Not This Time, Love Pt 30

I went back to the boarding house with my shoulders dropping and my face heavy with sadness. I couldn’t believe Priscy could pay back all the love, attention, and time I’d invested in her with just one word — “brother.” From that point, I made up my mind never to chase her again. Never again.

I sat on my bed quietly, brooding over my broken heart. Tears started flowing. I threw myself face down into my pillow. Fighting back the tears was a herculean task. As I sobbed, someone tapped my shoulder.

I turned. It was one of my roommates.

“Somebody is calling you down there,” he said.

“Down where?” I asked.

He didn’t reply, just ran off to the dining hall because it was dining time.

I got up and started unbuttoning my shirt. In the process, I felt something in my pocket. I dipped my hand in and pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper. Priscy’s letter to her secret senior lover.

I wanted to throw it away, but curiosity pinned me. I unfolded it and began to read:

 “Hi, sweet love,

I’m sorry for putting you through all this. I didn’t know how else I could have done it. Maybe I’m not romantic, but when I see a boy in love, I don’t need a magician to tell me. Anytime I see you, I see love in your eyes. Anytime I hear your voice, I hear love.

My heart’s a stereo. It beats for you, so listen close. Hear my thoughts in every note…”

I stopped reading because Jake had entered the room.

“KD, right after dining, we’re going to the prayer ground to pray. Don’t absent yourself, please.” His voice was serious.

Could this still be about that revelation? I was beginning to get worried.

He left, and I continued reading the letter:

 “I know you love me, and I also love you, but I’m waiting for you to tell me first. This time, don’t hide behind a sheet of paper. Don’t hide behind religious abracadabra. Come forward and tell me you love me. Take my hand, kneel down before me, propose to me. Let’s seal our relationship with a kiss. Just one kiss, love. Be a man and not a boy.

Your love is burning inside me like fire; only you can quench it. I need you. I want you. I love.

I’ll end here and wait for you to make the move.

Sincerely yours,

Priscy.”

I read the letter over and over again. She hadn’t written any name in it. Had she left it out on purpose, or by mistake?

I remembered what my roommate had said about someone calling me. I jumped out of bed, folded the letter, and slipped it into my pocket. I searched the campus everywhere but couldn’t find anyone.

“Ah, was this guy just making fun of me or was he serious?” I muttered to myself.

Since I was late for dining, I decided to go straight to the prayer ground and wait for Jake. When I got there, I saw no one but one girl.

Guess who? Priscy.

She was still on campus. Could she be the one who was calling me? I decided to ask her about it, and also who the recipient of the letter was.

“Oh finally, my angel is here. I’ve waited for you so long. I thought you would never come,” she said and hugged me.

I was shocked. Not too long ago, I was her “brother.” Now, her angel.

I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tighter. “So, Priscy, you want to date me too in addition to your senior?” I asked, my hands still around her waist.

“Senior? Oh KD, that letter is for you. Did you see any names in it? KD, I saw the way you looked at me the first time we met. I saw how your whole body froze anytime I spoke to you. KD, I know you love me, but until you open your mouth and tell me, I won’t know it.”

I released my grip, went down on one knee, and gently said, “Will you be my lover, Priscy?”

“Yes, yes, yes, and yes,” she said, laughing.

I didn’t care how “holy” the ground was. I didn’t care that we were on campus. I stood up and asked her to kiss me.

She smiled shyly. “Oh KD, I wish I could, but Jake is approaching. For the kiss… not this time, Love.”

Not This Time, Love Pt 29

I was so shocked. I felt cheated. I felt disappointed. How could I risk my life, my academics, and my attention for a girl, only to receive disappointment in return? At that moment, my only fear was that I wouldn’t collapse again like I did that morning at the library.

“Priscy… ermm… ermm… are you sure you want me to do this? I don’t even know this senior you’re so much in love with. So how will I be able to give him the letter?” I asked, my voice trembling.

I waited for a response, but surprisingly, she burst into laughter. Uncontrollable, loud laughter. I didn’t know why she was laughing so hard. I wished she’d stop and explain, but she couldn’t even control herself.

Did I say something funny? If it was that funny, how come I couldn’t laugh? Oh gosh.

Finally, after what felt like forever, she caught her breath and spoke.

