MY FIRST LOVE

I was just 17 years old when I fell in love with this guy. I had never been in love before, so I had no idea how it truly felt. I can’t say I had no interest in boys; the main reason was my parents. In African homes, having a boyfriend at an early age is almost f*******n. It’s considered a serious offence. Because of that, I was scared of falling in love and avoided anything that might cause trouble with my parents. One evening, on a regular day, I was out taking a nature walk with my dog, Rex. As I strolled around, I suddenly heard someone softly calling my name, “Hey Hellen.” I was stunned. I didn’t expect anyone to know my name in the neighbourhood. Since I was always indoors. Out of curiosity, I turned to see who it was. The face didn’t look familiar at all. He was strikingly handsome, a perfect image of masculine charm. He had the kind of looks that make you stop in your tracks. I warmly reached out my hand to greet him, and he responded with a smile that lit up his face. For reasons I couldn’t explain, I found myself blushing. He then pulled his phone from his pocket and asked for my number. It was so unexpected, and somehow, I just couldn’t say no. I wondered to myself, “Was this love, or something else?”MY FIRST LOVE Lust? I kept asking myself. Or was it love at first sight? I had so many thoughts on my mind. I guessed the answers would come sooner or later. On my way home, I noticed the change in my mood. At some point, my mom noticed that I was a completely different person from the one they were used to seeing. She even thought maybe I had won a lottery or something. On the other hand, my sister was stunned. She couldn’t believe it was me. She was used to seeing the Hellen with a constant resting face all the time. As I was eating dinner, I received a notification from an unknown contact. Without needing to ask who it was, I already knew. That night, we had a long conversation. The more we talked, the more I found myself falling for him. We discovered so much in common—from our favourite movies and books to our views on life and the world. Our thoughts aligned so perfectly. As days passed, Glen planned our first date. I was nervous. I had never been on a date before, so I had no clue what to wear. What if I messed up during the date? But, as they say, there’s always a first time for everything. I pulled myself together. There was no way I was going to let fear and anxiety take over me. I had to stand out, no matter what.