By Muhammed Akindele
I saw this beautiful girl in the A40 Lecture Hall. Her beauty was so alluring that I felt a sense of low self-esteem. I didn’t know what to do and started shaking. In my mind, I decided that if I didn’t approach this girl, “God would not forgive me”. I rehearsed what to say, but when I tried to approach her, I forgot everything and went back to sit down. Despite this, I remembered my vow, so I went back to her.
This time around, I didn’t practice anything. I just went straight to her and sat beside her. “Hello,” I said. She replied, and we started talking. I didn’t want to let myself down again. I was determined to give it my all. The conversation was going smoothly, and finally, I got what I was looking for, her number. I told myself this was just the first step, a stepping stone. I called her the next day, and we met up and talked more.
Everything was going well, and she was giving me positive vibes. I felt on top of the world. I thought that if this girl could be mine, I would be the happiest man in the world.
The next day, we met again, but this time she wanted to know more about me because we were getting too attached. I was very happy and made sure to use perfume and dress well. When we met, we chatted, but then she asked me, “Are you from Ilorin?” I was shocked and wondered what that meant. I said no. She replied, “Oh, this is a red flag. My father would not allow me to be with a man outside Ilorin.” I was surprised. I couldn’t believe such a culture existed.
She explained that her parents would not allow her to be with someone who isn’t from Ilorin. Now, she asked me to be her friend instead. “What a counteroffer,” I said to myself, as I couldn’t believe it and felt sad. I went from top to bottom, in Buhari’s voice. I told her I would think about it and went home feeling down.
When I got home, I blocked and deleted her number from my contacts. I decided that if she couldn’t be mine, I couldn’t be her friend either.
The love I felt suddenly disappeared, and that’s how my love story ended.