Torrid

She was the one that fell for him
She had this nasty habit of not
being able to wait for anything
She didn't know why he didn't
see her or had deliberately
refused to look at her side
She was twenty one when she met 
him
They were both undergraduates at 
the time
She wanted to keep fit and was
advised to pick up a sporting
activity
She chose lawn tennis
She got the balls and a pair of racquets
She convinced her roommate to join her
They went to the court every Saturday
He was a student of Agricultural engineering
He also played basketball
He was handsome and athletic
He saw them struggling on the lawn tennis court
He walked over to them to teach them
some basics
Even played with them while he
waited for the other basket ball players
to arrive
He was patient and attentive
His voice was instructive and caring
He was firm and his style got them 
to stop giggling and take the game
serious without insulting them!
That was the day his heaven invaded
her earth!
But he was in a relationship
She asked him to coach them for some
time
She even offered to pay
He told her he always came early to
the court to warm up before the games
and would be willing to train her and
her friend for one hour if they would
make it to the court by 7 AM every
Saturday
He kept his word
By the third training session, 
they had started talking beyond tennis
She told him she shared a staff quarters
with her roommate and invited him
over
He didn't promise to come around
He just said something else and allowed
the moment to pass
She really liked him
She always had daydreams about them
being together
He was in Kuti Hall
She picked up pieces of his life
from their conversation
He was an ardent basketball follower
He was an American citizen
His parents still live in America
He was sent home for his university
education because his father was
scared he would get involved with
gang bangers on his street in New York
He was two years older than her
He was unattached and very
dedicated to his studies
After the eight weeks of training
He stopped coming around
They got to court early and played 
all by themselves
He kept to the basketball court
Running suicide drills, jumping and 
shooting imaginary hoops
Sometimes she waited around to
watch him play
Sometimes she waited to say hi
He was totally closed
At a point, she had to tell herself
she was becoming a nuisance
She reluctantly started withdrawing
from him
They didn't see each other until
after a year
She was an Ibadan indigene and
they were having Ibadan Day 
celebration
She was one of the organizers
The event was held at a huge shopping
complex close to the University of Ibadan
It was an evening event 
There was a beauty pageant, trivia show,
eating competition and so on
He showed up
She didn't know who invited him
He was in his final year at the time
The party was a success until she tripped
and fell with a tray of chapman while
serving the guests on the high table
She was wearing an off-shoulder
gown with half bra
She heard the dress tear as she fell
It was the threading right across 
her backside that gave way
It was a mess!
It was the most embarrassing moment
of her life
He reacted first
He took off his jacket and covered
her
He lifted her to her feet and walked her
all the way back to her room
He waited outside while she changed
He just wanted her to be fine
She was fine
His presence made the whole
thing sort of worth it
He wasn't embarrassed for her
That was what she was most grateful for
He left some minutes after she settled
down
The next day, she went to check him at
His hall in the morning
It wasn't visiting time but she got
someone to call him
She told him she wanted to take him
to the zoo
He smiled and told her he would be
free by noon
The zoo was a cool place
It was usually deserted during weekdays
Especially in the morning
They went to the zoo
Walking and talking
She told him she just wanted to say
thank you
Around 2 pm, they sat in one of the 
huts in the zoo
She was standing close to him
Her posture was open and suggestive
She wanted him to make a move
Her eyes were practically pleading
He saw it
He kissed her
It was very good
He kissed her some more
And then they started making out
It felt so good
But it went far, too far
She wanted him to stop at a point
But she could only say it in her head
She knew once she stopped him
He might never have her time again
She desperately wanted him
Desperately wanted to be his babe
Desperately wanted to be his wife
It was all she had dreamt about for 
two years since she met him
But the way things were going
He would sleep with her and dump 
her
Her brain was screaming!
But she was already half-naked
He took her right there
She was on her feet
Moaning in a mixture of pleasure 
and deep regret
She was also aware of how 
embarrassing
it would be if someone walked 
in on them
It only added to the thrill
Nobody walked in on them
When he was done, she turned
her back on him as she adjusted 
her blouse and skirts
She didn't even know if she could
look at him without dying
He wasn't her first
But her first and only time was a
foolish mistake she made while
she was in secondary school
She had held on since then
Held on and insisted on waiting
Until she overplayed her hand
with him
She didn't know what to do
How would he see her?
As a slut?
Would he even respect her ever
again?
Would they be able to talk like equals?
