Everyone on campus knows Gabrielle and I are an item. Even though we do not belong to the same department, we always walk to lectures every time it coincidentally happens that our lectures are scheduled around close venues and time. Sometimes, I would join her in attending one of her general courses just so I could walk her back to her hostel thereafter. I am that fond of her.
It is my third year in the University and the first time to be in love. It doesn't matter if my grades are beginning to fall or that I no longer find it easy to study ever since I met Gabrielle. All that matters is that she loves me just like I love her, and what do grades matter when I am still top of my class. I have cut ties with my only friends in school. They have tried to drive a wedge between Gabrielle and me by warning that I love her just too much. Pfft! Jealous people!
Today, Mike, the only classmate whom I still have a near friendship with comes to my hostel to tell me that he had seen my Gabrielle at a restaurant with another guy. I do not take him seriously at first but now that he is swearing about what he saw for the umpteenth time, I ask him again, "are you sure of what you're telling me?"
"Yes, I witnessed it all with my own eyes. In fact, they are still there together as we speak," Mike says.
Reluctantly, I pick up my phone and dial Gabrielle's number.
"Hey babe, how are you doing?" I ask as soon as she picks up.
"I'm fine, dear. Didn't you just call me about 10mins ago. What's up?" she asks.
I reply, "nothing really. I just want to know if you're still at Becky's place."
"Becky?" she asks, obviously puzzled.
"Yeah, the French student you said will be meeting to help you translate your assignment on Mariama Ba's novel."
"Oh, yes. Erhm, yeah. I'm still with her. You know what, dear, we are trying to concentrate here. Call me later, ok?" she says and then ends the call before I could respond.
I drop my phone, looking at Mike with disgust, and then query him, "what exactly do you stand to gain from ruining my love life, eh?"
The flash fiction above paints a scenario of one of such realities that are prevalent among young adults in our world of today. Relationships among contemporary younger folks seem to be marked by insincerity, deceit and short lifespan. One known reason for this is the too much materialistic emphasis we place on relationships nowadays. Gone are the days when people enter a relationship out of love. Rather, people, these days, do that to meet their sexual needs as is mostly the case with men, and financial needs as is mostly the case with the women.
It has become a norm that a guy is supposed to assume the role of a provider for his girlfriend even when they are not yet married or living under the same roof. An inability of the guy to do so might lead to the woman playing the role of Gabrielle as exemplified in the story. I've come across situations whereby a young lady cheated on her struggling boyfriend with another guy who promised to buy her an IPhone. The boyfriend after learning the truth became devastated to the extent that he set the young lady ablaze. Before help could arrived, the lady had died as a result of complications from the burns.
While I'm not in anyway trying to justify violence against women or anyone for that matter, I think we should enter a relationship only for the right reasons. And while we do so, we must ensure that it is with faithfulness to our partner.
Faithfulness in relationship matters so much and it should be taken seriously with each other. Why would you want to stand on lies in your relationship in the first place? If you love your partner, then you should remain faithful to him or her. Unfaithfulness can destroy relationship or marriage.
I thought you would finish up with the story of you and Gabrielle. I want to see the end of it 🙄🙄