“Oh, I’m sorry KD. I forgot to go over the letter, and I guess I’ve committed some dangerous grammatical mistakes too. Please read over it, make the necessary corrections before you send it to him. I know you’re a Literature student, so when it comes to the English language, you’re the expert any Science girl runs to,” she said—and then laughed again.

She was trying to make me laugh. But I couldn’t. Not even a fake smile.

What does she take me for? A stone? A tree? A dog? Even dogs have feelings, how much more a human being like me?

I had even forgotten about the letter I’d written for her. I folded it tightly and pushed it into my shirt pocket. I didn’t want to display my disappointment to her, but I could feel it leaking out of me like a bad secret. My face betrayed me. She must have seen it, but she pretended not to.

“I’m going to the boarding house to rest for a while. I’m feeling dizzy,” I lied. She nodded, probably believing me—or maybe just not wanting me to collapse a second time that day.

I turned to leave. The letter for her was still in my pocket. Was it still worth giving? After she’d just handed me one for a senior?

I decided to give it anyway. “There’s no harm in trying,” they say. I dipped my hand into my back pocket and pulled it out gently. I turned to look for her. But Priscy was nowhere to be found. It was as if she had snapped her fingers and vanished into thin air.

I decided to search for her.

On my way, I saw Jake with a Holy Bible tucked under his arm, talking to a girl. His posture told me everything—he was preaching, trying to win her over to his prayer group. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I walked on, still scanning for my Priscy.

And even with all her open displays of undying love for that senior, I still loved her. I didn’t know why. I didn’t know why her actions kept pushing me away, but something deep inside kept pulling me back. Was this love—or was it foolishness?

I was still pondering when I saw her approaching.

My heart started beating faster. My lips went dry. My hands refused to move. My eyelids forgot how to blink. I stood there like a stooge, frozen. She looked like an angel walking towards me.

She got to where I stood and smiled. “KD, are you done reading and editing my letter so soon? Awwww, you’re really a good brother.”

A good brother?

So all this while Priscy had seen me as her brother?

That blow cut deeper than the cane of the headmaster.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, handed her my letter silently, and turned away. My feet carried me back to the dormitory, but my heart stayed behind with her.

Not This Time, Love Pt 28

Immediately I heard the knock, fear gripped me. My whole body froze. Sweat rolled down my face as a thousand thoughts rushed through my mind. Who could be behind the gate? I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. I just waited, hoping the person would knock again and leave.

Then came footsteps. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. Each step grew louder, heavier, closer. I wished the earth could open and swallow me up, but it remained just a wish. The shame of being caught in the girls’ urinal would finish me more than any punishment. I shut my eyes and prayed silently that my worst fear wouldn’t come true.

The gate creaked open. My eyes flew wide—only to find no one inside but me.

“Ah! How’s this possible? Where did the person go?” I muttered. That’s when I realised: the knock and the footsteps weren’t from the girls’ urinal but the boys’. Fear had played games with my mind. Oh, what fear can do!

Relieved, I took out a piece of chalk and scrawled boldly on the wall: “I love you, Priscy.” I almost added my name but thought better of it. That would have been a recipe for disaster.

Now came the tricky part—getting out without being seen. I unlocked the gate slowly, carefully, and stepped out.

I almost fainted.

There he was—the headmaster—standing not far away, hands folded behind his back, a cane dangling from his right hand. Two unlucky students knelt nearby, already victims of his wrath.

My blood ran cold. If he saw me stepping out of the girls’ urinal? I didn’t even want to imagine. Thankfully, his back was turned. I tiptoed back inside and waited. Moments later, screams pierced the air. I peeped through a small hole and saw him lashing the two students mercilessly. My knees trembled, but my lips whispered a shaky prayer of thanks. I had escaped—for now.

“All because of love? Look at me suffering. Is it just me, or does everyone pay such a heavy price for love?” I kept asking myself, but there were no answers.

When the coast was finally clear, I slipped out and hurried to class. By then, the lesson was almost over. The teacher at the door refused me entry, telling me to wait outside until the period ended. I didn’t mind; I knew soon I’d hand my letter to Priscy.

As I leaned against the wall, trying to look invisible, my peace was short-lived. The headmaster again.

“Oh, not again! Why won’t this man just sit in his office and let me have some peace?” I muttered under my breath.

