Letter To My Primary Love

Dear Esi,

This letter feels like 12 years ago back in class 4 when we used to send letters. Memoires of the past. We're both grown young man and lady with a lot of developments on the body which even makes you much prettier than 12 years ago.

But hold on, we go way back nursery in Divine Day Care Centre now Divine Montesorri. We were not so much of good friends then but we were family friends (Something I got to know later while we grew up).
As fate would have it, we ended up in the same primary school, Holy Spirit School and that's where the magic began.

I hadn't noticed you till Class 2 when we were to act the Nativity of Christ. You were Mary and my hopes of being Joseph were dashed when Oliver (oh my goodness, that boy was really a rival), mangaed to get that role. I was made a shepherd to receive you (you could imagine how pissed I was). Alas you gave birth in my manger and that was joy enough to celebrate.

Class 3, my love for you went down like it never existed. Probably not paying heed to any beautiful girl around me. We were still friends and nothing more. I feared talking to you cos of your beauty and you had a little cliq.

We were promoted to Class 4 and bingo that's when it all started. Though I still felt nothing for you, you couldn't imagine the look on my face when Alfred broke the news to me. Haha........ok, let's rewind it. So I fell sick and for about a week I wasn't in school. You wept and told the class you missed me and of all the guys in the class I was the one you liked.

Though I was not well, I really wanted to see you and tell you I have accepted the appointment to be your boyfriend without hesitation. You were the fairest and most beautiful girl of our batch even till date and definitely every guy would have wished to like you but I was the lucky one.

You awakened my love life at an early age of 9 years. Everyone in the school knew about our relationship and truth be told even our JHS seniors envied us, Sekyi and Adubea are my witnesses. It didn't end there as I was teased at home by mummy and my siblings, moreover we being family friends was just enough to seal a betrothal. We exchanged letters before morning assembly, during break time and closing, while we hid from our paparazzis. Probably, the reason why I'm good at writing letters.

We finally got to Class 5 and like we planned before re-opening, we were to sit together. Due to your short-sightedness you were moved to sit by Oliver (this boy again!!!!), who tried to make me jealous but your love was real and never dwindled. The weekend calls over the phone, the fake assignments we did over the phone, they were really joyous moments.

Thanks to Sekyi, I learnt all the songs on Westlife's 5 albums Coast to Coast, Greatest Hits, World of Our Own, Gravity and Back Home just to be able to sing to you. Sometimes stealing the words for my letters which made you smile. I'm grown past that stage now dear.

Our birthday celebrations since then were celebrated together since we are both November borns. On Val's Day, you brought me a present which I hid from mum but eventually got caught, she still doesn't know who gave it to me.

It was all rosy till dad got transferred to Accra and we had to follow. Our hopes of being together in class 6 were burnt to ashes. Our secret lock book was to be disposed and whatever was to happen was unknown to us.

We had moved to Accra and there was still communication since I had your number off-head so I could call anytime. Then the drifting occured, communications ceased and we were history. Probably because I made new friends and forgot you existed. The only thing that reminded me of you was Kontihene and Kwabena Kwabena's hit song, Esi.

Interestingly, you didn't pair up with any of the guys in the class when I left. Faithfulness at its peak.We got back in contact on facebook and since then it's been an act of the past in our class WhatsApp group making us the most adored couple. You are crazier than I left you. Your sense of humour is still intact just as your beauty.

I know Solo, Alfred and Godfred (our twin cousins who must support us), Mike, Oheneba, Richard, Gyan and Bismark would be jealous this letter is out and it's for them to know we care less. I wrote this letter not because I want you back (but it won't be bad oooo.....consider it), but just to appreciate my first love who is still my number 1 cocaine. Lol!!

I really admire(d) our friendship and all I want to say is: I miss you, Dr. Mrs. Manuel Esi Jones Mensah.



Your Primary Love,

Manuel Mensah
(Nii Bavard)

(This piece is dedicated to Maame Esi Jones)