Today is my birthday but instead of blowing out candles or eating a cake. I am on handcuffs, sitting in the middle of two policemen.
As the poilce van drove out of the church building, people were clapping, shouting and raining abuses on me.
I looked at them with tears in my eyes yet I felt no remorse for what I did.
I had wanted to take my revenge on Kelvin and I finally did.
'You get mind use knife stab person wey dey do wedding' The policeman in front seat of the van turned and said to me.
'She go die for prison' another answered.
I closed my eyes in pain, my hands were shaking and my heart was heavy, still I wondered if I had stabbed Kelvin enough to kill him, I wanted him dead.
He has destoryed my life, caused me somuch pain. and He deserved to die for everything he did to me.
Then I flashed back to when I first met him.
I met Oghenero Kelvin in 2008 when I was preparing for my Waec examination. I was barely 17 years old.
That particular day, on my way back from school, I took a different route just so I could quickly get home to render assistance to my mother.
The road was quiet and full of bushes. Even though I was scared I kept walking because I knew it was the shortest way home but unfortunately A boy came out from God knows where and tried to rape me.
As I struggled with him, I screamed 'Help me o' 'Somebody help me' with fear.
It was when the boy was about making his way into my body that Kelvin came out and hit him with a wood
'Leave her alone' he shouted as he hit the boy again.
In pain, the guy stood up from me and ran away.
'Are you alright?" Kelvin asked, as he dropped the wood and helped me to my feet.
I was already trembling and crying bitterly.
'Thank you' I answered.
'This road is very dangerous, it is not a road for girls, many bad boys hang around the bushes waiting for a prey" He said.
'Thank you' I wept.
He picked my school bag from the ground and hung it on his neck.
'Let me walk you home' He suggested and I agreed.
As we walked to my house, He kept asking if I was alright and if the boy had injured me.
'You came just at the right time' I said.
When I got home that day, I didnt say anything to my parents, My mother was arranging plantains on two trays while my father was sitting beside her.
My mother had stopped our food business and ventured into selling of plantain which My only sister Ejiro and I would hawk everyday after school.
And my father who fell ill after he lost his job had resulted to staying at home.
Ejiro had returned from school before me and after changing from my school uniform, we both carried our tray and went into the streets hawking.
The next day, as I came out of my school gate at the close of school, Kelvin who had been hanging around the school compound came up to me.
'I have been waiting for you' he said, 'are you alright?' he questioned.
'I am fine, thank you for yesterday' I replied.
As we walked together in the midst of other students. He took my school bag from me.
'Tell me about yourself' he said.
'My name is Ufuoma Peter, I am 17 years old and the eldest child of my parents, I have a younger sister called Ejiro, she is 15years old. I am in sss 3' 'Tell me about yourself' I said.
'My name is Oghenero Kelvin, I grew up with my grandmother but she recently passed away, I am 22 years old and I am an artist, I draw and paint' He answered.
From that day, Kelvin and I became friends, he would wait for me outside my school gate and walk me home, He also followed me around when I go out hawking.
On my 18th birthday in March 2009, he gave me a drawing of me and asked me to be his girlfriend which I agreed, this was just a month to WAEC. I was so happy.
As WAEC was fast approaching, I pressured my parents for my WAEC registration. and 2 weeks to WAEC my father gave me the #20,000 I needed to register and buy my past questions which was from the money My uncle had sent him to buy drugs.
That morning, on my way to school I saw Kelvin, he was looking pale.
'Are u okay?' I asked
'You look very excited this morning' was his reply
'I will be paying for my WAEC today' I smiled
'Congratulations' He mumbled.
'What is wrong with you' I asked again
'Someone gave me an opportunity to showcase my drawing to one new Art Gallery in Lagos, but I dont have the money to transport there' He answered. 'This opportunity could change my life, our lives' He added.
I felt bad for him, He draws well and I know he had a bright future and this might be the ladder for him to climb.
'I am so sorry' were the words that came out of my mouth.
'Ufuoma, please borrow me the money for your Waec, I promise I will give it back to you before Waec registration will end' He pleaded.
'Ha no oh!' I exclaimed 'What if my parents finds out?' No please. I objected.
'They dont have to know Ufuoma and they cant find out if you dont tell them yourself, it is not like you are attending a private school' 'They wont know and I will give you back when I return from Lagos, This opportunity will change our lives, I could even sponsor you to university, take your father for proper treatment, open a good business for your mother and give Ejiro scholarship' He said.
I stared at him for a while and said. 'Okay' 'I am not really concerned about all these promises oh, just make sure you return my money so I dont miss out please'
Then I brought out the money from my school bag and gave it to him.
His mood lighten instantly and he couldnt stop thanking me as we walked down to my school.
Till the deadline of the WAEC Registration, I didnt see or hear from Kelvin, In the evenings when I go to hawk plantain I would branch his place and knocked on his door .
I became restless and worried, I couldnt tell my parents either and that was how I missed my waec registration.