Written by @dj_fleau
He shrugged without saying a word
“Thank You” I wanted to hug him actually but on a second thought I figured that appreciation would be way exaggerated
He put his hand into mine and said “we should go in now we don’t want to miss any moment”
We walked in to occupy an empty seat two rows away from the stage. Asa was already on stage thanking everyone for coming.
Her first performance was a song I cherish so much. She sang with so much emotion it made me remember the first time Lanre heard Asa’s song playing on my phone. He had asked who died afterwards. I had laughed and told him he had no sense of good music.
The days that followed he mocked me with the song, singing it slowly and annoyingly in a way that made me feel like kicking him. One day, on our way out he played her song in the car. I was shocked. Apparently he bought her cd to listen to my “dead people’s” music like he always called it, seeing that I liked her music a lot. He however commended her music days later saying it wasn’t as bad as he thought. I wasn’t sure if he was enduring the music for my sake or if he really liked the music either ways he had impressed me with the act.
Here she was singing that same song from the night Lanre first heard her song. I wanted to sing along but I was too teary to sing along. Andrew gave me his hanky after which he pulled me close before whispering something that sounded like “don’t hold it back let the pain out Temi”
I wiped off the tears feeling a little bit embarrassed. I apologized for the outburst but he only laughed and said “I love the way you cry, just like a baby”
I replied “You don’t want to see me cry you would hate crying”
I laughed and said “stop teasing me”
The rest of the evening went well. We sang along together to some of her songs, I stood up to applaud her a few times more than normal and was sure people were beginning to suspect I must have been paid to clap for her. Finally the show came to an end and as we walked out I turned to him and said “Only if you know what this has done to me, I can’t thank you enough”
“No, thank you for letting me take you out” he said
“How did you know she was going to be in town” I asked
“Let’s just say I know a couple of good guys that run stuffs like this” He answered
“How did you know I would love Asa?” I asked
“Well, Bola told me you have a thing for good music and I thought to give this a shot” he replied
The drive home was pleasant. He told me about his family and Bola was right about his family. They apparently were running something like a goldmine. He told me why he had chosen to move back to Nigeria and how he was not going to depend on his family’s wealth. He spoke more now while I spoke less. It was the opposite of our lunch from last week.
At home he gave me a hug after which he said “I pray you get out of this pretty soon”
“I pray so too” I replied
Bola was waiting for me on the couch like a mother waiting for her wayward child to return home from a late night party. The nosy girl didn’t allow me close the door before jumping out of her seat to ask for details of the date. I told her I was exhausted and needed to rest and would gist her the next day,
“Tired?! this girl what did you people do? it’s just the first date” she said mockingly
I ignored her as I walked to my room. She walked behind me
“Talk now , you sha like to be hoarding gist” she said as we walked into my room
I turned to her to beg her to leave me but saw the look on her face that said “it’s either you tell me or I stay here until you tell me”
“Your amebo is just too much” I said sarcastically
I told her about the Asa musical show after which the babe screamed “that boy is boring, who takes a mourning girl to a musical show for sad people, is he trying to make you commit suicide?”
I laughed and went on to tell her about how we spoke and how the date went
She looked at me and with a shocking look said “that’s all you guys did”
As if we were meant to have done other stuffs. I ignored her statement and went into my bathroom. She had left the room by the time I came out.
I picked up my phone to call Andrew to ask if he had gotten home. I saw about 10missed calls from Isaac, what a nuisance I thought to myself. I saw a text from him that read
“Look, I know I was bad to you, but you see I have changed besides the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t, don’t let that new boyfriend of yours waste your time”
What boyfriend was this man referring to?
I deleted the text before calling Andrew, He picked and said
“I was just about to call you, please drop the call and let me call you back.”
What a gentleman I thought to myself
We spoke for a little while before wishing each other good night and a lovely week ahead. The next day at work I tried to gist Seyi about the date. But she seemed a bit distracted. I told her about the show and how phenomenal Asa was last night, knowing how much of an Nneka fan she is and was waiting for her to start off our long argument on who is better between both artistes but was shocked to hear her ask if I had fun at an Asa’s concert. That’s when I knew something was wrong
“Babe, what is wrong” I asked
“Nothing jare just small wahala with that my yeye landlord” she said
“What is it again?” I asked
“The same wahala” She said tiringly
“That man no get shame? I asked
Seyi’s landlord for a few months now had been making sexual advances towards her and on several occasions I had asked her to move out or report the man to the police but she always said “na me get house wey I go dey report the man, between the man is not a serious matter I have dealt with worse men”
For someone that had dealt with worse men she looked a bit bothered.
