In a small township called Chinsapo, somewhere in the heart of Lilongwe city, there was a boy called Mark. Mark came from a very rich and famous family. They owned a big house with four bedrooms and a swimming pool in the backyard. His father worked as a doctor at one of the very famous hospitals, called Mimo. His mother was a very successful business woman who was always on the road looking for kwachas. Mark was a student at Justine Secondary School, which was an open school. He was very hardworking, curious and focused on his studies.
It was on a Monday morning when the teacher came in class with a new student. Her name was Jenny. Jenny came from a middle-class family. She was raised by a single parent because her father had passed away due to a car accident that had occurred on the outskirts of the area. This happened when she was just five years old. Her widowed mother sold shoes and clothes at the Tuesday market. It was from these sales that her mom afforded to pay for her expenses.
Jenny was such a sweet and kind-hearted student to watch. She helped other students and always came to class on time. Not only did her selfless character prompt her to make friends so easily, it also attracted Mark. He had such a close follow up on her. This way, he noticed that Jenny never spoke to boys in class. She usually sat under the avocado tree during break time. Their school was very big with stairs and an orchard in the backyard. The front of the school had flowers and one avocado tree where Jenny was always sitting. Jenny was shy around boys though kind and ready to assist whenever one approached. This character of hers made Mark fall for her. He just found himself wanting to see her, her shy smile, her generous acts and above all her pretty face.
One day, during knocking time, Mark approached Jenny. He looked at her and smiled. “Hey Jenny,” Mark stammered while talking to her for the first time. “I am Mark! How are you doing?”
“I am good, Mark,” she answered with her eyes fixed on him. Perhaps for a moment, she failed to believe that such a handsome and gentle boy was blushing for her. “How are you?”
“I am fine,” Mark answered. This time around, he was looking at his fingernails. It seemed he had something to say but failed to.
“Can I escort you to your place?” Mark asked.
“Yes of course,” Jenny answered without hesitation.
“Is that Moana’s sticker on your book?” Mark asked as they started off.
“Yes it is!” she answered. “Do you also like cartoons?” she asked.
“I do,” he answered. Soon enough, they got themselves into a mutual conversation about their favorite things, movies, colours, countries and you name it. “Can we be friends if you don’t mind?” Mark requested.
“Of course, we can be friends.” She accepted smilingly.
Soon they reached Jenny’s place where Jenny introduced Mark to her mother. Mark talked a lot with Jenny’s mother and befriended her too.
Three weeks later, Mark decided to take Jenny out for a date. “I love you so much, Jenny. You have become the most important person in my life. Would you please be mine?” Mark broke the long silence.
“I love you too, Mark,” Jenny answered. And that was how their love adventure started. One that wasn’t coated with gold or rust but just two innocent hearts that longed to be together for a lifetime.
One day Jenny introduced Mark as her boyfriend to her mother. Her mother was happy and, knowing how fast her daughter was growing, she advised her to take care of herself and avoid at all cost all the things that can lead to regrets. Jenny with her shy smile promised her mom that she would be careful.
But fate is something we can’t foretell. After some days, Mark and Jenny were in Mark’s room studying like they often did. They had grown fond of each other and their parents were fond of them. To them, it wasn’t of any concern whether they spent long hours alone in each other’s rooms. Temptations come to all of us though, and sometimes, if overlooked, we might end up falling for them.
“You look hot today,” Mark said.
“Mmmmmm really? That’s romantic of you!” She accepted the compliment, blushing.
Soon enough, a magnetic pull pulled their lips closer and they started kissing and touching, and they found themselves on Mark’s cozy bed. Whatever followed was beyond their control. After that unexpected act, Jenny couldn’t believe it happened. She started crying because that was her first time doing it. “What have you done to me?” she questioned Mark. “You took away my virginity!” she cried out loud.
As for Mark, it was also his first time finding himself without clothes with a girl on his bed. “Please calm down! Everything will be alright, remember you are not alone, we got each other’s back and I will never abandon you. Please trust me.”
“How can I trust you?”
“I have a Bible in my closet. Let us swear on it,” he suggested. The Bible was placed on the bed.
“I will marry you and we will have children together, till death separates us,” Mark swore while placing his hand on it.
“I, Jenny, promise you that I will never leave you. I will be yours forever and we will have children together, till death separates us,” she swore as well.
For a moment, they all felt ashamed for what they had just done. Mark, acting as the man, planted countless kisses on her forehead and promised her to not be afraid as they got each other. The following days and months passed with their relationship growing stronger and stronger. They had become the talk of the town. Everyone witnessed their lonely walks while holding hands around Likuni. Their classmates too knew how strong their relationship had grown. In fact, most of their friends admired them a lot. It was such a heavenly made match.
Three years later, Mark and Jenny completed their secondary school. Unfortunately, time was so jealous. The schools came to a close and right after their secondary school graduation, Mark’s parents decided to send him to Morocco to pursue his tertiary education. It was so urgent and a huge surprise that Mark failed to make a good farewell to his dearest Jenny. And just like that, years passed without any form of communication. They never talked or texted or got to know each other’s updates. Despite that, Jenny still hoped every single day, night and every time she walked along those silent romantic trails of Chinsapo and Likuni.
Nevertheless, a girl remains a girl. Like a mango tree that stands along the road, every passerby gets to admire it and wishes to pluck some. One day Jenny was fetching water and a guy named Esdras approached her. He was a mechanic. The guy was hardworking, friendly and knew how to cooperate with people. Esdras had been crushing on Jenny for a while but had failed to say it out loud. Using this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Esdras decided to propose to Jenny. Jenny desperately accepted the guy not because she loved him but because she wanted to move on and forget Mark, who seemed to have long forgotten her.
