My first love; the memorable moments

I joined the school in JSS3 and as mostly experienced when a new student got admitted into a school, I spent a period of time quietly observing my new environment.

With my new school uniform, I stood odd from the rest who by the closing hour, their uniforms were already dirty as a result of playing. Since I was new, I became a sudden introvert.

As the days passed by, I was beginning to have some words beyond greetings with some classmates.

Aisha was the first person to make friends with me. She approached me to interview me about myself and my former school. It was all smiles as we discussed and she offered me her water if I was thirsty. I appreciate her and humbly decline.

From our discussion, I realized that Aisha had her parents in Lagos and was only staying with her maternal grandmother, a strict disciplinarian and a retired teacher. I told her about myself too. I was staying with my grandfather while my parents were in Ekiti state.

Our friendship grew through the ranks and we became more like a lover boy and a lover girl. Whatever made her happy was my command without minding the effects of such a thing on my education. Everyday I arrived at the school, I was always preoccupied with the thoughts of how I would have the opportunity during break to discuss with Aisha.

Whenever I turned to look in her direction, I realized that her attention was always in my direction too. I could sense some connections.

The school had a large plantation of cashew, coconut and palm trees. Though students were prohibited from going to the plantation without the teachers, some sneaked out to go and pluck cashew or pick the nuts during the break time or any slightest chance like during sporting activities. I wasn't a fan of doing such until Aisha told me how she loved roasted cashew nuts. That was how I started not just going to the plantation to pick cashew nuts during break time but missing classes to make sure that I picked enough to make my crush happy. I was flogged several times for such habits but that never stopped me.

When we got to SS 2, we were appointed prefects in the third term. Coincidentally, I was appointed social prefect boy and Aisha social prefect girl. Before this time, I had asked her out and she agreed. One of our duties as social prefects was to go to the post office on Wednesdays to pick any letter or correspondence meant for the school.

At one point, she told me that she has an interest in learning how to ride a bicycle. I had a bicycle that I rode to school then. I didn't hesitate in teaching her.

Source

When we left school to go to the post office, we would go elsewhere with the bicycle in order to teach her. Sometimes, we would return late to school and our reasons would be that the post office staff delayed us.

Our love continued to grow. Her food in school became our food. We were proud to identify with each other in public. Occasionally, I would go to her house during weekends just to see her face as Monday would be too long to see her again. Before the grandmother would allow us to see, there must be a reason, especially academics. There was always an assignment that we wanted to do. We used this tactic to buy time from grandma.

It was glamorous for the teenage lovers. Some developments came up and I was to relocate from the town to my hometown (another state) to complete my education. I left in tears.

All my efforts to manipulate my parents and grandpa to allow me finish my secondary school proved abortive. My grandfather was retiring back to our hometown and I was told that I can't be left alone at such an age of mine.

My last day in that school was very emotional. Aisha was crying. I begged her and promised her that I would come back for her.

We lost touch after leaving because both of us weren't having phones at the time. It took me about four years before I got connected with her again. She was in the university at the time while I was still applying to universities to get admission.

Upon explaining to her that I had spent three years making efforts without success to get into a university, she invited me to come and buy a form to do a year pre-degree programme. That was what she did before gaining admission into a degree programme.

I complained to her that the money I had with me could only cater for the form without my transportation. She promised to send the transportation money to me if I was ready. After the thoughts of where I would stay if I go and all that, I ended up not going.

She told me to keep to my promise of coming for her as she was patiently waiting for me.

We lost contact again and four years later, we reconnected. Aisha was married with a kid. She must have moved on after waiting to hear from me for years without success. It wasn't intentional on my own part but I felt that marriage between us was never meant to happen.

We are both enjoying our individual marriages today and I thank God for that.