Chapter 5: Frolicking
What does it mean to be truly alone?
To Mofe, alone was being the definition of lonely. Alone was being surrounded by a hundred people who say they are your friends but you feel you can't talk a single one of them.
To be alone was to know you had people who you called friends but you sabotaged yourself into thinking you were taking advantage of them, therefore leaving them. That was what happened to Mofe in JSS3
Alone was unconsciously shutting down friendships and excluding yourself from friend groups. And by the time you noticed, it was too late.
Alone was everyone being able to talk to her, but her not being able to talk to anyone. They all at some point came to meet her because, although she wasn't always friendly, when caught at the right time she was a listening ear and a somewhat excellent advisor. She wasn't like this by choice. She did want to talk to someone, but who?
She began to evaluate each person she could speak to about... whatever and why the clouds in the sky made her unhappy and how that morning she hated everything that had life flowing through it's veins.
She had Ibukun, Tofunmi, Abe- no. Mofe, you ended that friendship, don't you remember?
Okay, so she had two people. But what if she was bothering them? What if they got tired if her?
There was God. She hadn't forgotten Him. She loves God. She knew He was there, but sometimes she wished the rapture would happen so she could finally be able to hold and feel the holes in the palms of his hand.
To hear His still soft, yet powerful voice ask that one question that has the tendency to break down the most unshakeable walls with the most solid foundation.
"Are you okay, child?"
But He wouldn't have to ask, would He? For before He formed her in the womb, He knew her.
So instead if answering His question, she would crawl into His laps and cry.
Mofe was seated on one of the rickety lab stools, quietly sniffling trying to stop any snot that threatened to leave her nose. She sighed."I'm sorry, Funmi-Tofunmi."
"No. Call me Funmi, I like it when you call me that," he smiled."And you're sorry for what, Mofe?"
She sighed again, exasperated. This was awkward. When Mofe had outbursts like this, she never knew how to deal with the aftermath.
She cringed inwardly remembering the last time something like this had happened. She was watching the television with her mother and just suddenly broke down.
Her mother stared at her not knowing what to do. When Mofe was done crying, she got up to clean her nose and sat back down like nothing had happened. Leaving her mother to wonder what could have caused such an outburst, a question that even Mofe could not answer.
Now, after crying on this boy that she had barely known for two weeks, she felt... embarrassed so say the least. And the fact she had broken down in public?
Chaiii. Mofe, what were you thinking?
They were in the Chemistry lab. It was the nearest place Tofunmi saw to drag Mofe into as she hid her face with the sleeve of her sweater, shielding her red eyes form the questioning gaze of onlookers.
"I'm sorry for um..putting you in a situation like that. I wasn't in the right state of mind-"
"You definitely were not in the right state of mind," Tofunmi chuckled lightly to himself cutting in.
When she didn't laugh, but said 'sorry' again he stopped smiling."Mofe" he said her name sternly.
She kept quiet, trying to look anywhere but his deep brown eyes. His eyes stayed fixed in her, never wavering, patient. While hers flicked to the beakers on the slabs, the board at the far end of the room and oddly to the spider on the ceiling wrapping an annoying buzzing blasted fly with its web.
"Mofe," he called again, this time more gentle. She stilled fixing her eyes on a stain on the wall on her left."Mofe, please look at me."
Hesitantly, she turned to face him gulping down her tears when her eyes welled up again. Her voice croaked when she spoke."I'm so sorry-"
Tofunmi shushed her, lunging forward to embrace her."You have nothing to be sorry for Mofe. Nothing," he said into her ear.
So instead of protesting and apologizing over and over again, she kept quiet trying to silence her tears as she cried into his shoulder. She wept silently as he tangled his fingers in the kinks of her twists. And in this moment as all was still, Mofe was happy he had come that Monday.
...
Ife restlessly tapped her well-polished leather shoes on the tiled floors repeatedly in the brightly lit class of SS3 D.
Ife wasn't entirely sure why she was stretching her neck out the window at little intervals to see if a certain someone was coming since she saw the new boy swiftly guide her into the Chemistry lab during break. What had she gotten herself into? Why was she covering her face? Why was Ife even worried?
Mofe had concluded they weren't friends. She had made it quite clear that she no desire whatsoever to make Ife her friend. It did hurt Ife. That is, the fact that Mofe didn't want to be her friend. Most people jumped at the opportunity to talk to Ife, yet here she was caring about the one girl in class who seemed to have a grudge with everyone in class.
