Forbidden Love – Episode 1
FORBIDDEN LOVE – EPISODE 1
© Francis Agamah
**THE AWARD**
(Narration from Abena’s Point of View)
Have you ever heard of the expression, “Love makes the world go round? “I remembered Jennifer Lopez’s musical lyrics :
“Love makes the world go round
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
Love makes the world go round
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
Love makes the world go round-ound-ound-ound
Love makes the world go round
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
We…we’ll be alright
Living our lives
Finding some satisfaction
No, we’re goanna hide
No fear from our eyes
Love is a call to action”
Call me Abena Yeboah. I am a fante. My father was a retired military officer and my mother was a Secretary. She worked at the Regional Office of Ghana Education Service. I had a brother and a sister, Kweku and Yaba respectively.
I was admitted into the University of Cape Coast in 2015. Been a very emotional person, I tried as much as possible to disassociate myself from the issues of love because I knew my heart was a delicate one and once I gave it out to someone, the person could take control of my entire life. I was therefore careful not to put the key to the door of my heart at a place where it could easily be stolen by maladjusted university boys.
I managed to keep this routine for three years in the university despite incessant romantic advances from some of my male colleagues on the university campus. I was an icon of beauty, endowed with a huge backside, voluptuous shape, and thick legs. I hardly passed by a male without him turning his head to take a second look at my naturally endowed backside and gargantuan front elevation which formed itself into my brea$t. Even blind men knew when I passed by them. Beauty seemed to be my bragging right.
When I reached level 400, Fafa Amenyo, one of the coolest guys in the Science Department won the best -student- of -the- year award for his outstanding academic prowess and discipline. Fafa was a quiet, handsome guy, very reserved, humble, polite and surprisingly had a strange sense of humour, a direct contradiction to his rather MelPhleg temperament. He was a guy of very few words.
The award made Fafa famous on campus and it wasn’t long before he rose into celebrity status, with media houses chasing him to grant them interviews. He was often seen on several TV stations. Fafa was also a mathematician. He calculated figures like child’s Play. It was even rumoured that he even computed Maths faster than a calculator.
When the name “Fafa” was mentioned, every student in the university turned his head just to see him . He was an “ACADEMIC GOD getting a cumulative GPA of 4.0 almost every semester. Despite Fafa’s impressive academic record, he was very naïve when it came to women affairs. Though most University girls crushed on him, he had no time for these “daughters of Eve.”
–
*MEETING FAFA*
One hot night, I decided to take a stroll with my friends, Afua and Ama. On our way, we bumped into three guys whom I guessed were also taking a stroll. They decided to join us because we were all moving in the same direction. I realized two of the boys were really loquacious which was typical of most Ghanaian men.
They talked about cars they never touch before, countries they have not set their feet in before, monies that did not exist in their pockets or bank accounts, all in a bid to woo my friends. I realized one of the three boys was not talking. He stood unique and was quieter than the other two boys.
I had an intuition that the quieter boy was staring at me. I turned well to see who the person was and there he stood,….Fafa , the most intelligent, cute and humble student on campus. The hotcake guy most ladies were dying to date or at least have a one-night- stand with on campus. I smiled seductively at him but he seemed disenchanted.
The other boys in Fafa’s company intensified their loquaciousness in their bid to impress either Afua or Ama but still, Fafa didn’t utter a single word. I kept looking at him, my incessant looks betraying my hidden admiration for him.
I moved to his side and asked him if we could segregate from the group. Luckily, he complied with my request. I began talking, “Fafa, I’m one of your favorite fans in the university. You are such a genius. Congrats for winning such an enviable award. He couldn’t look me in the eyes directly but he said,” thanks for the compliment. I really appreciate it.
“Welcome dear, “I said, rather involuntarily. Suddenly, he turned and looked at me curiously without saying anything. I decided to take the initiative once again and started a much longer conversation with Fafa. I knew every accomplishment began with a decision to try. I surely needed to accomplish my mission.
“Can we be friends, Fafa?” I asked, without mincing words.
“Which type of friends?” he asked curiously.
That was the question I anticipated he would ask me. I said, “Normal Friends, Errr.mmmmmm. I mean …Boy…I mean Platonic friends, for now, I struggled over the words.
You might be wondering why I couldn’t simply tell Fafa that I love him and would like him to be my boyfriend. The fact was, culturally, a lady was not supposed to propose love to a boy. Off-Course, this was an obnoxious culture in this rapidly evolving century of globalization. Sadly, cultural versatility was a luxury we don’t have in abundance in our part of the world, a world stemmed in the thick waters of a fixed, antiquated culture.
I decided to break that culture and made my feelings known to the guy that had unknowingly stolen my heart.
I asked him, “Can I have your contact number?”
“No,” he said.
I felt a little bit embarrassed by his response but decided to hide it. At first, I decided to excuse him and leave but the pull of love made my feet unmovable.
“Why can’t you give me your phone number?” I asked.
“Sorry, Abena, I don’t use a mobile phone. I believe Mobile phone is a distraction to my studies for now,” he justified himself.
I was dumbfounded. How could a 21st-Century University undergraduate not have a mobile phone which was even ubiquitous in primary schools, not to talk about Senior High School?
I didn’t believe it but decided not to prop it further but I have other ideas in my game plan.
“Can I pay you a visit anytime?” I asked him.
He looked into my eyes for the first time and smiled,
Then he said, “No, I’m always busy.
Is Fafa flexing on me? I doubted it. He didn’t look like that type of guy.
As I was contemplating on what to do next, “Fafa’s masculine voice broke through my thoughts like a sharp knife through a bread, “Okay, Abena, you can visit me on weekends. I’m happy chatting and familiarising myself with you tonight. Honestly, I have never had a female friend before.”
“Like seriously?” I asked, visibly mesmerized.
“Yes, it’s the gospel truth. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not Gynophobic but I don’t want to be gynephilic either. It’s a personal decision. My study is my priority, “ Fafa explained.
He looked at his watch and said, ”Gosh, it’s getting late, I have to go home.
“Ok, Fafa, see you soon,” I said.
I am sure by now you could see that Fafa was a strict and principled guy. I loved him for that.
I told him, “Expect me on Saturday. “
He responded, “Ok, Abena, I will be looking forward to seeing you.
“Which time will you be coming, please?” he asked?
“10.30 a.m.,” I responded, “If it’s OK by you.”
It’s OK. Fafa Responded.
We returned to our various hostels. Unfortunately, Fafa’s friends could not niche their presence in the hearts of my two Friends Afua and Ama who saw them as a bunch of talkative boys.