We had just vacated for the Easter holidays but I was reluctant to go home. Why was I not ready to go home? My parents just completed their house on the outskirts of town and the family moved there while I was in school. I hated the place. It was too quiet and isolated for a town girl like me. But I didn’t have anywhere else to go so I went home anyway. Just as I predicted, I was bored out of my mind. When my parents went to work, I would read story books and watch TV but that was not enough to cure my boredom. I needed human company.

After a week of staying home alone, I went out for a walk. I took a turn and came across a house with a black gate. “Wow, this house is beautiful,” I thought. As I was bypassing the house, the gate opened and two boys came out. The older one was my age and the other one was a younger version of him so I concluded they were brothers. I locked eyes with the elder one and couldn’t look away. Time froze as we beheld each other. Then he smiled at me and my heart beat so fast, I shyly walked away. When I got home I could not forget about how handsome he was.

The next morning I bypassed the house I saw them at but nobody came out. I walked to and fro about five times but nothing happened. I was so disappointed. I passed by the house for the next three days hoping I would see him but I didn’t. So I concluded that maybe he didn’t live in the house. Then one Saturday I went to buy bread and almost bumped into him. He was coming out of the house. The moment our eyes met, I felt butterflies in my tummy and my heart started beating erratically. “I am sorry to bother you,” he said, “Are you new around here? I haven’t seen you around before.” I smiled, “Yes, my family moved here three months ago.” That led to further talks about ourselves and the beginning of our friendship.

I was so excited when Jerry invited me to his home the next Monday. The first thing I did when my parents left for work that Monday was take my bath and head to Jerry’s house. He was home with his younger brother, the one who was with him the first time we met. We sat in their hall and watched Coming To America. Throughout the movie, I kept stealing glances at him and admiring his handsome face. I was smitten.

We spent almost all the vacation period together. When school resumed we wrote each other letters the entire time we were apart. I was in Ola Girls and he was at Bishop Herman College. Our friendship grew stronger despite the distance, and I fell hopelessly in love with him as time passed. On my 18th birthday, Jerry proposed love to me and I said yes to being his girlfriend. We promised to take things slow and concentrate on our education.

When we finally finished high school, we had some time to explore our love. Jerry was the nicest and sweetest guy I had ever met. He didn’t like Westlife’s music until I introduced them to him. ‘I Lay My Love On You’ became our song. I still remember our first kiss. It was so awkward. We both didn’t know what we were doing but it was special to us. We made plans for the future. We agreed that we would attend tertiary school in Accra where we would have the freedom to enjoy our relationship. But life had other plans.

I passed my final exams with flying colours while he failed some of his papers. I applied to GIJ because I always wanted to be a writer. Jerry, on the other hand, had to stay back and attend classes to write NOV/DEC. I was devastated when I gained admission and had to leave him behind. “What happens to our Accra plans? I can’t bear to leave you.” I told him. The night before I left for school, I snuck out of the house to go see him. He opened the back door for me and we went to his room. We both cried so much. “I promise to keep loving you,” I told him. “I too will always love you,” he assured me. That night I gave Jerry my virginity as a sign of my undying love. It was his first time too. We were both clumsy and penetration was a challenge but it happened. We were naïve but we managed to do two rounds before I left his place that night.

I left for Accra the next morning and started life at the university. No matter how busy I got with my lectures and course I always made time to talk to Jerry. We could talk from midnight till morning. I received proposals from many guys but I always warded them off with the phrase, “I have a boyfriend.” When school vacated, I took the dawn bus just to get home early enough to see my love. I spent every single day in his arms. Our love grew so strong that we believed nothing could stop us.

However, the second semester put me through a lot of changes. It all began when Michael, one of my colleagues in school kept trying to persuade me to be his girlfriend. I told him several times that I had a boyfriend but he was not deterred. One day we were talking when he asked, “How sure are you that your boyfriend is not cheating on you back home?” “I trust my boyfriend and he will never cheat on me,” I replied angrily. He apologized immediately, “Okay, I am sorry. Let’s just be friends. I know some cool places I can show you.” That’s how Michael introduced me to campus life and taught me how to have fun in Accra. We would go partying, clubbing, drinking, and attending any fun events either on campus or outside campus.

He was so charming that I started developing feelings for him. I started missing Jerry’s calls and always forgot to call him back. I loved my boyfriend but I was also enjoying hanging out with Michael. One night after our usual hangout, I was so drunk that I ended up in Michael’s hostel. I foolishly gave myself to him and we had shuperu. The next morning I cried so much. I betrayed Jerry. How could I do that to the man I love? Whenever I talked to him on the phone, I would feel terribly guilty. But I also could not stop seeing Michael. The mistake I made when I slept with him led to my addiction to him. I was attached to his wild lifestyle and the way he made me feel in bed. He was more experienced than Jerry and he knew how to use his tongue. Jerry on the other hand wouldn’t try it at all.

When the semester ended, Jerry and I spoke about how we would spend the vacation when I got home. He had just finished writing Nov/Dec and we were hoping for the best. Nonetheless, I decided to spend one more night with Michael before I leave for home the next morning. As I was sleeping, I heard Michael speaking so I woke up. “I am sorry you can’t talk to her. She’s sleeping,” I lifted my head to see him talking on my phone. I panicked immediately and shouted at him, “Who are you talking to on my phone?” I snatched the phone from him and looked at the screen. He was talking to Jerry. I nearly fainted. I said “Hello” and he responded, “Baby, how long have you been cheating on me?” The pain in his voice alone was enough to tear my heart into shreds.

