It was Drizzling that Sunday evening when out of boredom I decided to go online, Facebook precisely to kill the boredom through good chat with friends. I logged into my accout, behold a young beautiful girl that bears the name Echefulachi, an Igbo traditional name which means "Do not forget God" wow, I exclaimed because that happen to be my native name too and haven't seen anyone who bears the exact name. "Hey beautiful' i initiate a conversation. " Hello handsome" she reply almost immediately. The conversation got interesting as we both get to knowing each other more. "Can we talk on phone" she asked. Why not, I replied with an ease. She requested I send her my number which I did because she is really beautiful. Just as I dropped my phone number to her, she beeped me immediately and I knowing she's the one, called her. "Hey" I initiated. "Hey" she responded and after a long conversation, we happened to come from the same town called 'Mbaise" A clan in the Southeast of Nigeria. The first conversation ended well and I kind of like her sense of humor. She's social and fluent with the use of well constructed English. I think that was the primary factor that captured my heart for her.
Late that evening, she dropped a message "Hey can you come online please" I smile on receiving that message from her. "I'm there already" I replied. Trying to go online, but couldn't because the network was really bad. "I'm sorry, my network is really bad. Catch you by morning" "No problem, have a good night and dream about me" she replied with a Smile emoji. I was happy and i retired to see a movie on my phone and later I slept off.
It was a Monday morning and I have to rush for my early morning lecture by 7am. She called severally, but I couldn't take the calls because it's out of class rule to pick calls while Mac 301 lecture is going. "Can you call back please,I'm in class" I dropped her that message but never got a reply. "She's angry" I assumed... After the class, I tried reaching her, but her phone was switched off. I tried severally that day, next day, week, but couldn't reach her and she wasn't coming online. "I hope she's safe" I said to myself and I got mood swing (sad) immediately.
Few weeks, my dad got ill and I had to travel from school to the village Because he requested for my presence. While I was in the village, I left her a message on Facebook letting her know I'm in the village. Just that same evening, my dad kicked the bucket and I was pained and heartbroken. "What is going on, Dad is gone and the only friend that knows how to make me smile is nowhere to be found" I soliloquizes.
Month and few days later, in that month of August, I got a console message which reads "sorry for your lost, please take heart and be strong.
Love: Jessica.
I never knew her name is Jessica. I immediately dialled the number and behold it was her voice. "Hey handsome" You left me worried with no message nor call, I said to her with tears in my eyes." It was like I lost two important persons the same time" "I'm really sorry" she responded. Anyways, I'm glad you're OK" I respond. I will be going baçk to school in two days time, do you mind we see before I live? I asked. " Definitely, I will love for us to see" she whispered. "OK then" I responded.
That beautiful Sunday afternoon, I journeyed to her village, Ezebuogu, alongside my big cousin Iyke. Iyke is a building Engineer, with a beautiful wife " Naza" and they are blessed with three beautiful kids, Emma, Franklin and Adanna. It was a beautiful engage that evening as I was so happy to see my long time facebook lover, Echefulachi. This is Vinna, my elder sister" She introduced. Hey vinna" we exchanged pleasantries, with a beautiful smile. "It seems you guys are from a family of beautiful smiles, I chipped and everyone smiled as Jessica leads us to a bar by the west part of the Ekeala market, Adjacent of st.Charles Catholic church. We had a good time and we got acquainted. She is really loving," I think I like her, that's a good choice you made bro" Iyke whispered to me and I Smile unable to take my eyes off her beauty." It's getting late and you guys have to start going before the traffic gets bad" Jessica insisted.. We finished up our drinks and she (Jessica) walked me to the Pos machine and I made some cash withdrawal to pay off our bill at the bar and they walked us to the park, and she bid us a safe journey with a mouth-to-mouth kiss. "I will come visiting by next weekend" she whispered to my ear. "I will be waiting" I whispered back to her ear. "OK, but don't get me pregnant" she whispered with a smile on her face and I looked back at her with a smile and a nod and off we go. That night, she couldn't let my phone rest with sweet romantic text messages.
