STORY TIME : Falling In Love [Read Here]

I alighted at Allen busstop, Ikeja, lagos. I was so curious, several thoughts rushed into my mind, they disappeared spontaneously as they came quickly, seriously, I had wondered were these thoughts emanated from.

“How does she look like”, “I hope she is very pretty”, “what are we going to talk about”, “I hope her parent aren’t around”. These thoughts wouldn’t stop flowing into my mind. I tried to put the busy mind at rest, but all effort proved abortive, at long last I finally tamed the obstinate mind.

I tricked it into believing it was just a normal thing. I sieved the thoughts and only one was persistent- “how does she really look like”. I picked up my phone dialed a number, the recipient picked after the third ring.

“Hi, am already at Allen bustop, could you please come pick me, I do not have my bearings around this place”, I said softly with my deep voice over the line.

“you are almost there, just take a bike to Owode, you would see some bike men there, they are very conversant with that bustop, when you are there be sure to notify me “a sweet voice which has this happy tone came from the other end of the phone, “thanks, expect me soonest”, I replied with a smile.

I would never forget in a hurry the surprised that met me that day. I had notified her when I alighted from the bike. I was just looking around like how most Jambites do when they get to their preferred school, when this figure suddenly came out of the blue, she was actually gravitating towards me, my mouth was agape, she was a dame; so beautiful was she that I was gobsmacked.

I couldn’t believe my eyes, was she actually the one, I thought, I was still cogitating when the sound of a bike jerked me out of my thoughts, a bike man who wanted to park his bike where I was standing, I move a few inches from there to make space for him, my eyes still fixed on the damsel that was coming. At last she was with me, so close to me that I could actually reach her hands.

She said with a soft tone with no accent whatsoever “Hi” for the first time in what seemed like forever I had no idea what to say; I manage to reply “hello, how are you Tricia?” I tried to hide the anxiety in my body language, but my countenance betrayed me. She knew already.

I tried to maintained composure and keep aside the surprise that met me. Tricia was a beautiful damsel; I can reiterate that a thousand times with no iota of doubt. She was about 5.7 inches tall.

She had a good command of English, a powerful dresser, her voice was amazing, so sweet, like that of a baby even though she was about to clock 18 on October 10, what actually swept me off my feet was her smile, even if you had countless reasons not to smile, it would inspire you to smile .

I had only met her about two months back and we had already become one; our souls were actually presume we had known each other for long. We understood ourselves pretty well.

The circumstances that brought us together was a funny one, I had just come back from school, I was bored at home, the TV held nothing of interest, I was lonely, my phone which was my number one companion at that particular point in time, wasn’t fun due to the fact most of my friends had gone offline, especially one particular girl named Joy, I missed her greatly.

She was offline because her phone was bad, unfortunately I was such a poor caller, I do not like calling at all, many friends had complain about that, but the good thing is that I am a professor at chatting, it’s my zone, my element, perhaps I have been chatting even in my mother’s womb. Consequently, I pleaded with a friend to share one of his female friends, the guy was at first giving flimsy excuse, but later he oblige.

I paid him with profound gratitude for his benevolence. I started chatting with the young lady in earnest. She was so different, she played by a different set of rules, she had a good sense of humor, most surprising was the fact that she was transparent; she doesn’t “form” as guys would say.

Tricia and I could chat for hours without being bored. She was so lively. I was surprised because she really beat my expectation, she was more beautiful than her pictures depict. Was she using a transformed nokia 33 10 having a camera feature a joking mind whispered, or what, perhaps she wasn’t all that photogenic, I concluded. That very day was fun, I didn’t stay long at her place, her siblings were around but her parents had gone to their respective work place.

As she expected, I took her out, I had made enquires about eateries around that place before going to her house. She slid into one of her best grown I think and applied make up lightly, her lipstick perfectly blended with her pink grown.

I also represented myself well, I was dressed in a shirt, with red blazers and a jean, sprayed enough perfume so that she would know I am there- the Don **winks**. I had also prepared enough money to spend, I had already prepared for the meeting.

I had been home three weeks before I paid a visit to her abode, I needed to gain enough weight, I didn’t need anyone to tell me I had emaciated, my trousers were already loose, my shirts didn’t fit any longer.

