CONTINUATION. . . Coming To Lagos. . . Ep 5
I spent more time that expected trying to pick an outfit. I didn’t come with much clothes but I didn’t want to be in that sitting room so soon due to the atmosphere there.
I finally walk in to find Samuel pressing his phone and Freda sleeping on his body.
“You’re ready?” He asks. I nod.
He walks across into his sister’s room to lay Freda. His sister rushes out as though looking for an opportunity to find me alone.
“We have alot to talk about when you return.” She says and rushes back into the kitchen before Samuel catches her.
“Sister. .” He calls like a typical igbo man. “I want to take Blessing for sight seeing before she leaves tomorrow morning.” He says.
“Have fun on your date o.” She shouts from the kitchen. “I didn’t say it o. Freda did.” She added as we left laughing at her joke.
I checked my wrist watch and it was few minutes to 7 o’clock. We boarded a bus to somewhere that I don’t. He didn’t say a word unlike the first time we met and I was bothered by the awkwardness between us.
The bus stopped and all I could see were lightening and lovers moving around in twos and in groups.
“Urm. . I really want to. . .”
“I. . I am sorry if. . .”
We both started at the same time. We paused and I smiled and said “You go ahead first. .” But he declines and says “no, you first. Ladies first.”
I smiled, again and decided to go first.
“I really want to say a big thank you for rescuing me that night. I can’t imagine what I would have done or how I would have been able to finally secure this job. All thanks to you.”
“Oh, no.” He says. “All thanks to God. I actually wouldn’t have seen you that night if I had decided to sleep over at work like I do on rare cases. I was so restless so I decided to go home and that was when I saw you standing there and I knew immediately that you were a JJC.” He says as we laughed at his comment. We proceed to find a good spot when he pointed to a table with white lights and flowers.
“You know, now I know why I was restless that night. God wanted me to save you, meet you.” He says as he pulls a seat for me.
I tried not to read meaning into his words as I asked;
“I thought we came for sightseeing, why are we picking a table.”
He laughs to reveal a slight dimple as his broad chin curves and give room to his beautiful set of teeth. That was when I noticed his front molar was off at the tip. You can barely notice it.
“And who thinks he can go round Lagos in one night or in a few hours?” He responds with a laugh again. “Freda made me change my plans. Didn’t she suggest a date?”
I was all red as I couldn’t look up to meet his face. I rather kept silent but my smile still same.
A waiter walks to us with a smile and takes our orders and leaves. He noticed I wasn’t saying anything. He keeps staring at me. I didn’t know at first but I first felt it before I lifted up my face to meet his eyes peering into mine.
“Urm. . .so what’s your plan?” He asks to ease the tension.
“First, I’ll need to contact an agent for a very fair priced apartment and I have less than a week to settle down before my resumption at work.”
“Wow. You know I can talk to my sister and she can talk to her husband. You can stay with them and. . .”
“Oh no, please. You have done enough already.” I cut him short to avoid him going on and on. ” You know she still doesn’t know we’re strangers.”
“Are we strangers?” He asked me. I was about saying yes but thought againt it.
“Maybe we’re friends now.” I replied. “She actually thinks we’re more than friends.”: I continued trying to avoid eye contact with him. I don’t know if he noticed but he made it difficult for me to avoid his eyes. It felt like some game.
“I wouldn’t want to send you off so, I want to know if you want me to tell her how I met you?”
“Sam, I really wouldn’t want you to have problems with your sister.”
“Then allow them to think what they want. Actually, she has been on my case to bring a woman to them and it didn’t occur to me that I have never brought a woman home till I left after you went in. She thinks you’re the one.”
“What one?” I tried to hide my curiosity and feign I didn’t know what he’s talking about.
“She thinks you’re my fiancรฉ.” He blots out.
I didn’t want to pretend with a cough so it won’t feel like some Nollywood movie. I watched him hoping he will say something else. And he did.
“Did she ask you anything?”
“Yes and she said we have a lot to talk about tonight.”
“She said that?” His eyes seemed to increase in size as he asked.
I quietly nod hoping he’ll help me with what to say or have an idea of what she wants to talk about.
“She wants to ask you about us.”
“Us? You mean you and me?” I asked trying not to raise my voice. The waiter approaches with our other. Nigerian Jollof, salad and grilled chicken. A bottle of non alcoholic red wine to step it down. “You don’t take alcohol?”
“No, I don’t.”
“You mean you never have?” I asked again.
“I have and that was an unforgettable experience. I got drunk that night and got slapped by a lady.”
I couldn’t hold back the laughter as he joins me to laugh at himself.
“So. . . we’re friends now right?” He asks looking like a child who watched his mother unpack for his candies.
“I’ll think about it.” I said to see his expression.
“You’ll think about it? That’s too little to think about.” He says getting my joke. We both laughed over it and I finally accepted to be his friend.
We walked round the park and stumbled on a photographer who stopped us and asked to take a photograph of us. I was hesitant at first and he whispered a question into my ears.
“Is there a uncle somewhere that you’re scared of?”
I understood his question so I just laughed and said no.
He was shocked. He didn’t try to hide it.
“You mean you are single?”
“It’s a long story really. What about you?” I returned the question.
“Well, I used to be single too but very soon, that status is changing.” He says as he poses for the picture. “You didn’t say amen.”
“Amen oo. Whoever she is will be so lucky.”
“Yeah. You’ll be so lucky.”
“What did you say?” I asked because I didn’t really hear him.
“I didn’t say anything really. I was just wondering what my sister wants to ask you tonight. You know what I think?”
“What?” I asked.
“Please, just go with the flow.”
“You mean I should act along?”
“Yes, please.”
“Sammy, this isn’t a movie. This is real life.”
“I know. I’m sorry that’s too much to ask. I wouldn’t deceive her.”
I stood up to leave as though I knew where I was or where I was headed. He caught up with me and says, “This is another mile 2.”
I was scard and looked around for those bad guys but I saw people moving about their own activities. He just pulled a stunt on me.
“It feels like I have known you for long really. I’m happy I met you. Don’t worry when you finally return, I promise to show you around for real. Not this kind of date.” He says in between laughs. “What time will you be leaving tomorrow?”
“I’ll like to take a morning bus but I don’t know how to locate the park.”
“That’s why you have me. I’ll be here much earlier to take you to the park okay?”
“Thank you so much. You’re just like a saviour, coming through when I’m stranded.” He smiles and his eyes sparks as though he remembered something.
“What did you save my number as?”
Oh no. I tried to hide my embarrassment. How do I tell him I saved his number as “Mile 2 saviour.”
To be continued. . .
