I was woken up by the excessive laughter ringing in my sleep; I opened
my eyes to see Mt and Ykay mocking me with all seriousness. It was
glaring that I only slept due to hunger, for the Wasak they knew never
slept during daytime. I quickly rearranged myself and prepared for the
next lecture which was to hold in the new campus. Despite the mockery
from my friends, I considered it a blessing in disguise because I was
broke and couldn’t afford transport fare; they therefore had no choice
than to raise me.
By the time we got to the new site, the lecture
hall was filled beyond capacity as usual; we rushed to the back of the
lecture hall and stood with our fellow late comers. Although the theatre
was a 500 sitter, the population of students from political science,
mass comm., English , history , economics and law combined was too much
for the hall to bear, as such it rewarded its occupants with ‘HEAT’; one
that was more than enough for all to share, the lecturer inclusive. I
was still recovering from the laughter caused by the incessant comedy of
the lecturer when my phone started vibrating in my pocket; I was
surprised to see Funke’s call, for her calls were seldom. I concluded
something important was at hand, and I therefore rushed out of the
theatre to call her.
When she picked up I immediately asked what
was wrong for I was really worried by her august call. She nagged about
me not calling her for over two hours; I tried to explain that I was
busy with lectures, to which she replied by asking ‘are your lectures
more important than me?’
‘Never, sweetheart if my lectures were more
important I wouldn’t have left the lecture theatre to call you’ ‘I
replied ‘I’m sorry sweetheart I never meant it that way’ I quickly
added.
‘beg me very well jor’
Immediately I heard this, I was
forced to move farther away to avoid sight and hearing, I quickly moved
to a deserted area of the school since the theatre was close to that
part. I begged her with all sincerity, when I was sure none was looking,
I went on my knees, this probably impressed her for she told me she was
not angry any longer. I requested her permission to return to my
lecture theatre, to which she obliged. I walked briskly back to the
theatre.
I saw people exiting the theatre, I checked my time to
confirm my sight …the lecture was supposed to end officially 10 minutes
ago. I dialed Mt’s number to confirm their location but a beautiful
voice politely responded ;’u do not have sufficient credit to call this
number’. Not that I cared about their whereabouts, but where exactly was
I to get transport fare!!!
I walked in a running manner to the bus park where I was almost sure Mt
and Ykay would be. Many students were queuing for bus; I concluded my
friends would be among the queue since they left the lecture hall not
quite long ago. I walked to and front the queue rotating my eyes in all
directions searching for any of them, this movement of mine purchased me
suspicious eyes who probably felt I was up to something mischievous.
When it seemed as if my search was futile and the eyes I bought were
becoming too much a burden for me to bear, I chose to do the expedient.
Stooping
so low to beg from strangers wasn’t any option for me, so despite the
crowd of students at the bus park, I couldn’t approach anyone with my
self-inflicted predicament. The distance of the park to the exit gate
was just over a kilometer, and I made up my mind to trek as far as my
legs could go. I brought out my ear piece from my thigh-pocket, actually
the ear piece was the only property in my pocket aside my phone, I
didn’t have a note for that particular lecture , since I just went there
for fun, quite surprisingly I had an ‘A’ in the course. I started
playing my favourite song ‘Angel of my life’ by Paul play’
So
did I set out for my adventure under the scorching sun which
communicated with my skin in a merciless manner. After trekking for
about 1 hour 45 minute, I was drenched in my own perspiration, I found
myself at the back gate of my campus, and luckily for me our hostels
were located close to the gate. A sudden joy came over me which gave me a
sprinting energy to complete my adventure. On getting to my room, I met
my roommates arguing about the lectures they had, it was only then I
remembered I had missed another lecture; I walked in silently and
collapsed on my bed in fatigue.
Hardly had I settled on my bed
when I heard familiar voices, laughing crazily and walking towards our
room which was the last on the floor. Mt, Ykay and Id walked in, they
were with their bags which meant they were just returning from lectures.
I tried to feign sleeping in order to chase them away for I was too
tired to start enduring their lousiness.
‘ idi.ot y where u go wey we no c u again?’ Mt asked
‘Guy I beg I wan sleep …later ‘I said turning to the other side of the bed
‘wetin happen na? We wait for u for new site we no c, na Raf use im ride carry us come back self’ Ykay added
At
this, I narrated my ordeal to them, how I had left the theatre to call
Funke and my search for them. They patiently listened until I got to the
part where I trekked back to school. They all busted out in laughter,
even my dumb roommates were not left out!!!!
After the visit of my friends, I sat down and regurgitated my life, I
played the past few months with Funke before me and watched it like a
tape. I wondered about the pain love has caused me, I thought about
Christina Milan and her film ‘love don’t cost a thing’. ‘Why did she
deceive me that love costs nothing? I’ve spent time, money, and energy,
to what end?’ ‘What exactly is love? I asked myself rhetorically.
I
remembered the saying of my dad that excess of everything can be
intoxicating, his sating was reflected in my thoughts that afternoon.
The excess love I had for Funke was the root of my madness, at the same
time; the excess hunger of that afternoon accorded me the opportunity to
reflect on my madness which has never stared me in the face since its
inception.
Despite my deep reflection which almost caused a
revolution against the regime of Funke’s love in my heart, I found
myself missing her even more. I lay helplessly on my bed thinking about
Funke praying silently that sleep would overcome me and save me from
further torture from hunger. My prayers never came true and I had no
choice but to endure.
Around 5 pm when it seemed as if I would die
of hunger, I rose from my bed to pay a visit to my aboki, I drank two
cups of water to add a little weight to my empty stomach while I heard
near silent voice in my mind ‘thank God water is free’
I had intended
to bail myself out of hunger by getting a few cups of Garri from my
friend, but I found myself doing something else. Obviously the need to
hear Funke’s voice was more pressing than the need for food. I dialed
her number once again, immediately she picked I apologized for not
calling earlier. We started chatting as usual, me expressing my love for
her; even hunger had to pause to listen to the purgation of emotion.
‘I
never believed love exists until this moment I’m spending with u, I
wouldn’t still believe love exists, but for the fact that all parts of
my body could testify. If my heart could speak it’d tell you that the
only source of happiness for me is the sound of Ur voice. I haven’t
tasted anything but water today, yet I have I’ve recharged 200 naira on
my phone to call u alone.’ I said in an emotion-filled voice’
‘are u serious?’ you’ve not eaten today,y?’ she interrupted me with an expression of shock.
‘For the past 3 days, my pocket has been empty’ I replied.
‘Then how are u getting card to call me? She asked
‘Indifference will always find an excuse, love will always find a way sweetheart’
‘I have to go now, I’ll call u later’ she finally said
‘ok I love you beyond words, bye’
‘Bye’ she hanged up.
Few
minutes after she hanged up, a text message entered my phone, and it
boldly appeared on the screen ‘message from unbeatable love’…Funke had
never sent an sms, ‘what could this be?’ I wondered before reading !!!
