“Anxiety is the hand maiden of creativity.” – T.S. Eliot.
•••
9:00A.M. Dec 11,2018.
Tari exhaled for the umpteenth time. His gaze sunk to his wristwatch—the frequency of his heartbeat’s oscillation increased. The D-day was upon him, and the defining moment had arrived. There was no retreat or escape as from this stage henceforth, just actions and decisions only. Actions that were so significant, and densely intense like the sun, capable of decimating every single laurel and honor that he had stacked up over the few years as a result of his diligence at work.
He was at a monumental juncture, and a wrong turn could result in a ghastly accident that could end his life. For someone that had no life of any sort outside his career pursuits, it spelt total doom for him. But at the same time, a right decision had the potential energy to fire him into quantum leaps on the ladder of success, and place him at the very apex of automatic ascent where delay could only come into the equation as a result of his own doing.
Cracking his stiff knuckles, he pushed himself off his car and headed back into the site ground. He had driven into the compound a few minutes ago, and had decided to wait it out just in case Lani arrived early, so they could both head back in together. For some reason, the thought of facing Dayo Tijani and Tiolu Keye alone caused cold chills and hot larva to streak down his spine. But, it was 9:00 already. He couldn’t risk the couple arriving and having to wait for Lani and himself, even after he had arrived already. It wasn’t good customer policy.
Lani.
The entire thing still felt surreal to him when his thoughts drifted to her. Before yesterday, she had not been more than a fleeting memory of the past that plagued him with sorrow and remorse but now she had not only returned to occupy a permanent chamber of thoughts in his head, but to also occupy a capital position in his current undertaking. The fact that he, who had been instrumental in the annihilating of her world several years back, was now dependent on her help in the construction of his now was an irony—maybe Karma’s vengeance.
When he pondered more on the current setting of their relationship, the foreboding of déjà vu seemed to seep more and more into his being. For some unknown, disenchanting reason he just couldn’t fend off the feeling, that the order of manifestation of the current events had too many similarities with the one in the past, and if great caution wasn’t exhibited, the past playlist of a dark maze was about to appear once again.
No, that’s not happening.
Clenching his fists, he ventured further into the site that was more than alive already. Preliminary work had commenced, and it was only a matter of time before they made strides into more convoluted, complex areas. The general atmosphere was reminiscent of the collective arduous labor of men in the sun, as various grunts, cries, thuds, padding of feet, and other indiscernible noises rose up to the rays of the scorching sun. Heavy construction machinery—shredders, bulldozers, mobile cement factories and other complimentary tools littered the ground of the large hectare of land whilst a number of men journeyed to and fro from mountains of sand and pebbles to the marked building area.
This never failed to give him energy.
“Tari,” His head instantly whipped around to the origin of the voice and his body followed suit in a nervous manner. She had finally arrived. The distant sound of a car zooming off could be heard while her studious gaze rummaged the site. At that moment, she seemed too delicate—too sophisticated for the type of rugged scenery that was in place and his heart skipped several beats as he took her in.
A grey, double breasted blazer with large black circular buttons hugged her body tightly, slightly concealing an inner blue silk blouse dotted with white blots that could be likened to ink splashes. A coal black pencil skirt did its best in accentuating her lower voluptuous shape, and the nude brown wedges her feet were buried in – gave her a slight height boost. Her hair was in the same organized fashion as it was in their previous meeting.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” She questioned him, wide-eyed and that was when he realized he was close to drooling. Her arms were folded, and it seemed that her inspection of their surroundings had come to an abrupt close.
“Nothing, just wondering why you’re so…corporate.” He cleared his throat, donning a serious façade. He on the other hand had thrown on a black puffed, padded jacket on black khaki trousers and winter workman boots. The atmosphere wasn’t very friendly and he couldn’t afford being uncomfortable in an outfit that would impede seamless movement.
“Oh?” Her brows rose, and a smirk smeared one side of her face. “Well, the type of people we’re meeting today aren’t people we’d meet any other, regular day. Might as well look presentable and good, but of course someone like you wouldn’t care about that, huh?” Her gaze skimmed his length. “Still the same ol’ attitude towards fashion, I see.” She donned a sarcastic smile and huffed silently before muttering, “The times didn’t cause much modification on that side.”
“There is nothing like an attitude towards fashion here. Look around,” He gestured to their surroundings with his right hand. “We’re not in a corporate building on the island. This is a very rough scene, and it would keep on being rough. So if you’re going to come here all decked out and doll ish pretty all the time—” His eyes scanned her full length, with his index finger pointed at her figure, circling the air around it in a snarky gesture. “—then you should know that you’re very likely to get muddled up with something eventually; stone, cement or just the damp air. Next time, you might want to dumb the outfit down.”
