Verse one
The books lay bare and disarranged on the table, looking like the spread of books from east to west and feeling like a Professor, I gazed with satisfaction over my achievement. All these books to myself?, I whispered. Not so long did I savor my experience of feeling like a professor did he stalk in with his ever broadening smile. Expecting a complement from him I thought and yes I got one, but not the one I wanted or desired.
"what are these for?", he questioned and motioned, pointing to them. In haste I almost gave a reflex reply, but the body language he gave, stole the words right out of my mouth, left with barely nothing to say, I withdrew into "crocodile mood of seriousness", and in a whim, I behaved like I he was never there or asked any questions because he seem to have applied the brakes on my happy moment. His confident smiles even seemed to make it worse, bringing me provocation. I thought he must have notice my whim, so he could take walk, but he did not, he bluntly said to me, "I wish you read your bible just as you brag about reading these books little Professor", then he laughed. If I were older than he, I would have given him a low blow because his words pierced like a needle and blew my "me-time" like a bomb. None-the-less, after he had left, I said to myself, could he be making sense?, I know have read quite a number of books, at least trying, but his last words did jolt me. I tried to ignore but it kept resounding so I just retired to my work to clear the whole stuff that just happened.
Yes my work did help my mind off it, but my I kept a distance between myself and him. His boldness did ache. I my distance would work but it rather turned on me as he began to call me names like "hundred-naira-girl", which he used to make fun of me. Sometimes I laughed but many times, I despised him for calling me that, I also gave a frown to show my disgust. The name did not sooth at all.
Notwithstanding, I loved his boldness of which i desired. He could tell you hard truth and still give a smile as if he was doing comedy. I have never before the whole set of incidence fancied the idea of even talking to a male freely, yes we had rough edges but he was kind of different in a way.
Verse Two
He returned home with his luggage, I wondered why he so brought home so much of it, I welcomed him hoping to give a fresh slate, I questioned why so much luggage?, then with a friendly voice he replied am done with my undergraduate study. Wow!, I exclaimed, and as my sisters flocked in to say hello to him, I gave him a congratulatory handshake and headed for the door.
When it was evening, he sat relax in his room, I guess he was reminiscing and relishing the experience of his school days as I walked in, he sounded welcoming as he offered me a seat. I requested his phone of which he handed over to me with no hesitation. I was a bit surprised at his behavior given that we did not get along before now. Anyway, I guess he has changed I thought to myself as a looked up some pictures on his smart phone. I began to question him about whom I did not recognize from the numerous collection of pictures he had on his phone, he was glad to tell me about anything I asked, he was indeed very fulfilled with the kind of friends he made and his entire time as an undergraduate. I did enjoy his company, I could in many ways relate to his situation as I was at the verge of getting out of high school as well. I loved his friends, his ideas, his concepts, his perspective. I did have one of my best days in life that evening.
I left for school so as to wrap up my last year, but soon returned because of a break usually embarked on by my institution for final year students so they could be refreshed as they prepare for their final examination. My Mum then suggested that he took me some tutorials in Mathematics since I had great difficulty understanding figures and their manipulations, he was a nerd at numbers, he was really good at mathematics. So he consented to Mum's request. It was during this time of lessons that I began to feel something towards him. Time ran out on our classes as I had to head back to school to commence my exams. I just could not stop thinking of him, I thought I was going nuts, I kind of rebuked it but it always came right back at me with even greater intensity. Therefore, I just enjoyed my thoughts a hoped for the best, but my exams did help me get this off my mind.
To be continued...