A Young Love In The City – Will They Be Able To Make It Work?

Their Young Love

Maggie never dreamed that she would ever see the gates of a university. Nonetheless, she spent countless hours in a small room that served as a library in her school. When she cleared high school, her mother organized for her to go and live with her aunt where she would work as a nanny. Maggie was happy to go even though she knew that she was destined for more than that.

“The city would be a good opportunity for me.” She thought. She believed that no one was jobless in the city and everyone earned good money. This excited her and gave her hope.

Her aunt came to pick her up and after a teary farewell, they were off to the big city. She had been there a few times before during her school holidays when she would go to help her aunt take care of her small cousins.

“How are Jaden and Sarah?” she asked as her aunt drove at a rather slow speed.

“They’re very fine, dear. They keep asking about you. I told them that you were studying for your exams but you would come to visit them when you finished.”

Maggie smiled. She was happy to know that she was going to a loving home where she would be treated like part of the family.

They finally arrived a few minutes after 6 pm. The journey had taken longer than expected and it was a bit dark but they were both grateful to arrive safely. Maggie said a short prayer and then got out of the car to unload her bags and the huge stem of bananas that her mother had gifted them. The kids came out shortly after to greet their mother and the visitor. They gave their mother a big, tight hug then turned to Maggie and stared at her for a minute as if trying to analyze her.

“You’ve lost a lot of weight,” Sarah said innocently.

“Yes, I was studying really hard,” Maggie replied. They then embraced her equally as tight and tried to carry her bags. Though they were pretty light, the young children couldn’t manage to carry them. Instead, they led her in and escorted her to her bedroom. She placed her bags down and immediately went to the kitchen where her aunt was waiting for her.

“You know how I like things done. I don’t have to teach you anything. You’re a smart girl.” She started. “You’ll be taking care of the kids. Help them with their homework, prepare them for school and make sure they’re doing well in school.”

Maggie liked taking care of her young cousins. They had so much personality and were always fun to be around. She was also happy because she didn’t have to cook or clean anything. She hated doing house chores.

“Maggie, come push us on the swing,” Jaden called to her as they played in the compound.

************************************************

A month had passed since she arrived at her aunt’s house. Results for her final high school exams were out and everyone was happily surprised by Maggie’s marks. She was indeed a bright student but no one expected her to score anything more than a B. She scored a B+ which guaranteed her a spot at the university to pursue her course of choice.

In fact, she got a letter of admission a few weeks later to her dream university. However, Maggie knew this was all a dream and she would probably take a diploma course instead. Her aunt was not able to take care of her expenses while she was on campus and since she didn’t get a straight A, it was difficult to find a scholarship. Once again, she gave up on going to university.

Her results had, however, motivated her to advance her education level. Since she was taking care of her young cousins, she decided to refresh her knowledge in early learning as well as read about how to tutor young children.

Her aunt introduced her to a local library where she spent most of her days when the children were in school. The first time she went to the library was like she had entered heaven. There were so many books that Maggie was confused.

“Can I help you find something?” a man asked her as she stood staring at the books. She was still mesmerized by the collection of books that she didn’t notice anyone talking to her. “Excuse me,” he said. She heard him that time and turned to face him. He was sharply dressed in a checked shirt, grey pants, and well-polished shoes. Maggie immediately took a liking to him.

“Hi, I’m looking for early learning books.” She said.

“Okay. They’re over there.” He answered pointing to another aisle.

“Thanks.”

He left without saying a word.

Maggie browsed the large collection of children’s books that ranged from educational to entertainment. She picked out an English book and then went to sit in a corner. There were two other people at the library going about their business.

The young man kept coming to check on Maggie to see whether she needed any help. After two hours, Maggie got up to leave.

“Are you leaving already?” he asked sweetly.

“Yes, I have to go and pick up my cousins from school.” She replied.

“Okay, welcome again.” she smiled and left the book on the counter but he handed it back to her.

“Now, you’ll have to come back.” He said.

*****************************************************

Maggie didn’t go back to the library for a few days but she couldn’t get it out of her mind. She felt like she was in a dream surrounded by so many books. That was the first time she had seen so many books. She wanted to ask the young many a lot of questions but she didn’t want to come off as a village girl. The young man was also on her mind. She smiled when she remembered their brief but sweet interaction. She went back the following day.

