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I was very busy. Final exams were around the corner, and the defense of our final year project was close by. I had issues with my old topic and I was given a new one. I had less than two weeks to write and develop the new topic I was given.

I had no time for Ben and I hadn’t seen him the whole week. Of course I was seeing him in class but I hadn’t had time to just stay with him.

‘When was the last time we saw each other. I know we are all busy but please come out. I need to see you even for two minutes. I’m near the church.’ Ben said as I took his call.

I was touched that he missed me. I immediately dropped everything I was doing and went outside.
Ben hugged me so tight and then he kissed me.

‘I missed you’ he said.

‘I missed you too baby.’

He kissed me again and again. Those few hours I spent with him were precious. We didn’t talk about much. We just enjoyed each other’s company.

He rested his back on the wall and I rested my back on him and he just held me. All the stress I was under felt like they dissolved and I knew I needed to belong in his arms.
  ___________
We were far gone into the exams and I just couldn’t wait for the exams to be over.

I had some issues with a course invigilator while writing a course. The man seized my answer sheet and told me to leave the hall.

I was mad because I know I hadn’t written much and if I left the exam hall, I would definitely fail the course and so I began pleading with the man with tears in my eyes.

I pleaded so hard till he decided to return my answer sheet to me. As I sat down, I was disorientated, my hands shook; I took deep breaths and continued writing.

I was in a bad mood because of what had happened earlier. I was plain irritated. I was walking into the cafeteria when Ben was walking out. He was with Linda and John. I didn’t look at him but I knew he slowed down. I walked passed him and went ahead to the counter to make my order.

I expected Ben to come talk to me but he didn’t. He just walked away.

Expecting his call drove me insane. I go through shit and he didn’t bother to call to know how I felt. It was 7pm and he called. I was full of rage and I just had to let it out.

‘What kind of boyfriend are you? You saw what happened to me in the hall. You were there. You saw me at the cafeteria and you just walked passed. Why? Because of Linda? To top it all, you are just calling me now. Why? What am I? Your 9pm girlfriend?’ I was almost shouting.

I knew I was being dramatic but I had to pour out all my frustrations and Ben happened to be the victim.

‘Can I talk?’ he asked me.

‘Say whatever it is you want to say.’ I knew I was rude and I knew it got to him.

‘First of all, you were the one that acted like you wanted to be left alone at the cafeteria. You looked like you were going to bite me if I talked to you and so I decided to leave you alone for a while and I hadn’t called you since because I didn’t have call card and you are not my 9pm girlfriend. In fact, I will talk to you later. Goodnight.’

Goodnight. Goodnight? How could he say goodnight to me.

‘What do you mean goodnight? Don’t you have any plans of seeing me this night?

‘I don’t know if you are still mad.’

‘I’m not.’

‘What time would you want us to see?’

‘Your usual time 9pm.’ there was sarcasm in my voice.

‘I will see you by 8.30’. He laughed and said.
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We were vacating the next day. I couldn’t see Ben that evening because of some issues he had to take care of.

We decided we were going to see the next morning before my dad came to pick me up.

That morning, I called Ben a thousand times. I had to see him before leaving but he answered none of my calls. I got sad and I started crying.

My dad called to tell me he was close to the school. That was when Ben called.

‘Did I offend you? Why do you keep treating me like this’ I complained over the phone when he finally picked up.

‘I am so sorry. I came back very late last night and I was exhausted. I saw your missed calls. I was asleep and I’m just waking now. Please don’t be angry. Where are you?’

I met up with him and we barely talked when my dad drove into the compound. I looked at Ben and I am sure he got the message my eyes tried to deliver; you ruined our last day.

Ben called when we were still on the road.

‘Are you still upset?’

‘No. It’s okay’

‘I am really sorry. I will make it up to you. I will come visit you at home.’

‘That would be nice. I’m sorry if it looks like I’m not understanding sometimes’

‘It’s fine. I love you’

‘I love you too’

And Ben visited. He resided in a state different from the state I resided in but he stayed with someone in my own state because we still had to go back to school for an external defense of our projects and it happened that my state of residence and the state where my school was located were neighbors.

I had thoroughly cleaned the house and I pleaded with my siblings to behave.

I must have forgot to mention that I have four siblings and I am older than them all. I was happy to see him and I was happy that we had a little bit of privacy because my parents were at work.

I and Ben talked and giggled. I couldn’t believe he was there in my house. We managed to sneak few kisses and I hugged him really tight as he left.

I went back to school. The defense went successfully but we still had to stay back in school because of clearance. It was nice staying in school with no academic responsibilities.

I spent so much time with Ben. We would stay with each other till we got sleepy or just tired. It was during this period that Ben and I saw each other completely naked.

We were making out as usual in an empty dark class and things just got very heated up. He took off his shirt and helped me remove the singlet I wore.

It was a huge risk we took getting completely naked because someone could have walked into the class and turned on the light. I hate to think of the degree of embarrassment we would have felt.

That night, Ben tried to penetrate me but I stopped him because I got scared. I just wasn’t ready and I still wanted to stay a virgin till marriage.

It was my birthday and I was happy that Ben stayed around in school just for it. I bought a cake and drinks which I shared to my friends. I had also given Linda a piece of cake and she was surprised.

Ben told me that she called him and told him that his girlfriend gave her a piece of cake and that she didn’t expect me to have done so considering our feud. Hearing that made me happy. I felt like the bigger person.

I spent the entire night with Ben and a bottle of wine. We got a little tipsy and our laughs roared into the night.

It was a beautiful experience being with someone I loved so much on a special day to me. I think that was the most fun birthday I have ever had.

Seeing Ben go was heartbreaking. As I walked him to the gate, tears clouded my eyes. I was going to miss him every day but my only consolation was that our convocation ceremony was barely a month away and I was going to see him again soon.

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