Mr Jika Abara

05/10/2025

*ECHOES OF LOVE*
*(Fictional Story)*
*Chapter Five – The Reunion*

One year passed, yet it felt like a lifetime. My service year had ended, and I returned home with mixed emotions. I was grateful to be done with NYSC, but the weight of uncertainty about Maria hung over me.

Would she still feel the same way? Had distance weakened her love—or worse, had her family already chosen someone else for her?

The first Sunday after my return, I went to church.Not my parish,but hers. As I walked into the church, my eyes searched for her without permission,in her usual position. And then, like a prayer answered, there she was—Maria.

She stood at the youth wing, arranging hymn books for the choir. Her hair was neatly tied back, her white blouse glowing against her dark skin. She had grown. Not in height, but in grace. There was a maturity about her, a nurse’s confidence. My heart raced like it was the first day we met.

When she finally noticed me, her eyes widened. For a moment, the whole church seemed to pause. Then her lips curved into that familiar smile—the same smile that first disarmed me the first day we met.
I had divided attention during the mass. "Oh! what love can not do,does not exist." Whispered my curious mind.

After Mass, we stole a few minutes together under the mango tree beside her parish, speaking softly about all we had endured.

“You waited for me,” I said, almost in disbelief.

She smiled. “Love waits. Even when silenced, it echoes.”

At that moment, I knew that our story was not just a passing chapter. It was a journey—one tested by family, stretched by distance, but held together by faith and patience.

“You’ve changed,” she said softly.

“You too,” I replied. “More beautiful than ever.”

She blushed, lowering her eyes. “How was NYSC?”

“Long… hard… but you kept me going,” I said, pulling out the Rosary from under my shirt. The crucifix dangled in the sunlight.

Her eyes glistened. “You still wear it.”

“Yes,and I pray the Rosary every day.” I replied softly.

For a moment, words failed us. It was as if silence itself was speaking—saying everything our hearts couldn’t.

But reality came quickly. Maria’s tone shifted.

“Paschal, my father has not changed. If anything, he’s grown more protective. He says I’m too young, that I should focus on school. He doesn’t want me tied down.”

I sighed deeply. “Maria, do you still want us?”

Her eyes met mine with firmness I hadn’t seen before. “Yes. But I need you to be patient. My family may not understand now, but one day, they will.”

Those words lit a fire in me. Patient? I could be patient for her.

So we continued—secret meetings after mass whenever I went to her parish, stolen conversations at any slight opportunity, whispered calls late at night. Every moment with her was a reminder of why I fell in love in the first place.

But love, I soon learned, is not only tested by distance. It is tested by the storms of life—storms that were only beginning to gather on our horizon.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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05/10/2025

*ECHOES OF LOVE*
*(Fictional Story)*
*Chapter Four – Distance*

Life has a way of testing the heart just when it begins to settle into love.

Not long after Maria’s father’s warning, my call-up letter for NYSC arrived. I had finished my degree, and it was time to serve the nation. My posting was far from Imo. The thought of leaving Maria unsettled me. We had barely begun, and already distance threatened to pull us apart.

On the morning of my departure, the motor park was crowded with passengers heading to different destinations. I had texted Maria to come. She came with her immediate younger brother,Paul.I didn't know how they convinced their parents where they were going to. I was glad she came.
My parents stood close, giving me their final words of encouragement. But in the corner, away from watchful eyes, Maria and Paul stood quietly. She had a small brown envelope.

When I walked over, she pressed it into my hand.

“Something to remember me by,” she said softly.

Inside was a silver chaplet(Rosary). My throat tightened. “Maria… I don’t know what to say.”

“Just promise me,” she whispered, “that no matter where you go, you won’t forget me.”

I smiled weakly. “Forget you? Impossible.”
Paul stood there quietly. He's a perfect gentleman. He knew about my relationship with Maria.

I wanted to hug her, but the eyes around us made it impossible. Instead, I nodded, and with one last smile, I boarded the bus. As it pulled away, I watched them grow smaller in the distance, my heart aching.

NYSC life was demanding. Between CDS meetings and teaching assignments. There were days I was too exhausted to even check my phone. Network was poor in my posting area, and sometimes weeks passed without a proper conversation.

Maria tried her best to keep in touch, but nursing school was also draining her. Nights spent studying, early morning clinicals, endless lectures. Our calls grew shorter, and our texts were less frequent.