He spotted me and called me over. “Why are you outside when your mates are in class?”

I told him everything, trying to sound as innocent as possible. He was about to escort me back when the closing bell rang. Saved by the bell! He turned and walked off, leaving me free.

I didn’t bother going back to class. My moment had come. I marched straight to Priscy’s classroom, excitement bubbling in my chest. But disappointment hit me squarely in the face—again. A teacher stood in front of the class. Extra lessons. My hopes deflated like a burst balloon.

Frustrated, I turned to go find Jake. But then—sweet salvation.

“KD!”

Her voice rang like music. I didn’t need to guess. Priscy.

She walked up, smiling.

“Aren’t you part of the extra classes?” I asked.

“I was, but not anymore. I want to find something to eat—and also check on you,” she replied.

My heart warmed. I assured her I was fine.

Then she said the words that cracked my soul.

“Hey KD, you know what? I’ve written a lovely letter. Can you please give it to the senior for me?”

And just like that, she handed the letter over to me.

Not This Time, Love Pt 27

 

“A frog does not jump backwards,” our wise folks say. I had come too far to give up now. My aim was simple: win the heart of Priscy.

Jake’s so-called revelations? Oh, they could wait. I believed in prayer and in God, but the way Jake and his prayer group kept chasing me with scary prophecies was becoming unbecoming. “Two guests cannot be entertained satisfactorily at the same time.” I was faced with two options at closing: meet Priscy or meet Jake. But “he who wants what is under the bed must bend over to get it.” I wasn’t about to sacrifice Priscy’s meeting. I wanted her to read my letter. I was sure it would work its magic.

“No matter how dark the room is, a man will always find his way to the woman’s breast.” No matter the obstacles staring me in the face, I was optimistic I’d overcome them and win Priscy’s love.

On my way back from the canteen, belly full of fruit, I ran into Slim Bee—the same guy who, with his friends, had beaten up Jake. I’d seen him around before but never spoken to him. One good look at his face, and I thought he could land a role in any Hollywood horror movie. His two brown eyes were so far apart they looked like they belonged to two different people. His monstrous nose nearly swallowed his upper lip. No wonder Priscy couldn’t stand him. I couldn’t imagine how such a scary face had the confidence to chase after a beautiful girl like her.

I didn’t bother greeting him; I was afraid his looks might infect me. I just stared, then walked away. Every ten steps, I slipped my hand into my pocket to make sure the letter was still there.

Then nature called. At the urinal, something caught my eye: the wall. Covered with scribbles. Some students advertised their street names, others wrote unprintable insults at seniors known for bullying juniors. And then, an idea struck me. Why not sneak into the girls’ urinal and write my undying love for Priscy on the wall? Risky? Yes. Daring? Absolutely. But I was desperate.

I rushed back to class, grabbed some broken chalk from the floor, and kept the pieces in my pocket. From the moment I first saw Priscy, I had stopped thinking with my head. Now my heart was doing all the reasoning. I didn’t care about getting caught. Winning her attention was worth any price.

I decided to wait. During and just after break, the urinals were always crowded. After about thirty minutes, I asked permission from the teacher to step out. The Social Studies lesson was interesting, but the urge to win Priscy’s heart was stronger.

At the girls’ urinal, I waited a good five minutes to be sure no one was inside. No one went in, no one came out. Finally, I slipped in and locked the gate. Empty. Perfect.

I pulled out the chalk, found a bare space on the wall, and raised my hand to write.

Just then, a knock came at the gate.

Not This Time, Love Pt 26

I could be punched by Mayweather, Pacquiao, Bukom Banku, or even Ayitey Powers a million times and still be walking, but to be in love with someone who doesn’t love me back? I’d be dead in a day.

I was shattered when Priscy told me she was falling for one of the seniors—and then had the guts to ask me to help her get him. It felt as if my whole life had come to a halt. I just sat there watching her talk. I didn’t even hear what she was saying anymore; all I saw was the movement of her lips.

I grew weaker and weaker. Dizzy. The room started spinning. Then I dropped from my chair to the floor. For a moment, I thought I was dead. I thought it was the end. I thought I saw Death himself, telling me to go back because my time wasn’t up.

Then I came back to life. My strength returned, my eyes opened—and there was Priscy kneeling beside me, her hands shaking. She was screaming my name but stopped the moment she saw me wake up. Fear was written all over her face.

