Ofures POV:
I sinned, and it must have been a big one because God doesn't seem to want to forgive me. Things never went my way, ever!. I was a fool to have hoped, to have wanted this so bad that I let my guard down and hope. I was the most pessimistic person I knew, yet for some reason, I thought, finally, my happiness was near.
When ifeanyi left earlier, I was excited. I knew it wasn't fair to yeti but I couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like for I and ifeanyi to be together, no baggage 'well, I did have many". Just none of his baggage. We would be so happy together, I thought. I didn't care for school anymore, the only thing that was on my mind was being with him. Lying naked, our bodies entwined into one big beautiful mess. Just laughing and enjoying each others company, he would be mine and I his. I'd go over to his house, cook , clean and just be a normal girlfriend; you know, the ones I see on TV. Love, marriage, romance. Those were never my things. I didn't care much for them, I felt they slowed a person down. But my feelings for ifeanyi made me feel super, faster, stronger.
When I heard him knock, I ran to the gate, ignoring the slight pain in my abdomen. As soon as I saw him, I jumped on him, he was mine at last. But then I saw his face and I knew that something was wrong well now I know that it wasn't just wrong, it was terribly wrong, horribly wrong in fact. What kind of person would I be if u denied a child the privilege of growing up with a father to satisfy my own desires. I just couldn't!.
"I have to go". I said, numbly starring into space.
" go, go where?". He replied confused.
"I have to make a trip, outside Benin".
"Ofure, you're going to run away? Please let's try and hash this out".
" there is nothing to hash out ifeanyi, it is what it is".
"Ofure I know how you must be feeling".
" I doubt that".
"Ofure..."
"Ifeanyi its fine, it's whatever, I'm good".
" ofure there is a possibility the baby isn't mine, I can't...."
"Hey, hey, don't do that. Don't be a jerk. Yeti was your fiancée, of course you two were having sex. Don't try to paint her in a bad light because of your feelings for me". I said getting irritated, ifeanyi was better than that. He knew better than to be such a sexist pig.
" ofure...."
"I have to pack". I stood up and headed to the room, picking up a random box, I started to throw clothes in. I needed to get out of here, go to a safe place. I couldn't be in the same space as him, couldn't be in the same city as him. My heart was tearing inside my chest, or was it breaking. I don't know, I just it felt awful.
" where are you going ".
" out of town".
"I knew that but where".
" owerri".
"Owerri, By this time?". When I didn't respond he said. " what is in owerri".
"Peace".
" that's it". I said nothing again. "When will you be back".
" when I've had enough of peace".
"Is there nothing I can do to make you stay".
" you know I won't ".
" I love you".
"I wish that were enough".
" it is for me, I want you".
"Go and be with you family, you have a child on the way, go and be there for it. Nothing is more important than the bond between a parent and their child".
"Is it another man". I slapped him, just because I couldn't take it anymore. His words were the last straw that broke the camels back, they opened the dam and my anger flowed. He put his hand on his cheek and looked at me with surprise.
" I don't know what you are insinuating but you at the one who is standing here, preaching love to me, while there is a pregnant fiancée waiting for you at home. Please just go!. I made a huge mistake with you, falling for you was stupid. Now I'm behind on everything. The countless lectures I have missed, being with you, thinking of you, pining for you, crying over you. Rest assured I'm going to fail your father in-laws class because he is cruel like that. The headache, the time, the strength I wasted on you, time I should have used to do something meaningful with my life. Now i have burned the bridge between i and my sister, all because of you!. I wasn't meant to have nice things, seem that was preordained before creation. Yet I pursued it, pursued you, look where it has gotten me. A pathetic sobbing mess, before you, this was never me". I let out a mirthless laugh as the tears flowed from my eyes. "I'm just a big fool".
He was aching to hold me, I could see it in his eyes. But he knew better, his eyes were misty too. He was holding back his own tears, I felt stupid for crying. Still the tears wouldn't stop flowing.
" God knows, I want nothing more than to be with you. God knows how I feel, here". He placed his hand on his chest.
"God knows, this isn't healthy. I have to go".
" what is your surname".
"What?"
"Your surname".
" why would you even ask me that".
"I just want to know it, if you're going to leave me. At least tell me this one last thing".
" omokuhi, ofure omokuhi ".
" I promise you, one day it would be nwachuckwu. I swear it on my mother's grave".
"Don't swear over something that isn't going to happen".
" you just watch and see". I see resilience in his eyes, but I'm not hopeful because I'm sure that, this is the end.
"I have to go".
" let me at least drop you at the park". I wanted to argue but I was spent, both emotionally and physically so I just nodded my head.
He carried my bags to the car and after locking up, I went to meet up with him.
The drive was awkward to say the least, with him trying so hard to speak to me and me ignoring him as much as I could.
When we got to the park it was already five o' clock.
"Its quite late o and owerri is far, are you sure you'd not wait and go tomorrow".
" no, I have to go today".
"Why"
"Because I need peace".
" okay, we have to communicate some how, let me have your number".
"Ifeanyi, we can't do this. You have to let me go".
" its just harmless conversation ".
" you know it can never be just harmless with you and I".
"Please don't punish me like this".
" you too, don't punish me. Can't you see I'm in pain ifeanyi. If you really loved me, you'd let me go".
"I do love you".
" then let me go". There was silence for a while, I could feel time slipping away, soon the buses would be full and there'd be no way I would be able to make the trip anymore. So I opened the door and got out of the car.
"Ofure" he called out longingly. But I banged the door and walked straight into the park, not looking back once, for fear that if I did, I might be forced to stay.
New update coming up in a ahort while.
Forgive me for the errors.
Who is in owerri?
What is ofure going to do there?
Why have her village people decided to ruin her like this?
Stay tuned, coming up.