Story: Somewhere On The Island (Episode 9)
Story: Somewhere On The Island (Episode 9)
Title: Somewhere On The Island
Author: Irene C.
Episode 9
I was at Metro plaza, where she asked me to come. The case was complicated, she was expecting Mr Greg, not Mr Craig...and he was supposed to be coming with his car. Only God knows who Mr Greg was, maybe her client that has been cutting eye for her. Here comes Mr Craig instead, the man that has been harboring her in his mind lately. I was looking left and right, searching for her when I bumped into a young, fierce looking lady.
"Ode! You dey find money for air, wey you no come know where you dey waka?" She snarled like an angry hen. I looked at her face, her pear-shaped head was a mixture of colours that didn't blend; her makeup shouting for help! I wasn't in the mood to laugh... My quietness irritated her, I didn't know what to say, she wouldn't even let me speak. I was about to say sorry when she grabbed my shirt. She must be one of those drunk market women. Which kind wahala be this one?
"Look, I'm sorry abeg...." she didn't even let me speak finish.
"Sorry ko, Solarin ni...e be like say you no know who I be!" Ahnahn, why was she so indignant? Did I look like one Lateef that broke her heart or something? People were already gathering, and that was something I was avoiding. Nigerians love this type of scenario, and imagine Craig Okotie being the centre of attraction with an almost mad woman. God knows I was getting suffocated acting like a gentle man, God knows I could easily beat her up. I thought of my reputation, my personality, my work, I hesitated.... I prayed in my heart and almost immediately, someone spoke.
"Aunty joor, e ma binu...okunrin ni, joor e file....e ma binu, farabale" The voice was pleading for the aunty to calm down and not be angry. Whether there were seven charms to each edge of her voice, I didn't know...but what I knew was that the lady obeyed like a thief that was just caught and let go of me. She turned away and left, as the crowd dispersed quietly. Their face burned with disappointment. I was still adjusting my tie.....
"Young man, sorry about that...be careful with these market women." The voice was beginning to make sense to me, I looked up....
"You!" She was the first to recognize me. Onome
"Yes...." I didn't know if I was grinning, but I could hear my teeth begging to be let in.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was stood beautiful amidst the noise of the crowd. Her eyes were glittering with hope like light from a desktop charger, yet there was a sad expression hanging on to it.
"Well...you asked me to come with my car...but you see, there's no car"
She looked as confused as I was the first time I had called her.
"But it was Mr Greg who called me...you don't even have my number."
I enjoyed the way her words came one after the other like paper from a photocopying machine.
"Yeah, you know what... thank God you are safe now and nothing happened to you...how I got your number and how we're both having this conversation now is something like a miracle......"
"No, it's actually a miracle...just that I'm trying my best to trust you." She scratched her forehead stylishly, ladies always did that.
"I understand....the whole thing is like a movie...."
"Please can we get going, before those monsters come back for me..."
I laughed, and she laughed as well...her smile was like the opening of a new flower, she was beautiful inside out...I could hear it from her voice. I loved the way we were getting along, were my dreams coming true? I stopped a taxi and we both hopped into the back seat. I felt like a young boy sitting close to Father Christmas. I tried to hide my excitement, so I wouldn't look like a fool. She was quite the friendly type and we got along easily. I told her how I got her number and she just kept saying "wow, are you serious?"
Of course I was more than serious , did I look like a clown? We talked about her experience with the armed robbers, it sounded like the usual story we always heard right from time. As ruthless as they were, they took her bag containing her money and her i-pad; and then pushed only her out of the bus. Good enough, her NOKIA phone containing the office line was in her back pocket. They zoomed off thereafter, but she was lucky enough to know the place where they had dropped her. She was so shocked and confused that she couldn't think of anyone's number to call. My call came through almost immediately and then the battery of the phone died. That meant it would have been difficult to find her if that winsh I met on the way didn't show up. The way the story kept linking was already looking unbelievable! She kept saying " I prayed to God for help, and he used you..."
