[STORY] CHILDHOOD SWEETHEARTS (Episode 01)

Episode 01.

Peter and i had known each other since we were children, we grew up in the same neighborhood.
We met when I was 8 years old. On my first day in primary school.
I always remembered my first day in primary school with smiles and I still remember how we sat in desks lined in rows, with our tiny bodies facing the front as we were both sighted sitting next to each other.

One time, during our primary school days, Peter had beaten up a boy who constantly bullied me and ever since then, we had been inseparable.

Growing up, Peter and I were so fond of each other. Our love was intense but innocent. People marvelled at our closeness and our friendship. Everyone in the neighborhood, knew that Peter and i adore each other so much.
The strange love that existed between us even brought our parents closer.

When I was 15, Peter and I were almost in our final year in college, I noticed we began to hold hands and exchange odd kiss. But our first date was hardly romantic.
I was all dressed up as we had planned to go on a long walk at 6pm but that day there was a massive thunderstorm and a downpour and we spent the whole evening huddled under a shade at the bus stop as we held hands. We stared at each other in pure excitement
We were so madly in love with each other.

For my 16th Birthday, Peter gifted me a lovely necklace with a beautiful pendant. I was thrilled as that gift was so precious to me. I wore that necklace always because to me it was like a symbol of Peter’s love for me.

My parents were surprised when they saw the beautiful necklace and it became obvious that Peter and I were going out, my parents liked Peter, they knew he was hardworking and very respectful. They knew how Peter will take up odd jobs to assist his parents pay off some bills but still my parents didn’t exactly gave their approval to our teenage romance as they didn’t want their only daughter to end up with an unwanted pregnancy and ruin her future.

A year later after we had graduated from secondary School, Peter and I went off to different University, Peter got admitted into the state University at Lagos State while I got admitted into a federal University at the Federal capital Abuja. And we were surrounded by new experiences; loads of parties, girls and boys. But Peter and i always missed each other, we both knew that we had a lot of growing up to do. But we always looked for ways to connect with each other.

Five years after, Peter and i had graduated from the University and we both had even gotten better Jobs but yet our feelings for each other had not diminished.
As we still choose each other every day. And everyone who knew our story, loved our story so much.

As grown ups, Peter and i still feel the butterflies we remember feeling when we were still children. When Peter proposed to me, I jumped in excitement. Staring at the beautiful gold engagement ring with joy,
Peter was my CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART and my soul mate too. I longed to spend the rest of my life with him because I still felt giddy in love just like i was as a little school girl, when i first met Peter, many years ago.
I was only 13 Years old when i knew that one day i was going to marry Peter, but it took many years for that dream to finally become a reality.

When we were ready to settle down, the news spreaded everywhere like wild fire. People who knew how our love story started like our parents were so happy and proud. They blessed and prayed for our union to last forever.

We got married in an elaborate but simple beautiful wedding and just in few years after, Peter and I were blessed with two children.
At the beginning, our marriage was enviable and beautiful.
But things took a nose dive, after we celebrated our 7 years wedding anniversary. Peter and i began to take each other’s love for granted.

We constantly quarrelled and fought even in the presence of our little children, the love we had for each other, seemed to had disappeared as we fought over petty things.
Gradually, I turned into a nagging and unsubmissive wife while Peter turned into an unfaithful and irresponsible husband.
It was strange how things escalated to that level but Peter and I seemed not to care, we kept blaming each other, instead of changing our ways.

Gradually, Peter doesn’t love spending time with me and he preferred hanging out with his new lover.
I was not even bothered that Peter was always away, I felt I was better off alone as I have learned to be alone and to be a mother to my children.

Our marriage suddenly became a mess. As it’s lost the love and tranquility.
More than twice Peter and I had even decided it’s over. But none of us had summoned up the courage to call it a day or book that appointment with a lawyer, due to how long we had been together, we kept keeping up and pretending our marriage was okay. Even though we knew that
Our marriage stood on the brink of divorce.
We were both on the receiving end, but Yet somehow we held onto each other as we
still desperately craves a reason not to throw away all of the memories we had built with each other over the years.

No doubt Peter and i were meant for each other but over the years we Unknowingly stopped being friends with each other.
Peter was a good man but a clueless husband
As he had no clue that what I needed was attention.

At the first two years of marriage, our marriage seemed great. We both had a good job. We had money. We traveled together alot. We were buddies, we always had fun.
I was always a brilliant and natural mom and a loving wife
But when i began to take notes of Peter’s short comings, I began to complain more, I was always angry about something, because i always kept record each time Peter misbehaved like whenever he gave me the lion share of parenting while he took a diminished(little) responsibility.

He was always full of excuses and I noticed that he barely had time for me or our children.
Suddenly, every now and then, some stray comment would blow up into an argument that made no sense . We would take things personally and close down.
And Peter will leave in anger and he will stay out for days.

Having our children gave us a new purpose but drove the invisible wedge between us even deeper. As we fell into traditional roles of home maker and provider.

As our roles as parents became established, we stopped chatting to one another. We spent less and less time hanging out together on our own. When we did talk, it was usually about our children or work. With time i began to feel neglected while Peter felt unappreciative because I was always bitter and I complained alot, our drift apart was so very subtle. Without realising it, we had become strangers behind closed doors, sleepwalking toward separation.

Eventually my frustration came to a head, at my 35th birthday when my husband Peter forgot all about my birthday, When I confronted him he barely uttered few words “Fidelia, I was so busy, the last thing on my mind is some silly birthday, please give me a break” and he walked away. I felt worst, I concluded that Peter doesn’t love me anymore and maybe he had fallen in love with his lover. I was always investigating Peter and when I had confirmed that indeed he was seeing some one else , I was devastated.

Shortly after, in midst of my heartbreak, i became very ill.
I always felt a constant severe abdomen pain and just to feel better, i visited the hospital for possible treatment, i was examined at the go.
The doctor prescribed some drugs and also advised I get more medical test done to rule out other serious health issues.
“Please ensure you get these tests done, it’s very imperative you do them” the Doctor advised.
Some weeks after, I finally went for those medical tests, and when the results came, I was shocked.

To Be Continued….. . . . .

Subscribe To ANE Talk Trends On Youtube

Subscribe To All Naija Entertainment On Youtube