My first Love

We lived pretty close together in the same neighborhood, infact we went to the same primary school, and the same church together. Subconsciously, we fancied each other big time, but would jump in protest and make a hoo-ha with the slightest suggestion either from my dad or her mum (she used to call me asew, as in my in-law). Those were the days when we used to walk on the adjacent side of the road home after school, with eye-catching stares, yet tight-lipped.

She went to St. Louis Sec and I went off to Prempeh after common entrance ,the first term vacation was funny, boy, I was struck with the form one syndrome (ie, assumed maturity). This girl had lost 98% of her puppy fat, her face had been lit like an angel, she looked so gorgeously different after the first term , and like R. Kelly said , her body was calling for all the guys in the area , in this case me. It's then that I realised, I had to make my mark before some mega rich kid I knew in the area beat me to it (now the competition was getting intense) .

I remember doing silly things like over dressing and going to her house to borrow video tapes (we never had one at the time). This was the very early eighties, I needed to go to school next term, to tell my friends that I had a girl too. lucky enough , my debut came on her oldest sister's birthday party.

I remember spending hours and hours in the dressing mirror, hotpicking my high top (it was called punk in those days). I got there early, there he was (Edwin) my competitor. As you know, people drive prematurely in Ghana, so there he was driving one of his dad's numerous Mercedes , while I had my dad's right-hand drive vintage looking bedford.

My dad being eccentric more than a noble englishman, revered that car more than the taj mahal, a constant reminder of his days in England .I had an advantage in the sense that our families were very close , so I could pop in and out at will. I went straight up to her with a slurry voice as a result of my nervousness and said "so when are you going back to school, Peggy", it was then that I noticed the gung-ho was mutual, she went on and on and on from her first day at school right to the last day of term. I looked up and thanked my stars.

I some how whisked her out, passed the 20 something secondary school ' entourage' , posing de rigueur outside the City Hotel restaurant, which was very close to our home. That night was very special, we defied the saying "air occupy space", because no air really passed between us.

The subsequent days that followed before school was either spent in my house or her's . Stanley's first girl (weh hey !). Back in school I was writing love letters at prep time, and reading Mills & Boon more than reading the JSP book 1.

When I saw her at the interco, it was just like what my latin professor once quoted "mentum mortalia tangunt", meaning mortal things affect the mind. I spent most of my pocket money for the term on her that day. Anyway, to cut a long story short, my girl gave in to Edwin's megalomania (he stole my Peggy away from me), just like Clarke Gable she was gone with the wind ! Boy, I was so dumbstruck, and could barely function.

She said all sorts of nasty things about me just to impress Edwin, laughed at my dilapidation, and used to drive 10 to 20 times past my house a day as a sign of mockery. She even ripped the letters I mailed her, put them in an envelope and posted it back to me. I never fully recovered until I left Ghana.

I saw her recently at Knightsbridge (London), went to a delicatessen and talked for hours. Apparently, Edwin never assumed responsibility of their baby and ran off to the States , now Peggy is far from her former self, dejected, yet reconciliatory because I drive a nice car, have a nice house, and a bit of money to spend.

Peggy if you're reading this, I say the makings of a man often requires one to overcome past adversaries and adapt to novel situations, so Peggy I'm not at all bitter, I wish you well in life but sorry I've moved on.

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