Brian Alouda Itava

 THE COST OF LOVE A teenage girl probably 18-year-old with a sense of high self-esteem stirred up by her exclusive physical features. She is light skinned, with a long hair lying behind her back, her body size is average and about 5feet 6cm tall with an established hips that she noticeably flips to the right and to the left as she walks around, when people are watching. Her teeth are dazzling white; her fingers are straight and thin. In the most few words to describe her, she is simply the dumbfounding African beauty queen. No one can tell her age at all because she is “fit to be” to whoever looks at her. Therefore, both her peers and men preyed at her. This 21st century queen named Shinny one day went to a boutique where to buy her personal effectives and beauty products for she cares very much about how she looks. In the same boutique, something strange that has never happened in her lifetime happens. She attracts the attention of everyone around her, both males and females. The females admired her and some would have wished to be her if given a choice. While the males admired her, lusted at her, got attracted to her and craved for her hand in marriage. She proved to be the girl every man would want to be with. In the same vicinity she meets three men with titles in the society, they all after a relatively short space of time and debate in their minds, choose to express their feelings and interests to her. But this happens at different intervals of time. The first man, Toni, is a Chief Accountant Officer of a certain company in town. The second man, Collins, is an IT Consultant and the third man Kim, is a late night show radio presenter in an established radio station in town. Within a short time Shinny was through with her minor shopping and she was on her way back home. “How are you girl?” Said Toni. “I really am attracted to you…please give me your contacts”. He continued. They both exchanged contact details and each went on their own direction. The second man came, did the introduction and exchanged contact details and so did the third man. Shinny however chose to board a taxicab for she was feeling exhausted under the hot sun. Contrary to her expectations, the taxi driver offers her a free ride home but he too could not forget the most important thing, and that was taking her cell phone number. She finally reaches home but has to walk a few yards before reaching the gate. She meets admirers on her way home and all could make some sounds of teasing, hollering and even snickers when she failed to pay any attention to them. Men placed bets on her and some gave out their best materially, time and energy just to win the solemn love of this young woman. They fantasized and dreamed of her in their beds, got into frenzy and ecstasy; they called her number a thousand times a day and sent thousands of text messages day and night. But only Shinny knew what was going on in her mind and no one could tell because she kept it all for herself though at one point she fell in love with the right person but at the wrong time altogether. The girl Shinny played a ‘mind game’ with whatever sort of a man she met without giving a second thought of his personality. She took pleasure in seeing how every man tried to woo her. Just like Toni, Collins and Kim, every man who had the chance to interact with her anyhow thought that the deal was sealed because she barely could say no to any seduction. She pleasured in the streaming phone calls on her cellular phone; the text messages gave her pride. However, very soon, the truth will out; Shinny falls terribly ill and develops complications that almost got out of the doctors’ control. She was referred to more than five hospitals consecutively. During this state, it was the most ideal time for the cost of love to be determined. After a very close examination, the doctors established the cause of Shinny’s agony, according to one of the doctors, one of Shinny’s kidneys had permanently failed and the other one was unstable to function well, therefore, that meant a permanent disability to live with if she would pull through the plight. He emphasized the urgency with which was required for an immediate transplant or else Shinny would to die. The question of where to get the kidney was not a matter of concern, not in the least. There were almost 17 relations of hers daily beside her hospital bed checking on her, they all took examination of compatibility of the transplant, but incredible results took everyone aback for there were found none fitting to save Shinny’s life. They decided to involve her friends who were willing to donate a kidney for her. It turned out startling that all of her close four male friends including Toni, Collins Kim and the taxi driver’s kidneys were all compatible and fitting to save Shinny’s life. Nevertheless, another stunning spectacle happened when all of them refused to donate a kidney to Shinny giving different excuses. Back in the days, Dalita had met a young man who goes by the name Jox, he loved her at the first sight and he meant it. Oh how she knew it! The poor Shinny downplayed Jox earlier on calling him a peasant because he had a mean background. Jox showed up from the Lord knows where, right in the nick of time when Shinny’s doctor had made it no secret that she had a few days to live. Jox: I still love darling, and I will die with you if you must die, and if you must live, I will die for you, I swear. Shinny: (In a low tone) What if your kidney is incompatible my love? Jox: Be positive, you will be fine. Jox wasn’t very sure if his kidney would be the only one that had been waited for, however he made guesses. He willfully took a test and lucky enough he passed and within a space of five serious hours in the surgical theatre, he too had a wound to nurse for he was operated on; and had one of his kidneys extracted for Shinny’s sake. The doctors did what they had to do and Dalita was out of Danger. She was amazed at Jox and his courage and sacrifice; she felt that Jox was nothing to her other than a hero. She vowed to love him with all she was made of.