West stories

Episode One

Episode 1
Joachim stood against the wall of the classroom, leisurely staring out of the window at the boys playing football on a space beside the block.
he had a leisurely smile on. he was a sporty kind of boy but today he was quiet and stayed in class during break hours while the other boys went out for a quick soccer game.
He just stood there on his own.
he looked so handsome with his boyish face. Joachim was the most handsome boy in the whole of the school.
Tall, athletically built with a slender body,
he had the features that made him look like a black prince pulled out of a fairy tale.
He was a very bright student. He was the class captain and ever girl in the class was falling over the others just to catch his attention. he never seemed to notice anyone except Beatrice, his girlfriend.
Beatrice was a beautiful girl believed to come from a healthy home, she had a strong will and liked to be in control of her friends.
More so, Beatrice was very arrogant and a bully who caught her jolly when spitting other girls, she was a brute, she had a gang of five girls who are loyal to her for whatever reason.
She was so much in love with Joachim and beat up any girl whoever came near her boyfriend. still, girls just could not stop admiring him and wishing he could be theirs...
I am one of such girls, I did not start the school with the others from the first year.
I had come two years earlier when they were in ss1. the moment I had first set my eyes on Joachim, I had my heart beating so fast. I just developed an instant crush on him.
That day, all through, I had been watching him and dreaming of talking to him but I never did, he seemed to hardly notice me.
later that day as I was walking out of the class someone screamed "hippopotamus" at me.
The class bursted into a wild laughter and I was embarrassed.
I knew I was the one being referred to as hippopotamus because of my size. I turned to look where Joachim was sitting and it broke my heart when I saw that he too was laughing. I hurried out of the class, tears flying out of my eyes.
I was a very fat girl and I hated it so much. All through my school years I had been mocked and laughed at.
People gain pleasure in mocking me. I really wished I was slim and adorable. I had been called a fat duck, a fat pig, an elephant...
I had been called all sort of names that made a caricature of my size. I wondered why my mother never saw anything wrong in my size. To her, I was well fed and she was proud to say I was her daughter.
That day, I sat at my desk watching Joachim as he stood against the wall. he was no doubt enjoying the football game that was going on outside.
I wondered how it would feel like for him to fall in love with me. it would be great,no doubt.
I pulled out my poem book ad wrote a short poem, expressing my love for him. I had been writing all sort of love poems for this love idol of mine in the exercise book.
It was my secret love poem book, which I did not let anyone see. just then Beatrice and her gang came into the classroom.
she walked up to him, her gang members returning to their desks. He saw her and gave her a loving smile. he was no doubt so much in love with her. She stood beside him and they fell into a discussion, there was disturbing closeness between them that was very intimate. My heart tugged and I was jealous.
I put away my book of love poems seeing them like this makes me angry. "I don't think she loves him as much as i do", Deborah, the bespectacled girl next to my desk whispered to me.
I looked at her and frowned. How could she also be in love with Joachim? and even think she loved him the most. how many other girls love him so much? I wondered. "I just wish one day he would jilt beatrice. I swear i will seduce him and have him as my boyfriend" Deborah continued.
I was already irritated, it even hurt me to hear her tell me she wanted to snatch a boy I was badly in love with.
I looked away, not wanting to be involved in her discussion. I looked at Joachim and he was still talking and smiling with Beatrice.
I wondered what they could be discussing, perhaps he was telling her how much much he loved her and how beautiful she was.I could see the smile on Beatrice's face.
It was a smile that unified love and happiness. Deborah was still pouring her nonsense to me but I was not paying attention. I deliberately did not want to hear her.
I decided to go out of the classroom to avoid listening to her stupid crush talk. As I got up, my body pushed the desk and it made a screeching sound on the hard floor.. heads turned to look at me.
I tried to ignore them. I walked towards the door of the classroom, "fat and ugly" Angela one of Beatrice's gang members hollered a loud laughter exploded. I turned to look at her.
She was smiling at me with an expression that was filled with taunts. I saw Deborah twittering.
I stifled and turned to leave, then I noticed Joachim and Beatrice were staring at me, amusement in their eyes. Beatrice brought out a small nail file and began to file her nails leisurely.
As I walked passed them I noticed that Beatrice was still staring at me. then she garbled, "THIS IS A HUMAN DUCK" Joachim bursted into laughter. my heart fell as I ran out, tears blurring my sight I felt humiliated, angry and heartbroken.
Episode Two

