Richard stepped out of the Office of the PA to the Dean after thanking the man for the umpteenth time. This was the second time he was entering that office in almost 6 years.

 

The first was when he had come to Ibadan to check if he had been admitted into the faculty. It seemed like eons ago. He had left that office then as excited as he was leaving it now, albeit for different reasons. Then, his excitement had been because he had just confirmed his admission to the university. He had been happy because finally, for the first time in his life, he was going to be on his own, free to do as he pleased and free to ‘chase’ all those hot university babes he had heard so much about.

 

However, now, his excitement stemmed from the letter he was holding in his hands. He held it firmly, as though someone was going to snatch it from him, and yet delicately, as if the words would fall off if he held it too tightly.  

 

He knew who the letter was from. He didn’t have to open it to figure that out. The writing on the envelope was distinctively Veronica’s; graceful and beautiful just like the writer. He had known Veronica as a child and a tomboyish ‘tween’ but when he went home during the last school break and saw her, he couldn’t believe how much she had changed.

 

The last time he had seen her, she was still the innocent looking, ‘sendless’, teenager who didn’t care about how she looked. She had burst in unannounced, in her pajamas, into the room where Femi, her brother who is Richard’s friend, and Richard were playing a game of chess. The angry look she got from her brother sent her scuttling out of the room the same way she came in.

 

But the Veronica Richard saw that last time around was a different one. She had grown from a freckled-faced, skinny and clumsy teenager to a banging hot diva. Richard had to consciously stop himself from thinking about her like that.

 

Before then, she had always been the prime tease target for Femi and his friends. They had teased her about everything; her looks, her scrawny legs, and her pimpled face. However, when he saw her, he knew he could tease her no more; instead he ogled for what seemed like an eternity, and ended up complimenting her looks. He noticed she blushed in embarrassment and quickly made her exit. He had always suspected that she had a crush on him but he was almost certain she had outgrown it. He decided not to dwell too much on what he saw; She couldn’t still be all ‘crushed’ up on him, he told himself.

 

He made several visits to Femi’s house during the break, but his intention was not always to see Femi. He always looked for an excuse to chat with Veronica. He was even more pleased when he found out that she had given her life to Christ. The fact that they had something in common brought them closer and the relationship grew from mere mutual attraction to a discipler-disciple one, visible to all to see, although underneath that ran emotions which both of them struggled to keep in check and hide from each other and from the people around them as well.

 

By the time he was leaving for school, they had grown so close to the point that Veronica started to share with him things about herself that she had never shared with anyone before; her first and only relationship, how it started, how it ended, how she had lost her virginity, the pains, the heartbreak when it was over…everything.

 

Gradually, their conversations moved from the spiritual and soulful to the sensual and erotic. She told him in detail how she lost her virginity, the various ‘sexcapades’ she had with her ex and how despite the fact that she was now a Christian, she sometimes missed those times and wished she could experience them again.

 

He knew he ought to have stopped her from talking like that but he found out, much to his dismay, that he enjoyed such talk. Most of the conversations left him putting his hands in his pocket, not to bring out anything but to hide the bulge in his pants and hold his member in check. He knew they were tottering on the brink of spiritual disaster but thankfully nothing happened and he managed to get back to school in one piece, undefiled. 

 

He looked at his watch and realized he had about 40mins before his next class, his Supervisor’s class. But he knew for him to get a seat in a place where the lecturer could easily spot him, he had to be in class at least 20mins early.

 

Not that he was particularly interested in the course but like most final year students, he had learnt to manage his perception, especially where his supervisor was concerned. A positive perception could be the difference between a 2-1 or a 2-2. He knew his father expected nothing less than a 2-1 and he wasn’t going to disappoint him.

 

But before then, he had to find a quiet place to read Veronica’s letter. He finally settled for the student’s cafeteria. At that time of the day, the café was always deserted as most students would have gone for their classes. He ordered a drink and settled in a corner to devour the letter.