I HATE VALENTINES

Back then in secondary school in anticipation of Valentines day; everyone was happy, preparing gifts for their girlfriends and boyfriends. While I had nothing to do with their preparation cause I was damn single. Although, I had one crush like that.

So the day before valentines, I escorted some of my friends to go get gifts for their girlfriends at one gift shop, close to school at RSU main gate. While they were shopping, one suggested that, “o boy you for use this valentine shoot your shot for Favour oh”. I had a second thought about it, Favour was a nice girl and I knew I liked her too; but then, I didn’t have much money on me, all I had left was just 50 Naira, which was my transport back home.

So I asked my friend, Ben; for some cash, and he said he had used up all his money. I then made up my mind, that I was just going to lock up, go home and sleep peacefully; pretending like I don’t know that valentine’s day was the next day.

Until the sales person came over to me and said, “oboy you no dey buy your own gift?”.

And I responded with, ‘I don’t have money ma”.

She then asked how much I had. I then told her that she shouldn’t bother, that my money wasn’t worth anything in the store. She then chuckled and walked towards one of the showcase and requested that I came over.

When I got there, she showed me this white handkerchief which was beautifully packed with a red rose which had some sweet fragrance attached to it. So I asked her how much it was,
She then said it was 150 naira. I then told her that I had not up to 150 naira with me, all I had was 50 naira (walking away as I gave it back to her).

She then chuckled and called me back: saying that I could take the packaged flower and rose for 50 Naira, that i deserve to have a beautiful valentines day too. So I gave her the money, picked some remaining wrapping sheets from the ones my friends used in wrapping their gifts and wrapped mine neatly thanking her as I left with my friends.

On the way back home, I told my friends that I had used my last 50 naira which was for my transportation to buy the flower and rose for Favour. They all laughed really hard at me. I then asked if any one of them could help me for 50 naira or lap me till we got home. This time around they laughed uncontrollably as they told me that they couldn’t spare me 50 naira, and they can not lap me either.

Mehn!
I was slyed.
It dawned on me that I was going to trek back home alone, but anyways it was worth it. So I left my friends and started the missionary journey from Rivers State University (RSU) main gate to my house. It wasn’t a funny one, as I almost died of thirst before I got home.

After almost an hour I got back home later than I usually arrive, so exhausted. My mom asked why I came back so late? I didn’t even bother responding to her; I just stayed mute until she finished shouting.

At home, I washed my favourite uniform and ironed it properly; the next morning, I stole some of my fathers perfume and added to my uniform.
“Mehn! I smelled good! There’s no way favour is saying no”,
I thought to myself.

The next day in school, in the morning; Favour’s friends came over, telling me how they think Favour likes me and today would be the right day to ask her out. Gathering much ginger from her friends and my friends; I manned up, waiting for break time to shoot my shot.

“Breeng breeng breeng”, It was the break bell, “the hour has come”, I thought. So I asked for Favour to be called to the back seat where I sat, and then she came over.

When she did, I told her that I got her a Valentine’s day gift which meant a lot to me. She smiled as I handed it over to her.

Fast forward to few hours later..
Favour started giving me some funny facial expression, but she didn’t say anything.

Until when I came online on our class 2go group chat, Favour and her friends washed me that “all I could get for her was an ordinary 50 naira flower? In fact when people are talking, I shouldn’t bother opening my smelling mouth”. The rejection and the lashing I received made me dumbfounded.

The next day in school, it was horror to even look at Favour in the eyeballs. I dodged whenever I saw her and her friends coming. The news trended in school, everyone heard about my 50 naira flower story.

Life felt horrible that moment!

That flower meant a lot to me,
I forsook my comfort and trekked under hot Port Harcourt sun; from school to my house just to be able to buy her that flower, and yet I still bagged a rejection and unlimited yabbing!
Man! That year’s valentine left a scar on me.

Even though I’m older now, whenever I think about valentine, I remember the nightmare it brought me and never want to experience such again.

–VECHI ALLEN VECHILZ

Vadnuvechi Allen, preferably called “Vechi Allen Vechilz”, is our guest writer today on the blog. He is a Mediaprenuer, Red carpet host and writer based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
He is a DIL degree holder from the university of Port Harcourt and a LAW student of Edwin Clark university.
He also doubles as an editor of orbpress.
He was given birth to around the late 90’s on the 11th day of January.
He fell in love with law, the media and writing at his teenage age, and since then has proven to be outstanding with his creative contents.
His poems, articles, stories, and reviews has featured on: Tushstories, Okadabooks, Orbpress and many more.

When he isn’t glued to his pen and paper; Vechi, spends most of his time listening to rap music and making a cover version of them, which he keeps only for his personal consumption.
He is currently working on a couple of amazing humanitarian projects which is till undergoing some background reviews and a memoir which is yet to be published.
you can reach him and find more of his works at
https://t.co/11803otnUA, https://t.co/Ysp86ZFufG, https://t.co/QSYwtQb4rt, https://t.co/y5B9U6hQmW