You know when you meet someone and they end up bringing out the best in you? They push you to do better for you and for them, and you just have to do it, for that is what makes them happy. You meet someone, and you just want to keep them forever because of how they make you feel, and without them in your life, you might never get to feel that way again. That is exactly how I felt when I was with Rose; she was everything I wanted in a woman, and I wanted to keep her forever, but fate and destiny had other plans.
How we started dating was a joke; almost every guy in the neighborhood had their eyes on Rose, and I was not an exception. She had it all—the shape, the character, everything a man can want in a woman. She had it all, and since I was too shy to approach her, I took advantage of technology and social media. We chatted on Facebook for hours, but when we saw each other, we both passed like we didn't know each other, but then we talked online like we were buddies and really close. Friends who knew how we were online kept pushing me to talk to her whenever she passed by or our paths crossed, but I was too shy to do so, and they did the unbelievable, knowing fully well that if they waited for me to approach her, then I would never do that.
My friends and I were sitting in front of the gate like we always do in the evening when Rose passed by, and immediately Emmanuel walked after her. I did not hear what he told her, but I saw her turn and walk directly to me. If only the ground could have opened and swallowed me up that day, I would have preferred that.
"Hi Kachi, your friend said you wanted to talk to me," Rose said, looking me straight in the eye.
"Heeeehee said that?" I stuttered as my friends started to leave to give us privacy with mischievous smiles all over their faces.
"Do I look like I bite?" Rose asked.
"Noo, not at all." I responded as I tried to regain composure, "Why do you ask?" I added
"You are acting like a scared little cat," Rose responded as she got closer.
At this point, I knew it was time to man up. "Ohhh, I am sorry about that; it is just that I did not know they would do such a thing, so they took me off guard," I responded, trying not to look away.
"He said you wanted to tell me something important, and considering we always talk online but don't talk when we see each other, I felt it must be really important," Rose said with a pose.
"Well, the thing is, I don't know how to put it. I planned to do it online, but since we are here, let me just say it and hear what you have to say. Would you like to be my girlfriend?" I asked.
The expression or reaction I was expecting to see on her face was nowhere to be found; she did not look surprised, nor did she react more if she saw it coming or had a clue.
"Is that what you wanted to say?" Rose asked.
"Yeah, I think that is all I have to say," I responded.
"I will give you a response on your favorite app, where you are bolder and more outspoken," Rose said as she walked away, and afterward she paused. "Can you escort me to get groceries from the mall down the street?" Rose asked.
"Yeah, sure, I am not doing anything right now, so why not?" I responded as I walked with her.
That evening was one to remember; she was a vibe both online and offline, unlike me, who was only a vibe online and behind keyboards, so I thought, but she brought out a part of me I never knew existed. We walked to the mall holding hands; we moved around the mall like we were already a couple, and everyone kept looking at us, but Rose did not care. Even when I let her hand go, she kept coming for mine and did not want to let go. We paid for the stuff she bought, and we walked back home. I saw her off and went back to join my friends who were patiently waiting.
"Did she say yes, or did you not ask her or say anything, you shy boy?" Emmanuel asked immediately when he saw me coming back.
"Why did you guys not tell me you had such plans? Why take me off guard?" I asked them with a face.
"If we had told you, you would have run away or avoided coming outside today, so what did she say?" Samuel asked.
"She said she'd think about it and give me a response on Facebook later. Are you guys happy?" I asked them.
"We know deep down you are happier than us," Emmanuel responded as they all burst into laughter.
The long-awaited time finally came; I had been online waiting for Rose to come online, and she finally did.
"So, about what you asked me earlier today, it is a yes, I have liked you all along, and I wonder why you took so long," Rose said in the chat.
Not knowing what to respond, I went offline, and the next few months were some of the happiest in my life; Rose helped me see a version of myself I never knew existed. I used to think I was all grumpy and overserious, but she helped me see the other side of me, but all of that came to an end just when I was starting to get used to the life. Her father was assigned a new place of assignment, and they had to move; she called me crying and asking to see me.
"Why were you crying on the phone? What happened?" I asked the moment I saw her.
"We are moving by the weekend; it is an emergency move, and my dad does not want to leave us behind," Rose responded, crying uncontrollably.
"This is beyond our control at the moment, but we can still stay in touch through phone calls and chatting, so you don't have to cry this much," I said as I let her rest on my shoulder.
"That is the problem; I don't want to do a long-distance relationship. Many people's hearts were broken because of that, and mine has never been broken before, and I didn't want to experience such." Rose said as she sniffed.
I said all I could to get her to try out a long-distance relationship first before writing it off; many people tried it, and it worked for them, and we wouldn't know the category we will fall in if we did not try it out, but her mind was made up on how she wanted to protect herself from heartbreak.
"Thank you for the memories," I said to her as we parted ways that night, and that was the end of a chapter I thought would last forever.