The relationship got better each day and we get very used to each other with no big fights and arguments. "This is all I wanted" I said to myself.
Seconds into minutes and Hours into days and behold the proposed weekend is here. She arrived safely and I made her cowskin (kpomo) stew, which she said is her favorite. She enjoyed the meal and had her shower and I let her get her siesta because it was noon and a long day for her. I stepped outside the Corridor to sit with a Neighbour friend "Lawrence"
Lawrence is an aspiring regea musician with a great talent in choice of words (lyrics) We had a good rehearsing time with a bottle of Smirnoff vodka and Oris slim cigarette.
Later that eveing,Jessica is up already, so we stroll to a nearby bar (grace bar) and had some more drinks with friends and we retire home late that evening, had our shower, had dinner and we had the most beautiful conversation that night. It was an awesome night of romance, kiss and love making, after which we both were exhausted, we rushed into the bathroom for a quick shower and we slept on each others arms till dawn.
It's indeed a four days of beautiful and wonderful love experience as I felt like a married man "smile" we had a business plan because I love business and I have been saving for long for it to be a reality. She agreed we go into Ladies bags and Bumpers which is indeed a lucrative business and I agreed. Two days later, I travelled to Aba in the eastern part of the country to make purchase of the stocks we need to sale, with the help of my Old time school mate, Steven Bassey" Steven hails from Akwa Ibom state, but resides in Aba. After which I couldn't return to The south that evening, so I spent the night at Stevens.
Early, the next morning, it was a Wednesday morning, I set off to the bathroom so I can return to the south in time. "Hey baby, I'm bored here, please come back already" her message beeped my phone. "On it already" I replied and hurried my bath. It was about 6:45am that Wednesday morning and I'm set to journey as my friend Steven see me off to the AKTC park and I board a cab to Eket. Just about 2pm in the afternoon, I arrived my lodge and behold she is seated-in-wait outside the house as she sees me and hurried up to helped me with the luggage. While I got into the house, she hugged me passionately and served me my meal after I had taken my bath. We sat and soughted the items and we packed them into different bags to ease her the stress of carrying them back to east for sale.
Just that Friday morning, Jessica was ready to travel back to east and I accompanied her to the park at Uyo, the capital city of the state, where she board a taxi to Mbaise, our home town.
It was a safe and smooth journey back home as she have friends waiting for the stocks already to patronize and she made a good sale on the first and second days of marketing.
On the Sunday, she promised to send some cash across so I can keep up Because I used all my savings to make that purchase. It was getting to evening and I havnt got the alert, I called her severally, no answers and no returns. I got worried and I tried logging online to see if everything is OK with her, then I find out she is online. I sent her a message, she read it and ignored. "What's going on" I said to myself. "Could it be her account has been hacked" but, later that evening, I called her with Lawrence number, she picked, on hearing my voice, she hung the call. At about 9pm that evening, she sent me a message " please, I need a brake" I could not understand the message, then I tried calling her with my line, she busied my numerous calls and the last message came "Hey, you're a good guy but I'm sorry because I don't think I love you anymore. don't bother about me, I'm not at home. I have travelled and I'm fine. it's over between us" "what wrong have I done" I asked her but there was no reply. I called back immediately with different lines but she switched off her cellphone. I called her family and no one knows her way about.
Days got darkened, weeks got darkened and she never came back nor returned any of either the goods or the money "My heart is gone, my money is gone" I stared at the moon with tears dripping from my eyes. "How will I start all over when there's no one to help me. That Night, I smoked and drank myself to stupor, but to no avail. I wished she never left. I wished death come and take me. I wished she will come back and just knock on the door, but she slammed the door permanently and left me BROKEN. I cried, there was no shoulder to lean upon. The night got so long to brake dawn. I was left alone, heartbroken and financially Broken. Birds became my comforter, and tears became my daily meal.
THE END.