EMOTIONS / CHAPTER 2 😢😢😢

CHAPTER TWO

12:32PM

BIKE MAN: Sorry bros. it doesn’t work like that. Its either you sit with her or you wait for another bike to come along.

NONSO: Fine, you know what? I’ll pay you #1000 if you can just ask her to drop.

BIKE MAN: Oga, even if you offer me one million naira, I won’t and would never ask her to drop. Its either you sit with her or wait for another ride.

NONSO: Don’t worry then. Ill rather wait for another ride.

BIKE MAN: Suit yourself.
All through the way, I was thinking, “What kind of Bike Man would refuse such a fair offer just because of… because of what?” I kept asking myself questions to which I had no answer. “Would he try to hit on me?’, “Was he trying to impress me?’, “Maybe he… “Sister, we don pass Oyun junction o!” His voice brought me back to reality.

ESTHER: Alright thanks. I almost forgot.

BIKE MAN: It’s alright, I understand. Just try not to think too much so you don’t increase your blood pressure.

ESTHER: Yea, Thanks.

I brought out my purse and paid him, collected my change and said Thank You, expecting him to ask for my number or my name at least but he didn’t. I was surprised when he kicked his bike and twisted the handle about to take off. Well, if he isn’t going to say something, I will.

ESTHER: Sorry, Excuse me.

BIKE MAN: Yes?

ESTHER: What’s your name please?

BIKE MAN: Michael, but you can call me Mike.

ESTHER: Alright. I’m ESTHER.

BIKE MAN: Nice to meet you ESTHER.

ESTHER: Yea, me too. Can I ask why you refused such a generous offer earlier on?

BIKE MAN: I would love to stay here and tell you all about it but in this business of mine, time is money and right now, a lot of people are in need of my service, just as you were when I picked you up. So, if its fine by you can we talk about this over dinner tonight at Captain Cook when I’m less needed?

ESTHER: Hmmm, sure.

BIKE MAN: Great! Can I get your number? So I’ll call you when I’m done.

ESTHER: Why don’t you give me yours instead? I’ll call you by 8pm to see if you’re through.

BIKE MAN: Whichever way that suits you Miss or Mrs. (Looking at the ring on her finger)

ESTHER: (Laughs) it’s a Miss, not Mrs.

BIKE MAN: But the ring on your…

ESTHER: (Cuts in…) …it’s just to scare all these boys away.

BIKE MAN: I thought as much, but I had to be sure.

ESTHER: Be sincere, do I look like a mother to you?

BIKE MAN: No, you don’t, but you can’t really tell who is a mother and who isn’t because the body gene differs. Please write this down. 0-8-1-6-7-6-1-1-3-6-0

ESTHER: Got it. I guess we’ll see tonight then.

BIKE MAN: I guess.

12:59PM

He drove off while I continued my journey home; I didn’t know when I started talking to myself. “I thought he would never ask, but he’s modest anyways, quite different from the rest, very different, other guys would definitely ask for my number first thing when I reached my stop. Or, maybe it’s because of the ring I was putting on, then why did he refuse that man’s offer if he isn’t really into me? Argghhhh! Mehn! These questions are driving me crazy. I guess I’ll find out tonight.” (Just try not to think too much so you don’t increase your blood pressure.) His words kept ringing in my head, “He must be a student for him to be aware that frequent thinking can increase one’s blood pressure. Why was he even caring to me? Or maybe he is a graduate just pushed to become a commercial motorcyclist due to the lack of employment in the country.”

===============================

1:16PM

TOPE: That girl too dey fuck person up sha!

PELUMI: But you know she loves you, right?

TOPE: Yes I do, but I am not yet ready for any serious relationship right now.

PELUMI: Then stop doing things that hurt her nau! Trust me, if the feelings that girl has for you should fade away, you might not find someone else that would love you the way she does.

TOPE: Fades away ko, fades away ni… ESTHER loves me more than life itself, I am like her soul mate, unless she gets married to someone else, she would always have feelings for me.

PELUMI: How sure are you?

TOPE: I was 100% sure until this afternoon abi this morning when we were in school. She acted strange; she did something she has never done before.

PELUMI: What did she do?

TOPE: After I told her I’m expecting a lady at home this afternoon just to get her hurt and upset as usual, she retaliated with a statement that made me feel she doesn’t care about me anymore. She was like, “You can go home if you wish, ill even come and cook for you and your female visitor if you wish.” Then she started advising me on how to win the lady’s heart, telling me it would be more romantic if we cook together.

PELUMI: You see? It is happening already.

