I first met Dave in our faculty office. I had gone to pay my sessional dues as a fresh student and he was to attend to me. He sat across the table in a fanciful swivel armchair, staring at me while tapping his pen gently on the table. His smile was infectious and, damn! Dude was handsome. The black and white uniform seemed to fit him better than everyone else; his Blazer suit giving it an extra glow. His build was a delight, and all I couldn’t do was grab his broad chest and grope him wild like a IndecentStar-gone-crazy. I imagined a string of lush black hair flowing from his chest line to his private part. Sweet Jesus. I ascended into a seventh heaven of fantasies in so much that he had to hit the table harder with his pen to drag back my attention.

“Hello dear, good morning…”

—Damn, his voice is just perfect, like a piano running chords on key-C—

“Are you alright?”

—Boy! He’s even romantic—

“Oh, I’m sorry. Good morning. I’m fine, just a little distraction.”

“That’s okay. So, what can I do for you?”

I was answering him when two guys stormed the office chanting “All hail the president, David-the-law.”

David-the-law? So, he is the person whose name is heard and posters scattered everywhere on campus; the president of the prestigious faculty of Law and favorite contestant for the president of the Student Union Government (SUG). I took a deep breath. Now, it wasn’t just love, but respect, too.

He smiled and hushed the pietistic halleluyah boys and told them that he was attending to someone. That sounded normal, but for a girl in love, it made me feel special. He turned to me and smiling, asked, “So, where were we?”

“Reducing the air conditioner” I said.

He giggled.

“But you said you were fine”

“Not with the AC this high”

“Oh, that. I like it a little extra… the cold.”

“For a guy who’s extra, that’ll pass.”

He reduced the AC and asked if it was okay. Two bits higher… one more… and I nodded. It’s fine now.

“What do you mean I’m extra?”

—Ah. He should’ve let that one slide—

“Uhmm… Don’t you realize how extraordinarily handsome you are? And you’ve got a fine character to match.”

—OMG, what am I doing?—

I was already shooting my shot and I didn’t realize it.

“Thanks. And I was going to say how beautiful you are. You’re definitely the prettiest lady I’ve attended to this session.”

Saying I was flattered would be putting things mildly. I was literally blown away with those words. He had an eye on me, too, and that felt orgasmic. “Thank you” was all I could manage to say and we went on with business. He handed me my receipt and I thanked him.

“One more thing, Adora. Can we have launch tomorrow?”

—The hell, yes! That’s like a dream of heaven come true. A golden yes!—

“That escalated quickly” I responded, unsure.

“Please?”

And he smiled that smile again. That smile that splurged every bit of love hormone in me.

“Alright”

“1PM. Mat-Ice. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, just fine.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks”

A date with campus-famous prince charming felt like a date with Jesus in Jupiter — unbelievable! I slapped my cheek thrice to be triple-sure I wasn’t dreaming. No. This was actually happening.

Our first date was as casual as our atires. Dressed in our usual black and white, we headed for Mat-Ice after morning lectures, in Dave’s car, a sleek Toyota Venza that made me think he was a fraudsters. But, I would learn that his parents were stinking rich: his dad a Senior Advocate and his mom a sought-after surgeon. For the first time I saw Dave stand. His six-foot-two made my five-foot-eight look mediocre. This boy was inch-perfect! I had jollof rice with fried plantain and beef while he had fried rice with salad and chicken. We discussed about ourselves, school and family. And, before we left, he had succeeded in making me his date for the fresher’s welcome dinner scheduled for a fortnight.

The next two weeks, I kept away from Dave as much as possible. Though my heart was dead in love with him, my head was alive and working. And, I knew more than to throw myself at Dave. Society had thought me that that would make him drop his value of me. So, our meetings were limited to times we stumbled into each other in the faculty. But, Dave wouldn’t stop calling and it made me feel extra special. That feeling that someone wants you and is desperate, or putting it like he would, can’t do without you.

On the evening of Saturday, dinner day, I was more terrified than I was expectant. I was scared of what Dave could know. Dinner dates were usually intoxicating… the drinks, the food, the atmosphere… I just might be revealing even more than I am asked. Dave could find out that I was anaemic and that would put him off, I was sure.

