This is an ongoing story and hopefully,will continue each week. I hope you enjoy it.
Joke took a deep breath, extremely satisfied that a mission had been completely executed. She could hardly hold herself anymore, not for her friends, her family, and definitely not for a man that would never appreciate her.
Thinking back now, she knew that there was absolutely no way that she could have endured or better yet, managed a day longer. If he had not broken off the so-called relationship, she would have screamed in agony. She could hardly tell the domineering young man that she had been seeing that she was no longer interested. She could never forget how he got when he was angry. His face would swell like soaked bread and he would become quietly violent and threatening. Her fingers would never forget their silent torture when he held them too tightly, with that stale smile on his face and his mouth spewing veiled threats with the nicest and sweetest words possible. She was always giving him the benefit of the doubt because everyone said that they looked so good together. They were even accused of looking alike.
There had been too much deception, too many lies, not enough air tight alibi’s and too many irritating events that she would rather forget but always have goose pimples run down her skin at the thought. There was definitely not enough trust-on her part and how was she going to explain the constant headache’s, and worries that she would be an example to others or she would pay for his mistakes…or better yet, his actions. How was she going to live with all the mistrust and fear, and the thwarted idea of what his love entailed? And she only knew that what she had been feeling for a long time was paltry, better if she was holding a well loved kitten, worse than the coldness lurking around her emotions. A robot would feel more warmth towards its owner.
It might have been naive for her to have imagined and wished for the passion that existed in her paperback novels, or in her historical English courtship. She had wanted the fierceness, the anger that led to a better relationship but what she had had been very warm, neither blazing hot or frostbite cold, simple and never complicated, without a defined future to hope for. There were no surprises, nothing to look forward to. She had forgotten what it felt like to be deliriously happy, never wishing for more and definitely, never demanding of herself or of him. It was plain and if allowed, slow. Ten months, she thought. She had spent ten months in the most unexciting experience to have ever occurred to her. The break up was for the best; she was lacking in the art of effective flirtation and hating it too.
Snapping out of her reverie, she noticed that her two other friends had stopped talking and were looking at her with curiosity. They must have asked her a question.
“Did you say something?” she asked, her large eyes questioning.
“It’s all right. He was not worth it anyway.” Lanre said, second guessing her thoughts. If only you knew.
“What were you thinking of?” her other friend, Tosin asked. “I don’t trust your thoughts” she said. She would know, they’d been friends longer. Joke was always so mysteriously mischievous.
“It was nothing important.” Joke replied. “What were you talking about anyway?” she asked, noticing the look that they exchanged.
They were not ready to talk about it. She could tell from the mood Tosin had. “Just talking about the crazy people that live amongst us” her other friend replied instead. She knew what they had been talking about, she realized as she looked at her friend’s obvious discomfort and vague answer. Her friend was anything but vague but she knew that this was not the right time to say anything. “Where are the other girls anyway?” she asked instead, saving her friend from running with the conversation that was much too paltry to talk about.
“well, i think Lara went home, Kemi is at the supervisors office,and Juliet is off somewhere flirting with as many guys that she can manage.” Came Tosin’s reply..
“you’d think that it was impossible for so many girls in the same environment to basically dress the same way.” She began, looking at a tall, dark skinned girl in a metallic jacket, low band denim and a matching metallic bag. “Everyone’s wearing the same thing. There’s no individuality.” The guy finally spoke.
“I thought the girls were getting your attention with their unindividualistic image” Joke said with curiosity.
“They do catch my attention..”.Lanre began. “On how they are not sure of who or what they are or what they want to look like.”
“I could try it.” She said giggling and looking down at her khaki three quarter shorts and tee shirt.
“Maybe but you would almost commit suicide and get blind trying to apply that eye shadow. Plus, you can never look like anybody except yourself. Don’t try, you will spoil the effect.” Tosin said laughing.
Just then, Joke looked across and noticed the two guys that just sat on the slab across her and was fascinated by the tall, fair skinned guy’s facial expression. He had the look of a guy that was used to getting attention and she kept staring, imagining what was going through his mind as he continued to talk, the space between his eyebrows squeezed in a little frown to show intensity. She noticed that the other guy that the first guy was speaking to, the one sitting directly opposite her had his head bent and she could only see his low cut ,deeply black hair, very dark skinned and slender body posture. Her other friends had zoned out and were talking to each other, neither noticing how or at what she was staring at intently. When the dark skinned guy looked up, she was struck, and could not take her eyes away. He was not as tall as the light skinned guy, he was slimmer than slender and he wasn’t a looker. In fact, he was not uniquely good looking in any manner but she couldn’t look away. She was not sure what attracted her, whether it was his hollow cheeks, his angular features, full lips or broken nose. His nose reminded her of Augustus Caesar. Well, until he smiled.
His teeth were not straight or good enough for any toothpaste advert. Far be it… but the twisted front teeth, too long canine and large teeth was enough to make her catch her breath. She had been staring so hard that the guy was amused and looking at her as well. He had seen her before, weeks ago when she had fallen and injured herself and her friends pulled up her skirt to notice. He had thought that she did not have beautiful legs but was sorry that she would have a scar but he was not used to girls openly staring. Nigerian girls were usually more subtle and definitely do not wear khaki shorts and timberland boots to school. He thought all girls believed in living in the motto that fashion came before comfort. Well, he could say that she was hardly typical. It was interesting to watch her facial expressions as well.
Finally, she snapped back to see the guy staring at her too, his eyes inquisitive and an amused smile in place. Her friend also noticed her stares too. Oh gosh, not again. She looked like she was ready to plot something, Tosin thought as she noticed the way Joke was biting the side of her lips and squinting her eyes. She jabbed the guy she was talking to to notice the speculative look in her eyes.
He’s coming towards us. Joke thought, panicking as the dark skinned guy she had been staring at made towards them. Right in front of her, he veered off before she could embarrass herself, as he greeted Lanre. His voice was a little too high pitched for someone who had experienced puberty. Then he smiled again and looked straight at her, wondering what was fascinating her so. Her eyes were so transparent. Just as he walked away, Tosin turned to her.
“What’s wrong with you? Stop staring at him like that!” she commanded.
“How?” Joke asked, smiling smugly.
“Like….like…. he was some sort of specimen.” Her friend snapped.
“Is he your friend?” she asked Lanre.
“Yes…” he replied, not sure why she was asking. Lanre did not know her so well.
“I like him” she said simply. “do me a favour will you?”.
Both her friends turned to look at her. Her expression was hardly readable, and they were eager to hear what she wanted to say.
“ tell him that i like his teeth.” Joke said finally, leaving her friends more confused than ever as she got up and walked away, a small smile on her face.
