Will you marry me, Somtoo?” she asked as she knelt before me.

What was this girl doing? Why was she embarrassing both herself and I? Now, everyone was looking at me, anticipating my reply. Why was she so impatient?

We were at her friend, Chioma’s engagement party and even though she and everyone had been expecting me to pop the question at her, I just wasn’t able to do it. Don’t ask me why. And now, she had taken the bull by the horns; she had done what her man couldn’t do. Wasn’t there a saying to that effect? What a man can do…

Anyway, I just could not allow her to kneel forever. She needed an answer everyone needed an answer, and somehow, even I needed the answer.

But what jumped out of my mouth was, “No. I can’t do it.” And then I left. The last time I saw Anita, she was looking very devastated, like someone who had a head-on collision with a speed train. The image would haunt me for a long time to come.

Read more ➡️ https://www.thezenpens.com/2018/12/04/ghost-of-my-errors-a-flash-fiction-by-somtoochukwu-benedict-ezioha/