Mehn, I fear this God o, see how he used a hopeless lover to help this beautiful lady. The way she talked about God made my mind wandering back to my past. I used to be very close to God before I entered the university. It was as though I forgot everything I was asked to be; as a child of God. Based on the fine boy I was, I was a chronic player...I dated a minimum of five girls every semester. All the same, I was better than many other guys I met. Someone like Dapo had different nicknames for his numerous girlfriends; ratish, baby duck, kwilkikwili, mango head, Barcelona, and so on and so forth! We were crazy back then! It was during my NYSC that God caught me again...I stopped being a womanizer, but still I knew I was still far away from God.
"Do you stay somewhere around the Island?" I finally asked her, avoiding her eyes. She seemed to be seeing through my mind and everything about me. There was something about this lady...something bigger than me.
"I stay in Marina, but my office is in VI" Wow, big girl, how come? I was sure she wasn't married, I was so sure...but it would be embarrassing to ask.
"Wow... your office is in VI?"
"Yeah, ONZY CAKES AND PIE"
"Wow, you own the company or..." The driver looked back...that was his first time since we started talking. He seemed to be annoyed at my inquisitiveness this time. Oga, just keep minding your business biko.
"Yes, I own the company...you know about us?" Of course I did! I was shocked actually.... she looked so humble, though sophisticated. She was just so down to earth, who would believe she was the owner of a company? I kept loving her more, she was all I wanted in a woman.
When we got to our destination, I paid... feeling honoured to be in that position to help. I would be her Superman over and over!
"Thank you so much Craig, you are one in a million" she said hugging me with one side. Anyhow, hug na hug. I was scared she would hear my heart beat...Choi!
"It's my pleasure, permit me to say you're such a wonderful person...I'm glad I met you". I wasn't sure if she blushed or my eyes were deceiving me. Well, she confirmed my number and gave me her other number.
"I will call you tomorrow, I promise"she said...and my heart moved to my mouth. It would have fallen out if I had coughed somehow.
"Take care of yourself then..." I managed to say. She smiled sweetly and waved a little. I sighed...what a day! Onome turns out to be more than I thought, she's an angel. This angel left me thinking of my life over again and the future ahead of me...I wanted to see her again, I wanted to hear her speak again...
Tomorrow....
"Ode! You dey find money for air, wey you no come know where you dey waka?" She snarled like an angry hen. I looked at her face, her pear-shaped head was a mixture of colours that didn't blend; her makeup shouting for help! I wasn't in the mood to laugh... My quietness irritated her, I didn't know what to say, she wouldn't even let me speak. I was about to say sorry when she grabbed my shirt. She must be one of those drunk market women. Which kind wahala be this one?
"Look, I'm sorry abeg...." she didn't even let me speak finish.
"Sorry ko, Solarin ni...e be like say you no know who I be!" Ahnahn, why was she so indignant? Did I look like one Lateef that broke her heart or something? People were already gathering, and that was something I was avoiding. Nigerians love this type of scenario, and imagine Craig Okotie being the centre of attraction with an almost mad woman. God knows I was getting suffocated acting like a gentle man, God knows I could easily beat her up. I thought of my reputation, my personality, my work, I hesitated.... I prayed in my heart and almost immediately, someone spoke.
"Aunty joor, e ma binu...okunrin ni, joor e file....e ma binu, farabale" The voice was pleading for the aunty to calm down and not be angry. Whether there were seven charms to each edge of her voice, I didn't know...but what I knew was that the lady obeyed like a thief that was just caught and let go of me. She turned away and left, as the crowd dispersed quietly. Their face burned with disappointment. I was still adjusting my tie.....
"Young man, sorry about that...be careful with these market women." The voice was beginning to make sense to me, I looked up....
"You!" She was the first to recognize me. Onome
"Yes...." I didn't know if I was grinning, but I could hear my teeth begging to be let in.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was stood beautiful amidst the noise of the crowd. Her eyes were glittering with hope like light from a desktop charger, yet there was a sad expression hanging on to it.
