"Mike."
"Good morning my love." He said warmly. I giggled.
"Good morning. How are you?" My phone began to vibrate and I knew I had a waiting call.
"I'm fine. Has Jude gone yet?"
"Yes. I thought he would have told you."
"I missed his calls this morning. I tried calling back but his numbers aren't going through." He said. I shuddered a bit.
"It should be network. We'll be able to get to him tomorrow I'm sure."
"Okay." He was silent awhile. "Did he do it?"
I giggled and bit my lip. He laughed too.
"Congratulations baby."
"Kai, go jor. Who told you I agreed? That broke annoying boy."
"It's my brother you're yabbing like that?"
"Ashap, I said no."
Michael laughed again. I laughed too. "See your head" I said.
"I'm sure you're happy. I should take you out in his behalf." Mike said. I began to nod.
"You should. I'll let you know when I'm free__" my phone began to vibrate again "__we'll talk later, someone is calling me."
"Okay, take care of yourself."
"I will. Thank you, cut the call please." I replied and I picked the incoming call immediately.
"Hello bae." Jay's voice called. My heart skipped and my fingers went cold. I was shaking.
"Jay?"
"How are you?" This boys voice was killing me. I had to get out of this mess I was in, it was now that I had to prove my words, I was engaged, I had to tell Jay to back off. My head swamped and I cleared my throat.
"I'm fine, how are you?"
"I miss__"
"Cut it Jay. What did you want?"
"What do I need. I need to see you. I want us to talk."
"I don't want to talk Jay. What? You can't say what you want over the phone?"
"You don't have to be so mean Yu, I just want to talk." He said quietly. I bit my lip. Jay made everything simple feel difficult. I wanted to avoid seeing him because I couldn't help myself around him. He wasn't persuading yet, but I had begun to melt already. I sighed. Maybe I needed to see him too, to put everything to an end by showing him the ring.
"Okay." I said, defeated. I hated being so weak. Someone should just kill Jay please??!!
"Okay." His voice brightened. "Okay... how about tonight?"
"Time?"
"Four - Five - Six... Midnight?" He voice turned seductive "You could spend the night__"
"You really don't want to see me." I made to cut the call. He knew because he began to yell.
"Wait-wait-wait! Hey, relax... I'm sorry."
"Time?" I said slowly.
"Four? I'll be home."
I sighed "Okay."
"Would you want anything?"
"Yes." I smiled. "Yes. To talk and get this over with."
"Okay. Bye."
I felt a twinge of disappointment. What was I expecting? I love you? Hah! Bullshit. I cut the call.
I turned and looked at Fatima who was busy copying notes with her earpiece stuck in both ears. I opened my WhatsApp, I still had no message from Jude. I sighed, WhatsApp was boring I logged out and went to Facebook, I hadn't been on Facebook for two days. I had several notifications, I went through them, skipping the ones that were not important. There were some likes and comments for two pictures I had posted last week, posts from three closed groups I was a member of, notifications from people's posts I commented on and something else.
Jude has tagged me to a life event. I smiled before I viewed it. It announced that he was engaged to me. Oh Jude! I loved him, I loved him so much my heart yearned for him. He'd put it up last night. There were so many liked and comments. People asked of it was for real, some said they had always known we were going to end up together I replied to affirm their guesses. I wanted to talk to Jude but his number wasn't going through. I waited a while, had two more lectures and was dismissed for the day. Sarah walked to me after the last class.
"Madam."
"What?" I was tired and felt a little bored but excitement kept me going. I frowned at the stupid knowing look on her face.
"When were you going to tell me? Was I also to see it on Facebook?" She accused. I laughed.
"I'm sorry."
"Congrats" She hugged me. "I'm so happy for you baby."
"Thank you." I pulled back.
"So what's it going to be? Is marriage following soon or are you going to finish with school?"
I laughed. "The latter. I have two more years."
"That's nice. No wonder you kept smiling anyhow." She poked my cheek.
"Why has she been smiling?" Class Rep came beside us. Hai! Ofofo!
"Nothing." Fatima said. Class Rep eyed her. We all laughed.
"Class Rep, to be woman wrapper no fit you." Mary Ann said. "Can't she just smile cause she wants to?"
"This smile is different now, can't I look out for my class mate anymore?"
I shook my head and picked my bag. "Fatima, are you ready to go?" I asked her. She began to hasten up. "If you are not ready then just go with Ken now__"
"You're mad. Wait jor, it's just three lines." Sarah and I laughed, Class Rep gave up and walked past us. My course mates filed out of class. I wanted to go home and rest a bit before I went to see Jay. My heart skipped. Why couldn't I think about this boy and feel normal? I snapped back to reality.
"Fati jor!"
"I'm done! Kai... Patience ehn..." She handed the boy standing beside her his notebook with a smile.
"Thank you." She rose to her feet and put her books in her bag. "You ehn?"
"Let's go jor." I began walking out of the class and she followed. "I'm hungry."
"Eat me." She said.
"Sorry, I don't eat stupid girls." I said. She hit me.
"Na both of us dey that boat."
"But I'm really hungry. True."
She frowned. "You're looking for a way to get back your money." she hissed. I laughed.
"What goes around comes back around."
