That’s The Burning Question!

“I thought they were happily married? What could have caused the divorce?” Sade asked her friend Bunmi.

“That’s the burning question.”

“The Reverend’s wife counseled us on marriage less than a month ago and now she’s divorced her husband,” said Sade while shaking her head.

Bunmi scooped some popcorn from a bowl using her right hand and stuffed it into her mouth.

“I was shocked when I heard also,” Bunmi answered.

“This is unbelievable. I just wish to know the reason.”

“Exercise just a little more patience and you’ll hear the full gist about the divorce from a reliable source. Deborah is on her way here” Bunmi said after she’d washed down the popcorn with a gulp of juice.

Image courtesy of quotesgram.com

“Deborah is their maid right?”

There was a knock on the door just as Bunmi was about to answer her friend.

“Deborah! Is that you?”

“Yes.”

A slim but plain looking girl came into the apartment when Bunmi opened the door. The girl hugged Bunmi and greeted Sade with a nod.

Bunmi and Deborah sat down and Deborah joined the other girls in feasting on the popcorn.

“What was the reason for the divorce?” asked Sade eagerly.

“Well. They weren’t exactly loving couples anymore during this past five years that I’ve been working for them,” Deborah answered and she took a sip from the glass in her hand.

“That’s hard to believe,” began Sade, “I visited them a lot and they looked like a normal couple.”

“They lived a double life,” Deborah said. “They act as if there is nothing wrong outside but they usually quarrel a lot at home.”

“Hmmm! That’s interesting. A lot of single members of the church wished they had a marriage like our Clergy’s. I also did,” Bunmi said.

“I also did until I started to work for them. He made a lot of advances towards me.”

“Why didn’t you confide in me earlier?” Bunmi said with a disapproving look directed at Deborah.

“Would you have believed me?”

“I suppose I wouldn’t have.”

“If they’ve been able to stay married for almost twenty years, what finally
led to the divorce?”

“The Reverend’s wife caught him while he was about to rape her niece.”

ADEWUYI.

I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!

It was around 2am. I’ve been tossing and turning in bed. Because you’ve been on my mind. I picked up my mobile phone and was about to speed dial your number. Old habits die hard. And then I remembered. It’s exactly a year today since you went to a better place.

The various hobbies I use to relax and get my thoughts in order didn’t work. Listening to my favourite songs just remind me of you. The words of the books I tried to read looked like gibberish. I just couldn’t concentrate. Your memory was just strong on my mind. You always found a way to cheer me up. Nothing I could do.

I got out of bed in order to see if I could continue working on my new book but I couldn’t even make a complete and meaningful sentence. It just felt as if the imaginative part of my brain was on vacation. You used to inspire me and make me laugh with your lovely voice. But that’s a thing in the past.

I stared at the clock on my desk and just wished that I could turn back the hands of time. Maybe if I went back to when you were still a big part of my life, I might be able to do things differently. The memory of the mistake I made came flooding back and I suddenly felt Melancholy. I shouldn’t have left you alone that evening because you told me to stay longer than I did. I should have spent a little more time with you instead of going out with my friends. Maybe I could have protected you. Sadly, I don’t have the power of time travelling.

My life used to be interesting but now it’s just dull and rigid. I loved the way your mind worked. You almost always saw the bright side of things. I brought out a photo album and go through all the photos inside. The memories came flooding back and I removed the very first picture of you that I snapped. You looked as beautiful to me as ever. I turned it over to look at the words which I wrote there myself and it broke my heart.

I wrote those four words because I knew it was the truth. Before I met you, there was this void in my heart. But right from the first moment I saw you, I felt complete. I’ve dated a lot of girls before then but it never developed into something more. I couldn’t explain it but when you came into my life, I suddenly felt invincible. Maybe that was why I didn’t listen to you on the day everything went downhill. The last thing I saw clearly before my sight became blurry with tears was those four words.

I’ll always love you.