He didn't ask her out
They had no discussions whatsoever
relating to a relationship
And he had slept with her
It killed her mood!
He tried to talk to her afterward
Carry on the discussion like "matured"
adults
As if nothing of consequence happened
It made her feel cheap and used
She just wanted to get to her room
and cry
She couldn't blame him
She could have told him to stop
She said so only in her head
Now she had to bear the guilt alone
She managed to say a word or two
They left the zoo by 4 pm
It was a terrible day for her
She went to her room, showered 
and cried
Her obsession over him suddenly died
She was too ashamed of what would
happen if she saw him again
If he wanted to sleep with her
She would most likely sleep with him
and regret it just as she was doing at
that moment
When her roommate returned to the
room
She found her in pieces
They talked
She told her roommate everything
She also told her roommate she never
wanted to see him again
She regretted being so forward with him
She said a lot of things
Quite a lot!
Her roommate comforted her
Two weeks later, her roommate moved
out
She claimed she had been offered 
accommodation by another friend 
for free'
She didn't think anything of it
It was a teary farewell
Her roommate had been like a sister
They were together for three years
He came around to see her several times
She either hid in her room and
pretended not to be in the room
Or deliberately stayed away from
her room until she was sure he
wouldn't visit her
He dropped several notes at her door
He stopped coming after a while
She sometimes saw him from
afar on campus
She always dodged him
Her roommate came to her room twice
to speak to her on his behalf
Her roommate told her to give him
some minutes
Just to talk
She said NO!
She couldn't see any future with him
He was likely to travel back to the USA
after he graduated
She couldn't see herself having a long
distance relationship
She deemed it wise to cut her losses
and minimize the damage
She said she just wanted him to go
away
Examination season came 
It was a frenzy
She finished her papers 
She also got a new roommate
A lady expelled from one of the 
private hostels
The lady was studying Theatre Arts
The lady gave her a ticket to one of their
performances at the Cultural center 
in Mokola
It was the last thing she wanted to do
before going home
Unwind!
The performance was scheduled to
take place by 9 pm
She got there around 10 pm
The show had already begun
She sneaked into the hall through 
one of the side doors
And she saw them
Him and her former roommate 
They were seated together
Whispering into each other's ears
Holding hands and smiling into
each other's faces
She didn't really know how she felt...
Nauseated! 
Sick!
Betrayed!
She lost concentration
She just stared at them
And then he kissed her and she kissed
him back
She couldn't control herself
She hissed and stormed out 
of the hall
Oh, God!
It was too much for her to bear
The cultural center was located on a 
hill
She walked-cried down the hill
Soon, she heard a patter of feet 
behind her
It was her roommate
It was also a big mistake
As soon as she turned and saw
her roommate's face
She lost it!
Of all the men in the world
must she date her man?
Even if she said she was no longer
interested and all
Why wouldn't she respect their
friendship?
She slapped her roommate as 
hard as she could
Her roommate's eyeglasses flew
off into the night
She would have hit her again
If not for his arms that held her
He was so strong
He lifted her off calmly and said
"Enough"
He helped her roommate locate
her glasses and calmed her down
He didn't say a word anymore
They were both calm
She took off for her room
She couldn't believe herself
Why would she do that?
The next morning, as early as
possible
She went to see her former roommate
She needed to apologise
She felt very awful
Her former roommate was hurt but 
accepted her apology
She said he invited her to the show
and she accepted
Her former roommate said she had 
no intention of hurting her
It was very typical of guys to behave
that way
Ask two friends out without considering
what it would do to the friendship
She didn't see him again after that
night
He graduated and left!
She kept in touch with her former
roommate
They both graduated a year later
They sometimes talked about him
Her roommate was sure he did no
wrong
It was just what was placed before
him that he worked with
She was sure he was a bad person
She couldn't stand being the devil
in the story
It just didn't make sense to her
Her former roommate got married
three years later
She attended the wedding in Akure
She relocated to the United States
five years after she graduated
She relocated to Santa Clara in
Florida
She applied for a job with several
organizations
She got an offer from a tech company
She went in for the interview
It was His company
They talked
He took her out and helped her to
settle down
A year later, she married him!

PS: They have been married for
three years
I met this couple at a restaurant 
two days ago
They recognized me with the GSW
T-shirt I was wearing and offered to
buy me lunch
They were both great fans of the
GSW stories and shared some of their
miraculous encounters with me
They laughed and laughed as they
told me their story
Their joy was infectious! 
Love can be somehow sometimes!