But, one thing I’d learnt in eighteen years of sick-living is that I’d got to live life to the fullest and have as much fun as I could in the process. So, I shut the door to the negatives and looked forward to the great fun that came with such outings: the frenzy, love in the air, soothing music switching from genre to genre; plus, Dave and I arm-in-arm, sharing fond memories, and hugs, and sweet talks then, under the cool midnight breeze and a million shining stars, we share a kiss; my first kiss, probably his one thousandth, and God knows what happens from there.

At 6:15PM, I was fully dressed, waiting for Dave to pick me up in fifteen minutes. I had on a tight-fitting lilac flowy gown that highlighted my fairness and shouted my hips. The four-inch high sandal I wore would cut the height gap between Dave and I to one inch and save my neck some hurt while kissing him. I’d sworn to have as much fun as I could afford and also to limit my intake of alcohol to keep my mouth. Dave arrived at 6:29PM. He was dressed in a wine Blazer suit with blemishes of gold on its breast pocket and collar. His hair was full and tendril and his jaw covered in a forest of well-trimmed beards. He led me into the front seat of his car and we headed for what could be the time of my life.

We arrived at the venue five minutes before the seven o’clock kick-off time. The hall which was in a four star hotel in a government reserved area was dimly lit in red. There were several tables veneered with white or golden veils, each surrounded by four fanciful chairs, wrapped in white or wine veils, and arranged in cardinal points. I spotted the DJ standing by his equipment at a secluded corner and interpreted his dreadlocks to mean he was masterful. We were ushered to an empty table and took our seats facing each other.

The night rolled on exactly as I had played it in my head: pep talks, awards, performances, feasting, valedictory speeches and then, the dance floor. I loved to dance but, who wouldn’t in the arms of the most sought-after guy on campus? Songs were reeled out one after another and the DJ was even better than I thought. The noise in the room tailed off as he segued from hipop to reggae then, R&B. You know, those cool, soothing songs that stir up naughty thoughts.

Soon, Dave and I were in a corner of the hall starved of light; arm-in-arm, eyes locked into each other. His head drooped slowly and his palm was beneath my chin. That moment was finally here; the one I’d long waited for, and I’d rehearsed and perfected every move. Tilt your head to the left, close your eyes, let him take charge, then ease into the action, soft and slow. So, I was having my first kiss, relishing the warmth of Dave’s lips on mine as his hands slid gently to my hip. Ooh… sweet heavens. But, reality soon struck and I shoved him away reflexively.

“I’m sorry Dave, this has to stop. I’m losing control of myself.”

My fears had come to haunt me. Fears about where this was heading; this whole escapade with Dave; how fast we were moving. I’d promised to give my body only to my husband but, Dave wasn’t even my fiancé. And, what was worse? He didn’t even know me — the sick me.

“It’s alright. You can take your time”

“Thank you.”

“Just be easy on yourself, okay?”

“I will, Dave. I’ll be fine.”

He led me to the room he’d booked for us upstairs and watched me sleep. And that was all for the night.

Early the next day we returned to school. David dropped me off at my hostel and I walked into my room with a nostalgic feeling: happy because, damn! I just had my first kiss, and with a guy I loved; sad because of how stupidly I ended it and possibly hurt Dave. Every moment I sat alone, scenes of our kiss replayed in my head, stiring up one of feelings of accomplishment, regret and nostalgia. Whichever was the feeling, one thing was sure: the fact that I was uncontrollably in love with Dave.

As much as I loved him and wanted him to be my man, I thought he didn’t deserve me. Such a lovely man didn’t deserve to be punished with a time-bomb like me. No. Dave deserved better and I swore not to stand in his way ever again. So, I began to cut-off ties with him on all possible fronts. I blocked him on all social media platforms we shared, barred his lines — every one he’d used to call me — and stopped him from visiting me. Even when we bumped into each other in the faculty, I just waved at him and ran along. Swiftly, I built the wall that kept us apart.

But, David would not give up. He kept trying several means to reach me. He disturbed my room mates and course mates with incessant calls, and even handed them handwritten letters for me. In one of them, he said that I should know better than leaving without a goodbye. I knew right? I only hoped that, someday, he’d realize that what I did was best for him.

And he did — holding, with teary eyes, a picture of her in his arms– standing over her grave at her funeral six days after her twenty-first birthday.

Chidubem Njoku


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