But when she did call, even for a few minutes, her voice became my anchor.

“Paschal,” she would say, “are you okay over there?”

“I’m fine,” I’d reply. “Just tired. I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

Sometimes, that was all we had time for before the line cut.

In the quiet nights, doubts crept into my mind. Will she wait for me? Will her father force her into someone else’s arms? Will distance weaken what we share? Will the distance bury what we share?

At my posting area, some friends encouraged me to “move on” and look for someone closer, more available. A fellow Corp member.

“Paschal, she’s just a young girl,” they said. “By the time you’re ready to settle down, she might change her mind. Don’t waste your time, bro.”

But my heart refused to shift. Maria was more than just a passing fancy; she was the one my soul had chosen.

Even in those doubts, the echoes of our love remained.

Back home, Maria was also fighting her silent battles. Suitors began to come around, introduced by her relatives. Her father especially wanted her to consider one—a medical student from a wealthy family.

But Maria resisted politely. “I’m not ready,” she would tell them. Deep down, she knew her heart had already found a home.

Every time I prayed with the Rosary she had given me, I reminded myself: some bonds are stronger than distance.

Still, I knew this was only the beginning of our trials.

TO BE CONTINUED
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05/10/2025

*ECHOES OF LOVE*
*(Fictional Story)*
*Chapter Three – The Warning*

During the regional youth program, Maria and I were both present. I was busy coordinating, but every time I caught a glimpse of her in the crowd, my heart steadied.

On the last day, as everyone prepared to leave, we found a quiet corner. She handed me a small note, folded neatly.

“Read it later,” she whispered.

That night,when I got home, I opened the note. In her careful handwriting, she had written:

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I know meeting you was no mistake. You’ve awakened something in me I never thought I would feel so soon. Let’s keep this between us and God,and see where it leads. — Maria”

I kept that note like a treasure.

But life has its way of testing love. Soon after, Maria’s father found out she had been speaking frequently with me. He didn’t approve.

Love has a way of showing itself, no matter how carefully one tries to hide it.

Maria and I thought we were discreet—brief conversations on the phone and chatting. But the eyes of parents were sharp, especially those of a father guarding his only daughter.

Maria was the only daughter of her parents—their jewel, their pride, their future. Her father, a stern man, believed strongly that his daughter’s path must be carefully guarded. He had high hopes for her nursing career and was wary of distractions, especially from older men.

It happened one Sunday evening.I had gone to Maria’s parish for benediction.
We had agreed to meet that day after benediction.Benediction is a liturgical blessing where the priest or deacon blesses the congregation with the Eucharist, typically displayed in a monstrance on the altar. We had agreed to put our relationship in prayers,asking God to direct our steps.

I was standing under a mango tree in the compound,waiting for Maria. She had gone to see the priest for something i didn't about. A man walked up to me. He was a tall, stern-looking man, with the kind of presence that made even confident men shrink a little.

“Paschal,” he called, his voice firm.

“Yes, sir,” I replied, straightening immediately,at the same time wondering who he was.

“Come with me.” He said.

We walked a short distance to the side of the church where the crowd had thinned. He folded his arms, studying me for a long, uncomfortable moment before speaking.

“Young man, I respect you. You are one of the youth leaders in the zone. I have observed your friendship with my daughter, and I know the way she calls and texts you. She is only eighteen. My only daughter. She has her whole life ahead of her. Nursing school, her future. She does not need distractions.Please, don’t entangle her in matters of love now.”

His words were like a cold slap. I opened my mouth to speak, but he raised a hand to silence me.

“Listen carefully. I will not allow anyone—no matter how respected—to ruin her focus. If you truly mean well, keep your distance. Let her grow. Do I make myself clear?”

I nodded slowly, my heart heavy. “Yes, sir.”

He gave me one last hard look, then walked away.

I stood there, feeling torn in two. "Didn't she know her Dad was coming here?" I soliloquized.
On a second thought, I understood his fears. Maria was young, still under his care, and he only wanted what was best for her. But on the other hand, my feelings were real. How could I simply silence them?

That night, I couldn’t sleep. Many thoughts chased each other in my mind.
My phone buzzed around 10 p.m.—a WhatsApp message from Maria.

“Dad spoke to you, didn’t he?”

I stared at the screen for a while before typing back. “Yes. He doesn’t want me close to you.”

After a pause, her reply came:
“I know. He’s very protective. But Paschal… please don’t give up. I believe in us.”

