Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.

-Confucius

I got to my hostel very late in the evening. When I arrived Rahamat was the only one at home. I asked about Sholape. ”She went to spend the weekend with her boyfriend, she would be back by morning” she replied. I brought out the bread I bought on my way and gave it to Rahamat. “As if you knew I was longing to eat Agege bread” she said and I laughed. “You are always longing to eat Agege bread” I retorted. I dialed father’s number to inform him that I got home safely. He picked up after the second ring and told me he is missing me already. “Yusuf half done sometimes salty food will always remind me of you” he complained. I laughed and told him to manage. “I will teach them how to cook proper food next time I’m around.” “Goodluck with that, don’t let me waste your card” he said and hung up. I ate bread and tea with Rahamat. After I had my fill I went to perform ablution and combined Moghreb with Ishai. I wanted my conscience to be clear the next time father asked me if I performed my solat. “You brought this from home” Rahamat asked. “What?” I didn’t know what she was talking about. “If my memory serve me well fajr was your only prayer in this house” she said and added a mocking smile. I scowled at her, “the last time I checked I wasn’t the only Muslim in this room, thanks for your observation perhaps I will try harder if you were also a prayer warrior”. Before I finished my sentence Rahamat already picked her phone and was typing a message. I wondered who she chatted with every time. Her action prompted me to remember Abdullah. I checked my phone to see if he was active on WhatsApp but he was offline, his last seen was 6 days ago which was really strange. Abdullah would use his last pocket money to buy mobile data just to WhatsApp. I guessed he was determined to cut communication with me. Perhaps we needed the space to understand our situation I thought. I went through the chat we had before our encounter at the eatery, and I couldn’t believe things had change so fast. I was still scanning through the messages when I fell asleep.

I went to class very early the next day. One of my lecturers fixed a 7 o, clock lecture and the woman had zero tolerance for lateness. Rahamat was still sleeping when I left the hostel and Sholape was not back yet. I finished my second and last class for the day which was 9a.m to 10 a.m. As I was stepping outside the class I saw Sholape and a guy leaning on a shinning black Toyota Camry. She waved at me and I realized they have been waiting for me all the while so I walked up to them. “What did you bring from home” she asked. “I’m supposed to be the one asking you since I returned before you” I countered. She made a funny face at me, “really so that’s how you treat your home girl.” The guy beside her cleared his throat loudly to get her attention. “Oh sorry! My bad, Gbenga meet Aisha, Aisha this is Gbenga that I told you about”. “Can I call you queen Aisha because you look like a queen to me” Gbenga said smiling, stretching his hand forward to greet me. I knew it was wrong to shake a guy in Islam, father said it many times but I couldn’t resist the temptation to take his hand. Gbenga was tall but not as tall as Abdullah or muscular, fair complexion, pink lips, really dark and bushy eyebrows, very sharp eyes, perfectly trimmed goatee and a punk hairstyle that complemented his appearance. He wore a button down Versace T-shirt and Denim jean with Adidas canvas I knew would cost a little fortune. I shook his hand, but instead of him to release my hand instantly he held on to it, came closer to me and I started having goose bumps, his hands were very soft. “Can we have a little chat” he asked staring into my eyes with his face right in front of mine, we must be the same height or maybe an inch difference. I knew he was controlling my mind, but there was nothing I could do about it, he is just damn good. I didn’t know when I thought about saying “okay” the word just flew out of my mouth. Sholape stood akimbo watching us like an artiste admiring her painting. “I guess I’m done here, can you at least drop me at the class area. I have a lecture in less than 10 minutes” she said. Gbenga winked at her, came over to the passenger seat and open the door for me to enter “please” he said. I entered and he closed the door before going over to the driver side. “I can’t believe you just demoted me to the backseat in less than 4 minutes” Sholape said. Gbenga looked into the rearview mirror and gave her a wicked grin. “Don’t be jealous Sholly, you are getting down very soon anyway” He said. We dropped Sholape at the class area and left.

Gbenga took me to a private pool side in a luxurious hotel. A waiter came to take our orders and I ordered fried rice and jollof, chicken, malt, and a bottle of water. He ordered the same food but requested for Hennessey. When the waiter brought the food and I saw knife and fork, there was no spoon in the set up; I knew I was going to have a long afternoon. Gbenga picked the knife and fork in each hand and started eating. He paused to look at me when he saw that I made no attempt to eat my food. “Are you okay?” he asked. “I can’t use fork and knife to eat” I replied. My face must be red judging from the hot air coming out of my nostrils. He shrugged, “alright it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” He dropped his cutleries, washed his hands with the table water and dipped it into his food. He smiled at me before scooping it into his mouth. “I love traditional” he said. I laughed heartily. I followed his lead but I used fork to eat rice while I handled the chicken with my hand.

When we are done eating, Gbenga folded his arms on the table looking intently at me. “Aisha! I have seen a lot of ladies none endears me the way you do. It’s not just about your beauty but the simplicity of your personality. It’s amazing” Gbenga said. “Thank you” I blushed. “It’s my pleasure; I want to be the man for you. I want your face to be the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see going to bed. You are a queen; let me treat you as one. All I need is for you to give me a space in your heart, and time to prove I deserve it. Gbenga talked convincingly and left my defense in tatters. I managed to tell him that I would think about it, but deep down in my soul, he already got me. He opened his drink, poured it in a glass and started sipping it. I didn’t like alcohol and I wouldn’t want my man to indulge in it. I concluded in my mind that if he loved me as much as he claimed, he would have to stop drinking.