“Oh really, you knew all these and you know I didn’t know all these and yet you couldn’t tell me over the phone earlier?” Her eyes narrowed into a threatening slit, and he took a backward stride unconsciously as precaution. “Instead, you delighted in a frivolous, petty conversation—rambling about us becoming friends and achieving maximum productivity and all that nonsense—”
“That you said in the past, if I may refresh your memory—”
“And which I have no intention of rehashing,” She completed in a firm monotone, void of any amusement. She squinted her eyes and folded her arms, with a gruesome look glued to her face. “Did it ever occur to you that your earlier silly stint of bringing back to memory of what I said several years back, has also brought back things I don’t want to think of? What happened to leaving the past in the past, like we agreed to do yesterday?”
“Okay, calm down, I was only kidding—”
“Of course you’re only kidding, because it’s funny to you. But did it occur to you, to consider my feelings and actually think and reason that it might not be funny to me? Huh? Have you tried empathy before? I know you’re all self-centered and about yourself, but doesn’t it become exhausting at some point when all you do is think about yourself?”
“Lani, I—”
“The next time you kid with something from the past, I’m sorry but I can’t guarantee your safety afterwards or the fact that you might not return home with all parts of your body intact. So next time, you feel like ‘kidding’, remember that!” Lani snapped. He’d have laughed, if her face wasn’t scrubbed clean of all playful demeanors. Damn it, she had really grown feisty over the few years but taking into consideration the height of love she had shown him since yesterday, he figured the hostile attitude was probably directed to only him.
“I’m sorry, though.” He put in for good measure, and that incited another series of eye scanning. Her right hand was clutching a black, glossy leather bag quite tightly but it was the left hand he was more wary of. It wouldn’t be bizarre to assume that she could lung forward and stun him by burying her fist into his throat.
“So...” She proceeded to reply, without acknowledging his apology. Looking around, she took in a detailed view of her surroundings for the first time since her arrival. “Have they arrived? God knows if they arrived early, and you went behind my back to talk exclusively with them to discredit me and all that…” Tari rolled his eyes and a silent grunt escaped his lips. “Would I be receiving a phone call soon that I’ve been fired? The least you can do now is to be honest.”
“Oh please, if I did that, believe me I’d be the one breaking the news to you myself with a grin on my face.” He
growled. She was taking her hostility to very great heights and he figured he was done playing the remorseful act. “So no, you’re not receiving a text message. That’s not my style.”
“Ah, I see.” She nodded, and made no further attempt to keep the conversation going. After a spell of silence, he queried her with the first question that popped into his head.
“So, who dropped you off?” His hands had slid into the pockets by his sides now, and he was studying her with a sly smile. “Black stealth SUV, totally above your pay grade. No offence, though. I’m just curious, is all. Your boyfriend?”
Her head jerked backward, and he needn’t verbal confirmation to know that she currently had no one in her life that occupied such position. That felt good for some reason.
“Mind your business, Tari.” She said.
“Oh, yeah sure. It’s none of my business but I’m willing to bet that whoever it was who dropped you off, saw me from a distance or at least knew it was a man you’re meeting with.” He pressed on. “It won’t be the first time I’d be getting into a misunderstanding, and end up being beaten up because someone thinks that I have a romantic relationship with you. Sorry to reference the past, but my paranoia is getting the best of my mouth here.”
For a split second, he thought she’d detonate in fury for raking up the past again but she only shook her head in amusement while stifling a giggle. Mission accomplished. He had finally put a smile on her face.
“That’s a mistake that’s definitely not going to repeat itself again,” She clarified. “Plus, I didn’t have a boyfriend then and I don’t have one now either. So it’s definitely not happening again.”
“The fact that you don’t have a boyfriend in the two time frames should of course increase the tendency of it happening again.” He persisted, with a smug smile. “So please go get a boyfriend, that you’d explain things to and he’d understand and not come beat me up here or something.”
And this time around, her action to suppress her laughter proved futile as she let out a raucous laughter that lasted for only a short while. After she recovered, and swabbed the small beads of tears forming on the arc around her eyes, she replied.
“You’re a case, Tari. No, a case is too small. You’re a container. A containment vessel.”
“All of that isn’t my concern, just go get a boyfriend so I won’t end up getting beat up.” He feigned a look of apathy.
She shook her head. “Are you even listening to yourself? I should go get a boyfriend so you won’t get beaten up? Don’t you think that action would eventually result in you getting beat up?”
