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Torn apart by HIV status

Nkarenyi Ukonu

DOTUN was a notorious Casanova in his heyday. He couldn't take his eyes off any pretty girl, either on or off campus. He wanted anything that caught his fancy and 90 per cent of the time, he succeeded. His success at getting any girl he wanted was hinged on the fact that he had looks that were pleasing to the eye, a good body structure, a good car to move around with on campus and a sugar-coated tongue that knew the right things to tell any girl, depending on the circumstances and who the girl was. He always got it right. Above all, he was, surprisingly, not a dullard. All these qualities made it easy for him to draw the girls to him like bees to honey.

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However, the downside of his notoriety with girls was that he was quick to dump them like hot potatoes and quickly move on without a second thought. His fame spread like wild fire so much so that his school mates had to go to him for lessons on how to woo girls; and succeed they did.

By the beginning of his fourth year in the university, during the period that has been aptly tagged October rush - the period when new entrants, otherwise called Jambites, are freshly matriculated into the universities - he had already perfected his plans and strategies to woo some of the girls who were obviously naive and unaware of his escapades. After making several attempts and getting lucky with not a few, he accidentally bumped into Olaide's car. Rather than concentrate, he had his attention divided; looking out for more 'prey.'

Olaide was a young pretty girl from the upper crust of the society who could afford to ride a brand new car on campus. She was a Jambite, but one who came in with a clear-cut purpose: to stay off men and channel all her energy into making good grades. That was the promise her parents extracted from her before she was given the keys to the car. As the only child, her parents doted on her and gave her whatever she wanted; and she wasn't about to disappoint them now.

Olaide was fresh meat to Dotun and he cursed himself for not having met her in good time. He, nonetheless, thanked God for making their paths cross. The damage to the car wasn't too serious and he promised to fix it and thus began a new wooing strategy for him - something he utilised very well. But Olaide wasn't interested.

Dotun did everything possible to make her come around, but his strategies boomeranged in his face. He was taken aback that a young girl like Olaide could make wooing difficult for him; after all, he had always got any girl he wanted on a platter of gold. But the more he chased her, the harder he fell in love with her. He ignored his other girlfriends who craved his attention and channeled his energy into making sure he succeeded in his latest 'venture.' His craze for Olaide came as a surprise to his friends who all wondered what was particularly special about her that Dotun couldn't resist.

It took him three months to finally get her to accept to have a relationship with him. And what an item they turned out to be. They became inseparable. Dotun let go of his philandering and turned his back on his numerous girlfriends. He showered Olaide with so much love that people around wondered what was going on. They couldn't understand the sudden transformation they were witnessing and they all eagerly awaited the outcome of the relationship.

Dotun soon graduated, leaving Olaide behind but only for short periods, as he made it a point of duty to always check up on her either in school or at home. They remained faithful to each other. After the mandatory national youth service, he got a good job and quickly rose up in his career. By the time Olaide graduated, he proposed to her and they began making marriage plans. In order not to take chances, they both went for HIV and blood group tests. The result was shocking. .

Olaide tested positive to HIV, while Dotun tested negative. Olaide couldn't understand how come, when she had never been the philandering type and had only been with a man - Dotun - all her life. Dotun at first was shocked, but it later developed into mixed feelings. He was happy that even though he had lived a very rough life in school, his HIV status was good. He was, however, sad that Olaide, whom he made a woman and who was faithful to him, was HIV positive. This was a mystery. But it wasn't, as subsequent tests in three different hospitals declared the same result.

Families on both sides were confused. Olaide's parents couldn't ask him to abandon their child, while they couldn't also force him to go on with the marriage plans. Dotun's parents were divided over the matter. His mom said the marriage could no longer hold, while the father opted to keep mum. The people at the centre of the whole saga were also confused.

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