Episode 2
Joachim will laugh at me each time any one made jest of me, which was frequent. There was hardly a day that someone will not taunt me over my size.
I might have been able to take it from others but then Joachim usually laugh and that always hurt me the most. Could he not feel disgusted when someone made fun of me? I wondered.
Each time I saw him laughing at me I always felt a heartbreak that was so hurting. However, I still did not love him less...
I was just still crazy about him and continued to dream of him as my boyfriend. One day I was walking from the buttery when I saw him ambling alone to the buttery.
This was actually the first time I was seeing him alone, walking without Beatrice. A sudden elation surged up in me. I composed myself and slowed my pace making up my mind to talk with him.
As he got close to me, I beamed a beguiling smile at him and almost screamed,
Hy Joachim!
He looked at me with a straight face and responded "hello"
His look was only a flash as he looked away almost immediately. He walked on. He did not even turn to look at me and it really hurt me.
I felt despised. I was near to the classroom block when I returned and headed back to the buttery, I was returning to buy something, I had not quickly decided but the truth was that I wanted to meet him there, and just maybe we could get talking.
I sighted him standing by a window in the buttery with a bottle of soft drink and biscuits in his hands, then I went in and also ordered for a bottle of soft drink.
The buttery attendant looked at me with a disapproving frown.
Young girl, too much sugar is not too for you" the buttery tender said to me You don't want to sell to me? I replied, asking
"But you've just had a bottle of fanta SOME minutes ago" the buttery tender said.
"Well" I shrugged, taking a side look to see if he was looking at me. " I just want a bottle more" I said
The buttery tender gave it to me and I walked to where he was standing. I feigned anger, frowning and breathing hard just for him to notice. He looked at me, sighed and then looked away.
This woman just pissed me up I said after a while trying to start a conversation. He looked at me again but said nothing. He nibbled his biscuit and drank from his bottle.
Can you imagine her telling me I couldn't buy another drink as if its her money I'm using . I said again still trying to get his attention but he still did not say anything but was now looking at me
Is that right? I decided to use a question. It would not be courteous of him if he refuse to answer a question, at least, he would talk, He finally shrugged his shoulders and said " I guess its for your own good, too much sugar isn't good, he said
I withered a bit but quickly shove it aside, " well you are right , but one can take whatever one likes, can't one?
Not something that is inimical to your health he replied
Inimical? I asked, What does that mean?
It means dangerous he replied
Oh that's a new one I have just learnt. It will enrich my vocabulary, I said beaming my friendliest smile BUT he would never return my smiles. Thanks i SAID finally.
You are welcome he replied, his eyes moved away as if he was bored. But you're taking minerals yourself .... Isn't that inimical to your health? I asked accusatorily .
He looked at his bottle insouciantly, then he replied ... This is the first am taking today and probably the first in a couple of days he said
So what do you advice? Should I stop drinking minerals? I was just starring at his pink lips that sharply contrast wit his dark complexion wondering if I will ever get to to place my lips on his, kissing him. But I guess that was cat's thinking cos I don't think such will happen... But I will feel great if it happens.
"Do whatever pleases you" he said to me bringing me back from my thoughts, his tone showed apathy.
Then he looked at me and I tried to smile, but then I notice he was not actually looking at me but beyond me, a smile, amusement sort of, came on his lips.
"Hi Frances", I heard from behind me, I turned and it was sola, a fat boy just like me with huge glasses almost covering his face.
Sola had shown some affection towards me and it get so terrible for me, he was just as fat as I was and people kind of made more jest of us, when they saw us together.
I did not like being around him and it pained me so much that he was in love with me.
I frowned as I looked at him
"Hello" I replied caustic
"I was looking around for you" he said
That drew blood in me. I starred daggers at him, I looked at Joachim,he was smiling, amused. He rushed on his drink "Excuse me" Joachim said and left the buttery, my heart fell and I became furious
"Looking around for me for what?" I demanded harshly
"Frances, he began, I made up my mind to talk to you today. I really feel something strong for you, something more that just likeness, I feel love for you, and I want us to have a relationship. God on our side, you and I will conquer the world.
Anger tightened my heart and I felt like giving him a hot slap, but then I didn't want to cause a scene, "You can drop dead for all I care, am not interested " I said and walked off, seething.
Episode Three

