Life of a Nigerian Teenage Girl

SIXTEEN

Eriola Idowu

SIX YEARS AFTER

Life goes on abi how do they use to say it sef? A lot of things happen in life but you live on, abi, if the pain doesn't kill you, you won't sha kill yourself.

Everyone moved on with their lives one after the other as they left secondary school. No one heard from Ini since she left the school, heard one of her uncles helped her travel abroad or so, anyways, I wish her the best.

Benson and I haven't been on talking terms since he decided to date his oyinbo (white) girlfriend. Bro Tayo and I still never made up, which reminds me, he should be getting married tomorrow sef and yes, to Cecilia. That was the punishment he gave himself after all.

He gained admission a year after he finished secondary school having failed his first JAMB, coupled with a year ASUU strike, he finally graduated this year, well, I graduated a year ago.

I attended a private university on scholarship still, the same university Iniola currently attends on scholarship as well. It's still funny how bro Tayo always manage to sully our family name in everything, even academics.

Since it was my day off work, I decided to do sanitation inside my house and also prepare for bro Tayo's wedding so that I won't look like a bad person. It was then I heard a knock on my door.

"Who is it?" I asked but no one responded. I wasn't close to anyone in the area since I moved in not long ago, makes me wonder who could be at my door.

I don't want wahala this afternoon as I was already tired. I even turned down everybody's plea for me to show up and prepare for bro Tayo's wedding. There was no way I would be there as groom's family, I already did-brothered him.

"Boya you should stay there". I said since the person has decided to be so stupid.

T: Maybe

"Why so feisty?" I heard, a voice that screamed Benson but there was no way I wanted to believe that asshole was at my door. Like who even told him where I am living sef.

I jumped out of my bed and immediately opened the door and I wasn't wrong. Shey I would not now know his voice again?

"What do you want?" I asked him.

He sighed and his face dropped. What was that I see on his face? Remorse? Regrets?

"I just got back today you know? At least let me in". He replied.

"I get that you came for your friend's wedding but you have no business with me so please leave". I told him and slammed the door, abi I tried to slam the door ni because he held it back.

"I'm sorry now, Eri don't...."

"Don't call my name! What happened to your oyinbo girlfriend?" I asked him and once again he sighed. "Oh oh.... I see, did she dump you? She finally saw that you are not worth it abi" I said angrily, I wasn't prepared for all these yet.

T: White

"I broke up with her. See, I'm sorry now, at least hear me out". He pleaded with me, I almost fell for it again.

"Be like say craze dey your head abi? If you don't leave ehn, see, we have dog here oooo". I shouted at him and finally slammed the door.

T: Seems like you have gone crazy.

The motherfucker had me waiting till I turned 18 and had the gut to tell me that he had a girlfriend. Omoh, I cried like a fool. He stopped talking to me and was even posting their pictures up and down, now he wants to talk? I guess he has smoked his weed again.

He knocked several times again but I didn't respond and finally, he seemed to have left. I should have known he was just pretending, he was a boy after all and that gender can't take their eyes off anything in skirt.

After a while, there was a knock again followed by Temi's annoying voice. She was as playful as ever and we ended up staying together, she was mine cousin and at the same time, my best friend.

"Babe open this door jare, I've got gist". She said impatiently while I dragged my lazy feet to the door.

Forcing her way in quickly as I was probably too slow for her hot gossip she said

"You won't believe who I saw on my way in?"

I rolled my eyes at the realization, so she saw him. That mean he was just leaving or what? Whatever, I don't care.

"Benson" I said flatly, completely uninterested. She seemed surprised to see I know about that already.

"So we will be neighbors, how do you feel about that?" She asked, now it was my time to be surprised.

"Neighbors bawo? He came to see me and I sent him away". I told her. She looked like I was speaking a foreign language, we sure weren't in sync.

T: As how?

"Somebody that is packing load inside that flat that Fejiro moved out of". She said. Fejiro was one of our neighbors we weren't exactly close to and moved out a few weeks ago, not like that was important.

The thought of Benson moving into the house was annoying, I didn't expect him to be so desperate.

"If he thinks that would do anything, he must be dreaming". I told her.

"So he knows you live here?". She asked and I explained what happened when he came.

"Wahala..... Omoh men are scum sha". She said.

T: Problem

"Anyways, let me sha rest, there is a party tomorrow". She said collapsing into the bed.