You see the truth is I knew what I wanted from her, in fact from the moment I saw her, I knew what I felt for her but then again I couldn’t say it, not because I didn’t want to but I didn’t know how to say it. So when she asked me “….what’s up with you?” I froze again but this time I was able to unfreeze myself quickly

I told her I was going to answer all her questions and even tell her more but first, she needs to tell me more about herself, as a matter of fact, I want to know everything about her. She looked at me with the kind of eyes that says you can’t be serious and I looked at her with the kind of eyes that says I am damn serious, she took a deep breath, then she began her story.

“My real name is Nkechi Smith and I’m an orphan, I have two younger sisters whom I provide and care for….”, as she went on to tell me all about herself that beautiful smile I use to see disappeared and for the first time I could actually see the real person behind that face, I saw a lady who carried so much pain and responsibilities but still finds a way to stay strong even though we might say her means of survival isn’t a good one but then again she had to do what she could do. She told me about how her father died of thinking, he had an accident and lost his arms which made him lost his job then her mother left him because of that. She opted to stay with her dad when her mother left with her two sisters but after the death of her father, she went to live with her mother who had remarried.

Her stepfather was the person that destroyed her life, she was 9 when she moved in, and her siblings who are twins, by the way, were 4 years old. Her stepfather at first was very nice to her, gives her money, buys her things and even enjoys spending time with her but as time went on he began to make his real intention known. The first time her stepfather touched her, she was 12, she had just returned from school, mum wasn’t home with her siblings, after doing all the necessary things she had to do, she took a nap only to wake up to see her stepfather caressing her breast, she tried to politely stop him which she did but with a smile on his face, her stepdad said “I was only trying to confirm how much of a woman you are becoming” after which he gave her money to go buy  stuff for herself. She wasn’t sure how to tell her mum because they didn’t really see eye to eye due to the fact that when her mother left her dad, she stayed behind. Eventually, that very day that changed her whole life came, her stepdad finally forced his way on her and when she told her mother what had happened  she didn’t believe her and threatened to even chase her out of the house that she wanted to spoil her happy home. So for the next two years, she kept mute as her stepdad continued to sleep with her and give her money afterwards, saying “this is for being a good girl”.

I have to say I have never heard a story as sad as hers, what she went through after the untimely death of her mother is something that shouldn’t even be spoken about. Eventually, she grew some sort of confidence and ran out of the house to the street and like we all know the street of Lagos is not a conducive environment for a 17-year-old girl, let alone a 17-year-old girl with two younger sisters to carter for. 

The street became their home, sleeping under different bridges every night, it got to a point I had to stop her from talking, aside from the fact that I could see the sadness in her and teardrops rolling down her eyes, I for one couldn’t stand it either, I was emotionally broken with everything she had said. I went to the kitchen, fetch food and drink, told her we would talk better in the morning that if of course she still wants to talk. After she had eaten and we both had some shot of alcohol in our system, she slept off and as I watched her sleep, it only became clearer that this is the girl I am going to marry.