Ese hit the bed immediately she entered her room with Teju. She had at last given in to her mother's consistent pestering and moved to the staff quarters to live in the Dr's boys' quarters. But for the loneliness, she enjoyed the quarters, she is normally a very private person and her insistence on staying in the hostel, especially after she had spent a "stressful" month in the hostel, had been simply because she had not wanted to hear her mum say "I told you so". Even when she had agreed to move, she had made it look as if she was agreeing reluctantly just in order not to give the barrister the pleasure of gloating. The room was cosy, not as big as her room in Benin but big enough to shelter about 3 persons. It's furnished with a 6 by 4feet bed, and a bedside table against the wall, a standing mirror with a shelf attached, and a small sofa. All courtesy of the good Dr who was on a sabbatical leave outside the country. But for the cleaner and gardener who would come around every weekend to tend to the compound, Ese was pretty much on her own. The main building was always locked since the Dr. lived alone. Teju slumped on the sofa"Hallelujah! We are done for the semester." she exclaimed with an exaggerated sigh.
"Yea, it was something" Ese agreed "this semester's exam is the toughest I have had, even reading wasn't fun. I used to go to read with Siji normally, but it was different this time. He practically suspended our relationship"
"Are you guys having troubles?"
"No, not in that sense. But I sense he feels I distract him, though he didn't come all out to tell me that. He only said he needed to study with his guys more often, and the few times I called him during the exams, he would always find an excuse not to see me"
"Maybe they were not excuses Ese, maybe he really was busy"
"I know, it's just that I couldn't help but think he was avoiding me because he thought I was a distraction"
"Are you a distraction?"
"I don't know, you'll have to ask him"
"When you guys were reading together, was he a distraction to you? Were you able to read with him beside you? Without the temptation to talk about something or to rest your head on him?"
"Not really, he doesn't distract me. In fact I read better with him beside me. Of course I talk to him every now and then, but we can be beside each other for a couple of hours without saying a word, just knowing he is beside me does it for me."
"Actually dear, he may not be a distraction to you, but you may be to him. We are all different, he may lack the discipline you have in that area. I remember when Kalu was writing his first MBBS exams, he specifically told me that he would need some time to himself, that he finds it hard to go back to his books when he sees me, so we completely didn't see each other throughout the period of his exams, we only communicated via calls and SMSes"
"How I wish Siji is that crazy about me" Ese said smiling "though it would have its drawbacks like yours but at least I will understand the reason for the break in communication and it'd even be somewhat good for my feminine ego. Siji can study with me around, I think he was just being unnecessary concerned about his CGPA dropping"
"Is it that bad?"
"No, he is still in the first class range but he complained to me that at the rate with which he is dropping, he is scared he may not graduate with a first class, he used to top his faculty you know? Now he doesn't even top his department and he is particularly not happy that Pago whom he considered as a less serious student is leading the class. Sometimes when he talks about Pago I sense this deep envy in his words.
"You mean you sense he wishes he is Pago?"
"No, not exactly. I don't think he wishes he is as privileged as Pago but I'm sure he believes that he is a better student than Pago and things should be the other way round. He always say he teaches everyone in the class yet by the end of the day he scores lower than a number of them"
"He really needs to cool down. The way I see it, he's worrying too much over nothing, such things do happen"
"Yes, I told him, but he is just..... he is just Siji.....and he is ambitious"
"There is nothing bad in being ambitious"
"I know, but when it's too much, it becomes something else. How he feels about Pago now is worrisome too"
"Don't get yourself too worked up Ese, they are friends, guys don't let such silly feelings come between them" Teju said, then added "what about Pago? Is he still disturbing you?"
"Yes oo, my sister. He calls me almost always. When I stopped picking his calls, he started sending lewd text messages to me. He was even here yesterday"
"Really?"
"Yes, you know he stays close by, just a few blocks away. He came in the evening. Thank God my door was locked already"
"You didn't allow him in?"
"Of course not, immediately I knew he was the one, I ignored him completely"
"What did he want?"
"He said he knows that Siji does not have my time now, that he has my time, he is gonna do things that Siji can't do to me, he's gonna take good care of me and blah blah blah...."
"That boy is sick"
"Yea, said more and he was very explicit, I kept quite all through the monologue. He left when he was done"
"I think it's time you told Siji about all these, it's becoming serious"
"No, it's really not, Pago is harmless, I'll just endure him till he gets tired of me, I don't want this coming in between them"
"Exactly Ese, he knows that, that's why he is keeping at it. He knows you won't tell Siji"
"You know Siji had some misgivings about our relationship, because he suspected Pago was interested in me and I in him. I assured him then that we are just friends and Pago did too. I don't want those misgivings resurrecting again."
"Ese you are thinking for him, he is an adult, he can think for himself. Tell him and if he is really serious about you he'd stand by you and help you fight his friend off"
"No Teju, I won't" Ese said stubbornly
Teju knew when to stop pushing.
"I'll tell Kalu then, he should be able to talk some sense into Pago."
"Please don't, there is a chance Siji will hear about it if Kalu knows."
"Hmmmmm" Teju sighed deeply, suit yourself then."
Ese's ringing phone interrupted them.
"Speaking of the devil." she said as she picked the phone smiling.
"Hello baby, how was your last paper? I.........yes she is here" she turned to Teju and said "check your phone, Siji said Kalu has been calling you."
Teju fetched her phone from her bag and exclaimed when she saw the 10 missed calls from Kalu. "What's the matter?" she asked Ese who has resumed her phone conversation.
"Terrorist attack?.........in New York? We didn't hear about it, we came straight to my apartment after our papers." she paused a bit to listen to whatever Siji was saying at the other end while Teju watched her with questioning eyes.