His shoulders rose in uncertainty. “I don’t know. Sounds silly, but you didn’t have one before and I got beat up so in order to prevent that, you have to get one.”
She shook her head, again. “You’re just a big baby. Just that one beating that you got, and you’re here—complaining about it ten years later. You’re like a Nigerian mother who doesn’t forget the offence that her kids commit, and keep on using it to taunt them for several years, even after marriage – she’d pretty much use them to disgrace her kids in the presence of their spouses.”
His head tilted in unbelief, and he raised a finger at her. “Hey, there were about four of them, okay? And it felt like there were an army of a thousand people in fact—with the way the fists and kicks were flying all over the place and connecting with different areas of my body.”
Her laughter got the better of her, and she had to cup her lips with her palm. “So why are you recounting this, again? I apologized to you before, do you want another apology now? Or you want me to give you a cookie or something?”
“No, I don’t want a cookie. Just your smile.”
Her brows furrowed, and her neck tilted to one side. “Sorry, what?”
He inhaled sharply, then tucked his hands back into place in his pockets. “I don’t want to fight with you, anymore. I’m tired of fighting, it sucks. And I know I might not deserve to be on good terms with you, but I’m going to ask for it anyway because once again—bad terms sucks. I don’t like being on the battleground with you, with our words flying about the place, wounding each other. It’s not fun.”
She leveled him up with her gaze, like she was sizing up a challenge and her glare was so challenging that he almost curled into a ball to hide from its intensity. Finally, the hostility vanished and got replaced by a neutral look.
“Fine, but one wrong move and you’re…” She trailed off, sliding a knife-shaped fist over her neck. “Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He gave an exaggerated bow, and beamed back in response. Advancing closer to her, he reached out to the hand clutching her bag. “Hand over your bag.”
“Why?” She asked.
“Just bring it for Christ sake, I’m not going to turn and run off the moment you hand it over to me.” He groaned. “You look worn out already, holding it I mean. There is a table with chairs at a distance not so far from here. Let me walk you there, whilst we sit and wait. There is no telling when Mr. Tijani and his fiancée will arrive.”
There seemed to be some internal debate going on within her, of whether she should accept his help or not but eventually she caved in and handed over the bag. As expected, it was quite heavy and right at that moment he began to wonder how she had stood for the past few minutes, with what weighed like a block of cement lodged into one hand. Women actually had more physical energy than anyone gave them credit for.
He led the way through the rough path littered with rocks and stones of uneven, indefinite shapes. When they reached a high ground girded with high boulders, he held out his free hand to steady her stance, so she wouldn’t trip and fall. Once again, she displayed hesitance and sighed before looping her hand with his. The resulting sensation being the coursing of a skittering spark, round his body.
He only tightened his grip on her hand, and didn’t release it until they had arrived at their destination. His intuition of her being tired was right, as characterized by her action of sinking straight into one of four chairs that circled a round table. He dropped her bag on the table, and took the seat facing hers. He decided not to engage in a conversation, unless she stimulated one herself. After several moments of awkward silence, he decided to break it anyway. But he still loathed the cold side she was giving him. This wasn’t the Lani Olaere he knew—not like he expected the good ‘ol Lani after years and years, especially after his heart wrenching crime—but, the cold shoulder she threw at him struck with a pang of hurt, nonetheless.
“So, Interior décor. That is a…rather unconventional course.” He clasped his hands over his right thigh. “Why did you choose it?”
“Well,” She sat up. “I just sat down and asked myself a series of questions, of what I wanted to do with my life going forward. I didn’t want to be caught up in a prison of a silly childhood dream that I’ve been nursing for a while and simply couldn’t let go of because I’ve told everyone, and telling them that I want to back out of it would raise a lot of questions and all that.
“I’ve always enjoyed adding more beauty to things, revamping and refurbishing and all that. It just felt right when I picked it. Although, it doesn’t pay as much as I’d want it to because of the work that’s put in, but the money is still okay to keep me going. Plus, even if it was too small I wouldn’t back out. I’d just find something else doing alongside.”
“And Graffity is really making a name for itself these days,” He chipped in. “You guys helmed the restructuring of the interior design of the museum in Alausa. I haven’t been there, but I saw the pictures. They were absolutely mind blowing.”
