The story I am about to tell you is a true story.

Well to some extent. If you are from the enchanting land of Agbokim, or have heard tales from that land you have an unfair advantage.

Agbokim is the home of seven waterfalls. Very close to the border of Cameroon. It is a beautiful place.

You can pay for a tour. You will be regaled with a fantastic tale by the ‘curator’ as he is wont to call himself. These tales are generally too fanatic to believe depending on how much of an idiot you are.

Sorry…

One of these tales takes place in a natural cave to the left of the waterfalls. I am shown the thrones of deities. One male, one female. A king and his queen.

His throne has a thick jute rope on top of it. Doubled like you would a lasso.

No not you… I am not acknowledging you in any way. I am only looking to describe the rope…

Her throne has the tip of a spear driven into the rock representing her seat. Pointed end of said spear upwards.

The curator described how the king was dressed. Between you and me, I do not give two flying pieces of excrement. What is my business how the king is dressed.

The queen was dressed in beads he told me. Beads from neck down. I do not want to insult the curator, but I question his skills at describing things

Family ties…

Have you ever been in love? Fallen so hard that you are high? When your hearts beat as one? Your minds in perfect harmony?

This is a love story.

About twenty years ago, a rich and powerful man brought me into Abuja as a consultant. I was fresh. Unsullied. Sharp as a whip. I was young and handsome. Bold and beautiful. I could not wait to capture the world.

He lodged me in a four star hotel I immediately knew that he owned. He treated me like VIP. He treated me like his son.

He lodged me there for about a year. Two weeks into my stay, I had met his family except one. I met her six months later. She was seventeen years old then. Shy, dark skin and tall.

We became fast friends. She had questions about everything. And when you love someone… I had every answer she wanted.

Needless to say, we fell in love. Hard!

Have you ever met your soul mate? She was beautiful and intelligent. Inquisitive and passionate.

A few months later, I moved in to my own place in Maitama. Of course she visited every chance she could. She would escape, lie and risk my being at home by coming in unannounced. Risk because you only had to look at her to confirm her life of privilege. Of course she did not have money, what did an eighteen year old want money for? The driver’s were many, any thing she wanted, was hers for the asking. But getting a driver to bring her to my place was suicide for her and murder for me. Her father would have killed us.

But we managed somehow because he was a governor. His kids were in a mansion in Abuja, while he was at work in their state.

I was a gentleman like I told you, and women know these things. She trusted me implicitly. Till today, I have never betrayed that trust.

I taught her how to kiss… Kiss only me of course. And I am the only man she ever kissed. Or loved.

We were intimate without sex. Do you understand? I peeled the yam tuber without eating any of it. Work with me please… I am trying to be decent.

She would disrobe and show me every birth mark, scar and insecurity on every inch of her body. I would respond by kissing every “blemish” and tell her that she was beautiful.

Do you know why she did that? You see, it was taken for granted by both of us that we were going to marry. We never spoke about it, but we just knew. She wanted me to know what I was going to see for the rest of my life.

If I did not like her flaws, these revelations were my cue to retreat.

We would talk about everything for hours!

So imagine our surprise when she told me that she had missed her monthly period.

Father Lord!

She was a virgin.

I swear that she was. Hymen intact too. Trust me on this.

She had a saying, “I am yours Dan. But please marry me before we have sex. I can’t stop you from doing it. But please help me.”

And I never ever betrayed that confidence.

I knew instantly though that she was pregnant. You see, I do not fire blank bullets. I have always been virile.

I reached out to older friends who recommended all sorts of pills to abort the fetus.

Lastly I had her come over and told her that we should go see her parents.

She cried and suggested that we elope instead. She could not bear to face her family. Their upbringing was too strict. Besides she had just gotten admission into an ivy league university in the United States. I was to join her as soon as I could.

I am not a coward. I refused to run.

Finally, she suggested that we go get an abortion.

I agreed.

It was a short procedure. I held her hand all through. She was crying and praying throughout. It must have been painful. Imagine a virgin undergoing a D and C?!

Sigh…

I made sure she took her antibiotics daily and we remained in love.

She left the country about two weeks later and never reached out to me again.

Ever. She just blanked me. I was inconsolable.

After about six months, I ran into her mum at the Hilton. I was shocked at how the woman had depreciated. Her husband was an executive governor, he was a billionaire long before dabbling into politics for crying out loud!

I hedged for a few minutes before asking about my beloved.

Instantly tears began streaming down her cheeks and she excused herself and left me standing there like an idiot.

Luckily her mums brother was part of the entourage. He is a cool dude.

He waited until they were out of earshot before he told me that barely a week after her arrival in the United States, she had been rushed to a hospital. She had cramps and severe abdominal pains.

She had died within twenty four hours of admission. Toxic shock was the cause of death.

Complications from an abortion.

When was the last time you seduced him?

What you sow, you will reap.

When was the last time you bought him a gift?

Your heart is where your money goes.

When was the last time you said a prayer for him?

Spiritual births the physical.

When was the last time you were ‘his helper’?

You’re not his mum, we know!

Values are changing. Gender roles too. Love seems to be a luxury, and sex (from the perspective of both sexes) is seen as a commodity. Tragic.

What was taboo, is now brazen. Most wear their hearts on their sleeves. Drug use is common and is considered proof of belonging.

My point is that the world is evolving faster than you think. The system has little for you.

What you need is inside of you. And since you cannot go far alone, your partner may be all that have.