“So, if it’s nothing serious then why are you looking this depressed?” I asked
“As it is now I have to find a place to move in by tomorrow”
“What!” I said
“Well, the landlord told me last week that he needs me to move out of the house as he needs it for something” She said
“What something?, or are you owing him? I queried
“Owing him ke, my rent is meant to expire today” She explained
“Well, he has to give you six months’ notice, that’s what the law says “ I said
“Madam abeg just leave that matter, let me just get out of this house first then I can be dealing with that matter later”
“Have you tried begging him? I asked”
“My dear, I went to meet the old fool in his apartment to clear things up, I even asked if he wanted to increase the house rent but the idiot looked at me and said you know what to do” She further explained
“You know you can move in with Bola and I, until you sort yourself out” I said
Bola ke, I no want Bola wahala abeg” She said.
I laughed and said “my friend, you are homeless except you have another option I advise you move in with us”
She shook her head before saying “I guess I don’t have a choice, you should call Bola and tell her I am moving in”
“Call her for what, are we not all friends abeg let me hear word.” I said
After work that day we went over to Seyi’s place to pick up her things. The landlord stood in his balcony watching us quietly like an inspector trying to make sure we don’t take anything that wasn’t Seyi’s. As we were about to enter the car I heard the man scream at us in what sounded like English diluted with a horrible Yoruba accent
“eh sisi pelebe I hope you have pack all your things comot for the house”
Seyi looked up at him and screamed “ No, I haven’t”
“You deaf ? I say make you pack your things comot for the house finish” The landlord screamed.
“Well you should have given me 6 months’ notice in that case and not a week if you wanted me to move out” Seyi trying to quote the constitution
“My friend ma try me oo” The land said with force pointing at us.
“What would you do is it because I have been quiet, shameless man your daughter’s age mate is who you are pursuing” Seyi said
I saw a neighbor peep from his flat window. I gestured for Seyi to enter the car but the girl refused to move. She was too upset to bother about being heard.
The landlord left the balcony for his apartment. Seyi hissed and said “You should have stayed and see if I won’t finish you with my mouth”
Just as Seyi was about to enter the car I saw the landlord step out from the building. He was walking towards her and raining abuses on her. By now her neighbor who was peeping had come out
“Oga landlord cool down now” he said
“Abeg Nnamdi comot your mouth for this matter na my house abi you want make I send you comot too” The landlord screamed at the other tenant trying to mediate the matter.
The young man stepped aside in defeat. Seyi looked like someone on the verge of killing someone.
“Look, Mr. Landlord I won’t move one pin from that apartment and if anything happens to my property I swear you would pay for it through your teeth, shameless man” Seyi angrily said
“Is it you that have the house abi na your papa build am? The landlord said
“You think you can just throw me out without a proper notice? I would take you to court, try me” she said
He looked taken back by the statement.
“Babe abeg enter car make we comot for here” I said
Reluctantly she got into the car while sizing up the man with her eyes. I heard her curse him in Yoruba
Back at home Bola was in her room. I told her about Seyi’s predicament.
She simply said “Not a problem with me just tell he to watch her mouth with me that’s all”
I laughed and walked out of the room while saying make una sha no kill una sef for the time being.
Andrew made no passes at me although we spoke almost everyday. I thought it weird that he hadn’t asked me out yet not like I was ready to date him but I thought by now he would have atleast said something about how he felt. It was weird that he wasn’t saying anything. I even asked Bola once maybe he had said something about it to her boyfriend but she had just laughed and said you this girl you never seize to amaze me.
At one point, I thought maybe he had someone else not like he ever mentioned another lady before or maybe he was gay. I mean gay men where most likely to behave like this, but I canceled that thought as I could not rationalize while a fine looking man like Andrew would be gay, that would just be a waste of package. At the end I settled with the thought that he didn’t like me that way. I guess he had friend zoned me.
Life seemed smooth Isaac was calling less, Andrew was calling more, Seyi and Bola had not killed themselves yet, and just when I thought life couldn’t be any much better than this that’s when it all happened
I came back from work that day to see Bola threatening brimstone and fire.
