Initially, Mercy did not think Desmond would take any notice of her. At 17, she had acne all over her face and she was a plain Jane.
Desmond was every girl’s dream. He was handsome and stood at 5 ft9. He was the captain of the school’s basketball team and his parents were said to be the wealthiest in the neighbourhood.
But he had a weakness-he was a womaniser. Although his mother would usually caution him about keeping so many girlfriends, she also saw it as a sign of harmless youthful exuberance. She did not think there was any harm done by her flirting son.
Mercy was the exact opposite. Her parents were civil servants, who were recently transferred from another state to their current location. Their salary, though was enough to feed and take care of the basic necessities in the house, they could not afford some luxuries. She had been taught to be content with what her parents could afford and not envy the rich. She would not spend money unless the item was necessary and deserving of such expense.
So when she became fond of Desmond, she did not know whether the feeling came out of vice or virtue. She just found herself drawn to him every day and could not explain why she was simply smitten with Desmond. She thought he would never see her or be attracted to her.
But she was wrong. He did notice her. One day, he came to the class where she was reading, pulled up a chair sat next to her and said, “Hello.’’ When she turned to look, it was Desmond. Shocked, she replied, “Oh! Hello!”
“I see you are pursuing to be the most dedicated student of the year,” he commented with a mischievous smile playing around his well formed lips. She shifted her gaze from him, her cheeks burning from the effect of deep blushing. She did a mental assessment of her looks for the day and concluded that she did not pass. She looked dowdy and plain! ‘If I knew, I would have dabbed on powder at least,’ she thought to herself.
“What are you reading so seriously?” he asked. She showed him the book.
“Oh Chaucer’s Canterbury tales,’’ he observed. That’s a nice one. So, do you think Chaucer might permit you to hang out with me tonight?” he asked her.
He continued: “A friend is marking his birthday and I need female company. No. Forgive me for the error. I need your company.”
She felt flattered at this invitation but she attempted a weak objection. “But you have a lot of female friends…” her voice trailed off as he gazed into her eyes. There was a tense moment of silence, which could be sliced with a knife.
He bent towards her and whispered“Yes. I know. But you are the one I need this time,” she closed her eyes, expecting a kiss. He did not kiss her.
When he raised his face up, Mercy kept her eyes shut. “So, are you accompanying me tonight?” his voice brought her back to the present and she opened her eyes and answered, “Yes. I will.”
“Thanks,” he said.
She did not know how the relationship progressed from that day but she knew she started an intimate and sizzling affair with Desmond and they were inseparable. He was so committed to her that he stopped seeing all the girls that used to hang around him. She started dreaming of going down the aisle with him. She thought he would propose and looked forward to that day.
But there was a break in contact when he had to embark on an emergency trip abroad. She had no idea he was travelling and felt the initial pangs of hurt when she called his cell phone one morning and had to leave a message on his voice mail. She called his brother who informed her that he was abroad for a routine medical check up.
Routine medical check up? She did not understand. Desmond was healthy and did not look like someone who needed medical attention.
She did not see him again until two months and then, he seemed a bit distant. All the previous heat of passion had burned out of his eyes and she could see they appeared hollow and dispassionate. She dismissed any contrary thought, putting it down to his illness and trip.
He gave sketchy information about the medical emergency that took him abroad. But then, Mercy suddenly came down with high fever followed by a bad cough. As soon as she got to the teaching hospital, she was requested to run a blood sample test.
The test results came out three days later and she tested positive to HIV. It was the last result she expected to receive. HIV? Where did she contract it from knowing Desmond was the first and only lover she had? Immediately, she put a call through to him and informed him. She suggested he should run a test too. He did and tested positive! Then, he confessed to her that he knew his HIV status before travelling abroad. However, the doctor explained that the virus had receded in Desmond’s system.
Mercy felt a flood of several emotions rushing at her. She felt betrayed, lost and most of all, insignificant. “Why didn’t you did tell me you were HIV positive Desmond?” she asked.
“I am sorry but I did not know how to tell you. My parents insisted that I went for more tests abroad. My dad’s doctor administered series of injections and treatments on me,” he replied.
“So, what is going to happen to me? My parents cannot afford an overseas treatment like yours,” she lamented.
“I know. I have told my dad but he said the treatment was very expensive overseas. His doctors advised that you start taking antiretroviral drugs immediately. Here is a cheque for N300, 000. It’s for the treatment,” Desmond said.
Mercy collected the cheque. “I am sorry, Mercy,” Desmond said and walked away.
*Names and events are fictitious
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