THE FACEBOOK LOVE STORY

Facebook helps you connect….. Why could she?… finish reading that welcome message? She was finally here; she simply wanted to be a part of the most popular topic in class. She just wanted to sign up for Facebook. What she never pictured was she didn’t actually sign up for Facebook, she had signed up for an escapade she would never ever live to forget, but that was 5 years ago.

Upload a profile picture. She was so ready for this step for she had already taken a photo we now call a selfie-thanks to her 3.2 mega pixels Nokia 8900. So that’s how Facebook added a new user, Jennifer ‘Cute Girl’ Phiri.

At least 5 friend requests daily every week make her feel so excited, the excitement is unbearable. Yes, Guys are always after her in real time, but this online attention is so special, it is so tempting. She feels like the only girl sought after in the world. “Hello Beautiful”, “Hi my love”, “Hey I just wanted to say you have a beautiful profile photo” and then came the freaks, “Hey sexy, I want to……hmm the comments and likes on her photos. At first most of the guys could get replies to their messages, but now there are just too many to reply to and oh freaks got no replies by the way.

After two months, Maxwell Hernandez was the only guy that came close to her expectations. Ever since he acquired her line, he had incessantly called her ‘appropriately’. She viewed him as a sweet guy, he only knew how he really viewed her. According to Max, he had just graduated from university and was working for a construction firm as a managing supervisor. In her last grade, Jennifer had scored a hat trick.

Now all that left was their official meeting and the D-day did come. Max was working in her town for the weekend and as a ‘gentleman’ could afford some time off with her. She shyly agreed, but remained overpowered by arousal and anxiety. She thought about the steamy episodes they had on phone, the texting. What if he was a murderer? Well then, he must be a special one, one who sparks her emotions to life, her longings, cravings and desires (of every kind-all at once) into existence. Would she be willing to do it for the first time if all got out of hand? What if this, what if that? These questions were literally rhetorical in her mind’s play-field and she was well aware of that, but like Katy Perry, it’s no big deal, it’s no big deal, Max was finally here. It’s like she had known him forever.

Max did no discredit to Jennifer at all, he actually looked better and attractive than the man he was in the photos they shared. She concealed her excitement, well at least for now. She didn’t want to get sold out, because Max on the other hand seemed ready to buy, and buy heavily he would. He was quite the gentleman though. Usually, in a maintained status quo, the first thing most guys want to do is embrace the girl, but Max, Max on the other hand, kissed her hand softly like he had met a princess.

“I’m Max, it is an honour to finally meet such a beauty”, he said slowly in such a composed and most romantic matter while stretching from the bow.
He was so tall and well built. She now hoped he could hug her next, but this was Max,a guy whose actions spoke for his being different from every other guy. Jennifer just couldn’t believe how lucky she was. She felt lucky before he even asked her out. <— That is such a statement to draw a concrete inference from, on its own.

Max made her day simple, but so outstanding in so many ways. They conversed endlessly and he asked so many questions about her. You could see he wanted to know so much more about this girl. He was into her. After 4 hours, there was no difference between a minute and an hour. It was soon time to part and Jennifer was astonished to note there was no kiss planted on her lips, but her forehead. Later that night on the phone, he told her he respected her so much and would like to kiss her at the very right time. According to him, she was so honourable. At this point, Jennifer knew that he was the one, but she had still met him on Facebook. What did it matter anyway? Thanks Mark Zuckerberg?

Jennifer was always happy. She couldn’t let her friends know yet. She had no time for judgements, but she could take envy, admiration and jealousy anytime without giving half a damn. No one, but Max knew the answer to why her grades had improved. His appeal and charm wasn’t the only influence he had on her, he made it clear that her education and not he should be first at that point.

We could call them three months of acquaintanceship, Jennifer would call it three months in utopia. Last month on her birthday, Max could have had bought her any gift in the world, but because theirs was a clandestine relationship, a small gift was appropriate. On that day, she had also given to him her womanly prized possession. After giving it such a deep thought, she decided it was best she let Max deflower her.

Another meeting was scheduled during her second term holiday, less than a month after her birthday. She told her mum she was going out with her friends for a picnic and would be back later in the afternoon, but God knew Max had arranged to take her out of town. She found him waiting at their spot standing with his back against his BMW (i don’t know what version it was, but it was fancy) , one hand in the pocket, flowers in the other. If her dreams had never come true, her favourite romantic movie had.

“Ready for the road trip?” he asked with a smile.

“Always ready for any road trip that you’re the driver”, she smiled back to expose firstly her nice white teeth and the two neat holes God placed on both her cheeks.

“Come on then, let’s roll, let me drive you crazy”

Both laughed.

They sang along to speeding as Max did 200KMs per hour. Every other road user looked amazed as two lively souls sang on top of their voices like they were from a world outside. All was going well, all was as smooth as it could be. No one saw it coming, how would they, they were embedded in the moment. A truck was headed in their direction. It gradually approached them innocently as they did, but both at their best speed. No one could have imagined this, but a few meters away from them, this Volvo truck lost control. It left its lane and was about to hit the BMW, but Max quickly swerved away. At this point he was a hero, but he just avoided one obstacle only to hit into another on the other side. He hit right into the truck’s trailer which also seemed to hit into them.

Hours later, Jennifer woke up with blurred sight. She couldn’t recall what happened. With immense effort, she realised she was in a hospital. Her mother was looking over her. What in her world was happening? Shocked or confused couldn’t describe how she felt. She was about to switch off realty when she remembered Max.

“Max, Max, Maxwell” she screamed. The doctor on the other hand was familiar with this episode and came over to give her a sedative. After 3 weeks she came to swallow the hard truth that Max had died in the car crush. She couldn’t believe it. She felt so weak and nauseated and puke she did. How would something so beautiful suddenly turn into a nightmare? She could keep passing out, but denial is what kept her on. She never imagined this to be happening. In her mind, Max was immortal, he was there to complete her life,he was her partner. He was the love of her life. It isn’t how long you have been with someone that makes it real, it is the moments and the actions of love they extend to you. Max was one person who had showed her what love was in such a short time. He had never manipulated her as his position often demands in most men. He was older and more experienced than her, but never used this to his advantage. He was her brother, her best friend, her guide, her mentor, her boyfriend, but Max was now gone, He was dead. 😦 You don’t know what pain is.

Her parents couldn’t find the time to be mad at her, when they learnt that her non terminating puking was because she was almost two months pregnant. Jenifer’s father to her child had died. She couldn’t go back to school. She had so much to handle. She forgot a thing like Facebook ever existed. It was no longer her daily routine. Her mind always read, Maxwell and ‘their’ unborn baby. Who would take care of her unborn baby? How would she explain to her parents how she met Max? How would her friends ever believe her? She would one day have to explain to her child were the Father was. Would she have the strength? All these questions would have to be answered one day.

TO BE CONTINUED, WELL MAYBE 😦