Episode 3
Frances was not sure if she was glad that her family, especially her mother was alarmed at her new appearance.
It was what she had always hoped for in her growing up years. She had wanted to be thin, though not thin to the point of being morbid or insalubrious, but she had fancied the idea of being slim like a model.
For the up tenth time her mother turned to look at her, a disapproving frown still evident at her face.
"Weren't they feeding u over there?" Mother asked her over nd again. She dropped, somewhat becoming edgy. The familiar comfort she knew with her family seemed to have escaped. "Am very fine mum" she replied, this time tired of the particular concern of how thin she had become.
"But you don't look fine" mother protested .
"You look anaemic" her elder sister, Theresa said. Anaemic? She asked, a deep grimace coming up her face. She wanted to get angry. She and Theresa had always been cat and dog since they Were little children.
They both derived some kind of personal satisfaction, when they taunted each other and got the other upset.
But Theresa's tone was not the same as then. she struggled to stifle the emerging anger.
Besides, it would be wrong for her to get angry as they had all came down to pick her at the airport and she had been away for so long.
"I don't think so, I am very healthy and i like it" she said. Mother was visibly worried. Theresa turned to uncle Mathew who was driving. He had not said anything about Frances thinness yet.
"Uncle, what's your take on my little sisters new look? Did you recognize her when she emerged from the arrivals? Theresa asked Uncle Mathew was the reticent type, very unlike their mother, her elder sister who remarked on anything that passed her eyes. He shrugged almost insouciantly.
"I guess she likes it that way", Mathew replied.
My mother turned quickly to look at her brother Matthew is that what you have to say? she looks sick. Have you so quickly forgotten How she was?
Look at her now. She has lost every flesh up to her bones. And you say she likes that way? Mother said
"Sister, she's okay. There's life in being thin," Matthew replied. Oh come off it matt, she is too thin" mother said again she was not listening anymore. she sat slump on her seat, resting her body with her face averted. she was starring at the places they drove past but she was seeing nothing in particular. her mind was somewhere else, somewhere so far in the recesses of her memory.
His face, as if she had conjured it, seemed to appear before her. He was just the same way she saw him last, six years ago, an 18 year old with a boyish aspect.
Her heart suddenly shook and began a quick pulsation. How is he now? Would he ever remember her? Did he ever think of her in all this years? Then her heart drooped.
He would never had allowed his mind to stray her. He had never felt anything like love for her to want to think of her, even for a second.
He despised her and she suspected he still had that abhorrence for her. A relief came over her; she has changed. she was no more the sloppy fat girl with a hateful disposition. she was now a sweet girl with a beautiful body.
Beautiful body? her shoulders fell as she let out a quiet sigh. was she really beautiful? her mother and sister are complaining that she looked so thin and her sister had said that she looked anaemic.
Why were they disappointed with her new look? This new look had made her a head turner. Men turned to look at her.
She was beautiful, she decided. At least she had won miss campus at the university and had a feat of being the first black girl ever to win the beauty pageant on that campus in a competition that was keenly contested by many white beauties.
She had also won the miss ebony UK and a fashion magazine had featured her in various pages modelling for fashion designers. She had intentionally kept those feats from her family because she knew that her becoming thin would break her mothers heart.
And that was what it did. Now she was more than Sure that if he sees her now, he would long for her to be his woman. She smiled to herself.but where was he? It had been six years now since they passed out of secondary school and she had gone to england for her higher education.
The first thing she did in Britain was to go for a weight loss session and went on a diet and regular exercises.
Gradually, she had lost weight and in about two and half years she had achieved her perfect physique. No body would believe that she had been called awkward names like fat duo hippopotamus, fat and ugly and so on she was now a new person .
She had returned to Nigeria for the national youth service corps scheme. Only God knows where he would be. She had gone two years behind her secondary school mates when she got to England because she had to do her A-levels first and that was after wasting more than a year working on herself.
Episode Four

