A Heart To Mend 2017 Novel By Myne Whitman

A Heart To Mend

by Myne Whitman

The book is about two people, Edward and Gladys, who meet and are attracted to each other almost immediately, but have difficulty in resolving their feelings, especially because of Edward's past and other twists. The concept for "A Heart To Mend" is from the theme of unconditional love.

CHAPTER ONE

About an hour after she disembarked from the bus, Gladys stopped to check if she was on the right path. She‘d trundled her box along the street engrossed by the spectacular architecture on all sides. Well designed residential houses and the more imposing offices sat way back from the road with painted aluminum roofs and high metal gates. She now stood before the enormous construction site of an almost complete church whose grandeur was not diminished by the swarming laborers or the wooden scaffolding. Stained glass windows depicting scenes from the bible reflected off the marble walls and a massive pillared gateway framed a paved court yard. The laughter and whistles of the laborers when they noticed her gawking reminded her of the otherwise deserted street.

Gladys walked a few more feet, took another peek at her journal and concluded she was truly lost. She held up the journal in confusion. She‘d sketched the directions at a mobile phone kiosk during an earlier conversation to inform Aunt Isioma of her arrival. Then, the route looked clear enough, but now she knew the hazy map wouldn‘t be much help in locating the right way. She looked back at the construction site. A couple of the bare-chested men drew away from the group and moved closer to her. One called out something, probably in Yoruba, which she didn‘t understand; the other winked with a suggestive leer and a complex hand gesture.

CHAPTER 2

“So do you have any plans for Valentine‘s Day?”

“I‘ll be all alone. A day is too short to get a new lady in the picture.”

Kanayo opened the door of the pristine but sparsely furnished office and Edward walked past him into the corridor outside. The friends walked together as they approached the stairs that led down to the banking hall; two tall, well-built young men in fitting almost similar charcoal striped dark suits set off by plain white shirts and colorful patterned ties. Kanayo was seeing him off after their usual Monday lunch hour business meeting in which they talked shop and caught up with events in their lives. Most of today had been about Kanayo‘s recent promotion.

“Hasn‘t Bisi been asking to be taken back? It‘s been almost two months now.”

Bisi was his last girlfriend who had gone on to date someone else in his group on one of his long trips outside the country. She‘d known about his busy lifestyle but still cried neglect when he found out. Now she wanted him and his travelling schedule back?

“I don‘t think I still feel Bisi. She should remain as last year news.” Edward shook his head in finality.

Kanayo laughed as they got to the end of the corridor and began to descend the steps.

CHAPTER 3

Gladys left the room and returned to the balcony. The sun reflected off the water and she could hear the crash of waves on the shore. This was her best place in the house and it was especially soothing when she could feel the ocean breeze on her face. And boy, did she need some calm. She‘d scaled through the Zenon Oil aptitude test and the next stage interview was in a couple of hours.

She was already dressed and wished the time would pass faster. She stalked back into the room to the opposite window with a view to the street. This was her first proper interview since she arrived, though she‘d taken other tests. She had also met personnel people in the course of answering adverts for vacancies and submitting her resume to offices herself.

Her aunt knocked on the bedroom door and entered.

“Good morning.” Gladys sank to the nearest bed and fastened the small buckles on her black sensible shoes with a tremble in her fingers.

“Good morning dear.” Her aunt sat down on the other bed. “How are you?”

“I can‘t really say; I‘ve been preparing for this interview but now I‘m so nervous. I don‘t want to disappoint my lecturer who recommended me to them.”

“You may not realize it but whatever impressed your lecturer will ensure you perform very well. Don‘t be too anxious; I know you‘ll do well. I came to wish you luck.”

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