Now, where were you last night?"
"Oh! Good morning to you too, how was your night? Hope it was as great as mine?"
"Don't play smart with me Ese. How did 'I want to go get a drink' turn into an all night disappearance? I was worried all through the night"
"Yes, worried enough to sleep"
"That's not funny Ese. I don't like what you just said"
Ese knew what she said was wrong. Teju had been sincerely concerned, even though she had taken it a little bit too far by acting like her mum. Her actions had been born out of good intentions. Ese on the order hand had been defensive because she didn't know how to explain what had happened the previous night to her friend. Teju may not understand and she would ask questions that Ese would not be able to answer.
"I am sorry I said that, it's just the way you jumped on me with questions without even saying hi. You almost sounded like my mum there"
"Okay, I am sorry I jumped on you" Teju said with a little contrition, then continued immediately "Oya, will you tell me now?"
Ese smiled "I know you won't let me go easily"
"No, I won't. So you had better tell me now"
"I was with someone"
"Someone?"
"A guy actually, I met him at the diner and we got talking, by the time we left the diner the show had ended and I knew you must have left so I didn't bother checking inside the theatre. He walked me to Moz and that was it.
"But....but I checked everywhere for you after the show, I looked for you at every drink selling joint around"
"You didn't check the diner I was in there, it is the one close to the steps leading to Oduduwa hall"
"Oh! Okay, and this guy, he must be someone special for you guys to spend that long together, right? Have you guys met before?"
"Not really, he was good to talk too, and again I needed to sit down after standing and dancing for so long, the diner provided that" Ese answered evasively
"Why do I think there is more to this than you are letting on?"
"That's it really, I was comfortable at the diner and wasn't aware of the time"
"What were you guys talking about?"
"Stuffs"
"Stuffs like?"
Ese sighed and answered "about the school, books, history, life.."
"Will you be seeing him again?"
"Maybe"
"Maybe? You mean he didn't ask for your number or something?
"No"
"What about your room number?"
"He did and I told him, and that's all I am telling you. Buzz off, no more questions"
"Okay baby" Teju said then added "by the way I spoke with Pago after the show, he said to tell you that he will be dropping by this evening"
"And what did you tell him"
"What else, other than I will pass the message across"
"Ohoh! You should have told him I won't be free, or that I will be out, or..or...anything just to keep him away"
"You don't like him, do you?"
"I don't hate him"
"You know what I mean"
"Okay, let's just say he is not my kinda guy"
"I think he is bad for you too, he was with two girls when we spoke, they were both holding on to him like he was candy"
Ese laughed "We've talked about boys enough. Will you help me loose my hair please, it's itching me already. I plan to plait a new style later in the evening or tomorrow"
"Okay, have you found a place to plait?"
"Not really, I will check around, there are lots of them around"
"Don't worry, I will take you to the woman in old buka."
she is the one my sister goes to. She is very good and has good hands, not the kind that will give you headache"
***
"Oh! Good morning to you too, how was your night? Hope it was as great as mine?"
"Don't play smart with me Ese. How did 'I want to go get a drink' turn into an all night disappearance? I was worried all through the night"
"Yes, worried enough to sleep"
"That's not funny Ese. I don't like what you just said"
Ese knew what she said was wrong. Teju had been sincerely concerned, even though she had taken it a little bit too far by acting like her mum. Her actions had been born out of good intentions. Ese on the order hand had been defensive because she didn't know how to explain what had happened the previous night to her friend. Teju may not understand and she would ask questions that Ese would not be able to answer.
"I am sorry I said that, it's just the way you jumped on me with questions without even saying hi. You almost sounded like my mum there"
"Okay, I am sorry I jumped on you" Teju said with a little contrition, then continued immediately "Oya, will you tell me now?"
Ese smiled "I know you won't let me go easily"
"No, I won't. So you had better tell me now"
"I was with someone"
"Someone?"