Sholape was waiting impatiently for me to return. When I entered she literarily jumped on me with excitement. She started asking me flurry of questions like where he took me and what we did. “Do you know who that guy is?” she asked. I was not interested in her chitchat so I waved her questions and sat down on my bed. She lowered are eyes at me, “are you okay” she asked. I heard genuine concern in her voice or maybe imagined it. “I’m okay, just tired” I replied. She smiled and sat beside me on the bed. ”How did it go” she asked. I knew she won’t let me off the hook if I didn’t tell her something to hold on to. “It was okay, we ate and talked” I said. “So you are officially Gbenga Badmos girlfriend, A.K.A. the money spender!” she said excitedly. “I didn’t say I’m now his girlfriend, I said we ate and talked. Moreover, I’m still contemplating his proposal”. Her eyes became wide, “are you kidding me? What is there to think about” she asked raising her voice beyond normal conversation. “Sholape leave this babe alone now” Rahamat intervened. “I thought you were sleeping” I asked her. “Sholape’s voice doing amebo is enough to wake the dead” Rahamat said and we both laughed. Sholape scowled at her and stood up from my bed without a word.

Two weeks later Gbenga kept pressuring me to give him an answer, and I kept telling him to hold on. I didn’t want to give him the impression that I was cheap, so there is need for a little hide and seek. But the real problem was Abdullah; he kept bumping into my thought. I was confused, I missed him a lot and I couldn’t wait for him to call me anymore. I dialed his number it rang but he didn’t pick up. After the third trial I heard “the number you dialed is currently switched off”. I couldn’t believe he switched off his phone on my account. I wanted to be angry at him but I thought my anger wouldn’t be justified. I broke him when I turned him down and he deserves to heal.

First semester exam was a week away. I promised Gbenga to give him an answer after the exam, while Abdullah kept avoiding me. I talked to Rahamat about it. “You bruised his ego” she said. “Let him come back to you at his convenience”. I asked for her opinion regarding Gbenga. “It’s your choice to make Aisha, I can’t choose for you. But if you want my earnest opinion, I think you are two different people” she said. I honestly didn’t know if I love Gbenga but one thing was certain, he could give me the life I’ve always wanted. Gbenga called everyday to say nice things to me and Sholape kept acting as his spokesperson. “It would be a win-win situation for everyone” she said encouraging me to forge ahead in the relationship. But I insisted on telling them my decision after exam, partly hoping Abdullah and I would be in good terms by then.

I prepared adequately for the exam and I wasn’t surprise some of my papers were fairly easy. It had gotten to a month and some weeks since I last spoke to Abdullah. I felt like he had finally forgotten me and moved on. I stepped out of the hall after my final paper--and sure enough Gbenga was sitting on the back of his car looking at me. I guessed he had been staring at the doorway for some time that was the only way to explain locking eyes with him the seconds I stepped out. I walked up to him taking more time than necessary to cover the distance. “Queen Aisha! You are mind-blowing.” he said parting his lips to reveal snow-white teeth. “You should be getting paid for your compliments, I will see what I can do” I said jokingly and he couldn’t contain his laughter. He jumped down from the back of the car and went to open the door for me. “I pray that your jovial mood is a sign of the good news to come” he said. I winked at him and entered the car. “I hope you are not taking me on another eating experiment?” I smiled remembering the last time I went out with him. “Where would you like to go” he asked. I thought about it for some minutes. “A place of green” I replied.

Gbenga made some turnings and we ended up in a flower garden. We sat at a corner that offered some privacy. His face was apprehensive. “What is your decision” he asked saying what had been on his mind since he saw me stepped out of the hall. I smiled at him. “I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?” “Tell me the good news” he said without giving it a thought. “I accepted your proposal”. He looked at me like he didn’t understand what I meant and I rephrased. “I’m saying that I love you too”. He hugged me tightly that I almost can’t breathe and had to force myself out of his grasp. “You said I should give you the chance to prove your love to me. Are you planning to choke me? Don’t make me change my mind on your first day of trial” I said faking an angry face. “You wouldn’t” he said confidently before withdrawing. “The bad news is” I paused. “Is what?” he asked impatiently. “I don’t want to have premarital sex with you and I want you to quit drinking alcohol.” Time froze; Gbenga was looking at me as if I asked him to donate his heart and liver to charity. “Perhaps there is a very slim chance I could stop drinking” he said. “But what kind of relationship doesn’t involve sex” he exclaimed. “Relationship built on friendship, love and understanding” I replied. “You are going to bed me at last because I’ve given you a place in my heart, take my conditions as your trial” I challenged. He thought about it for a moment and his eyes brightened up. “Before I agree to a no sex relationship with you, I also have a condition” he said. “You can’t make a condition out of a condition” I replied dryly. “I can and I have” he said smiling and I knew he was having fun unsettling me. “Okay shoot. What is your condition?” I asked with renewed interest. ”Are you a virgin?” he asked. “Yes” I replied. He looked at me incredulously. “Swear by the God you serve” he said. “I swear by Almighty Allah that I’m a virgin”. His expression was of shock and happiness; he hugged me tighter than he did earlier. I thought he was never going to let me go until he finally did. I was gasping for breath. “I will kill you” I said in between bated breath.

We were given one week holiday before the commencement of second semester program. Gbenga took me from one supermarket, eatery to the other. I returned home with items like shoes, clothes; my wardrobe was fully stocked in the space of three days. He bought me IPhone X because he felt my Tecno phone didn’t meet the standard of his girlfriend. I started living like a queen that he called me. Sholape was also getting her fair share of the goodies. But as my worldly life improved my spiritual life suffered. Father called to ask about my wellbeing and if I needed anything. I told him the semester was over and I would be coming home. The day I planned to go home Gbenga offered to drop me but I refused. “Let’s take it one step at a time” I cautioned but he wasn’t impressed.