Episode 4
She missed the united kingdom and all her friends over there. But at least she was glad to be back to Nigeria, for some reasons, she felt more comfortable being in Nigeria where every one was her kind and not the UK where she was among the few Black's in the midst of whites.
No one who knew her six year ago seemed to have recognised her now. Her transformation was tremendous. In the first week of staying in the Nigeria, men accosted her everywhere she went.
She felt pleased with herself. This was the pride of a woman, when men come your way trying to woo you. Even her follow ladies complemented on her beauty. She was proud of herself.
"What do you intend doing after your NYSC? Do you intend returning to the UK? Uncle had once asked.
Returning to the UK was not part of her immediate plans. Infact all she wanted was to find him first. To punish him for despising her so much and for joining the bandwagon of those who made her feel miserable.
I don't think so," she replied. "I want to settle down and work here either in a PR firm or the corporate affairs department of any multinationals"
Her uncle nodded. That sounds good to me. But make sure u never distort this your new look". Matthew said to me.
Not for anything," she replied and giggled. Uncle matt was the only one in her family who did not see anything wrong with her new looks. Her mother still grumbled even though her friends wowed her on her new looks.
"I don't understand the silly craze for being all bones" she had always complained, "and to think that her father allowed her to get this thin.
Her mother had heaped the blames of Frances new looks on her divorced husband. Frances parents had separated when she was ten and had subsequently divorced.
They had serious problems between them that suggested they weren't compatible. Her father had travelled a year after she remarried but had returned six months with his new wife, gave her a divorce and went back to Britain.
Since then, he had not Married again, twice her elder sister had to pay him a visit over there. He really wanted his kids around him.
Now she had gone after her secondary school and had her tertiary education with him. He wished her parents marriage had worked because her father was a wonderful man with so much love in his heart.
He loved her just just as much as her mother loved her. The only difference was that he let her do whatever she wanted which was unlike her mother who wanted to live by her guidance.
A month later she got her NYSC posting . She was posted to cross river state. She went though her mother had wanted to pull strings to have her posting changed to lagos, she insisted that she wanted to go to cross river.
The three weeks orientation was great fun for her and it held for her memories that would linger forever. It was while on this orientation camp that she came across Angela. Of course Angela who was always making jest of her in their secondary school days did not recognize her. But it Took her a week before she walked up to her.
"Angela Amah?" He said smiling
Yes" Angela replied with a shocked expression on her face. She must be wondering who this girl was and how she knew her name.
"I recognized you then," Frances said
"I wonder from where?"Angela asked
Frances could still see see the shadow of that naughty brat on her face. She had hated Angela with every ounce. Of her heart.
"You went to secondary school with me. We were in the same class," Frances said Angela looked at her so intently but no recognition came.
I am sorry I can't recollect your face. If you'd been in the same class, there's no way I would not recognize you especially with your kid of stunning beauty," Angela said.
All Frances was thinking was the day Angela with her unruly gang had waylaid her and beaten her up, Angela tearing her blouse.
You don't recalled any Frances Williams? She asked
I know Frances, the fat duck" Angela said, convinced that this was definitely a different person.
Well, that Frances you call fat duck is me," Frances said.
Angela looked her in utter stupefaction, then disbelief and rejection came in. "No come on, you can't be Frances, she is a very fat girl disgusting habits"
This is me. Not more the fat and disgusting as you claimed I was, but now a stunning beauty that you also claim I am. I know you can't believe it but the fact still remains that I am Frances Williams.
Angela looked at her, it was now she could catch an echo of her voice and she could see a shadow of her face. She could now place it.
"Oh my God, Frances, what happened to you? You've changed. I didnt know you could be this superlatively beautiful.
Superlatively beautiful? Her words echoed in her head. She was so glad that Angela who rudely referred to her as fat ad ugly has now confessed she was superlatively beautiful. The grudge of the past was now forgotten.
They embraced for the first time in their lives. Between them they felt and old bond they never had. They talked On so many things And their mates.
"How is Beatrice?" Frances asked. Beatrice, the last time I heard about her was last year. Then she got married," Angela answered.
Frances heart panicked. So Beatrice finally married him at last. She felt her heart crack and she experienced a sudden heaviness. Who did she marry? She mumbled.
I heard one Joachim, a banker," Angela replied.
Frances wondered why Angela was sounding so discordant. Of course Beatrice had married Joachim. So why was she sounding as if she did not know Joachim.
So those two finally married" she saw herself saying, her face averted, t hide a tear that threatened to drop from her eyes......
Episode Five