“Probably not as mind blowing as the pictures made them look,” She laughed. “But we did a job we were really proud of. On that job, I was second unit assistant—which is just a fancy name for the deputy of the assistant of the lead designer, who doesn’t really get to contribute much. But, it was just my second year anyway.” She shrugged and sighed. “And those guys did a better job than I’d have thought of doing, so…”
“You’re underestimating your talent,” He said. “You haven’t stopped doing that, I see. You know you’re a lot better than you give yourself credit for.”
“Nah, trust me. My self esteem is quite adequate. You’re the one who is always thinking everyone can be like you.”
“Like me, how?”
Her voice increased. “I don’t know, as innovative and talented as you are. Not everyone has such talents.” He folded his palms beneath his chin and leaned forward, probably fighting off the urge to chip in a sarcastic comment. “Okay maybe everyone does have talent but not all of us are meant to attain—hmm, how would I put this? Get to a height that they would become a living embodiment of the trade. For example, when I’m mentioning African literature these days – Dayo Tijani is the first name that’d pop into mind, but that doesn’t make other authors who are doing their best in their not-so-master-piece ish stories, useless? No, they’re not just meant for such glorious path.”
“And in this analysis I’m Dayo Tijani and you’re the average author, am I correct?”
“Bingo!” She jammed her hands together. “So you see? If there were a hundreds of authors as successful as him, don’t you think the word ‘success’ would even begin to lose its credibility? Like if so many people become that successful then it surely can’t be so hard. I’m sure you get my drift now.”
“I do,” He resolved to her belief. “But still I just feel like you could totally achieve more—if you put in more effort. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you’re not hardworking. I just wish you’d break that thought that’s telling you that you’re not meant for great thing—”
“Oh, wow you’re really going to make me explain all over again—” She buried her face in her hands.
“No, no just—” He held his hands up. “Let’s just forget about…” His words trailed off, as his eyes zoned in on two static silhouettes in the distance, inspecting things. One male, the other, female. It looked like their contractors had arrived after all. “Uh-oh, they’re here.”
Lani flinched upon hearing his words, and craned her neck around to see for herself. After confirming the validity in his words, she rose to her feet and he followed suit. She looked quite nervous, as her trembling hands tucked a braid by her temple, to the back of her ear. It was then that it hit him, that it was indeed a big deal for her. She loved novels, and of course adored Dayo Tijani’s books. To him, he was meeting his employer but to her, she was meeting an idol.
“C’mon, let’s go join them.” He held out his hand, and for the first time today, she showed no hesitance of any form and went ahead to clasp his instantly. He guided her through the sloppy, rough terrain and in no time they were approaching two very resplendent figures, who had figured out their identities.
He extended his hand, the moment they descended on level ground. “Tari Ibiyemi, sir. The overseeing architect.”
“It’s this one you’re calling, sir?” The fair vision intercepted Dayo’s reply, with a mocking cackle and Dayo could only scowl in return. So this was it. They were in the company of one of the most revered couples in the country and it felt quite normal. There was no troop of angels at their heels, catering to their every whim like he had imagined in his thoughts. He dismissed his thoughts with a firm shake of his head and concentrated on the present.
Dayo Tijani was shorter in person, but looked every bit the same, handsome devil as advertised in magazines, online catalogs and on television. Tari wasn’t homosexual, but even a blind man couldn’t deny the fact that Dayo must have committed a grand theft of stealing the dashing looks of multiple men to use solely for himself. People like him made Tari cringe when they stared at their imperfect reflection in the mirror.
And they said there was no such thing as perfection.
The novelist wore a red corduroy jacket, with brown glistening buttons, navy blue fitted trousers and brown suede brogue boots. The trimming of his hair was spot on perfect, the type that required the collaboration of barbing experts. His eyes were concealed with mildly red coated lens, brown rimmed glasses. He looked every bit the public, celebrated persona.
His fiancée on the other hand, had a more vivacious appearance than he did, almost to the point that it was ethereal. He thought Dayo’s looks were perfect, but now as he studied the woman offering him a warm, exuberant smile he struggled to get hold of the word that was higher on the positive chain of terms, higher than perfect.
Her much fairer complexion, which could be likened to that of a foreigner was tanned and her profile had the stereotypical look ascribed to models. Her type of beauty was the one, that would cause the multiple swaying of heads in any room she walked into—even if it was a graveyard. Dead men would pretty much rise to gulp her in.
She had long, dark, glistening hair that cascaded down to her shoulders, which gave him further reason to doubt if she was a Nigerian of full blood, and not a half caste. She wore a maroon cashmere coat that ran down to her shins from where legs in blue faded jean trousers and black stilettos, lined with red ridges were tucked out. Her figure was highly curvaceous. Despite the heavy attire, her hourglass shape was still bulging out.
