Tochi was a mid stream student in my secondary school. They were almost 6 of them that were posted to my school.
Prior to this,I have had my eyes on chidinma.
One that I admired most about chidinma was her walking step's. Each time I saw her catwalk towards me, I am always shattered in my thoughts. Chidinma was a pure walking angel,pure breed of Brown skin Girl.
She was in the art class, I was in science but we Shared the same block together.
I made sure I avoided her in that block.
I use to tell my hostel boys that I really did admire her but the courage to approach her was not there. I only kept on admiring her from afar.
I was just dying for her in my head. I wish I was not a shy person, I wish I was just like kalu who was a free spirit and had his ways around beautiful girl's.
Truthfully, I admired kalu's wooing skills. I couldn't talk to chidinma because I didn't know what to tell her. I didn't want to involve anybody to talk to her because of the experience I have had before.
I have asked my friend to help me woo a lady for me and he ended up wooing that Lady for himself. When I got to find out, I was so disappointed and I vowed never to tell someone woo a lady for me.
Because I could not woo chidinma, whatever feeling and admiration I had for her died immediately. I had to move on.
Tochi was among the 6 beautiful girl's admitted into my school.
Tochi was a soft girl.she had this cat eyes and I enjoyed the way she looked at me in one of our agricultural science practicals.
I'm never going to lie, Tochi was the most beautiful and sweetest girl in that school as at that moment.
Everybody wanted her, even the then Head out of the college.
I was just starting my senior secondary 1.
I have several times seen her with the college headboy and each time I saw the both of them, the kind of chest pain I use to have ehh..
Don't blame me o, I was just a young boy in love.
We have just entered senior secondary school 2 and I have been made dining hall supervisor.
My duty as at that time was to be writing names of girl's who would fetch 10 buckets of water for the kitchen women to cook our meals.
I knew this was an opportunity for me to get to say hello to Tochi and maybe have the opportunity to have a conversation with her.
I was very happy when that position was assigned to me.
It was one Friday after afternoon food that the dining hall master had asked all the senior secondary 2 girls to wait behind.
I was instructed immediately to take their belts and sandals and have them fetch water to the dining Hall.
When I approached Tochi, I felt bad that I had to take her belt and sandals.
Believe me,if I had my ways, I would have given her back but I was being watched by my superior.
Tochi, I am sorry that you have to go through this, I said this in my heart.
The journey to fetching of water had begun, I had keenly watched other ladies bring in their water and their name's were ticked by me but I didn't see Tochi fort coming.
I felt bad because I wanted to use that opportunity to talk to her.
Not fewer than later after all these played in my head, I saw Tochi coming with her first Two buckets of water.
Awnnnnn,such a sweet girl, see the way she was carrying her water like one governors daughter.
Soft girl, baby girl life, that's what fits her. She's not supposed to go through this kind of stress.
But it was never my fault, she had to finally fetch just like other ladies had to fetch.
I'm not going to lie, I have planned already in my head to express my interest in her when she comes to tick her two buckets.
People on hive blog, Tochi came forth and I was speechless, I couldn't tell her anything o. It was as if my mouth was sealed permanently.
Until today, I cannot understand what happened to me.
I have always said this that being shy when I was growing up dealt with me seriously.
Imagine having the opportunity to talk to the love of my life and I'm speechless.
I was feeling bad that day. But because I still loved her and had feelings for her, I had to tick the remaining 8buckets for her and I had to tell a junior student to go tell her that her 10buckets were complete already. When you are in love, you can virtually do anything to prove it. I think on my own case, I was in love.
Several times when the female folk's were asked to fetch water, I would always send a message to her , telling her never to stress herself with the water that I was going to tick her name.
I never knew the then headboy was observing the girls that were fetching water.
It was one Friday night, after the evening food, I was asked to submit the names of the ladies who completed the fetching of water.
They went through the list and saw that Tochi was always marked complete but they never saw her more than twice bring water to the kitchen.
That night, I received the floggings of my life.
I was asked to frog jump, I was asked to sit on the air, I was asked to ride a horse, I was asked to do a whole lot of stuffs because I messed with the duty I was assigned to do.
If I didn't die that night, I never would die again in this life.
One thing was sure, the more I was flogged, the more I loved Tochi more.
I came back to my hostel that night and my boys were just consoling me.
I was seriously in pains.i wished Tochi was just there to see how much of a bullet I took because of her.
I don't know how the news got to Tochi that I was seriously flogged because of her.
She was feeling bad for me and she took all the blames.
I can vividly remember one hot afternoon after the afternoon prep, Tochi came to my class and asked that we should have a conversation.
She immediately told me, Fred, I have seen all your efforts and I have seen all the sacrifices you have put in for me.
You are the kind of a man that I want.
From today, I have accepted to be your girlfriend.
I'm going to love you and I'm going to grow with you.
Hive people, finally my love struggled paid Off.
I am happily with Tochi today and it has been of a bliss.
If you love something, do not give up. Fight for what you love.