Episode 5

I hope you are not thinking its the same Joachim in school. They parted way after we passed out. Actually Beatrice left him. You know she had an older guy she was seeing even then and once we left school,
she moved on with the older guy. She and I didn't see much of each other. She got into school before me, and we went to different schools". Angela informed Frances and her face brightened again.

She was just staring at Angela, her heart suddenly pumping with happiness. Beatrice had not married Joachim. She felt inexplicably glad. "So where is Joachim now?" She asked. The last time I saw him was at a party I attended with my cousin shortly after Beatrice's wedding. I think he was the one who told me about it. He's still hurt she left him. He gave me a business card, I think he works with an oil company," Angela said

Hope rose in Frances heart so much that she did not realize when she blunted "do you have the card?" Angela looked at her and then she recalled that Frances had been madly in love with Joachim , she remembered the poem book and smiled faintly...

I was very worried; my poem book had disappeared from my bag, someone must have stolen it from my bag. Who could that be? And why was it the poem book that developed wings? I searched for it at every possible place but all to no avail. I suspected Deborah because she has come upon me earlier that day while I was scribbling some romantic lines on Joachim.
She asked me what I was writing. I quickly closed the book an kept it in my bag.
I told her it was nothing but she won't take that from me. She urged me to show it to her but I remained adamant.
"Deborah where is my book?" i asks her angrily
She appeared astonish "which book?"
The one you took from my bag," I replied
I didn't take any book from your bag," she denied
Just then Beatrice and her gang entered the class. Beatrice was holding my poem book, she did not look at my direction and so were their friends. Beatrice walked Up to Joachim seat.
She began to open the book to show him. Beatrice was smiling amused. He turned to look at me with an angry expression, then he took a pen an began to write in my book.

I just sat down, mortified, I felt the ground should open up and swallow me. I regretted ever writing those poems. Beatrice was laughing; the echo of her laughter reached me like mockery.
Joachim got up with the book and walked towards me. My heart was beating fast. He didn't say a word to me. He didn't seem angry, in fact a smile played on his lips. Good job Frances, I didn't know you could be this poetic but why not dedicate it to someone like sola who would appreciate it much better." He slapped the book on my desk and tarried, obviously waiting for me to respond, but what was I to say, my tongue tied in my mouth. Beatrice came up behind him smiling with taunts. I didn't know fat, ugly toads could write beautiful romantic poems eulogising someone else's boyfriend," she said.

I flushed silently with Both anger and embarrassment. I could not even raise my face anymore as my head went bowed. Beatrice snatched the book away from my desk and walked away. Joachim went back to his seat.
"So you too have fantasies for Joachim"? Deborah who had been sitting close by asked. But I didn't answer. My ears seemed to be burning. I wish I had taken the book and kept it away when Joachim dropped. Now Beatrice was with it in front of the class.

"Announcement class," she called the attention of the class. We have a very gifted poet in this class who has written a beautiful collection of love poems for his dream guy".
She waved the book. The name of our poet is the fat toad of this class, Frances Williams and the guy she had written the poems for was Sola adeniyi ,"
The class applauded and some of them looked my direction. I was so embarrassed and I felt like dying. I saw sola, he smiled at me cheerfully. He was happy and it upset me the more.
Beatrice would not stop. She opened the book and began to Read it to the class using Sola's name.
Suddenly, anger overshadowed my other feelings. I got up, seething with anger, not minding my initial embarrassment. I sought to put an end to the running humiliation Beatrice was heaping on me,
I charged to the front of the class. The class roared excitedly. Beatrice looked at me and ignored me, she continued. She thought I would not dare to touch her because every other girl was afraid of her.

