THE MAN I THOUGHT HE WAS

LOVE ON HOLD

Days coupled into weeks and no sight of a white sports car. It was actually two weeks, but to me, it seemed like it was two months already; the sports car man never showed up. Tare practically baptized him with the name, sports car man.

I had always wanted a male gender in my life who would be more than a friend to me. Yes, there was Peter, but he was just like a brother to me. There was nothing attached to what I feel for him. No trace of intimacy. Moreover, I would easily turn down his proposal if he had tried crossing the arms-length I offered him. Again, I would not accept anything more than what he already was to me because of his big shaped nose with two big holes, each likely to swallow two fingers at a go without stress. Through the holes, one could see the end of his nostrils. Aside that, he was a very cool guy.

Being a girl, who just got admitted into a Higher Institution immediately after sitting for West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), who was never allowed to stay far from home because she is the only daughter, who was trained and raised up to liking and getting involved with church activities more than every other thing, I never had the opportunity to be exposed to some realities of life. Back then in school, you would either find me inside the school premises, or in the church auditorium. Apart from these two places, I should eventually be inside my room. I have seen and heard people discuss about their boyfriends. How lovable and romantic it was, and is being in a romantic relationship, and of course I always wished to have one. On countless occasions have I heard my friends call their boyfriends sweet names. Those head-spinning, earth-tilting names that would make you cum even without going intimate.  Uju, one of my friends in school would always tag me as someone who was missing out. She kept wondering how a very pretty and healthy girl could stay without having a lover in her life. The feeling of being missed out on the trending vibes always drove me to the church so I would dodge being with my friends after lectures. Being with them always made me look like a "Jew guy" in their words.

Uju, had on several occasions tried to hook me up with some campus guys. But, as a novice living with a devoted pastor's daughter, I had to always think twice before indulging into anything nasty. Uju was only trying to make me see how it feels like having a man in my life even if it's just one man. when Gift graduated, Uju became my roommate. Although I remained the very decent and naive Amake, but something changed. I began to accommodate guys around me. Some of who would visit to see my roommate. Some of these guys were lodge mates, course mates, church mates, and tutorial mates. Notwithstanding, I still had the fear of Mommy visiting unnoticed, so I refused to extend any relationship beyond the normal.

"Why not give Ola the chance and experience what real affections are?" Uju persistently wanted me to, with one of the few guys around me.

"Even if you don't want anything intimate in the relationship, let him know your rules and feel what it is to be loved. You are eighteen already, come on girl. You are beautiful with big butts and boobs. Babe, you have height too. Don't let all these endowments waste. Make proper use of them."

I wondered if there was anything special about my busty chest and well curved buttocks in the dwindling campus environment that made Uju emphasized so much on them.

******

"Could this be my luck? When will I get out of this spell of loneliness?" I asked myself as I gently hopped down the street of Captain Ayeni. I desperately needed someone to always hang out with. Someone that I would love and he, in turn would love me more. I seriously wanted to share in the real feelings of being romantically attached to someone; that kind of romantic relationship my friends always talked about. At least, I should have a gist for them on how I found my own Mr. Right during my period of one year Industrial Training. Ever since the day sports car man drove along with me, there had never been a day that passed by without having a reflection of the little drama that happened on that very day playing in my mind. But where can I find him again? Or rather, will he ever again think of coming for me? Are we ever going to cross paths again? I kept asking myself.

Other days, preceding the day I met the sports car man, my first day of trekking down to the office in the morning; I normally entered a keke that took me to office right from the junction I got highlighted from a cab. But after my drama with the sports car man, I noticed it was more interesting to trek down the office way. Besides, it seemed to provide room for people to see and interact with you. A good one for a lady codedly in desperate need of a lover.

Still on the thought of why this man never appeared again. "Could it be that my first impression of not responding to him chased him away? But I waved at him," I nodded in affirmation as if someone asked me a question that required an instant affirmative nod. "Am I not good enough for him? Or did he just wanted my body which my silence on him revealed to him that I am not a cheap slot." I never knew I was leaving the track meant for those on foot until someone threw a paper on me. It was an aggressive keke rider. Bringing out his right five fingers well spread, "ode! mumu! , shey you wan die abi? No be me go kill you na trailer go do am for you." The frustrated looking man shouted at me and sped off.

"Ah. That was so harsh." I muttered. "God forbid!" I snapped my fingers immediately and moved back to the right track.

"See en nyash. Babe if you dey find who go punana you no be for express you go advertise am na, kukuma go hospital junction, na for there you go get plenty customer wey go punana you wella." A street boy sitting by the road side with a wrap of igbo in the middle if his two left fingers jested. His lips were as black as kiwi black polish.

My bones were crushed to the marrows with those abominable words he pronounced. Mommy said that those kinds of words are abominations to the ears of a Christian.  There were echoes of laughter by people passing by and others at their shops. I did not only feel embarrassed, I was deeply ashamed of myself. From God knows where, a keke suddenly packed before me and beckoned on me to enter. Oh, it was that that wide gapped teeth man with two big yellow incisors.

"Nne banye let me give you a free ride." He offered.

"Ewo, he's even an Igbo man." I murmured and slid into the keke without saying a word. We remained silent as he drove me down to my work place. I threw a "thank you very much" on him and climbed down while he zoomed off. It was then I realized that I never greeted him. I finally decided to let my mind off the sport car man starting from that day, and continued living my life like he never appeared in the picture.