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THE GIRL WHO REFUSED TO GIVE UP

Chapter 12: A DOOR OPENS

Lisa's eyes widened.

"Dr. Samuel?"

She quickly opened the door.

Standing outside was the doctor, carrying a small bag and wearing his usual warm smile.

"Good evening, Lisa."

"Good evening, sir."

Her mother stepped outside and greeted him as well.

"Please come in."

After exchanging greetings, they all sat together.

For a moment, Dr. Samuel seemed unusually serious.

It made Lisa nervous.

Had something happened?

The doctor looked at her.

"How was the interview?"

Lisa smiled faintly.

"I think it went well."

"Good."

He nodded.

"I expected nothing less."

For a few moments, they talked about the trip and the interview.

Then Dr. Samuel's expression changed.

"There is another reason I came tonight."

The room fell silent.

Lisa's heart began to race.

The doctor reached into his bag and pulled out a document.

"I recently heard about your father's condition worsening."

Lisa lowered her eyes.

The situation had been weighing heavily on the family.

Dr. Samuel continued.

"A few colleagues and I decided to contribute toward his treatment."

For a second, nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Lisa thought she had heard him wrong.

"What?" she whispered.

The doctor handed the document to her mother.

The woman's hands trembled as she looked through it.

The contribution wasn't enough to cover every hospital expense.

But it was enough to ensure her father could receive the next procedure.

Tears immediately filled her mother's eyes.

"Doctor... I don't know how to thank you."

Dr. Samuel smiled.

"You don't have to."

Lisa felt tears gathering in her own eyes.

For months, it had seemed as though every door was closing.

Now, for the first time, one had opened.

The following day, her father was scheduled for the procedure.

The entire family spent the day praying.

Hours felt like days.

Every minute stretched endlessly.

Finally, a doctor walked out of the operating room.

Everyone stood immediately.

The doctor's face was calm.

"The procedure was successful."

For a moment, nobody reacted.

Then her mother burst into tears.

This time, they were tears of relief.

Lisa felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

For months, fear had followed them everywhere.

Now, there was finally a reason to hope.

A few days later, her father slowly began to recover.

He still needed rest, but his condition was improving.

The atmosphere at home started to change.

There was laughter again.

There were smiles again.

For the first time in a long while, the future didn't seem so frightening.

Then one afternoon, as Lisa returned from school, she noticed a crowd gathered near the village square.

People were talking excitedly.

Children were running from house to house.

Curious, she approached one of her classmates.

"What's happening?" she asked.

The girl looked at her in surprise.

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"The scholarship results are being released tomorrow."

Lisa froze.

Tomorrow.

After months of waiting.

After months of praying.

Tomorrow she would finally know.

That night, sleep refused to come.

She stared at the ceiling for hours.

Would her life change?

Or would she be forced to start searching for another path?

As dawn slowly approached, Lisa sat up in bed.

Her heart pounded.

In just a few hours, she would finally get her answer.

To be continued...

THE GIRL WHO REFUSED TO GIVE UP

Chapter 9: THE ENVELOPE

Lisa stared at the envelope.

Her mother stood beside her.

Her younger brother and sister watched silently.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

The only sound was the evening breeze moving through the trees.

"Open it," her younger sister whispered.

Lisa swallowed hard.

Her hands trembled as she carefully broke the seal.

Months of prayers.

Months of sacrifice.

Months of uncertainty.

Everything seemed to lead to this moment.

Slowly, she unfolded the letter and began to read.

At first, her eyes struggled to focus.

Then she read the words again.

And again.

Suddenly, tears filled her eyes.

"What does it say?" her mother asked anxiously.

Lisa looked up.

A smile slowly spread across her face.

"Mama..."

Her voice cracked.

"I made it to the final stage."

For a moment, nobody reacted.

Then her siblings jumped with excitement.

"You won!"

"You won!"

Lisa quickly shook her head.

"No, not yet."

She looked back at the letter.

The scholarship board had selected a small number of candidates from across the state.

Those candidates would attend a final interview before the winners were announced.

The interview would take place in the state capital the following week.

Excitement quickly gave way to worry.

The state capital was far away.

Transportation would cost money.

Food would cost money.

And money was something her family barely had.

Her mother's smile faded.

"We'll find a way," she said quietly.

But Lisa could see the concern in her eyes.

That night, nobody slept early.

The family discussed different possibilities.

Every option seemed difficult.

By morning, they still had no solution.

Days passed.

The interview date drew closer.

Lisa tried to stay positive, but fear slowly crept into her heart.

What if she missed the interview?

What if this opportunity slipped away because of money?

One evening, while visiting her father in the hospital, she told him everything.

Her father listened carefully.

When she finished speaking, he smiled.

"My daughter," he said, "opportunities like this don't come often."

