She caught my eye before it even registered in my mind that she looked quite young. That’s how outstanding her beauty is. I would describe her as a full moon on a dark night. She inspires awe by just existing. She doesn’t ask to be seen but you would find yourself stealing glances at her.

Although she looked young, a part of me said; “She is so pretty that she looks like a small girl.” I think it would have served me better if she actually was a grown woman because I was drawn to her.

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After church, I made my way to her and introduced myself. She was shy at first but at some point in our brief chat, she relaxed and got comfortable. I like the way she talked. I liked the way she smiled. I liked the way she carried herself around. I’m not going to lie, I was smitten. “Can I get your number? I want to be your friend,” I asked her politely. She smiled sweetly and that started our friendship.

As time passed, we kept in touch. We nurtured our friendship to a point where she felt safe enough to trust me. Then I asked her to visit me. When she came over, we had a deep lengthy conversation. I hadn’t asked her much about her personal life until then. It was mostly church talk. But that day we delved into her family life.

I learned that she lived with her parents and older sister. “My father has a stroke so he is not able to do much these days,” she told me. I asked, “So what do you for a living?” She smiled sadly and shook her head. I wanted to know her more so I probed. Finally she opened up.

She got good grades after completing high school but due to financial constraints, she couldn’t further her education. So she was home doing nothing. At this point, I had completely fallen for her. Which means, I felt compelled to help her.

I didn’t want her to think I was taking advantage of her so I shut up about my feelings. Also, she mentioned that she was nineteen. Too young for me.

I focused on helping her get a job. By and by, we got her one at a local shop. A year later, I spoke to her big sister about sending her to school. When the family agreed, I got to work.

On my own I didn’t have much but with the help of a friend, we got her admission to a nursing school in the North. She has a good head on her neck. So we made sure she stayed in school. Whenever she needed something, we provided it. Her family also pitched in when they could.

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By God’s grace, she graduated last year and passed her licensing exams. She’s now doing her rotation.

Last week, she came over to my house and said she wanted to talk. I thought something bad had happened so I dropped everything and sat to listen to her. She looked at my face with all seriousness and asked me, “Can’t you see that I’ve grown into a beautiful woman? Are you waiting for someone else to come and take me away or what?” My face dropped when she said this.

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I understood what she meant but the truth is, I don’t feel anything amorous toward her. All those feelings disappeared when I started helping her. I only see her as a sister now. I love her but not as a girlfriend.

She wasn’t happy when I said this to her. “Are you aware that my mother thinks you are my boyfriend?” she asked me. This is someone I have never proposed to. So why would they misconstrue my intentions? I only wanted to help but now things are looking complicated. How do I let her down gently without hurting her feelings and disappointing her family?

— Danny

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