I staged an attack, became her hero

By DENNIS D. MUHUMUZA

A story of a brilliant literature student who was forced by love to do real practicals

Aisha was stunning and I was hooked the first time I set eyes on her.

She had just been expelled from her previous school after being discovered to be having an affair with a teacher. In anger, her father dumped her in our poor, village school.

I decided to curve myself a place in her heart though I was not the only one.

I was lucky that I was strong on literature among the subjects, so she often came to seek my help. One day she came, held my hand and said: "You discussed your question wonderfully."

I was just a poor guy but there was something about me that a rich man's daughter admired. I was flattered. And immediately thought of presenting my manifesto. But what if she rejected me?

I thought of another plan. I would kidnap this girl. I began by playing on the psychology of my lustful schoolmates. Just as Iago was able to use a mere handkerchief to separate Othello and beloved Desdemona in Shakespeare's Othello, I was going to manipulate my friends to win Aisha for myself.

I lured two of my strongest colleagues in accepting to kidnap Aisha. She used to practice her volleyball alone in the evenings because she had not made many friends. Students thought she was very proud.

According to the plan, I hid in the nearby bush as my colleagues pounced on her. She started screaming for help. I jumped out of the bush shouting at the 'rapists' and like the master of black belt in karate, kicked the hooded 'villains', took her hand and rushed her to safety.

I led the crying Aisha back to school and the story of her rescue from two rascals made me an instant hero. That is how Aisha became my adorable friend.

She wrote me sweet letters declaring her love, and reminding of how I had risked my life to save her. It's almost four years now and our love is still undaunted.

--Daily Monitor, Friday, April 9, 2004, page 17