PART TWO — WE WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO FALL IN LOVE

It started with friendship.

At least, that's what we told ourselves.

Amara and I began meeting secretly.

Sometimes behind the church.

Sometimes at the small park near our street.

Sometimes we simply stood by our gates talking until one of our parents called us inside.

She knew everything about me.

I knew everything about her.

Her favourite food.

Her fears.

Her dreams.

The name she wanted to give her first daughter.

One evening, she asked me,

“Do you think we'll still be friends when we're older?”

I looked at her.

“I don't want to be your friend.”

She laughed.

“What do you want?”

“You.”

Her smile disappeared.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then she held my hand.

“I want you too.”

That was the night everything changed.

We became inseparable.

But we had to hide it.

Because our fathers weren't simply angry with each other.

They had once been business partners.

Something had happened between them.

Money.

Betrayal.

Nobody would tell us the full story.

All we knew was that they had promised never to forgive each other.

One afternoon, Amara came to me crying.

“My father knows.”

My heart dropped.

“What does he know?”

“About us.”

“What did he say?”

She wiped her tears.

“He said I'll never marry you.”

I held her hand.

“We'll find a way.”

She looked at me.

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

She nodded.

Neither of us understood how expensive that promise would become.