There’s this part of my life I rarely talk about...

a very crazy story about someone who used to be important to me. Someone I still wish I handled better.

You know that thing people say - some people are meant to enter your life for a season, and when their purpose is done, they move on?

Yeah... I’ve met many of them.

But there’s this one person who still hides in the shadows of my mind, reminding me that my life could have taken a different turn... if I had just chosen differently.

Her name was Amazinggrace - but back then, I used to call her Gracey.

I met her in school. She was the reason cult (Vikings) boys noticed me one random day and decided to stop me - asking questions like I was being interviewed for a job I didn’t apply for.

I swear, they only called me because I was walking with the most beautiful girl in Uniport. Gracey wasn’t just fine - she was the finest. Till today, she still holds that title in my memory after over 20 close relationships.

She was so beautiful that even cult boys felt disrespected seeing her with me.

But me? I no send. I kept walking away like i didn’t know i was the one they were calling.

Next thing, three of them surrounded me. One by my right, one by my left, and one stood in front of me, staring into my eyes like he was reading my destiny. one even held my back pack like who is this little thing trying to disrespect.

"Aboy... who goes you?" he asked.

I just looked at them and Smiled.

The funny part? Gracey - the same girl that dragged me there - just waka comot. She left me alone to face my wahala...

That day made me realize something... maybe I’m not as timid as I think I am.

Let me give you a background of my relationship with Gracey, Amazinggrace was my close friend - my reading partner.

Or let me be honest... I was the one doing the reading, assignments, everything. She just dey observe. her sister called me one day before she graduated and begged me to help her take care of Amazing, that i should see to it that her sister takes the school seriously knowing the kind of person her sister was so i promised to try not know what was getting myself into.

But she took care of me.

Gracey bought me food, cooked for me... if hunger catch me anytime any day, I knew where to go.

Sometimes she would take me to one joint and buy garri with fisherman soup filled with all the protein in the world. Those were good times meen....

But Gracey was lazy - and that name wasn’t by accident.

She was born into comfort, and it showed.

She was the kind of woman you can’t tame unless you have a lion inside you... and money to back it up.

Still, I didn’t complain.

Truth is - I liked her, if you were me you would too Gay or straight.. I would have taken a bullet for her. No jokes.

I was proud to walk beside her. My shoulders would rise automatically. Guys in class envied me.

That’s how one guy - Ramsey - entered the picture.

He became my friend just to get access to her.

I didn’t know.

Slowly, he started planting ideas in my head... telling me I was being used, that I was letting a woman control me.

And honestly?

That’s where everything started going wrong.

I listened.

Gently, I stopped walking with her.

Stopped going to her house.

Stopped doing the things that made us... us.

Meanwhile, this same girl paid our transport most days. And when I complained, she would just laugh and say, "You’ll pay next time."

We had a rhythm.

We moved together to and from classes, we even went to her church together, one very big church that brought a bus to our school to carry us to church and bring us back. imagine sitting in a bus with a busty person and your hand would mistakenly hit her bosoms from time to time.. loll good times meennn....

Then one day... everything changed.

We had exams at the Arena.

During the exam, I noticed some guys pick a bag and run. Looking back now, her bag must have looked too "fine." compared to others on the floor during the exam.. Mine? Nobody ever touched it, bag that i have been using for over 10 years before i even gained admission to the university.

After the exam, she couldn’t find her bag.

We searched everywhere.

From Arena to Ofrima the science block - classroom to classroom. Nothing. Eventually, we gave up and decided to go home.

As we were leaving the block, some guys whistled at me.

I ignored them.

But my legs no hear word - I didn’t run, i probably should have or would have on a very good day if not for the goddess that was working right besides me.

Next thing, someone grabbed my old faithful backpack and yanked me back.

"Aboy, who goes you?"

"You know who we be?"

"Na Vikings 0." You know here say we dey call you....?

I just replied calmly,

"If you come school since morning, write two exams without food, now qwy you suppose dey go house you dey look for bag wey transport dey inside so you fit board transportation dey go house. if na you you go answer yourself?"

One of them looked at me like I was mad.

"Bring out the capper (phone) wey dey your pocket as you dey like this i know say na touchlight you go dey use, see the kind of banny (girl) wey you dey follow waka, she done kuku leave ou commot," he said.

I replied,

"Na small touchlight phone... abeg make una no let me bring am out." Meanwhile, my small smartphone was inside my pocket.

They told me to "show them love" - give them money and i just had to tell them the truth I had nothing. Only transport fare.

And just when things were about to get bad, one sister from my fellowship — shoutout to NIFES, stepped in and told them to leave me alone. she was a senior collegue in the linguistics and communications department same as the guys on my matter.

That was how God saved me that day.

Now guess where Gracey was.

Gone.

No call.

No waiting.

No "are you okay?"

Nothing.

That moment... broke something.

That was when everything between us started dying.

Till today, I still think about her.

Sometimes I see her on Facebook - glowing, living life like pure gold. Maldives trips. Soft life. Everything.

And me? Still figuring things out.

31 years old... dating a 21-year-old... trying to understand life one piece at a time. But one thing I know?

That girl was special. i wont stop imaging what would have happened to us if that day didn’t go like that. sometimes i think about days and night i spent at her house reading, gisting and imaging all the different positions i would have out her in mt head but then i was real young and a little timid where would i have gotten the courage to do the needful.. anyways shout out to life that draws the map on your behalf every time... shout out to the universe.. happy drawing

Next Chapter: Chapter 2 - My First Trip Out of Lagos