What are you doing?
He snapped back to the present, when Dayo’s hand finally came in contact with his and it also dawned on him simultaneously that his previous thoughts had streamed through his mind in the fleet of a second.
“Please don’t refer to me with the ‘Sir’ thing again. I wouldn’t want this human being that followed me here, mocking me on our return journey when we eventually leave.” Dayo smiled, shaking him firmly. Tari couldn’t help but smile in return. He had no idea of what to expect from this couple, but he liked what he was getting. They seemed to be very warm people. He’d have assumed they were self absorbed snobs.
“My Fiancée, Tiolu Keye.” He motioned to his right. “Hopefully when the construction of this house is done, and we’re moving in, I’d be introducing her with a new last name.” Dayo’s lips spread into an even more delightful smile and he shoved his shoulder side to side. He seemed proud of himself. He should. He found and tied the knots with a woman—not just any woman, but an embodiment of a rare, classified, priceless gem.
They all shared a collective laugh, before Lani went on to introduce herself.
“Lani Olaere, lead interior designer.” She extended an hand to Tiolu, and then to Dayo and when more pleasantries had been observed, the conversation proceeded into more serious tides.
“To be honest when I met with your bosses at Sky, I never knew that they’d be putting young people like you in the forefront of the project.” Dayo was saying with folded arms. “But I’m happy. I’d let you in on a little secret. I really don’t dig working with adults, you know, with their ancient, conservative mindsets and all. I love when young people are in control—young, brilliant, diligent people though. I mean, what’s the use of being young when you’re lazy? I’d assume that you two aren’t?”
Tari and Lani shook their heads quite vigorously.
“Good, because to be honest ehn? What we want you to achieve with this house, no be small thing.” He added.
“Wow, what a speech. Way to go in making them feel comfortable.” Tiolu nudged Dayo gently with an unimpressed look, before facing them. “Don’t mind this one, he is too uptight. What sort of a question is ‘I hope you’re hardworking?’ Would you say no even if you were lazy?”
Tari and Lani shared a laugh, while Dayo grumbled something along the lines of the statement, not posing any harm.
“Of course, you people have to be diligent to have been recommended by your respective firms for this project.” Tiolu continued. “And just like he said earlier, adults with ancient mindsets are boring. I’m happy it’s young people that we can relate with like you guys. You guys look really cute though, are you in a relationship?”
Tari’s eyes widened, as Lani mouthed a quick no with a horrified voice. Jeez, fine they weren’t in a relationship but she responded like she was asked if she had three breasts.
“Are you sure?” Tiolu’s gaze paced the length of them both, with mischief twinkling in her eyes. “Sorry, don’t mind me. You guys just look really compact, is all.”
“And that one is a question that makes sense?” Dayo shook his head, querying his fiancée. “It’s silly to ask if they’re hardworking but it’s perfectly alright to ask them if they’re in a relationship? People that you barely know?”
“Who will I now ask then, people that I know?” Her shoulders rose. “I know if my close friends are in relationships, so it’s definitely strangers that I’m curious about because I know little to nothing about them that I’d surely ask. So yeah, it makes sense.”
“I’m not doing this here with you right now,” Dayo dismissed her point with the wave of her hand. This duo before them might have similar stunning looks but they seemed like polar opposites. But what did he know about them? He barely knew them.
“Before we go on, Sir—I’m sorry, Mr. Tijani I just want to mention that I’m a big fan of your works.” Lani chipped in, nervously. “Matter of fact I almost passed out when I received the news that I was being handed over the role of lead designer. You see, it’s my first time on the job where I’m at the very top. I’m usually an assistant, but because my boss is pregnant and has taken a leave she is absent at work. So well the mantle has fallen on me…”
Wow, who knew the almighty, composed Lani could ramble like this?
“…All in all—” Lani heaved a sigh after her verbal rush that seemed unending. “—I’m just saying that you’re one hell of an author. Nuclear was one heck of a book.” She concluded.
Dayo nodded with a magnanimous smile that Tari was sure he wore a lot of times. Surely, he was used to being the recipient of such adoration from the opposite sex. Most times, it was usually even perhaps more wilder than Lani’s own.
“Thanks a lot,” Dayo said. “It’s one thing to hear that your book sold millions of copies and that people love it, and it’s another thing to meet one of those people and to hear from their mouth directly that they love it.”
“Oh, we do love it.” Lani said. “Sorry, one more question, though. There are rumors that Nuclear is the true life story of you and well…” She gesticulated to Tiolu. “Is it though? Or, it’s just a rumor.”
