#TOCHI
Episode 12&13
[]Twelve
“Hello, sorry he misplaced his phone, maybe you could help him pick it up” I heard a lovely voice say over the phone as i called my Nokia torchlight.
“Hey Eve, its me, tochi” i said
“Oh you, how could you be so careless”
“Ermm, things like this happen, thank God that you kept it”
“Okay o, so where will i be bringing it?” she asked
“where will be more convenient for you?”
“Maybe you should come around to my side for it” she said after a little silence.
“And where is your side? ”
” Just get to Five star junction, then call me”
“Okay, will do that”
“so when are you coming exactly?”
“I don’t know, is now okay?”
“Ermm, I guess yes”
“fine, I’m on my way, can i get your number so i can call you when i get there?”
She laughed over the phone and her voice was like a melody to my ears
“Nice try Clever guy, just call your phone when you get there, I’ve charged it full” she said, laughed and dropped the call.
I smiled as i lay on my bed staring into space. I prayed to God to grant me this girl as a gift for Christmas. I swore to myself never to look twice at any other girl should Eve ever become mine.
The next 2 hours found me patrolling around five star junction. I had called her like 2 minutes before i got to the junction. I was rehearsing my lines in my head, i was really determined to move to the next level with her. I called my phone for the second time since getting there, it rang and she didn’t pick. I was about calling again when I turned my back and saw walking towards me. She was exceptional as she had always been. She wore a hair net over her head, a loose white mini gown with flower patterns which revealed her fair laps and beautiful legs. Setting eyes on her walking towards me, every single thing in my head that i had wanted to say to her evaporated.
“Hey” she said as she got close to me
“hi” i said staring at her and lacking the right words to express myself.
“here, have it” she said after about 10 seconds silence and handing over my phone. I took it from her outstretched hand.
“thank you” i said putting it in my pocket.
“You welcome”
“So you live around here” i said looking around.
“Yes i do”
“Well i don’t think i saw which house you walked out from” i said.
“And i don’t think you need to see which house it was” she retorted almost immediately.
“Well, i just wanted to know, in case i wanted to see you again”
“Don’t worry, if it ever becomes very necessary that we should see again, it will happen. She said turning to leave.
“At least, see me off” i begged her.
“Tochi, can someone ever tell you off” she said folding her arms and looking straight at me.
“Eve, you can’t tell me off, just walk with me a little distance please?”
She sighed and followed me. We walked and talked. Most of the talking was done by me, it was mostly a question and answer session. Eve really had a thick skin on her. She was however very beautiful so i didn’t expect anything less.
We ran into a friend of hers who happened to be heading for her lodge.
“Evelyn, where are you going?” the girl asked as she hugged her.
“Seeing him off” she replied nodding towards me. The girl looked at me like she was just observing me for the very first time.
“Hmm, tochukwu right?” she said looking at me, i was surprised but i didn’t show it.
“Yes? ” i said giving her a puzzled look.
“Hmm, what are you doing here”
“Well came to pick my phone” i answered trying to figure out if i knew her from somewhere.
“Hmmm, pick your phone?” she said looking at me and then Eve.
“Yes, he misplaced his phone and i picked it for him” Eve shot in
“okay, i see” she said smiling.
“Do you know each other? ” Eve asked, i shrugged.
” Yea, we live in the Same street” she answered.
“Really? ” i said folding my hands.
” I am Ada’s lodge mate, since you don’t know me, you should know Ada naa” i smiled, bade them farewell and turned to go, only to be called back by Eve, she held Her friend by the hand and faced me.
“Tochi please come, On no account should you ask Tonia for my contact and Tonia” she faced her ” and should he ask which i’m very sure he will, on no account should you give it to him” we both smiled.
“Yes madam, Tochi you have heard naa” Tonia said
I nodded and was about to protest when Eve grabbed Tonia and the both left.
“Greet martins for me” Tonia called behind her.
I shouted okay and boarded a bike back to my lodge…
[]Thirteen
I started frequenting the library on daily basis with hope of seeing Eve. I would go there with my maths textbook and read up about 2 to 3 chapters before going home.
On the third day, on my way home, i was clutching my math101 textbook on my left hand and my iPhone 6s on my right. An earphone connected to the phone was plugged in my ear and i moved to the rhythm of music that played in my ears.
As i pushed the gate to our logde open, someone touched me, i turned around to see who it was and Ada stood there. I was startled, i wasn’t expecting her to even look in my direction talk more of walking up to and touching me.
“Hi” i said pulling the earphones from my ear..
“Hey, do you know how long i have been calling after you?”
“I’m sorry, i had these on and i couldn’t hear you ” i said referring to the earphones.
” Okay, you are tochukwu right?”
“Yea, i hope no problem?”
“Not really, just that i saw you coming with the maths textbook and i wanted to ask if you offer math101”
“Yes, we do, i’m engineering so we are mathematics ”
” Okay, ermm, i was thinking, Can you teach me? As in help me with mathematics ” she said scratching her head. I was taken aback by this request. I wasn’t even that good in mathematics but i needed to give her a positive reply, first, not to let myself down or make myself appear an olodo to her and second, i needed anything that will bring me closer to this dame.
“Well, yes i can help you, but it may have to be more of a study together thing ” i said trying not to present myself as a whizkid in case i flopped in my teaching duties towards her.
” Okay, its cool with me, i don’t mind ”
” Yea, so where do we meet?” i asked her
“Is my room ok for you or do i come to yours?”
I weighed the balance and decided it was going to be her room. I didn’t need my nosy lodge mates or my hyper active brother interfering.
“i think your room is just fine”
“okay, can we start tomorrow, you know exams are coming up and apparently i must confess i really s**k at mathematics”
“okay then, tomorrow by what time?”
“Is the afternoon conducive for you?”
“Yea, its just fine ”
” okay then, thanks dear, see you tomorrow afternoon ”
” You welcome ”
” Hope you know my room” she asked while backing away
“I’ll find my way”
“Okay then bye” she said and left for her logde.
I looked at her as she walked into their gate and in my mind i thought
“we are going to make one hell of a study group Ada”.
I walked into our lodge and my brother was there at the front of our room smiling sheepishly at me.
“Oga maths lecturer God don butter your bread o” he shouted at me.
“Martin were you eavesdropping on us”
“No i was just passing by o”
“Na you sabi” i said and walked into our room.
“See better girl you for bring over here make we teach am the maths together ” he said.
I acted like i didn’t hear him.
Tbc
