By Esther Omah

As I left you with a cliffhanger last week, I know many of you were eager to learn more about what really happened. Today, I’m ready to share the next chapter of my journey.

I told you this isn’t your regular heartbreak story. We were both left in a situation where we had no other choice than to let each other go.

Chigozie, as his name implies in Igbo language, “God’s blessings,” was really a blessing to me. He is the only child of his parents, who could go the extra mile to ensure their child was more than comfortable in school. Coupled with the fact that his parents were wealthy, it made providing for their son very easy for them. So, he was very comfortable in school, extremely.

This even made everyone, most especially ladies, perch around him like flies on red meat in Maidugri market. Me, on the other hand, I was from an average family whose parents were struggling to see me through school. In fact, I was squatting with my friends because my parents had no money to provide any form of accommodation for me.

So, you see why Chigozie meant everything to me. I never regretted going into what I would say was a platonic relationship with him. Regardless of what people around us – our course mates, friends, and family – guessed or imagined because they could see how we practically did everything together and visited places together.

This dude was damn cute, super handsome, and very brilliant, and I was single to “stupor,” so why wouldn’t “this ship sail”? Everyone was wondering.

I was just a teenager, I was about 19 years old in my 200 level in the university when Goziem, as I fondly called him, meaning “Bless me,” joined us as a direct entry from another school.

One thing led to the other, and we got close. But the truth is, Chigozie and I had a deep connection that went beyond physical attraction. We shared a bond that was rooted in mutual respect, trust, and understanding.

We were each other’s rock, supporting and encouraging each other through life’s ups and downs. Our relationship was a beautiful, complex tapestry of emotions, experiences, and memories.

So we kept pushing through our school itinerary and hustles together. I was an average student, and he was a very brilliant student. We made a perfect blend that was more beneficial to me, especially academically.

He helped me a lot with assignments and more, not that he did them for me, but he taught me how to do most things myself. I remember the countless nights we spent studying together, laughing, and joking.

He had this unique ability to make complex concepts seem simple, and I admired that about him. As we navigated the ups and downs of university life, our bond grew stronger.

We became inseparable, and people began to notice. They would often ask us if we were dating, but we just laughed it off. We knew what we had was special, but we didn’t need labels to define it.

Chigozie was more than just a friend to me. He was my confidant, my partner in crime, and my soulmate. We shared a deep emotional connection that went beyond words.

We could sense each other’s emotions, and we knew exactly how to make each other feel better. The sweetest part of my journey is what you’re about to read. As I am even writing this, I have butterflies in my tummy as we journey through our love story.

Undoubtedly, I noticed Goziem started doing things in an extraordinary way. He started treating me like not just a soulmate but a lover. I noticed he had fallen head over heels in love with me.

In as much as I was enjoying every bit of the journey, I was more astonished that he still maintained the exact thing we had initially. But trust me, I noticed when there was a slight change in everything he did for me and towards me.

The way he looked at me, it was more like a platonic relationship with a touch of romance. And trust me, I was enjoying it.

Looking back, I realize that our relationship was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was a beautiful, fleeting moment that I’ll always treasure.

We’ll always have a special place in each other’s hearts. In fact, as I reflect on our time together, I’m reminded of the Chigozie’s parents decision they were not pleased with our friendship. They saw how close we were and didn’t understand why their son, who came from a wealthy family, was spending so much time with someone from a humble background like me.

They worried that our friendship would affect Chigozie’s future prospects, especially since they had already arranged a girl from an equally wealthy family for him to marry, a union that would secure their family’s business interests.

Chigozie’s parents tried to persuade him to distance himself from me, but he refused. He told them that I was his best friend and that he couldn’t imagine his life without me.

Despite Chigozie’s protests, his parents continued to disapprove of our friendship. They saw me as a distraction, someone who was holding their son back from achieving his full potential.

Little did they know, their disapproval would eventually drive a wedge between Chigozie and me, a wedge that would change the course of our lives forever.

Chigozie’s parents’ disapproval affected him deeply. He felt torn between his loyalty to his family and his love for me. He knew that his parents would never accept me as their daughter-in-law, and that knowledge weighed heavily on him.

Despite his parents’ disapproval, Chigozie continued to see me in secret. We would sneak around, hiding our relationship from his parents and the rest of the world. It was exhilarating, but also exhausting.

The guilt and stress of keeping our relationship a secret began to take a toll on Chigozie. He became withdrawn and moody, struggling to balance his love for me with his duty to his family.

I could see the pain in his eyes, the conflict that was raging inside him. I knew that he was torn between two worlds, and that I was the catalyst for his turmoil.

One day, Chigozie came to me, his eyes filled with tears. He told me that he couldn’t keep living a lie, that he had to make a choice between his family and me. I knew that our relationship had reached a crossroads, and that the decision he made would change our lives forever…
Chigozie’s decision was one that would shatter my heart into a million pieces. He told me that he had decided to end our relationship, to sacrifice our love for the sake of his family’s expectations.

He explained that his parents had threatened to disown him if he continued to see me, and that he couldn’t bear the thought of losing his family. He said that he loved me, but that he loved his family too, and that he couldn’t choose between us.

I was devastated. I felt like I had been punched in the gut, like all the air had been sucked out of me. I couldn’t believe that Chigozie was willing to give up our love, our friendship, and our future together for the sake of his family’s approval.

I begged him to reconsider, to think about the depth of our connection and the memories we’d shared. But he was resolute, his mind made up. “There’s no going back,” he said, his voice firm but laced with a hint of sadness.

Little did I know, his parents had been secretly planning his departure from Nigeria, a move that would take him far beyond my reach. He kept this secret hidden, only revealing the truth in a heart-wrenching phone call. “I’ve left Nigeria,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Goodbye, friendship. It hurts to let you go.”

I was left reeling, wondering if that was truly the end. The abrupt goodbye, the sudden departure – it all felt so final. Yet, even in the midst of heartbreak, I knew I had to gather the pieces of my shattered heart and move forward.

And that’s exactly what I did. I took the lessons learned from our platonic love story and used them to fuel my growth, my resilience, and my determination. Join me next Tuesday as I share how I navigated the aftermath of our breakup and emerged stronger, wiser, and more whole. Until then, goodbye for now.