Chapter thirty-two Eva pov

We all have that one person from our past whom we view as unattainable. No matter how often you've said "I'm over it", the heart just doesn't seem to agree. So, what happens when this person waltzes into your life after 15 years?

Being reunited with them means being caught up in a quick emotional window where you try to figure out everything that changed in the intervening years to make your life what it is now. And the end result? It's not always sunshine and rainbows. At least, it wasn't so for me. So, if you don't mind feeling a little sentimental, I'd ask you to read through this entire piece in the hope that some part of you relates to some aspect of what I went through. If not, I assure you it'd be worth your time either way.

'Hi, I'm not sure you remember me…' a notification popped up on my phone one Friday night.

Once I received the text, my mind was immediately taken to a different place; I was back in the corridors of my school, wading my way through the other students to make it to my class before the warning bell rang. Did I succeed? Barely. But the small wave and smile I was rewarded by the boy next to me were enough to make me believe that the day would be better than how it started.

See, he and I had been friends since we were 6 and since we both were too tall for our age, we were often made to sit together at school, or like we kids called it then, 'be partners'. The friendship between the two of us was as natural as one would wish for it to be, the attraction however, made an appearance in our story only sometime later down the years. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before, but I knew right away that he was special. The way he smiled and laughed at me, the way he would look at me when no one else would notice anything different than what they saw in front of them and above all, the little things like how he treated me when there were other people around were nuances that couldn't be justified with present-day phrases like 'green flags'. I can't denied do missed his painting, to me, he was a supper hero.

When I look back, I do believe it was more than just a typical childhood crush; we had a bond that many people would consider really hard to find today! The kind that makes you feel like you can do anything: no matter how many falls or mistakes lay ahead of you, there is always someone by your side who will surely make it through together. And the best part – I knew he felt as safe as I did around him. But just like no story is complete with its fair share of unforeseen circumstances, life changed once we turned 13. Remember those heart-wrenching moments in movies when lovers are separated for something beyond their control? That's something that happened to him–moving out of the country for good.

But funny enough, he just see me like a friend. I heard he as fallen for a black girl or maybe he prefer Nigerians since he is one but I really don't mind adapting to Nigerians way of live.

So there I was, at 21 years of age, sitting with my phone and a text that was simple and heartfelt, but made my heart skip a few beats. I had ached to receive that text for years, so when it finally came...I was not prepared.

'Are you kidding me? Of course, I remember you…' I shot off a reply. How can I forget you jimi? I added in between exectment. Hearing from jimi was like I have hit a jackpot.

I couldn't help but to invite him for my birthday party.

Of course I know he would come new yoke it wasn't a big deal for him our family were friend. When he was a boy he often spend time with me.

I eva, am a social media personality am going to ensure that my birthday will tread.

What ensued was a meet-cute that could put LDR videos on Instagram to shame and a 2-week globe-trotting adventure of epic proportions. We spent the days discovering each other's favourite memories and making new ones together. The nights were nothing short of a dream come true – spent in pure abandon and bliss as we worshipped each other in ways we longed to. However, after being absolutely 'drunk in love' which could only be attributed to the spell of a love potion, we both realised pretty quickly that we couldn't just pick up where we left off. It wasn't a matter of just growing apart – it was coming to terms with the fact that we probably had never known each other at all. While our ideas of love definitely started off based on how we made each other feel, we now were different people with evolved mindsets which made acknowledging 'we are right where we should be' and 'there's no need to force something just to see what could have been' a whole lot easier.

As a woman, I know how hard it is to admit that you're the kind of person who's worthy of getting the love she wants and deserves. But what I did learn from this experience is that giving yourself the freedom to indulge in things unbeknownst to the outcome can help people open up to and accept you, even if it doesn't lead to a walk down the aisle. It also helped me humanise the memory of the first boy I ever loved, who at the mere age of 6 brought out feelings equivalent to the ones I feel as a 25-year-old while watching jimi hand clench from Pride & Prejudice.

So, if you ever get the chance to reunite with the one person who at a point in time was the bane of your existence and the object of all your desires, I'd urge you to take it. A gift to your younger romantic self, it's a beautiful invasion that could play out anyway and shouldn't be passed up on. But still I can't forget jimi. Am I being selfish? I hate to admit it was all one side love thing. But if I can't have him no one will.