THE VALENTINE EPISODE
By Chidimma Placid Nwaka
When I was younger, I read and heard many deep stories about Valentine. Some of them were comical, tragic and even romantic. I would stay indoors and stare through the window as if I saw something. Truthfully, I saw nothing. I only heard the noises from the streets, music and motorcycle engines.
When I joined the teenage community, Valentine changed every year. At school, a handful of students surprised their so called “Mkponta” as they described themselves. School daughters were loyal to their school mothers and the whole school gifted trinkets to one another, except me.
Not because I did not have friends, but I was just what was described as “unlucky” to be gifted by anyone because I was simply “the good girl” with nerd friends.
On the street leading to Tinappa bar, cars and motorcycles caused traffic in the evening. The noise polluted the environment and I watched them with a smile as my imagination carried me into a beautiful love world.
Young girls and boys trooped around the street in pairs. At steak stands, love was as sweet as aboki suya.
However, every other Valentine has always been spent in the stillness of my heart, smiling as I watch people go wild for it. I always thought it was the only day when even an abusive relationship experiences temporary love. But ironically, people die unintentionally on this day. There are casualties and many other sad stories. Like a half and half, some people enjoy, and some in the foolishness of enjoyment drain their lives in snipers.
This year Valentine, for me, it is different. We may be far from holding each other’s hands, locked in each other’s arms and sitting at the cliff to stare at our space in the sky, but the closeness is glued together with the undemanding love we have for each other.
Whether it be forever or temporary, Juliet would not have to die, but Lysander would have to be with his true love.
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