How I Fell In Love

I stood staring at them.
They were beautiful. Very!
They stood and kissed and forgot that people exist.
Then a tear fell. I looked away.
Then more came.
I didn’t want to remember but i did.

Wednesday
And when i did i was thrown back in time.
Some five years back.
I stood under the tree. And i watched her.
She was beautiful yunno?
In a fairly sort of way. And i love fairly.
If i needed the best looking girl in the class that would have been my best friends fight. Paul loves Ada. I wasn’t a fan of pretty anyway.
So i watched her. She wanted to buy something at the school kiosk. I had no money on me. I had nothing. I only had love.

I stood close to the kiosk and joined the students shouting for their orders. I needed Mason to see me. And he was looking. But i had no money on me.
So i pressed forward and rested my slim and petite body on the wall of the small supermarket and asked the owner if he could change my one thousand naira to smaller denomination.
‘I no get change’ he shouted admist the growing noise.
I quickly looked to the tree and pretended to be scanning the area for somebody i was looking for. And when i didn’t see what I supposedly was looking for, i walked to the class.
I was aware that Masons eyes were following me. I changed my style of walk thrice and prayed he didn’t notice. I was nervous. I loved having his attention. I loved the way he looked at me. He wasn’t actually the best student neither was he the amongst the handsome. But he stood out yunno? Just the way i wanted him to. I loved that. Well, to be sincere, i loved the feeling. The tingly-mushy feeling. I think i just like him and will make him my friend first before we go further.
I got to the class. And entered.
‘Joyce,’ i heard. And turned . ‘He looks lovey dovey all alone. And he has been watching you. He never looked away.’ My seat mate was gushing.

I was standing.
She didn’t see me, i thought. Oh damn! I love the girl.

The bell for the end of the break broke my thought and fantasy.

Friday.
I limped down to the class. I needed to clean up the small wound i sustained playing the ongoing football match. Blue house were winning. And i was needed back in the field to complete my team. So i needed to rush.
I entered the class and froze. Look at Joyce and her friends. I thought they should be watching the game?
I recovered quickly.
‘. What happened to your leg Mason?’ The lightest of them all asked me.
‘Ball’ i shortened the reply as I ruffled in my school bag for some bandages i kept for times like this.
‘Sorry…do you have to go back?’ I didn’t recognize the voice so i had to look towards them to know who to address. Joyce smiled. I foolishly smiled back.
‘I do’ i replied as calmly as i could.
I stood up and walked out of the class.
‘I will see you later’ i chirped.

Blessing started jumping and clapping. She was the craziest of us all. And i couldn’t do anything other than to wait for when she was going to talk. And so i waited.
And as she calmed, ‘he said he was going to see you later’ she inserted breathlessly.
I caught my head in my hands. I couldn’t hide the emotions. I couldn’t wait.

After school was never too interesting for me. I said bye to my friends and that alone was why i hated everything about school closing hours. I limped to the gate and past it.
‘Mason’ someone called. I stopped as best as i could.
And turned to see Joyce breathlessly trying to catch up with me.
‘You are a fast guy even when limping’ she said. I smiled. I am.
‘You said something about seeing me later’ she quickly cut me from saying something.
‘Yeah’ i said. I was trying to remember when i said that. She looked at me and realized that i was lost. ‘In the class’ she added.
Ohhhhh….i didnt say i was gonna see her. Did i? I thought i meant it as bye bye.
Well, she is here….my heart started beating faster than an airplane. I pulled her along as we walked to the corner ahead.
‘I love you….’ I paused. ‘…i wanted to tell you. I have been wanting to tell you. I need to tell… i think… i …. ‘ i was scratching my head nervously now.
She looked at me and frowned.
I was scared. I wanted to disappear. I never asked someone out. She was gonna say no.
‘…you too’ reality dawned on me slowly.
She was smiling.
I didn’t get that. ‘You said?’
‘I love you too’
I smiled.

Then i was the happiest man in school.
My senior secondary school three continued good. I was very lucky.
Then she came one day.
‘Mason’ she called softly when we were sitting in my house after the days NECO exams.
‘I am going to be flying out of the state’ she said.
Then i sat down close to her for three minutes. Then i cried.
And i cried.

I searched for the last letter she wrote to me before going.
I will always love you. It read.
Then i remembered those lovers outside my school apartment in the university.

Younglan Louis