We attended the same junior high school. When I was in JHS one, he was in JHS three. We were not friends then. I don’t remember if we ever talked but I saw him enough to recognize him as someone I knew. When I got admission into Senior high school, I met him. We were in the same school. The friendship between us became easier because we had seen each other in our previous school. The first day he saw me in school he said something I don’t remember now. But I remember laughing at what he said and that began our friendship.

He helped me a lot. He introduced me to his female friends as a sister and asked them to help me with whatever I needed. I escaped a lot of punishment because of that. A year later, he completed school and we lost touch.

When I completed Senior high, I couldn’t go to university the same year. Some of my results were not good so I had to resist. The following year, I got admission into the university. A day after matriculation, I was on my way to lectures when I met him. He screamed excitedly as though he had found a long-lost friend. He asked, “Are you studying here?” I said, “Yeah, I just came. Level hundred.” He said, “Good to see you here too. We seem to be finding each other at every step of the way.” I smiled and said, “Yeah, I keep finding you.”

That day he walked me to the lecture hall and took my number. He called later to ask how the lectures went. We talked longer than we expected. There was this excitement in his voice all through the conversation. The next day, he called again. He told me to ask for help whenever I needed it. He said, “I’m around for you. Just ask.” So, I turned to him whenever I met a bend and he was always ready to help.

One day he asked me out for lunch. Right at the school’s cafeteria, he said, “Maybe we are meant to be together. That’s why we keep meeting each other on our way. It’s a sign we don’t need to ignore.” There was no reason to play hard to get. I’d known him for a long while and he had always been a good fellow to me. I said, “I believe that too. Let’s give it a try.” He said, “We are not trying. We are actually going to do it.”

So, it started.

He was like the friend I never had while growing up. We played together as kids do. He would put his hand around my neck and pretended he was squeezing it. Then I would pretend I was choking. He would say, “You look ugly when you chock. Don’t do that again.” He thought me how to play soccer on the PlayStation. When I wasn’t that good, he would score me like ten. I only won when he allowed it. When I became good enough, we competed all day. I never won once. He was beating me left, right center but I never gave up.

We dated for just a year before he completed school and left campus. There was not a single day that we didn’t talk or chat on the phone. When he got a job he texted me, “The HR is damn beautiful. I’m going to shoot my shot. If she accepts, I will wish you well in your next relationship.” I said, “Send me her picture. He did. I said, “She’s ugly.” He said, “Are you hating right now?” I said, “She doesn’t even have ass.” He asked, “I only sent you a photo of her face so how did you know she doesn’t have ass?” I said, “It’s written all over her face.” He sent me five laughing emojis. I could imagine him laughing out loud. I laughed out loud too.

Three years later, I completed school. Right after my national service, He asked us to get married. I said, “Don’t you think I should get a job first?” He said, “Start looking for a job while we plan our marriage.” A year later, I couldn’t find a job. He asked, “Should we continue waiting?” I said, “I want to be helping. Let me find a job first. Just be patient.” Two years later, no job. He asked, “Should we continue waiting for the job?” I said, “I’m getting there.” He asked, “But no matter what, we would marry, right?” I said, “Yes of course.” He said, then let’s do it now.”

We got married when I had no income. There was nothing I could call my own but he ensured we had a very beautiful wedding the two of us could be proud of. A week after our wedding anniversary, I got a call. The voice said, “We’ve decided to offer you the job you interviewed for some weeks ago. I hope you’re still available?” I answered, “I’m still available.” He asked, “When can you start working with us?” I asked, “Tomorrow?” He laughed and said, “Pass by tomorrow for your appointment letter then.”

Early the next morning I was there. While there, my husband sent me a message, “How is it going?” I replied, “The HR is yet to report so I’m waiting for him.” Minutes later the HR came in. He walked me to his office and asked me to sit and wait while he prints my letter. I sent a message to my husband, “The HR is here. He’s hot. I’m going to shoot my shot. if he accepts, I will wish you nothing but happiness in your next marriage.” He sent laughing emojis. He said, “I haven’t seen him but an HR who is a guy will definitely have a small ‘joystick’. Don’t fall for him.”

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I couldn’t hold myself together. I grinned until the HR asked if everything was fine with me. I said, “I’m very fine. It’s my husband who’s making me laugh this morning.” He said, “Newly married, I guess.” I said, “We’ve done one year already.” He said, “That’s why.” I said, “But we’ve been together since junior high school.” It was his turn to laugh. He handed me the letter and said, “Hope to see you next week. Greetings to your husband.”

We’ve done three years already. Looking at the journey ahead of us, three years is just a scratch off the surface but it doesn’t also mean we can’t celebrate the love we have. Some nights we don’t sleep well. We get angry and sleep while facing away from each other. I remember one night, he divided the bed into two with a pillow and warned me not to cross to his side. I asked, “What can you do if I cross?” He said, “You cross and see.” I dismantled the pillow barriers and threw them away. I said, “I’ve destroyed it. What can you do?” He picked one of the pillows, called me a witch, and walked to sleep in the hall.

At dawn, I saw him in the bed. I said, “I thought you were going to rent your own house tomorrow morning, so what are you doing here? He said, “Forking girl.”

We’ll fight and make up oftentimes. It’s life as usual and it goes on. But I’m always pleased to live this life next to a friend I’ve known since our junior secondary school days.

–Victoria

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