I pulled her violently and snatched the book from her and walked to my seat. The class laughed. As I got to my seat, I turned to give her a horrible look when I saw her staring menacing at me, I knew I must have shocked her. Her gang members were all staring at me, but I never cared . Beatrice walked up to her seat and seat and sat down, and just then the biology teacher came in.

"You better find a way to disappear once school is over today", Deborah whispered to me. Because if not they will beat u silly today," I did not mind her.
Sola just kept turning To flash at me annoying smiles, he must have really believed that I wrote those poems for him. Later, he came to me and handed me a paper. It was a poem he had also written for me...

I didnt bother reading more than four lines when I tore it and threw the pieces to his face.
"Get lost sola" I snapped
"You love me, don't you?" He asked, crest fallen
"No I dont! Just get lost!" I almost barked
Dejectedly he walked away. Once it WAS school over, Beatrice and her gang came to me, "you think you are strong simply because you are fat and ugly, right?" Beatrice asked, her eyes mean.
You tried to embarrass me" I protested.
You embarrassed yourself" Angela snapped
Then let me be" I said
"You won't escape this Frances, you won't," Beatrice said as She walked off, her gang followed her.

I made up my mind that if they touched me, I would report to the school authority. I picked up my bag and was about to level when sola came up again. "Frances, I know you are annoyed that I've found out that you have Crush on me, but what does it matter? I feel love for you as well, let's just go steady with each other," he said.
I felt like slapping his mouth. I gave him a cool look. "Sola keep your mind where it belongs. I didn't write any poem, it was just a frame up and for goodness sake, I don't have any crush on you, I can't, its impossible". I told him and walked away.
Episode Six

Episode 6

Beatrice and her gang waylaid me just few metres after I passed the school gate. Strangely enough I WAS not scared. I was determined not to let her have a walk over me.

"You dare have the audacity to fall in love with my man and still harass me in class? Beatrice questioned but I never replied her. I just moved on Angela one of them suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

Come back here, where do you think you are going to?" Angela questioned. I starred daggers at her and snapped my hand away from her grip. Before I knew it Beatrice had slapped my face and I was overwhelmed with anger as I pounced on her.

I grabbed her by the neck and effortlessly pushing her left to right, with my long nails piercing her soft skin. I thew her to the ground.

Bose, one of the girls, took hold of my hand and Angela grabbed my legs, I staggered but they pushed on until I crashed to the ground. They all began to beat me silly, I managed to get on my feet and fought back, pulling hair And scratching faces. Beatrice was my main target, I just wanted to disfigure her face. Angela grabbed my blouse and pulled it, it tore in the front, exposing my bra. I grabbed hers and jerked it off her, tearing it completely out of her body.

By now a crowd had gathered with some boys laughing. We were separated and I left with a bleeding nose and a black eye, I was satisfied cos I made at least a scratch on each of them. Beatrice was bleeding from her neck and face and chioma one of the girls left with a broken nose. I just picked up my bag and headed home. Mum WAS alarmed when she saw me . I admitted i was involved in a fight on my way back home but I lied that it was a group of girls from God knows where, who were making fun of me because I was fat.

"You don't have to fight people. You are good, looking, they are only jealous of you, nw look how messy you're," She gave me first aid and called a doctor... I had no major hurt. The following day, all the Beatrice's gang kept away from me, Beatrice did not come to school that day, but the the story had gone round that I was thoroughly beaten by the girls.

"I owe you another fight" I told angela later. She did not answer. I could tell she was afraid of me, none of them expected that I will put up such fierce fight against six fearsome girls. Joachim came to me just after schools hours were over. "I heard what happened yesterday and am sorry but you were too vicious with Beatrice" he said

She attacked me first, I replied. I smiled for the first time that day. I did not expect him to come close to me. He took a sigh and looked at me "Frances, would you be truthful with me if I asked you a question?" I looked at him and wondered what the question would be. "Go on, I will be truthful "Why did you write those poems about me?" He asked.