Sunday The Fourteenth

It was a day Ademola won’t forget in a hurry. In fact he may never forget the day at all. He’d woken up earlier than he usually did so as to prepare breakfast for him and his wife. It was valentine’s day and it was also their marriage anniversary.

Ademola had many surprises planned for that day and the first one was to serve his wife breakfast in bed. He was about to pick up the tray of food and take it to their bedroom when he heard his wife’s footsteps coming towards the kitchen.

“Good morning dear! Happy anniversary and happy Valentine’s day,” Ademola said with an infections smile on his face.

She kissed him passionately and although she tried to help him serve the food Ademola refused. He put some water in the electric kettle and then plugged it to a socket.

Halfway through their meal he noticed that his wife was staring at him with a mischievous grin on her face.

“I know that look,” Ademola said “what are you not telling me?”

“Take a guess”

“You know I’m a lousy guesser.”

“Okay,” she said and waited a bit in order to stoke his curiosity, “I’m pregnant.”

Photo credit - shutterstock.com

Ademola stood up from where he was sitting down and jumped up and down like a kid. He was so excited that he hugged his wife and kept on saying “thank you Lord”. They’ve been married for seven years without a child.

They ate the rest of their breakfast talking about the high hopes they have for the future. Ademola’s wife was about to stand up from where she ate her breakfast when she fainted and slumped to the floor. He rushed towards her and tried to revive her but all his efforts where futile.A neighbour who heard his frantic shout for help assisted him in rushing her to the hospital. The doctor pronounced her dead on arrival.

Ademola was seated among his friends and relatives who were trying their best to console him when his phone rang. It was one of his neighbours calling.

” Hello”

“Mr Ademola! You have to come home as fast as you can because your house is on fire.”

Valentine’s Day Episode Four

I was about to knock for the fourth time when the door opened. Gbemisola was a bit shocked when she saw me although she tried to hide it. Her eyes were bloodshot and it was obvious that she’s been crying. She was dressed simply and although her hair was a bit rough and she had no makeup on she still looked beautiful.

She just turned back and went inside her room without speaking. I went in after her and closed the door gently behind me. Gbemisola sat down on one of the two plastic chairs in her room and she stared down at her fingers. I took the other chair, brought it closer to her and then sat down.

“What’s going on?” I asked while I made an attempt to hold her hand. She stood up from where she was seated and headed towards the window and she opened the curtain slightly and looked outside.

“I thought that we were in love. Why did you send such a message?  I know we’ve kinda drifted apart this past month but that’s not a good enough reason to just decide to break up.”

I continued speaking without getting any reply from her. Gbemisola just kept looking outside through her window with her back turned to me.

“Gbemi! This is unlike you and it’s not fair. Please just talk to me. I can deal with whatever reason you have for wanting to end this relationship. Just say something please.”

I stopped talking for a while in order to give her time to gather her thoughts and I was about to start talking again when she spoke.

“I’m pregnant for someone else,” she whispered in a hoarse voice with her back still turned to me.

Photo Credit - Google

The words I was about to say to her just disappeared. I tried to speak but no words came out of my mouth. We’ve never engaged in sex since we started dating because we decided not to have sex until marriage. I suddenly felt betrayed because she’d definitely broke my trust and cheated on me with someone else.

I paced in her room feeling angry and just trying to figure out what I was going to say. The sound of my ringing tone brought me back from my reverie but I ignored the call and left my phone in my pocket.

“How did this happen? I thought we promised each other not to engage in premarital sex,” I said trying hard not to raise the cadence of my voice.

“I don’t feel like talking right now and I’ll like to be alone. Please,” she said in a barely audible whisper.

I suddenly felt weak inside and I had the urge to go somewhere I could be alone. It was a bit dark outside when I opened the door and left her room.

Valentine’s Day Episode Three

You can Read Episode Two here

At last, I thought and I breathed a sigh of relief. I opened the message and started reading;

Hi. I really wanted to tell you this in person but I’ve not been able to work up the courage to do that. It’s not that I don’t care about your feelings, but things haven’t remained the same in the past few months. We have kind of drifted apart and we both are to blame. How much longer all this can go on, I have my doubts. Breaking up and going our separate ways, is the only way out. Sorry I had to do this with a text.

