FIRST LOVE (episode 9)

Few days to my resumption, Lima called me , for the first time since I returned home. She asked if I had Funke’s number, to which I replied in the negative. Few minutes later, My phone beeped with an incoming message, when I checked …behold was her majesty’s number…not the Queen of England…but the Queen, controller and dictator of my heart –FUNKE!!!
Just like a reflex action, I was already dialing the number, whe n the receiving end picked up, Her Majesty’s voice couldn’t be mistaken. I composed myself and chatted her up in a polite manner…albeit extra-ordinaire . she kept requesting for my name, which I didn’t mention for fear of her hanging up. The happiness in me overshadowed the fact that I felt embarrassed at her inability to recognize my voice. I ended the call when I was told that I had just a minute left , and promised to call her at night.
I spent the rest of the day preparing my lines , I chatted with Wale on 2go, who gave me ideas on how to word her into acceptance. I rehearsed my lines like I used to when preparing for drama in secondary school. For reasons which the mind knows no reason of , I decided to call her immediately after sunset.
I called and introduced myself properly and started on a sober note; ‘y do u hate me this much despite my unbeatable love for u?’ I asked.
‘me? Love?’ she asked.
‘of course Funke, I love u, I mean it, I’ve gone several places, I’ve seen many faces, but none has captivated my heart as much as U’.
I continued pouring out my lines, ‘ are u there ?’ I asked , I got no reply, by the time I checked the screen of my phone to confirm whether the call was still on, I realized I had been conversing with my phone…Funke had hanged up

I dialed her number again, praying silently that she would pick the call and indeed that prayer was answered. I asked why she hanged up and she replied in the customary way women do ‘nothing’.
I continued my regurgitated lines from where I stopped, with my treacherous voice cracking at regular intervals. I begged Funke as if my life depended on her love, indeed at that moment my life was meaningless without her love. She was there at the other end of the call telling me several reasons she can’t date me, among which is the fact that ‘that’s how you guys beg girls and later she will become useless to you’ –in her own words.
I went on to rebuke her claim begging her to give me just one chance, I promised not to disappoint her, in fact I made several promises on that night , and I wonder till this moment, whether I truly meant those promises or I was just ‘toasting’ as usual. At that point in time, I was almost crying, but the little manliness in me at that time manned up the situation.
When it seemed as if I was speaking to a rock that will never move no matter the situation, I decided to end the call with these words; ‘If as at now, that I’ve been begging you for over a year, despite the distance between us, you still don’t believe I truly love you. I don’t think there’s anything I can do to make you believe me and this is the last time I’ll ask you for this.bye’
After those words, a graveyard silence Invaded the call…and suddenly I heard Funke's voice ‘you have my word’ before I could confirm what I heard, another voice interrupted the call saying ‘your accopunt has been exhausted and your call terminated’
A wave of mixed feelings stole the moment, for the call was over fifteen minutes from an Mtn line to a Glo line, not that I was a big boy to that extent, but love...i mean that feeling that makes one irrational rationalized my spending on that night,. I dashed into the house with utmost immediacy, picked my mum’s phone and dialed Funke’s number, I did that to confirm what I heard , whether it was her tongue malfunctioning or my ears deceived me .
Alas! The begging was over; I knew there was a great task ahead. I went back inside only for my siblings to start shouting that they saw me making call for so long. I wasn’t surprised because I knew how witchy my sisters could be. I went straight to my room, sat down and took a mirror to look at myself, whether everything was happening in my dream or in my realm….a wave of happiness swept over me, the kind that was felt only when victory is attained after a protracted battle…the triumph of love.
The anxiety in me betrayed my tongue, betrayed my throat, in fact it betrayed my stomach. I was hungry but couldn’t eat, I was thirsty but couldn’t drink for I already found what was more than food at that moment, I found what was more than happiness.
I spent the remaining part of the night in soliloquy, the anxiety in me went further to betray my eyes , I couldn’t sleep, I lay awake, smiling to the darkness , unaware of every other thing save for the feeling in my heart’.
In between my anxiety of that night did I feel a drop of liquid running down my cheeks, when I tried to find the source of the liquid...i discovered it was from my eyes, tears of joy were dropping uncontrollably, I clung unto my blanket very tight and relished the greatest moment of my life!!!....
I woke up the next day, unlike any other day, I woke up with my eyes wide opened, my nerves at alert. It was as if I didn’t sleep at all. ‘Oh God is this meaning of love, is this how I’ll be feeling for the rest of life’ … I asked rhetorically. I performed all my house chores as if I with so much alacrity that my people were startled and concluded I was up to something probably sinister.
Before breakfast that morning I sneaked my mum’s phone out of the house to call Funke. When she picked up, I actually found it difficult to say anything, I was just stammering, my composure failed me. Does love also turn an eloquent speaker into a stutterer? I asked myself.
When I later found my voice, I asked about her plans for the relationship and a host of other questions, for the most part of call, my Dearest Funke kept replying ;’nothing’. I didn’t allow her response deter me, as I went on and on pouring out sweet words of love and reiterating the promises I made the previous night, this time I was sure I meant if for all my utterances came from the deepest part of my heart, not just the deepest, the purest it is. At a point in time, she asked me whether I trust her, and I replied in the affirmative.
Funke advised me not to trust her, and not to put too much hope in the relationship, at that point in time I became confused, for seconds I couldn’t say anything until the call went off. It was at this point in time I realized I already exhausted the card on my mum’s phone…my confusion was thus brought to its peak!!!!