The Jessimmy Fantasy: A Tale of Unrequited Love

"No human being with blood flowing in his veins is incapable of loving."

I have come to embrace the profound truth of this statement, after years of vowing to shield myself from the messy and tumultuous waters of romantic relationships. As a person who values friendships irrespective of gender or creed, I attribute this disposition to my formative years in secondary school. During my college days, my network of friends expanded, fuelled by my academic prowess. It was during this time that I forged a particularly strong bond with Kwaghta Angbiandoo, my closest female friend. Despite the closeness of our relationship, we both knew that it was purely platonic.

The genesis of my story can be traced back to November 2008, when we were nearing the completion of our second-semester exams in NCE 1. It was also during this period that a new batch of students gained admission to our institution. Angbiandoo mentioned to me that she was assisting a friend with the admission process, but I paid little attention to it at the time. However, something caught my interest—the unwavering trust this friend placed in Angbiandoo, entrusting her with money for registration without questioning its use. It was evident that she must have been a person of great integrity to inspire such trust. And so, my curiosity was piqued.

One day, as Angbiandoo returned from another registration task, she brought a file containing a stack of documents. Among them was a passport photograph that captivated me. The girl in the picture exuded an enchanting beauty that drew me in. Strangely enough, I found myself interested in her, despite not having known her personally. Her name was Mlumun Jessica Ikyongu.

Destiny, it seems, had its own plans for us. Eventually, I had the opportunity to meet Jessica in person during one of my frequent visits to Angbiandoo's place. She had come to check on the progress of her admission process. As I found myself in a room filled with a small group of people, I was rendered momentarily breathless by her incomparable beauty. I sat there, speechless, stealing glances at this extraordinary being. The soft spot I developed for her grew more intense, and for the first time in my life, I found myself falling in love. However, I couldn't ignore the glaring truth that she seemed out of my league, surpassing me in every aspect. This realization only intensified my internal turmoil. Unable to bear the ache in my head any longer, I left for my apartment, grappling with my conflicting emotions.

In 2009, we returned for a new session, and coincidentally, Jessica became Angbiandoo's neighbour. As I continued my visits to Angbiandoo's place, my interactions with Jessica became more frequent and intimate. It was revealed to me that Jessica "liked" me, which made my heart skip a beat. However, it was clarified that her liking was limited to a platonic fondness for me as a person, devoid of any romantic attachment. Nevertheless, I held onto the hope that with time, the "i" in her liking would transform into an "o," and the "k" would change to a "v." And so, we embarked on a friendship, hoping that it would eventually blossom into something more. Often, I would visit her solely to feast my eyes on her captivating beauty, sitting in silence for minutes on end while she would ask with a charming smile, "What is it?" But my fear prevented me from uttering the words I longed to express.

Our friendship flourished beyond my wildest expectations. Not a day went by without us calling each other or spending time together. I reached a point where I stopped cooking at my own apartment, as she took charge of determining the meals I consumed and when I ate them. Whenever I arrived late, I would be met with a barrage of questions: "What have you eaten?", "When was your last meal?", "Where have you been?", "What have you been doing?" Her caring nature extended to providing me with nourishment, and I couldn't help but appreciate her not only for her beauty but also for her boundless love and kindness.

As my feelings for Jessica grew, I began to envision a future where she would become my wife. With her name, Jessica, and mine, Simon, I fantasized about our wedding, which would bear the delightful combination of our names—JESSIMMY. It became an emblem of my infatuation and a testament to the depth of my fantasy.

The word "JESSIMMY" first appeared in a poem I penned in February 2009 titled "Dear Jessica." It was an epistolary expression of my emotions, and my friend Joshua Jijingi described it as my best lyrical work. In line 28 of the poem, the word emerged, celebrating the budding union of JESSIMMY.

A second mention of JESSIMMY found its way into one of my later poems in November 2009, titled "The Death of a Dream." In line 25, the words lamented the demise of the young JESSIMMY union, a poignant reflection of the reality that unfolded.