"Well...you asked me to come with my car...but you see, there's no car"
She looked as confused as I was the first time I had called her.
"But it was Mr Greg who called me...you don't even have my number."
I enjoyed the way her words came one after the other like paper from a photocopying machine.
"Yeah, you know what... thank God you are safe now and nothing happened to you...how I got your number and how we're both having this conversation now is something like a miracle......"
"No, it's actually a miracle...just that I'm trying my best to trust you." She scratched her forehead stylishly, ladies always did that.
"I understand....the whole thing is like a movie...."
"Please can we get going, before those monsters come back for me..."
I laughed, and she laughed as well...her smile was like the opening of a new flower, she was beautiful inside out...I could hear it from her voice. I loved the way we were getting along, were my dreams coming true? I stopped a taxi and we both hopped into the back seat. I felt like a young boy sitting close to Father Christmas. I tried to hide my excitement, so I wouldn't look like a fool. She was quite the friendly type and we got along easily. I told her how I got her number and she just kept saying "wow, are you serious?"
Of course I was more than serious , did I look like a clown? We talked about her experience with the armed robbers, it sounded like the usual story we always heard right from time. As ruthless as they were, they took her bag containing her money and her i-pad; and then pushed only her out of the bus. Good enough, her NOKIA phone containing the office line was in her back pocket. They zoomed off thereafter, but she was lucky enough to know the place where they had dropped her. She was so shocked and confused that she couldn't think of anyone's number to call. My call came through almost immediately and then the battery of the phone died. That meant it would have been difficult to find her if that winsh I met on the way didn't show up. The way the story kept linking was already looking unbelievable! She kept saying " I prayed to God for help, and he used you..."
Mehn, I fear this God o, see how he used a hopeless lover to help this beautiful lady. The way she talked about God made my mind wandering back to my past. I used to be very close to God before I entered the university. It was as though I forgot everything I was asked to be; as a child of God. Based on the fine boy I was, I was a chronic player...I dated a minimum of five girls every semester. All the same, I was better than many other guys I met. Someone like Dapo had different nicknames for his numerous girlfriends; ratish, baby duck, kwilkikwili, mango head, Barcelona, and so on and so forth! We were crazy back then! It was during my NYSC that God caught me again...I stopped being a womanizer, but still I knew I was still far away from God.
"Do you stay somewhere around the Island?" I finally asked her, avoiding her eyes. She seemed to be seeing through my mind and everything about me. There was something about this lady...something bigger than me.
"I stay in Marina, but my office is in VI" Wow, big girl, how come? I was sure she wasn't married, I was so sure...but it would be embarrassing to ask.
"Wow... your office is in VI?"
"Yeah, ONZY CAKES AND PIE"
"Wow, you own the company or..." The driver looked back...that was his first time since we started talking. He seemed to be annoyed at my inquisitiveness this time. Oga, just keep minding your business biko.
"Yes, I own the company...you know about us?" Of course I did! I was shocked actually.... she looked so humble, though sophisticated. She was just so down to earth, who would believe she was the owner of a company? I kept loving her more, she was all I wanted in a woman.
When we got to our destination, I paid... feeling honoured to be in that position to help. I would be her Superman over and over!
"Thank you so much Craig, you are one in a million" she said hugging me with one side. Anyhow, hug na hug. I was scared she would hear my heart beat...Choi!
"It's my pleasure, permit me to say you're such a wonderful person...I'm glad I met you". I wasn't sure if she blushed or my eyes were deceiving me. Well, she confirmed my number and gave me her other number.
"I will call you tomorrow, I promise"she said...and my heart moved to my mouth. It would have fallen out if I had coughed somehow.
"Take care of yourself then..." I managed to say. She smiled sweetly and waved a little. I sighed...what a day! Onome turns out to be more than I thought, she's an angel. This angel left me thinking of my life over again and the future ahead of me...I wanted to see her again, I wanted to hear her speak again...
Tomorrow....
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