Tiolu only laughed, while Dayo went on to reply. “It’s partially true. The basis and foundation of our relationship was used as inspiration, but a lot of things were altered. Like the ending for instance. Tiolu and I are getting married alas, but the characters in the book on the other hand weren’t so lucky, I guess.”
“Hmm, how ironic that it’s actually true life with the happy ending and the book is the one with the sad one.” Lani replied. “Anyway, I’m done fan-girling. We can return back to business now.”
Tari was more than relieved that phase was over. He wasn’t exactly comfortable with her pouring out so much admiration to another person, when she was being so cold to him earlier. But who could blame her? The man before them was none other than Dayo Tijani after all. The guy literally had it all—asides his height though. It was probably the one thing God decided to deprive him of so he wouldn’t be perfect.
“So,” Dayo continued. “The theme we want to achieve is quite complex. Bear with us. I’m a very vintage, old fashioned person. I love stuff from the historical era. All those castles and old designs and all. While Tiolu is a modern person who like lofts and yachts and all. So we want to bring those two styles together and merge it in a very innovative way.”
“You want to build a modern castle,” Tari nodded.
“I love this guy,” Dayo turned to Tiolu. “No homo, no need to get jealous. I love you more.”
They all laughed, again.
“We were thinking that the outward appearance should be the one to take that old vintage style,” Tiolu said. “Because well, the insides of a place don’t really matter to this one because he is hardly at home anyway. So, he is just concerned with how it looks outward to other people.”
“We never agreed on that, you just thought that in your head, didn’t say it to me and assumed that I’m on board with it.” Dayo snarled. “Anyway, Tari let’s discuss while you walk me through the land. I don’t think Tiolu has the energy for a lot of walking, and I’m willing to bet Miss. Olaere here also doesn’t.”
Lani shook her head to affirm his claim.
“Alright then,” Dayo stepped forward. “Don’t worry about your colleague, she’s in safe hands with Tiolu.”
He arched a brow. “Oh, I wouldn’t be worried about her being in safe hands with Tiolu. I’m more worried about whether or not Tiolu is in safe hands with her.”
Lani gave him a withering glare, as he departed to commence his tour with Dayo. The day had turned out to be more pleasant than expected, and he made a mental note to savor it for as long as it lasted.
*****
“So, can someone tell me what the deal is? Why aren’t you guys leaving?” He queried the trio of boys that surrounded him, on the rectangular table in the school cafeteria. He had once again honored the appointment he made about twenty four hours ago with Lani, by not only showing up early but getting the boys to accompany him. They had to reach a compromise of course, that had cost him several Naira notes which was was worth it as their company had banished boredom temporarily but their general ease with the atmosphere began to trouble him. They didn’t seem like people ready to leave any moment.
“It’s not like they’re serving dessert and you guys are waiting for it or something,” He queried them further, his gaze hopping about the place like a ball. “Or do I have to throw a send forth ceremony to get you guys to leave or what?”
“Calm down, bros.” Pelumi, his dark, bushy browed roommate sitting on his right, nudged him gently by the side. “Why are you so edgy? It’s not like you won a bonanza or something, and the organizers are going to arrive with the money at any moment and you don’t want us to take out of it also. Cool off.”
“I really don’t need Lani to arrive and begin to wonder why you all are here,” He groaned, his fingers circling round his red disposable cup. They had concluded their dinner of Rice and Plantain, several minutes ago and were now chugging down fruit juice down their throats. “The point is to make her feel comfortable with me. Not make her wonder if I had told my roommates and friends that she is my girlfriend—hence their presence, so that they can meet her in person.”
David, the light skinned nerd in the group chuckled. He was always on a low cut that bared his rather oblong, shiny head courtesy of the constant application of Vaseline. He and Pelumi were studying Engineering.
“How about we act like you told us that when she arrives?” David said. “That’d be so embarrassing. I wonder how she’d react. She probably won’t be so surprised. I’m sure she’s used to all sort of weird stuff happening to her, complimentary of boys’ actions. Someone might have even proposed to her before.”
“Hey, just because you’re stupid and you think stupidly doesn’t mean you should automatically assume everyone is like you.” Joshua critiqued David’s remark, as his gaze remained fixated on a magazine on his laps. Joshua was perhaps the coolest of them all, with a pretty much upscale social life and although he wasn’t conventionally handsome also, his height was his greatest weapon. Standing at six feet, he needn’t have the face of a roman god to make girls paw over him. He also thought the entire thing was silly—their decision to wait until Lani arrived but he only remained behind, because unlike the rest of them, he detested walking alone.
