THE STORY I NEVER TOLD
This story is dedicated to Toinlicious because ever since
this crap happened and I mentioned it in passing, she kept reminding me and I
promised her (even though it’s already seven months now) that it would be my
next post.
Dear Adolphus, you have tried everything – guilt tripping,
bullying, toasting. All have been seen. Actually I get these new side jobs
these days plus I started a fashion business so between doing the work, taking
orders, dispatching, maintaining new twitter and new blog while still having a
9 to 5, it’s so hard to stay faithful to you. Management has however observed all your concerns.
To all that might be reading, while you are commenting, let me know a sensible title for this story. I plan to change the title later.
Anyway, the story is sober. I could always add some foolish
humor, but I’d rather not, so here goes.
It was a boring Sunday afternoon and all through the house,
not a creature was stirring. I was home with the fam and we had returned from
church and had heavy lunch. Usually on such days, we start out gisting and
contributing to the lunch (If it’s fried rice, I give all the boys small knives
and small bowls to cut and shred stuff). Anyways after food, everyone starts to
vanish one at a time till the couch is left to watch the tv alone.
I had gone to my room and Phcn had struck, so I picked up my
phone looking for gist. Saw this very deep tweet (something along the lines of
being humble/being grateful for what you have) retweeted by giditraffic. I went to
check out the original poster’s profile. Then I see this really fine boy,
scroll through his profile and I think to myself, oh fine boy that is not
tweeting about money and hoes, and I follow him.
This friends, was the beginning of my troubles.
He followed back. A few hellos, a few retweets and replies
and we moved it to the dm. All this took time though. So we start chatting and
I want him to ask for something more (we were still only dming). So he asks for
my number (yaaaaay) and I give him and we now move it to whatsapp. He says he
wanted it since but he did not want to be forward. I say I really wanted him to
ask and I thought if anything he was actually slow. And so we started the
everyday thing – Good morning text, goodnight calls, the usual shenanigans.
He asks me about work and all. I tell him where I work. I
did not give him the specific address though. He found his way somehow. We had
been chatting all day and I so didn’t see it coming. At some point he jus asks
me to come downstairs. Security won’t let him inside the office premises. He’s
sitting in their cubicle with them and the place is dingy and hot and I’m like ‘Which
security? Call the person you went to see na’.
Long story short he was actually at my office. OMG I was
shaking. Nobody ever shocked me like that. Quickly checked the mirror. I did
not look good. Opened my bag and rolled on some gloss. Decided against adding
powder- too much effort and it would be obvious.
Started going down two steps at a time but then I got so
close and slowed down. Eventually I got there and took him in. Thankfully my
boss was out of town so it was a breeze but I kept him downstairs in the empty
conference room. He did not want drinks or anything- just needed to see my
face. I said thank you, I’m shocked. He asked if I just wore the lip gloss
because of him- I denied. Sternly and sharply. Lol. He said he thought I was
really pretty and confessed he was kinda looking at my cleavage. I pulled my
cardigan tighter. I told him he looked nice too. We totally got lost in the
gist for like 40 minutes. He came with his office driver, claiming he had an
urgent meeting. I walked him back to the car and kept my goodbye professional.
And so it started. We were seeing and talking every chance
we got. The weekend later he came to see his sister who lived close to me. His
sister was however away. The maid and kids were there. He fed me (Nollywood
style), we laughed hard, he played the guitar and sang to me. We kissed. I
stopped halfway. It got awkward. We got over it. I went home.
We continued every weekend. He stole visits to my office.
More weekends together. Some sex. One weekend he said he had a girlfriend. It
had been years. There was no spark anymore. They spoke once in a while. Always
been abstinent. I asked why he did not feel guilty when he had sex. He told he
could not feel guilty about it. And followed it up with a story I’d rather not
tell you guys. It seemed very complicated to me. I did not know what to think.
My mood took a downward spiral. I went home. Things got less interesting. And
then picked up again. We saw less often weekends. And then every weekend again.
He apologized. We went three rounds. I got a massage. He sang a song he
composed. I slept off. Dreamy huh? Then girlfriend calls. He picks and leaves
it on speaker. Awkward. Veeery awkward. They did not sound in love. Matter of
fact the call was rather unpleasant. Things were obviously not good at all
between them. Too many awkward silences. Homeboy tells me not to get attached
to him. I get up and go home. Things go slow again. Weekend visits get shorter.
He came to my office more often during the week. I wasn’t
feeling it. He tried to be so very sweet. My colleague was telling me how lucky
I am. She could see all the calls and surprises. She would ask why a single
girl had a problem with a guy that sweet. One time he asked me to come spend
the weekend and I did not want to, she just gave me one look. His girlfriend
was going away for her MBA. He said he knew inside him she would not want to
come back.
The calls got fewer. There was no good morning anymore. The
messages also got fewer. And far between. Then stopped. And then one day I
called. And asked what was going on. He had always come to the mainland to see
me. He apologized. Said he was sorry but had been deliberately avoiding me. I
am stunned. I say “really”. He says normal guys would be jerks and just say
something mean.
His apology should actually mean something. He would not be
doing the mainland weekend thing again(He works and lives on the island, and I work
and live on the mainland, so I know the midweek afternoon visits take a lot). I
am stunned. He stays quiet still. No one says anything. I hang up. I never
called again. He never did either.
THE END