It was a short walking distance from her aunt’s house. When she got there, she found another person behind the counter – a lady. She tried to hide her disappointment but she was looking forward to seeing him.

“Where did the other guy go?” she asked the lady.

“Ben? He’s helping my parents get some books.” She answered.

“Oh. Okay. Say hi to him.” she answered and left as fast as she came.

Ben was there the next day when she went to the library. After trying and failing to play it cool, he joined her at her desk.

“Where have you been?” he asked.

“I was busy at home but I came yesterday and you weren’t here.” She answered.

“Yeah. My sister told me and I immediately knew it was you.” He said.

She smiled. “How did you know?” she asked.

“Well, she described you as a beautiful girl with shaved hair and a gap in your teeth.”

She was slightly embarrassed by the description. The gap was one of her biggest insecurities but she was happy to know that other people thought it was beautiful.

“I’m Maggie, by the way.” She finally introduced herself.

“Ben.”

The pair shook hands and after a brief conversation, exchanged numbers.

“I’ll call you tonight.” He said and she nodded in approval.

He kept his promise and called her at around 9 pm. Maggie had just finished helping her cousins with their homework and was getting ready for bed. The pair talked briefly and planned to meet the next day.

From then, they met regularly at the library. They bonded over their mutual love for books and Ben would constantly recommend books for her to read. Though their friendship blossomed into a crush, they brushed it off as juvenile emotions. However, the feelings didn’t go away. The more Ben saw her, the deeper he fell for her and Maggie fell for him as well.

******************************************

“Are you coming to the library?” Ben asked over the phone.

“Yes. I’m just running late but I’ll be there in a few.” She answered as she checked herself out in the mirror. Ever since she met Ben, she started paying attention to her physical looks. Yes, she was a natural beauty but a little lip gloss didn’t hurt. She applied a lip gloss that her aunt had gifted her. It was cherry flavoured and made her smell like candy. She liked it.

After a quick check in the mirror, she headed out to meet Ben at the library. He was eagerly waiting for her with one of his book recommendations and a chocolate bar on the counter.

“Ben, I didn’t know you eat chocolate.” One of the regulars at the library commented. He chuckled knowing it was intended for his crush, Maggie.

Maggie arrived shortly after looking a bit different. She was dressed in a bright yellow maxi dress and a pair of sandals. Ben was taken aback by the new look but he liked it nonetheless. As she got closer, he noticed the lip gloss on her lips. She moved in to hug Ben and he could smell the cherry flavour.

“Wow, this is different.” He said.

“Do you like it?” she asked hoping for his approval.

“I love it,” he said. “I have something for you.” He handed her the chocolate first.

“Thank you, Ben,” she blushed as she took the chocolate.

“This is your book of the week.” He said handing her the book.

Maggie hesitated. Her face changed and Ben noticed that she looked uneasy. He let her compose herself and speak when she was ready.

“I have something to tell you.” She finally said. “I’m going to university.”

“That’s amazing, Maggie. I’m proud of you.” Ben replied.

“Thank you. But I have to move away which means I won’t see you as much.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll figure out something. Maybe I’ll even join you at the university.” They both smiled at each other.

The next couple of days were hard for both of them. As the minutes passed, they both realized that soon, they wouldn’t meet at the library anymore. Ben tried to act like it didn’t bother him but he felt bad. Maggie was also struggling with emotions of sadness and excitement about starting school.

“Did I tell you how I got the opportunity?” she asked him as they sat behind the library counter.

“No, you didn’t,” he answered.

“Well, my aunt was hosting a dinner for her workmates. I was serving them when one of her guests asked me my name. He then asked me how old I was. One question led to another and before I knew it, he offered to give me a scholarship.”

Once again, Ben was overcome with conflicting emotions. He wanted to be happy for her but all he could hear was another man helping his girl achieve her dreams.

“That’s great but I think you should have told me earlier.” He said.

“Well, I was busy registering for school. They’ve already started classes and I didn’t want to lose any more time than I have.” She replied slightly annoyed. She could tell that Ben wasn’t as happy with the news as she hoped.

