[Story] Lagos Dudes – Episode 4

Bisola came to our room one late Sunday; it was a surprise, something no one was expecting. Her kid sister was ‘Uche’s friend now, she even bought a phone for him.

“You have been avoiding me for several weeks since we came here, why are you here? I asked, faking a frown. After our first encounter at the store, she has been avoiding me; she was always in her mum’s office.

“I am not avoiding you” she snapped. “I don’t know you to start with” she concluded.

“Whatever, how may I help you?

She sigh “The other day you were quoting something from physics, am not a fan of physics but its compulsory I pass it”

“So?

“Can we study together? She asked. She was pleading with her eye.

“Am just a commoner, what makes you think we can study together?

“Uche told me”

“I go kill dat boy” It seems Uche is now part of the family

“How much? She asked, getting impatient

I laughed “Do you think you can buy me with money?

“I know you lost your parents before they could teach you manners of approach to a lady” she said angrily.

“Get out of my room!” I felt like slapping her.

“For a poor boy, you are proud”

I smiled…………..

Uche seems to be taking their side. Mohammed wanted to say something; he hesitated and kept reading the new economics textbook he bought. Reading seems to be the only think that kept us busy at night; we all decide against television.

“You dey mad, you con pursue am because she abused u” Uche concluded with a frown

“Watch and learn” he replied him with a smile

“You think some bitch can abuse me about my parent and make me sad?

The question was rhetorical; I vowed not to remember my parents until am successful

“This bastard is going to kill us someday” Mohammed muttered.

“It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument “I said, quoting William McAdoo

“You are nuts! “

“Like I said earlier, watch and learn” I smiled and laid down my head to sleep.

“Are you not going to read?” Mohammed asked

“Am not in the mood” I replied

“Yemisi, can you come to our house next week?

It was a Monday evening, she has been working all day, but the air conditioner makes her more beautiful, my heart was beating faster; I was tempted to invite over.

“U wan make oga kill me abi” she replied.

“If you think am gonna beg you, OYO lowa” I turned my back on her.

I knew she was happy when I invited her over, she was trying to use girls trick on me.

“Its not that I don’t want to come na, so ti binu ni? She called out to me

I smiled “Yes, come this Saturday”

“I will try”

“Thanks”

“I was told you are very good at physics” she stated

We were on our way home from work, my boss was driving and bisola was sitting down in the front sit; I was at the back. I choose to ignore her, my meeting with Yemisi that day seems to be the only thing I cared about.

“Tunde” she called out to me, I replied immediately with a “ma”, sensing her irritation

“Starting from tomorrow, you will study with her” she ordered

“I will increase your salary with 5000naira.” She concluded

It was an offer I couldn’t resist, although it was not part of the plan……

“Please wait” she called out to me

“Look, am very sorry for what I said the other day, I hope we can be friends” she extended her hands towards me. I looked at her and smiled.

“I will bring malt for you every time” she concluded

It seems Uchenna had told her my weak point, we shake hands ………………….

The first three days of our study together was wonderful, she came with three malts the first time, I never knew I was brilliant until I start eating good food with cold beverages; physics seems to be a child play with her textbook. The Okeke physics textbook the corps member bought for me when I was in SS1 was lower in standard compare to the textbook she was using.

Things change on Friday, we had been studying together all day; my boss stays at home all weekends .

“Let’s rest a little”

“Oh! Am sorry, I have been so selfish towards you” she dropped her pen

“Should I bring malt? She asked

“No” I declined. It was tempting, but I was thinking of the ‘match’ with yemisi that weekend, I made a note of visiting mama ‘jedi’ that evening.

“Can you tell me something about you?”

“Girl of my dream”

“What?”

“Nothing” I smiled, I didn’t know I was thinking aloud.

“My name is Tunde, born and raised in ipole, a village in Ilesha, Osun State, age 20” I answered her question.

“How did you end up in Lagos?”

“Greener pastures”

“Ok, what’s your education story?”

“I started primary school at the early age of 5 and graduated from secondary school at the age of 18 in Ipole L.A primary school and Community secondary school, Ipole”

She smiled; she wanted to say something but hesitated. She probably thinks I was a village boy. She opened her mouth again. “What about your parents?”

“Dead”

“I know, when?”

“I was 9 years old at the time, father died at home after drinking palm wine, mum collapse when she heard, she died afterwards”

“It must have been hard” she said, her voice breaking

“Yeah it is” sensing the opportunity, I continued “I had to live with an uncle that doesn’t care about me and my education; I may not eat for a whole day”

“I used to work from dawn to dusk every weekend; both Saturdays and Sundays”

She was crying now “He doesn’t care about my education, I was this brilliant because I was the best student in my school, the teachers, teaching practice student, corps members love me, so they bought textbook”

She was weeping, I cried for joy, when she saw me crying, she hugged me. Thousand things crossed my minds in a second; the smell of her skin, the softness…… I kissed her