So, when the Physics teacher walked into the class- a rather short man to be honest- she couldn't help but wonder where Mofe was. Mofe was never late to class. In fact, she usually stayed glued to her seat.
As she scanned the class, secretly hoping to see her looking grim as always on her seat with the tall new boy beside her engaging the whole class, her eyes met the frantic eyes of Blessing(their roommate). Blessing's eyes, along with her over exaggerated hand gestures, seemed to be asking: where is flying monkey that likes garri?
When Ife furrowed her eyebrows cocking her head to the side, Blessing face-palmed herself trying again, this time pointing to Mofe's empty seat.
Oh.
Ife shrugged diverting her eyes back to the teacher that was now addressing them.
What was her business with Mofe? How was she supposed to know where she was? After all, Ife's so called best friend was secretly frolicking with her crush in hostel at night and she didn't know! So, how was she supposed to know the whereabouts of the girl who said they were not friends?
"Where are those to idiots, ehn? Headboy."
"Sir," Ibukun answered not raising his gaze.
"Headboy, when I am addressing you, I expect you to stand up."
"Sorry Sir," he answered standing up. Ife caught a glimpse of Timi laughing beside him.
"It's okay. Anyways, Headboy where is that girl with rough hair and the boy that disturbs my class with questions?"
The class laughed.
Ibukun's face remained emotionless.
"Sir, I'm not sure."
The teacher smiled mischievously, turning to the board he brought out a blue marker."You're not sure...toh. Since you're not sure, all of you will write a test on Viscosity. Oya, tear a sheet of paper."
The class erupted in protests but we're quickly shut up when the teacher threatened to test them on Relative Density too.
When Ife had submitted her test paper, she sat back down. As her mind flew to what had taken place in Aisha's room that night, she didn't stop it. Couldn't, actually. Ibukun and Aisha had been on her mind all day.
After Ibukun had left, and Aisha had called her back in, she entered the room not knowing what to think. Later into the night, while they poured themselves over books, Aisha broke the silence.
"Ifeoluwa, talk. I know you have a bunch of questions." She yawned.
Shutting her Paperline jotter, Ife sighed."Not really. Quite frankly, I'm just a bit embarrassed that someone I consider to be one of my closest friends couldn't tell me she was dating the one boy I've had a crush on since JSS1-"
She was interrupted by Aisha's laughter. It was a perfect blend into the still night. Her bubbly laughter seemed to harmonize with the cree-cree of the crickets. Her laughter was what one could describe as beautiful. Meanwhile anytime Ife laughed in class, everyone-especially Mofe and Timi- would tell her to shut up.
"Ife!," she exclaimed still laughing."Who said I was dating him?"
"I'm not stupid Aisha, neither am I daft. That boy-almost man was on your bed like it was normal. And now you're telling me you're not dating? Do you think I'm dumb? It's honestly not even a big deal if you're dating him. I just had a stupid crush on him, nothing more. So I don't understand why-"
"Kai, Ife!," she exclaimed as she clutched her stomach laughing. When she had calmed down, she said,"In all sincerity, we're not dating. I promise Ife."
"You're not dating?"
"No."
"You're not dating?"
"No. I can assure you. We're just...getting to know each other."
"On a bed?"
"Shut up," Aisha said throwing her pillow at her. Ife burst out laughing failing to dodge the flying pillow.
"Ife, on a much more serious note, you can't tell anyone about Ibukun coming into hostel. He could get expelled. I could get expelled. Please, Ife. And no one from the FFG can find out. Please."
With a final nod, Ife opened her jotter once again. Even though she knew that no matter how much she read from that moment, nothing would enter her head. Her thoughts would be too preoccupied with the possibility of her crush and best friend frolicking on the very bed she sat on.
...
It's been a while..
I'm honestly not even sure if people are enjoying this book or not...hehe.
But I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Especially Mofe and Funmi's part...
Anyways...
Thank you for reading. Leave your thoughts in the comments and please don't forget to vote if you liked it.
Bye.
You know what? No. I'm going to be bold.
My lovely Cocopops readers, please tell me where you are from------------
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Also, I would love to dedicate this chapter to epitome_of_royalty and Kiadel_101 for being my supporters in writing this book. Thank you.