Funlola, I don’t think you should go” Kikelomo my best friend of thirteen years tirelessly ranted over and over again while flicking through the channels on the tv.. oh lawd! Are we really having this conversation again? thought silently to myself. It’s been two weeks and five days and I had countlessly told her it was a harmless three day trip to London.....H.A.R.M.L.E.S.S!!!!
“What do you hope to achieve by going, things are still going to be the way they were, so don’t get your hopes high lavie” She bluntly shouted.
I sighed deeply and placed the tee-shirt i had folded in my suitcase and in my most heart wrenching voice i calmly told her ‘Don’t you think i know that, as much as i’m in dire need of a miracle right now, I really want things to be different’
But yeah, whatever!
While she laid on my bed with the huge grin on her pretty face, I weakly smiled and remembered the first time we met at that groupie party my friend Bode who had a massive crush on me invited me to fourteen years ago..It all happened during summer school popularly known back then as ‘lesson’, I remember leaning on the rail by my class corridor with my ear phones on blasting to the sound of ‘TLC’s Scrubs’ on my Sony walkman fervently hoping not to be disturbed by bode whom I had carefully managed to avoid over the weekend after his ridiculous attempt of writing me a love letter which he had placed in a red envelope with love stickers and handed to me as I was about getting into the dark brown Peugeot 504 whose horn was loudly blaring...Uncle Bala(my father’s driver) ‘s idea of a perfect entrance..Memories!!
Someone lightly tapped me on the shoulders and I pretended like i didn’t feel anything..until the unwanted stranger removed the
earphone on my left ear and i knew it had to be him , he was the only one bold enough to do that, his idea of Over Familiarity....
I turned sideways facing him and innocently smiled,........I really wanted to frown hoping he’ll get the message and leave me the hell alone but knowing him, he was relentless and had the patience of a newborn.
“I know you’ve been avoiding me"" ,he mumbled
“And why would i do that” I teasingly replied
“You know why but we’ll talk about that after lesson”..he quietly said not wanting to be overheard by those walking by on the corridor.
“Okay”..I said
Glancing at my swatch , i silently hoped he would do the right thing a normal teenager would do which was to walk away when he was clearly ignored or better still I needed a distraction from anywhere but nothing happened and i could hear my watch ticking fast..should I walk away, I mean, it’s not like he broke up with me or anything, so why was my palm sweaty..It definitely had to be the heat, it just had to be..
“Lola, are you coming as well”....Bukky ‘my lesson friend’ as i like to call her screamed while heading toward my direction, lorddddddd, that girl had the voice of a roaring lion, loud and ready to devour...
“Coming where”.I annoyingly replied as I stared at bode while he mouthed something which was obviously drowned by Bukky’s loud voice.
“The party now, the one happening after lesson.I thought Bode told you” she said while poking bode in the shoulder, everyone knew she had more than a crush on bode but he seemed unaware apparently...
Shrugging off her hand from his shoulder, with a ‘why did you do that expression ‘ on his face .he turned and said ‘A couple of guys are having a party after lesson and please don’t say you wont come”...
“I can’t”..i bluntly said
Why?....he replied
“I just can’t, what would I tell my father’s driver when he comes to pick me”...I said ,silently thinking of a million ways why I should go..It won’t hurt and i could bribe Uncle bala ...hmmmmmm
After much persuasion, I finally yielded .And as we drove to the party, i felt a slight rush of adrenaline,.Do I look presentable.. So I was wearing my black hipsters and a light green flowery top and my ever faithful ‘jelly’ sandals...was that appropriate for a party????..
We’re here, see you guys inside’.....bode happily said as he quickly jumped out of the car for fear of being recognised by the group of guys standing in front of the black iron gate which happened to be the entrance to the party we were going to.....Boysss!!
“Ma pe o(Don’t be late)”....Uncle Bala said and then drove off.
As I turned towards the gate, I firmly held Bukky’s hand as we walked towards the guys at the entrance..Nerve racking, I tell you.there was a lot of ‘hey girls, babes and whistling here and then , Ignoring them we walked straight ahead and became drowned by the voice of Notorious B.I.G which was blaring loud from the massive speakers placed by the sliding doors..It was a packed house, bode was no where to be found..Perfect!!! just when i needed to cling to him and pretend we were an item ...Bukky had lightly extricated her hands from mine, leaving me to myself.
To be continued...
Claim: Originally written by Nigerian Fiction Member 254 - Betha Frost
Nigerian Fiction Title 108