REDEEMED HEARTS
Episode 1
Boluwatife, a beautiful girl studying Human Resources Management, and Arinze, a law student who is every young girl’s dream boyfriend, were drawn to each other in the unlikeliest circumstances.
They met at UniLag, where Arinze’s admiration for Tife, as she was popularly called, was kindled. Tife was a Jambite, and Arinze was in his final year. Tife didn’t reciprocate Arinze’s feelings; she was more interested in older, wealthy men.
Arinze’s friends tried to convince him that Tife wasn’t worth it since she followed men for money; it was an open secret. Despite knowing this, Arinze couldn’t help himself; he was obsessed with her. He followed her everywhere until Tife started avoiding him.
Arinze’s obsession also affected his academics, but his only saving grace was that he had good grades before then. Arinze suffered in Tife’s hand; he spent his allowance buying her gifts, taking her out and waiting for hours to see her, and when she eventually showed up, she would claim she was busy and send him away.
After graduation, Arinze went to Law school in Abuja, and while there, he made several efforts to keep in touch with Tife, but to no avail. He then gave up and moved on with his life but never forgot her. It was as if her memory was imprinted on his soul.
Years passed, and life took them on different paths. Arinze completed his law school and, after his Youth Service, decided to stay back in Abuja, where he ventured into the corporate world, while Tife sought her desires in the arms of the rich. However, fate had more in store for them than either could have anticipated.
Several years later, destiny led Tife to a job at a company where Arinze was a junior partner. Their unexpected reunion stirred old emotions and unresolved tensions. Arinze’s desire for revenge was undeniable, so he hatched a plan—to make Tife fall in love with him, only to later dump her and break her heart as she had done to him. But Tife, accustomed to pain, saw through his intentions yet chose to play along. The truth was that she liked Arinze back in school, but she couldn’t allow the distraction that could bring; she was focused on her mission.
So, Arinze resumed the chase, and this time, Tife gave in. They both pretended their past never happened; they never spoke about it.
As their complex dance continued, Arinze’s obsession grew, blinding him to the world around him. In the same way, they chose not to discuss their past; they also didn’t discuss their future; they only lived for the present. Arinze is engaged but hid it from Tife, his fiancée Adanna was overseas doing her Master’s. The affair with Tife consumed him, and he couldn’t longer ignore the truth. He was and still is the one who cared more.
The turning point arrived when Arinze, driven by a powerful impulse, sought Tife out for a meeting. However, to his surprise, she was nowhere to be found. She had taken an unexpected leave without informing him. This absence led Arinze to think and question his emotions. He called her phone severally without a response. He didn’t know any of her friends or family, so there was no one to call. He was irritated and frustrated.
His best friend, Chachi, who was there right from their school days when it all started, advised him.
“Guy, have you ever wondered about the reasons behind Tife’s choices? If I remember correctly, she was with different men at different times, all rich and older.”
“What is there to wonder about? She was sleeping with rich married men for money.”
“Yes, but back then, she wasn’t like the other wild girls; she was always by herself and never attended any wild parties back in school, and she never went clubbing. There was something different about her despite her lifestyle. You two have dated for almost six months since you both reconnected; did you ever ask her about her choices? Because sometimes there is more to what the eyes can see.”
“Bro, since we got back together, we didn’t discuss our past because I just want chop clean mouth, and I wanted her to feel the pain I felt when she rejected me. But I didn’t know that my feelings for her ran deep. You have no idea how lost and lonely I have been since she left. Being with her makes my day; I would stay up at night to watch her sleep. Sharing intimacy with her was a mind-blowing experience. I have concluded that I am very much in love with her, but my fear is she doesn’t feel the same way. Look at the stunt she pulled, applying for leave and upping without talking to me. I was with her two days before, and we spoke the day before her disappearance because I was on a business trip.”
“Bro, I understand, but the question you should ask yourself is, what do you want with her? You have a fiancée, Abi, you wan marry two wives? Or do you want to marry Adanna and keep Tife as a side chick? Will any of them be up for that arrangement?”
“I don’t know. All I know is that I need her like the air I breathe.”
“Well, you have until she resumes to figure out what you want. It will be unfair to continue to lead her on when you know you cannot be with her, and it is equally unfair to Adanna to marry her when you are in love with another.”
“God, what a mess I’ve created. I wish I hadn’t influenced her to get the job and allowed her to leave my life; I wouldn’t be in this mess.”
This heart-to-heart conversation opened Arinze’s eyes to his dilemma. He realized that he had never truly understood Tife’s background, struggles, or reasons for seeking older men’s comfort. He resolved to have an open and honest conversation with her when she returned. He just hoped that it wasn’t too late.
Tife’s return was eagerly awaited by Arinze, but she never came back. Instead, a resignation letter marked the end of their chapter. Arinze was heartbroken and threw himself into his work, attempting to bury the pain.
Thanks for reading,
Watch out for Episode 2.
Jumie Naths
