The day I told her that I’d been transferred to another region to work, she looked me in the eyes and said, “That’s the end right? That’s the end of the road for us. The distance is going to kill us, I know. I know how you men are. You’ll find another girl in town and forget about me. You’ll lie to me that you’re alone until one day the truth would come out.” I was very shocked at her stance. She was calmly narrating a future I didn’t think was possible. I made a joke out of it; “Are you a prophet? At what time did God reveal this prophecy to you?” She responded, “Don’t I know you men? Calls won’t come as they used to. You won’t visit once you get another lady warming your bed and considering the distance, it would be hard for us to see each other often.”

She was very negative about our love, the love we’ve used three years of our lives to build. We started when we were both unemployed and fresh out of school. God being on our side, we both had jobs to do a year or two after school. It was hard at first but once we had something going, life became easier and we started talking about a future together until the transfer came in. I told her, “No need to be negative. The mind has a way of thinking about things that would never happen. It won’t happen so pull the brakes on the negativity.”

I left town a few weeks later to the new town I was going to start life. Immediately the bus ushered me into the town and I saw the duty roads and thatched roofs, I said to myself, “Is this a town to find love?” I laughed in my head until I finally got down and started moving to the house that was assigned to me. I called Efe, “Come and see the town you are suspecting that I’m going to find love. This place is not for lovers ooo. Immediately you see the roads and buildings, you’ll know this place is for hustlers. When you sleep, sleep wai. There’s nothing here to touch the heart.”

Nothing changed. We called each other every day and texted when we had the time. We could stay on the phone for hours and still have something to say. We didn’t just talk. Yes, it was a long journey back home but I made it a point to visit her once every month. I go to her house and spend the night there before I go to my parents’ house the following morning. She was planning to visit and I was all for it but each time the date of her visit approached, something came up to stop her from coming. I didn’t complain. I continued loving her anyway.

It was the 13th of February 2015. The next day was Valentine’s day and I planned to surprise her. Right after work that day, I hopped into the bus. Homebound. She didn’t know I was coming. While on the way going home, we were chatting. She said, “Tomorrow is Val’s day and it’s also a weekend. Just imagine the things we could have done this weekend but you say it’s not the time of the month for you to visit so you won’t come.” I laughed at her ignorance. I told her, “There are many Valentine’s days ahead of us. Let this one go. Many would come as we age. You don’t need to worry about this one.”

I got home around 11pm. I had a package for her; her favourite chocolate and wine. I bought a watch and bought a pair of panties just to freak her out. Red is her favourite colour so I got her red panties. Talk about killing two birds with one stone; Val’s day colour and her favourite colour. I didn’t go to her that night. I went to my parents’ house instead. I wanted to see her on Val’s day to make it more memorable. The gift would also make sense if I presented it on Valentine’s day.

At exactly 6am, I bagged her gift nicely and set off her to her place. On my way there, I called her on the phone and she didn’t pick up. I wanted to be talking to her on the phone while I knock on her door. I tried several times but the calls went unanswered. I got there, knocked on the door and her voice screamed, “Who’s that?” I didn’t answer. I kept knocking. She kept asking who was that until she angrily unlocked the door and pulled it open. Immediately she saw me she opened her mouth wide with her eyes popping out. She was more shocked than surprised. That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. Before I could ask what the problem was, I saw a shadow of a guy walking toward the fridge. He might have seen me with my gift in hand and laughed in his head. I got the reason for the shock.

For close to a minute, we both couldn’t say a word to each other. She was shocked and I was shocked. I broke the silence; “Who is he?” She answered, “He’s a friend. He came to visit me but he would leave very soon.” I screamed. I wanted the guy to hear, “A friend in your house at this time? He slept here last night, am I lying? You’re cheating on me? Efe, is that what this is all about?” I was shouting and it was drawing attention. At that moment I didn’t care what the scene would be. She went back in and locked the door. She locked out our love that day and I knew it was the end of the road for us. 

That was the worse Valentine’s day in my life. I didn’t even go back home. I went straight to the bus station and picked a bus back to the town I was working. I put my head on the seat in front of me and didn’t lift it again until we got to the town. I was crying. I was cursing the stars. I was regretting the day I was born. “Efe? Come to think of it, was she not the one who talked about me getting a new girlfriend in town?” I got home and saw my windows wide open. “I closed it when I was leaving so what could be happening?”

