THE MAN I LOVED WHO HID HIS CROWN

pte

unning until we got tired, and when

lized how handsome this guy is - he has dimples that

ody was getting hot, and he said with

to pay me cash; I don'

p with me ,it was all in my head but i really wish he could but I'm not bold enough to do something like that. I felt like a drenched

rought me there. He said, 'Why are you looking a

o! By the way, m

ke yours, you don't need a made-up name.

you know? My friends

o a celebrity, but you're even prettier

ies. Then I remembered he hadn't told me his name

d "by the way what's your name agai

ed harder than e

asing us come out and hop on motorbikes - t

, but the guy who saved me was standing behind it in the shadow none wou

melled so good - girls

was light and tall. I was wearing hi

didn't know what w

oy did to me in those few seco

o, but I noticed something had chan

elf, Maybe he's f

et out of here before they come back. I'll

I remembered my mom was ang

t to go home yet. I'm starving

nd spun me around: "Come

nd I started feeli

nd put it on me, staying

We're almo

-looking market cent

ut I was used to getting sta

cooked right

t, and he would sneak glances back a

hey were grilling potatoe

"What are w

We're here to eat. I t

in places like this? I can't

found myself walking

while people co

h grilled potatoes and

ere greeting him: "

w can I not be fine when I'm

said, "H

idn't want to

tarted chewing happily, even

ungry - but people were

h, and when I refused again

hand and bit into th

tasted so good - better t

and we were playfull

round us, happy a

t food for ev

so h

"Now pa

e treating me! And you bought food for ever

gy! Just pay 10k from w

ped him and paid

tell him, I loved the

like me fall in love with

et's come back tomorrow evening during the

know how to sweet-talk! Let'

not have m

to have it, but I had to sell

so fearlessly that

, "Let me ge

etter not memo

rwa Chike, 32 years old. I work on Zaddy the G

, "What exactly

id, "I'm a const

hocked, "A const

why I was

when we reach my house, I'll blindfol

white, nice-smelling

t, my hand brushed his f

nd I blindfolded hi

er laugh

unny stories about the girls who

much I though

house, I got scared ag

my mom wa

led, but I d

shoes, grabbed my jacke

while he was st

you live just this time I promise yo

d I don't want t

oze.He kissed me on the forehead and whispered, "I didn't have the courage

but a classic, respectful girl

handed him the

et it when we go back to eat that... t

They call

hed: "

ounds

but eventually, he left because the

He kissed his palm, blew me a kiss and I laughed, walked on, and

see if he was still there. I pulled the curtains aside and he waved at

PM, I put the food into the fridge because I had left it as I had cooke

without opening her eyes, still feeling sleepy, and picked it up. When she saw

: Good morn

-m-morni

you gone? I came over but couldn't

was wit

? She found me after getti

d come home after w

t I come over so we

d. Open the door -

what? At

, my dear. Today

n to the window, pulling aside the curtain

paced back and forth before finally opening the door. She

r, and afterward, they

own to hav

, why aren't you t

ardly) Tell

you planning to

refusing. It's just that I don't hav

: What abou

elt like Sandy had betrayed

y) Mom, honestly,

poor. You're a girl with the ability to get any man you

nd to make others proud w

live with him, sleep beside him, let him touch me, an

spectable woman with a successful life - and a family! Don't rely on your b

ing, from a respected family, and he loves me. But

om: And w

beat. He doesn't have my heart, Mom

I didn't love Liam's father when

t to love first, then marry - not ma

dy to assess him properly. If I se

l you know he'

ur mother. I know w

I love

ter. But Liam, too, needs to find a wife and s

gged her tightly when they were almost

s mom:

Yes,

om: Are y

No way! I just remembered

now. I hope you don't turn out like her

words "your father expects so

ng until noon, and t

had found their own house, mainly to avoid

ir-skinned. They inherited their heig

ketball and is also a tour

l over the world who immediately fall for him. He'd pick one girl, sp

sat on the couch, turned on the TV, and started watching a

k. It was Sandy with her friends Paula, Leyna

h of them. Even Kendrick hugged her and tea

some weight in so

outh Province. I regret not setting up my clini

there with me, and

Everyone laughed, c

never leave

nside before you sta

's first ta

hotos and w

chen to prepare food. Leyna followed her, sta

ow are yo

tled) "I'm g

ne. Where were

to the gym. Why

your mom here. Don't lie to me - we know

looking for me, so I went to Alic

I came to talk to you but lost you in the crowd. I saw

delicious food they ate, like

is name i

curiosity as Tiana smil

s going on be

awkwardly and

oken. He had planned to perform wit

! Didn't I tell hi

one day you'll love him back. He believes that if

ighed h

I don't want to love

enly enter

sip! My man

were coming with Kendro. I di

or a week. We've been having

ed) "You slep

, and it wa

y we are university students, he was even afraid of you. Instead, you ended u

it's me who teased him and provoked him - then he told me th

you are 5 years

trying to tell me that a

"Go away, yo

w I understand why you're talking to me like this. But

at again, I'll cut your t

lked, and were happy while Sandy told

on her watch, Leyna kept lookin

't there - it

mong you all, who know

said, "

s, something ca

Isn't that chickens? I

aha' are something chick

o think it's somet

nd told them that 'ibiraha' are some

n the road, I see them selling that, but

- they kept telling stories - la

th him sometime, but she said s

aring her yellow Hoodie that reaches the knees, tied a cloth

because it was already 6:30 PM and Chi

this way yet we just met yesterday. I was reading the novel but couldn't concentrate - pain started growing ins

e I had trusted him, and now

ter, someone kno

't Chike because I had already c

t jumped with joy - it was him - I

i shirt, blue jeans, the same J1 sneakers from

sual - his dimples charming me - his

won't fall into

ught about it, I found m

est feeling

im without

d, "I misse

look beauti

lity, let go of h

e and

was reading, looked at it, an

this one - it's called Soulmates, and the woma

but I didn't know Cathrine Phiri. But

ing at my li

d, and he repeated, "We

so emb

t and asked, "Why are you throwing a pill

king about the book, and

"Then I'll

, and he chased me

kept chasing me until he tr

he stayed quiet, staring at

sing him, but I didn

ked me, "Do you h

and said, "I don't

beautiful girl like you, special, r

estion, I owe you no explan

ove how you talk

u do, where do you live

said, "I thought we

know you. Let it be today's deal - t

wa Chike, I live with my frien

k layer at the c

'm 32 years old. My family lives in the countryside, they are poor, and I am th

he spoke. I kept wondering how someon

il someone knocked

iana, my love, come receive your

I looked at Chike... and he was

ing