“Well, Mr. I’m-so-cool-and-smart, aren’t you waiting with us here or what?” David retorted with pouted lips like a toddler.
“Only because I don’t want to walk alone, and hostel is pretty much boring anyway.” Joshua gave him a cursory glance, before returning his attention back to what he was reading. “When I see the girl from far, I’d just stand up real quick and leave you guys. It’s very stupid, trying to wait here until she gets here.”
“Leave us to our stupidity, we’re not complaining.” Pelumi snickered, eliciting a sad sigh from Joshua. “We’re just concerned about the way Tari would interact with the girl, that’s all. It’s not like we plan on sitting down with them on the table, and smile at her face all through the meeting like clowns or something like that.”
“You’re concerned about the way he would interact with the girl? When you should be concerned about your own interactions with girls? You haven’t attended to that, but you’re attending to your friend’s own?” He scoffed and shook his head even more. “That moment when the splinter in your eyes no gree you see road well again.”
“Hey, that’s real brother love right there.” David chimed in, giving Pelumi a hard smack on his back that was supposed to be an affectionate gesture. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, Joshua, because you’re too self-centered and caught up in yourself. How about you try that for a change? Put your brothers first before yourself? Be selfless for once.”
“I’m done with this,” He waved his arms in surrender, and lowered his gaze back to his sports magazine. Tari figured he was pretty much going to eject himself from the conversation onward, and wouldn’t contribute anything.
“And I’m done with this also,” Pelumi agreed much to their surprise. “Tari and Josh are right. It’s silly, us waiting here for her like a hunter waiting for meat. Once she approaches, we’d leave. I’m just in no hurry at all to get back to that hostel. And to the reminder that I have a skyscraper of books to read for tests. Argh! School is man’s biggest enemy.”
“Disguised as his friend,” Tari agreed with a sad smile. “It’s the biggest betraying bitch. It would stab you in the back multiple times, but you don’t have any choice but to keep having faith and keep trusting it because it’s the only thing you have anyway. So, school is not scam o, because when you’re scammed, you become wiser. But once school deals you one, it don’t matter whether you get wise or not—you’d still keep on going on that same path.”
“If people like you talk like that, then what do you want someone like me to say?” Joshua asked, his attention still divided. “You’re on a second class upper, Tari and you’re fighting to get to first class while me I’m just struggling to stay on second class lower and ensure I don’t have any carry over. If someone like you talks like that, without hope, me I don’t know what to do, mehn. So even if you don’t have hope, don’t say it out loud. Just keep it to yourself. A lot of people are looking up to you.”
“Does it really pay eventually, though?” David asked in a rhetorical manner. “There are tons of people out there with even first class degrees that are looking for jobs. Nothing is guaranteed in this country, unless you’re the child of a billionaire and you have connections though. And the worse thing is that it keeps on getting worse every year. Imagine how it would be in five, ten years from now.”
“Horrible,” Pelumi empathized. “Sometimes, I wonder if life isn’t even overrated on its own. We graduate from high school and we jump into college, thinking that’s where the fun life is. We’ve been in school now for almost one year, and the kind of fun I’m having isn’t the one I had developed in my head—”
“That’s only because you thought you’d be a cool guy who all the girls in the class loved—” Joshua bickered, and they all laughed except Pelumi of course.
“Shut up—” Pelumi snapped.
“But reality happens, and you realize that no one gives two shits about you just like it was in high school, and now you’re not really angry at school for not making sense, but you’re only angry at yourself for not making sense. Deep down, you know you wouldn’t be saying all these nonsense if you were as popular as them Ade and co.” Joshua mocked him further.
“Popular for being stupid, sure I’d love that—” Pelumi was cut off, again.
“Yeah, but last week when you saw him rolling with them Stephanie gang, you were like oh Boy, that nigga is balling o. But now, he is popular for being stupid, bah? Where did the spirit of admiration fly to?” Joshua countered again. “See, just leave that one abeg. I get Tari because he is not really interested in that stuff and hardly envies such life, but you? I don’t even need to tell you self. Your conscience is already biting you from within.”
“He’d have buried the conscience sef with the amount of food he ate today.” Tari chipped in. “You need to slow down with your food consumption rate, guy. One of these days, you’re going to fill up your stomach so much that it’d become so big like a bouncy ball, and breeze will just carry you away and you will float to a desert where there would be absolutely nothing for you to eat or drink, except your urine. You heard the story of those people who had no choice than to drink their urine because they were stuck in the desert, right?”
