I called chifawu the next morning but she didn’t pick. I sent her a text message and she didn’t reply. She had already started acting weird to me. I understand how she feels, but the coldness was uncalled for.

I stayed inside my room all through the day.
The next day, I went to the lodge to check on

chifawu.

She met me outside and ensured she maintained her distance. She was actually treating me like I had a plague.

Or something worse than a plague.

“you’ve been avoiding my calls and acting cold towards me.” I had to bare my mind to her. We were supposed to be in love, and I needed that closeness now more than ever. I needed her by my side, and the least I need now is this cold treatment I was getting from her.

“we need to talk.” She said as she motioned me to a secluded corner at the lodge.

“I can’t continue this relationship any longer.”
I felt dejected and terrible as I left the lodge that afternoon. Chifawu had spelt it out for me, that I needed to stay away from her! What sort of person does that? Not calls, not talking with each other, just stay away! She had warned me and stormed out on me while I was at the lodge.

I got to my room and lay on the bed. For the second time that day, tears rolled down freely from my eyes. I tried to imagine the life ahead of me. It was nothing I could bear! The stigmatization I was currently suffering in the hands of chifawu could get worse.

It did get worse.

I felt people were staring at me when I walked on the road. It got worse when I went for the normal monthly clearance few days later. Previous clearance days, I always find myself gisting away with other corp members in groups. I was very popular as one of the fortunate guys to be posted to idah poly, coupled with the fact that I was a platoon leader. But that day, I found myself alone at a distant as I watched others do the gisting and chating. I was like a rejected and dejected stone on the corner. I prayed silently that chifawu didn’t spread the news to everyone that I had hiv but it looked like she did. I was worried about how my life was going to be.

I might even die before the NYSC year ends.

I lectured my students that weekend. It helped take my mind off the dilemma I presently faced. Staying alone made things worse, as the idle mind becomes the devil's workshop. I felt I was losing some weight, as well as my sanity. I barely ate, while my mind drifted away to the thoughts of death whenever I was idle.

I got a call one Tuesday afternoon, and it happened to be the principal of the girl’s secondary school, where chifawu was doing her primary assignment. I had totally forgotten the deal I had with him about taking up part time classes with his students. He reminded me of that when we spoke that day and I promised him I will come over.

I got to his office the next day and he scheduled some classes for me. Two days in a week to teach furthermaths and technical drawing for senior secondary students.

When I accepted the deal with him few months back, it was because of chifawu and the pretty young and fresh girls he had as students. Now, things had changed. I had broken up with chifawu and was living with hiv. I would have rejected his offer, but the misery I went through in my room when I stayed alone made me take it.

I devoted my time to the school work. I made sure I kept myself busy; either taking classes for Dr. Sowald or teaching the secondary school students.

When there was no much work at the poly, I spent my extra days at the school. The students had a special fondness for this corper that loved teaching. Most times, when they had nothing to do, they will come down to the lab where I had a temporary office and we would solve past questions in physics, chemistry and mathematics.

Within two weeks of working there, I became a favourite among most students. I needed the distraction, but ensured I kept my distance and avoided being attached to them. Once in a while, they would flirt around me like the typical young girls discovering their bodies newly. I ensured I turned down request of phone number or a request for cordial visit that was always coming up my way.

I had noticed that chifawu was avoiding me like a plaque, even at the school. I hardly saw her, and there was always an awkward moment between us whenever we met incidentally.

One day, after a class on furthermaths with the students, they remained back at the lab as we talked and solved some past questions. Chifawu bursted into the lab angrily and confronted I and the students. She claimed they had English language after the further maths but Had skipped her class just to stay in the hall to gist with me. I tried to calm her down but she kept flaring up and shouting at I and them.

Later in the day, the principal invited me to his office to have a word with me. He informed me that it was not the first time chifawu had laid such complaint against me and that it seems I was always using her class time to engage the students in other things.

I apologised and promised it will not repeat itself.

“there is one other thing.” He said as I was about to leave. I stood and watched him as he acted like he was having a second thought about what he wanted to say. After few seconds of deliberating, he motioned me to sit down and I did.

“your female colleague informed me of your condition.” He said calmly.

I sat motionless, staring at him, praying silently that he wasn’t referring to my hiv status.

“she informed me you are hiv positive.”

I sat still at the principal’s office, fighting so hard not to drop the tears already forming in my eyes.

“my interest is in protecting my students, so I don’t want you to get attached to them.” He went on to lecture me about how naïve girls could be, and my over familiarity with them could tempt them into getting attached to me.

He concluded by saying that I maintain a cordial relationship with my students. “anything beyond that, and I will report you to the nysc secretariat, and to the parents teacher’s association of the school.”

He said he would have terminated the small arrangement we had if I wasn’t such helpful to the students, her daughter being one of them.

I knew his daughter, she was the senior prefect and one of the finest and most intelligent at the school. She was very close to me as she always comes for one tutorial or the other.

“I hope we both understand each other perfectly?” he asked and I nodded nonchalantly.

___________________________________

I left the school and went back to my room. I lay on the bed and allowed the tears to roll down. i had already made up my mind that I wasn’t going back to the school.
The principal made it clear that if I wasn’t such a hard working and intelligent teacher, he would have booted me out of the school. I had to terminate the arrangement myself!

Now I understood what it meant by stigmatising people living with hiv.

As the tears rolled down, I prayed a simple prayer; “please, God, let this pass.”

For the first time since my final year at school, God did answer my prayer, He brought an angel into my life. . .

The angel took away my pains. . .

Good morning y'all.

Have a nice day.

Thanks for following.

How can chifawu do this kind of a thing never expected it from her anyways everybody has his or her own bad character hidden somewhere

When you will know people that loves you is when something bad happens to you
@mazi ur story is touching.

