"I know I'm not your priority anymore, maybe I never was. She's taken my place in your heart and maybe I didn't even have a place in your heart. I hope you treat her better than you treated me, and maybe, just maybe, she'll see through the brave mask you're wearing and recognize you as a self-centered vagabond looking for comfort in fleeting love".
I sent him a text message.
Yemi and I met on my first month of 1st semester resumption as an Economics student in UNILAG. At this time, my ex and I broke up due to some priorities based issues.
He was in his final year and so handsome and tall. On that hot Thursday morning, when he walked up to me and asked for my number, I was so excited to give him. At least, I could have some other guy I talk to.
After that day, Yemi and I kept conversing well. We tried to get to know each other more over the phone. I told him about my past experiences with my ex-boyfriend, and he shared his with me. I was happy I had a friend I could open up to, as that period I just got off a relationship.
I told him I needed to buy some textbooks because we were in the same department, and he offered to give me his for free. But he told me to come to his apartment to get these textbooks. I didn't feel comfortable about it, but we seemed cool, and I didn't want to seem scared just because he told me to come over.
Therefore, on a Sunday morning, after I was done with church on the school campus, I texted him that I was coming to get the textbook. I jumped a bus to his place and walked from the bus stop to his address, as he had directed me.
I got there, and he opened the door shirtless and welcomed me in. He told me to sit before locking the door, but there was no chair, so I sat on the bed. He sat beside me. He was too close, but I didn't complain. We had a couple of conversations and he said when I needed some tutoring with the courses I had difficulties with, he could help. He gave me three textbooks to study to prepare for exams in the following months. I was so happy; I had someone who could render help when I needed someone to talk to.
Weeks passed by, and we kept conversing and talking. I wanted more at this point. I started to get attracted to him, but I got a bit scared because I didn't want to be in a hurry with our friendship. Basically, I didn't want to make the first move towards dating him.
I needed help with a course, and he said after classes we could get an empty class so he could put me through. In this empty class, he came closer; our bodies were touching; he kissed me, and I blushed, but I didn't want to continue. This time around his hands were on my shoulders, and when he wanted to give another kiss, I allowed him and blushed till we ended the study session.
Our bond grew deeper, and we started doing everything a couple would do. I felt like we were already dating, just that he didn't ask me out. I guess he was shy, so we had some great intimacy. A couple of times, I visited him at his apartment, and we made out. This kept going for months, until a sudden change I never expected happened.
Yemi changed. Just like that, he didn't seem to be happy with all I did. He was demanding sex. He knew I was still a virgin, and I didn't have the mind to have sex with him.
And the days I rejected it, he got cold. He started to get violent with me. He began to hit me all in the name of sex. He kept shouting that he couldn't be with me anymore because of this reason. I still loved him, but I couldn't just have sex with Yemi. I'm scared to. He kept telling me he couldn't stand my sight anymore. I wasn't attractive to him anymore.
We started to slowly drift apart. I didn't want this to happen at all because he hasn't even asked me out yet. I can't define what we have.
I made up my mind that if he was only going to be happy if I had sex with him, maybe I should give it a try. He's a man, after all.
I have made up my mind.
I needed this day to be romantic. I cooked Chinese rice and got him a wristwatch too.
I ordered an Uber to his place so I could carry these things along with me. I wore a body-con dress, had some makeup on to cover some scars, and made sure I looked beautiful just to make everything seem right.
I made it to his place, and just as I planned it to work out, it was going amazing.
He told me not to worry that it was going to be okay; he asked if I wanted it, and I responded, "Yes, I am."
At this point, I know he might grab the next object near to him to hit me, so who am I to say no? He pulled me in and planted a kiss on me.
"Wait, do you have a condom?" I said, but he said it was not necessary.
He asked me to relax, saying that it was just sex.
So I kept quiet and stayed.
Even though it was quick and hurt, I didn't enjoy it. He got off of me and put on his clothes, and I followed suit. While we were getting dressed, there was stillness.
After that, he got up and left the room. He returned in just a minute, carrying four tablets. He gave me a glass of water and these.
He grinned and added, "I told you there was nothing to worry about."
"What's it for?" I asked
He pointed to the two yellow drugs on my palm and said,
"Those two yellow ones are so you won't get pregnant, and the other two are so you won't have an STD," he answered.
"What do you mean by STD Yemi?" I said it with fear all over my body.
"Just take it, Tomiwa. Abi, you want to have an STD and be pregnant at the same time?" Yemi said.
I threw the tablets into my mouth with the glass of water he gave me. I didn't spend much time with him anymore because he had other plans for the day.
I just had so many questions to be answered.
So why get violent to have sex with me when you have an STD? Or is there another meaning of STD that I'm not aware of? I went on the week pondering around these questions.
The next time we met was in class, and he seemed happy. I guess I gave him exactly what he wanted. I told him we should go to his apartment together to watch a movie, and he agreed. We left class to go to his apartment together; to him, everything was alright. I was perplexed with everything, and in the middle of the movie, there was a knock on the door.
He looked at me confused, and I asked, "Were you expecting anyone today?"
With the same confused look, he replied, "No."
He stood up to open the door, and all of a sudden, his face changed to anger, and he didn't let the person in.
"Why are you here?" He asked the person at the door.
"What do you mean? Why am I here? Do I have to ask before I come? Ehn Yemi!" A woman spoke.
I stood up from the bed to see who was at the door.
I got attacked by her.
"Madam, so you are the one?"
I was lost.
"Yemi, what's going on?" I asked him.
Yemi left the door open, and she came in.
"Oh! He didn't tell you, Abi? For your information, I'm his girlfriend," she said.
This situation must be a joke. What kind of drama is Yemi performing here?
"Yemi, explain to me." I raised my voice.
"Tomiwa leave! Just leave!" Yemi shouted
Me, leave? For what reason?
"Why should I go? I need some sort of explanation; tell me she's lying!" I raised my voice again.
Everything is shattering. I'm so mad at him.
"Yes, she's my girlfriend; what do you want to do?" He raised his voice.
The woman, or whoever she was, sat on the bed and placed her AirPods in her ears.
"Then why did you do all of that to me if she was your girlfriend?" I asked him.
"We were just a fling, Tomiwa, and you were so stupid to realize."
"Does she know?"
He slapped me immediately, with so much anger all over his body.
"I told you to leave!" He shouted and pulled my whole body and bag to the door.
Then he slammed the door.
For real? Was this happening?
I kept shedding tears, and now I know I'm left to be in this sh*t alone.
A few months later, I began to exhibit some pregnancy symptoms. I needed to confirm at the clinic so I had to take a test. The results of the test were positive. I had lost all sense of direction in my life.
I started to get pretty miserable. I spent so much time sick that I was unable to attend my final year exams.
With what Yemi did, how would I put my life back together?
I came into contact with human papilloma, an STD that is incurable.
My eyes had lost their beauty and my skin had stopped gleaming like it once did.
I decided to have the child aborted.
I had to stop carrying this child. I had little energy left for the unborn child, let alone for myself because I was so unhealthy. Both the sickness and the abortion had a psychological effect on me.
I had given up.
I felt lifeless.
I am unaware of Yemi's whereabouts.
Perhaps before I expire, I say something to him.
I texted Yemi, but it wasn't read for hours.
I was expecting a response, but I never got one.
THE END.
Written by Enitan Adeyemi
Enitan is currently a student at the University of Lagos pursuing a psychology degree. She is a seeker and a storyteller. She leverages storytelling as a powerful tool to convey complex ideas and engage with others, drawing upon my cultural background to enrich the discourse.
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