After that conversation with my mum, for the first time in my adult life, I called her for four days consecutively. On the fourth day, I have never heard her that pissed to receive a call.
Apparently, MB had not stopped by my mum’s shop on any of these days, and according to my mum, if I call her one more time, she will slap me through the phone and my checks will bear her palm-print for the next three weeks.
If I loved my cheeks as much as I love MB, I needed to look for another way to arrange a reunion with her, it seems an “offering” of ice-cream didn’t seem so tempting to my mum anymore.
On a Monday morning, my best friend texted me and said he was organizing a surprise birthday party for a friend of his who just returned to Nigeria. He was trying to make it a reunion of sorts, and since I was one of the people he knew that used to know this guy when he was in Nigeria, he would love for me to be there.
First thing first, who fixes a birthday party for Monday evening? Don’t these O.B.Os know that the rest of us have work to get to by Tuesday morning? But then how am I supposed to say no to Jude? I told him I’ll be there. I tried getting my babe, Destiny, to go with me. But according to her, no party is worth going to work with eye-bags.
By evening, I was off to grove. Since I wasn’t the official photographer, I took it as an opportunity to really turn up. Getting to the venue, it was a case of a mixed bag of emotions.
This was kind of the biggest secondary school reunion for me. I have never attended one of the official or unofficial meetings or get together, so seeing some of my old schoolmates was heartwarming.
The downside was that it was way too stiff. Very few people were trying to have a good time, the rest were trying to stay sober, conscious of the fact that tomorrow was a workday. This is my worst nightmare kind of party.
I had barely been there for twenty minutes when my brains couldn’t handle the boredom anymore. I went to salute the celebrant, notified Jude of my exit, then walked out of the place.
As I was standing outside waiting for a cab, a car stopped in front of the building, and in the most cinematic slow motion I had ever witnessed, MB stepped out.
My heart stopped. The air froze. Everyone paused. All eyes were fixed on her. If a pin dropped in the building across, it would have been heard at the end of the street.
My spirit actually flew out of my body, across to her and hugged her. My body meanwhile was transfixed to the spot. It was only after she had been joined by a guy from the car and they had walked into the building that my body and spirit had a reunion.
I started to rush back into the hall. Suddenly there were too many people in my way. I pushed, shoved, stepped on toes. Kept yelling “excuse me”. Until I got back in.
As I entered the hall, I saw her and the guy had made their way across the hall to the celebrant. How could they have gotten there so fast? It’s like people just make way for her when she wants.
Once again I found myself pushing and being pushed, shoving and being shoved, and by the time I made my way across the room, there were no longer there.
I asked Jude if he had seen MB. He had heard about her, but had never met her. I was about to describe her to him. I had barely said black and beautiful before he pointed her out to me at another end of the hall. She and the guy were at the small chops stand.
This time around, if I flew or ran, I am still not sure. All I know is that before you can say Jack Robinson, I was right behind her. As she and Mr Man turned around, her eyes met mine, and once again, in the most beautiful slow motion ever, she dropped her plate, and her mouth, and her eyelids bulged even more.
Mr Man was turning to either of us for an explanation, while I and MB were momentarily speechless. Once again, it seemed the party and come to a halt and everyone was staring at our awkward reunion.
“Hi” she finally whispered.
Wilson Joshua is a Video Editor, Content Creator and Creative Writer.
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