By Segun Durowaiye

Continued from GUARDIAN WEEKEND, October 17-18, 2026

The night that Bolu jetted out to the U.S.A was a memorable and unforgettable one for Yetunde. It was a night that she couldn’t forget in a hurry.

The first year of Bolu in the U.S. was fascinating with regards to his relationship with his sweetheart. Yetunde was always happy. He always called her and even sent e-mails to her on a regular basis. This gladdened the heart of the young lady. He wrote her memorable letters that further cemented their relationship and kindled the flame of love in her soul. There was this poetic prose he wrote to her, that filled her with so much passion and joy. It went thus: ‘It was a day like every other day, and people were doing their normal businesses. Time was running out, until late in the night, and I was lucky to have got you this time around. You sat beside me, like never before. It was like a carnival of lovers. I held you and pecked you like a baby, and you in turn smiled like a paragon. The place was cool and serene.

Once again you smiled like a paragon among paragons; a paragon of virtues, a paragon of physical anatomic grace, a paragon of broadness of heart. You held on to me tightly, but when I was about to leave you, you said “No” and smeared me with your love scent. And this continued for a while but behold an alarm rang. It was 6 a.m.; and surprisingly it was only a dream! Oh Yetunde, I was dreaming! I got up from my bed and prepared to go out for my lecture. Without you there is no light…all is darkness. Your presence brightens my day like sunshine…even dreams of you makes my day beautiful and complete…Oh, Yetunde…’

Most times, Yetunde would pick his letters and read them aloud to feel his presence. That was how it went for the first year.

Gradually the challenges of academics and the social pressure of American way of life took the better of Bolu and communication between him and Yetunde reduced. The communication gap started expanding as the years rolled by. Somehow, it happened that for the next five years all the letters she wrote him were not replied. She became so worried.

Thus, the waiting game had begun. She wondered why her letters and e-mails were not replied by him.

At times she called his number with her meagre income and she got no response. This further devastated her and made her feel worthless and sad.

‘Would Bolu dump me?’ she thought, “I don’t think he’ll break my heart…” she concluded pensively. This hurtful and unwholesome experience continued for 12 years. Age was definitely not on her side. She was now 31 years old. A lot of men had approached her for the past years, begging for her love and she turned them down, telling them that her fiancé was in faraway America, that he would come for her not so long. A lot of men wondered at her baseless hope and longing for a lover she had not seen or heard from for the past 12 years. Some called her a fool, living in dreamland or fools’ paradise. All her peers and friends had been married for a long time with kids in their respective families.

They mocked her and taunted her so much that at times she would break down and cry like a little kid denied food. She became too sad and withdrawn that it affected her legendary beauty; moreover she was now in her early 30s.

She decided to end it all on December 24. She must have had enough for her feminine frame to bear. She made up her mind to commit suicide by falling on her kitchen knife…

To be concluded .

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