*TOLANI*
© Esther Charles
Episode 28
“No, stop.” I let go off Ruth.
“This is a very delicate moment. I would not want to complicate things for myself, Chimaobi or my family. Anything could happen. He said I should stay back in the hall.”
“ Hhmm… I do not even understand you, you worship this guy. Every day, Chimaobi said, Chimaobi said. Abegi!” She shrugged, hissed and began walking away.
“Where are you going to now? Ruth!” I ran after her.
“Ruth!” I called again.
“What is it? You said you are not going na, oya, stay back in the hall.”
“That’s it, we are going out because of my shirt right? So, since I have decided to stay back, we should go in.”
“I do not even know why you are this dumb. See your defense, and…”
“Ruth! Why are you this mad! I’m not dumb, please. Abeg, enough of this, no spoil my mood.” I hissed and walked towards the hall.
At the balcony, I looked back to see if she was coming but found out she was walking towards the admin block.
Getting into the hall, I sat down, looked around me and saw a boy seated at the edge of the chair.
“Please, what letter name are they for this panel?”
“Letter T” he answered, and my mouth turned sour.
There were 3 persons before me whose initial name began with the letter “T”.
I dialed Chimaobi’s phone and thankfully, he picked.
“Bae, where are you?” I said to him.
“ Bae, I’ve gotten a shirt already, I’m about to get into the car to school.”
“Okay, please, be faster. Just three persons to my time.” I said to him.
“It’s alright, I am coming.”
Seated in the hall, my phone beeped, I picked up the phone, and found a message from Linda.
“Was the stain that bad? So sorry honey, happy defense. Waiting for you tomorrow. I just can’t wait to have you between my legs again.”
“Jesus Christ!” I lamented, perturbed and shocked.
“How did she get a student to do this. Is she that desperate to hunt me this much?” I resonated within, grabbed in utmost fear.
“Hello, where are you?” I called Chimaobi again.
“Bae, I’m driving. I’m near.” He hung the call.
Thankfully, after few minutes, he called me to come out when it was just a person to go before me.
I rushed down to where he parked his car, got into the car.
“Here, she sent me this message.” I handed my phone to him as I quickly tore the shirt leather package, unbuttoned the stained shirt and wore the new shirt.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes”
“I need to forward this immediately to the IG.” He said, trying to forward the message.
“Bae, I need to get in now.” I picked my bag.
“Come here. Calm your nerves, I know you are stressed with this whole thing but please, go there, present like you are not currently in big sh*t.”
“Yes, bae” I smiled.
“Let’s go in together.”
“Will they allow you to stay inside?”
“It’s a huge hall. They will.”
We walked into the hall and the lady was already presenting.
Chimaobi squeezed my hands before I walked further to the front chairs.
After about 15 minutes, I was called.
My heart skipped, and my legs went numb.
I quickly turned around, looked at where Chimaobi was seated.
He winked at me and gave me a thumbs up.
I felt relieved, walked majestically as rehearsed at home, sat exactly the way he taught me to and began my presentation.
At a point, I couldn’t believe if I was actually the one talking. I was that type of girl that literally disliked any formal activities.
I hated going to the bank, or going to offices. But I presented in a way that had the supervisors shaking their heads in affirmation.
After my presentation, diverse questions were thrown at me. About three questions Chimaobi had asked me while we rehearsed were asked by two supervisors.
When I was done answering, applause were given, and I couldn’t help but to smile.
After my presentation, the next person was called. I immediately walked to where I sat, picked my bag and walked to where Chimaobi was seated.
“You burst my brain.” He tickled me as I shook my body, almost shouting.
“Babe, them go pursue us out of this hall.” I laughed.
“Let’s go out.” He held my hands and dragged me.
Getting out, he held my waist and gave me a neck bite.
“I miss this.” I said to him.
“Me too” he licked his lips.
“We are outside, man” I cautioned him.
“You think if I marry you, I will be doing hide-and-seek game? I believe in PDA.” He said as I laughed.
“Till then.”
After I signed, we went home.
“Do you know that Ruth has defended before we came in?” I asked him.
“No na…” He said.
“I’m telling you, she’s letter “R”. She got angry and left when she asked me to go clean up in Tessy’s hostel.”
“She was just trying to help, it was left for you to decline, thank God you did. I hope you have called her.”
“I will when I get home.”
Getting home, Chimaobi had everywhere locked while I was on a call with Ruth.
“I’m sorry na, I know you meant well.”
“Leave me alone.” She said.
“But you didn’t tell me you defended.”
“TOLANI, leave me o.” She said again.
“Oya, what should I do to make it up to you? Tell me na” I begged more.
“Come let’s go hangout tomorrow, let’s have girls’ moment. We are fully graduates now.” She said, excitedly.
“Ah! Ruth, I wish to, but you know this Linda issue, I was asked to stay back home on Saturday and Sunday.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes”
“Who said? Chimaobi again!”
“No na, my parents, the Inspector general.”
“Who is that? Una done carry de matter to the police, and you couldn’t tell me, Tolani? Am I even your friend or you are just using me to pass time?” She sounded so angry.
“It’s not like that na. How could you say a thing like that? You know I have been busy, and we barely talked.”
“Spare me, are you coming out tomorrow or not.”
“No, I am not, but we can hang…” I was still talking when she hung the call.
To be continued!