Then I remembered he had used a pen to change his name to Sola's . I looked straight into his eyes, he was not angry. Defying all shyness I blurted out. "Its because I love you.

He heaved a Sigh and a faint smile came to his lips. He reached for my hand ad squeezed it gently, even affectionately... I could not believe my eyes. "You know that is impossible because I can't love you," am sorry I can't he said and left.
My heart shattered into pieces.
Episode Seven

Episode 7
Back to present
Frances smiled as she remembered those things... She was now gorgeous... She was sure Beatrice could not stand her beauty.. Why are you smiling? Angela asked her Just remembering my past days in school... When I was fat and ugly as u use to call me... She said

Am sorry about the past... And I beg you to forget the past Angela said.. Yea sure I have forgotten the past... But it seems to be coming to my memory... Remember I told you I owe you another fight? She said and they laughed.. Mmmmmm, but u had strength that time oooh, guess I can beat you nw if we are to fight. Angela said...

Then let's try it out nw she replied No ooh abeg don't want to disfigure your beautiful face.... Angela said C you, so when do I get Joachim's contact Nw,? Frances requested Soon, when am back from the village. Angela answered. I hope it will be soon, I can't wait to see him, am sure he will be surprised when I disclose to him who I am.

Sure he will, Angela said. It took Frances about 3 months before she was able to get Joachim's contact from Angela, and that was after she traveled home and returned. Joachim was working in an oil company in Lagos. A month later, she travelled back to Lagos and went to locate him but unfortunately,she learnt that he had left on posting to port Harcourt office. She returned to her base. Now she was not so far away from port Harcourt. She had been lucky to be in calabar which was 3-4 hours journey to port Harcourt. Once she had vacation, she headed to her aunt's place in port Harcourt.

Two days later, Frances was at Joachim's office. She had made inquiries about him and found out he was an assistant project manager. She quickly cooked up a story to present to him. She was ushered into his office. The moment she saw him, her heart jumped and began a rapid pulsation. She recognized him, he was comelier than ever. She gasped for air "Good morning sir" she greeted, amused that she was Addressing her former classmates as 'sir'

He raised his head and looked at her. His jaws fell and his eyes almost popped out of his sockets. He beamed a hundred watts smile that was simply sexy. "Good morning" he replied rising to take her hand. Please have a seat he offered. She sat down and watched him, he appeared enthralled. He gave her another dashing smile. "So miss..…. He looked at the visitor's slip she had filled at the reception " miss Williams, what can I do for you? He asked

She was glad he didn't recognize her. "I wanted to see if you have a vacancy in this company for someone like me," she said smiling You have come to the wrong place. The human resource department is where you should be," he said, he was starring at her. "What do you want to do?" "To work off course," she replied.

He did not dismiss Her as ordinarily expected, rather he stared at her, admiration filled in his eyes. "You are such a beautiful woman, you should be modeling, he said Modeling? Me? She asked Feigning outrage. He nodded with an ebullient smile. "That's where beautiful women like you should be". She rose,he got up too. "Thank you so much Mr Joachim Abara," she said and extended her hand.

He took her hand and held it gently. You're welcome " he muttered, his eyes transfixed on her but he still held her hand. She was staring at him too. Her eyes fell on her hand. He let her go. "You look like someone I knw but I can't place it," he said I know," she said

He grimaced "you know?" Yes," she replied. I look like a girl in your secondary school days, Frances Williams." His grimace went deeper. "Frances Williams. Yes, I remember her, that fat girl who was building romantic castles in the air" then something occurred to him. "Oh don't tell me you are her sister, miss Williams No am not," she replied "Then how did you knw her?" He asked "Was she really building romantic castles in the air? She asked him evasively... Yes she was he replied. Poor girl with a gentle heart. Her heart Melted. Tell me about her?" She requested..