Attached to the message was a picture of a small handwritten note. I zoomed in and read:

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I know meeting you was no mistake. Let’s keep this between us and God and see where it leads.”

I sat back, holding my phone to my chest. Her words were both comfort and burden. We were walking on dangerous ground—but my heart had already chosen its path.

And from that night onward, I knew that ours was not going to be an easy journey.

TO BE CONTINUED.
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05/10/2025

With Jika Abara IV – I just got recognised as one of their top fans!

27/09/2025

*ECHOES OF LOVE*
*(Fictional Story)*
*Chapter Two – Silent Sparks*

That evening, after returning from the zonal meeting, I stared at the slip of paper Maria had given me. Her handwriting was neat, simple, and elegant—just like her. I must have read those eleven digits a hundred times before I finally gathered the courage to dial. Her full name was D**e Onyinyechukwu Maria.

The phone rang once, twice. My heart raced. Then her soft voice came through:

“Hello?”

I swallowed. “Good evening, Maria. It’s… Paschal. From the meeting today.”

“Oh!” she said, her voice warm. “You called.”

“Of course I did,” I replied, smiling though she couldn’t see me. “It was nice meeting you.I hope you got home safely?”

"Yes." "How about you?" She asked.
Her voice was so tender 😍.

That first call was brief, almost awkward. But it opened the door. Within days, we began chatting more frequently, little by little. By the end of the first week, it felt as though we had known each other for years.

At night, after my daily activities were done, I would lie on my bed, phone pressed to my ear, listening as Maria spoke about her life as a nursing student. She talked about her lectures, the stress of endless notes, and the fear of practical exams.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever cope,” she confessed one night.

“You will,” I assured her. “You’re stronger than you think.”

“And you?” she asked. “Being a final year student and one of the zonal leaders must be stressful.”

I chuckled. “It is. I have to manage programs, keep the youths motivated, and still balance my own studies. But it’s worth it. Especially now that I have someone new to share it all with.”

There was silence on the line, then a soft laugh. “You mean me?”

“Yes, Maria,” I admitted, my voice low. “You.”

Our conversations became the highlight of my days. We laughed over little things, prayed together, and sometimes just sat in comfortable silence, connected by the sound of each other’s breathing.

At church, during the youth seminar, we exchanged glances that spoke louder than words. She would smile when she saw me, and that smile had a way of melting every burden I carried. Yet, beneath the sweetness of our growing bond, I sensed a fragile tension — the kind of love that bloomed quietly, aware that not everyone would understand.

Still, in those early days, I didn’t care about the shadows. All I knew was that Maria had awakened something in me I couldn’t deny.

And though we had not yet spoken the word love, it echoed silently between us, growing louder with each passing day.

The more we talked, the closer we grew. What began as simple friendship began to echo something deeper. I knew I was falling for her, but a quiet fear lingered in my heart—our age difference, the expectations of leadership, and the reality that love was never without trials. She's eighteen, and I was twenty-five.

Yet, each time Maria smiled at me, those fears melted away.

What will happen in Chapter Three?
Will the age difference between them affect the love? Please like, comment, and share.
Stories by . Follow Mr Jika Abara , I will be dropping more stories there.
If you like this story,let's your reaction in comment section.

26/09/2025

Good morning, and happy weekend
Thank you,20 followers.

25/09/2025

*ECHOES OF LOVE*
*(Fictional Story)*
*Chapter Two – Silent Sparks*

That evening, after returning from the zonal meeting, I stared at the slip of paper Maria had given me. Her handwriting was neat, simple, and elegant—just like her. I must have read those eleven digits a hundred times before I finally gathered the courage to dial. Her full name was D**e Onyinyechukwu Maria.

The phone rang once, twice. My heart raced. Then her soft voice came through:

“Hello?”

I swallowed. “Good evening, Maria. It’s… Paschal. From the meeting today.”

“Oh!” she said, her voice warm. “You called.”

“Of course I did,” I replied, smiling though she couldn’t see me. “It was nice meeting you.I hope you got home safely?”

"Yes." "How about you?" She asked.
Her voice was so tender 😍.

That first call was brief, almost awkward. But it opened the door. Within days, we began chatting more frequently, little by little. By the end of the first week, it felt as though we had known each other for years.

