The Gulf

She got too close to him 
She couldn’t really explain how it 
happened 
They met after she gained admission 
into the University 
During her registration 
He was already in 300 level 
They attend the same church but she 
didn’t know him in church 
Her mother was scared she wouldn’t be
Able to cope in the school without 
someone holding her hand and helping 
her through the process! 
Her mother made some calls 
Someone told her mother Mrs so and so’s 
son was a student of the school! 
Her mother called Mrs so an so Mrs so and 
so called her son 
That was how they met
He was waiting in front of the admissions 
office that Monday morning! 
Her mother handed over her file to her 
He promised to help her through the process 
Her mother left 
He collected the file and they got to work 
They filled forms and paid dues 
It took about five hours! 
She was in
That afternoon he took her to lunch at 
the cafeteria 
He introduced her to his friends as 
his younger sister who just gained admission 
He was very likable 
Naturally she was very quiet and observant 
She wasn’t the talking type 
But her mother didn’t come to pick her 
on time and they got talking! 
She started with her dissatisfaction with 
her admission! 
She wanted to study law but she had to 
settle for Mass Communications due to 
JAMB cutoff issues! 
She would have stayed home to write 
another JAMB but her parents kicked 
against it! 
He listened as she ranted
Like a broken tap, she dripped on and on 
Talking about everything 
Open, unguarded and without restraints 
She told him things she had never told 
anybody 
She told him things she never thought 
she could tell anybody 
She couldn’t believe herself 
As her mother drove her home that
Day, she told herself he was just being nice! 
They would most likely drift apart and find 
their levels on campus on campus! 
But when she got to school the following day 
He was all she wanted to see 
Fortunately he felt the same about him 
But she had told him the kind of guy she
Liked! 
While she was talking too much 
Some of his friends came around 
She was a fresh student and fresh students 
were the easy targets for guys looking 
for fast game 
He told her this and asked her what her 
ideal guy would be like 
She told him a tall, fair complexioned, 
handsome basketballer! 
She had been crushing on a guy in their 
estate for years! 
She just described the guy to him 
The description was the opposite of 
who he was! 
He was of average height, just a few 
inches taller than her and acted much 
older than his age! 
Yet she gravitated towards him
For the whole of her first year, 
they met every day and hell spent some 
time together 
She loved him and nursed the hope that 
he would ask her out 
He didn’t When he got to 400 level, 
he started seeing a girl 
She was studying psychology 
She was very beautiful 
And it drove her crazy!
She returned to her initial role of a 
younger sister just to be around him 
The lady noticed that she had feelings 
for him 
The lady told him to get rid of her 
He called her and tacitly told her that 
she was making the lady uncomfortable 
She knew what he was saying but she 
loved him!
Why couldn’t he see that! 
Who would willingly give up the love 
of his or her life simply because an 
interloper came in and was acting like 
Barbie? 
It was painful but she took a step back 
To make the lady comfortable 
She started dating a guy who had been 
asking her out for months
She felt the relationship would help her 
get over him or unlove him 
It was a disaster 
It was like riding a bicycle while looking 
backward 
Her mind was not in the relationship 
She was constantly miserable and Unhappy! 
The relationship ended after just a month! 
She needed help
During the long break 
She told her mother everything 
She said she knew he would have 
asked her out if she didn’t tell him indirectly 
that he wasn’t her type 
She didn’t know what to do! 
The other girl had taken her spot 
Her mother told her if they were meant 
to be together
It shall surely happen! 
She prayed and fasted 
On the day school resumed 
(He was resuming 500L and she 
was resuming 300 level) 
He also got to school early 
He called her and asked her if 
she was on campus 
She said yes! 
She met him at the library in the evening 
They took a stroll
She told him everything that happened 
during the holidays 
It was the first break they had in which 
she didn’t keep in touch with him at all 
because he had told her to respect his 
relationship and step back! 
He listened while she prattled away 
Suddenly he said “I am happy when
You are around me! 
I feel a joy within my heart! 
I am miserable when I am not with you! 
The break was the slowest and the bleakest! 
I couldn’t wait for it to be over! 
I love you! 
What! 
He just said it! 
She turned around and looked in his eyes 
He really meant it 
Her knees wobbled
I was the one thing she wanted 
It came in a manner that sent shockwaves 
all over her body 
Then he caught himself and said 
“I have made you uncomfortable, I am sorry” 
She still didn’t say anything! 
She wanted to but her mouth wouldn’t open! 
They strolled on in pregnant silence...
When they got back to her hostel 
She turned to him and said 
“You kept me waiting for three years, 
and I have kept you waiting for one hour 
with my silence! 
Do you love me in a “I want to marry you way? 
Because I cannot do date and break up with you.
I love you too much for games”
He hugged her! 
They kissed 
He told her he wanted her for keeps too! 
They laughed! 
The gulf of immature prattle was closed! 
They were married four years later! 
Ps: I have seen true love lose out because 
of something said or done or believed or 
assumed! 
Let’s all do better!