I read the SMS three times in order to be sure my eyes wasn’t seeing double. What could have happened for her to send such a message. I felt weak suddenly and I started to search my memory to see if I could figure out why she sent such a message but I couldn’t point out any reason why. Things haven’t exactly been as they where when we started dating about two years ago and I remembered that she was a bit nervous and jumpy the previous evening when we last met.

Photo credit- Google

A nudge from Segun brought me back to reality.

“My guy! Wetin happen now? You resemble person wey just see ghost”.

” Sege no vex abeg but I wan go one place now. We go see later.”

I picked up my bag and left Gabriel Oladeji lecture theatre in a hurry. On getting outside I called her number but she didn’t pick my call and when I called again she’d switched off her phone. My next lecture was by noon and I decided to see if I could track her down. The first place I went to was her department but she wasn’t there. I looked around the place hoping to see any of her friends but I had no luck. Just as I was leaving someone called my name and I looked back and saw Tolu.

“How are you Tolu?” I greeted with a forced smile.

“I’m fine jare,” she said “Are you looking for Gbemi?”

“Yes”

“She didn’t come for lectures today. She’s not feeling too good. Didn’t she call you?”

“Nope. She’s not picking my call and she’s switched off her phone,” I said.

“That’s strange. I was planning to go to the hostel now to check on her. Let me get my things and then we can go together”.

” Okay. Thanks “.

We walked side by side without talking. Maybe she sensed I wasn’t in the mood for talking. My phone rang when we were halfway there and I wouldn’t have picked it if it wasn’t my project mate calling. He told me I had to come to the laboratory to check on the insecticide we are working on for our final project.

” I have to go. Tell Gbemisola I’ll be there as soon as I can and that she shouldn’t ignore my calls “.

” Okay”.

On getting to the lab I found out that it wasn’t anything serious that he couldn’t have handled by himself and I almost played out my frustrations on him but I controlled myself. It was almost time for my lecture and I just couldn’t afford to miss it.

I kept wishing I had a way of speeding up time so the lecture could end early but alas I couldn’t and the lecture ended around 4pm. It was my last one for the day and I left for Gbemisola’s hostel immediately.

Her phone was still off because I tried calling her several times without success. I got to her hostel quickly and then knocked on her door.

Valentine’s Day Episode Two

You can Read Episode One Here

Professor Akanbi Omonla Alasoadura popularly known as Short Man Devil or SMD on campus — woe betide any student who addresses him by his nickname — was a short man in his late sixties. He was potbellied and he had a scar on his right cheek which we were told he got from his days in the Nigerian Army during the Civil war.

The very sight of his unsmiling face usually make even the bravest of students shiver. Today he wore buba and soro complete with a cap of abeti-aja.  He was a disciplinarian who could go as far as getting a student expelled for the slightest offence. But he was a good teacher who takes his time to make sure we understand what he was teaching.

Abeti-aja cap is popular among the Yoruba

Everyone in the lecture theatre sat still and I silently prayed that my phone won’t ring because I’ve not put it in silent. After he’d walked between the aisles, inspecting with his eagle eye whether he was going to see a student to use as a scapegoat he brought out his famed book from which he usually lectures, put on his spectacles and was about to start when Lola, one of the prettiest girls in my department stood up from where she was seated and approached Prof. Alasoadura. 

He looked up from his book and stared at her inquisitively. The lecture theatre became quieter still that you could hear a pin drop.

“Good morning sir! On behalf of all the 400 Level students of the Department of Chemistry, It’ll be an honour if you accept this gift sir.”

I had a good view of the event unfolding from where I was seated and every pair of eyes within the lecture theatre was also eagerly awaiting what was going to happen next. Prof. Alasoadura took the wrapped parcel from Lola’s outstretched hands and he slowly unwrapped it. We all knew what was inside the box ’cause we all contributed the money used in purchasing it.