“So, when are you leaving?” he asked but he didn’t want to know the answer.

“This weekend.” She said followed by a long silence.

They didn’t say much to each other after that. Maggie excused herself to go and pick up her cousins but she really just wanted to leave. Ben didn’t say anything to her as she left. The pair didn’t see each other until Maggie was headed to her university. She stopped by the library to say her goodbyes and try to reconcile with Ben. He was still being difficult but he hugged her goodbye and gave her a souvenir.

“I hope this won’t be the last time I’ll see you.” He said.

“It definitely won’t.” she smiled and then kissed him on the cheek.

***********************************************

The university was everything Maggie dreamt it would be. She almost felt like it was a dream so she had to pinch herself to confirm she wasn’t asleep. Everybody looked intelligent and well-dressed. She walked to the student’s office where she met a sweet, young lady who showed her to her dorm and her classes. When she finally returned to her dorm, she jumped on her bed and took a deep breath in relief. That might, she slept like a baby and work up ready to start classes.

Weeks passed by as she settled in and tried to catch up with her classes. She had been so occupied with school that she hadn’t talked to Ben since she got there. Ben, on the other side, didn’t want to seem needy so he didn’t call her either. It finally hit her that she hadn’t spoken to him and decided to give him a call.

He picked up immediately. “I was wondering when you’d call.” He said.

“You missed me?” she asked.

“Of course.” He replied.

They talked for close to an hour. The call made her feel homesick. Additionally, the pressure of school was already getting to her. She decided to take the weekend off and visit her aunt for a much-needed break.

One of Ben’s friends spotted Maggie alighting a matatu at the estate and word got to Ben that Maggie was around. He waited for her to visit him at the library but she didn’t. She didn’t even call him to let him know she was around.

“What do I do?” he asked his sister.

“I think you should take her out on a date. You’ve never been on a romantic outing. It will let her know your intentions for her.”

He took his sister’s advice and arranged a romantic dinner for Maggie. However, he set it up at the library. He thought it would be a romantic gesture and it would also remind Maggie of all the moments they shared before she went to university.

Once everything was ready, he gave her a call to invite her. “I heard you’re around.” He started.

“Yeah, just for the weekend though.” She answered.

“Well, do you mind spending a few hours with me?” he asked.

“Sure. At the library?” she asked.

“Yes, but wear something nice.”

She didn’t know why he asked her to dress up but she agreed, anyway.

When she showed up at the library, she was greeted by a beautiful flower arrangement and a trail of rose petals leading to her favourite desk. There, she found a romantic dinner setup and Ben sitting on one side. He got up to greet her and led her to her seat.

“This is beautiful.” She said still in awe.

“Thank you. I wanted to do something special.” He replied.

“Well, it’s special for sure,” Maggie said as she sat down.

They enjoyed their dinner while catching up on the past few weeks. While having dinner, Ben decided to ask Maggie to be his girlfriend officially. This caught her off-guard since he hadn’t asked her or hinted at it before. However, things weren’t the same anymore. The naive girl from the village was now on her way to achieving her dreams while Ben was still the guy at the library. Maggie had seen a different lifestyle in university that made her want to pursue a different path in life.

After a long pause, she answered, “Of course, I will. I was wondering when you’d ask.”

He was speechless. The answer caught him off guard but he was more than happy to hear it.

“I honestly didn’t think you’d accept.” he finally said.

“Why? Did you think I’d forget about you when I went to university? I haven’t stopped thinking about you since I left.”

The pair was finally an official couple. Maggie invited Ben regularly to the campus library. This motivated Ben to apply for a course. He decided to take a Diploma course since it was cheaper and guaranteed he’d see his girlfriend daily.

After a long three months, he was enrolled at the university and started attending classes. The pair went to the library every day and spent most of their free time together which made it easier for both of them to adjust to campus life. Within a few months, they had settled in and were excelling in their classwork.

The years flew by and their love blossomed. When Ben graduated, he proposed to Maggie on the same day and she happily said yes.

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This story first came out as A Date At The Library Part 1: A Village Girl In The Big City and A Date At The Library Part 2: Can Young Love Survive Separation?

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