Who’s that guy?

His name is Brandon and I have known him for close to 6 years now. There’s a lot I can say about him, but I will try to summarize:

1. Towards the end of my Course in 2021, we had to do Internship. However, I was so tired and exhausted at that point, and there was also so much going on in my personal life. In brief, I’d given up on life. 

Just then when I was feeling at my lowest point, guess who came to my rescue? Yes, Brandon. He asked me to write and send him my application letters, which I did. Brandon dropped them everywhere: NBS, NTV etc… 

This was in the second lockdown during COVID-19. Many media houses had free labor since schools were still closed. As a result, finding a place for internship was close to impossible. In all the places that Brandon took my letters, only two called me back. Later on I found out that it was because they personally knew Brandon, and he had done some work for them. If not for him, I wouldn’t have gotten a place for internship. 

2. After internship, I left my phone in Bweyogerere for 3 months. I went offline and off_air during that time just to refocus on my priorities. While some concluded that I was pregnant and whatever; guess the only person who took the time and came at my place to check up on me? Right again, Brandon. 

3. Later on, I started selling clothes online. 

Towards our graduation, Brandon ordered a dress for his friend that was my size. Turns out he was buying the dress for me. “A graduation gift,” he phrased it. (He had asked if I also sold shoes and I had said no. I’m sure if I did, he would have bought me shoes as well).

4. One time, I badly needed money and my upkeep had delayed. The only money Brandon had was a dollar bill. Brandon saved his money in dollars because that way, it was way harder to spend. That money, he was specifically saving for a speedlite, to boost his photography career. However, Brandon was willing to give me his money just so that I could buy food. 

5. Before I started my internship in 2021, I was asked to pay one hundred and fifty thousand shillings(150,000) to commence. However, being a sponsored child, I had to first write a requisition for that money, and it was going to take some time for the cash to be processed. Personally, I didn’t have that amount of money on me. 

Brandon was paying for his  rent, tuition and everything else. However, he knew that I needed money to start my internship. 

He asked when I would be starting. “Next week on Friday,” I replied. Brandon was silent and didn’t say anything. The following day, I was chilling with my ex when Brandon called. I excused myself and took the call from outside. He told me that he was going to send me 100k and that I should look for 50k and start my Internship. When I got to know that he had picked the 100k from his rent money, I spent several minutes begging him NOT to send me that money. I tried to convince him that my money was going to come in by Monday, but he wouldn’t listen. I begged. I pleaded. Eventually, he gave in. 

As I walked back inside, I was so moved and lost for words. My ex asked if it was my landlord, and made a fake joke about me owing someone money, since I had taken the call from outside. I was simply dazed that he’d think that. As a result, I ignored him after that until he left. 

I remember thinking to myself, “How unserious can I possibly be, that I’m choosing someone that can’t even jump a pothole for me; and yet there’s someone else who loves me to the extent of giving me his rent money?!

Brandon was respectful, caring and he put in maximum effort to do good by me. My boyfriend on the other hand only excelled at posting other girls and giving me high blood pressure. Psychological torture was his area of expertise. 

That day my eyes were opened. When my boyfriend left that day, it was the end. To this day, I’ve never set my eyes on him ever again. 

End of Part 1.

Disclaimer: The names that feature in this story are fictitious. They were made up to protect the identity and privacy of those involved.

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