This shiiiiit didn't happen, right?
You only added that last update to twist your story a little bit. Ok. I understand.
But can we now go back to the storyline? Your new trend is fvvvcking scary dude. Am so not finding this funny again.
And where the hell is that similey for tears?

E no go pass sonia. Sonia pu's's'y dey break condom. SMH

Mazi_Omenuko: Don't stigmatise people leaving with HIV/AIDS; your action towards them could help extend/terminate their life.

Mazi, I hardly comment when reading interesting stories on NL, actually I critique in my mind with writing anything. But I really do feel bad about what Chifawu did.
Sometimes we think that we are in Love, but it is only in adversity that we really know what Love means.

Mazi_Omenuko:

The angel took away my pains. . .

Good. who was the angel?

I dont think Chifawu really loves you.

I guess you rechecked your status in another lab, you know there is false positive result and a confirmatory test.

Oh Lord, if its thy will let this cup pass over us. We all have sinned (mazi inclusive) but by a twist of fate, let this be a mistake.

Ahya! Kpele. Chifawu na idiat sha!

Screwface: This shiiiiit didn't happen, right?
You only added that last update to twist your story a little bit. Ok. I understand.
But can we now go back to the storyline? Your new trend is fvvvcking scary dude. Am so not finding this funny again.
And where the hell is that similey for tears?

LOL.

is anybody also getting freaked out?

Loving the new angle to this story.

Mazi is massively exploring the thread, and using the subtle influence he has garnered over his readers, to enlighten on the dangers of HIV and the rampant stigmatization of carriers of the virus.

Good work 'Ogbuefi'!

I likey very much!!

Mazi_Omenuko: Don't stigmatise people leaving with HIV/AIDS; your action towards them could help extend/terminate their life.

**brings Akpu and Swt egusi soup,**

please Mazi come and join me. I wil b by your side dnt worry. Even though i wil contact it by eating with u no problem. HIV shared is HIV half treated(solved)

Na dat same idiot called chifwan carry him go lab 4 test, she won leva am after every tin, mazi u no 4 follow her go dat lab self.

I can only imagine. so sad. Chifowl na rat..

Foxy_Ultimate:

Walai Mazi, na thunder go fire you. Men, see as you dey scarre me. Even with all the condom wey you dey use. Choi.... Nothing dey safe ooooooooooo

LMAO! Foxy go do blood test na.

If u ar truly hiv positive then SONIA too is. Cal her quickly nt to abort ur pregnancy o

Mazi_Omenuko: Don't stigmatise people leaving with HIV/AIDS; your action towards them could help extend/terminate their life.

Nigerians eh, una wan go heaven but una no wan die.
Stigmatization and discrimination fill una mind but una still dey go church.
Just with a story line , people don start to look Mazi with one kind eye.
.
Oya , Mazi come make we share this bottle of Alomo , even if u finally get am , where u stop we shall continue , ur mistakes will not be our mistakes as we continue to make the women folks happy by playing safe at all time
.

petokey:

**brings Akpu and Swt egusi soup,**
Even though i wil contact it by eating with u no problem. HIV shared is HIV half treated(solved)

Mazi_Omenuko:

Now I understood what it meant by stigmatising people living with hiv.

As the tears rolled down, I prayed a simple prayer; “please, God, let this pass.”

For the first time since my final year at school, God did answer my prayer, He brought an angel into my life. . .

The angel took away my pains. . .

Hmmmm, i've been expecting this twist...i think i know where this will take the story to... otherwise the test result would mark an end to the promiscuity in the assignment. I'm beginning to pity the principal's daughter..lol. Mazi ur teeth complete...Good job!!!

Emmm, i really don't know what to say
Despite the fact that i never been in that situation before, i could feel the protagonist's pains.
GOOD ONE MAZI [trickles of tears in my eyes]

Mazi_Omenuko: Don't stigmatise people leaving with HIV/AIDS; your action towards them could help extend/terminate their life.

I love having chats n discussions with people having †ђξ virus, they inspire me a lot & since I won't get infected doing that, I'll never stigmatize nor discriminate. Mazi!!! Go for another test jor, am loving †ђξ twist.

Hmm never expected the twist u introduced in this story, and I'm pretty sure no one did... Let me sound like the typical Nigerian, ds must be ur nemesis 4 banging another man's wife... Also didn't expect Chifawu to turn out to be an immature idiot afterall. Above all I still have great expectations for ds story. Ride on Chief Mazi!

Mimicole: Hmm never expected the twist u introduced in this story, and I'm pretty sure no one did... Let me sound like the typical Nigerian, ds must be ur nemesis 4 banging another man's wife... Also didn't expect Chifawu to turn out to be an immature idiot afterall. Above all I still have great expectations for ds story. Ride on Chief Mazi!

seems i'm not alone in my presumption.

Cute bliss: How can chifawu do this kind of a thing never expected it from her anyways everybody has his or her own bad character hidden somewhere

When you will know people that loves you is when something bad happens to you
@mazi ur story is touching.

Why are u asking as if u don't no she is a Naija babe. Naija babe will kill u faster than the HIV itsef.

Lol...Mazi!!!...u wan give ppl hypertension abi....I don too follow u pass make u dey fake me....I know the suspense style in which u twist ur stories....

Number 1: u can't be Hiv positive cox dat wud kill the story and wnt depict the title of d write up

Number 2: It is believed diz is ur life story....And Mazi Isnt/Cant be Hiv positive

My Take on diz is that....*singing Nelly*..."It was all a dream"....The angel dat answered ur prayers definitely transported u back 2 reality away from scary dreamland....(Thank God the angels weren't playing scrabble with God diz time around...lol)

Just wondering, hope Mazi wont start spreadn the virus

nna mhen, sometimes you are safe with what you don't know o.