Lisa nodded sadly.

"But we don't have the money."

Her father remained silent for a moment.

Then he slowly removed an old wristwatch from his hand.

The watch looked worn and faded.

Lisa had seen him wear it for as long as she could remember.

"Take this," he said.

Lisa stared at him.

"What?"

"Sell it."

"Dad, no."

"This watch can be replaced," he replied. "Your dream cannot."

Tears immediately filled Lisa's eyes.

She knew how much that watch meant to him.

It was one of the few valuable things he owned.

The next day, after much persuasion, Lisa accepted the watch.

With the help of a kind neighbor, they managed to raise enough money for the trip.

For the first time, the interview felt real.

The night before her journey, Lisa sat on her bed staring at her goal notebook.

She opened to the first page.

The words were still there.

"I will become one of the best neurologists in the world."

For the first time in months, she smiled.

The road was still long.

But she was moving forward.

The following morning, before sunrise, Lisa boarded a bus heading to the state capital.

As the bus pulled away from the village, she looked out the window.

She had never traveled this far from home before.

Hours later, the city finally came into view.

Tall buildings.

Busy roads.

Crowds of people everywhere.

Lisa's heart began to race.

Tomorrow would be the most important day of her life.

And she had no idea what was waiting for her.

To be continued...

Continuation of (From First Day at Work to Falling in Love) – Part Two 💕

So moving on… remember when I told you I was coming back with more sweet moments from my first day at work to falling in love?
Well… this is where the real story begins.

I ended the last part by saying I love his mindset… and you know why?
Because that very day he was leaving, he actually called me. I didn’t pick because I was working, but just seeing his missed call was satisfying. At least he didn’t collect my number for decoration 😅

But that wasn’t even the sweetest part…

Immediately he landed, he called again. Not just a normal call… he even video-called me to show me he arrived safely. Almost like saying, “Yeah baby, I’ve reached… you don’t need to worry.”

At that moment, I was like… damn. This guy might actually be someone who believes in keeping communication alive in a relationship.

And honestly… what is love without communication?
To me, it’s just… nonsense.

That was how the little feelings I had started growing… slowly, from the bottom to the top.

Still on that same day, after he got home, freshened up, ate, and settled down, we spoke again at night… somewhere between 9 and 11 pm. That was when we really started getting to know each other bit by bit.

The conversation flowed so naturally… like we had known each other for years. It was mind-blowing and strangely comforting.

Even though we didn’t talk nonstop, we stayed on call because he was helping settle his friend’s relationship issue. And in my mind, I was like… Ahh… love coach? Let me just listen carefully, maybe I’ll learn something 👀

And honestly… I did.

The advice he gave them was filled with hope and encouragement that relationships can actually work if both people put in effort and remain honest with each other. That moment alone made me respect him even more.

After he finished talking with them, we continued our own conversation for a few more minutes. There was something I wanted to ask him though… but I didn’t.

I kept wondering… we just met, you don’t really know me yet… why allow me hear such a personal conversation?

But then I realized something…

Maybe he was coming with a clean heart and honest intentions.
Maybe he was saying, without actually saying it… “I want you to be part of my life, and this is who I am.”

And honestly… as time went on, he proved that feeling right.

In the few weeks we’ve been together, he has shown me he’s not just passing through. He checks on me, asks about my day, my plans, my schedule… and you know, those little things touch a woman’s heart deeply ❤️

And with each passing day… I found myself falling harder.

But then… something happened that made me realize this wasn’t just sweet talks anymore…

And that… is a story for Part 3 👀🔥

You better not snooze!!! 😉

Part 3: Our Video Call Moment

Hey guys… welcome to Part 3 of my story…
From my first day at work to falling in love. 💕

At this point, things were not too intense yet… but something was building.

You know those little things that start small but slowly begin to mean a lot?
That was exactly what was happening.

We were getting more comfortable with each other.
The calls became more frequent… the conversations became deeper…
And before I even realized it… we started doing video calls.

the first video call , after that night we spoke for hours, I didn’t even expect what happened next.

The following evening, he texted me:
“Are you free for a video call later?”

Ha… video call ke? 😭
My heart skipped.
I don’t know why I suddenly became shy. This is me that was forming bold on phone oh. Immediately I saw that message, I started checking myself.
At first, it was nothing serious.
Just normal “let me see your face” kind of calls.

And there he was… smiling.

That same calm face, those glasses… but this time, it felt different. It felt more personal. Like he was no longer just “that fine guy from the restaurant”… he was now my person.

“Hi…” he said.

Omo… I just smiled. Words didn’t even come out immediately.

We both laughed because of how shy I was acting.
Imagine me 😭

We started talking… and it felt so natural. No pressure, no awkwardness after the first few minutes.

