As a fresh secondary school graduate, Jordan, a humble boy from a small county in the Eastern Region of Uganda, joined Muni University, the only public university in West Nile District. A month into his studies, after getting used to university life, Jordan decided to explore the locality, and better still, other options the environment had to offer. One evening, as he was moving around, his eyes fell upon an absolutely beautiful young lady. She had the brightest smile, one that sent warmth rushing down his spine and entire body. It felt like a dream come true, though short-lived, as she was just leaving.
For the next three days, Jordan returned to the same spot, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stranger, but to no avail; the dream lady never appeared. Then, on one fateful evening, as he dragged himself home after a long, tiring lecture, his heart skipped a beat; everything else faded into the background as the very person he had found earlier was there once more. His legs suddenly felt like jelly and numb, refusing to move an inch toward her. The character in question was dark, her skin smooth, with white eyes, pink lips, and incredible dimples that would keep you glued to her gaze. She kept her hair natural, with only a simple twist, locally referred to as a “swahili.”
After admiring her for about ten minutes from a distance, Jordan somehow found himself standing before her, grinning foolishly. Concerned, the young lady looked at him and asked gently, “Excuse me, sir, may I help you?” Barely audible, Jordan, hardly speaking, whispered something like, “I just really enjoy the way you smile.” He sent his hand forward to greet shakily, and, due to a mixture of fear and admiration, and his sweaty palm, his advance was ignored. The lady, whose name he later learned was Immaculate, smiled again, speechless for a good three minutes before asking for his name. And just like that, a spark was lit. They talked as though they had known each other in another lifetime. After the extended awkward moment when Jordan had finally settled down, they talked extensively about how campus turned out to be a scam.
They talked and made jokes about how teachers used to tell them to read hard, and that there would be no more reading when they reached the university, and yet this proved even harder. Their conversation flowed effortlessly until it was late. Before parting, they exchanged contacts and continued chatting from their hostels.
A week, two weeks, three weeks passed, and their conversations got even deeper. Jordan, however, was trying to take things slow. He never wanted to rush and feel too desperate, or scare his jewel away. But for some reason, he felt he was wasting time, too; a month had passed, and he had not yet said how he felt.
One fateful evening, after it had rained heavily during the day, the suitor wore his favourite perfume, made sure he flossed, and was in his best looks. The sky still cracked with violent thunder, but love could not wait; a command had been made in the brain, and it had to be executed. Jordan picked an umbrella, wished himself luck, and moved on. As he approached the girl’s hostel, his heart throbbed against his chest, and his breathing even changed. He knocked on the door, and the tender, melodic voice welcomed him in. For about five minutes after entering, he just kept staring at Immaculate, smiling ear to ear. But just when he thought he was about to shoot his shot, Immaculate blindsided him.
She had grown so comfortable with him that she saw him as nothing more than her best friend. To add salt to the wound, she even asked him to help her choose between two other boys vying for her heart. Jordan’s glow at that moment wavered, and he immediately showed discomfort; his world came crashing down. He asked to be excused to complete an assignment. But the sadness on his face was evident even to the blind. Even though it had started drizzling, Jordan stepped out and took his wrecked world home, stretched his whole body on the floor, wondering how someone could be so blind to see that he had fallen. His small, tender heart was broken, and for the first time, he truly understood what it meant to have a heavy heart. For the following weeks, he revisited the texts they had, the photos they had taken together, and even the places they had gone to together, hoping to hold on to what it could have been. Their conversations grew weak, the flow faltered, and Immaculate grew concerned and asked. Jordan explained his stand, but it was already too late; he had lost the fight.
