Childhood lovers

Chapter Eight: Reunion Under The Mango Tree

The school bell rang at 2 PM, but Liya did not go home.

She waited under the mango tree, the same mango tree where everything started. The tree where Desmond first held her hand in JSS 2. The tree where they carved L + D 2026. The tree where Chidi took their picture. And now, the tree where they would start again.

She wore her school uniform, but she let her hair down from the tight ponytail. Her heart was beating fast. She kept looking at the small carving on the bark: L + D 2026. It was still there. Deeper than ever.

"Liya?"

She turned. Desmond was standing there, with two bottles of Coca-Cola and a small nylon of groundnut. His uniform was dusty, his face was shy.

"You came," she said, smiling.

"You said to come. Of course I came. I will always come if you call me," Desmond said.

They sat under the tree, close but not too close, because Amara, the self-appointed guard, was sitting on a root a few meters away, pretending to read a book but watching everything.

"Amara, you can go," Liya shouted. "We are safe now. Chidi is gone."

Amara looked up from her book. "Safe ke? After what happened? No, I will stay here. You people should talk, I am not hearing. I am reading my book. My book is very interesting."

Desmond and Liya laughed. Amara was impossible.

Desmond opened the groundnut and gave it to Liya.

"Liya, I want to say sorry again. For those three days I didn't talk to you. I thought I was protecting you, but I was hurting you more. I was foolish."

Liya took a groundnut and threw it at him.

"You were very foolish. Do you know how much I cried? I cried every night. I thought you didn't love me anymore. I thought you found another girl."

"Another girl? Me? Liya, there is no other girl. There has only ever been you. Since primary 4 when you fell down in assembly and I helped you up. Since then, it's only you."

Liya blushed. She remembered that day in primary 4. She had fallen, everyone laughed, but Desmond helped her.

"Desmond, I was so scared when Chidi took our picture. I thought my mother would beat me, that Mrs. Okoro would expel us. I thought our love was finished."

"But it's not finished," Desmond said, looking at the carving. "Look. L + D 2026. It's still here. Chidi deleted the picture from his phone, but he cannot delete this. He cannot delete what is in here."

He touched his chest, his heart.

Liya touched his hand.

"Desmond, do you promise that next time something happens, you will tell me? No more hiding? No more running away? We are a team."

"I promise," Desmond said. "No more hiding. If Chidi comes again, or anybody, we will face it together. With Amara."

Amara shouted from her root: "Yes! With Amara the great! Amara the fearless! Without me, you people would still be crying!"

They all laughed again. The evening sun was coming through the mango leaves, making beautiful patterns on their uniforms.

Desmond brought out something from his pocket. It was a small bracelet, made of blue and white thread.

"I made this for you. Yesterday, when I was sad that we were not talking. I made it. It took me two hours."

Liya took it. It was not perfect, some parts were loose, but it was beautiful because he made it.

"Desmond, it's beautiful. Wear it for me."

Desmond tied it on her wrist. His fingers were shaking. Liya's hand was soft.

"Now we match," Liya said. "You have L + D on tree, I have bracelet on hand."

They sat in silence, drinking Coke, eating groundnut, watching the sunset. It was not much, but for two secondary school lovers in Agbor, it was everything.

Amara stood up and stretched.

"Okay, my work is done. Love birds have reunited. My eyes have seen enough. I am going home to eat garri. Desmond, walk her home o, and don't do nonsense on the road! I will be watching from behind!"

"Amara! Go away!" Liya shouted, laughing and throwing groundnut at her.

Amara ran away, laughing, leaving them alone under the mango tree.

For the first time in one week, Liya and Desmond were truly alone, truly safe, and truly together.

Desmond looked at Liya and said, "Liya, I love you."

Liya smiled, tears in her eyes, and said, "I love you too, Desmond. Forever."

And under the mango tree, as the sun set over St. Michael's College, their love felt stronger than any blackmail, stronger than any bully, stronger than anything.

Because it was pure