Dateless Love

"Danielle!"

Danielle turned and saw Mike looking fixedly at her with his eyes wide open, wondering if he had called the wrong person. 

Danielle and Mike lived in the same lodge during her final year in the University. She helped Mike when he was newly admitted into the University. As an old student, Danielle guided him and assisted him with money and food before she left the University. Mike felt he owed Danielle a favor, but there was nothing he could do because he came from a very poor background. 

When Danielle left the school, she got married immediately and followed her husband who worked and lived in Cape Town to his base. Both of them had not seen each other for close to a year. This was the reason why Mike had doubts that he might have called the wrong person. 

"Mikeoo! Is this you?"Danielle grinned. 

"No my.....my.... spirit". Mike stammered, giving her a gap-toothed grin. 

"Dani you have changed, what brought you to this school again? Your friend, Rita, told me that you are married and I can confirm that." Mike said, pointing at her wedding ring with disappointment written on his face. 

"Mikeoo sit down and give me some gist". Danielle offered him one of the seats she set around a white plastic table. 

"I can't believe this is you, Dani," Mike said. He grabbed her left hand and gave her an admiring stare with an expression of appreciation without talking. He took a seat and adjusted the camera he hung on his neck. 

"Dani, I felt your absence like someone who lost a sister, but things are better now." 

"Mikeooo! " Danielle hailed 

"Mmmm" 

"So, what brought you here, are you one of the matriculators?" Mike teased and Danielle laughed uncontrollably. 

"My younger sister is one of them," Danielle said, pointing at a young girl that was coming in their direction. Mike stood up quickly the moment he saw Gabrielle as though he had just seen someone he knew for a very long time and had been wanting to see her. His heart began to beat faster. 

"Is... she... your sister?" Mike stammered, looking at Danielle with surprise clearly written on his face. 

"Yes, did you not see the resemblance? Wait, Mike, you know her?" Danielle asked. 

"No I'm surprised she is just your younger version but prettier, taller, and her olive skin glows more than yours," Mike grinned, looking admiringly at Gabrielle. Gabrielle stood still and returned his gaze with a half-smile. 

"Good day!" Gabrielle greeted. 

"Good day, Smallie, how are you?" 

"I'm fine thank you and you?" Gabrielle asked. 

"Great! So tell me, do you live in or outside the campus?" Mike asked. 

"No... ooo way... Mike, stay off my sister please." Danielle interrupted the conversation. 

"Daniii...I feel like I owe you a favor, allow me to repay you through your sister. I need to know where she stays so I can keep my eye on her. You can see she is just a young and pretty girl. Do you remember when I got into the University, you guided me and helped me with everything I needed? I need to do the same for your sister. Someone needs to keep an eye on her." Mike explained. 

" You want to repay me right?" Danielle asked 

"Yes" 

"Okay, you can start by bringing that thing on your neck out and giving us a beautiful matriculation photo shoot," Danielle said pointing at his camera. Mike grinned and stood up immediately. 

Mike left Danielle and her sister after the photoshoot and went in search of new students who needed some photoshoots. He did what he could to make sure he never lacked anything in school. The camera he hung on his neck was borrowed from one of his friends. He intended to make some cash with it by taking pictures of the newly admitted undergraduates. 

Mike, a twenty-four-year-old, tall, light-skinned guy with a delicious appealing physique was an easy-going jovial guy. He was quite friendly and liked to put smiles on people's faces by making some rib-cracking jokes. People often saw him as a womanizer due to the number of women that were always seen around him. However, he was a man who showed a marked fondness for the company of women and always gave them his attention. This earned him the title, 'the lady's man.'

When Mike left Danielle and her sister, they watched him as he continued waving at every lady that passed him by. He was actually drawing people's attention to the camera he had with him. 

"You!" Danielle snapped at her sister. 

"Sit down, you see this guy that just left here now, please I don't want to see you around him," Danielle warned. 

"No I don't even like him, I hate tall guys," Gabrielle added. 

"Why?" 

"They are heartbreakers!" Gabrielle said.

"This is a fallacy of generalization, they are not". Danielle corrected the notion. 

"Mike is the ladies' man, you can't compete with all the girls who seek his attention. The worse part is that he gives them the attention they seek, but sleeping with them is what I'm not sure of. I mean I can't swear for him.

 Rita, my girlfriend tried everything she could to lure him to her bed, but he turned her down on several occasions." Danielle explained. 

"Please just stay some kilometers away from him Gabby," Danielle warned. 

"I saw the way he looked at you, so I believe this guy is madly in love with you but you never noticed him," Gabrielle whispered. 

"No, there was nothing like love between us. He sees me as a sister, while I see him as a brother and nothing more."

"Okay I guess he sees me as his sister too," Gabrielle added. 

"Speaking of your friend, Rita, where is she now?" Gabrielle asked.

"She is currently in Johannesburg, so desperate to settle down with a man. I pray she sees a man who will love and marry her." Danielle responded.

Soon the parents and siblings of all the newly admitted students assembled in the arena and the program kicked off. Mike took as many pictures of Gabrielle as possible. Gabrielle and Mike agreed to meet on Tuesday at the Political Science department, which was Mike's department for the pictures. 

Danielle and her sister shared their food with some of their friends and well-wishers. They sat on the chairs and chatted for a long time. Mike was quick to detect that Gabrielle was an intelligent girl. She was all Mike ever wanted in a woman. He decided that he must find out where she lived and probably pay her a surprise visit. 

Mike never believed there was something like love at first sight until he met Gabrielle who changed his belief.