TOPE: Her feelings are totally under my control, so I have nothing to worry about. Once I tell her I love her, everything would be back to normal because I know that’s what she’s been longing to hear since grade two.

PELUMI: Sometimes, we feel we have it all under control, little do we know that it has escalated beyond our level of understanding.

TOPE: Well, my own case is different; I really do have it all under control.

PELUMI: When it finally happens, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

=============================

1:55PM

SANDRA: Wow! you,you… returned quite early today.

ESTHER: Who’s in the kitchen?

SANDRA: Oh, that’s UCHE.

ESTHER: Who is UCHE?

SANDRA: He’s a friend of mine from school, he…

UCHE: (Entering the living room with a tray containing two plates of fried eggs) Baby, I’m through with the eggs, where is… (Was shocked to see someone else with her) wow! Are we having a…

SANDRA: (Trying to give him signs that she is her sister)

UCHE: (Ignoring her) are we having a threesome?

ESTHER: Before I close and open my eyes Mr. whoever you are, I want you to vanish into thin air.

SANDRA: (dragging him outside the apartment) that’s my elder sister.

UCHE: I didn’t know nau, why didn’t you tell me?

SANDRA: When I was telling you, did you listen? You know what? Just leave, will meet at home later.

UCHE: Promise?

SANDRA: Yes I promise. Just leave.

UCHE: Then give me a KISS.

SANDRA: UCHE, stop this and just leave before you make things worse for me.

UCHE: Fine, but I love you!

SANDRA: Love you too. (Went back into the apartment)

ESTHER: Who was that?

SANDRA: That’s Uche, a very close friend of mine from school. He was hungry after our lectures today so I invited him over to have lunch since he knows how to cook.

ESTHER: That’s nice of you, very nice of you. I never knew my junior sister was now the messiah of this generation. He was hungry after lectures, so you invited him over, because our parents are politicians, right?

SANDRA: But…

ESTHER: But what? Mom is out there trying so hard to train us in school, and you’re here feeding your boyfriends. I don’t even have any money with me, the food stuff left in this house is our only means of survival till we are through with our exams and you’re depleting it foolishly. Yesterday, it was Taofeeq, today it’s Uche, and tomorrow it would be someone else.

SANDRA: I’m sorry.

ESTHER: What for? Isn’t that the same thing you said yesterday? You’re always sorry but still repeating the same thing over and over again.

SANDRA: I mean it this time.

ESTHER: You know what? If you want to live that life you’ve always craved for, the clubbing and flamboyant life you wish, please, do not in any way let it affect my plans for this semester in any way. You can go do all these things in their apartment, not mine, the sex, the drinks, the smoking…

SANDRA: Ha!!! Sister Esther…

ESTHER: What? You think I don’t know? You’re old enough so I believe you know what is wrong and what is right. Heaven knows I’ve tried my best with you.

SANDRA: Ill change. I promise.

ESTHER: If you do, it’s for your own good. The only thing I want from you right now is for you to iron the black gown in my wardrobe. I have somewhere to be tonight.

SANDRA: You’ll sleep out?

ESTHER: Why are you asking? So you’ll invite those jobless, good for nothing and broke boyfriends of yours over, right? You’ll be amazed at my reaction when I return and find any trace of stranger in this house.

SANDRA: That reminds me. Tope was here.

ESTHER: When?

SANDRA: A few minutes ago.

ESTHER: Did he leave any message or was he here to woo you?

SANDRA: Haba! Sister Esther, he came looking for you, said he was worried about you. He wasn’t sure if you’re among the students that were caught during the riot because you aren’t picking up your phone.

ESTHER: Anything else?

SANDRA: Its Tope o! That tall fair guy that…

ESTHER: Sandra, I perfectly know who Tope is, so stop acting like I have amnesia or something; anything else?

SANDRA: He requested that you call him once you return.

ESTHER: Requested?

SANDRA: Yes. His exact words were, “Tell her to make sure she call me when she return and don’t tell me she forgot”

ESTHER: (That proud thing, let him sit back and expect my call till infinity) Alright. I’ve heard you.

Just when I was thinking he has changed, taking out time to check on me, he’s commanding me to call him. At some point in life, you decide to let go of things and people that add to your ache and embrace those that are like a healing balm to your emotions. EMOTIONS, our greatest weakness, and our greatest strength as well: sometimes, we wish we have it all under control, but even science still can’t explain why we can’t choose who to love and who to hate without altering our brain wave artificially. As for Tope, I’m going to show him a new side of me, everyone, no matter how nice they are to you, definitely has a flaw that has the potential to make you hate them forever.