5pm. A hazy Friday evening. Two colleagues are alone at the backseat of their company bus.

She was talking, her elbow on his shoulder, turning away shyly whenever her eyes met his.

“I can hardly get you off my mind. At work when you see me busy at my desk…on my phone..it’s just a facade..it’s my desperate attempt to keep my mind occupied with work so I won’t be having fantasies of us in bed, naked…Gosh! It’s crazy. ..It’s embarrassing for me to admit this to you… I don’t even know where all these thoughts come from. I sometimes wonder if I am the only one feeling this way. Do you feel the same way about me?” She asked, her heart beating faster in anticipation of what he would say.

Like a goat listening to breaking news in Chinese he starred at her. His mind was far, far away…back to those days he believed in love…

Girl after girl he proposed love and was bounced. Bouncing with wounded pride, he bumped into Lydia, his former junior high school mate.

She was sweet, innocent, charming…and the aroma of love she carried about her was unparalleled.

Having been rejected many times, Lydia was his chance to prove a point or two to all those girls that rejected him.

Show what you are made of. And Lydia was all he was made of. He showcased her on Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Viber, …he was impatient for the creation of the next social media platform to erect a copy of goddess Lydia there too.

For months the silly government would not release salaries. He was broke beyond repair and the love between him and Lydia was on the verge of extinction. But Lydia was hopeful and encouraged him to be strong and never give up.

At the end of one full year the monies were finally released and right in his palms stood a heaving one full-year salary. He could not believe his eyes!

Before the release of the salaries, his siblings at the university were on his neck. They needed money and money he did not have. He had been to the university and knew how life could be tough for students especially as the semester drew to a close. He vowed that if he ever found a job, he certainly would come to the aid of his siblings and former roommates on campus.

His mother had played an instrumental role in his education and he promised to give her some money every month as soon as he started work to compensate her for the sacrifices she’s made.

He had thought of starting a business that could fetch him additional income some time back but he had not yet come up with any particular business plan. He now hoped the presence of a full-year salary would speed up his thinking process.

Now here was a lifetime opportunity to kill a million birds with an annual salary turned into a giant stone. But where should he start? His mother? Siblings? Father? Former roommates? His business plans?

The presence of a wholesale perfume shop opposite the bank from which he made the withdrawal reminded him of a business Lydia had proposed to him a long time ago that they start together: the sale of perfumes. She knew lots of potential buyers.

Ladies first. And Lydia was a lady. His mother’s gender he was unsure of.

His salary was not enough to purchase the package of perfume he wanted but the Lebanese wholesaler, seeing the determination in his eyes, sold it to him at a discount he could afford.

As he raced towards Lydia’s house with his arms locking the package to his chest, his heart pounded faster. This was a risk. Nearly all of his annual salary. What would Lydia say? He’s a fool? Would she be pleased? Should he have waited? This business had to work…He was impatient to pay her the pleasant surprise visit and at the same time nervous of how she would react.

Talking and mumbling, he worked himself to Lydia’s door. Finding it open, he went in, and froze at what he saw.

The shock of the sight before him paralyzed his arms and down came the package of expensive perfume. His chance to save, to start a new business, to compensate his dear mother, to help his siblings, his father, roommates and other friends who were there for him in times of need…all came crushing down at the sight of the live porn being displayed for his displeasure…

Today another Lydia is talking to him about love. Never again. After all he’s been through in the name of love.This was exactly how his previous relationship started…”I love you…love me…hold me…wind me…shake me…” and he smiled his way sheepishly into a breakup that nearly cost him his mental health.

To save his heart from tears again, he’s developed a machine heart, immune to the disease of love.

Not only did he have a machine heart, he now wore a swim suit and held firmly to a tree. If he ever got drowned in love, he shall swim out as fast as possible. If all humanity are falling in love, he has held firmly to a tree and fears no falling.

Never again will he let his heart be fooled, for it is now a machine heart.