I rushed into my room and saw my room empty. Everything that deserves to be stolen had been stolen from my room. My TV, my tabletop fridge, my sound system and even the little carpet at the centre of the room wasn’t spared. I felt my world spinning while I stood in one place. What should I mourn, the loss of love or the loss of my life’s assets? I threw myself at the centre of the room and lay flat on the floor. The only thing I had left was the gift I should have given to Efe. When I got a little strength to do anything, I went around asking if the neighbours saw how it happened. They all said they heard some noise but they thought I was there.

The police station wasn’t far from where I was so I went there to make a case. I met this young policewoman who looked like she was recruited only yesterday. It’s always easy to spot a new recruit. The black colour in their uniforms is intact and intense. They are yet to stand in the sun to get it faded. I reported the issue to her and the first question was, “Do you have any suspect?” I answered no. After interrogations here and there, she called another colleague who was a guy and they both went with me to the house. They checked things out and told me they would start investigations as soon as possible. 

I would walk by the police station each morning and ask this new recruit; ”How far?” Her answer was, “We are on it.” While I was busy going up and down on my lost properties, I was waiting for a call from Efe. I was waiting to get an explanation or two. Her call never came and I resolved never to call her. She had moved on, I thought so I also learned to move on. 

I was on the street one evening when I heard a lady screaming from behind; “How far? Bra How Far?” I turned back and saw the policewoman. The new recruit. I laughed. That was the first laughter in so many days. “Don’t you hear your name? Or you don’t know your name is How Far?” I laughed again. I told her, “My name is Justice but I like what you’ve given me. How Far?” 

She had closed from work and was on her way home. She was going in my direction so we walked together. I asked how far with the case and she gave me a lot of answers. She told me not to expect so much because the police can’t do so much. “We can get a lead today and arrest the person. Usually, the person might have sold off the things and wouldn’t have the money to pay back so he’ll be put behind bars. You still won’t get your properties so lower your expectations while we look into the case for you.”

READ ALSO: I Love Him But He Doesn’t Know That My Wedding Is Just Around The Corner

From that day, we met every now and then on the street. One day I saw her without her uniform and I looked at her properly. She looked like a woman. The picture of her in uniform faded and what was left was this beautiful woman who didn’t look like she belong to the town. Of course, she was posted there to work and she was also brand new. My buried heart started arising. It arose with a different voice that said, “Tell her before it’s too late.” I took my time to build a friendship first and later hit her with the words; “I want us to start something. Something that’s not friendship. I want you to be my girlfriend.” Her answer was, “You too?” I asked, “Who else is coming after you?” She answered, “Everyone.”

“Then let it be me because I’ve seen a lot to know how to love you truly. I won’t joke with you,  just give me a try.”

She did and for once, I got the chance to tell her the story of how my things got stolen. I had bought some of the things that were stolen but I didn’t have them all. She was seated in almost an empty room listening to the story of my heartbreak. She laughed where she has to laugh. She felt for me when the story got intense. When I got to where I met Efe with another man in her room, she creamed, “Huh! You don’t mean it. That girl has to be arrested.” I finished telling her my story and she couldn’t help but sympathize with me. “You’ve seen a lot but it’s all good. My problem is, I hope your story doesn’t interfere with our relationship. Are you sure you’re perfectly healed? And that you won’t make me suffer for Efe’s mistake?”

I assured her that once she was in my life, there was nothing from the past that could catch up with us. Because of her, I didn’t go home often. The road back home was tainted with bad memories and I didn’t want to go and face the harsh realities of what happened. She told me, “Then you haven’t healed. If you keep running from it, you won’t heal. Face it squarely and see what your heart would say.” The next time I was going home, I went with her. I introduced her to my parents as the one. They were happy for me. Happy that I could heal in time to get another one. The next trip was to her family. Once they embraced me and welcomed me home, there was nothing left to do but marry her.

When God Throws A Wife On Your Table–Beads Media

We met on February 14th, 2015 a day when everything was going wrong in my life. She called me How Far and we became friends. She sat in an empty room and promised to help me fill things up. She came with utensils one day and came with cutleries the other day. She bought me a microwave on my birthday. I didn’t know I needed one until she brought it. On February 11th, 2017 we both walked the aisle to show God what we’d built within a year and a half. I believe God was pleased to see us so we made a vow in front of him. We promised for better, for worse yet hoping only the better would come our way. Yeah, we had the mental fortitude to face the worse but who likes to see the worse side of life? Definitely not us. She still calls me How Far and I tell her “This far…” Today, I’m sharing this story not because all had been smooth, never. We’ve had the storm and roses. We strive to make it work every day so that tomorrow we may reap the results.

—Justice Effah

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