He called to tell me he was going to be in Nigeria for the next week and would love us to meet again.
"I will make sure it's worth your time," he pleaded on the phone.
"Okay," I said.
Our first date was good. We talked freely, laughed and he mentioned he loved Ludo.
"I will make sure it's worth your time," he pleaded on the phone.
"Okay," I said.
Our first date was good. We talked freely, laughed and he mentioned he loved Ludo.
He called himself a King at it, and I teased him, telling him other men were kings at chess but he chose to be a local champion.
"At least I am good at one. What do you know?"he said,& we laughed. We didn't stop chatting ,& he didn't stop calling me.
When he was to leave the..
"At least I am good at one. What do you know?"he said,& we laughed. We didn't stop chatting ,& he didn't stop calling me.
When he was to leave the..
...country, he asked me to see him off. And that morning, I was up as early as 5:00 am to meet him at the junction so we could beat traffic. He had ordered a ride to take us to the airport.
We had time, so we sat and talked.
"Why are you hard on yourself? he asked.
We had time, so we sat and talked.
"Why are you hard on yourself? he asked.
"No, I am not."
"Do you still think about him?" he asked, staring into my eyes.
"No...I don't."
"What about the memories you both shared?"
"No, I don't. Please, stop asking me these questions," I blurted out, but in truth, no one really forgets good memories.
"Do you still think about him?" he asked, staring into my eyes.
"No...I don't."
"What about the memories you both shared?"
"No, I don't. Please, stop asking me these questions," I blurted out, but in truth, no one really forgets good memories.
His flight was announced,& I stood up to hug him, but our lips accidentally brushed against each other. It was completely coincidental. He stood there, shocked, looking into my eyes, waiting for my reaction.
"What?"
"We... I didn't mean to, I just wanted to..." he stammered.
"What?"
"We... I didn't mean to, I just wanted to..." he stammered.
"It's okay. I understand"
He gently cupped my cheek with his right hand while holding his passport in his left. I looked at him, my face revealing no visible emotions.
He had a smile on his face, & I felt butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
"Abiye, your eyes are perfect..
He gently cupped my cheek with his right hand while holding his passport in his left. I looked at him, my face revealing no visible emotions.
He had a smile on his face, & I felt butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
"Abiye, your eyes are perfect..
.. I've liked you since the night before the wedding when our eyes met at the hotel. I felt attracted to you. Do you feel the same way?" he confessed.
I looked at him but remained silent.
"I will wait until you're ready, Abiye. I will wait until you're ready to love again."
I looked at him but remained silent.
"I will wait until you're ready, Abiye. I will wait until you're ready to love again."
He kissed my forehead & walked away, leaving me rooted to the ground as a tear rolled down my left cheek, which I quickly wiped away with the back of my hand. I h*ted how much his words made me feel.
"Abiye, try again! Just take a step forward, that's all it takes..
"Abiye, try again! Just take a step forward, that's all it takes..
..I said in my head.
A month later, he asked d question once more.
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Will u stop sm*king?" I asked, and he promised to and eventually kept to his promise.
Communication between us was good. I stayed up at night to talk to him...
A month later, he asked d question once more.
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Will u stop sm*king?" I asked, and he promised to and eventually kept to his promise.
Communication between us was good. I stayed up at night to talk to him...
We sent voice notes, mostly chatted& video calls with each other. Even though I wasn't physically present with him, it felt like we were close.
Everything was going well until he started mentioning his colleague, Agnes.
He would talk about work and also about Agnes.
Everything was going well until he started mentioning his colleague, Agnes.
He would talk about work and also about Agnes.
"Babe, we're just colleagues, Agnes has a boyfriend, and she only confides in me because she believes I always give good advice."
"Oh, she's also getting emotional support from you. Why doesn't she seek therapy or consult a relationship expert instead?"
"Oh, she's also getting emotional support from you. Why doesn't she seek therapy or consult a relationship expert instead?"
I would get angry, and we would end the call for the day. Slowly, we started drifting apart. I was scared. Scared of someone I had never met or spoken to before.
I didn't want to get attached to Gbemiga in the first place, but he pulled me in. He made me fall in love with him.
I didn't want to get attached to Gbemiga in the first place, but he pulled me in. He made me fall in love with him.
I had once been engaged to a man whom I thought loved me until he told me he couldn't walk down the aisle with me because he realized he didn't love me anymore.
A part of me regretted talking to Gbemiga. Maybe, I should have left it at our eyes meeting at the hotel...
A part of me regretted talking to Gbemiga. Maybe, I should have left it at our eyes meeting at the hotel...
..the night b4 the wedding.
"She moved nearby,"he said to me one day during a video call.
"Who?" I asked.
"Agnes."
"Really?"
"Yes,she even cooked earlier today& brought me some food."
"Did you eat it?"
He looked at me, surprised by my question,"Was I supposed to throw it out?"
"She moved nearby,"he said to me one day during a video call.
"Who?" I asked.
"Agnes."
"Really?"
"Yes,she even cooked earlier today& brought me some food."
"Did you eat it?"