I got angry at Michael for answering the phone when I should be blaming myself for ruining the beautiful love Jerry and I shared. I went to his house when I got home but his mother told me he had travelled. I cried and sent him messages begging for his forgiveness, but he did not respond to any of them. The next time I saw him was two weeks after I went home. I approached him and begged him to talk to me. “Kafui, I don’t ever want to see you again, and please stop calling and sending me text messages. After everything we’ve been through you betrayed me.” That was all he had to say to me. All my pleas for a second chance fell on deaf ears.

I returned to school with a heavy heart to find Michael with another girl. I couldn’t believe I lost the love of my life to a fling. I learned some difficult lessons in the most heartbreaking way possible. It made me focus on my studies and complete school peacefully. After school, I stayed in Accra because I didn’t want to go back home and face Jerry. I heard from our mutual friends that he gained admission to KNUST and I was happy for him.

In 2015, I was married and pregnant with my first child when I met Jerry in a taxi back home. “Congratulations! I didn’t know you got married.” He said as he observed my ring and my heavily pregnant belly. I had gone home to stay with my parents till delivery while he was working in the NIB bank in our town. All I could think about when I looked at him was how much he loved me and how much I hurt him. He was friendly toward me and that even made me feel guiltier. He even paid my taxi fare before he got down.

Two years after I had my firstborn, my marriage hit the rocks. I had two kids by then; a boy and a girl. My husband was abusive and irresponsible. One day he beat me black and blue in the presence of my kids and I couldn’t take it anymore. So I packed out with my kids and filed for a divorce. We got divorced a year later and he traveled outside the country without informing me or anybody. He never called to check on his kids or even send money for their upkeep. Things became difficult for me as I was having a challenge balancing my job and taking care of my kids. So my parents suggested that I bring the kids to them at home so they could help me take care of them while I stay in Accra and work. It was a good idea so I agreed to it.

I did my best to visit them every weekend so they wouldn’t feel I have abandoned them just as their father did. I was home on one of my visits when I heard a car honking at me on the streets. I turned around to see Jerry behind the wheel. He was looking more handsome than ever. I was so happy to see him that I screamed with joy. “Seat down. Let me take you to where you are going.” After I sat down he said, “Wow Kafui, it’s been ages. You look so lovely. The last time I saw you, you were pregnant. How are you and the child?” I laughed and said “They are two now. Are you still working at the bank in town?” He told me was working in an oil company in Tema. He only came to town to visit his parents.

READ ALSO: The Worst Mistake I Ever Did Was To Take Him Back

Later that evening, he came to pick me up and we went to a nice pub in town. We had so much fun talking about our teenage love escapades. We talked about everything except the topic of how I cheated on him and betrayed him. When he asked me about my marriage, I told him about the divorce. Unlike me, he never got married and never had kids. I was surprised, “Why are you not married?” He replied, “When you broke my heart it took me a very long time to get over it. Even after I did, every woman I loved always cheated on me and left me heartbroken. It appears I am not destined to have true love.” I felt so hurt to hear him say that.

“It’s my fault,” I replied. “I really hurt you and I regret my actions to this day. I am sure my bad marriage is my karma for hurting someone who genuinely loved me.” “Don’t blame yourself, Kafui. You were young and new to so many things. It’s all in the past so let it go.” He dropped me at home later and we promised to keep in touch. When I got back to Accra, I gave Jerry a call and he invited me to his house. For a young guy, he was doing well for himself. He already built his three-bedroom house and bought two cars. I was so proud of his achievements.

We became friends again and before I knew it, I was developing feelings for him again. I realized I never stopped loving him. I simply buried my love for him when he didn’t take me back. This time around, I pushed my feelings away because I knew there was no way Jerry would take me back. So I had the shock of my life when Jerry expressed his love for me. This happened in February 2021. “How can you love me? I cheated on you and am a divorcee with two kids. Your family won’t even accept me.” I said. “When I see you, I don’t see a divorced woman. I see the girl I fell in love with seventeen years ago. I see the innocent girl who gave me her virginity. You taught me how to love. Damn, you even gave me my first heartbreak. I never stopped loving you. And now, life has given us another opportunity to be together again. This time, I am not letting you go. I intend to be the best man for you and our kids.”

I broke down in tears after his confession. “Why is Jerry so good to me? Why does he love me so much?” I asked myself. God has given me another chance to correct my mistakes and I promised am not going to mess up again. Six months later, I got married again, but this time to the love of my life. Our home is always filled with joy. He asked me to bring my kids from my parents’ house to come live with us. They love him very much. They call him Daddy and he is the best father to them.

What Would You Do If I Died Today? | Beads Media

As I am writing this story, I have a surprise for him when he gets home. I took a pregnancy test this morning and I discovered I am going to give him a child. My kids are going to have a baby sister or brother. Jerry is a good man. He deserves all the blessings this life has to offer and I am playing my part to give him peace, happiness, and love with all my being. I am a happy woman because of him. My heart is finally home.

–Kafui

Do you have any relationship experience to share? Email it to [email protected]

NOTE: NO PART OF THIS CONTENT CAN BE REPUBLISHED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE EXPLICIT CONSENT OF THE EDITORS OF THIS BLOG.

#SB