He Said ‘Hello’ and my Heart was Gone (Written on 08 Oct 2013)

It was a warm Tuesday Morning

Bag in hand I walked quietly and solemnly to school

Half way there I met a guy. He said ‘Hello’ with a smile

I kind of smiled back and tried to walk away,

But No! Mr. Man had a few other words to say

I tarried but for some seconds. Wasn’t really listening

But strangely enough I still remember every word he said

He said hello but my heart wasn’t gone

Two weeks had gone by and I wasn’t thinking of it anymore

Yet another Tuesday morning, yet another solemn walk to school

And again another ‘Hello’ this time with a little joke. I laughed

The last guy was a jerk, took my smiles and my laughter away

But he brought a smile and then a laugh back to my face

Back home, I told my bff someone said ‘Hello’

But I forgot to say it had me flustered for a bit

He said hello but my heart wasn’t gone yet

A week and a half had gone by. I was still thinking about his ‘Hello’

This time it was a walk way up the street for a breath of fresh air

Semester break was finally around, Xmas was calling

And there, the ‘Hello’ which caused turmoil in my fairytale heart

He said he was about to call. I laughed it off the classic lie of a player

Not sure he quite got my number but strangely he did

He promised to visit the following day. I laughed harder. He didn’t know my place

He said hello but my heart wasn’t quite gone yet

I woke up in the morning cleaned up as usual and cooked

By midday I was reading a Fitzgerald Classic “The Great Gatsby”

Then there was a light knock at my door. I said “come in”

There he was. He said “Hello” my heart skipped for a bit

I thought for a second ‘how did he know my place’

But that was irrelevant now. I was happy he had come after all

He came in with a thousand more jokes and lots of charm

He said hello and my heart was leaving its homestead

Two weeks apart, family reunions, festivities, lots of food and drink

But the only feast I wanted was him. Only party I needed was him

Back to school and first day there he was at my doorstep

A charming smile on his face, a gift in hand and an “I missed you”

I let him walk through the doors of my home, my life, and my heart

I opened my gift, behold they were roses. Now I was floating on thin air

I could never forget a gift like that. I cherished it for years after that

He had said hello and my heart was so gone

Many years have gone by. Lots of water under the bridge has traversed

We parted ways many years ago. In a way only we two could

He has said “Hello” to others. Don’t know if they were the same

Others have said “Hello” to me. But they were never the same

I’ve fancied myself in love with another. I’ve fancied myself moving on

I’ve even fancied myself staying unmarried forever or married to another

I’ve been happy. I’ve been sad. I’ve fallen in and out of love with him more times than I can count

When he said hello, he took my heart away. Will I ever get my heart back?

By  Ngwe-Nwi Claudette