7 love stories to read beyond Val’s Day

It is common for a man to come up with smart words, something catchy, when trying to make an impression on a lady he wants to woo. But sometimes, these words become clichés. Chuma Nwokolo’s short story, ‘Fish,’ showcases a man different from others. From the beginning till the very end of the story, Nkemdilim […]

It is common for a man to come up with smart words, something catchy, when trying to make an impression on a lady he wants to woo. But sometimes, these words become clichés. Chuma Nwokolo’s short story, ‘Fish,’ showcases a man different from others. From the beginning till the very end of the story, Nkemdilim (the major character and narrator, does not mention the name of this man). Perhaps the author did this intentionally? But the narrative is all about him: the way he grins, his spectacled brow – all these take one into the world of this man. A man who lies back and allows a girl he just met at a club and who is far older than he is, tell him how to woo her:
“I don’t know! Anything except ‘Excuse me dance! God!’ He was still looking at her, with those guileless eyes of his. This sort of man would be hard work! If you wanted him you would have to do all the work! She added, ‘Say something funny, or do something confident…”
And he does, by letting her teach him, a type of confidence most men don’t display. Soon, they are at the altar and it’s time to say “I do” and Nkemdilim replays that first encounter in her mind, begins to suspect if at all the man she was about to wed was indeed naive on that very day. This creates a sudden indecision that stirs the reader from the start to the very end of the story when she throws caution to the winds and dares to trust, to say “I do.” Any reader could mistake this piece to be mere entertainment, but it mirrors the indecision, distrust, and fear that becloud the hearts of some yet to be wedded couples.        
In ‘Cotyledons’ by Toni Kan, the major character was 19 when a man of 32 married her. In this era where many girls her age get deflowered early, this girl – whose name is not mentioned throughout the story – gets married a virgin, but not without a few experiences and temptations along the way. She has a close friend, Georgie, who serves as the voice of many peer groups today:
“If you don’t service this thing, one day it will close up o,” she would say everytime I rolled my eyes at her I did not service the thing even though I was tempted to. Once, on a trip to Nsukka, Gideon, one of the senior boys in our school had slipped me a note: “Your breasts are like cotyledons.”
Unfortunately for her, her husband loses his property soon after they are married and life becomes hard. While she is pregnant, he beats her up after coming home drunk and this strains their relationship. Soon, because of his new business, he gives her little attention and that is when Osas comes in. Osas stands for every opportunistic male who uses such an occasion to woo and sleep with a married woman. Without being preachy, the author seems to be screaming: “Married women, watch out!” But the story ends abruptly when she gives in to him. Incidentally, the sex, although with a grand beginning, turns out not to be so great. Again, perhaps implying that what may come as a saviour may just be another kind of disappointment. However, although exquisite, being given the power to interpret, there is the chance of a reader getting completely lost as to the essence of the whole narrative.
When Inara walked in late to Yaro’s seminar on child and maternal health, several scenarios quickly play out, bringing the house officer and the doctor in a close bind. But this bind of love doesn’t last long in Abubakar Adam Ibrahim’s ‘Painted Love.’ Again, neither of the two is unfaithful nor falls out of love, one with the other. It was a simple case of a woman so dedicated to the cause of helping the helpless in faraway African countries that breaks the cord. But this cord wasn’t broken by the flight she took to Darfur. Like the typical separation spearheaded by zero proximity, it begins with longer intervals of emails and then total silence. But this woman had left a lasting impression on him. The colours she painted on the walls in his house are a reminder of a love painted within the four corners of his heart. A chance meeting after a couple of years and the feeling is still fresh:
“During his stopover at Charles De Gaulle, on his way to Ontario for a conference, she appeared out of the crowd in a departure lounge. “Dr. Yaro. Two years and fifty-eight days,” she said, “the years have been fair to you.”
“And fifty-eight days?” He held her at arms-length so he could look at her face. “Have you been counting the days since you left me?” She fiddled with the coral-bead bangle she was wearing.”
After this chance meeting, they still part ways, again. But hope remains. She promised to get in touch. This made him check his mails and keep his phone close. Inara is an example of a woman that comes into a man’s life, turns his heart inside out, and then saunters off. What is perplexing is that she appears to be suffering too, yet she clings to it painfully. A year later, he catches a glimpse of her on CNN and it appears he is still enamoured. It is even more so when he refuses to let his new girlfriend alter the painting on his walls. Many months later she appears outside his door and asks if he has met another woman. That was when she asked:
“Why didn’t you come for me all these years?”
The love story ends well with a reunion, but had she been waiting for Yaro to be a ‘Super Man,’ find her wherever she was and take her away? There is virtually no hint of that throughout the story, but perhaps it is simply an attempt to show how a woman can cunningly refrain from taking responsibility or expect a man to know when he ought to exert certain control.          
The Valentine’s Day Anthology 2015 has a total of seven stories written by authors from Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya and Liberia. It comes with an endearing concept which includes translations of each story into different African languages and also audio versions. Some of the stories, although very creative, have great depth, reads like a maze and so sometimes a reader could be lost in the twisted words of the writers. A typical example is ‘Candy’ by Hawa Jande Jolakai and ‘The Idea is to be Sealed in’ by Binyavanga Wainaina.
From the beginning to the end of these stories, the main ideas appear to be lost. However, with the translations and audio recordings, Africans will surely have a treat in stories they can relate with, either in form of narrative style or language.