TÓDÙN

53

KUNLE

Feeling very secured after Todun had killed the snake that almost turned me to a weakling, I wrapped my hands around her and watched her laughed trying to disentangle herself. The snake laid lifeless on the floor and the stick beside it. Funto, Funsho and Akorede approached us trying to take a closer look at the snake. In an instant we stopped laughing and unconsciously stared into each other eyes longingly and that made me remember what happened earlier. I lost control of what I had wanted to ask her and just ended up kissing her.

I had stood in front of the mirror at home and even at my hostel trying to rehearse everything through just to ask her to be my girlfriend and when I stood right in front of her I forgot what I learnt totally and instead kissed her to cover my embarrassment. It was never like that with other girls that I have dated before. With her I have become afraid of rejection and with the earlier event about the snake, I wonder if I will be able to protect her if the need arises.

"You guys should just get a room." Akorede blurted and we pulled apart. A smile appeared on Funsho's face and disappeared instantly. Funto looked in between us as we scrambled apart and a wide smile appeared on her face.

"Nobody told you not to look for a girlfriend o." Funto replied Akorede playfully.

"Even if he should look, I am not sure if he will find one." Funsho replied using his elbow to jab Akorede who bent grabbing his stomach. "Ladies don't like guys who are too serious." He added.

"Says who?" Funto asked scoffing.

"Says me babe."

"Be whining yourself, you think I will be here with you if I did not not see any flashlight of seriousness?" She asked pulling her hands away from him and went to the room. Funsho followed her pouting like a baby.  From the look on his face, it was so evident that he felt so excited at his new discovery. I have always tried figuring out the reason she agreed to date him. Funsho is my friend but that doesn't erase the fact that he was a play boy and to our greatest surprise changed when he started going out with Funto. So, if being serious is the key to a guys heart, have I been serious?

"You can continue." Akorede said, pulling me out of the pool of thoughts I was submerged in. He walked out of the kitchen while Todun followed him immediately carrying the snake with her.

TÓDÙN

Two days after  resumption and things were beginning to get into place, I have fully settled in, enjoying my peace in another room, in company of ever supportive Funto.  As usual Funto, Ahmed and I, were seated in the class with our fellow classmates listening to the lecturer who stood at the front, explaining a topic and at the same time scrutinizing every student with her eyes. On her exit at the end of the class, noises about how lecturers were trying to hurrying us up in teaching filled the room. They hurried things as if, we were the one that requested for a strike and not them.

"This is so unfair?" Funto complained, flipping her notebook through.

"What is it?" Ahmed who sat by her right  side asked absent mindedly, tapping on his phone. With the speed at which he took the phone after the lecturer left the class, I could tell he had his mind elsewhere throughout the lecture.

"These, all of these." She replied, pointing to her notebook and waving her hands around the room. She took off her glasses and using her handkerchief, she wiped off beads of sweat from her forehead. The lecture theatre was large but not large enough for the population of students that sat in it. Everywhere was stuffy and I even could perceive the strong offensive odour emitting from the body of the lady who sat beside me. It must have been as a result of the perspiration that came out of her body and even drew map on her cloth and I could not blame her, it was just the system that could not put anything in place.