“By God’s grace the desert that the breeze will drop me in won’t be the sand desert nonsense.” Pelumi continued. “It’d be dessert, the one with the double s. As in food. Chocolate pudding and—”
“Oya, continue. Go on and mention another dessert meal that you know.” Tari interjected. “Bush boy like you. You’ve probably not even had dessert in your entire life before, and you only know chocolate pudding because it’s the one they mention most in films and television—”
“And of course you know this because you also haven’t eaten it before and you only know the common one they show on TV—”
“Yup, but I’m not the one saying I’d be dropped in a dessert.” He cut Pelumi off again. “Why can’t you say Garri instead? Your one true, best friend.”
“Idiot, it was supposed to be a pun and why do you talk as if I like Garri like that? Is it not because there is no money? You think If I have money I wouldn’t be eating better things?”
“And you think if I have money, I wouldn’t be a lot more fresher, and more handsome but is that an excuse for not looking all that good, now? No, my dear friend it’s not. The fact still stands that I’m not a very handsome person.” Tari shrugged.
“This is what they call someone who is contented,” Joshua’s firm hand came down hard on Tari’s right shoulder, and shook him gently. “You guys should try it some time. Quit following your friend to meet a hot girl, and stay in your hostel and keep on dreaming about the hot girls because not everyone is supposed to meet hot girls. Be contented with your day dreams.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Pelumi flicked his left index finger in a warning motion. “I’d get you guys one day, you’d see. Five, ten years from now when I’m cruising around town in my SUV—”
“If you say you’d pick me and Tari up on the road where we’re walking with our barefoot again, you will have this paper in my hand for dessert.” Joshua said in a no nonsense voice. “I’d stuff it down your throat, dare me.”
Pelumi of course knew better than to dare Joshua, and so only kept his mouth clamped shut. Tari was about to make another contribution to the budding conversation, when he noticed movement in the distance. Definitely Lani approaching their table in very, hasty, long strides. Damn it! He hadn’t seen her coming.
“Guys she’s here. Bounce now, abeg.” He whispered, and they all shot themselves perturbed glances as they prepared to do as ordered. Joshua quickly berated an order that stopped them right in their tracks.
“It’s too late already.” He hissed. “If we jump up to our feet suddenly, she’d definitely know something is up and would take it as a big deal. Let’s just act like we didn’t see her coming, and when she comes, we’d say hi and take our leave quietly.” Everyone nodded subtly, as though they had just rehearsed a scene of a script and suddenly received new instructions.
Just as Joshua rounded up, Lani’s trek came to a halt behind Pelumi. She looked stunning as always in a black tee shirt, with a contraband text in red print scrawled on it and ripped skinny jeans, with a flip flops on her feet. Flip flops were the official, casual footwear of the average student in the evening time.
“Hello?” She said in a gentle, curious voice as she rounded the table to come stand behind Tari. “I hope nothing is wrong…” She glanced down at Tari and spared each of his friends quick glances. “This one that I’m seeing panel of judges here.”
They all burst into a fit of laughter.
“These are my friends,” Tari clarified. “We just finished lunch a while ago, and they are about leaving.”
“I see,” She was out of his line of sight, but he could sense her nodding her head. “Well nice meeting you guys, I’m Lani.”
The boys proceeded to introducing themselves, before they all got up on their feet to excuse them. As they scampered off, she called out to them.
“Don’t worry about him too much. When we’re done here, I’d have him returned safe and sound back to you. He is in safe hands.”
Joshua’s massive hands were clipped on Pelumi’s and David’s shoulders to pull them away, but Pelumi managed to get a reply in anyway.
“Oh, it’s not him we’re worried about. It’s you not being in safe hands that we’re worried about.”
Lani could only beam in amusement, as she settled down on the seat opposite to his. “So, you ready?”
“I’d say ready is my middle name, but that’s cliché so I’d say it’s my first name.” He replied, drawing the expected reaction from her. As they went about their project work, they deviated at spontaneous intervals to discuss on frivolities before tracking back to business. It wasn’t an exaggeration to label the afternoon as his best so far in the school premises.
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So guys, the much anticipated return of Dayo Tijani and Tiolu Keye! If you haven’t read Rebellion, the first book in this series—you wouldn’t be as psyched but all in all, it’s all good. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Tune in next week, for the next chapter. BTW, guys have you heard of a Christmas anthology of short stories titled ‘Broken Bells And Christmas Wishes’? Myself and other excos of a budding writing community wrote it together. Check it out, its perfect for the rather dreary, inactive Christmas season.
See you next week. Have a splendid weekend.