“You awake?” the guy said as I realised he was the first person I saw in the morning.

The first thing I noticed was his voice, which sounded like a light shedding in my soul. He was genuine, and everything seemed brighter and blooming like beautiful roses. I didn’t want to ask what had happened because I loved it anyway. He had been my dream man, and I didn’t want to be alone. I didn’t think about whether he was married or had someone in his life, and I didn’t even think about the consequences. What if it was a one night stand? Look at my weight and body, I finally found a man. At long last! But that paragraph about ‘I didn’t’ made me roar in laughter.

“Do you want anything?” he asked with a smile. His voice made me flatter, and it sent goosebumps all over my body and tickled my blood, so I giggled. I decided to enjoy the moment and worry later.

He was very generous and kind, and I felt like I had met him ages ago. It was wonderful, and I appreciated it. I knew I would find a man at the bar. It had been months since I had been lonely and desperate, but no one wanted a fat woman like me. My body was a disability.

“Yes, I want a Kota,” I said with a smile.

I came to know that the man’s name was Efe, and he was a foreign from Nigeria. He had a woman, and he didn’t hide that fact. I enjoyed his company, and warmth filled my stomach whenever he was beside me. I was tired of chasing rainbows, and I had found what I needed.

“I want you in my life, but that woman gives me a place to stay,” he said with honesty.

He whispered endearment in my ears, and the hyena were put to shame. I was the happiest woman on earth. His hand caressed my thighs and made me shiver, sending chills up my spine. He was sexy, and not just in terms of physical appearance. He knew how to do romantic things that took me to heaven.

I wanted to improve his appearance because he sometimes wore the same clothes every day, and he sometimes also had a foul smell. It wasn’t that bad, but I didn’t want to be ashamed to walk around with him. In order to do that, I had to ask my mother for money so I could buy him clothes and toiletries. He was happy because he looked sexier, and he kissed me on my cheeks in public in appreciation for everything I had done for him. The other woman couldn’t do that for him. I was not buying love, but I wanted him to know I could build him.

I believed the other woman gave him a place to stay and she also had sex with him, mainly because who gives a shelter for nothing these days? Nothing was free. He used to stay at houses at his work because there were rooms that employees used. He used to earn a lot of money, but he then became poor after he lost his job, so the woman took him in. He was kicked out at work, and he told me that he and that other woman were just fulfilling each other needs.

Efe was ten years older than me. I loved the fact that he was generous, though, and I got a girlfriend allowance every week. He worked hard, and we drank together every weekend. I used the money he gave me to pay rent for a room so I could go to school in town. It was closer and it made me at ease because I didn’t need transport money.

He called me daily and made me feel special. He was my other half, and I was relieved because my dream had come true. I was hopeless before. I might have been beautiful, but the men dropped their mouths when I walked by as if I was so disgusting. My body couldn’t even make me exercise because it was tough. I tried Banting and skipping meals, but nothing worked. I gave up and started eating worse, to the point where my weight increased. My belly was too heavy for me to carry, so I became lazy.

I found a temporary job, and I used the money to pay for my studies. My relationship was flourishing because the other woman wasn’t in the picture any more. It was me and him, no obstacle in the way, and he never judged my body.

“I love you, not your body,” he said one morning when I asked him if he had a problem with it.

I was at ease at and at rest at the fact that I had found the one. As women, we believed we each have someone called ‘the right one’. I wanted him to marry me. My family knew him and they allowed him to spend nights at home. He brought groceries and sometimes gave my parents money, and they accepted him as my husband.

One afternoon after school, I saw missed calls from him, and I told myself I would call him later. I was gallivanting with friends near the canteen, then I saw a glimpse of him. I was excited to see him because people would know I found a man in my life, and their laughter would end. But little did I know that an angry bull was coming my way.

When he arrived where I was, he grabbed my hand. “Let’s go,” he said.

When I saw the hate in his eyes, my stomach clutched tightly. He was roaring flames, and I hesitated and pulled my hand back. He was on a verge of losing it, but I still didn’t understand what was going on.

“I need to take …” before I could finish my sentence, he forcefully grabbed me and pulled away.

His feet were fast as he moved, and I could feel sharp pain on my waist. I was quiet because I didn’t want to cause a scene, and I was worried that the audience would make a fun of me the next day.

“Why are you …” before I could sit on bed, a slap flew on my face. I went blank for a moment and saw black, and when I tried to open my eyes, another slap flew at my face again. I didn’t make noise, but the slaps kept on coming.

“Didn’t you see my calls?” he shouted in rage. “You ignore them … Because you’re cheating on me.”

When he was done screaming at me, another slap flew on my face, then he clicked his tongue and left.

***

Tell us: What do you think the main character should do now that she has seen Efe’s true colours?