"A guy actually, I met him at the diner and we got talking, by the time we left the diner the show had ended and I knew you must have left so I didn't bother checking inside the theatre. He walked me to Moz and that was it.
"But....but I checked everywhere for you after the show, I looked for you at every drink selling joint around"
"You didn't check the diner I was in there, it is the one close to the steps leading to Oduduwa hall"
"Oh! Okay, and this guy, he must be someone special for you guys to spend that long together, right? Have you guys met before?"
"Not really, he was good to talk too, and again I needed to sit down after standing and dancing for so long, the diner provided that" Ese answered evasively
"Why do I think there is more to this than you are letting on?"
"That's it really, I was comfortable at the diner and wasn't aware of the time"
"What were you guys talking about?"
"Stuffs"
"Stuffs like?"
Ese sighed and answered "about the school, books, history, life.."
"Will you be seeing him again?"
"Maybe"
"Maybe? You mean he didn't ask for your number or something?
"No"
"What about your room number?"
"He did and I told him, and that's all I am telling you. Buzz off, no more questions"
"Okay baby" Teju said then added "by the way I spoke with Pago after the show, he said to tell you that he will be dropping by this evening"
"And what did you tell him"
"What else, other than I will pass the message across"
"Ohoh! You should have told him I won't be free, or that I will be out, or..or...anything just to keep him away"
"You don't like him, do you?"
"I don't hate him"
"You know what I mean"
"Okay, let's just say he is not my kinda guy"
"I think he is bad for you too, he was with two girls when we spoke, they were both holding on to him like he was candy"
Ese laughed "We've talked about boys enough. Will you help me loose my hair please, it's itching me already. I plan to plait a new style later in the evening or tomorrow"
"Okay, have you found a place to plait?"
"Not really, I will check around, there are lots of them around"
"Don't worry, I will take you to the woman in old buka."
she is the one my sister goes to. She is very good and has good hands, not the kind that will give you headache"
***
They both were on Ma'ami's bed, lying on their sides and facing each other but not touching, he knew he would be in trouble if Ma'ami finds them like this, but he didn't care one bit.
"I like your lips" he whispered huskily and she smiled
"Can I kiss them please? just for a moment" he pleaded and she nodded shyly without saying a word. So he moved his head forward as she also leaned her head towards him, he licked his lips and pushed them forward as they both closed their eyes. Just as his lips was about to touch Ese's lips he was interrupted by a distant voice calling in Yoruba.
"Ekaro, se ema fo'so? dai jins, agbo jedi"
Siji slightly opened his eyes and discovered that he was in his room in Awo and not at home in Lagos, that he was on his bunk and not on Ma'ami's bed, but the most painful realisation was that he was alone. He quickly closed his eyes to continue from where they had stopped before the interruption but the voice came again, louder this time.
"Ekaro, se ema fo'so? dai jins, agbo jedi"
Siji was fully awake now. He cursed as he rose to sit on his bed and watched the woman who woke him from his dream. He could see her through the window as she walked on the balcony, passed the front of his room.
What she was saying saying in Yoruba was "Good morning, do you have laundry to do? Come dye your jeans and buy herbs for pile".
She and many like her who come every morning to advertise their goods and services had always served as his alarm but he had never been pissed at any of them as he was that morning. He never patronised them, he saw it as waste of money. He could do his laundry himself, why would he want to dye his jeans? And he was sure he prepared better herbs than all of them. He viewed the students who patronised them as being lazy and having enough money to waste.
He dipped his hand under his pillow to pull his wristwatch, it was 8:30am but it was Saturday so he lingered a bit. The room was unusually quiet, some of his roommates were still sleeping. Chuka was cooking and the heat from the hot plate gave the room a welcomed warmth. It was a cold morning. Siji could see Pastor Segun, the oldest and most religious person in the room. The "Pastor" in front of his name was like the proverbial stone used to killed two birds. It was to show that he was religious and at the same time to avoid calling him by his name since he was quite old. Pastor Segun was on his bed studying the Bible. It reminded Siji that he had not prayed, even though Ma'ami was very religious, Siji wasn't very religious. He often times forget to pray and read the Bible albeit Ma'ami made him promise her he would do both at least twice a day. He fetched his Bible and opened it to the 24th psalm. It was one of his favorite chapters in the Bible. He liked the latter part most. When he got to the 7th verse he raised his voice slightly but not loud enough to disturb.