At night, after my daily activities were done, I would lie on my bed, phone pressed to my ear, listening as Maria spoke about her life as a nursing student. She talked about her lectures, the stress of endless notes, and the fear of practical exams.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever cope,” she confessed one night.

“You will,” I assured her. “You’re stronger than you think.”

“And you?” she asked. “Being a final year student and one of the zonal leaders must be stressful.”

I chuckled. “It is. I have to manage programs, keep the youths motivated, and still balance my own studies. But it’s worth it. Especially now that I have someone new to share it all with.”

There was silence on the line, then a soft laugh. “You mean me?”

“Yes, Maria,” I admitted, my voice low. “You.”

Our conversations became the highlight of my days. We laughed over little things, prayed together, and sometimes just sat in comfortable silence, connected by the sound of each other’s breathing.

At church, during the youth seminar, we exchanged glances that spoke louder than words. She would smile when she saw me, and that smile had a way of melting every burden I carried. Yet, beneath the sweetness of our growing bond, I sensed a fragile tension — the kind of love that bloomed quietly, aware that not everyone would understand.

Still, in those early days, I didn’t care about the shadows. All I knew was that Maria had awakened something in me I couldn’t deny.

And though we had not yet spoken the word love, it echoed silently between us, growing louder with each passing day.

The more we talked, the closer we grew. What began as simple friendship began to echo something deeper. I knew I was falling for her, but a quiet fear lingered in my heart—our age difference, the expectations of leadership, and the reality that love was never without trials. She's eighteen, and I was twenty-five.

Yet, each time Maria smiled at me, those fears melted away.

What will happen in Chapter Three?
Will the age difference between them affect the love or something else? Please like, comment, and share.
Stories by . Follow Mr Jika Abara , I will be dropping more stories there.
If you like this story,let's your reaction in comment section.

25/09/2025

*ECHOES OF LOVE*
*(Fictional Story)*
*Chapter One – The Meeting*

I first met Maria when she was eighteen.

It was a warm Saturday afternoon, and our zonal youth meeting was being held in her hometown parish. As one of the zonal leaders, I had come prepared, my minutes book in hand, and my mind focused on coordinating activities for the annual regional youth program in Owerri.

Halfway through the meeting, my attention began to drift. Across the hall, I noticed her—Maria. She wasn’t one of the parish executives, yet her presence could not be ignored. She moved gracefully between the rows of youths, carrying trays of food and drinks, attending to everyone with a smile that seemed too pure for this world.

Maria was striking, though not in the loud way some girls are. She was dark-skinned, with a figure-eight shape that spoke of elegance rather than boastfulness. She wasn’t tall, just of average height—perfect, really, for her frame. But it was her smile that caught me off guard, a smile that lit up her entire face, softening the air around her.

At one point, our eyes met. For a moment, it felt like the hall grew silent. My hand froze above the page where I was writing minutes. She smiled. My heart skipped. I quickly looked away, pretending to be engrossed in my notes. But the damage was done—something had shifted inside me.

I tried to stay focused, but my heart had its own agenda. The meeting dragged on, longer than usual, since it was our final preparation. When it finally ended, I knew I couldn’t just leave. I had to speak to her.

I walked toward her, each step feeling heavier than the last. She was gathering the empty cups into a tray when I reached her.

“Hello,” I said, my voice softer than I intended.

She looked up, her eyes calm, her smile unchanged. “Good evening, sir.”

The way she said sir made me chuckle nervously. “Please, don’t call me, sir. I’m Paschal.”

“Alright,” she replied, her voice so tender it felt like a melody.

I hesitated, then said, “You’re very beautiful, dear. I’d like us to be close friends… if you don’t mind.”

For a moment, I feared she would refuse. But she only nodded, reaching into her bag to bring out a small jotter. She scribbled her number and handed it to me.

“Here,” she said.

“Thank you,” I whispered, feeling as though she had just handed me a treasure.

We exchanged goodbyes, and as I walked out of the parish compound, clutching that little piece of paper, I knew my life had just changed.

It was love at first sight. 😊 ....
Let's see what happens in Chapter Two. Please like,comment, and share.
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Have you experienced love at first sight before 😃
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22/09/2025

22/09/2025

🎉 Facebook recognised me as a top rising creator this week!

22/09/2025

Welcome to Mr JikaAbara! 🎉
Here, I’ll be sharing fictional stories of love, life, family, and faith. Stories that touch the heart and make you think.
Stay with me—your next favorite story begins here. 💫”

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