"Mtchew. Let's go and get something." She said and led the way. I loved Fatima. We went to one of the buses under the trees around the car park. A few students were there, Jay wasn't. I felt way better. But, someone else was there, and it was the person's eyes that struck me.
It was a thin tall guy, he was muscular and on a low cut, his hair was set in waves. His waist was slender, like a lady's. He was dressed in a shirt and trousers with black shoes. It was a little too formal for school but it fit him perfectly. He was fair skinned and long fingers were displayed as he went on to illustrate something excitedly to the guys that sat facing him, his friends probably. His eyes were beautiful, they were so beautiful they made his face glow. His eyes brows and lashes were full and black hair crawled down his temples to his jaw. He didn't keep a beard or mustache. He looked clean. His lips were small and pink. God must have sculptured him differently. He had an Adam's apple that bobbed as he talked and he looked like the smile in his face was a permanent thing, and as though beauty wasn't going to stop there, I noticed his dimples that sank deep.
I stared at him, I didn't realize how long I looked on until Fati pinched me.
"Ouch! Fati!" I frowned at her and rubbed my arm.
"I have been screaming your name. Is it because I don't know that your funny tribal name?"
"What?"
"What do you want to eat jare? Just staring like you saw Chris Brown."
"Fanta... and a plate of rice."
"I greet you, Kabiyesi (King). Mtchew, aunty please, give us two bottles of Fanta and eggrolls."
"Ha'ahn, tor, I want meat pie."
"No, you want pizza. Yeye." I hated Fatima sometimes. I turned my face back to the boy. I didn't know what he was talking about. He seemed pretty excited about it. I looked at the guys listening to him, seven in number. But, there was something about their dressing....
"Takeee! Hah. What are you just looking at like that?" Fatima pushed the cold bottle of Fanta into my hand. I used my head to point to the group. We sat on the plastic chairs beside the bus.
"Who? Jacobs?"
"Is that his name?"
"Yep." She bit into the eggroll. "This aunty ehn... you people didn't fry this dough well enough oh... Una go reduce the money." she murmured. The lady simply smiled and turned to another customer. Fati looked at me.
"He's my friend sef."
I nodded sipping the drink in my hand. I didn't know why he caught my attention. But then, one of the boys turned and I recognized him. Abraham. He was in a fraternity. I knew of him well. People always pointed fingers at him anytime stuff happened that involved serious fights or attacks.
Almost immediately, the admiration I'd had for the boy Jacobs disappeared and dislike set in. I despised confra boys!
"The kinds of people that are your friends ehn." I bit into the eggroll, Fati was right, the dough was raw.
"What? He's a nice person, honestly. It's hard not to like him. He's friendly."
"I hear." I didn't bother about him anymore. I sipped my drink. "I should call Jude. I think the network is just fucked up, I might be lucky to get to him." I said. She smiled at me.
"Lover girl."
I smiled back. We were soon done with eating and we paid the lady. We then started the tedious journey to the gate that would've been worse had it been just me. I got a Keke (tricycle) that was going to take me home to Farin Gada and bade her goodbye as she went her way to Angwan Rukuba. My house wasn't so far from the main road. I walked slowly, I wanted to sleep. It was already four in the evening. I fell on my bed after I got into my room. I called Jay first.
"Bae"
"I'm coming by six."
"Okay." He answered. "I'll be expecting you."
"Alright." I was uncertain, I didn't know if it was appropriate to say bye. After contemplating for a while, I cut the call then called Jude. This time around, his phone was switched off. I began to feel panicked in my heart. I called Mike and he didn't pick up his phone. I called Susan, I called Kendra, none of them picked up.
Now, I was really panicked. I tried to calm myself down by telling myself it was probably coincidence that they all didn't pick up their phones, maybe I was just overreacting and taking things a little too far. I tried to relax a little, I couldn't. My spirit wasn't at ease. I was troubled and was short of crying.
I waited a restless thirty minutes before trying all their numbers again. No one picked, Jude number was still switched off. I decided to call his mother. She picked after the phone rang awhile and I gave a sigh of relief.
"Hello?" Jude's mothers voice had an accent, it was difficult to miss it or not know it was her when she spoke, but her voice sounded different today. I could hear a lot of noise from the background. My head felt suddenly heavy. I couldn't make out what was going on. The relief I felt was short lived. I could feel the fear spread in me again. My soul was breaking... It was breaking.
"Good evening mum." I couldn't even recognize my own voice.
"Ay? Eunice né?" She was crying! Jude's mother was crying. I couldn't talk anymore. Anxiety took over. The phone fell from my hand and I scrambled to my feet, the tiredness and sleep I felt earlier on were gone. My heart beat fast, I could hear the consistency in my ears and feel it in my eyes. I was dizzy, I was going to Jude's home.
My phone rang and I realized I hadn't cut the call. My world was spinning, I couldn't control anything anymore, I leaned down to pick my phone. I didn't want to come to any conclusions yet... I feared to come to any conclusion. Someone rapped at the door and I stopped. I couldn't breathe well I had to use my mouth. I couldn't answer. The rapping continued for a while until Mike called out.
"Yuyu, it's me."
Unimaginable fear gripped me, I shook, I couldn't find my voice.
"Come in". I didn't know if he heard me but he opened the door and walked in. When I saw him, I knew immediately. His eyes told me everything.
I fainted.
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