"Jesus! his mum? Kalu's mum too? Jesus! Okay I will tell her" she dropped the phone looking dazed.
"What is it?" Teju asked again, this time with more urgency
"There was a terrorist attack in New York this morning, in the World Trade Centre"
"And?"
"Pago's and Kalu's mums were there, no one has been able to reach either of them since the attack."
Teju was already making for the door before Ese finished talking.
"Yea, it was something" Ese agreed "this semester's exam is the toughest I have had, even reading wasn't fun. I used to go to read with Siji normally, but it was different this time. He practically suspended our relationship"
"Are you guys having troubles?"
"No, not in that sense. But I sense he feels I distract him, though he didn't come all out to tell me that. He only said he needed to study with his guys more often, and the few times I called him during the exams, he would always find an excuse not to see me"
"Maybe they were not excuses Ese, maybe he really was busy"
"I know, it's just that I couldn't help but think he was avoiding me because he thought I was a distraction"
"Are you a distraction?"
"I don't know, you'll have to ask him"
"When you guys were reading together, was he a distraction to you? Were you able to read with him beside you? Without the temptation to talk about something or to rest your head on him?"
"Not really, he doesn't distract me. In fact I read better with him beside me. Of course I talk to him every now and then, but we can be beside each other for a couple of hours without saying a word, just knowing he is beside me does it for me."
"Actually dear, he may not be a distraction to you, but you may be to him. We are all different, he may lack the discipline you have in that area. I remember when Kalu was writing his first MBBS exams, he specifically told me that he would need some time to himself, that he finds it hard to go back to his books when he sees me, so we completely didn't see each other throughout the period of his exams, we only communicated via calls and SMSes"
"How I wish Siji is that crazy about me" Ese said smiling "though it would have its drawbacks like yours but at least I will understand the reason for the break in communication and it'd even be somewhat good for my feminine ego. Siji can study with me around, I think he was just being unnecessary concerned about his CGPA dropping"
"Is it that bad?"
"No, he is still in the first class range but he complained to me that at the rate with which he is dropping, he is scared he may not graduate with a first class, he used to top his faculty you know? Now he doesn't even top his department and he is particularly not happy that Pago whom he considered as a less serious student is leading the class. Sometimes when he talks about Pago I sense this deep envy in his words.
"You mean you sense he wishes he is Pago?"
"No, not exactly. I don't think he wishes he is as privileged as Pago but I'm sure he believes that he is a better student than Pago and things should be the other way round. He always say he teaches everyone in the class yet by the end of the day he scores lower than a number of them"
"He really needs to cool down. The way I see it, he's worrying too much over nothing, such things do happen"
"Yes, I told him, but he is just..... he is just Siji.....and he is ambitious"
"There is nothing bad in being ambitious"
"I know, but when it's too much, it becomes something else. How he feels about Pago now is worrisome too"
"Don't get yourself too worked up Ese, they are friends, guys don't let such silly feelings come between them" Teju said, then added "what about Pago? Is he still disturbing you?"
"Yes oo, my sister. He calls me almost always. When I stopped picking his calls, he started sending lewd text messages to me. He was even here yesterday"
"Really?"
"Yes, you know he stays close by, just a few blocks away. He came in the evening. Thank God my door was locked already"
"You didn't allow him in?"
"Of course not, immediately I knew he was the one, I ignored him completely"
"What did he want?"
"He said he knows that Siji does not have my time now, that he has my time, he is gonna do things that Siji can't do to me, he's gonna take good care of me and blah blah blah...."
"That boy is sick"
"Yea, said more and he was very explicit, I kept quite all through the monologue. He left when he was done"
"I think it's time you told Siji about all these, it's becoming serious"
"No, it's really not, Pago is harmless, I'll just endure him till he gets tired of me, I don't want this coming in between them"
"Exactly Ese, he knows that, that's why he is keeping at it. He knows you won't tell Siji"
"You know Siji had some misgivings about our relationship, because he suspected Pago was interested in me and I in him. I assured him then that we are just friends and Pago did too. I don't want those misgivings resurrecting again."
"Ese you are thinking for him, he is an adult, he can think for himself. Tell him and if he is really serious about you he'd stand by you and help you fight his friend off"
"No Teju, I won't" Ese said stubbornly
Teju knew when to stop pushing.
"I'll tell Kalu then, he should be able to talk some sense into Pago."
"Please don't, there is a chance Siji will hear about it if Kalu knows."
"Hmmmmm" Teju sighed deeply, suit yourself then."
Ese's ringing phone interrupted them.
"Speaking of the devil." she said as she picked the phone smiling.
"Hello baby, how was your last paper? I.........yes she is here" she turned to Teju and said "check your phone, Siji said Kalu has been calling you."
Teju fetched her phone from her bag and exclaimed when she saw the 10 missed calls from Kalu. "What's the matter?" she asked Ese who has resumed her phone conversation.
"Terrorist attack?.........in New York? We didn't hear about it, we came straight to my apartment after our papers." she paused a bit to listen to whatever Siji was saying at the other end while Teju watched her with questioning eyes.
"Jesus! his mum? Kalu's mum too? Jesus! Okay I will tell her" she dropped the phone looking dazed.
"What is it?" Teju asked again, this time with more urgency
"There was a terrorist attack in New York this morning, in the World Trade Centre"
"And?"
"Pago's and Kalu's mums were there, no one has been able to reach either of them since the attack."
Teju was already making for the door before Ese finished talking.
About the Author.
Soji Adeola Ayanleke was born about 3 decades ago in Kano.
He studied Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, he speaks Yoruba and Hausa fluently and he is
trying to learn Igbo and Spanish. His hobbies are reading, writing and
playing some indoor games.
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