It was a gold plated and expensive wrist watch. He removed the wrist watch he was wearing and he replaced it with the new one. I quickly used that opportunity to put my things in order and I muted my phone. Prof. Alasoadura looked around the lecture theatre and he then turned back towards Lola.

“Thank you,” then turning to his right, “and thank you all”.

Lola acknowledged his gratitude with a bow and she turned back and started heading towards her seat. A student stood up and started clapping and soon the lecture theatre was filled with the sound of clapping. We all sat down and the lectures began. Although I was a bit worried about Gbemisola, it didn’t deter me from hanging on to every word he said.

The lecture ended around 10 AM and as I was putting my books in my bag, Segun, a very good friend of mine came and sat down beside me.

” Guy how far. You go show for the dinner party for David Fasina this evening ?” he asked

“Yes o! I won’t miss that Valentine’s day dinner o even if SMD say make I no go”, I replied whispering the last part.

“You go come with that your fine babe or you don get another one?” Segun asked with a mischievous grin on his face.

His question jogged my memory and I brought out my phone from my pocket and unlocked it. I was about to speed dial Gbemisola’s number when a message came in. The message was from Her.

Valentine’s Day Episode One

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I loved what I saw. Although I spent half the night perfecting the Windsor knot in a bid to impress my girlfriend Gbemisola, I was too excited to be tired. After I’d sprayed about a third of the bottle of my perfume on my clothing and hair, I left the birth room.

My roommate, Jude was still sleeping soundly and although I envied him, I was almost late for my first lecture of the day. I tried to call Gbemisola but her line was switched off. After checking the contents of my school bag and making sure I’d not forgotten anything I picked it up, prayed to God and then left the room.

The long walk from my hostel to the lecture theatre wasn’t as daunting as it used to be. With my earpiece plugged in my ear, I put Pharrell Williams’ Happy on repeat on my phone. Most of the students I crossed paths with wore clothes of different shades of pink and red and I greeted all of them with a big smile.

Gabriel Oladeji Lecture theatre was almost filled up when I walked in through the main entrance. My phone vibrated and I brought it out of my pocket to check why. I was reading the hilarious WhatsApp message that came in while still walking when I suddenly bumped into someone.

I looked up quickly and saw that it was a girl and that she’d lost her footing and she was about to fall down. Still can’t figure out how I did it but with Spiderman-like reflexes I caught her just before she hit the floor. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush or maybe I have superhero genes.

“I’m so sorry! Hope I didn’t injure you?”, I said.

” I’m fine and thanks for the catch”, She replied.

“You’re welcome. I don’t get the chance to be a hero everyday.”

She smiled and then glanced at her wrist watch.

“Let me not delay you any further. Happy Valentine’s day”, I said.

” Yeah!”, she replied and I noticed that the smile disappeared from her face. “Thanks again.”

We went our separate ways and I searched for a comfortable seat and sat down. The lecture theatre was rowdy because most of the students were talking in loud voices. I tried to call Gbemisola again but that annoying voice still told me that the line was switched off. While I was searching for Gbemisola’s roommate number on my contacts list, the lecture theatre suddenly became as quite as a grave.

This only meant one thing; Prof. Alasoadura was inside the lecture theatre.

Valentines Day: Introduction

I’ve neglected this blog for so long that if it was my girlfriend we would have broken up by now. The funny thing is that I don’t even have a good reason for not writing a new post for such a long time. Even if I try to make up an excuse, deep down in my heart I know that I’ve just been lazy.

We are in the month of February and Valentine’s day is around the corner and I just felt like writing a story related to that day. Everybody loves Valentine’s day. I think.  The day is a special day for people who are in love and I believe that if you’re reading this post you’ve also experienced that feeling called love.

I will like to dedicate the various posts I’m going to upload in the next few days about Valentine’s day to my grandfathers, Gabriel Oladeji Oke and David Fasina Olafimihan, both of them are of blessed memory.

Try and enjoy reading them as much as I loved writing about a particular character in the story. Don’t forget to comment and share. Thanks.

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