Pressure they say never goes away, it never truly ends. Last seven years it was all about priest hood, last four years it was all about studying international relations, and today it is going to be about marriage. Seated in the exotic sitting room that was elegantly decorated was Tonelo and his parents.
"I can not talk about marriage now because I am not ready yet" Tonelo protested. "I Just started working and I need to get my own place first before anything." He justified.
Mr and Mrs Lawson glanced at each other and Mrs Lawson shook her head in disagreement. Mr Lawson shrugged. He was obviously going to speak but Mrs Lawson interrupted him sharply like she always does.
It wasn't new for Mrs Lawson to be very domineering and manipulative, sometimes her children wondered how their father managed to cope with her attitude all these years without complaining at least once in a while or getting fustrated, maybe because of her beauty and intelligence,her children would always conclude.
"Now is the right time to get married so that you and your wife can build your lifes together". she said. Tonelo furtively glanced at his father to see his reaction but then the old man noticed and simply nodded in agreement with his wife.
Tonelo understood his father's undying love for his mother but sometimes he should try to prove a point as a man and not to always agree to his wife's decisions, this behavior sometimes annoyed his children, especially Tonelo.
Well Tonelo was no exception to his mother's control, the woman was in control of both living and non living things in the family.
Tonelo's younger brother was even compelled into marriage and ever since then,a day never passed by without Buley or his wife's numerous phonecalls about each other's weaknesses.
He could not bring himself to imagine being in Buley's situation, the thought of getting married against his wish made his heart skipped a bit.
"I do not even have girl friend or fiance yet!" He protested.
Mrs Lawson grabbed her husband's hand in respect to what she was about to say. " Well your father and i found the perfect bride for you. " She boasted.
"And you will like her." Mr Lawson added assuringly.
Tonelo instantly noted that his father finally spoke but that was of no relief to him because the old man still spoke in his wife's favor.
The way his mother blurted out, "Her name is Agnes,Agnes Benjamin" as if that name was supposed to take away all the pressures and tensions that she aflicted on the poor boy.
Not only did Tonelo not remember or know any Agnes, that name gave him a total turn off, it sounded too timid for his liking. He already concluded how ugly and unattractive she would look and that made him lost interest in her even before seeing or getting to know her first.
His parents observed him and his mother caught a glimpse of fustration registered on Tonelo's face. she pleaded.
"please do not tell us you do not remember Agnes" she continued when she could still see his fustrated state. " Wait you do not remember Agnes Benjamin?"
Now Tonelo was getting fustrated as he kept tapping his fingers rapidly on the couch handle. "Am I supposed to know any Agnes?" He asked with a mixture of anger and curiosity in his voice.
"yes son you are supposed to know your childhood friend who left the block Rosary because she traveled to overseas with her sister and mother.
Tonelo's eyes lit up at the revelation and then boom those memories rushed back into his head like andrenaline. He could now remember Agnes or Ags like he fondly used to call her, he remembered how close they were, he remembered how skinny she looked and how he would always tease her about her body shape and size, he remembered how playful and versatile Ags was and how she was such a softie and a cry baby.
Those memories made him chuckle and at some point he shrieked out in laughter. His parents already felt mocked and disrespected by his laughter, giving him a Stern look because, they did not understand the reason for his sudden outburst.
" Ags?" He asked as a playful smirk twitched the sides of his lips. Mr and Mrs Lawson both nodded in agreement. He chuckled. "What are you talking about? Agnes and I are just friends and besides I had eyes for her elder sister Sofia."
"Her elder sister who has been married for two years now" Mrs Lawson warned.
"I am not saying I still have eyes for Sofia,that was a long time ago,teen love you know" He corrected. "Infact I am happy for her and I wish her well in her marriage". Mr Lawson enquired.
"And Agnes"?
" look Dad Agnes is a good girl but I can not marry her," He answered, and then he continued. " I never saw a future with her back then,I do not even see a future with her now" He was blunt.
His parents obviously looked unpleased by his comment and his mother could not even hide her disbelief,they always thought he had a thing for Agnes and now he is refusing to marry her?
"You have got to be kidding son" Mrs Lawson asked hoping he would say yes I am kidding.
"No mama,I am not kidding,I can not marry her".
"Why son?". his father asked.
" Because I do not love her as a partner". He replied briefly.
The whole thing was becoming boring for him, he also remembered he had to work on a certain project.
He grabbed his phone from the extravagantly glass covered coffee table and checked the time. He realized he had spent four hours in an unproductive discussion with his parents and it was now 3:30 in the afternoon.
"I beg to take my leave" He spoke as he weakly stood up, he did not even wait for his parents permission to leave but he hurriedly left anyways.
He was out of sight before they realized he had left. Mr and Mrs Lawson then coiled up in Love as they talked, laughed,kissed,cuddled and then the rest was history.