He frowned. Who are you and why do you want to knw about her? He asked.. Well lets say am her facial look alike with the same last name. Someone told me I would find you here and you may tell me about her. I want to know what she was like" Frances said Oh you didn't come here for a job after all? He said and smiled. He sat down and so did she Truth is I didn't she answered. "Tell me about Frances" she pleaded Well she was just a normal girl very fat though and had a dangerous crush on me" he said. I see, so you dated her? She asked No, she was too fat and sloppy in a way. We had nothing in common. I couldn't reciprocate her feelings," he said. "Shame!" she remarked dryly

He frowned "what do you mean"? You must have hurt her terribly. I wish I could find her. I'd bring her to you. Perhaps you can make amends," she said He laughed. "No thanks. I don't love her. I just can't. Her heart broke and she felt a sharp pain in the middle of her heart. She rose again "its a shame."

He stood up too. Can I have lunch with you?" Why? You barely know me," she said feigning a frown of disapproval "Yes but am knowing you," he said "My fiance will be upset with me if he knew I accepted a lunch invite from a man," she quipped She saw the disappointment on his face. She kind of liked it. You have a fiance? He asked, confirming the reaction. "I consider myself at least pretty enough to have one" she said. He drooped with a heavy sigh. "You are beautiful. That man has good fortune to have you." "He sure does and thinks the world of me," she said I didn't mean to be rude" he said "No, you are not. Hey, tell me, if I got Frances here, would you mind having lunch with her sometime? She asked

He frowned as he stared at her. "Why don't you tell me the truth, that you know Frances or you are working for her. But its such a long time and I believe that she ought to have gotten over her childish fantasies. "Wow! You're very intelligent," she said and Smiled. "You're so smart, you got me! Yes, I'm working for her. Listen Joachim, Frances still thinks of you and she is still in love with you." Tell her I've moved on, she too ought to," he said "She probably needs you to move on," she said. He chuckled. "I'm sorry but I don't have feelings for her. She's not my kind of girl. Her heart fell, he still could say those words in front of her, if only he knew. "Listen you just might change your mind if you see her now. She's pretty and her fatness Is an enthralling beauty." He laughed. "So long she's still the Frances Williams that I know, I have no feelings for her

Good then, I think I've got to go. And by the way, I lied , I don't have a fiance, not even a boyfriend," she said. He brightened. Serious? Then can we have lunch. You have no feelings for me so why should I go for a lunch with you" she said flatly. "How do you know I have no feelings for you ? Give me the opportunity and you will see how I will express it," he said. Is that What you will tell every beautiful girl who comes to your office? She asked "No, he replied " so lunch? "No she snapped. "Come on, I mean no harm" he pleaded See, Joachim, don't waste your time. I know you don't love me. You loved Beatrice so much and no body else mattered to you. You treated me like a pig simply because I was fat . for your information, I am Frances Williams, the one who wrote love poems on you back then. Have a nice day Mr. Joachim Abara.
She said and walked out briskly before he could form a word. Joachim was shocked to his bones. Frances Williams? This beautiful, am I dreaming? He rubbed his eyes, no am not, Frances! he shouted and ran after her.
Episode Eight

Final Episode

Joachim chased me relentlessly.. He would not give up... He followed me everywhere I went pleading that I should forgive him and forget about the past.. Not that I held any animosity towards him.. But I just had to give him tough time, I am always happy when I see him pleading..

All he wanted nw was for me to be his woman.. It was hard and surprising that the same person who had practically snubbed me while I was a girl was now begging me to love him. I did not accept to date him as I returned to calabar a week later, Joachim traced me there the following week, an kept coming every weekend, professing his undying love for me... While I just laughed.

Deep in my heart, Joachim loving me was all I needed and now I have gotten that but I had to punish him a little.. It took 8 months before I agreed to date him, by nw I was back to Lagos after Completing my NYSC program ..... He was overjoyed when I accepted marrying him after he proposed, that was 3 months into our relationship...
Our wedding day remained the most memorable day in my life as I walked with Joachim to the altar... All I could see was smiles in his face and undying love and I was greatly happy I got Joachim at last... We were successfully married and now we love each other so dearly... With 2 kids at the moment., a boy and a girl.....

Frances