"Look who it is," Chijioke said, spotting Amara. "The star of yesterday's show!"
Amara glared at him. "At least I wasn't dating siblings!"
The two stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. Somehow, their shared embarrassment broke the ice, and they spent the rest of the afternoon swapping stories about their misadventures.
Before long, Amara and Chijioke were inseparable. They became the village's most infamous couple, causing chaos wherever they went.
One week, Chijioke decided to sell goats at the market. The problem? The goats weren't his. He "borrowed" them from his uncle's farm, hoping to make a quick profit. Unfortunately for him, his uncle showed up at the market just as Chijioke was sealing a deal with a buyer.
"Chijioke!" his uncle roared. "Those goats better start flying because you're about to join them in the afterlife!"
Chijioke barely escaped with his life, but instead of learning his lesson, he went straight to Amara's house to brag.
"You should've seen me!" he said. "I ran so fast, Usain Bolt would be jealous!"
Amara rolled her eyes. "And what about the money? Did you at least make some?"
Chijioke grinned. "Not a kobo. But it's the thrill that counts!"
The following week, it was Amara's turn to cause chaos. She went to the market and picked a fight with a tomato seller over the price of a basket.
"This basket is not even full!" Amara shouted. "You're trying to cheat me!"
"It's full o! Check it well!" the seller replied.
Amara, determined to prove her point, grabbed the basket and emptied it on the ground, scattering tomatoes everywhere. That's when the seller revealed her trump card.
"You haven't even paid!"
Amara froze. The crowd erupted in laughter as the seller chased her out of the market.
Despite their constant mischief, Amara and Chijioke's relationship only grew stronger. They were like two sides of the same chaotic coin, perfectly matched in their love for drama and troublemaking.
When they announced their engagement, the entire village groaned.
"Chijioke and Amara? It's like pairing fire and petrol!" said one elder.
But another elder shrugged. "Marry who fits you. At least they won't trouble anyone else."
Their wedding was, unsurprisingly, a disaster. The caterer forgot to bring food, the band played off-key, and the priest accidentally called Amara "Ada" during the vows. But none of that mattered to the couple. As far as they were concerned, it was the perfect day.
"Amara, my troublemaker," Chijioke said during his speech, "I promise to always run with you when the villagers are chasing us."
"And I promise to always defend you when your uncle's goats go missing," Amara replied.
The crowd laughed, cheered, and rolled their eyes in equal measure.
In the years that followed, Chijioke and Amara became legends in Umuaka. They started a small business selling "authentic" herbal remedies, most of which were just ground pepper and water. They even tried their hand at politics, campaigning for village chairman and chairlady. Their slogan? "Vote for us, and we'll cause the right kind of trouble!"
Though they never won, they remained the village's favorite source of entertainment.
And so, Chijioke and Amara lived happily ever after, proving once and for all that there's someone out there for everyone - even if that someone is as chaotic as you.
The End