At some point, he said something that caught me off guard.

He said,
“I’m really glad I met you.”

Hmm... I didn’t even know when I started blushing like small girl. That moment just did something to me.

We talked about random things… laughed… teased each other small. And for the first time, I saw a different side of him.

Not the serious, always-on-call guy I first noticed.

This one?
Soft. Playful. Warm.

But slowly… those video calls became something I started looking forward to.

Even though… I won’t lie 😌
Sometimes, I used to do small shakara.

Yes o… small shakara 😭
Stressing him a little while he’ll be like,
“Don’t mind me…”

You know… it’s in our nature as ladies 😌

Sometimes he would call… and I would see it ringing…
Instead of picking immediately, I would just look at the phone and smile first.

Not because I didn’t want to pick…
But you know… forming small hard to get 😌

And funny enough… even when I didn’t pick,
he would call again or send a message like:

“Are you busy?”
“Hope you’re okay?”

Hmm…

I won’t lie… those little things were already melting my heart.

Most times after work, I would be very tired.
My legs hurting… my face already showing how stressful my day had been.

But once his video call came in…
Even if I was still doing shakara small… I would pick.

And just seeing his face…

I don’t know why… but it felt calming.

Sometimes we didn’t even talk much.
We would just stay on video… smiling… asking little questions…
Even laughing over nothing.

And it didn’t feel awkward.

It felt… comfortable.

There were days he would call before I slept.
Some mornings, he would call early.

And some nights…
“Just five minutes” would turn into something much longer without us even realizing.

And slowly…

I got used to him.

I noticed something…

Whenever his name appeared on my screen,
even if I was tired or stressed… my mood would change.

And even though I was still forming sometimes…
deep down, I was always happy he called.

Because somehow…
seeing his name made my day feel lighter.

That was when I started realizing…

Something was growing between us.

This wasn’t just normal calls anymore…

It was becoming something deeper.

And little did I know…
those video calls were slowly making me more attached than I expected…

Because very soon… I would realize…

I wasn’t just enjoying his company anymore…

I was falling for him. ❤️

But that one… hmm 😌
That will be a story for Part 4.

Bye for now 💕

When I Realized It Was Love – Part 4

Hey hey hey!!!! 😄
Moving on to Part 4 of my story…
From my first day at work to falling in love. 💕

This one is different…
because this is where the real love begins.

So let me start with the spicy part 😌

Everything between us just kept getting sweeter each day.
The calls became more frequent…
the conversations became deeper…

And somehow…
he slowly became part of my daily routine without me even noticing.

Well… I guess I’ve noticed now since I’m telling you people 😄

There was this particular day that made me realize something…

When you really like someone,
you won’t feel lazy to communicate.
You’ll want to know what they’re doing…
how they’re feeling…

It just comes naturally.

You already know my work as a waitress can be stressful…
but this particular day?
Ah… it was on another level.

Guests were too many,
my legs were already hurting,
and I barely even had time to check my phone.

Earlier, I had told him work might be busy…
so he already knew.

When I finally got a small break and checked my phone…
I saw his messages:

“Babe, hope work isn’t stressing you too much.”
“Have you eaten?”
“Don’t forget to take a small rest, okay?”

I don’t even know why…
but I just smiled.

It wasn’t anything big…
but it felt different.

It felt like someone genuinely cared about me…
about how my day was going.

And honestly…
sometimes it’s those simple things that matter the most.

Weeks passed…
and we kept talking like that.

I also noticed something else…

He always wanted to know about my dreams…
my plans…
what I actually wanted to do with my life.

And each time, I found myself surprised…

Because not everyone asks those kinds of questions.

It’s rare.

And the way he listened…
like every single word I said mattered.

Though I know it matters to him 😌
lol… let me not hype myself too much.

But that was when I started noticing something…

I was smiling too much 😭

Even when he wasn’t saying anything funny…
I would just be smiling.

Whenever his name appeared on my screen…
my mood would change instantly.

Happy mood activated 😄

And when I didn’t see his call for a few hours…
I would find myself checking my phone.

That was when it hit me…

This wasn’t just a crush anymore.

I was actually falling for him…

Slowly… quietly… and deeply. ❤️

I don’t even think he knew how important he was becoming to me.

Like…
he was slowly becoming part of me.

But for you people…
and maybe even for him…

to find out how deep this really went…
and why I said he was becoming part of me…

Hmm 😌

You’ll have to wait for Part 5.

Bye for now 💕

The Day He Finally Came – Part 5

Hey my people 😄❤️
Welcome to Part 5 of my story…
From my first day at work to falling in love.

Okay… this part?
Hmm… this is where things started making sense.

So he told me he had an office trip…
from Abuja to Jalingo.