The librarian rushed over and asked what had happened. Priscy explained that we’d been talking and I had suddenly fallen to the floor, unconscious. Since the break was already over, he told us to go back to class. Priscy promised to check on me during the second break, but I told her I’d be going to the dining hall then.

In truth, I was thinking of a plan. I needed to act fast before I lost Priscy to that senior. She had taken the best part of me—my heart—and I’d come too far to let her slip away. To sit back and watch her run into someone else’s arms would be like handing my bitterest enemy a loaded gun and asking him to shoot me. As the saying goes, “You never realize how much you love someone until you watch them love someone else.”

I didn’t get time to write the letter during class, so at second break I sacrificed my lunch again. I waited until my classmates had gone out, pulled out a sheet of paper, and started writing:

---

Dear Priscy,

I wish I had known you were ready to love and be loved. I wish I had known that behind the “prayer director” title burned an unquenchable desire to be loved. Priscy, I have tried hard to hide my feelings for you for far too long. Now I’m ready to unleash all these months of bottled-up love.

I love you in a way that consumes me. I want you to be mine. I want to wrap you in my arms, skin against skin, hands intertwined, so you can fall asleep to the sound of my heartbeat. Don’t give your heart to any other guy. Promise me you will never be anybody’s darling but mine.

I will care for your heart. I will care for your body. I will feed you with love. I will be honest, faithful, and kind to you. Priscy, give your love to me and let me give you mine. Let us join our hearts together and love each other like nobody’s business.

I hope to get a positive reply from you.

Your secret lover,

KD

---

When I finished writing the letter, I was starving. I decided to go and buy some fruit to eat. On my way, I met Jake. He still looked weak. I knew he was still fasting. I almost pitied him, because the same girl he was fasting and praying for was busy chasing after a senior’s heart.

“Hey KD, you couldn’t come for the afternoon prayers. Priscy was there, and I thought you’d also come but you didn’t,” he said.

“Yes, I couldn’t come, but I’ll try and make it in the evening,” I replied.

“Ermm, KD,” he continued, “there’s been another revelation about you. I hope we can meet after closing so we can talk about it. Please try and meet me after closing.”

He said that and walked away.

Closing time? The same time I’d planned to meet Priscy? Like seriously?

Not This Time, Love Pt 25

“Can we go now?” Jake asked Priscy, acting as though he hadn’t even seen me standing there talking to her. His behaviour felt disrespectful and rude. I couldn’t understand why he always loved to act like a boss. No wonder he had received those dirty punches from the guys.

I stayed calm and waited for Priscy’s response.

“Ermm, KD wants to discuss something with me at the library, and I don’t want what happened yesterday to repeat itself,” she said.

As soon as Priscy spoke, Jake turned and walked out of the class without a word. I knew he was angry. One thing Jake couldn’t stand was being challenged. He always wanted his words to be followed religiously, without question. So when Priscy spoke like that, I knew trouble was looming.

I had wanted to follow Jake—to convince him not to go—but I didn’t. After sacrificing my breakfast just to meet Priscy, I wasn’t ready to miss this opportunity for anyone.

We went to the library. The place was so quiet, almost eerie. The only person there was the librarian, whose face was buried in a book. He was so absorbed that he didn’t even respond to our greetings.

We went to the far end of the library and opened books in front of us, pretending to be reading. Now it was time to start talking, but I was nervous. She was waiting to hear something from me, yet I kept flipping pages as if my prepared speech was hidden somewhere in the book.

“So, KD,” she said at last, “why are we here? You said you wanted to discuss something with me. I hope it’s not about Jake?”

I didn’t know what to say. I badly needed to know what had happened the previous day, but looking at her posture, I could tell she wasn’t ready to go into the nitty-gritty with me. “Whether it was the tenant who seduced the landlord’s wife, or the landlord who seduced the tenant’s wife, it’s the tenant who would leave the house,” I told myself.

I didn’t really care to know what had transpired. My target was to win her heart, and the first step was to know if it was my letter she had received.

I asked her about the letter she’d gotten the previous day.

As soon as I asked, she beamed with a smile. I knew it was only my letter that could do that kind of magic—not any other guy’s.