Although our friendship couldn't withstand the test of time due to the vast disparity in our social status, feelings, and circumstances, the JESSIMMY fantasy has remained a part of me. It lingers in my heart, and I carry a sense of regret every day that it wasn't granted the opportunity to flourish.

The tale of JESSIMMY serves as a bittersweet reminder of the beauty and pain inherent in unrequited love. It stands as a testament to the power of human connection, even when circumstances conspire against its fruition. The memory of JESSIMMY will forever be etched in my mind—a symbol of an unfulfilled romance, yet a testament to the profound impact that love, even unrequited, can have on our lives.

          

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The Untold Story of a Veteran

THE UNTOLD STORY OF A VETERAN.

Brewed and bottled in Gboko, Mr. Joshua Ngutor Jijingi, the veteran stage god and upcoming screen sensation  hails from Adikpo in Kwande LGA of Benue State. He was born on 31^st August, 1989. It is not hyperbolic to say Jijingi was an exceptionally brilliant child. After his primary education, Mr. J.N Jijingi was admitted at Tofi Memorial Secondary School, Gboko, where the  story of his unequaled academic prowess continued till he completed in 2004.

            A phenomenal twist rubbed shoulders with his academic career when he was admitted at College of Education, Katsina-Ala. In his O level, Joshua was a science student, but as destiny will always have things done its own way, ‘De Prince’ was absorbed into Theatre Arts after completing his Preliminary Studies at the College. In the Theatre, Jijingi rose effortlessly through heights, surpassing those who were there before him, to become a veteran stage god. His prowess in the make-belief antics made him popular among students and lecturers in the Department and even beyond. His name became a synonym for a good actor. He was always hailed and revered by every one as a seasoned professional. This suffices to explain why no semester went by without him featuring in more than two productions in which he routinely took major roles. It is not out of place that Joshua is a gifted artiste, his whole being oozed with the exuded elegance of a Hollywood superstar, adorning his masculine physique. It wasn’t therefore surprising that he was crowned Best Actor of the Year in 2010, a first of its kind.

                                                                                                        

            In spite of his science oriented background, the veteran never fared worse than any other student in the Department. This justifies the earlier claim that he was ‘an exceptionally brilliant child’. At the end of the day, Jijingi graduated with an ‘A’ in Theatre Arts, breaking the jinx that plagued the Department for recorded years.

                                                                  
                                       

            Apart from been a talented actor, Mr. J.N Jijingi enjoyed dominion over his contemporaries in terms of self expression. Merely saying Jijingi is a good orator can as well pass for an understatement. This virtue complements superb acting. In his college days, De Prince was accorded numerous designations some of which included Vice President ATAS (2009), Spoke Man, ATAS Elders Forum (2010), to mention but a few.

Jijingi has undiluted passion for academics. This drove him to the Department of Theatre Arts, Benue State University, Makurdi, where he was admitted on merit owing to his starry results at the College. A cliche has it that a gold fish has no hiding place. This comes very apt in this developing story of a genius because in as much as jijingi tried his best to play low key at the University, his golden potentials betrayed him. Like a celebrity that he meant to be, jijingi grew exceedingly popular among friends, students and lecturers of the department and beyond. Needless to reiterate here that jijingi fared far above his mates in academics. To his mates and juniors, he became the first point of call for assignments and any given academic task. 

Upon completion of his studies, jijingi didn't just graduate with a B. A.  in Theatre Arts (with a bias in Directing), he bagged it with a retinue of awards and honours. It didn't come as surprising to anyone as he was awarded the Best Graduating Student of the Department, an accolade he went on to claim even at the faculty level. Also in his graduation treasure chest was the Best Director of the Year's Award. When the Department was honouring the then outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Charity Angya, jijingi was nominated to write and read her citation, a piece Angya described as 'exceptionally impressive'.

Although Black Blood (2015) is his only published work, Jijingi has many unpublished creative and critical works of no mean scholarship to his credit.

            Currently, the stage ‘Prince’ lives in Port Harcourt where he is putting to good practice his training and passion in film production and professional drama.