THE ONE GIRL CHIKE COULDN’T HAVE – Episode Four
Graduation had ended, the gowns were folded, the jacaranda petals swept away. Crescent University was now only a memory, and life’s bigger stage stretched before them.
For Chike and Amara, the real journey began the moment they stepped outside the school gates.
Lagos was waiting; loud, bustling, unforgiving. Here, nobody cared about who was a campus celebrity or who once broke hearts. In the city, money spoke louder than charm, and connections opened doors faster than dimples.
Chike quickly discovered this.
He had secured an internship at a sports management firm, thanks to his football background, but the pay was barely enough for transport and food. Some days, after long hours at the office, he would sit in his small apartment in Surulere, staring at the ceiling, wondering if love alone could fuel ambition.
Amara, on the other hand, was thriving. She had always been focused, and soon after graduation, she landed a job at a publishing house in Victoria Island. The difference in their worlds became obvious. While Amara wore smart blazers and worked in air-conditioned offices, Chike returned home sweaty, drained, and sometimes frustrated at the slow pace of his career.
It didn’t take long before the whispers began again.
Friends asked Amara, “Are you sure about Chike? You’re climbing so fast, and he’s… struggling.”
And Chike’s old circle teased him, “Guy, you dey date career woman wey dey shine pass you? Na so e go be forever?”
The words stung, not because they doubted each other, but because love was suddenly competing with harsh reality.
One evening, after a particularly rough day, Chike sat with Amara in a quiet café on Awolowo Road. His voice was low, almost broken.
“Amara, I feel like I’m failing. You’re moving forward, and I’m stuck. What if… what if your father was right about me?”
Amara reached across the table, holding his hand. “Chike, success isn’t a race. You’re building slowly, but steadily. Do you think I love you because of where you work? I love you because of who you are becoming.”
Her words steadied him. For a moment, the storm inside quieted.
But life wasn’t done testing them.
Months later, Amara’s family organized a Christmas gathering in Enugu, and for the first time, Chike was invited. He prepared nervously, ironing his best shirt, rehearsing polite greetings in Igbo.
The house was huge, filled with uncles, aunties, cousins... all dressed in elegance. Chike felt out of place, but he carried himself with quiet dignity.
Dinner was served, and soon the questions began.
“So, Chike,” one uncle asked, swirling wine in his glass, “what exactly do you do?”
Chike explained his internship and his passion for sports management.
Another aunt scoffed. “Internship at your age? How do you plan to care for Amara in the future? She deserves stability.”
The words cut deep, but before Chike could respond, Amara’s voice rose, calm but firm.
“Uncle, with respect, stability isn’t only about money. It’s about integrity, discipline, and growth. Chike has all of that. Give him time, and he will build more than wealth; he will build legacy.”
The room fell silent. Chike looked at her, his chest tightening with gratitude. In that moment, he realized she wasn’t just his love; she was his shield.
After that visit, something changed in Chike. He no longer saw himself as the boy chasing a girl; he saw himself as a man building a future for both of them. He worked harder at his firm, networked with athletes, took online courses in sports management, and soon, opportunities began to open.
But just as his career was taking shape, another storm came; this time, distance.
Amara was offered a scholarship for a six-month publishing fellowship in London. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, one she couldn’t refuse.
When she told Chike, her voice trembled. “I don’t want this to break us.”
He took her hands, steadying her. “Amara, go. You’ve always pushed me to grow; I can’t hold you back. If our love is real, six months won’t kill it. It will prove it.”
The months apart were hard. Video calls froze, time zones clashed, loneliness crept in. Some nights, Chike lay awake, fighting doubts. Some days, Amara cried quietly, missing the comfort of the jacaranda tree and the man who had once carried her books.
But neither gave up. They wrote letters when calls failed. They prayed for each other. They kept choosing each other, again and again.
When Amara finally returned, stepping out of the airport in her winter coat, Chike was waiting with a small bouquet of jacaranda blossoms he had kept pressed in a notebook.
“You kept them?” she whispered, eyes glistening.
“I kept us,” he said simply.
And in that moment, surrounded by the chaos of the Lagos airport, they embraced, not as two young lovers from Crescent University, but as partners who had weathered storms, distance, and doubt, and had come out stronger.
For once, it wasn’t just Crescent University talking about them. It was life itself, writing their story in bold letters:
That love is not about perfection, but about persistence.
That growth is not measured in speed, but in direction.
That the one girl Chike couldn’t have… had become the woman he could never let go.
To Be Continued ✍️ ✍️ ✍️ #TheOneGirlChikeCouldntHave #LoveAndGrowth #LagosLoveStory #PersistenceInLove #ChikeAndAmara #YoungLoveMatured #DistanceAndDevotion #CampusLoveToRealLife #TrueLoveWins #AfricanRomance
Graduation had ended, the gowns were folded, the jacaranda petals swept away. Crescent University was now only a memory, and life’s bigger stage stretched before them.