“KD, honestly I don’t think Slim Bee wrote that letter. I tried to convince Jake that it wasn’t that guy but another person, but Jake wouldn’t listen,” she replied. She continued, “I even have the letter in my pocket. I asked Slim Bee about it, and he vehemently denied ever writing it. He even showed me his notebook and asked me to compare the handwriting. They weren’t the same. Now my headache is to find this secret lover.”

When she said that, I wanted to scream at the top of my voice and confess that the secret lover was sitting right before her—but I didn’t. I didn’t know how she would take it. I was terrified that if I confessed, I’d lose her.

“Can I also read the letter?” I asked.

She smiled and handed it to me. I read it and—hurraaaaaaaay—it was my letter.

“KD, I don’t know what to do now,” she said. “I guess this person must be in love with me. I couldn’t sleep last night. I read the letter over and over again. No wonder I still have it in my pocket. I wish I could reply to this guy, but I don’t know how, because he didn’t even write his name in the letter. I’m very sure it’s one of the seniors. The words in the letter just won’t leave my head. I never knew I could arrest the attention of a guy in such a manner.”

She stopped talking for a moment, looked me straight in the eye, and said, “KD, will you help me get this senior? Please do me this favour. And I beg you, don’t tell Jake. Let this remain between the two of us.”

I was shocked to the core, hearing her pour those words into my ears. A prayer director? Falling for a senior—and needing my help to get him? Could this be some weird dream I was having?

Not This Time, Love Pt 24

“The cane that was used to beat the first wife is the same cane that would be used to beat the second wife.” Jake’s story frightened me. I knew, without a doubt, that if I wasn’t careful, I would also end up in excruciating pain like him. Jake broke into tears after his story. I tried to console him and told him I would take up the matter and deal with those rascals.

I had never seen those boys before. I didn’t know how big or strong they were. I didn’t even know if I could beat them or not. But as our wise folks say, “If the cockroach wants to rule over the chicken, then it must hire the fox as a bodyguard.” I needed a plan—a very good plan—to put those rascals in their place. We went back to the dormitory to sleep.

That night on my bed, I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about Priscy and those rascals. Was it even worth it to fight them? From Jake’s account, Priscy had run away as soon as the boys pounced on him. Could that be a sign that one day, if I finally held her heart, she’d run away and leave me too? Or was that even the full truth of what Jake told me? “Until the rotten tooth is pulled out, the mouth must chew with caution.” I decided to delay my judgment until I heard the other side of the story. I said a short prayer and finally slept.

I woke up the next day rejuvenated, poised to face whatever would come. I said a short prayer. I read my Bible. I went to do my morning duty. I took my bath, dressed up neatly, and grabbed my bag. Just when I was about to leave the dormitory, Jake called me.

He told me about a bad dream he’d had. In the dream, he was being lynched by a group of people. Luckily, I came to his rescue. We prayed about the dream and I went out, leaving him to finish getting ready. I knew it was the heavy punches from those guys that made him dream like that. I wasn’t scared of the dream, because even if it came true, I would be his rescuer—not the one being lynched.

I decided to sacrifice breakfast that day. I didn’t want to go to the dining hall. I used the time instead to meet Priscy. I needed her side of the story. How had she managed to run away and leave Jake to his fate? And the letter—the letter that had sparked the fight. Could it be the one I’d written to her? Or was it another letter entirely? If it was mine, I had to clean the mess. How? Well, I’d do it my own way.

I’m sure you’re wondering if I would run to Priscy and confess that I was the one writing the letters, not the other guy. Far from that. That would be the dumbest thing I could ever do. I wouldn’t stop writing her anonymous love letters. She would keep receiving them until I finally got hold of her heart and made it mine.

“If a snake does not act like a snake, little children will use it to tie firewood.” I gathered all the courage within me and went to Priscy’s class. She looked especially pretty that day. As soon as she saw me, she smiled.

I have seen over a million smiles from pretty ladies, but hers was my favorite. I fell in love with the way she touched me without even using her hands. My love for her consumed my thoughts and captured my heart. Right there and then, I wished I could go down on my knees and propose to her—just like they do it in the movies—but I controlled myself.

“Are you going out for break?” I asked her.

“No, I don’t feel like eating this morning.”

“Okay, can we go to the library then? I want us to talk about something.”

I made the request, and before she could even answer, Jake appeared from nowhere.