I arrived in the city and I arranged my clothes, slept early in preparation for my first stay on campus. I had read in old papers and magazines my mom usually brought for me about tertiary institutions but I had no idea what mine looked like, what I had to dress like. So I went straight to the internet and searched on my new mobile. I clearly was still technologically inapt and clearly unaware of my way around the internet because I got the wrong idea of how to look like when going on campus.

I put on my cute black kitten heels mom had bought me for church and the cute red dress I wore to my matric dance and that’s the look that caught Henry’s attention; a tall, dark, masculine final year law student of West African descent who saw me as a lady instead of a confused first year student as I was walking down the varsity corridors looking for the cafeteria.

“You look ravishing in that dress my lady and those heels complement your legs very well,’’ exclaimed Henry who examined me from head to toe and with his awkward accent asked to accompany me to where ever I was headed to. I couldn’t say no, I stuttered, looking for an answer, my armpits started sweating, a sign of the manifestation of fear in me, my feet were shaking, and not from the heels but I swear I liked him a lot already.

“Well, thank you, you don’t look bad yourself,” I gave a light giggle afterward as an act of humour but in actual fact it was to calm the nerves and his laughter was enough to help me do so, I loved his smile already and I felt like telling him I wanted to spend the rest of my life seeing that smile and being the reason behind it even though I didn’t want to seem forward, I thought passing a compliment wouldn’t kill.

“You have a beautiful smile,” I said.

“Well thank you, you brought this smile and I hope you keep it on my face forever,” as if he read my mind, I thought, this must be meant to be and in a matter of minutes I saw our future together. I saw myself walking back home with a ring on my left finger, telling my grandmother all about it and being the perfect granddaughter who kept all her beliefs, morals and culture and finally got what she was destined for. I was day dreaming as we made our way to the cafeteria, casually passing a smile to show that I was still with him.

My newly found knight and shining amour opened the door for me and pulled a chair by the table for two for me at the far end of the cafeteria where few people were sitting, we sat and chatted our lunch time away and in a matter of days, we were inseparable. I went everywhere he went because he was familiar with the city, so he knew his way around. He would pick my clothes, make up looks, hairstyles suited for each event we would be going to and made sure that I never dressed down because he couldn’t afford people seeing that his girlfriend had no style or wasn’t in tune with the latest fashion trends. I stretched my budget all the time to buy new clothes to impress him, to go out with him, buy new makeup, new weaves, I remember a statement he made.

“I want you to look exactly the way I saw you the first time, every day, nicely done hair, makeup and please forever walk like a lady, never do anything to embarrass me.”

I did my part every day, he did his and slowly our relationship became like an agreement more than anything. I unconsciously sang my old song, “do your part, don’t let the team lose, don’t be selfish, he depends on you.”

I and forever wanting my actions of submission to cut merit in people’s scrapbooks was getting worse. I was told what to say in public, what to wear, how to carry myself and the list went on.

Tell us: What do you think about the relationship she had with Henry?