He looked at me, surprised by my question,"Was I supposed to throw it out?"
"Gbemiga, why is she so involved in your life? Why is she all over you?" I blurted out, angry that he couldn't see what I was seeing or maybe pretending he didn't know that she liked him.
"Abiye, I love you. She means no harm. Agnes is just my colleague, a good one at that."
"Abiye, I love you. She means no harm. Agnes is just my colleague, a good one at that."
"Okay. I hope I don't end up finding out about your wedding to her on Instagram someday," I responded, and we ended the call as we always did whenever her name came up.
He started acting up.Some days, he would reply late, citing work as the reason. Other days, he'd tell me he...
He started acting up.Some days, he would reply late, citing work as the reason. Other days, he'd tell me he...
... he had fallen asleep. I h*ted our frequent arguments, & just wanted peace. I wanted my man back.
We were on a video call one day when I showed him my new hair & he called it ugly.
"What color is that?.. I don't like it."
"It's a gold wig, babe. And it's expensive."
We were on a video call one day when I showed him my new hair & he called it ugly.
"What color is that?.. I don't like it."
"It's a gold wig, babe. And it's expensive."
He asked why I had spent so much on an ugly wig after I told him the price. I had seen it on Ig, liked it & bought it and now he called it ugly.
"Ugly?"
"Yes, it's not nice." It made me angry, so angry that I abruptly ended the call.
Days went by, & he didn't text or call...
"Ugly?"
"Yes, it's not nice." It made me angry, so angry that I abruptly ended the call.
Days went by, & he didn't text or call...
..and I refrained from reaching out to him as well. Part of me wanted to, but I didn't want to be at anyone's mercy. I had been there before, and I wanted to show him that I didn't care either.
Almost a week after, he called me three times, but I missed his calls. I tried...
Almost a week after, he called me three times, but I missed his calls. I tried...
calling back but got no response. I sent a text but he didn't respond.
It had been three weeks,&I had just returned from the market that afternoon &was about to take a nap when my phone beeped. It was him! Yes! It was Gbemiga.He had sent a message,"Hi Abiye,how have you been..?"
It had been three weeks,&I had just returned from the market that afternoon &was about to take a nap when my phone beeped. It was him! Yes! It was Gbemiga.He had sent a message,"Hi Abiye,how have you been..?"
My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly got up from my bed,staring at my phone for a couple of seconds.
Filled with anger, I stormed into the kitchen to cook my soup, boil rice, & fry plantains, muttering insults under my breath.I was lost in my frustration that I nearly burned..
Filled with anger, I stormed into the kitchen to cook my soup, boil rice, & fry plantains, muttering insults under my breath.I was lost in my frustration that I nearly burned..
My fingers while cooking. "Why did he come back? What for? To hurt me? Men cannot be trusted."
I h*ted how much he made me feel. Once I finished cooking, I turned off my data, watched a couple of movies & eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, at 4:00am, I woke up...
I h*ted how much he made me feel. Once I finished cooking, I turned off my data, watched a couple of movies & eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, at 4:00am, I woke up...
to prepare for work. I decided to read his message but not reply because that was what he deserved.
I picked up my phone from the bedside drawer and opened Whatsapp to check. Every line of that message shattered me. It felt like a thousand sharp pins in the pit of my stomach.
I picked up my phone from the bedside drawer and opened Whatsapp to check. Every line of that message shattered me. It felt like a thousand sharp pins in the pit of my stomach.
"Hi Abiye, how have you been? We just gained access to Gbemiga's phone. I'm Gift, his sister...He told me a lot of good things about you. He really loved you. We're sorry, we lost Gbemiga.
I read those words repeatedly, and I cried. I called my cousin,Derin & she confirmed it.
I read those words repeatedly, and I cried. I called my cousin,Derin & she confirmed it.
"I didn't know you were dating?"
"We kept it private."
My sister had traveled, so I was alone. I cried like a baby, folded up on my bedroom floor, going through our last conversations, dreams, and goals.
Gbemiga came into my life, lifted me, and gave me hope but he took...
"We kept it private."
My sister had traveled, so I was alone. I cried like a baby, folded up on my bedroom floor, going through our last conversations, dreams, and goals.
Gbemiga came into my life, lifted me, and gave me hope but he took...
he took it all away. It's painful to recall how he once talked about death, "Live, so that when you leave, even if it's just twenty years of your existence on Earth, it would be worth it."
Never did I imagine that death and Gbemiga would be in the same sentence.
THE END.
Never did I imagine that death and Gbemiga would be in the same sentence.
THE END.
Thank you so much for reading. Please retweet🥺🤲🏽.
I will write to you again soon, very soon. Keep your notification bells on.
I will write to you again soon, very soon. Keep your notification bells on.
I apologize for the delay in posting this episode. 🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️
Unfortunately, there were circumstances beyond my control that caused the delay. Thank you for understanding, and I assure you that this will not happen again.🤲🏽❣️
Unfortunately, there were circumstances beyond my control that caused the delay. Thank you for understanding, and I assure you that this will not happen again.🤲🏽❣️
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