But before going, we spoke on the phone…
and he promised me something.

He said he was going to see me before going back to his base in Abuja.

You people… I held on to that promise eh 🥹

So the plan was…
we were supposed to meet on Sunday.

He had a connecting flight from Abuja to Yola (my side 😌)
then from Yola, he would continue to Jalingo after seeing me.

Everything was already set in my head.

Sunday came…
I was excited… happy… and very ready to see him.

Even me, I don already plan my outfit in my head 😭

Then my phone rang.

I saw his name , my heart just skipped.

I picked immediately.

But…

He said,
“Babe… I can’t see you today. There’s been a change of plans. I’m so sorry.”

Hmm…

I won’t lie...I felt bad.

Like… really bad.

Because I was already looking forward to seeing him.

But then he said something…

“As soon as I finish my training, I’ll come and see you. I promise.”

And I don’t know why…
but the way he said it…

It calmed me.

Even though I was disappointed…
his words gave me hope.

So I held on again.

Now fast forward to Wednesday…

I was just there…
expecting something… anything.

And then…

My phone rang.

It was him.

I picked.

And he said…

“Babe… I’m on my way to Yola.”

Ahhh 😭❤️

“Please, I’ll be coming in late… can you help me make a reservation?
I’ll be there by 6pm.”

You people need to see my face that moment.

The smile?
Ehn… no be here 😭

All the disappointment from Sunday just disappeared instantly.

I was so happy… like genuinely happy.

Because this time…

He was actually coming to see me.

And that was when it hit me…

This wasn’t just words anymore.

He was making effort.

Real effort.

And that meant everything to me.

But what happened when he finally arrived…

Hmm 😌🔥

That one?

Is for the next day state tuned....

What happened will shock you

Chapter 6: We Finally Met

We are back again with more hot gist… but this one?
This one is different.

Because this was the day everything stopped being just vibes…
and became real.

The day I finally met him.

So, I was telling you about how my baby was coming to visit… yeah, yeah…

He asked me to help make a reservation for him and his colleagues since they might arrive late. I did just that. After making the reservation, I went back home and kept checking my wristwatch.

“Omo… time no dey reach ohhh,” I kept saying in my mind.

But what could I do? I just told myself… patience… you will still see him today, God willing.

I waited… seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours.

Finally, he texted me that they had arrived safely and that I didn’t need to rush down. He said they would locate the hotel using the map and that I could come later after they had settled.

Now… you know me and shakara.

Even after checking time all day, waiting for him to arrive, when he finally told me to come, I still formed small delay before leaving.

Since it was already night, I had to inform my parents that I wouldn’t be spending the night at home, because I was still under their roof. After some persuasion… my mum finally agreed.

I quickly took my bath, dressed up, and headed to the hotel.

When I got there, I called him and told him I was outside. He came out to meet me.

Honestly, I thought I would be shy seeing him again… but to my surprise, he made everything so easy. We smiled at each other… and then hugged.

That hug… felt like we had known each other forever.

After that, we went to the room so I could drop my bag. And after longing for each other for so long… we shared a sweet, passionate kiss before he said,

“Let’s go to the bar so I can introduce you to my friend.”

We went out, and I greeted his colleagues and his friend. His friend welcomed me so warmly… as if he had known me for a long time.

That alone made me happy, because I felt like I was making progress… at least his best friend had accepted me.

We sat together for hours… talking, laughing, eating, drinking, and just enjoying the moment.

Later, we went back to the room to rest a bit, then stepped out again because his friend was still outside.

And honestly… that was when I really enjoyed myself.

His friend sat me down and gave me all kinds of relationship advice...the type you truly need to hear to grow. I won’t lie… it was very helpful. He was full of wisdom and ready to go extra mile to see our relationship work.

That made me even happier… because he was genuinely rooting for us.

Omo… that his friend get energy ohh.

Guess what… he even danced for us at the bar!

Everything was fun, lively, and beautiful. I even had to eat again because I became hungry after laughing so much.

Finally, we went back to the room…

And that… was the best moment.

We cuddled, and he held me in his arms like a newborn baby. Gosh… if only I could turn back time, I would. But I can’t… and I believe there will be more beautiful moments to come.

The next morning, he gave me the sweetest goodbye kiss, and I left for work.

A few hours later, it was already time for his flight. He texted me that he was about to take off…

And just like that… he left for Abuja.

But something had already changed.

Not just the way I felt…
but the way I saw us.

Because after that night…
after that hug… that kiss… those moments…

I knew.

This wasn’t just feelings anymore.

This was real.

We were no longer “talking”…

We were officially something.

And what happened after he left?

Hmm…

Let’s just say…
distance has a way of testing what feels perfect.

Chapter 7 is where things get even more interesting.

Stay tuned 👀🔥