For Chike and Amara, the real journey began the moment they stepped outside the school gates.
Lagos was waiting; loud, bustling, unforgiving. Here, nobody cared about who was a campus celebrity or who once broke hearts. In the city, money spoke louder than charm, and connections opened doors faster than dimples.
Chike quickly discovered this.
He had secured an internship at a sports management firm, thanks to his football background, but the pay was barely enough for transport and food. Some days, after long hours at the office, he would sit in his small apartment in Surulere, staring at the ceiling, wondering if love alone could fuel ambition.
Amara, on the other hand, was thriving. She had always been focused, and soon after graduation, she landed a job at a publishing house in Victoria Island. The difference in their worlds became obvious. While Amara wore smart blazers and worked in air-conditioned offices, Chike returned home sweaty, drained, and sometimes frustrated at the slow pace of his career.
It didn’t take long before the whispers began again.
Friends asked Amara, “Are you sure about Chike? You’re climbing so fast, and he’s… struggling.”
And Chike’s old circle teased him, “Guy, you dey date career woman wey dey shine pass you? Na so e go be forever?”
The words stung, not because they doubted each other, but because love was suddenly competing with harsh reality.
One evening, after a particularly rough day, Chike sat with Amara in a quiet café on Awolowo Road. His voice was low, almost broken.
“Amara, I feel like I’m failing. You’re moving forward, and I’m stuck. What if… what if your father was right about me?”
Amara reached across the table, holding his hand. “Chike, success isn’t a race. You’re building slowly, but steadily. Do you think I love you because of where you work? I love you because of who you are becoming.”
Her words steadied him. For a moment, the storm inside quieted.
But life wasn’t done testing them.
Months later, Amara’s family organized a Christmas gathering in Enugu, and for the first time, Chike was invited. He prepared nervously, ironing his best shirt, rehearsing polite greetings in Igbo.
The house was huge, filled with uncles, aunties, cousins... all dressed in elegance. Chike felt out of place, but he carried himself with quiet dignity.
Dinner was served, and soon the questions began.
“So, Chike,” one uncle asked, swirling wine in his glass, “what exactly do you do?”
Chike explained his internship and his passion for sports management.
Another aunt scoffed. “Internship at your age? How do you plan to care for Amara in the future? She deserves stability.”
The words cut deep, but before Chike could respond, Amara’s voice rose, calm but firm.
“Uncle, with respect, stability isn’t only about money. It’s about integrity, discipline, and growth. Chike has all of that. Give him time, and he will build more than wealth; he will build legacy.”
The room fell silent. Chike looked at her, his chest tightening with gratitude. In that moment, he realized she wasn’t just his love; she was his shield.
After that visit, something changed in Chike. He no longer saw himself as the boy chasing a girl; he saw himself as a man building a future for both of them. He worked harder at his firm, networked with athletes, took online courses in sports management, and soon, opportunities began to open.
But just as his career was taking shape, another storm came; this time, distance.
Amara was offered a scholarship for a six-month publishing fellowship in London. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, one she couldn’t refuse.
When she told Chike, her voice trembled. “I don’t want this to break us.”
He took her hands, steadying her. “Amara, go. You’ve always pushed me to grow; I can’t hold you back. If our love is real, six months won’t kill it. It will prove it.”
The months apart were hard. Video calls froze, time zones clashed, loneliness crept in. Some nights, Chike lay awake, fighting doubts. Some days, Amara cried quietly, missing the comfort of the jacaranda tree and the man who had once carried her books.
But neither gave up. They wrote letters when calls failed. They prayed for each other. They kept choosing each other, again and again.
When Amara finally returned, stepping out of the airport in her winter coat, Chike was waiting with a small bouquet of jacaranda blossoms he had kept pressed in a notebook.
“You kept them?” she whispered, eyes glistening.
“I kept us,” he said simply.
And in that moment, surrounded by the chaos of the Lagos airport, they embraced, not as two young lovers from Crescent University, but as partners who had weathered storms, distance, and doubt, and had come out stronger.
For once, it wasn’t just Crescent University talking about them. It was life itself, writing their story in bold letters:
That love is not about perfection, but about persistence.
That growth is not measured in speed, but in direction.
That the one girl Chike couldn’t have… had become the woman he could never let go.
To Be Continued ✍️ ✍️ ✍️ #TheOneGirlChikeCouldntHave #LoveAndGrowth #LagosLoveStory #PersistenceInLove #ChikeAndAmara #YoungLoveMatured #DistanceAndDevotion #CampusLoveToRealLife #TrueLoveWins #AfricanRomance
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