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in...Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory."
Then he prayed for a couple of minutes. As he got off the bed and wore his trousers he remembered that he planned to go to swim with Pago and Kalu at the staff club. But no need to rush he had to eat breakfast first. He would not enjoy swimming on an empty stomach, especially when the last thing he took was Soda water.
"Chuka hope say nobody don book for the hot plate after you?" He asked his roomie.
"No"
"Hala me if your beans don don abeg, me sef wan cook beans"
"No wahala, e go soon don sef, e just remain small make the water dry"
"Wa sere jare, well done, make I start to dey pick my beans" Siji said as he opened the locker where he kept foodstuffs.
"I like your lips" he whispered huskily and she smiled
"Can I kiss them please? just for a moment" he pleaded and she nodded shyly without saying a word. So he moved his head forward as she also leaned her head towards him, he licked his lips and pushed them forward as they both closed their eyes. Just as his lips was about to touch Ese's lips he was interrupted by a distant voice calling in Yoruba.
"Ekaro, se ema fo'so? dai jins, agbo jedi"
Siji slightly opened his eyes and discovered that he was in his room in Awo and not at home in Lagos, that he was on his bunk and not on Ma'ami's bed, but the most painful realisation was that he was alone. He quickly closed his eyes to continue from where they had stopped before the interruption but the voice came again, louder this time.
"Ekaro, se ema fo'so? dai jins, agbo jedi"
Siji was fully awake now. He cursed as he rose to sit on his bed and watched the woman who woke him from his dream. He could see her through the window as she walked on the balcony, passed the front of his room.
What she was saying saying in Yoruba was "Good morning, do you have laundry to do? Come dye your jeans and buy herbs for pile".
She and many like her who come every morning to advertise their goods and services had always served as his alarm but he had never been pissed at any of them as he was that morning. He never patronised them, he saw it as waste of money. He could do his laundry himself, why would he want to dye his jeans? And he was sure he prepared better herbs than all of them. He viewed the students who patronised them as being lazy and having enough money to waste.
He dipped his hand under his pillow to pull his wristwatch, it was 8:30am but it was Saturday so he lingered a bit. The room was unusually quiet, some of his roommates were still sleeping. Chuka was cooking and the heat from the hot plate gave the room a welcomed warmth. It was a cold morning. Siji could see Pastor Segun, the oldest and most religious person in the room. The "Pastor" in front of his name was like the proverbial stone used to killed two birds. It was to show that he was religious and at the same time to avoid calling him by his name since he was quite old. Pastor Segun was on his bed studying the Bible. It reminded Siji that he had not prayed, even though Ma'ami was very religious, Siji wasn't very religious. He often times forget to pray and read the Bible albeit Ma'ami made him promise her he would do both at least twice a day. He fetched his Bible and opened it to the 24th psalm. It was one of his favorite chapters in the Bible. He liked the latter part most. When he got to the 7th verse he raised his voice slightly but not loud enough to disturb.
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in...Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory."
Then he prayed for a couple of minutes. As he got off the bed and wore his trousers he remembered that he planned to go to swim with Pago and Kalu at the staff club. But no need to rush he had to eat breakfast first. He would not enjoy swimming on an empty stomach, especially when the last thing he took was Soda water.
"Chuka hope say nobody don book for the hot plate after you?" He asked his roomie.
"No"
"Hala me if your beans don don abeg, me sef wan cook beans"
"No wahala, e go soon don sef, e just remain small make the water dry"
"Wa sere jare, well done, make I start to dey pick my beans" Siji said as he opened the locker where he kept foodstuffs.
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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