The Mercenery

She met him through a friend.
The friend was a guy she met while she 
was attending an evening lesson meant 
to help prepare her for WAEC.
The friend was the type she couldn’t 
date even if she wanted to.
They just weren’t attracted to each 
other that way.
They were both average students.
As their examination was fast approaching, 
her friend told her about a guy! A mercenary!
A brilliant guy who has agreed to help out 
during the examination for free!
They were both desperate to make their 
results at this point!
She had written WAEC four times while 
her friend had written WAEC five times!
They both needed to have at least a C in 
Mathematics and English language to 
complete their papers.
She worked as a salesgirl in a supermarket 
to pay for the WAEC form.
She desperately needed to gain admission.
Her immediate younger sister was going to 
be writing the same examination with her.
She really didn’t want her sister to overtake her.
She asked her friend if the guy could help her too.
Her friend said he would put in a word for her!
Examination week arrived, the guy showed up.
The plan was simple 
(I cannot detail the plan here).
The plan worked!
Some teachers in the village school where 
they pulled the stunt worked hand in gloves 
with them!
Many of the other candidates also benefitted.
The third paper finished around 6pm.
He could have left with the 4pm bus but 
she was desperate and begged him to stay 
and help them with the oral English and 
objective questions too! 
She saw the way he worked earlier that 
morning and wouldn’t dare let the opportunity 
pass her by!
By the time they were done, he couldn’t get 
a bus out of the village!
He had to sleep in the village till the next day.
Her friend was sharing a room with his two 
younger sisters.
All they had to sleep on were mats.
She had a mattress and she was staying alone.
Her friend told her to accommodate him 
till the next morning!
She was not a child
She said no!
She told her friend she would vacate the room 
for him and share the mat with her friend’s 
sisters!
They agreed!
They went to her house to have dinner 
around 7 pm.
The village didn’t have electricity.
Her friend went to the palm wine joint to 
get some palm wine while she was cooking 
and chatting with him.
It began to rain mangoes.
What!! 
The rain was so heavy, her friend
 couldn’t return!
She was stuck with him.
It was not a problem.
He was such a baby, he slept off 
while she was still cooking!
She spread some cloth on the floor and 
slept at a safe distance away from him!
She was fully dressed!
She wasn’t taking chances!
The cold of the night was crazy.
At about 2AM the ground became too 
cold to bear, she rolled to the bed!
It was as if he had been waiting for her.
As soon as her body touched his, he 
turned her to face him and began
 unapologetically to work on her body!
It was the cold! 
They were both freezing in their bones.
The touch changed everything!
It was a relief.
It was also very practical.
She couldn’t count the number of 
times they had sex.
It lasted for hours.
It was the crow of the cockerels that 
shushed them to sleep!
Luckily she didn’t have any paper 
scheduled for later that day!
She woke up around 9am!
They quickly removed any evidence 
of what happened!
She had her bath and went to her 
friend’s house!
She made sure she spent like two hours 
with her friend and his sisters before 
they returned to her room!
When they got to her room he was up 
and fully dressed.
He was ready to leave!
She kept away from him, she did so 
deliberately.
She was ashamed of what happened 
and she didn’t want her friend or his 
sisters to know what happened!
He didn’t try to force the issue either!
He mentioned her name several times 
while they talked, but when she didn’t 
take the bait he shrugged it off!
He left around 1pm.
She forgot all about him!
Months later the result were released 
and she passed.
She gained admission.
School resumed.
Lectures resumed!
She started adapting to life on campus!
She met him at the cafeteria.
He was with some ladies.
She recognized him immediately.
She even smiled at him.
He walked right by her, as if she was 
a total stranger.
He didn’t even show any indication 
that he recognized her.
She didn’t know why but she was 
hurt by his attitude.
She just didn’t get why he treated 
her that way!
She started looking out for him.
She wanted to walk up to him and 
tell him off!
She really couldn’t help herself!
She couldn’t let it go!
Her chance came three days later.
She saw him at the library.
She walked up to him.
She introduced herself.
She said, “I am so and so‘s friend!
You came to such and such village 
last year to help us with our WAEC 
examination!”
He looked at her and it clicked!
She saw his reaction!
He really hadn’t recognized her before.
He wasn’t being a snub.
He held her hand and led her to a seat.
They talked and talked for hours.
He kept her by his side from that 
moment on.
They moved on as if they had always 
been together.
He didn’t ask her out.
She didn’t expect him to.
The body language and their conversations 
were automatic and in sync.
They were a couple.
They were meant to be.
They were the real deal! 
They were the type of couple you will meet 
and tell yourself, "Life is beautiful".
He graduated and went off to serve in 
Taraba state.
She was in 300 level when he left.
Weeks later, the Joint Campus Student 
Fellowship organized a crusade.
She attended.
She gave her life to Christ.
That same day, at the Corper's fellowship in 
Taraba, he also gave his life to Christ!
Later that night when they were having their 
usual midnight call, they both gushed with 
glory as they shared the testimony of their 
salvation!
It was too good to be true!
She graduated and started her own paint 
factory!
He became a lecturer with one of the 
federal universities.
They got married in 2011.
They have three children.
They pastor a church somewhere in 
Osun State today!

PS: "I usually ask couples how they met and I 
have come to learn that we all have unique 
stories."