At the end of the tunnel...(prt4)

Steve was a handsome young man. He was of an average height, dark in complexion and had a certain aura around him. Though Tiwa was trying to hide her feelings, she liked him already. There was something about him she couldn't quite lay her fingers on yet. Something that attracted him to her.

'Hi, my name's Steve. What's yours?' Steve asked Tiwa while offering a handshake. Tiwa accepted the handshake and replied: 'I'm Tiwa'. Tiwa hadn't gotten a more interesting conversation with the opposite sex as she had with Steve. She was giggling and laughing out loud all through. They started out as friends. Steve was taking Tiwa out on dates where they would have enough fun for Tiwa. On one of those dates, Steve asked Tiwa to be his girlfriend. Tiwa didn't hesitate or turn him down. She accepted. She was in love. Or so she thought. Tiwa and Steve became inseparable. They introduced each other to each other's friends and before long their relationship was established. Everyone knew Tiwa and Steve were a couple.

On Tiwa's matriculation day in school, Steve was there as usual. He was always there when Tiwa needed him and when she didn't. It may look like Steve didn't have a life of his own but he did in fact. He was a final year student at the same university as Tiwa. He was awaiting his project defense so he had plenty of time in his hands. After the celebration of the day, Steve took Tiwa to a restaurant outside school to celebrate with Tiwa. After lunch, Steve took Tiwa home to his house and there they had sex. It was Tiwa's second time.

Tiwa's first year at the University elapsed as fast as she could imagine. She travelled home to spend her holiday with her family while Steve back at his place at Abeokuta. They talked to each other on the phone everyday without missing one day. Back at Tiwa's house, things were ugly. The family was broke to the core. During the holiday, there were times when Tiwa and her family could not get a three square meal in a day. Tiwa didn't mention any of this to Steve until she could no longer keep it to herself. She had to open up to him. She was dying silently and since Mr Ayu promised to pay her fees only for her first year, she definitely needed help.

The holiday was over and Tiwa was stuck at home because there was no money to pay her transport fare back to school. She called Steve to ask for help after so much hesitation. It would be the first time she would be asking him for money. She didn't like it that she had to ask him for money but she had to do it and he was overjoyed he could help. That was the beginning of Steve taking over Tiwa's family's responsibility of taking care of her.

Steve was her new family.

How long will this kind of relationship last?