The SIXTEENTH (When the Table Turns)
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EPISODE 3
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The idea to have me over wasn’t what I’d thought a terrible idea, No! The little problem was that just like Mandy, I hate traveling too. I always feel sick after every trip, regardless of its proximity from where I’d embarked from.
I explained this to Mandy and even though I knew she understood everything I’d explained down to the tiniest of details, she still insisted that it was the only way we were going to see anytime soon.
“Or you could wait a bit longer, Fred. You never can tell, something might just take me down there sooner than we think”. Mandy said, one night.
We have been in contact for so long now; I didn’t need anyone to tell me that Mandy was being sarcastic with that response.
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That night, I was up all night, thinking, considering Mandy’s proposal.
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The next day, during one of our usual phone conversations, I was able to mutter some words. I didn’t know how, but I was shameless enough to have put forward my hindrance, even I was considering Mandy’s proposal.
I told Mandy that even if I was considering coming over, she already knew I couldn’t afford a bus ticket.
It must have been the way I’d said it because this somehow got Mandy laughing, so hard. At a point, I even assumed that that laughter wasn’t “Fred induced.”
“Oh! I’m sorry baby. I almost forgot that my boyfriend is jobless”. Mandy said, amid laughter.
I made to protest, shamelessly, even though I had no idea what about, but Mandy continued…
“… Common baby, there was no way I was going to ask you over and not be nice enough to have, at least, taken care of your transport fare.” Mandy said, just as she was settling from her laugh. “Please send me your account number after this talk, okay”. Mandy finally said, amid a giggle.
I did as Mandy had requested and when I heard that “pimpim” beep (as text message alert) on my phone moments later, I knew that Mandy had come through with her pledge, but I wasn’t so much in a rush to verify the figure.
I already had a very good idea of what to expect, though, haven previously discussed what the cost of transportation from my destination over to Mandy’s, was.
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I was in the middle of something. Likewise, I can’t really remember what it was, exactly, when Mandy’s call came in.
(This was shortly after the message I’d assumed was a bank alert.)
“Hey baby, did you get your money?” Mandy asked.
“Ahh… Yes, love, I…have. Thank you, my dear. Don’t mind me; I am in the middle of something right now, which is why I have not called to acknowledge it. I…”
“… It’s fine baby. Please get yourself something nice, okay. Men on suit always give me the kick”. Mandy said, with a beautiful giggle. “Let me allow you to get back to what you were doing, baby, I’ll talk to you later”.
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I stood there, puzzled, for a second.
“Get yourself something nice, ke?” I wondered.
I scrolled my phone to my inbox of messages. Indeed, that message was an alert from my bank.
This is definitely the money Mandy was talking about.
I clicked to open this message.
The figure left my jaw on the floor.
Mandy had made a transfer that could only have been best described as a mistake.
Mandy had made a two hundred thousand naira transfer to me. Me! How?
I held the phone tightly, my eyes fixated on its screen, trying over and over again to be sure that the zeroes were as I’d seen.
“Are you sure this is not twenty thousand naira?” I asked myself. “No nah! I know that you and math are not friends, but common! This is six zeros and not four.” I said to myself, again.
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“Are you sure she did not make a mistake with this transaction, Fred? But if she did, she would have told me earlier when she called and not have asked me to get myself something nice. I know Mandy; she wouldn’t have been shy to tell me to send back the excess, if this was a mistake. She even made a choice of outfit”.
Ha!
I hurriedly recharged my line through my mobile app to call Mandy.
Mandy did not pick up my call, even after the third dial.
To be continued…
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Moshood Avidiime
