The Debt Of Love Episode 1
The sun dipped slowly behind the hills of Nsukka, painting the sky in shades of red and gold. Life in the village was simple but hard, and no one knew that better than Obinna.
Obinna was a poor palm wine tapper. His days were spent climbing trees, his nights filled with dreams of a better life he knew might never come. His mother sold firewood in the market, and together they struggled just to feed themselves.
But Obinna had one gift—a heart too big for his own good. He would give his last meal to a stranger if they asked, even if it meant going hungry.
That heart was what led him into trouble.
One evening, on his way back from the farm, Obinna heard screams near the old footpath by the stream. He dropped his calabash and ran. What he saw froze him.
A girl was being dragged by two armed robbers, her mouth covered, her wrists bound. Her clothes, though torn from the struggle, showed she was no ordinary girl. She wore expensive wrappers, and her neck was adorned with gold beads.
Without thinking, Obinna charged at the men. A fight broke out—sticks against machetes. He took heavy blows, but with raw courage, he managed to knock one unconscious and scare the other off.
The girl fell to the ground, breathing heavily. Obinna untied her quickly.
“You’re safe now. They won’t hurt you again.”
Her eyes met his, wide with shock and disbelief. “You… you saved me. Do you know who I am?”
Obinna shook his head, wiping blood from his arm.
She whispered, almost in shame, “I am Adaora, the only daughter of Chief Okafor… the wealthiest man in this land.”
Obinna’s heart skipped. Everyone knew Chief Okafor—the man whose wealth could buy and sell ten villages. To Obinna, this girl was like the stars in the sky: beautiful, distant, and unreachable.
He bowed slightly. “My name is Obinna. I am nobody, but today the gods made me somebody—for you.”
Adaora stared at him, her heart strangely unsettled. No one had ever spoken to her like that.
She didn’t know then… that this poor palm wine tapper, bleeding and breathless, had just tied his fate to hers.
For in saving her life, Obinna had unknowingly incurred a debt of love—one that would cost him more than he could ever imagine.
To be continued…
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💭 Do you think Chief Okafor will reward Obinna for saving his only daughter—or will his pride see a poor man as unworthy of even standing near her?