Chapter of the Fourteen : The Call and the Journey
Celine sat curled up on the edge of Nathan's couch, her head resting gently against his shoulder. The evening was quiet. Just the soft hum of a ceiling fan and the scent of jollof rice Nathan had cooked earlier still lingering in the air.
They had talked about everything—wedding plans, future dreams, her service year—and now, silence filled the space between them like an embrace.
Nathan looked down at her, admiring the glow of her skin, the calm in her eyes. She was radiant, yet something about her still felt so untouched, so sacred.
And even though the bond between them grew stronger by the day, Nathan had never crossed certain lines.
Not once had he asked her for sex.
---
One night, after a long walk, they sat on the balcony of his apartment, sipping zobo from glass cups. Celine turned to him and asked, a little playfully, a little curiously, "Nathan… have you ever… you know… thought about us… being intimate?"
Nathan looked at her, his face soft but serious. He reached for her hand.
"Celine," he began gently, "of course I've thought about it. I'm human. I'm a man. I love you."
She blinked, heart thudding softly.
"But I love you more than I love the idea of rushing you. I want our first time to be wrapped in peace, not pressure. If it takes until our wedding night or even beyond, I'll wait."
Her eyes welled up unexpectedly.
"I'll wait," he said again, brushing his thumb along her knuckles. "Because your comfort means more to me than my desire."
Celine smiled through the tears, barely whispering, "You're God-sent to me, Nathan."
He chuckled, pulling her gently into a hug. "And you're everything I never knew I needed."
---
The peace between them remained unshaken until a week later, when her NYSC call-up letter finally arrived.
She had barely opened the document when her eyes widened in shock.
Sokoto State.
Far in the north. Far from Lagos. Far from Nathan.
She stared at the letter in disbelief.
Nathan was just stepping out of the shower when he noticed the expression on her face. "What is it, baby?" he asked, drying his hair with a towel.
Celine held the paper up, her hand trembling slightly. "Sokoto," she said. "I've been posted to Sokoto."
Nathan froze for a moment. "Sokoto? As in the farthest part of Nigeria?"
She nodded slowly, eyes misty.
He moved toward her, gently taking the letter from her hands. "Wow," he muttered. "That's… far."
Celine laughed nervously. "How am I going to cope, Nathan? I've never been that far north in my life."
He folded the letter carefully, placed it on the table, and cupped her face in his hands.
"I don't know how either," he said softly. "But I know one thing—you're strong. And I'll be right here, cheering for you every single day."
Then, with a playful grin, he added, "Or maybe I'll just follow you. Imagine me doing NYSC with you—doctor-turned-corper boyfriend."
Celine burst into laughter, swatting his arm. "Be serious, Nathan."
He smiled, then kissed her forehead. "You'll be fine, baby. I'll always visit. We'll make this work."
---
Over the next few days, preparations began in earnest. Celine had only two weeks before she had to report to camp. Her mother cried when she heard the news, her father remained unusually quiet, and Nathan became her greatest source of strength.
He helped her shop for supplies—white T-shirts, socks, mosquito nets, and even hand sanitizer. He booked her flight ticket, helped label her boxes, and sometimes just sat beside her while she packed and repacked.
"You're going to change lives in Sokoto," he told her one night. "They don't know the gem that's about to land there."
Celine smiled, though her heart was still uneasy.
"I'm going to miss you so much," she said, resting her head on his chest.
"I'll miss you more," he replied. "But let's not talk like we're saying goodbye. This is just another chapter."
"Another test," she whispered.
"Yes. And we've passed every test so far."
---
Two days before her departure, they took a quiet evening walk through the park behind Nathan's apartment. The sunset painted the sky in warm tones of orange and gold.
"Promise me one thing," Celine said, her voice soft.
"Anything."
"Promise me you'll keep loving me from a distance. That you won't stop choosing me… even when it gets lonely."
Nathan turned to her, taking both of her hands in his.
"I will never stop choosing you, Celine. Distance doesn't change love. If anything, it deepens it."
Tears welled up again, but she didn't wipe them.
She wanted him to see them.
Because they weren't just tears of sadness.
They were tears of gratitude, of hope, of knowing she had found something rare.
---
The morning of her departure arrived with a quiet heaviness.
At the airport, her parents stood beside her, giving last-minute instructions and emotional hugs. But it was Nathan who held her gaze the longest.
He leaned in, whispered into her ear, "Go change the world, my love. I'll be waiting—always."
She nodded, swallowing back tears. "I'll write. I'll call. I'll never forget your face."
As she boarded the plane, she looked back just once—and saw him standing there, hand raised, eyes locked on hers.
She smiled through the glass.
"Every goodbye," she whispered to herself,
"is the seed of a beautiful return."