I ate, ate and ate, with only one goal-To gain weight. Anyway, we went to Pavilion about 20 minutes drive from her house, we spoke about so many things, we spoke of random things. We spoke with confidence about all topics, ranging from religion, social, relationships etc.

I was so sad to see the sun go down realizing the day was coming to an end. I enjoyed the few hours I spent with her, surprises were gone, I was in the world of reality. To be frank, chatting and actually talking to her was quite different. But the way we flowed was the same. Subsequently, we exited the eatery; as a gentle man I allowed her walked out first then I followed afterward.

“You made my day, thanks” she said gracefully as I was trying to flag a bike down. “You are very welcome” I replied with a smile. I flagged down a bike, told him where she was heading to, on normal circumstances I would haggle the price with the bike man, this time I didn’t haggle much.

I was so happy when I got home, happy that everything had gone fine, at least I made her day, and apparently she made my day also. I just kept on thinking and remembering the few hours we had spent together I couldn’t resist sending her a sweet good night message.

I had thought blind dates were always disastrous and creepy. I had been told so many stories about blind date. I went down the memory lane triggered memories of friends that had blind date.

Most recent was a friend, Christiania, I do call her Christy baby, she met a guy online, via facebook to be precise, they chatted all day and night. The guy had a good sense of humor and handsome, with well built muscles and broad chest, the way the picture depicted him, his body hug fitted top pronounced his muscles. So happy was she that day that her man was coming all the way from the US to visit her that she bought me launch and filled me in with the story. I was happy for her.

Unfortunately for her, the guy was so different when she saw him, she was so disappointed, perhaps the guy made heavily use of photo editing application. His muscles were intact, but his face was disappointing, he was very dark, he had a bald head also. They were in a restaurant talking when Christy feign a call. “Hello ma, I will be right there ma, I am presently at agric, ikorudu road”.

She then gave the so called dream guy a flimsy excuse that she had to attend to an urgent matter at home. The guy excused her, she ran out of the restaurant like a rat being chased by a cat. I laughed aloud at the thought of that.
My world started to revolve around Tricia, I think of her every day, since the day I met her things changed, I kept on reflecting on what transpired that day.

The way she spoke kept on replaying on my mind like a music track in replay mood. Could it be I was in love, noooo, Mba! we are just friends nothing more I said to myself. I was excited when a good friend of mine had invited me to his birthday party; I saw that as an opportunity to take Tricia along, I just wanted to be with her.

I knew Tola well, the birthday was going to be fun, he is a sanguine and social guy, I was very sure the party was going to be lively. Hardly had an hour gone by that I had been invited that I had also invited Tricia via whats app, I was just anticipating her to say yes. Contrary to what I was expecting, she said No. what, my heart rate increased, Why on earth would she turn down my invitation.

Immediately, I asked “Why?” Her reply came very quickly too: “my boyfriend and I have plans for that day already”. My stomach churned on seeing that text. I was quite furious, my eyes red, obviously I was green with jealously. I couldn’t understand why that chemical reaction took place spontaneously; she had told me before she had a boy friend.

Why the statement infuriated me , Was a question I didn’t have a suitable answer for ; After all we are just friends how come I feel this way? It was a battle of the mind. “Am I Truly in love?” I asked myself aloud. How could I fall in love with someone whose heart has been taken, nooo, not me! This isn’t my lot. I convinced myself I wasn’t in love with her. She was just a friend, a special friend.

It was a battle of the mind that week, the question was persistent – Am I In Love? There is actually no day that passed that I didn’t think of her. Half of me kept on saying I was in love, the other half wouldn’t concur, it contradicted the other.

I attended the party with a couple of friends, as expected it was fun, pretty girls showed up, I try discreetly to get more information about Tricia from the guy that actually shared her with me.

The information I got was what I anticipated, it was what I knew already, I had asked him if he knew Tricia boyfriend, he said he doesn’t know him. He made things worse for me when he exaggerated how much Tricia loved her boyfriend.

I let the pain I felt on hearing that go down the drain as I gulp a glass of champagne down my gut.” Come guys let’s make today a memorable day, I said firmly.

Soon the time for dancing came, everyone went to the dance floor, trending music were played. I didn’t go, I was just chilling with a bottle of wine,