feel happiness if your mind keeps blessing everything in your way ;)

you are absolutely right. Keep. In touch

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; ) just sharing my thoughts !

Nice you catched it too!

Have an excellent and blessed day

It is amazing how universal the truth really is. Yes, happiness is inside each and everyone of us. It is impossible to be happy without gratefulness, because it is with being grateful that the riches that are right in front of us are unlocked and we do not have to go on a fool's errand searching for that which is right before our eyes.

Life often makes us feel that we have no choice but the choices are about if only we strip ourselves of fear and uncertainty.

You are appreciated :)

And big eyes open to see all! Have a blessed day!

Thanks

Very good story @churchboy is difficult when you stick to a person as did owen with lisa leaving the opportunity to be happy with ada these happens when one really falls in love but do not have to cling too much to another person because the injured could be one.

owen let pass the opportunity to be happy because he did not want to hurt the heart and feelings of ada.

After all, Ada decided to marry Cliff knowing that she did not have to because she loved Owen, this was her big mistake, thank God after so much bitter time that she lived with Cliff. I liked reading that she left Cliff. For looking for a better life, but I would have liked to read a happy ending where Owen and Adam met again and went out together again and had the opportunity to be happy together.

Thank you @joelgonz1982, you already know that Owen and Ada would finally end up together, all things being equal. But even if they do not end up together, at least, she would have his love and friendship and he would have his. What more is there to wish for?

The triumph in the story is that Ada was able to leave the hurt behind and is able to heal and find love in her heart again.

I appreciate you for taking the time to leave us such a wonderful comment. It is A Long Road to Happiness and as in life, there is no destination at the end of the road, the journey is everything.

All the best to you! :)

this is a good story you should expand it by writing a book about owen and ada and it was a pleasure to read a good story.

Liked this story, @churchboy. Especially its ending. I think women don't necessarily have to marry to be happy. I'm not saying they don't find happiness by getting married, it's just not the only way to do it. Apparently Ada was eager to get married, because it is the only way to justify that after she has proposed to a man, two months later she marries another man. While it is true that in some cultures marriage is fundamental, self-esteem must be the banner for all women. At a time when women are taking on more important roles, they are denouncing the mistreatment to which they have been subjected, they are leaving macho societies, we need heroines with other mentalities. Sometimes happiness is not outside, but inside us. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you so much @nancybriti for taking the time to leave a comment. Yes, you are right, happiness can only be found inside. Whoever established the notion that the duty of a woman is to get married and have children, in my opinion, did women the greatest disservice. There is nothing wrong with marriage as you pointed out and certainly, many people find happiness in it. But to insist that it is something that must be done as quickly as possible have forced many people into relationships they would not have dreamed of entering in the first place.

You are appreciated for your thoughts. All the best.

Wow. I can't imagine myself dating for 2years and giving up to it just like that, if I was to be Owen I would have dead Sha but kudos to him. His truly a strong man.
Love is a sweet tho, when I was reading how he got to meet Ada and how she got to call her number for him, I was just like wishing I was in the film for real 😂 .
I haven't loved l for some years now, so I totally understand how it feels to be heartbroken for a relationship that has last 2years. 😔

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Thank you for your comment. Isn't amazing how we are all so eager to love again after being hurt over and over again? The mind truly is an amazing thing.

Thank you for sharing your experience. All the best in love :)

Very cool story @churchboy!! I love the way you managed to pack in a few unexpected twists in such a short piece!! Just like life hey, i guess we never know where it will take us!!

Very cool of @adsactly to post on your behalas well!

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Yes, life is seldom simple. If we have to paint a true picture of it, we must acknowledge the twists and turns.

Thank you for your comment. You're appreciated.

Beautifully put!! Just like your story!!

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Solid blogging reputation 78

I think are you steemit king

Our Adsactly is doing great things. Please join our discord channel at the base of this story. Thank you.

It's all a matter of mindsets

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Really a nice story thanks for sharing with us keep sharing these kind of stories in future with us @adsactly

True or fiction, you got the word!!! 👏

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