The sky was all blue like the calm color of the sea.

The sun was friendly, and gave the noon breeze some time to flaunt her cool attire.

I had cried for weeks but I said to myself, " today is Thursday, I can't cry forever."

I was sitting on the wooden seat of the old swing in the compound.

Away from family who were all in the living room, cracking jokes and talking about happenings around the world.

I enjoyed watching the birds hop from one tree to the other. I was playing with my thick black braids, the one that mama Iyani made for me.

I was recounting past events, while pampering myself.

It was not the footsteps that stopped me from swinging so fast, but the person walking towards me.

Murrello was smiling and swinging his hands like a happy child that was seeing mama after a long time.

With my buttocks on the wooden seat that was held by flexible chains, which allowed me to go back and forth in either gentle or fast strides, I felt that tight knot in my chest again. It was the boiling hate, that I had tried to discard for months.

Instinct advised that I calmed my nerves but the pain in me, roared to life and I didn't know what voice to obey.

He approached me with such confidence like a farmer going to his plot of land, to do some weeding and planting.

I searched with my eyes to see if there was any stone around to break those legs with.

Legs he used to go chasing after other women. He always had himself sailing into several relationships here and there.

Murrello actually irritates me, and I was sure he was ignorant of that fact.

"My beautiful one, you are as appealing to me as the hot steam from Nigeria's Jollof rice."

He said with a smile. Same smile that once caused my stomach to rumble, making my knees weak, was the same smile, that made me fume with anger.

"It is a known fact Murrello, thank you."

He stared at me with those eyes, eyes that made me lose my mind all the time but today, they had no effect on me.

"Smile for me Abiki, I am here to make peace." He begged.

I hissed. Murrello was nothing but a cheap casanova, a liar and an annoying sweetheart but-

"What do you really want from me Murrello?!"

"Your voice is loud enough to take off a roof, don't be angry with me Abiki, I want charmer back."

Charmer is what we nick named the love that we shared. Murrello failed to understand that one must concentrate on watering a tree for it to grow.

I had loved Murrello in all ways that I have never loved before. We were really happy together.

The early months of our relationship was bliss, he introduced me as his girlfriend to any and everyone.

I actually felt loved because I didn't know that Murrello also introduced other ladies, as his girlfriends, to other persons who didn't really know me.

He started displaying some 'I don't care attitude' towards me, I said nothing but reciprocated his actions as well.

I was hurting and he had not even noticed because he was busy with other ladies, ladies that will never love him like I did.

It will take him time to realize this but one day, he'll come to understand.

I stared at his face. All that I could find was a man I had never really known, a man I had wanted to love till the end of time.

A man that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, but with tears in my eyes, I finally found my voice.

"I am sorry Murrello but charmer is dead."

©Joy Okwori